P.O. Box Manehattan

18:26

April 16

I wearily walked back to my apartment building, my saddlebags feeling heavier than they should be due to my fatigue. Another day of work, another bag of bits.

As I opened the front door leading into the building, I saw a white unicorn mare with a long silver mane inserting some things into one of the several wall mounted mailboxes. She wasn't the usual mail carrier and her cutie mark was covered by her brown coat so I didn't know what sort of business she was in. What I did see was that the mailbox she placed the things in happened to be mine. She closed the box and glanced at me. I glanced at her back and we continued on our separate ways. Though, as we were passing by each other, I could've sworn that a faint smirk appeared on her face. She opened the door I entered and left the building. What was that about?

I decided to check the objects she inserted. Opening the box, I saw an envelope with a gold seal on it along with a letter typed on a fancy piece of paper. I placed the two items in my saddlebags, closed the box, and continued on my way upstairs.

I eventually reached a door with the number 105 nailed onto it. Lying in front of the door was a small cardboard box taped shut, odd... Reaching into my saddlebags, I pulled out the key and unlocked the door. I dragged the box into the dark green carpeted room and placed it near the doorway along with my saddlebags, feeling a slight amount of relief at the weight no longer burdening my body.

I took out the two letters and carried them over to to my living room, placing them on my wooden coffee table. I sat down on my red couch and read the the typed one first.

Dear Charging Stride,

We appreciate your contribution to our cause and hope that you will spread our message of love and tolerance for the betterment of Equestria. This land needs ponies like you to keep its harmony intact and its residents united. May it forever prosper and may peace reign throughout.

- Balance of Harmony

Huh, so that mare was part of this group. This seemed like an interesting organization to join, plus I might have some fun with this. I don't know how they're planning on bettering Equestria, but Celestia knows I need some form of entertainment in my monotonous life.

I tore open the envelope and pulled out the two papers inside. One was an ad of sorts.

Hey you! Come down to our store at 4112 Westhoof Ave. We'll be having a sale on furniture today and only a select few are chosen for it! Come between 8:30 PM and 12:00 AM to get great deals on our wares! Hurry while they last!

Weird, the name of the shop wasn't written anywhere on the invitation...and what kind of sale only happens that late at night?

Casting aside the unusual paper, I read the other one.

Go to the address mentioned in the invitation and be sure to bring that mask in the box. Disobedience will not be tolerated. We know where you live and who you are. This message will be erased once you have read this sentence.

As soon as my eye caught the last word, the letter became engulfed in a white flame. No ashes fell down as the letter simply vanished, purged by the bright fire. What kind of group did I join?

Remembering the box I placed near the front, I trotted to kitchen and grabbed a knife to cut open the tape. After I had removed it, I hesitantly opened the box revealing a red dragon mask. There were slits cut in its pupils and the mouth was open with a hole in the center, making it look as though it was roaring. The mask's muzzle was shorter than that of a normal dragon, about the same size as my muzzle.

I decided to wear the mask and get a feel for it. As soon as I placed it on my head, I felt a tingly sensation around my body and looked at my forehooves. They were now a fiery red, similar to the dragon's color. I trotted to the bathroom to examine my new form. As soon as my reflection in the mirror greeted my my sight, I was caught speechless. It looked as though I had become a dragon myself, albeit a pony sized one. I turned around and noticed that in my reflection, my cutie mark was missing. Was that another effect of the mask? I took it off and as soon as I did, my original color along with my cutie mark returned. If the implications of what I'm about to do weren't so suspicious, I'd say this'd make a great costume for Nightmare Night.

Huh. So I guess I just became one of the B.o.H.'s lapdogs. I could disobey them to see what would happen...but I guess I could also check out what they're doing with their members.

"Well, I wanted some fun. Guess this is how I'm gonna get it," I muttered.

With that, I emptied the contents of my saddlebags, most of them were tools used for construction anyway so I shouldn't need them weighing me down. I placed the mask inside as well as the invitation to remember the address.

Wonder how this'll turn out.

Third Event: Catalyst

A decrepit two story building laid between two other buildings that were in a similar state of disrepair. The bricks were cracked and the windows were covered in the grime, obscuring the inside of the building. The night covered most of the area in darkness, but a single lamp nailed on top of the front door prevented it from entirely covering the entrance, though not by much.

A tan stallion wearing saddlebags approached the building. He took out a red roaring dragon mask and donned it which enchanted his coat to match the mask's color.

The stallion hesitantly opened the door and peeked into the interior. Under the slightly dim ceiling lights, a cloaked pony holding a wooden club in its mouth stood near a door across from the stallion. The stairs leading to the second floor were located to the right of it and another door stood a small distance away from the base.

As the stallion entered the building, the cloaked figure noticed the intruder and rushed towards him with vigor. Its club was raised, ready to be brought down and crack the intruder's skull, but the intruder quickly rolled to his right making the club miss its target. Recovering from his roll, the stallion bucked the cloaked pony as hard as he could, sending it flying backwards a few feet as well as making it drop the club. He grabbed the club and and began to swing it repeatedly against the pony's head. Blood spurted out from the gashes with each strike along with bits of brain.

Another obscured pony appeared from the creaky door where the now dead pony was stationed next to. Upon hearing the door open, the intruder glanced at the source of the noise and saw another cloaked pony with widened fearful eyes. The masked intruder swiftly tossed the club into the pony's face and knocked it down. He rushed over, straddled the pony, grabbed its head with his forehooves, and began slamming it against the hard wooden floor. He stopped once he heard a resounding crack from the pony beneath him.

The intruder grabbed the club with his mouth and looked around the area for any more cloaked figures. The door near the stairs caught his attention along with the hoofsteps coming from behind it. He quickly ran towards it and bucked it open. The pony behind flew back from the impact, dazed and barely conscious. the stallion straddled the pony and began pummeling away. Blow after blow caused blood to gush out from the multiple gashes appearing on its face. After the beat down was finished, the pony's face was pile of red and pink mush.

Not seeing nor hearing any more activity, the stallion trotted up the stairs to the second floor. A cloaked unicorn was waiting on the other side of the stairs' railing with a spell charged in its horn. As soon the masked intruder appeared on the floor, it discharged the spell. The intruder heard the energy being released and quickly rolled to the side, narrowly escaping the blast which collided with the wall behind him. As the pony prepared to charge another spell, a club collided with its face, dispelling the magical energy being prepared. The stallion trotted over and stomped on its head, cracking its skull and horn with each blow until it was no longer breathing.

From the door to the right of the dead unicorn, two cloaked ponies rushed out with a hammer and a pipe. The one with the hammer closed the distance faster than its peer, but the stallion's hoof collided with its face and knocked it down. As the other pony began to close in, the stallion swung his club and heard the sickening crack of his target's skull along with something wet landing on the floor. He then traded his club for the fallen hammer and brought it down repeatedly on the unconscious pony's face, causing it to swell into a bloody pulp with each strike.

The stallion looked around, everything was seemingly quiet. Only the dull buzzing of an antiquated ceiling lamp could be heard which added to the atmosphere of death.

Dead ponies surrounded the masked intruder, blood seeping out of their wounds, faces bruised and bloodied. The floor was soaked with their blood. In contrast, the stallion himself was clean from the red sticky liquid.

As he trotted down the stairs, he looked around the floor. Like the top one, dead cloaked ponies lay around with their ruined faces seemingly accentuating the dilapidated condition of the building. Pools of blood covered some parts of the floor with bits of teeth and brain laced here and there near the bodies.

The intruder took off his mask and placed it in his saddlebags. As he opened the front door, a smirk adorned his face. He walked out onto the empty darkened streets.

Last night was awesome. I need to get Wit to join this group, he seems like he could use some fun as well. Plus, maybe he and I could work together on one of those invitations.

I waited on the bench near a small park, the flyer advertising the B.o.H. in my hooves. The city was bustling with activity: business ponies trotting to their meetings, taxis pulling along sidewalks, small shops selling merchandise such as flowers and what not.

A few minutes later, Wit came up and sat in the empty spot to my right.

I spent no time beating around the bush, "Wit, ya got to join this group." I showed him the flyer.

He looked at me with an expression of confusion and worry, "Uh, why?"

"This group has some pretty fun things planned out. I went to one of their events last night and it was amazing!"

"...So what do they even do?" he asked.

"Supposedly, they help make Equestria a better place. I don't know how, but whatever they're doing, it's awesome. Look, just join it and see for yourself. I'm sure you're gonna be thinking the same thing," I said with a smirk.

"Alright, alright. I guess I'll check it out sometime then. The way you're raving about it makes it seem as though you practically worship it."