One Departure, Three Arrivals
Mysterious Mares
Story and Original Characters by MeanMotorScooter, Peach, Timberwlfy, and Meiou
Editing by Peach
Trademark characters and locations are owned by Hasbro.
Chapter 1: One departure, Three arrivals
It was another fine morning within the Everfree Forest. Although not many ponies dared to step into such dark and dangerous woodland, there were some who actually took solitude in its depths. Zecora, an exotic, herb-brewing zebra mare from afar; Manablade, a mysterious unicorn stallion blacksmith; and Copper Lance, Mana’s eccentric pegasus colt apprentice, all made this mysterious locale their home. Although most of the inhabitants of Ponyville preferred to stay out of the forest, it didn’t stop some whose work routes involved passing through it.
Manablade started his day off with hot tea and hashed brown potatoes, sitting down and waiting patiently for the mail to arrive as he lightly and quietly hummed to himself. Copper Lance was still spread out in his hammock in the corner, sleeping while holding his lance like a teddy bear. He rolled over and fell to the ground with a hard thud. Waking abruptly from the sudden shock, Copper flailed his weapon wildly as if an invisible opponent were attacking. Mana just sipped his tea nonchalantly and formed a quick barrier spell around Copper to prevent him from causing any harm or damage. Almost immediately afterward, the startled apprentice blindly swung his lance into the near-impenetrable force field, causing recoil that left the lance and Copper’s entire body vibrating momentarily like a tuning fork. Falling on his flank, he shook his head, finally awake and alert.
“Oh, good morning, Sir Manablade!” said the spirited trainee.
“Good Morning, Copper,” replied Mana as he dispelled the barrier. He then used his magic to open a trap door in his roof in anticipation for their mail mare Derpy Hooves, who—right on cue—landed on some well-placed pillows to cushion her crash landing. A few weeks had passed since Copper Lance moved in with Manablade, and the blacksmith was now used to Copper’s overactive imagination and impulsive nature. So much so that during the entire morning procedure his humming was not interrupted, not even once. He didn't do it out of whimsy, but rather out of habit; one he had displayed since foalhood.
“Good morning, Mr. Mana!” greeted Derpy. “I brought you a letter! Oh! And here’s a letter for Mr. Clopper Lance, too!” she announced, plucking the letters out of her mailbag with her mouth. Copper Lance blushed from the awkward mispronunciation of his name.
“Thank you, but it’s…Copper, actually, Lady of Derp,” clarified the embarrassed colt, taking his envelope between his hooves.
“Oh, whoopsie!” the scatterbrained mail carrier as she scratched the back of her neck with her hoof.
Copper opened the envelope it with his teeth to reveal the letter inside. “Oh, this is a letter from Captain Shining Armor! It seems he wishes to know the about my progress so far!” he said brightly. Wasting no time, Copper zipped to a writing desk, where a sheet of paper, a quill, and some ink awaited him. Derpy bid the two gentlecolts farewell and flew back from the way she came, with Mana closing the trap door on the ceiling upon her exit.
Manablade proceeded to use his unicorn magic to open up the envelope he was given. From the royal seal, it appeared to be from Canterlot…. Could Celestia have written to him? He took out the letter and began reading it. As his eyes read through the text, His light humming slowed down until it completely stopped. Mana’s eyes widened and he began to look a bit anxious, with a cold sweat running down his brow. With haste, Mana rolled up the letter and began packing his bags immediately afterward. As Copper Lance wrote his response letter to Shining Armor, he noticed Mana’s using his unicorn magic to stuff some provisions, gear, and other materials that Copper could not identify.
“Hmm?” began Copper, putting down the quill. “Is something wrong, Sir Manablade?” he asked, then walking up to his teacher.
“I need to be away for a while… But while I’m gone, you can stay here for as long as you need to,” Mana stated in a somber voice. Copper simply blinked…. Mana was leaving?
“Huh? O-Okay; I won’t question your reasons…but are there any special instructions? And…how long will you be gone? Not to impose on your business but…I do need you around to help train me. Unless you trust I can handle myself after all our sessions to this point,” Copper went on.
“I think that, for the time I’m gone, you can handle yourself. I’m not sure how long I’ll be absent, but I promise to return as soon as I can to check on your progress,” Manablade said as he secured his bags, then strapping them to his sides.
“All right… But do you really have to leave now?” inquired Copper, noticing that Mana hadn’t even finished his breakfast. “Can I…maybe come with you? I promise to be on my best behavior! And who knows—maybe I can help you!” he added.
“I need to leave as soon as possible. I’m sorry, but I’m certain you can’t come with me, for I shan’t be followed,” explained Manablade with such wording that made him sound a little suspicious. But Copper decided not to press further. Despite his concern, he did not wish to heckle his teacher. Whatever Mana’s cause for leaving was, it had to be important.
“Okay…. Well, have a safe trip! I promise I won’t be tardy with my training schedule and I won’t let myself get rusty! I’ll do my best to keep focused, control myself, and make sure to remember everything you’ve taught me so far!” the determined young warrior asserted, saluting his superior.
“Good. Stick with what I’ve taught you and you should be fine. Just remember: if you go to Ponyville, do NOT, under any circumstances, bring your lance! You’re not ready to wield it in public yet!” the blacksmith said hurriedly—but still sternly—as he put a hooded cloak around himself.
“Of course! I promise I won’t endanger the inhabitants of Ponyville while you’re gone. I swear as my honor as both a knight and your apprentice,” Copper vowed as he took an earnest bow.
Manablade opened the door. “I’m sorry about this being so sudden… Farewell for now, Copper Lance,” Manablade said as he walked through the door, then closing it behind him. In mere seconds, Mana was long gone. And shortly thereafter, the young pegasus felt saddened, confused, and alone.
For the rest of the day, Copper trained without anypony to supervise him or keep him company. He managed to keep focused, hitting the targets and further perfecting his aim. Copper even correctly identified wooden training dummies made to resemble dangerous monsters and innocent civilians, doing more damage to the malevolent figures and less to the benign mannequins than ever before. He would have normally been elated over his new personal best in the training exercise, but without Mana to oversee him, keep score, or instruct him on how to improve, it almost felt pointless…
The more Copper thought about the current situation, the more he felt abandoned. The time alone also gave him a chance to think: Mana’s suddenly leaving Copper to himself might have seemed somewhat irresponsible, but the details of the letter must’ve been so important that he had no choice but to leave immediately. All the disgruntled trainee could find relating to it was the leftover envelope. It seemed to be from Canterlot, but Mana took the letter inside with him wherever he went. Perhaps he traveled to Canterlot? Then again, he didn’t mention anything about going there…. What exactly was Manablade keeping secret?
Copper Lance was troubled all day and night, for three days straight, being kept awake in bed at night by various scenarios playing in his head as to what prompted Mana to leave. Was there a strange new evil arising? No; in that case, Princess Celestia would call for the elements of harmony. Was Mana being recruited to do Celestia’s secret dirty work? No, she was a noble princess who would never stoop that low. Maybe the blacksmith was planning to overthrow Celestia herself and start a revolution? No, that couldn’t be. Copper’s imagination was driving him mad….
Late the following morning, Copper Lance could barely concentrate on his training, now feeling even worse than before. Just what was wrong with him? Perhaps he was worried about Mana’s safety, or maybe he felt like he couldn’t manage on his own. But likely both concerns and others were going through his head. Copper decided that a day off could help alleviate his distress. Leaving his lance behind, he left Manablade’s cottage and flew over the Everfree Forest towards Ponyville. His weapon would be of no use to him if he couldn’t even focus enough to wield it. Maybe some fresh air could help….
Soon, Copper entered the skies above town, flapping his wings while looking down at the buildings from the clouds and giving a bit of a sigh, not sure of what to do or where to go that day, considering everything on his mind. Just then, out of nowhere, another pegasus flew into him—one who was carrying a barrel on his back. Upon impact, the barrel fell off and plummeted towards the ground. Catching sight of the falling cargo, Copper Lance flew downward as fast as he could and caught it before it could hit the ground. Whatever was inside that barrel, it was rather heavy….
“HEY! Watch where you’re goin’, ya bum!” barked the masculine carrier with a crate for a cutie mark.
“I humbly apologize, my fine sir. I wasn’t concentrating on my surroundings, I didn't see where I was-” Copper began to explain, but the pegasus was already flying off without acknowledging his words. “…going…. Well, have a fine day, my good sir!” he shouted politely, despite how rude the other fellow was.
Copper just sighed again and descended, landing in the marketplace. The moment he began to walk around, a peculiar female unicorn began to wave a strange probe in front of his face, tracing along his legs, wings, and tail. Her coat was a baby blue, and her white mane and tail were long and wavy. She wore a lab coat covering her torso and goggles on her face. A cutie mark showed on the mare’s bare flank: a black atom symbol with a red ring in the center. She circled around Copper as she held the probe in one hoof, and a small machine attached by wire in the other.
“Um, Pardon me, fair maiden, but…just what is the meaning of this?” asked Copper as the unicorn accidentally poked him lightly in the eye with the probe, causing him to wince. As he rubbed his eye, she looked down at her machine to read the values displayed on the screen.
“Well, it’s definitely not coming from you! You’re all clear!” she declared, then moving on to another area. Copper was befuddled, and yet curious.
“Um… Fair Maiden? If you don’t mind my asking—could you possibly tell me what you are doing with that device?” inquired Copper, finally reopening his eye.
“Fair Maiden? I think you’re mistaken! I’m no maiden, and I’m far from fair. I’m actually Atomic Age!” said the unicorn, then adjusting her goggles to reveal her brown eyes. “And to answer your question, I’m looking for signs of radiation! My readings said there was some coming from this town, so I came to investigate…. But so far, everything seems just fine! Maybe the darn thing is on the fritz again. The ponies here don’t even seem to be showing any signs that they’ve been poisoned,” she added, tapping the device with her hoof.
“Poisoned? Who is this “Radiation”? If he is going around poisoning our citizens, he must be put to justice for his crimes!” declared Copper with fervor. Atomic Age just cocked a brow and then snickered a bit.
“No-no-no! Radiation isn’t the name of someone; it’s a thing! Or, to be more precise: it’s a stream of particles or electromagnetic waves emitted by atoms and molecules of radioactive substances as a result of nuclear decay,” Atomic clarified. Copper Lance just blinked, not understanding a word she said. “I travel from town to town, looking for signs of nuclear waste. Even though such dangerous materials are not really used around here and there aren’t any power plants for miles, you’d be surprised how far some are willing to travel to attempt to secretly dump and hide excess radioactive waste, or worse,” she explained. Again, most of what Atomic Age described just flew over Copper’s head.
“I see…. So, Ponyville isn’t in any danger, Lady Atomic Age?” he asked.
“Ponyville? Is that where I am? Well, I’m sure for now this place is safe enough…. But I’ll keep looking around, just to be sure,” Atomic assured. A sign for the latest film then caught her eye. “Hey, they have a cinema in this town! Maybe I can go see a flick while I’m here! Well, it was nice talking to you, Copper!” she said before wandering off. It appeared that this pony had not been here before….
Atomic Age wandered near Mana’s closed smithy, where she once more waved her probe, checking for significant readings. Copper looked toward the empty shop and sighed, once more missing his teacher. He felt strange looking through the shop window and not seeing Mana inside smelting iron into trinkets or even the weapons typically on display. What Copper also found odd was that, right next to the building, was somepony setting up shop. That’s when he saw…HER…
She was a pink earth pony with a magenta tail, a matching mane stylized in two pigtails, and eyes of the same shade. Appearing to be from the country, she had small yellow hoop earrings and a crimson neck bandana. On her flank was a cutie mark of a light pink cherry blossom. She was setting up a stand surrounded by unopened barrels, crates, and boxes. As she prepared to hammer a nail down into a lopsided plank on the wooden stand with her hoof, she noticed that it suddenly readjusted itself into a level position. She then saw that, right in front of her incomplete stand, Copper Lance stood gazing down at her with a big smile, holding the large block of wood up with by pressing his side against it.
“Greetings, fair maiden! I see that you are new here in Ponyville! Do you perhaps need help setting up your fine establishment in our fair town?” inquired Copper, despite the fact that he already started assisting her. She froze for a moment, looking at him funny when he first spoke. “Uhm…yeah…. I gotta get all this set up before the end of the day, ‘though I’d really like to have it done before the market opens in an hour,” the charming mare explained in a southern accent.
“Of course! I can help you set up your shop as a way of welcoming you to our flourishing community!” said Copper with much enthusiasm. “Plus, it’s a knight’s duty to assist a maiden in need!” he continued. Nodding, the pink pony stamped her hoof down on the nail, hammering it in to keep the long blank of wood stabilized. She then grabbed another nail from her toolbox with her mouth.
“If ya really feel you can do it, then by all means, go ahead! But I don’t want ya strainin’ yerself or gettin’ hurt. I’m Cherry Blossom, by the way!” she added, then spitting the nail into the wood so its sharp end slightly pierced through before hammering it in with her hoof.
“In the end of the day, no matter how battered and bruised a pony might get, it NEVER hurts to help a pony in need! It’s all part of being a Good Samaritan!” expressed Copper, then trotting to the other side of the stand and holding up another long plank of wood for Cherry to hammer into place.
“Well, thank you kindly! I had heard Ponyville was a friendly place from my aunty Cherry Jubilee in Dodge Junction…. Do y’all happen to know a “Miss Applejack” by the way?” she asked as she hammered in the next set of nails.
“I can’t say I’ve ever had the honor of meeting her, but I have heard her apples are quite delicious,” Copper Lance answered.
The two of them continued talking while setting up shop. As it turned out, Cherry Blossom was selling cherries from Cherry Jubilee’s cherry farm and this was her first day in Ponyville. Thanks to Copper’s efforts, the cherry stand soon was starting to take a professional shape. All of the wooden shelves and counter were erected, while the signs, decorative ribbons, and awning all were set up. The last step was setting up the boxes and baskets of cherries themselves for sale.
As they set up the fruit, Copper came across some strange crates in the back…. Before he could open one to unload its contents onto the shelves, Cherry Blossom hastily darted over and jumped on top of the crate to close it before Copper could peek inside.
“Sorry, but Auntie says those aren’t supposed to be uncrated just yet! She says to save ‘em for the big fair tonight!” she explained.
“Hmm? All right! I respect a lady’s secrets! Now then, it seems that your stand is ready for business!” he announced while pointing to the stand, which now stood firm, strong, and properly constructed. The decorations, banners, and prices were listed; and finally the various assortments of cherries were sorted and ready to be sold. Cherry Blossom handed Copper a small bag of various cherries from her stand. “For me?” he asked.
“Yes; consider it payment for helpin’ me set up. Thanks for all yer help, Copper Lance!” said Cherry Blossom gratefully.
“Oh! Why, thank you! Well, I shouldn’t keep you from your management and sales duties. …But I will be there to help you if it is needed!” assured Copper in a heroic tone before bowing to the lady.
“You’re…certainly eccentric,” she added, then giving a nervous chuckle.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I’d say I’m more…honorable! Or perhaps you can call me…chivalrous!” clarified Copper with a proud smile. “Either way, it’s all in a day’s work! Now, you take care! And may your business and beauty continue to flourish!” he said as he trotted off. Cherry Blossom watched him walk away and smiled as she shook her head, then tending to her first customer who arrived just as Copper left.
Copper Lance was walking further from Cherry’s stand, taking out a cherry from the small satchel with his wing. Tossing it into the air while looking up, he held is mouth open in preparation to catch it. Copper’s jaw remained agape for a few seconds before he realized that the cherry wasn’t falling back down. Thinking that he dropped the fruit, he began looking to his sides, behind him, and under his hooves. Finally, he looked in front of him, where he saw the cherry suspended in mid-air, enveloped by purple magic.
That’s when Copper saw yet another strange new pony in front of him. She appeared to be a mysterious unicorn with a black coat and lavender mane covering one eye, wearing a light blue sun hat with a black ribbon wrapped around it.
“Oh, excuse me, gentlecolt. I hope it wouldn't be a bother if you could help me with something, too,” the lovely lady said while using her magic to float the cherry into her own mouth. She took a dainty bite into it, looking toward Copper while doing so. This unicorn looked much more…shapely and sultry compared to the typically cute and chubby ponies that inhabited Ponyville. He just stared at her, blushing as he watched her eat the cherry in a passionate—and yet, refined—manner, before he finally snapped out of it.
“Hmm? Oh, of course, madam! Helping ponies is all in a day’s work for a knight-to-be!” said Copper Lance, taking a bow in a dramatic fashion.
“Oh? A knight?” she asked, swallowing the remainder of the fruit elegantly before continuing. “So I take it you’re all the ladies’ knight in shining armor?” The mature lady emitted a soft chuckle in a feminine but dark tone.
“Actually, Shining Armor is my captain…and he’s happily married!” responded Copper Lance, trying to remain professional. The lady unicorn chuckled as she lifted her head, revealing both of her enchanting eyes lined with purple eye shadow and long eyelashes, which she batted flirtatiously. Beholding this made Copper blush again and even break into a bit of a cold sweat….
“She’s a temptress of some kind! And her charms are effective…. But I can’t take any action against her—at least not until I’m sure!” he thought to himself. Copper then cleared his throat. “So what do you need help with, milady?”
The elegant pony smiled. “I came into Ponyville just today and it looks like you know how to help new ponies to find their spot here in town,” she said, batting her eyelashes again as she stuck her face closer to Copper’s. “I may be interested to hear about some other spots of interest… But my, it’s so hot out here right now,” the coquettish unicorn declared in a pouty tone. “Perhaps we can speak over there, under the shade of the tree,” she added, pointing toward a tree that seemed just far enough for them to speak without risk of eavesdropping from other ponies.
“Hmm? If that’s what you wish! It IS a lovely spot to relax!” remarked Copper, trotting to the tree with the lady following. He pulled out a lawn chair out of nowhere to give her a nice place to sit down while he sat on the ground instead. The mare of mystique relaxed and became comfortable in the provided chair, but Copper was not about to let his guard down.
“Thank you, kind sir. You sure are a strong loyal stallion to be helping out pony’s in need like that,” she spoke quietly but purposely just loud enough for Copper to hear. “And rather cute, too! Now…what are all the big hot spots around here?”
“Hot spots?” asked Copper, perplexed for a moment before the meaning of the sophisticated unicorn’s words finally became clear. “Oh! You mean the locations of interest! Well, Ponyville has many exceptional places with many activities! We have the library filled with many kinds of tomes, ranging from the history of Equestria to charming stories of most excellent humor and adventure! Sugarcube Corner contains some of most scrumptious confectionaries in town! Our local bowling alley thrives with competition and excitement,” he described with much enthusiasm. “We also have our local blacksmith…shop,“ Copper started to add, pausing for a moment at the realization that Mana was still missing, “…which is currently empty…. Unfortunately, our blacksmith is, well, absent. He’s away on secret business, I assume.”
Secret business? Now that was something of interest to the attractive young mare. “My, that sounds interesting,” she noted with her eyes brightened. “Well, do you think that cherry stand will be a popular site? Come to think of it, have you ever seen that mare in Ponyville before?” she asked.
Copper shook his head. “I can’t say I have…. I only assisted her with setting up her place of business earlier today. But she might be planning something bigger for her cherry stand, considering she seemed to be very protective about the contents of the larger crates, whatever may be in them…. But I respect a mare’s privacy, regardless!” he explained.
“Hmm, I see” acknowledged the sleek unicorn, eyeing the cherry stand from the distance as if she were suspicious of it.
“Also, do you know of any…more private areas where one could have a quiet night to herself and their very special somepony? Places where two could meet and not be disturbed if they wanted some…alone time?” she inquired while using her hoof to caress one of Copper’s front hooves. Copper once more blushed heavily.
“Well…. I suppose one could find solitude near the marketplace after sunset, since the majority of shops are closed then and most citizens wouldn’t have much to acquire from being there…. Or you might try any area far enough away from more popular night locales deeper in town…. You can really find a nice place to be alone and relax on the outskirts of Ponyville by the bridges or forests!” he detailed while the classy pony took mental notes.
“Well, thank you very much, kind sir! You’ve been quite the help. By the way, handsome—you can call me Shadowcharm.” she stated, presenting her hoof to Copper Lance in greeting.
Copper took her hoof to his muzzle and gently kissed it. “You’re welcome, milady, and it was a pleasure to meet you! I hope you find what you are looking for!” he said, still a little mesmerized by her allure.
“And you as well, Sir Lance,” she replied, standing up and positioning to depart. “Perhaps I will see you around sometime…. Thanks again!” With that, she gently kissed Copper’s cheek, which made Copper’s eyes widen with surprise. After she pulled away, he fell over with hearts in his eyes. Copper shook his head to regain composure, but once he snapped out of the daze, the mysterious lady was gone….
“My word! She really was a temptress! She had power over me, but I managed to resist! Wait…. How did she know my name?” he thought to himself, realizing she somehow figured out his identity. Copper Lance normally introduced himself in a dramatic fashion upon meeting other ponies, but perhaps he was so distracted by other things that such an introduction completely slipped his mind. In fact, the same thing happened with Atomic Age and Cherry Blossom! How did these mares, whom he hadn’t met before, know who he was? Copper figured that maybe he did introduce himself, but forgot after being distracted by Manablade’s leave. Surely he wasn’t losing his sanity…right? Copper simply had to get his mind off all of this somehow. He then determined that a trip to Ponyville’s local library could help do just that.
To be continued…