Our World Wasn't As Perfect As It Seemedby bass-and-the-siren8976ChaptersPegasi in PonyvilleCome Now Charcoal, Play Time is OverIt Seems He Has More Than One Class...Introductions Are Due It SeemsPegasi in Ponyville“Apple Bloom!” Applejack’s voice resounded through the farmhouse, waking Apple Bloom from her sleep “Breakfast!” Applejack grabbed the plates in her mouth and set them down at the table. Just as Apple Bloom came down the stairs, Big Mac strode in through the front door “Letter for Granny, big brother?” Big Mac knocked on her door “Eeyup.” Granny Smith burst through her door angrily “Na’ what is it ya’ want!?” Big Mac handed her the letter and she eyed it carefully “Why tie me up and throw me in a biscuit!” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes; it seemed Granny’s sayings got stranger each day “Yer’ cousins are comin’!” Applejack helped Granny into the seat at the head of the table “Is it cousin Braeburn?” Apple Bloom grabbed the letter. “It’s our cousins from Cloudsdale!” Apple Bloom froze “Cloudsdale!?” Big Mac downed his plate of apple treats “You’ve never met them Bloom. Anyways, Uncle Apple Core married a Pegasus, when he died they moved to Cloudsdale.” Granny nearly jumped out of her seat “My nephew Core is dead!” Applejack sighed “It’s been 2 years, Gran.” Granny Smith settled down “Oh yeah…” Apple Bloom set aside her plate “Well,” she hopped off her chair and grabbed her saddlebag “I’m goin’ to school.” “Hey Bloom!’ Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were waiting at the gate “What’s up!” Apple Bloom beamed “Ma’ Uncle Core’s kids are vistin’ sometime soon! I remember someone at the funeral said that one of em’ doesn’t have a Cutie Mark!” Scootaloo cheered “Awesome!” Sweetie Belle looked confused “Wait… Your Uncle Core died?” Apple Bloom face-hoofed “Dear Celestia, you’re like a mini-Granny Smith...” Cheerilee stepped out of the building “Good morning everyone! Time for class!” The three Cutie Mark Crusaders walked into the classroom and took their seats. “Today,” Cheerilee gestured to the door and a stallion walked into the room “We have a very special guest!” The stallion was a grey intimidating figure with a dark turquoise mane and yellow eyes. “Ms. Cheerilee?” Snips raised his hand “is he your special somepony?” Cheerilee gagged and the stallion adjusted his purple spectacles “N-no Snips…” She tried to stop coughing “This… is Mr. Black Board… He’s a magic teacher at Canterlot University.” The man cleared his throat and stepped forward “Hello children.” The students replied in a bored voice “Hello Mr. Black Board.” Black Board looked at the crowd of children “You there, young filly with the tiara Cutie Mark, please come up here.” Diamond Tiara reluctantly stood in front of the class “Now say ‘Ahhh’ please.” Diamond Tiara complied and Black Board’s horn shone black and he slowly changed the pitch of her voice. Sweetie Belle watched intently as he manipulated the now shocked Diamond Tiara’s voice. When he stopped, Sweetie’s hand shot up “Mr. Black Board!” he looked at her “can I go next!” Black Board lifted her with his magic and placed her down in front of him “This time will be something different,” Sweetie frowned slightly “Now close your eyes little filly.” Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and Black Board touched their horns together “Imagine something.” Sweetie Belle thought of the wonderful time she had with Rarity at the Sisterhooves Social. To everyone’s shock, images of Rarity and Sweetie danced across the walls and ceiling “Open your eyes.” Black Board whispered. Sweetie Belle’s eyes fluttered open and she gazed in awe at the sight before her. Black Board withdrew his horn and stepped back “I apologize, but it seems we've run out time.” Cheerilee looked at the clock “Oh my it seems so! The class ended just a little bit ago!” she cleared her throat “Goodbye everyone!” The children all thanked Black Board and walked out. “Apple Bloom!” Applejack was waiting outside “Yer’ cousins are at Sweet Apple Acres, come on!” Apple Bloom and her two friends excitedly galloped with Applejack to the farm. “Hello!” a sweet, unfamiliar voice rang out from in front of the house. In the time the three fillies had spent panting in front of the farm house, a mare had walked out to greet them. Her brown coat complimented her cream-orange mane and she had a dark orange bow very similar to Apple Bloom’s “You must be Apple Bloom!” she looked at the little filly “How’d ya’ know?” The mare laughed “When I heard that Applejack was getting a little sister, I sent her a bow for you. I’m Autumn Leaf.” A cheery male voice interrupted them “Hiya!” a green colt with a lime green mane exited the house “I’m Evergreen! I’m a little younger than your sister!” Big Mac exited the farm house “Howdy Bloom, I’m taking Autumn and Ever out to explore, but there’s another little colt your age inside.” Applejack stopped Big Mac “Actually can I take Ever?” she beamed “I think I know the perfect place for him.” Applejack led the green colt to a familiar cottage at the edge of the Everfree forest “Fluttershy!” Applejack knocked on the door “I’ve brought someone!” Fluttershy slowly opened the door “W-Who?” Applejack nudged Evergreen forward “This is my cousin Evergreen! He’s a year younger than us and he’s got a knack for animals! So… Bye!” Applejack disappeared as soon as she arrived. Fluttershy barely managed to whisper the words Hello, and Welcome to the colt before her. Fluttershy led Ever inside and sat him down “I’ll get you tea…” at first she thought he hadn’t heard her whispering and shifted uncomfortably, but Ever looked around and replied “Yeah, Tea’s fine.” Fluttershy went into the kitchen and shut the door behind her. She turned on the stove and placed the kettle. Sighing, she held her head in her hands. Fluttershy had met Ever once before when she and Rainbow dash had visited the Cloudsdale Aviary. He had been helping a friend take care of the animals for a day. He was so good with animals and his smile was so nice that Fluttershy had almost walked into Rainbow Dash since she was too busy staring to pay attention. Fluttershy had never felt way that before. Applejack of course, knew all of this. She was brought back to the real word by the hissing of the kettle. Hurriedly she poured the cups of tea and put them on a tray which she balanced on her back. As soon as she walked into the room Ever sprang from his seat and walked towards “Oh my, let me help you.” He grabbed the tray from Fluttershy. Fluttershy’s heart nearly burst out of her chest when he approached her. She took deep breaths as Ever walked to the table. “So then Ms. Fluttershy-” Evergreen set down the tray. Fluttershy quickly blurted out “Just Fluttershy is fine.” She caught herself “I mean… if you want to, that is.” Ever pet one of the many squirrels in Fluttershy’s cottage “So Fluttershy, do you take care of all these animals yourself?” Fluttershy sat down on the coach “Oh yes, they’re very well behaved so it’s not too much trouble.” She began pointing at animals “This is Fluffy, and that’s Toadstool, oh! And this is Diver…” she continued naming animals for another 10 minutes. Realizing she had been rambling, she glanced at Ever who had been sipping his tea silently the whole time. “So then…” he picked up the little dove perched on the coffee table “This is… Snowfall… right? Or is it Chirpington? Maybe THIS one was Twiddler….” Fluttershy was amazed at the fact he had been listening “No, you’re right…. It is Snowfall. Chirpington is that blue jay over there and Twiddler is the canary on your head.” Ever looked at her confused “On my… head?” he looked up and chuckled “Well hey there little guy.” Fluttershy set down her cup of tea “W-would you like to help me feed the rest of the animals?” Ever beamed “Would I! I’d love to!” Fluttershy gingerly led Ever outside to the rest of the animals in her care. Meanwhile, in the Ponyville market, Big Mac led Autumn around different shops. “Mackey!” Autumn hovered next to him “Look at all the pretty bows!” Autumn darted from shelf to shelf inside the Bow Store. “Are they really that special?” Mac looked around at the plain bows stacked around the rooms. “Of course!” she said picking up a frilly pink bow “NOW HOLD STILL~” Big Mac’s eyes widened and he tried to step back, but it was too late. Autumn had planted the bow in his hair and was on the floor laughing. “Oh Celestia! You look… so…” she burst into laughter mid-sentence. “Whatever.” Big Mac’s face reddened, but luckily it was hidden by his naturally red coat. Autumn stood up and wiped her tears “Phew… Sorry Mackey. In exchange I’ll take you to your favorite place… The Hay Hustler! It’s still your favorite food joint, right?” Mac grinned and put the bow back “Eeyup’.” Autumn settled into a seat as Big Mac went to order their food. He came back with large Hay fries, two Hay smoothies, and a large Hay pizza. “Hey, do you…” Autumn picked up a fry “…still remember that one time….” Big Mac looked up “What?” Autumn chuckled “That time when we first met… and you tried to take my bow just to mess with me?” Big Mac groaned “You don’t forget somethin’ like that…” He held his head in his hoof “You tackled me so hard, I flew into the nearest tree… I expected you to be a little weaker than most Earth Ponies since Pegasi are built for speed instead of strength… but boy was I wrong…” Autumn grinned “And do you remember what happened after that?” Big Mac tore through a slice of pizza “Of course,” Autumn beamed when he said this “Applejack stayed by my bedside for a whole month! I feel kinda’ bad, you had to stay to help with the fields while I was injured.” Autumn crushed the fry in her hoof “Right… Thank goodness Applejack was there.” She stood up and walked out the door. “Autumn!” Big Mac stood up to chase after his cousin, but when he got outside, she was gone. Not sure what else to do, he rushed back to Sweet Apple Acres. “So your name’s Charcoal?” The Cutie Mark Crusaders stared at the grey colt in front of them. “Yes…” he replied shifting his dark red tail to cover his flank “Most people just call me Char…” Scootaloo hovered close to him “Say, you don’t have a Cutie Mark do you?” Charcoal looked to the side. “Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom said aggravated “You worded it stupidly!” Sweetie Belle lightly hit them both “Quiet!” she looked at Charcoal “Sorry, we don’t mean it like that.” She turned so he could see her flank “we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders, we don’t have any Cutie Marks yet either!” Charcoal looked at them “Cutie Mark… Crusaders?” Apple Bloom beamed “Yeah! Do you wanna’ join!” Charcoal shifted in his seat “Gee, I don’t know… I’ve never been in a club before…” A mare, who had been introduced as their aunt Summer Oak, nuzzled Charcoal “Go ahead.” Charcoal smiled and ran outside with his new fellow Crusaders. “Have y’all…” Big Mac burst through the door panting “Seen… Autumn? Phew… that girl is faster… than a rabbit… I tell ya’…” Summer Oak nearly dropped the plate of leftovers she held “Mac? What’s happened to Autumn!?” Big Mac gulped “Nothing. Nope. Ain’t no troubles here.” Summer glared at him “BIG MAC.” Big Mac gulped and told her the entire story “-and that’s when she ran away, PleaseDontHurtMe!” Summer grabbed a frying pan in her mouth and smacked Big Mac in the face “Na’ you better give me one good reason to spare ya’! Or I might just smack yer’ brains out this time!” he winced, Aunt Summer only let the country accent she had adopted from her husband leak through when she was angry “Applejack my-” her next word was cut off by the moo of one of the farm’s cows. Big Mac stared at his Aunt. Now she had her accent and she was cursing. He let out a whimper, she was REALLY mad now. “It was Autumn ya’ twit!” he looked at her curiously “What?” She hit his head with the pan again “Autumn stayed by yer’ side ya’ good for nothing *moo!*, how could ya’ be such an insensitive *moo!* and go forgettin’ that! Grrr! Yer’ just as insensitive as yer’ *moo!* Uncle Core!” she stomped into the yard while continuing her ramblings. “Did Aunt Summer Oak just call me a-” granny took over pan duty and smacked him “Is that really all ya’ can think of now!? Ya’ idiot! Go find yer’ cousin before I use this ere’ pan again!” Big Mac winced and ran out the house to look for Autumn. Granny chuckled as she set the pan down on the table “Boy, this ere’ pan business sure is fun!” Author's Note Ok, so i now there isn't gore or darkness yet... just wait. We need some buildup. Don't worry, I have the next few chapters planned out and the next one will start the darker aspects of this. The darker things will also be really prominent in Chap. 3. And i'm open to suggestions and feedback. This is also my first MLP fanfic so... wish me luck i guess. :D Come Now Charcoal, Play Time is OverAuthor's Note Okay, this one is considerably shorter. Like, SUPER CONSIDERABLY. Anyways, the dark part is coming soon! Please leave feedback and suggestions! So far we've got 3 ups and 3 downs (thumb wise), so far so good. If you consider tied as "good"... Anyways, here's chapter 2! Come Now Charcoal, Play Time is Over Evergreen slowly carried a bowl of water to the manticore in Fluttershy’s backyard “Now, you’re sure this won’t hurt me?” she turned to look as she tried to get Angel to eat his carrots “Oh yes, Manny would never hurt anyone.” He set the bowl down and Manny slowly bent over to drink. “We also need some confetti…” Fluttershy tried to catch the now running Angel Bunny. “Confetti?” Ever pounced on Angel only to grab at air. “Yes, I’m watching Gummy for Pinkie Pie, she said he needs a daily dose of party or he’ll become, um… what was it she said… oh right, a grumpy-grump-grumpy-pants…” Evergreen glanced at Gummy who was trying to swallow a balloon “Right… confetti… by the duck food right?” Fluttershy nodded and Ever went inside to get the confetti. She had almost caught Angel when she heard a small whimper from a nearby bush. Taking advantage of her distraction Angel ran away. Fluttershy sighed and set down the carrot. “Hello?” she parted the bushes “Is anyone in here-” The door to the cottage burst open, startling Evergreen. He peeked out of the kitchen door “Fluttershy? Is that- Oh Celestia!” he ran towards the doorway. Fluttershy had a bruised Autumn rested on one of her wings “What happened!” Evergreen stretched out one of his wings to help. “Sorry…” Autumn whispered “I wasn’t paying attention and-” Ever helped his older sister onto the couch to lie down “Don’t you give me excuses Fall!” Autumn winced at her nickname, it didn’t just have to do with her name… “Your such a clumsy flier! How many times do we have to tell you to be careful! You are not a child and should be held responsible for your actions! So- no more good food! Until you learn to behave, you will only eat porridge-” before she could protest he continued “PLAIN porridge.” She whimpered and he sat down and sighed. “Oh dear,” Fluttershy bandaged up Autumn “Her left wing is broken, she has some slightly deep cuts on her hind legs… I think you should stay in bed for at least 5 days, then I want you grounded for another week.” Autumn groaned and put her hoof over her face. “Are you sure we don’t need to take her to the hospital?” Ever pulled a blanket over his sister. Fluttershy looked away embarrassed “I’m a pretty bad flier too… so… well I’ve been injured enough to understand what to do…” Autumn pouted “M-Mackie’s a big ol’ jerk…” Ever left to get Gummy’s confetti while Fluttershy brought over a cup of tea. Autumn glanced at the pattern on the cup, two ponies looking at each other with a heart above them. “What about Big Mac?” Fluttershy set the cup down. “He… he…” Autumn sniffed. Ever entered the room just as an explosion of confetti was heard outside “Talk to me Fall.” Autumn sniffled and tried to explain “First met… Big Mac… bed rest… taken care of…APPLEJACK!” she sobbed into Fluttershy’s cushions. “Oh, so that’s what this’s all about.” Ever turned to look at Fluttershy “When Big Mac first met us, he was playing around with Autumn and took her bow. She tackled him into oblivion and he had to stay in bed for a long time. She took care of him then, but he thinks it’s his sister Applejack.” Fluttershy nodded as she tried to understand the volley of words thrown at her “Oh dear…” she turned the cup to hide the pattern “Um… Autumn?” Autumn looked up at Fluttershy, who waved for Ever to wait in the backyard “Um… I have somepony who I like…” Autumn sat up “R-really?” Fluttershy sat down next to her “Yes… and… if E-” she shook her head “That pony… if he forgot something like that… I’d be sad too…” Autumn sniffed “EXACTLY.” Fluttershy stood up “B-but… I think I would talk to him about it… anyways, you should drink your tea.” Autumn sighed and stared at the tea in front of her. Meanwhile, at the CMC clubhouse, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were thinking up plans for their next attempt at getting their Cutie Marks. “Hey, I know!” Apple Bloom grinned “How about Cutie Mark Crusaders Apple Buckers!” Scootaloo jumped up and glared at Apple Bloom “You just want us to do your chores again! I say we try Cutie Mark Crusaders Pro-Skaters!” Sweetie Belle sighed “You just want to show off your scooter tricks! How about… Cutie Mark Crusader Sky Divers!” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sighed “already tried last week…” Charcoal looked around and gulped “How about… Cutie Mark Crusader Pro-Runners?” The three fillies beamed and pulled him outside where they lined up. “All right,” Scootaloo dug her hoof into the dirt “Last one to Sweet Apple Acres has to-” Apple Bloom grinned slyly and interrupted “-Mess up one of Rarity’s dresses!” the other two fillies gulped and readied themselves. Sweetie Belle shouted for them to start and the four foals dashed off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom burst into the front. Scootaloo ran right behind. Sweetie Belle and Charcoal were just a few inches back. Sweetie Belle grinned and her horn started to glow. She picked up the other three foals and placed them behind herself. But Charcoal burst through her magic and ran in front of her. Sweetie Belle gasped and pushed herself forward. Scootaloo ran up and blocked Sweetie Belles vision with her wing, causing her to almost trip on a rock. Apple Bloom dashed forwards and she shared a sigh with Sweetie Belle, they were so close to the farm and both were last. Charcoal slowed down until he was in front of Sweetie Belle. He glanced back and grinned “Need a boost?” Sweetie Belle smirked and jumped over him. When she was in the air in front of him, Charcoal pushed her forward. Sweetie Belle landed running right next to Scootaloo who gasped. As they finally reached the farm, Sweetie Belle cheered. Scootaloo sighed realizing she was 2nd. Charcoal skidded to a stop behind Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom groaned when she finally reached them. Sweetie Belle chuckled “I feel kind of bad for you Apple Bloom; Rarity can be a real pain when it comes to her dresses.” Apple Bloom sighed and continued walking until she bumped into someone, looking up; she realized it was someone familiar “Mr. Black Board!” Black Board helped the filly get up “You’re from Ms. Cheerilee’s class, aren't you?” Apple Bloom looked up at him “Yeah, I’m Apple Bloom!” Summer Oak flew out of the house towards them “Mr. Board. Are you here for Charcoal?” Black Board nodded and Charcoal’s eyes widened. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to train him in such things-” she was cut off by Black Board “I understand you don’t want him to have the same fate as your husband, but he’s much stronger than his father. Now then, come along Charcoal.” Charcoal hugged his mother and ran after Black Board. Apple Bloom stared curiously at the retreating figure of Black Board. Where was he taking Charcoal? And what about her Uncle Core? It Seems He Has More Than One Class...With a glow of his horn, Black Board teleported himself and Charcoal to a locked door on the side of Canterlot University. Black Board stuck his horn into a peculiar slot in the middle of the door causing a hiss of air and a mechanical click. The door opened to reveal a metal staircase heading down, dimly lit with red light. Several pipes running along the walls slowly spewed out steam. As the door clicked shut behind them, the pair slowly descended into a large room that was also lined with pipes. A little bit away from them was a white unicorn with a turquoise mane just lighter than Black Board’s. He was huddled into a ball rocking himself back and forth. As they neared him, Charcoal realized he was continually muttering the word “Ice” to himself. Black Board put his hoof to the unicorns head and pulled it back slightly. His horn released a spark and a shock travelled through the unicorn. Charcoal recognized this, it was a spell regularly by Black Board. When he had first been assigned to the facility, he had asked what it was for, Black Board had grinned devilishly and said “To break your minds, of course.” Before continuing into the room, Black Board stared back at the unicorn “Do try not to be so weak, Beowulf. Or I may just have to get rid of you, permanently.” Beowulf stood up and grinned “Welcome back master, sorry. I simply haven’t spoken to anyone in so long! Then again, companionship is weakness. Those two are ready by the way, master.” Beowulf trotted off to a seat in front of a wall of screens monitoring all of Equestria. Black Board led Charcoal to a section of the room with three metal targets shaped like ponies. He simply utters a single word to Charcoal as he pushes him forward “Kill.”. Charcoal looked back at his teacher. “Are you as weak as your pathetic father!” Black Board yells. Charcoal stares at the target still hesitating. Black Board walks up and does the same spell he does on Beowulf, causing Charcoal to fall to the ground. As he slowly gets up, Black Board furiously commands him “KILL.” Charcoal runs forward with lifeless eyes and head butts the targets torso, a crack slowly spreading from the impact. Jumping, he bites at its ear, tearing the metal clean off. Black Board smirks as Charcoal then bucks the target in its face knocking off its head. As Charcoal pants and returns to normal, two colts enter the room. One pure black Alicorn with a black and red mane hovers over the ground beside them while one that looks similar to Luna walks in slowly. Black Board turns to the other two, who were part of the facility long before Charcoal “Noir, Silent Night. You know what to do.” The black one, Noir, smirks and stabs one of the target’s necks with his horn “Good… if it was real, it would be gagging on its own blood…” he turned to Silent Night. Silent had always been a gentler pony and simply glanced at his teacher. Black Board walks up to the colt “Imagine her. Go on, Silent. Imagine your mother.” The young colts eyes watered and he ran up and stabbed the target repeatedly while crying. After only 6 hits, the target fell to ground, leaving Silent a sobbing mess. From his station, Beowulf yelled out to Black Board “Master, there’s some interesting activity on screen 17!” Black Board and the three colts walked to the screens and looked. Celestia and Luna were in a plain white room all alone staring directly at the camera. Celestia spoke first “I know very well you can see me. Establish a visual connection.” Beowulf did as told and a screen appeared in front of the two Princesses. As soon as Luna’s eyes met Silent’s, he went into some sort of fit, repeatedly kicking the wall beside him in tears. Luna looked away quickly and let out a sound that was a mix of a whimper and a gag. Noir gritted his teeth and dug his hoof into the metal floor, denting it. Charcoal simply muttered the word “Hello”. “What do you want?” Black Board stared at the screen. Celestia glared at him “I understand that you already denied my first request, but I would like to ask of you again-” Beowulf cut her off “With all due respect, which for you two is very little,” the two stared at him in awe as he said those words “We have no need for such things. We are not evil princesses; we are simply a bit… creative, with our plans for the good of Equestria.” Luna wiped her eyes and locked eyes with Black Board “If you come, you may speak with the daughter of the unicorn Exquisite.” Black Board grinned “We’ll come immediately.” Author's Note So, from what you've seen, who do you think is your favorite member of the "facility"? And who do you think is Exquisite's daughter? Why does Black Board want to meet her so badly? the person who's answer is the closest will win... um... oh, i know! a short cameo of one of there OC's! That's a good prize right? Anyways, feedback and suggestions welcome! Introductions Are Due It SeemsIn the Artic North near the Crystal Empire, two stallions rush through the snow. A gray unicorn with an auburn mane carries a letter in the air with his magic. Beside him, a white earth pony with a pink and blue mane skips nonchalantly. “Have we lost them Cotton!” the gray one gallops as fast as he can. Cotton looks back while skipping “Nope! The Bears are still after us! Isn’t this exciting, Bitter!” One of the bear’s jumps at Bitter who yelps and runs to the side. As one jumps at Cotton, he jumps over it while humming. After what seemed like hours, the two finally run into the throne room. Bitter, who is covered in cuts, pants and tries to speak but can only release of gasp as he begins panting from their rigorous run. Cadence and Shining Armor glance at each other from their thrones before they speak. “Um… Private first class Bitter, is everything all right?” Cadence stepped down from the thrown to check up on them. Cotton beamed “Yep! We just ran into some bears! Bitter’s really slow!”. Cadence gasped and left to get a nurse while Shining Armor stepped forward “PFC Bitter, SPC Cotton Candy, what do you need?”. Bitter regained his composure and passed the letter with his magic. Shining Armor began to read it ”Dear Prince Shining Amor and Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire… you are need in Canterlot immediately! Please hurry…” Cotton saluted “Goodbye prince! Stay safe!” He chuckled and pointed at the letter “You two have to come along.” Meanwhile, at Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie stepped into the house. Rainbow flew in with Fluttershy and Evergreen, who informs them that Big Mac arrived and is taking care of Autumn at the cottage. Applejack walked over to her friends “What’s the matter, sugar cube?”. Twilight looked concerned “The princess has called us to Canterlot urgently, I have no idea what’s happening but it’s important!” The 6 of them headed outside, where Princess Cadence was waiting with a chariot, Evergreen flew off somewhere before they had exited. As they piled in, Cadence motioned for the Pegasus guards to begin flying. Rarity looked at the princess “Princess Cadence… If I may, why is it that we’re being called on?” Cadence shook her head “I’m sorry, the letter never specified.” Rainbow Dash groaned “What if it’s something boring! Like another test for Twilight! Or Gala preparations!” Cadence re-read the letter “No, No. it’s certainly something important…” Fluttershy gulped “W-what if Discord’s gone bad again! Or, or… Chrysalis! Or-” Pinkie laughed “If it was Discord, I’m pretty sure I would be able to tell! I can smell his cotton candy clouds from a mile away! And if it was Chrysalis, I would be having fun with my clones!” Applejack sighed “I sure hope it ain’t those two…” Before they had realized, the chariot had landed in front of the Castle. Twilight was the first to jump out and hurriedly ran through the halls with the others in tow. As soon as she came upon the throne room door, she pushed it open and dashed inside. Princess Celestia was alone in the room. “Princess! Is everything alright! Are there changelings! Is it Discord! Or worse, DO I HAVE A TEST-” the princess raised her hoof to stop her student “No. It isn’t Discord or anything of the sort… But, as the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, I will need all of you.” Shining Armor stepped forward, and Cadence went to stand beside him. “There are some ponies I want you to meet…” she gestured to Shining Armor. “Oh! Yes, right…” he walked over and knocked on a door on the side of the room “Come in, one at a time!”. The first one to walk in was Bitter. “This is Bitter. He is a Private First Class in the Crystal Empire Army.” Bitter waved at the group “Um… hello. I’m Bitter. Nice to meet you, I guess.” He stood next to the throne. Next was Cotton “This is Specialist Cotton Candy of the Crystal Empire.” Cotton jumped up “Hi! I’m Cotton! Nice to meet you all!” he skipped over to Bitter. “This,” Beowulf stepped in with a frown and headphones propped up against his neck “Is Beowulf.” Beowulf sighed as he walked “Hello elements.” The next one out was Black Board. Before Celestia could speak, he readjusted his glasses “I’m Black Board. It’s nice to meet all of you.” As Black Board walked to the rest of the group, his eyes met with Rarity and he smirked. She could feel a chill running down her spine. The final one to enter was Evergreen who waved at the group “Hi, you know me. I think… I mean Applejack must’ve mentioned me, right?” he landed by the others. “Since you did such a good job with Discord, I would like you to reform them.” Celestia motioned to the stallions with her hoof. “REFORM!” Applejack’s jaw nearly hit the floor and she looked at her cousin “What do you mean reform!” Beowulf sighed “You see, from your standards, we’re what you might call villains. From our point of view, we’re just a little creative with our defenses.” Applejack glared at him “What do ya’ mean, creative?” Celestia cleared her throat “They are part of something we simply call, The Facility. They…” she shivered “They perform… experiments on ponies.” Twilight gasped “Experiments!” Black Board glanced at them before speaking “We prefer to call them modifications. We make ponies, stronger. We create ponies that can easily defend Equestria. And if it makes you feel better, other than the 5 ponies here with me, there are only 2 other modified ponies-” “5?” Rarity looked around “There are only 4 of you.” Cadence sighed and knocked on the door “Please, come out. It’ll be fine, I promise.” The door opened slowly and a maroon stallion with a mane that looked slightly similar to Sunset Shimmer’s stepped out. “This is Stern.” Cadence said as he slowly walked to the rest of the group “You should be a little… gentle with him.” Twilight shook her head “No matter what you say, your actions are inexcusable! Princess, how could you allow this!?” Celestia closed her eyes “Unfortunately, The Facility has lent us strength several times. And as bad as their actions are, it’s true that they have only stayed within their group. Up until now, there was honestly nothing we could do with them.” She looked at Twilight “If you truly feel this way about their actions, isn’t it all the more reason to reform them?” Twilight sighed, unable to argue with her teachers reasoning. “Well,” Celestia glanced at the members of The Facility “It’s time to assign you to your reformers.” Shining Armor pulled out a list “Applejack, you are assigned to Beowulf.” Beowulf reluctantly trotted towards Applejack who glared at him “Rainbow Dash, Bitter.” Bitter walked to Rainbow and the two nodded at each other “Pinkie Pie, Cotton Candy.” Cotton skipped to Pinkie Pie who pulled out her welcome wagon and blasted out confetti “Fluttershy, Evergreen Apple.” Evergreen flew and landed next to Fluttershy, who didn’t know what to think about him anymore “Rarity, Black Board.” Black Board walked over and Rarity sighed “Princess Twilight Sparkle, Stern.” Stern glanced at Cadence who pushed him forward. “Twilight,” Shining Armor walked to his sister “We need you to be extremely gentle with this one. He’s kinda… unstable.” Twilight’s eyes widened and he quickly blurted out “I mean he’ll easily get sad! Not crazy and evil.” “Girls,” Celestia looked at them seriously “I want you all to take this very seriously.” Twilight nodded “Of course, Princess.” Twilight and the rest went outside with the members of the facility. “I think some introductions are in order.” Black Board trotted to the front and stopped the group “I am Black Board. The current leader of The Facility.” Rarity scoffed at him “Why should you get to introduce yourselves? I don’t see any value in friendship with you-” Beowulf trotted forward and grinned “Isn’t the whole point of reformation friendship?” Twilight sighed and motioned for the others to let them speak. “I have no modifications,” Black Board continued “But right now, I am the only one capable of modifying others.” Rarity glared at him “So you’re the creator of these, these, creatures-” Before Twilight could scold her, Black Board gritted his teeth “What did you call them! We are ponies just like you! I wasn’t the one who started this! These things were forced upon us! We just learned to live with them! You don’t know anything about what we’ve been through-” Rarity shouted “Then perhaps you can inform us!” Twilight glared at her “Rarity!” Black Board looked directly at Rarity “There was a stallion we all admired as an elder brother. We had always been ridiculed for being orphans; he did this to make it so no one would ever hurt us. We hate him. He corrupted my mind, giving me temporary insanity at times!” They turned when they heard Bitter “He used all the magical energy that should’ve been directed to my horn during spells to give me rather fast healing…” Cotton piped in “I can go super-fast! Well…twice your speed!” Evergreen whispered “I can hear a lot better than most ponies…” Twilight looked at Stern “H-how about you?” Black Board interrupted “Stern and Beowulf don’t like to talk about it.” Rarity sighed “W-well I suppose, that I may give you a chance…” Black Board nodded and moved to the side to let the others continue walking. Author's Note So, what do you think? Also, as for the time frame, Twi's already an Alicorn but there isn't any season 4 canon. I haven't seen season 4 yet unfortunately. Comments and Suggestions appreciated.
Pegasi in Ponyville“Apple Bloom!” Applejack’s voice resounded through the farmhouse, waking Apple Bloom from her sleep “Breakfast!” Applejack grabbed the plates in her mouth and set them down at the table. Just as Apple Bloom came down the stairs, Big Mac strode in through the front door “Letter for Granny, big brother?” Big Mac knocked on her door “Eeyup.” Granny Smith burst through her door angrily “Na’ what is it ya’ want!?” Big Mac handed her the letter and she eyed it carefully “Why tie me up and throw me in a biscuit!” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes; it seemed Granny’s sayings got stranger each day “Yer’ cousins are comin’!” Applejack helped Granny into the seat at the head of the table “Is it cousin Braeburn?” Apple Bloom grabbed the letter. “It’s our cousins from Cloudsdale!” Apple Bloom froze “Cloudsdale!?” Big Mac downed his plate of apple treats “You’ve never met them Bloom. Anyways, Uncle Apple Core married a Pegasus, when he died they moved to Cloudsdale.” Granny nearly jumped out of her seat “My nephew Core is dead!” Applejack sighed “It’s been 2 years, Gran.” Granny Smith settled down “Oh yeah…” Apple Bloom set aside her plate “Well,” she hopped off her chair and grabbed her saddlebag “I’m goin’ to school.” “Hey Bloom!’ Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were waiting at the gate “What’s up!” Apple Bloom beamed “Ma’ Uncle Core’s kids are vistin’ sometime soon! I remember someone at the funeral said that one of em’ doesn’t have a Cutie Mark!” Scootaloo cheered “Awesome!” Sweetie Belle looked confused “Wait… Your Uncle Core died?” Apple Bloom face-hoofed “Dear Celestia, you’re like a mini-Granny Smith...” Cheerilee stepped out of the building “Good morning everyone! Time for class!” The three Cutie Mark Crusaders walked into the classroom and took their seats. “Today,” Cheerilee gestured to the door and a stallion walked into the room “We have a very special guest!” The stallion was a grey intimidating figure with a dark turquoise mane and yellow eyes. “Ms. Cheerilee?” Snips raised his hand “is he your special somepony?” Cheerilee gagged and the stallion adjusted his purple spectacles “N-no Snips…” She tried to stop coughing “This… is Mr. Black Board… He’s a magic teacher at Canterlot University.” The man cleared his throat and stepped forward “Hello children.” The students replied in a bored voice “Hello Mr. Black Board.” Black Board looked at the crowd of children “You there, young filly with the tiara Cutie Mark, please come up here.” Diamond Tiara reluctantly stood in front of the class “Now say ‘Ahhh’ please.” Diamond Tiara complied and Black Board’s horn shone black and he slowly changed the pitch of her voice. Sweetie Belle watched intently as he manipulated the now shocked Diamond Tiara’s voice. When he stopped, Sweetie’s hand shot up “Mr. Black Board!” he looked at her “can I go next!” Black Board lifted her with his magic and placed her down in front of him “This time will be something different,” Sweetie frowned slightly “Now close your eyes little filly.” Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and Black Board touched their horns together “Imagine something.” Sweetie Belle thought of the wonderful time she had with Rarity at the Sisterhooves Social. To everyone’s shock, images of Rarity and Sweetie danced across the walls and ceiling “Open your eyes.” Black Board whispered. Sweetie Belle’s eyes fluttered open and she gazed in awe at the sight before her. Black Board withdrew his horn and stepped back “I apologize, but it seems we've run out time.” Cheerilee looked at the clock “Oh my it seems so! The class ended just a little bit ago!” she cleared her throat “Goodbye everyone!” The children all thanked Black Board and walked out. “Apple Bloom!” Applejack was waiting outside “Yer’ cousins are at Sweet Apple Acres, come on!” Apple Bloom and her two friends excitedly galloped with Applejack to the farm. “Hello!” a sweet, unfamiliar voice rang out from in front of the house. In the time the three fillies had spent panting in front of the farm house, a mare had walked out to greet them. Her brown coat complimented her cream-orange mane and she had a dark orange bow very similar to Apple Bloom’s “You must be Apple Bloom!” she looked at the little filly “How’d ya’ know?” The mare laughed “When I heard that Applejack was getting a little sister, I sent her a bow for you. I’m Autumn Leaf.” A cheery male voice interrupted them “Hiya!” a green colt with a lime green mane exited the house “I’m Evergreen! I’m a little younger than your sister!” Big Mac exited the farm house “Howdy Bloom, I’m taking Autumn and Ever out to explore, but there’s another little colt your age inside.” Applejack stopped Big Mac “Actually can I take Ever?” she beamed “I think I know the perfect place for him.” Applejack led the green colt to a familiar cottage at the edge of the Everfree forest “Fluttershy!” Applejack knocked on the door “I’ve brought someone!” Fluttershy slowly opened the door “W-Who?” Applejack nudged Evergreen forward “This is my cousin Evergreen! He’s a year younger than us and he’s got a knack for animals! So… Bye!” Applejack disappeared as soon as she arrived. Fluttershy barely managed to whisper the words Hello, and Welcome to the colt before her. Fluttershy led Ever inside and sat him down “I’ll get you tea…” at first she thought he hadn’t heard her whispering and shifted uncomfortably, but Ever looked around and replied “Yeah, Tea’s fine.” Fluttershy went into the kitchen and shut the door behind her. She turned on the stove and placed the kettle. Sighing, she held her head in her hands. Fluttershy had met Ever once before when she and Rainbow dash had visited the Cloudsdale Aviary. He had been helping a friend take care of the animals for a day. He was so good with animals and his smile was so nice that Fluttershy had almost walked into Rainbow Dash since she was too busy staring to pay attention. Fluttershy had never felt way that before. Applejack of course, knew all of this. She was brought back to the real word by the hissing of the kettle. Hurriedly she poured the cups of tea and put them on a tray which she balanced on her back. As soon as she walked into the room Ever sprang from his seat and walked towards “Oh my, let me help you.” He grabbed the tray from Fluttershy. Fluttershy’s heart nearly burst out of her chest when he approached her. She took deep breaths as Ever walked to the table. “So then Ms. Fluttershy-” Evergreen set down the tray. Fluttershy quickly blurted out “Just Fluttershy is fine.” She caught herself “I mean… if you want to, that is.” Ever pet one of the many squirrels in Fluttershy’s cottage “So Fluttershy, do you take care of all these animals yourself?” Fluttershy sat down on the coach “Oh yes, they’re very well behaved so it’s not too much trouble.” She began pointing at animals “This is Fluffy, and that’s Toadstool, oh! And this is Diver…” she continued naming animals for another 10 minutes. Realizing she had been rambling, she glanced at Ever who had been sipping his tea silently the whole time. “So then…” he picked up the little dove perched on the coffee table “This is… Snowfall… right? Or is it Chirpington? Maybe THIS one was Twiddler….” Fluttershy was amazed at the fact he had been listening “No, you’re right…. It is Snowfall. Chirpington is that blue jay over there and Twiddler is the canary on your head.” Ever looked at her confused “On my… head?” he looked up and chuckled “Well hey there little guy.” Fluttershy set down her cup of tea “W-would you like to help me feed the rest of the animals?” Ever beamed “Would I! I’d love to!” Fluttershy gingerly led Ever outside to the rest of the animals in her care. Meanwhile, in the Ponyville market, Big Mac led Autumn around different shops. “Mackey!” Autumn hovered next to him “Look at all the pretty bows!” Autumn darted from shelf to shelf inside the Bow Store. “Are they really that special?” Mac looked around at the plain bows stacked around the rooms. “Of course!” she said picking up a frilly pink bow “NOW HOLD STILL~” Big Mac’s eyes widened and he tried to step back, but it was too late. Autumn had planted the bow in his hair and was on the floor laughing. “Oh Celestia! You look… so…” she burst into laughter mid-sentence. “Whatever.” Big Mac’s face reddened, but luckily it was hidden by his naturally red coat. Autumn stood up and wiped her tears “Phew… Sorry Mackey. In exchange I’ll take you to your favorite place… The Hay Hustler! It’s still your favorite food joint, right?” Mac grinned and put the bow back “Eeyup’.” Autumn settled into a seat as Big Mac went to order their food. He came back with large Hay fries, two Hay smoothies, and a large Hay pizza. “Hey, do you…” Autumn picked up a fry “…still remember that one time….” Big Mac looked up “What?” Autumn chuckled “That time when we first met… and you tried to take my bow just to mess with me?” Big Mac groaned “You don’t forget somethin’ like that…” He held his head in his hoof “You tackled me so hard, I flew into the nearest tree… I expected you to be a little weaker than most Earth Ponies since Pegasi are built for speed instead of strength… but boy was I wrong…” Autumn grinned “And do you remember what happened after that?” Big Mac tore through a slice of pizza “Of course,” Autumn beamed when he said this “Applejack stayed by my bedside for a whole month! I feel kinda’ bad, you had to stay to help with the fields while I was injured.” Autumn crushed the fry in her hoof “Right… Thank goodness Applejack was there.” She stood up and walked out the door. “Autumn!” Big Mac stood up to chase after his cousin, but when he got outside, she was gone. Not sure what else to do, he rushed back to Sweet Apple Acres. “So your name’s Charcoal?” The Cutie Mark Crusaders stared at the grey colt in front of them. “Yes…” he replied shifting his dark red tail to cover his flank “Most people just call me Char…” Scootaloo hovered close to him “Say, you don’t have a Cutie Mark do you?” Charcoal looked to the side. “Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom said aggravated “You worded it stupidly!” Sweetie Belle lightly hit them both “Quiet!” she looked at Charcoal “Sorry, we don’t mean it like that.” She turned so he could see her flank “we’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders, we don’t have any Cutie Marks yet either!” Charcoal looked at them “Cutie Mark… Crusaders?” Apple Bloom beamed “Yeah! Do you wanna’ join!” Charcoal shifted in his seat “Gee, I don’t know… I’ve never been in a club before…” A mare, who had been introduced as their aunt Summer Oak, nuzzled Charcoal “Go ahead.” Charcoal smiled and ran outside with his new fellow Crusaders. “Have y’all…” Big Mac burst through the door panting “Seen… Autumn? Phew… that girl is faster… than a rabbit… I tell ya’…” Summer Oak nearly dropped the plate of leftovers she held “Mac? What’s happened to Autumn!?” Big Mac gulped “Nothing. Nope. Ain’t no troubles here.” Summer glared at him “BIG MAC.” Big Mac gulped and told her the entire story “-and that’s when she ran away, PleaseDontHurtMe!” Summer grabbed a frying pan in her mouth and smacked Big Mac in the face “Na’ you better give me one good reason to spare ya’! Or I might just smack yer’ brains out this time!” he winced, Aunt Summer only let the country accent she had adopted from her husband leak through when she was angry “Applejack my-” her next word was cut off by the moo of one of the farm’s cows. Big Mac stared at his Aunt. Now she had her accent and she was cursing. He let out a whimper, she was REALLY mad now. “It was Autumn ya’ twit!” he looked at her curiously “What?” She hit his head with the pan again “Autumn stayed by yer’ side ya’ good for nothing *moo!*, how could ya’ be such an insensitive *moo!* and go forgettin’ that! Grrr! Yer’ just as insensitive as yer’ *moo!* Uncle Core!” she stomped into the yard while continuing her ramblings. “Did Aunt Summer Oak just call me a-” granny took over pan duty and smacked him “Is that really all ya’ can think of now!? Ya’ idiot! Go find yer’ cousin before I use this ere’ pan again!” Big Mac winced and ran out the house to look for Autumn. Granny chuckled as she set the pan down on the table “Boy, this ere’ pan business sure is fun!” Author's Note Ok, so i now there isn't gore or darkness yet... just wait. We need some buildup. Don't worry, I have the next few chapters planned out and the next one will start the darker aspects of this. The darker things will also be really prominent in Chap. 3. And i'm open to suggestions and feedback. This is also my first MLP fanfic so... wish me luck i guess. :D
Come Now Charcoal, Play Time is OverAuthor's Note Okay, this one is considerably shorter. Like, SUPER CONSIDERABLY. Anyways, the dark part is coming soon! Please leave feedback and suggestions! So far we've got 3 ups and 3 downs (thumb wise), so far so good. If you consider tied as "good"... Anyways, here's chapter 2! Come Now Charcoal, Play Time is Over Evergreen slowly carried a bowl of water to the manticore in Fluttershy’s backyard “Now, you’re sure this won’t hurt me?” she turned to look as she tried to get Angel to eat his carrots “Oh yes, Manny would never hurt anyone.” He set the bowl down and Manny slowly bent over to drink. “We also need some confetti…” Fluttershy tried to catch the now running Angel Bunny. “Confetti?” Ever pounced on Angel only to grab at air. “Yes, I’m watching Gummy for Pinkie Pie, she said he needs a daily dose of party or he’ll become, um… what was it she said… oh right, a grumpy-grump-grumpy-pants…” Evergreen glanced at Gummy who was trying to swallow a balloon “Right… confetti… by the duck food right?” Fluttershy nodded and Ever went inside to get the confetti. She had almost caught Angel when she heard a small whimper from a nearby bush. Taking advantage of her distraction Angel ran away. Fluttershy sighed and set down the carrot. “Hello?” she parted the bushes “Is anyone in here-” The door to the cottage burst open, startling Evergreen. He peeked out of the kitchen door “Fluttershy? Is that- Oh Celestia!” he ran towards the doorway. Fluttershy had a bruised Autumn rested on one of her wings “What happened!” Evergreen stretched out one of his wings to help. “Sorry…” Autumn whispered “I wasn’t paying attention and-” Ever helped his older sister onto the couch to lie down “Don’t you give me excuses Fall!” Autumn winced at her nickname, it didn’t just have to do with her name… “Your such a clumsy flier! How many times do we have to tell you to be careful! You are not a child and should be held responsible for your actions! So- no more good food! Until you learn to behave, you will only eat porridge-” before she could protest he continued “PLAIN porridge.” She whimpered and he sat down and sighed. “Oh dear,” Fluttershy bandaged up Autumn “Her left wing is broken, she has some slightly deep cuts on her hind legs… I think you should stay in bed for at least 5 days, then I want you grounded for another week.” Autumn groaned and put her hoof over her face. “Are you sure we don’t need to take her to the hospital?” Ever pulled a blanket over his sister. Fluttershy looked away embarrassed “I’m a pretty bad flier too… so… well I’ve been injured enough to understand what to do…” Autumn pouted “M-Mackie’s a big ol’ jerk…” Ever left to get Gummy’s confetti while Fluttershy brought over a cup of tea. Autumn glanced at the pattern on the cup, two ponies looking at each other with a heart above them. “What about Big Mac?” Fluttershy set the cup down. “He… he…” Autumn sniffed. Ever entered the room just as an explosion of confetti was heard outside “Talk to me Fall.” Autumn sniffled and tried to explain “First met… Big Mac… bed rest… taken care of…APPLEJACK!” she sobbed into Fluttershy’s cushions. “Oh, so that’s what this’s all about.” Ever turned to look at Fluttershy “When Big Mac first met us, he was playing around with Autumn and took her bow. She tackled him into oblivion and he had to stay in bed for a long time. She took care of him then, but he thinks it’s his sister Applejack.” Fluttershy nodded as she tried to understand the volley of words thrown at her “Oh dear…” she turned the cup to hide the pattern “Um… Autumn?” Autumn looked up at Fluttershy, who waved for Ever to wait in the backyard “Um… I have somepony who I like…” Autumn sat up “R-really?” Fluttershy sat down next to her “Yes… and… if E-” she shook her head “That pony… if he forgot something like that… I’d be sad too…” Autumn sniffed “EXACTLY.” Fluttershy stood up “B-but… I think I would talk to him about it… anyways, you should drink your tea.” Autumn sighed and stared at the tea in front of her. Meanwhile, at the CMC clubhouse, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were thinking up plans for their next attempt at getting their Cutie Marks. “Hey, I know!” Apple Bloom grinned “How about Cutie Mark Crusaders Apple Buckers!” Scootaloo jumped up and glared at Apple Bloom “You just want us to do your chores again! I say we try Cutie Mark Crusaders Pro-Skaters!” Sweetie Belle sighed “You just want to show off your scooter tricks! How about… Cutie Mark Crusader Sky Divers!” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sighed “already tried last week…” Charcoal looked around and gulped “How about… Cutie Mark Crusader Pro-Runners?” The three fillies beamed and pulled him outside where they lined up. “All right,” Scootaloo dug her hoof into the dirt “Last one to Sweet Apple Acres has to-” Apple Bloom grinned slyly and interrupted “-Mess up one of Rarity’s dresses!” the other two fillies gulped and readied themselves. Sweetie Belle shouted for them to start and the four foals dashed off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom burst into the front. Scootaloo ran right behind. Sweetie Belle and Charcoal were just a few inches back. Sweetie Belle grinned and her horn started to glow. She picked up the other three foals and placed them behind herself. But Charcoal burst through her magic and ran in front of her. Sweetie Belle gasped and pushed herself forward. Scootaloo ran up and blocked Sweetie Belles vision with her wing, causing her to almost trip on a rock. Apple Bloom dashed forwards and she shared a sigh with Sweetie Belle, they were so close to the farm and both were last. Charcoal slowed down until he was in front of Sweetie Belle. He glanced back and grinned “Need a boost?” Sweetie Belle smirked and jumped over him. When she was in the air in front of him, Charcoal pushed her forward. Sweetie Belle landed running right next to Scootaloo who gasped. As they finally reached the farm, Sweetie Belle cheered. Scootaloo sighed realizing she was 2nd. Charcoal skidded to a stop behind Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom groaned when she finally reached them. Sweetie Belle chuckled “I feel kind of bad for you Apple Bloom; Rarity can be a real pain when it comes to her dresses.” Apple Bloom sighed and continued walking until she bumped into someone, looking up; she realized it was someone familiar “Mr. Black Board!” Black Board helped the filly get up “You’re from Ms. Cheerilee’s class, aren't you?” Apple Bloom looked up at him “Yeah, I’m Apple Bloom!” Summer Oak flew out of the house towards them “Mr. Board. Are you here for Charcoal?” Black Board nodded and Charcoal’s eyes widened. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to train him in such things-” she was cut off by Black Board “I understand you don’t want him to have the same fate as your husband, but he’s much stronger than his father. Now then, come along Charcoal.” Charcoal hugged his mother and ran after Black Board. Apple Bloom stared curiously at the retreating figure of Black Board. Where was he taking Charcoal? And what about her Uncle Core?
It Seems He Has More Than One Class...With a glow of his horn, Black Board teleported himself and Charcoal to a locked door on the side of Canterlot University. Black Board stuck his horn into a peculiar slot in the middle of the door causing a hiss of air and a mechanical click. The door opened to reveal a metal staircase heading down, dimly lit with red light. Several pipes running along the walls slowly spewed out steam. As the door clicked shut behind them, the pair slowly descended into a large room that was also lined with pipes. A little bit away from them was a white unicorn with a turquoise mane just lighter than Black Board’s. He was huddled into a ball rocking himself back and forth. As they neared him, Charcoal realized he was continually muttering the word “Ice” to himself. Black Board put his hoof to the unicorns head and pulled it back slightly. His horn released a spark and a shock travelled through the unicorn. Charcoal recognized this, it was a spell regularly by Black Board. When he had first been assigned to the facility, he had asked what it was for, Black Board had grinned devilishly and said “To break your minds, of course.” Before continuing into the room, Black Board stared back at the unicorn “Do try not to be so weak, Beowulf. Or I may just have to get rid of you, permanently.” Beowulf stood up and grinned “Welcome back master, sorry. I simply haven’t spoken to anyone in so long! Then again, companionship is weakness. Those two are ready by the way, master.” Beowulf trotted off to a seat in front of a wall of screens monitoring all of Equestria. Black Board led Charcoal to a section of the room with three metal targets shaped like ponies. He simply utters a single word to Charcoal as he pushes him forward “Kill.”. Charcoal looked back at his teacher. “Are you as weak as your pathetic father!” Black Board yells. Charcoal stares at the target still hesitating. Black Board walks up and does the same spell he does on Beowulf, causing Charcoal to fall to the ground. As he slowly gets up, Black Board furiously commands him “KILL.” Charcoal runs forward with lifeless eyes and head butts the targets torso, a crack slowly spreading from the impact. Jumping, he bites at its ear, tearing the metal clean off. Black Board smirks as Charcoal then bucks the target in its face knocking off its head. As Charcoal pants and returns to normal, two colts enter the room. One pure black Alicorn with a black and red mane hovers over the ground beside them while one that looks similar to Luna walks in slowly. Black Board turns to the other two, who were part of the facility long before Charcoal “Noir, Silent Night. You know what to do.” The black one, Noir, smirks and stabs one of the target’s necks with his horn “Good… if it was real, it would be gagging on its own blood…” he turned to Silent Night. Silent had always been a gentler pony and simply glanced at his teacher. Black Board walks up to the colt “Imagine her. Go on, Silent. Imagine your mother.” The young colts eyes watered and he ran up and stabbed the target repeatedly while crying. After only 6 hits, the target fell to ground, leaving Silent a sobbing mess. From his station, Beowulf yelled out to Black Board “Master, there’s some interesting activity on screen 17!” Black Board and the three colts walked to the screens and looked. Celestia and Luna were in a plain white room all alone staring directly at the camera. Celestia spoke first “I know very well you can see me. Establish a visual connection.” Beowulf did as told and a screen appeared in front of the two Princesses. As soon as Luna’s eyes met Silent’s, he went into some sort of fit, repeatedly kicking the wall beside him in tears. Luna looked away quickly and let out a sound that was a mix of a whimper and a gag. Noir gritted his teeth and dug his hoof into the metal floor, denting it. Charcoal simply muttered the word “Hello”. “What do you want?” Black Board stared at the screen. Celestia glared at him “I understand that you already denied my first request, but I would like to ask of you again-” Beowulf cut her off “With all due respect, which for you two is very little,” the two stared at him in awe as he said those words “We have no need for such things. We are not evil princesses; we are simply a bit… creative, with our plans for the good of Equestria.” Luna wiped her eyes and locked eyes with Black Board “If you come, you may speak with the daughter of the unicorn Exquisite.” Black Board grinned “We’ll come immediately.” Author's Note So, from what you've seen, who do you think is your favorite member of the "facility"? And who do you think is Exquisite's daughter? Why does Black Board want to meet her so badly? the person who's answer is the closest will win... um... oh, i know! a short cameo of one of there OC's! That's a good prize right? Anyways, feedback and suggestions welcome!
Introductions Are Due It SeemsIn the Artic North near the Crystal Empire, two stallions rush through the snow. A gray unicorn with an auburn mane carries a letter in the air with his magic. Beside him, a white earth pony with a pink and blue mane skips nonchalantly. “Have we lost them Cotton!” the gray one gallops as fast as he can. Cotton looks back while skipping “Nope! The Bears are still after us! Isn’t this exciting, Bitter!” One of the bear’s jumps at Bitter who yelps and runs to the side. As one jumps at Cotton, he jumps over it while humming. After what seemed like hours, the two finally run into the throne room. Bitter, who is covered in cuts, pants and tries to speak but can only release of gasp as he begins panting from their rigorous run. Cadence and Shining Armor glance at each other from their thrones before they speak. “Um… Private first class Bitter, is everything all right?” Cadence stepped down from the thrown to check up on them. Cotton beamed “Yep! We just ran into some bears! Bitter’s really slow!”. Cadence gasped and left to get a nurse while Shining Armor stepped forward “PFC Bitter, SPC Cotton Candy, what do you need?”. Bitter regained his composure and passed the letter with his magic. Shining Armor began to read it ”Dear Prince Shining Amor and Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire… you are need in Canterlot immediately! Please hurry…” Cotton saluted “Goodbye prince! Stay safe!” He chuckled and pointed at the letter “You two have to come along.” Meanwhile, at Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie stepped into the house. Rainbow flew in with Fluttershy and Evergreen, who informs them that Big Mac arrived and is taking care of Autumn at the cottage. Applejack walked over to her friends “What’s the matter, sugar cube?”. Twilight looked concerned “The princess has called us to Canterlot urgently, I have no idea what’s happening but it’s important!” The 6 of them headed outside, where Princess Cadence was waiting with a chariot, Evergreen flew off somewhere before they had exited. As they piled in, Cadence motioned for the Pegasus guards to begin flying. Rarity looked at the princess “Princess Cadence… If I may, why is it that we’re being called on?” Cadence shook her head “I’m sorry, the letter never specified.” Rainbow Dash groaned “What if it’s something boring! Like another test for Twilight! Or Gala preparations!” Cadence re-read the letter “No, No. it’s certainly something important…” Fluttershy gulped “W-what if Discord’s gone bad again! Or, or… Chrysalis! Or-” Pinkie laughed “If it was Discord, I’m pretty sure I would be able to tell! I can smell his cotton candy clouds from a mile away! And if it was Chrysalis, I would be having fun with my clones!” Applejack sighed “I sure hope it ain’t those two…” Before they had realized, the chariot had landed in front of the Castle. Twilight was the first to jump out and hurriedly ran through the halls with the others in tow. As soon as she came upon the throne room door, she pushed it open and dashed inside. Princess Celestia was alone in the room. “Princess! Is everything alright! Are there changelings! Is it Discord! Or worse, DO I HAVE A TEST-” the princess raised her hoof to stop her student “No. It isn’t Discord or anything of the sort… But, as the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, I will need all of you.” Shining Armor stepped forward, and Cadence went to stand beside him. “There are some ponies I want you to meet…” she gestured to Shining Armor. “Oh! Yes, right…” he walked over and knocked on a door on the side of the room “Come in, one at a time!”. The first one to walk in was Bitter. “This is Bitter. He is a Private First Class in the Crystal Empire Army.” Bitter waved at the group “Um… hello. I’m Bitter. Nice to meet you, I guess.” He stood next to the throne. Next was Cotton “This is Specialist Cotton Candy of the Crystal Empire.” Cotton jumped up “Hi! I’m Cotton! Nice to meet you all!” he skipped over to Bitter. “This,” Beowulf stepped in with a frown and headphones propped up against his neck “Is Beowulf.” Beowulf sighed as he walked “Hello elements.” The next one out was Black Board. Before Celestia could speak, he readjusted his glasses “I’m Black Board. It’s nice to meet all of you.” As Black Board walked to the rest of the group, his eyes met with Rarity and he smirked. She could feel a chill running down her spine. The final one to enter was Evergreen who waved at the group “Hi, you know me. I think… I mean Applejack must’ve mentioned me, right?” he landed by the others. “Since you did such a good job with Discord, I would like you to reform them.” Celestia motioned to the stallions with her hoof. “REFORM!” Applejack’s jaw nearly hit the floor and she looked at her cousin “What do you mean reform!” Beowulf sighed “You see, from your standards, we’re what you might call villains. From our point of view, we’re just a little creative with our defenses.” Applejack glared at him “What do ya’ mean, creative?” Celestia cleared her throat “They are part of something we simply call, The Facility. They…” she shivered “They perform… experiments on ponies.” Twilight gasped “Experiments!” Black Board glanced at them before speaking “We prefer to call them modifications. We make ponies, stronger. We create ponies that can easily defend Equestria. And if it makes you feel better, other than the 5 ponies here with me, there are only 2 other modified ponies-” “5?” Rarity looked around “There are only 4 of you.” Cadence sighed and knocked on the door “Please, come out. It’ll be fine, I promise.” The door opened slowly and a maroon stallion with a mane that looked slightly similar to Sunset Shimmer’s stepped out. “This is Stern.” Cadence said as he slowly walked to the rest of the group “You should be a little… gentle with him.” Twilight shook her head “No matter what you say, your actions are inexcusable! Princess, how could you allow this!?” Celestia closed her eyes “Unfortunately, The Facility has lent us strength several times. And as bad as their actions are, it’s true that they have only stayed within their group. Up until now, there was honestly nothing we could do with them.” She looked at Twilight “If you truly feel this way about their actions, isn’t it all the more reason to reform them?” Twilight sighed, unable to argue with her teachers reasoning. “Well,” Celestia glanced at the members of The Facility “It’s time to assign you to your reformers.” Shining Armor pulled out a list “Applejack, you are assigned to Beowulf.” Beowulf reluctantly trotted towards Applejack who glared at him “Rainbow Dash, Bitter.” Bitter walked to Rainbow and the two nodded at each other “Pinkie Pie, Cotton Candy.” Cotton skipped to Pinkie Pie who pulled out her welcome wagon and blasted out confetti “Fluttershy, Evergreen Apple.” Evergreen flew and landed next to Fluttershy, who didn’t know what to think about him anymore “Rarity, Black Board.” Black Board walked over and Rarity sighed “Princess Twilight Sparkle, Stern.” Stern glanced at Cadence who pushed him forward. “Twilight,” Shining Armor walked to his sister “We need you to be extremely gentle with this one. He’s kinda… unstable.” Twilight’s eyes widened and he quickly blurted out “I mean he’ll easily get sad! Not crazy and evil.” “Girls,” Celestia looked at them seriously “I want you all to take this very seriously.” Twilight nodded “Of course, Princess.” Twilight and the rest went outside with the members of the facility. “I think some introductions are in order.” Black Board trotted to the front and stopped the group “I am Black Board. The current leader of The Facility.” Rarity scoffed at him “Why should you get to introduce yourselves? I don’t see any value in friendship with you-” Beowulf trotted forward and grinned “Isn’t the whole point of reformation friendship?” Twilight sighed and motioned for the others to let them speak. “I have no modifications,” Black Board continued “But right now, I am the only one capable of modifying others.” Rarity glared at him “So you’re the creator of these, these, creatures-” Before Twilight could scold her, Black Board gritted his teeth “What did you call them! We are ponies just like you! I wasn’t the one who started this! These things were forced upon us! We just learned to live with them! You don’t know anything about what we’ve been through-” Rarity shouted “Then perhaps you can inform us!” Twilight glared at her “Rarity!” Black Board looked directly at Rarity “There was a stallion we all admired as an elder brother. We had always been ridiculed for being orphans; he did this to make it so no one would ever hurt us. We hate him. He corrupted my mind, giving me temporary insanity at times!” They turned when they heard Bitter “He used all the magical energy that should’ve been directed to my horn during spells to give me rather fast healing…” Cotton piped in “I can go super-fast! Well…twice your speed!” Evergreen whispered “I can hear a lot better than most ponies…” Twilight looked at Stern “H-how about you?” Black Board interrupted “Stern and Beowulf don’t like to talk about it.” Rarity sighed “W-well I suppose, that I may give you a chance…” Black Board nodded and moved to the side to let the others continue walking. Author's Note So, what do you think? Also, as for the time frame, Twi's already an Alicorn but there isn't any season 4 canon. I haven't seen season 4 yet unfortunately. Comments and Suggestions appreciated.
