1 An Act Of Cowardice

My story begins, like all stories about smart Imps, with an act of cowardice. After all every Imp knows that even against the weakest armed human, our only strength comes from being many, a lone Imp is as my grandfather liked to say, a dead Imp. Now, what's a human you ask? Imagine a big and tall monkey with no tail and no fur save for the top of their head, and they wear clothes to cover most of their body, that's a human, now please don't interrupt me again.

I was with my fellow Imps, guarding a treasure chest. When the heroes attacked us. Of course we tried our best, but unfortunately it was not enough against three heroes. Thankfully I soon noticed I was the only left and begged for my life as taught in the Imp Minion Training Manual For Imps. Unlike what usually happens, it worked! One of the heroes, a human girl wearing two strange circular pieces of glass over her eyes, told the others to let me live in exchange of information. Yes all the heroes where human, no there wasn't any pony, and who cares if those things are called glasses? What I told you about interrupting?

So I told them about the spare key they needed to enter the chamber to rescue the Princess and where to find it. After that they let me go and I ran away. Yes you guessed right, the princess was human, if you interrupt again I am leaving, you don't want me to leave? Then pretty please shut up! Now, I was not someone important, even for an Imp, but I knew a few things. One of those things was how to use a magical mirror that, to avoid the usual greed of heroes, was hidden under the floor. Knowing my betrayal would soon be found out, I took the mirror out of its hidden place and recited the magical words, then I passed trough the mirror and it felt wet, like sinking in water.

But instead of ending inside The Great Magus Castle, where I planed to pretend being a different Imp as all Imps look alike to non Imps, I ended in a completely different castle. Maybe because of my nervousness I had said the wrong words, maybe it was just Imps luck. So imagine my surprise, when instead of  the basement I was expecting to find, I found myself in a room worthy of a queen or a princess. And indeed I found a princess there, but it was a princess of a kind I never saw before.

You see, the princess I found was a unicorn, but who had wings like a pegasus.  You see from where I come from there are unicorns and pegasus, but they don't talk, and unless a wizard made one for fun there aren't any unicorns with pegasus wings. For me the more amazing thing was that the creature wasn't a filthy human who had been cursed, but actually was supposed to be like that, and had no idea what a human was.

Of course I found out that later, because the reaction of the Princess when she saw me at her room wasn't exactly pleasant. Not that I blame her of course, she was in her right to react the way she did, and I am grateful she had decided to spare my life in the end.

Now, has my humble narration catch your interest so far? If that so, how about a coin or two? If you don't have money, an apple would work, even a piece of bread, it doesn't need to be todays bread. Please, I am starving!

Oh, thank you very much child, as my grandfather used to say, an apple a day... well he usually changed what he said about that a lot, never-mind. Now I am sure you want to know who is the second princess I am talking about, right? Oh, you think you know? Well we will see about that. I will be here tomorrow at the same hour. Now, don't look at me like that, I would love to continue my story, but time flies and I have to be somewhere else soon. Tell you what, you won't have to give me anything tomorrow if you bring some other ponies willing to listen and give me food, okay?

Good, it was a pleasure making business with you, now I really gotta go, see ya tomorrow unless it rains. Yes I know its not supposed to rain tomorrow, but this place is close to the Everfree forest, isn't it? Now you better be a good girl and go home.

And so, the young filly watched the strange short green creature walk away, then noticed it was getting dark and followed the Imp advice of going back home.

The Imp continued his walk, despite what he said he didn't seem to be in a hurry, soon, once the filly could no longer see him, he changed direction and entered a road leading the Everfree forest. He walked the path for several minutes until he left it and walked some more until he reached a hut, then he knocked the door.

"Who knocks at my door at this time of the day, don't you know the Everfree is a place where you should be afraid?" asked a female voice

"I can't rhyme to save my life, but I gotta say, an Imp is an Imp no matter what." said the green Imp

The door opened and a familiar zebra greeted the monster "Is nice to see that you are in time. I will stop my rhymes because I know how much they bug you. Did you follow my advice?"

"Yes I did Zecora. Today it was just one pony, but maybe there will be more tomorrow. You where right, telling my story helps." The Imp then smiled and entered the hut,  then sat while the zebra started making some tea.

Meanwhile, the young filly had arrived home, she greeted her big sister and said "Applejack, you aren't gonna believe who I meet today!"