Rock the Nation, Rap it in a Pretty Bow

Chapters

Chapter 1: Inebriated Express, Next Stop: Equestria
Chapter 2: The Countdown Begins
Chapter 3: Welcome to Our World
Chapter 4: Nightmares and Noises
Chapter 5: Heart of the City Part 1

Chapter 1: Inebriated Express, Next Stop: Equestria

Time: 3:30 AM June 23rd, 2014

Location: BLU SK-1 Bar and Club, Chicago, IL

The Windy City. Chi-Town. The City of Broad Shoulders. Chi-raq, if you live in the extremely bad parts. Chicago had many names, but it was all the same city. A city full of gossip, of beauty and action, and of drinking and music. Located in one of the “Mid-Rows,” or partying areas that aren’t really seedy, yet aren’t the safest places, rested a modest yet vibrant club. It was a very clean, white building, almost like a Greek temple. On the front was a neon blue sign reading “BLU SK-1.” Loud, heart-pounding music played through the building, sending waves of pure sound through passing buildings. In the back, two people stumbled out of the club, one pushing two large boxes on wheels, and the other holding a guitar and a mic. One was male, around 25, with a height of around 5’9”. He wore dark jeans and a hoodie to match. His skin tone was rather red as opposed to a tan colored. His long, yet thick and bushy black hair combed down over his dark brown eyes. The other was female around 23, yet had a height of 5’11”. Her skin was pale white, with silky, golden brown hair that went down to her shoulders that was tied in a ponytail. Her green eyes complimented her green punk tank top and shorts. Both stumbled through the streets, the red male using the large rolling boxes as supports.

“Duuude… Did you see how much I draaaank…?”

The young woman laughed and rolled her eyes, her face sustaining a huge blush. “Yeaaaaahh… But I’m the drinking queen!!” She said out loud as she did a spin. The two shared a laugh before the man looked at her smiling.

“We’ve really come far, haven’t we Nika?”

Nika smiled and nuzzled him close. “Of course, you big goof!! We worked hard, and now, no force is more powerful than Nika and Mr. E!!”

E laughed then hiccupped, feeling a sickly sensation fill his stomach. “Ugh… Let’s get home… I feel reaaaally crappy…”

Nika nodded and continued to stumble around with her partner. Being that the two were both completely wasted, they couldn’t make out where they were and more often than not, ended up running into the same street repeatedly, only to find out that they had been walking around the same block for 10 minutes. Eventually, they had made it to their train station, a large area constructed of metal and concrete. E rubbed his eyes, trying to keep himself from blacking out noticing that Nika herself was on the verge as well.

“Here…” He said, moving one of his mobile equipment boxes towards Nika, who promptly flopped on top of it in a fit of drunken giggles. “I swear you drink too much…”

“Well, look who's calling the- Urp!!” Nika suddenly covered her mouth as she puked the night’s contents onto the floor of the station, causing E to chuckle lightly. Suddenly, a noise had alerted the duos alcohol altered minds. They looked up and saw a train. At least, that's what their minds said as they saw a large metal beast on the tracks. It certainly looked like a train, though they were so plastered that a semi that had ended up on the tracks would’ve looked like a train to them. The two looked at each other and shrugged. Hey, even if they got on the wrong train (an event they had done almost every time they drunk too heavily in the Mid-Rows), they knew the city well enough to get back home from any part of town and possibly a few miles off the city outskirts. Slowly the two pushed themselves and their equipment onto the train, groaning like a couple of zombies as they shambled into the sub car, which, oddly enough had dimmer lighting than usual.

Huh… E thought to himself, Must be some burnt lighting or something. He let out a small yawn, his mind suddenly slowing to a crawl as he was about to drift off into his drunken dream land, which consisted of beautiful women and chocolate.

BANG!!

The two artists suddenly jumped when they heard it. Like the sound of a sudden lightning clap. They struggled to focus on the source of the noise. It was the door. Apparently, it had shut with so much force that it had created the loud bang. Several other loud sounds proceeded, which by their barely alert minds, could only mean the other cars had just been closed. Nika picked herself up and stumbled through the car, eventually reaching the car door and pulling on it desperately.

“Is not opening!!”

She reached for her guitar and swung at the door, missing a few times before eventually making contact with the door. Unfortunately, this did nothing as suddenly the car started to move. It started at around 5 mph then eventually hit 15 mph and then 45 in just a matter of seconds. Nika gripped onto a pole she bumped back into, struggling to keep a grip. E on the other hand had flown backward into the car wall, his equipment moving towards him quickly and hitting him in the body.

Nika looked back in a hazing shock. T… This is bad… W… What… is happening… Slowly her vision began to fade as a white light engulfing the windows of the car.

We have arrived...

Nika slowly opened her eyes. She found that she was on the ground, guitar in one hand, and still gripping the pole in the other. The sudden transition from dark to bright was causing her vision to be extremely blurry, as if she was just exposed to a flashbang. Regardless, enough of her vision eventually returned to take notice of her surroundings. Okay… She inquired as she took note of everything around her. Okay… Window’s dark, so it’s still night… Car is still dimmed… E is still being crushed underneath his equip-OH FUCK.

“E!!”

She pushed herself up off the ground and pushed her beer-filled body towards the mobile boxes, pushing them out of the way and kneeling down beside him. She noticed the blur that was his face. She also noticed red on the lower part of it. Panicked, she grabbed the area she assumed was his shoulder and shook.

“E! E, this isn’t funny! Wake up!”

“... Ugh…” E let out the weakest of groans, signaling his still active, if not incapacitated, state. Nika let out a sigh of relief. She needed to get her soul brother out of here. Noticing the two boxes she pushed aside, she put two and two together as best as she could at the time, setting the equipment boxes in a line, and laying E on them as a makeshift stretcher. Throwing her guitar strap and mic cord around her shoulder, she slowly pushed E’s box stretcher across. As she pushed, she suddenly had an admiration for E’s hidden strength. iI he ever went to the gym, he could probably lift a ton with his feet alone. These boxes were a pain to push. It was probably because there was a knocked-out Mexican on top of them, but she just set it in the list of theories she would test when she found out where she was.

Okay, she said in her mind as she pushed herself onto the station, making use of her limited and blurry vision to look around and observe her surroundings. This is definitely not Chicago. Not even the city limits. It’s… A bit more colorful. It was then she heard a sound she never thought she would hear. It sounded like… Hooves. Like horse hooves running off in the distance. However, before she could really take note of this, the hoofsteps dissipated just as quickly as they started. Man, what state are we in that still uses horses? Kansas? I hope not, ‘cause I have a Mexican here that’s passed out and open for attack…

…

Wow, this was bad. Stopping this now.

Nika shook her head and continued her journey forward. She slowly ventured through what she could only deduce was a town (as even in her panicked and drunken state, she could tell there were no structures worthy of being called buildings), taking note that something was off about this place. The two had been all over the country and seen all sorts of towns, but this one just seemed... Cartoony, for lack of a better word. This was beside the point for the young Russian rocker, though, as she needed to get E to a safe place so the two can rest, and maybe in the morning, find a doctor for E's broken whatever it was this time. Possibly his nose, but she could always have been wrong. Soon enough, she came across a rather large looking structure. She could only assume this was a house, though with the music coming from it, it could be a club. Either way, free shelter. She stepped forward and noticed a blurry wooden colored object in front of her. Okay, cool, a door. She found the doorknob after a few attempts and turned it. Unlocked... Hmm... Oh well, act first, ask questions later, as E always says, She thought as she pushed the door open, And since E is down for the count, then I'm the one that has to make all of the stupid decisions that we'll later regret. She lugged her soul brother's body through the doorway and through the house. Nice place, she pondered, Even if a bit small... Soon, she came across a large area adorned with nice looking couches scattered around it. She smiled at the nice looking living room-like area and placed E beside a couch, while laying on the couch itself. As soon as I wake up, I'll be sober. Then I'll be ready, willing and able to get E to the hospital.

Time: 7:30 AM

Location: Ponyville, Equestria

Octavia looked at her beeping alarm. 7:30 AM. 10 hours. 10 bloody hours of Vinyl playing her bloody music throughout the night. She was surprised that she had managed to sleep that night. She assumed it was because she had gotten used to it at this point. Vinyl slowly picked herself up from her bed and stretched, looking out her window.

It really is a beautiful day. Maybe I shall take a walk and visit Twilight- I mean Princess Twilight.

She chuckled. Who would have guessed that Twilight would not only become a princess, but also save the world from Tirek? She certainly hadn't. Then again, life was always full of surprises. Slipping into her robe, she made a slow trot downstairs, where she heard Vinyl cleaning with... Wubs. Octavia was about to groan when something caught her eye. As she moved towards the kitchen, she noticed a cool breeze in the air. Oh, did Vinyl leave the door open again? Octavia thought as she headed towards the doorway. As she was close enough to the door, she had noticed the door was ajar. That wasn't what caught her eye. What caught her eye was the several drops of red liquid that seemed to follow in a path to the living room. She leaned down and sniffed the droplet, cringing and pulling back at the immediate recognition of the scent.

This... This is blood...

Immediately alert, Octavia followed the path without a hint of fright. She had faced off against a manticore, survived the changling invasion in Canterlot, and had to put up with Vinyl every morning. She wasn't afraid. She slowly turned into the living room to see her intruders.

What she saw were two lengthy figures. One was lying on two boxes similar to Vinyl's bass cannon, dried blood coming from his nose,while the other was sleeping on the couch in a huddled position. Then, just as she thought things couldn't get any worse, the sleeping one on the couch opened her eyes and looked straight at Octavia.

Time: 8:30 AM

Location: Friendship Rainbow Kingdom, Ponyville, Equestria

The Mane Six (Or rather five of the Mane Six, as Twilight was off in another room) sat in the throne room, each seated on their beautiful thrones. Discord had decided to join them and sat by Fluttershy in a rather plain looking wooden chair. Twilight returned from the other room, Spike right behind her as she sat in her own throne. Discord was the first to speak.

"I suppose everything went well with my transit system?"

"Yes, Discord," Twilight said with a nod, keeping a straight face. "You were correct the entire time. There was another world connected to us much like the universe I had visited."

Rainbow Dash's eyes lit up. "That is so cool!! How was it back there?" Twilight didn't respond at first, as everyone's smile slowly vanished (except for Discord, who hadn't had a smile on the whole time.)

"It is chaotic, I understand." Discord teleported to Twilight and hugged her, Twilight hugging back in response.

"It's so strange to see a world that makes Discord's chaos seem... Tame."

Rarity huffed. "I hope you understand what you are say, Twilight. I can hardly imagine a world worse than Discord's chaos." Realizing what she said, she looked at the god of chaos. "No offense."

He simply chuckled. "None taken."

Pinkie Pie was next to chime in. "Well, next time you go, you can just bring your friends here to watch your back!!" She finished it with a big smile.

Twilight shook her head. "No... I couldn't do that to any of you-" Applejack suddenly cut her off, as if knowing what she was about to say.

"Hold on there, sugarcube. We're yer friends, got it? We've been through thick and thin together, and no lousy world is ever gonna change that."

Twilight looked at her with tears in her eyes. "Applejack..."

She's right, Twilight..." Twilight looked at Fluttershy, who had her kind smile on her. "I know you probably think that the world out there is scary, but sometimes, you just have to face your fears."

Twilight smiled sadly looking down as a few tears rolled down here cheeks. "Girls..." The Mane Six, Discord, and Spike all came together into one big group hug. Discord summoned a tissue and handed it to Twilight, who blew her nose with it, and nodded in thanks.

"But... What I think was the strangest thing is... I thought I was being followed... coming back." The girls looked at her in confusion.

"Well, whatever do you mean, dear?" Rarity looked in curiosity. Twilight shook her head and said, "Well... It just seem that... As I left the station, I swear I thought I saw somepony else leave the train." Her voice seemed a bit frightened. "And I swear to Celestia, I thought I heard slow hoofsteps and movement as I ran off."

"Hey, it was probably just nerves getting the best of ya," Rainbow Dash said, playfully hitting her friend's forehoof.

"Y... Yeah..." Twilight's smile returned and nodded, "Discord's dimensional transport spell can only be cast once a year... Maybe that's why I feel so afraid, thinking of how humans be if they would end up here."

"Exactly!! And besides," Dash said, flying up and shrugging, "What're the chances that anypony got on that train, anyways?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A loud scream pierced through the air, filling the skies with the cry of pure terror.

"Way tah jinx it, Dash," Applejack said, rolling her eyes.

Chapter 2: The Countdown Begins

Time: 8:30 AM

Location: Vinyl and Octavia's House, Ponyville, Equestria

Vinyl had always been a chill pony. Even from birth, little had put stress on her or made her feel pressured in any way. Octavia was an exception. Secretly, she had worried for her ever since the wedding in Canterlot. On the surface, having a friend who could kick that much flank was awesome, but if one were to peel away the layers, they would see Scratch's true feelings, that she prayed to Celestia she would never get hurt.

So when the dubstepping DJ heard Octavia's screams coming from the living room, she snapped her head in the direction and bolted towards the room. Upon passing the front door, she noticed two things: One, the door, which was cracked open; and Two, the blood on the ground. There wasn't a lot, but it got Scratch more concerned.

"Octavia!!!"

As soon as she made it close to the living room, she saw Octavia, wide eyed and with a look of pure fear on her face.

"Tavi? Tavi what's wrong?"

As the DJ moved closer to the cello player, she finally got a glimpse of what had terrified her. Two... Things. Definitely not ponies, more like... Apes. Apes without any kind of fur except on their head. One, which she assumed was a guy, was lying on what looked like DJ equipment. He was tan in appearance, with a black, short cut mane on his head, and was covered in clothes. Vinyl also noticed the blood that had been coming from his nose and was running down on the equipment boxes and on the floor. Vinyl gave a small sigh of relief.

Well, she thought, At least it's not Tavi's blood... But that looks pretty bad.

The other, which Vinyl hadn't noticed was looking right at her until she turned to see her, gave her a small start. This was clearly a female, as like a mare, her body was more slender than the other one. Her eyes were green, which looked at both ponies with a look of pure shock. Her lengthy brownish-blonde mane was in a ponytail (Yes, I am aware.), and she too was dressed in quite a bit of clothing. She seemed scared, like a child in a strange new place. Vinyl's expression softened and she moved forward slowly.

"Vinyl, don't!"

The DJ mare looked at her friend with a smile, saying, "Tavi, relax. I got this."

Approaching the one that was awake, she reached a hoof out, saying, "Sup? I'm PON-3."

This made very little impact on the youthful creature, who just stared at the hoof as if it was such an alien concept.

Okay, maybe we should try something else...

"You can call me Vinyl."

Again nothing.

Should've known that wouldn't have work.

Feeling like she was getting nowhere here, she shrugged and turned around, starting to move towards Octavia.

"Well, I guess you can stay here. You don't seem to be hurting anypony-"

"Nika."

"Huh?" Vinyl stopped in her tracks and looked back at the girl.

"My name is Nika."

"Oh. Huh." Vinyl smiled and looked at Octavia, saying, "See Tavi, it's not so bad."

Octavia shook her head. "Oh sure, Vinyl! We're perfectly okay with two unknown creatures in our home, one of them seeming to be bleeding to death!!" She pointed at Nika's companion, who looked a little more pale than before.

"Oh crap! E!!" Nika jumped from the couch and moved quickly towards the unmoving body on the equipment boxes. Placing two of her fingers on its neck, she paused for a few moments before sighing.

"Alive... Thank God..."

"Can somepony explain anything to me, please?!?"

Nika turned to Octavia, who, to her, was a talking horse with a very angry look on her face. Sighing, the guitarist sat down and explained the blurry events of the night before, from the event at BLU SK-1, to the train ride, to the sheltering at their home. At the mention of the unlocked door, Octavia gave Vinyl a look of anger and frustration. Calming down, she turned her attention to Nika, saying, "My apologies... Nika. My name is Octavia."

She held her hoof out, in which Nika took and slowly shook.

"Now, shall we go and see if we can get your friend's nose fixed?"

Nika gave a small smile and stood. Octavia didn't feel so unnerved. It wasn't really so intimidating. She was about as tall as a young manticore, and with that smile she really seemed kind.

"Yeah... Su-"

"CHAAAAAAAAAARGE!!"

In a split second, Nika was thrown back by a rainbow-colored blur. Looking down at her stomach, she saw a small cyan pony (as Octavia had said) with wings and a rainbow mane and tail pinning her to the floor. Nika struggled to push it off, but it was using a lot of force to keep her pinned.

"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?!? Get off her!!!"

"Don't worry, Octavia!!" The winged pony called Rainbow Dash yelled, "Help's on the way, just run!!"

Help? Nika thought, That doesn't sound good... Looking around, she saw her custom Gibson Flying V guitar, "The Flying Guillotine," barely in arms reach. Reaching her hand out, she managed to grab the guitar by the tuning keys and in one swift motion, knocked Dash off of her, giving her time to get back on her feet and stand in front of E, wielding the guitar like a battle axe, an act Rainbow Dash took as a challenge.

"Oh, that's how you wanna do it, huh?!? Bring it on-!!"

"STOP!!!"

Nika and Dash looked at the shouter, and were shocked (at least for Dash) to see that it was Vinyl Scratch herself, standing on he back hooves in between the two.

"As much as I'd love to see you two duke it out," she mused with a smirk, "I think it's best we get to the bottom of this."

"Perhaps we can explain."

Nika felt a shiver down her spine as she heard that voice. It was a voice that caused every muscles in her body to tense up, locking her into a state of pure fear, something she hadn't felt for quite a while. She turned her eyes towards the doorway, seeing six figures.

Five were ponies, one was yellow with wings, two were typical ponies, one orange with a Stetson hat, and the other all pink bouncing with excitement, a pure white unicorn with the looks and mane of a supermodel, and a winged unicorn dressed in very ornate dressings.

What had really caught her eye was the sixth figure. She saw that it had the face of a pony, a reindeer antler on its head. Looking at its snakelike body, it had a wing of an angel and a devil, an eagle claw for a left hand and a lion's paw for a right hand. Going down even further, she noticed its dragon's tail, and it's two missmatched feet, the left being a goat's hoof and the right foot a sort of salamander's.

"I can tell you are afraid," the abomination chuckled in an empathetic tone, "Perhaps I can help here."

With a snap of his eagle clawed hand, a piercing yell of pain echoed throughout the house. Every set of eyes looked at the box where the (now identified) male creature sitting straight up on the boxes holding his nose.

"Jesus H. Christ in a hand basket!!" Opening his eyes, he looked down, seeing the blood on his hands.

"Uh... Was my nose broken-?"

He looked up and saw the whole scene at hand.

"Nope."

He then stuck his two middle appendages up in the air at them and then hoped back, suddenly realizing he was walking into a wall.

"..." He turned to Nika. "This ain't a dream, is it?"

She shook her head.

"No, E. No it is not."

The purple winged unicorn approached the two and said, "You two must be confused." They nodded in sync. "Allow me to explain everything."

" 'Kay, so let me get this straight," E said, "We're in a country called Equestria, where horses-"

"Ponies."

"Ponies exist as one of the main sentient beings."

Twilight nodded. "Correct."

"And this place houses flight and magic and is ruled by four Alicorn princesses."

"Yes."

"And you're one of them."

"Yes."

"And this guy," E pointed to Discord, who had summoned a large Lazyboy and was sitting it, "Who is also the God of Chaos summoned a train for you to travel to our dimension for three days, which on the final day, we ended up boarding while we were drunk."

Discord nodded in response. "Indeed."

E shook his head in disappointment. He was the Master of Mixes, the Leader of the Rap Rebellion, and he was trapped in this God forsaken place. Nika was also undergoing a sort of inner freak out. What was she going to do? How was this happening? Would she be able to get back? Would she be able to see her father again?

Sending the panic of these two, Twilight cleared her throat and approached them, saying, "S-So, um... Perhaps it's best we get you two accommodated somewhere."

E, who was staring at a specific part of the floor, jerker his head at her and put on a strained smile, saying, "N-Nah, man. It's cool. I mean, this guy's the god of chaos, right?" E looked at Discord, desperation in his eyes. "You could get us back, right? You got the Princess there, you can get us back home. Right? Right???" E grabbed the scaled beast, pulling him closer as he tried to look into it's crazed, yet somehow sorrowful, eyes. Discord looked to his side and turned away, watching everypony going about their day. He took a deep breath and as he exhaled, he said two words which shocked not only E and Nika, but Vinyl Scratch and Octavia as well.

"I can't."

E shook his head in utter disbelief. He felt his visage of coolness fade by the fires of worry. Nika as well had felt the effects of these words come down on her like cinder blocks. She curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth as she began to mutter an incoherent mishmash that nobody in the room seemed to understand. Immediately running to her aid, the rapper got on his knees and held onto Nika, who 's Rock Chick illusion shattered in an instant.

“... Why E?”

“Huh?”

“Why can’t I see my daddy again…?”

“Oh, well… Um…” E looked at Discord, motioning for him to come in and do the explaining. With a nod, Discord arose from his chair, which promptly vanished (Another thing E would have to be weary of), and began by saying. “Allow me to explain.”

In another flash, both E and Nika were sitting in school desks very reminiscent of a high school anime. Discord, sporting a professor-style jacket and glasses and a pointer, stood in front of a chalkboard.

“In this world, the relative space in which one can open a dimensional gateway, or portal if you are really thinking with them, depends on a few factors. The first is the position of the moon.” At this point, he pointed to a moon on the chalkboard, which had drawn itself in the far left side next to a number 1. “The moon is a sort of a separator, meaning when it rises, the… Oh what’s the word you humans have on relative space…?”

“... Atoms?” E inquired.

“Yes, that’s it!! Atoms!! During the night, the atoms become easier to move around, allowing a dimensional portal to occur easier. The second factor is location. Location location location.” At this point, the middle of the board was occupied by the word location placed three times next to a number 2, each one appearing as he said it. “Certain spots in Equestria can lead to certain universes. However, many of them are too unstable to use and are a generally risk to experiment anyways. The location for your world was easy to access due to a close connection to a world we already have connection with.”

At this point, both Nika and E had stopped worrying. They were fascinated on how this whole process worked it became so difficult to worry. It was like being back in elementary school, but only with the really awesome facts, and not the stupid classmates.

“The third and final factor is the one who is creating the rift.” On the far right, three images appeared: A group of unicorns, an alicorn, and Discord. “One unicorn alone would not be able to open a portal. The only time it had rumored to have happened was with the one named Starswirl the Bearded.” E let out a small chuckle at the name, prompting Nika to silence him with a jab to the arm. “It would normally require a large group of around six or seven ponies to let one pony travel through.” He pointed at the picture of the alicorn with his pointer. “An alicorn would have little trouble sending one through, though any more may pose an issue.” Finally, he gestured towards his picture. “Draconequui are beings of chaos, and not just in appearance like chimera. Their magic is specifically tailored to disharmony of all kinds, including of space itself. Being one myself, it was quite simple to create a rift and allow Princess Twilight safe passage via train, which your world doesn't seem to enjoy as much asplanes.”

E shuddered at the word planes. He hated planes. So much. He felt a warmth on his shoulder and saw Nika placing a hand on it smiling sadly.

“Unfortunately, even though I had met with the three “requirements,” so to speak, I could keep the portal open for three days. The space has to reconfigure itself in order to keep it from collapsing in on itself.”

It will be a while for either of them to respond to this. Both dreaded the answer but they needed to know how long it was going to be for them. E finally asked the question.

“How long do we have to wait?...”

It took a while for Discord to answer. The look on his face clearly showed him trying to run some sort of math in his head. Finally, he said the words, “Well, with Twilight partially stabilizing the space around it, I’d give it… About one year.”

Both sat in complete disbelief. One year. One year away from their fans. One year away from their home. One year away… From them. E had a little trouble keeping composure. He was breathing a little quickly, holding back a few tears. Nika, already recovered from the thoughts, hugged E, who hugged back with a small smile. Discord could only look down with sorrow, knowing that this whole ordeal was partially his fault.

“I truly am sorry…”

“... Heh… Heheheh… Hahahahahahahahaha!!!”

Discord looked up to see E laughing uproariously. Everypony in the room looked at E, even Vinyl, who had fallen asleep from the science lesson, turned her head as she heard the laughter. Nika joined in, letting out intervals of her own laughter. Discord started to chuckle, and soon was caught laughing out loud. Before long, everypony joined in, laughing at the joke not mentioned.

“Oh, man…” E said, “You know, when you’re feeling down, sometimes laughing perks you right up.”

“So, I take it you both are feeling better?” Twilight said smiling.

“No worry mon, Missa e is gwine fit rite in.” E said in his Jamaican accent, confusing everypony except Pinkie, who giggled up a storm.

“You’ll have to forgive him,” Nika chuckled as she stood up and leaned on her guitar. “E loves his accents and loves being stupid more.”

E looked at his sis and let out a “Meh!!”, Nika rolling her eyes in response. Twilight smiled. These two have been through quite a bit. I should really help them out. Approaching them, she said proudly, “As Princess of Magic, I would like to welcome you both to Equestria.” The three bowed to each other. “Allow me to help you get settled in. You two can stay at the castle with me.”

E was about to accept, but Nika intercepted, saying, “Give us a second.” She pulled E aside and went to a huddle.

“Nika, what’s the deal?” E whispered. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t accept. It’s a castle. Castles are cool.”

“I know E, but I honestly think we should stay in this house with Vinyl and her friend.”

“Nika, I think that’s stupid. Do you really think they would accept?”

“But they’re musicians! Those marks on their butt say so. At least I think they do.”

E stopped for a moment. He collected a lot of music in his past, but never anything from another dimension. Still… He thought. Castles though… This was a tough decisions. Finally E submitted and nodded to Nika in approval. Smiling giddily, Nika looked at Twilight and asked, “If it’s alright with them, we would like to stay here with Vinyl Scratch and her companion.”

Companion? Octavia thought in mild irritation.

Twilight thought this through and turned to Vinyl and Octavia, saying, “Vinyl, Octavia, would you mind housing them?”

Vinyl was quick to jump the gun. “Yeah!! That’d be rad-!!” A hoof was placed into the DJ’s mouth as Octavia had quickly silenced them. “J-Just a moment, Your Highness…” she said as she pulled Vinyl into the corner.

“What? Why can’t we have them?” Vinyl whispered.

Octavia grumbled, “We can’t invite every strange pony into our home! Have you forgotten the homeless one that had almost stolen all of our possessions?”

“Okay, first off, I thought we would never speak of that again,” Vinyl had commented, “Second, these aren’t ponies, these are… Uh...”

“Humans.”

“Right, right, humans from another dimension. Where could they possibly go. Third…” Vinyl dashed quickly to Nika, placing her hooves on her cheeks. “Does this look like the face of somepony that can hurt us?” Nika immediately made big puppy eyes at Octavia, causing her to facehoof.

“Fine. Fine.”

“Wooo!!” Nika pumped her hands in the air, throwing up the devil horns (another gesture which nopony seemed to comprehend except Discord, who did it as well).

Twilight nodded smiling. “Good. I’m glad that you both are willing to stay here.” Not to mention, not a couple of psychopaths, like those other humans I encountered.

E raised his hand. “Just one last thing. Names.”

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “Names?”

He nodded. “I wanna know at least your guys’ names so I at least know who to turn to. I mean, I know Discord, Twilight, and...” Snapping his fingers a few times, he pointed to Vinyl. “Vinyl, right?” She nodded. “But not the rest of you.”

The first one to speak was the all pink pony. Well, more like jumped right into E’s face. “I’m Pinkie Pie and I work at Sugarcube Corner, the best bakery in Equestria!! I’ll be sure to throw parties for both of you!” She then hopped aside as the orange pony with the Stetson tipped her hat, saying in a Southern accent, “Names Applejack!! Feel free tah visit Sweet Apple Acres fer the best apple you’ve ever tasted!!” E trembled upon hearing that accent. Sweet Lord… So… Rich…

The cyan pegasus that rushed Nika was pushed in front of Nika. Hooves crossed and looking away, she grumbled, “My name is Rainbow Dash… Sorry for attacking you…” Nika could only giggle a bit before responding, “Hey, don’t worry about it. I would’ve done the same. Though… Next time, fair fight, alright?” Rainbow Dash gave a smirk and shook Nika’s hand, saying, “Definitely.”

The next was a shy looking yellow pegasus with a flowing pink mane walked slowly towards them. “My name is Fluttershy…” She said in a quiet voice with a kind yet timid smile.

Finally, Nika and E turned to Octavia, who had been sitting on the couch waiting for everypony to finish their introductions and said with a proud, almost vain tone, “My name is Octavia, cellist. It is a pleasure to have you in our home.”

Yeah, okay, Nika thought, That was forced as all hell. She wants to kick us out, I know it.

E on the other hand, simply nodded at her, almost hesitant to do so. Nika thought this odd. He’s usually so forward, even when people are rude to him…

“Great,” Twilight said with a smile, “Now that that’s settled, we’ll be off to let you both settle in. Let one of us know if you need anything.”

“My dear Fluttershy, shall we be off?” Discord opened the front door, everyone walking out as he left as Fluttershy did.

“Well, now let’s get you both settled in!!” Vinyl exclaimed. “I got an extra bed for one of you!!”

E motioned to Nika. “She can take that. I prefer the couch.” Nika smiled at E and hugged him, walking with Vinyl to her room. Octavia sighed. This was going to be a long year, I can feel it... She turned and left the room, keeping E in her peripherals. There is something amiss about him… I do not like it. I’ll have to keep on my guard as much as possible.

Time: 10:30

Location: Friendship Rainbow Kingdom, Ponyville, Equestria

Twilight entered her room, calling out casually, “Spike!! You in here!!”

“Right here Twilight!!”

In came Spike running from his bed. “Sorry, I was just getting some reading done.”

“Let me guess… Power Ponies?”

“Of course!!” He laughed. “What else.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well, I need you to take a letter for me. I need to tell Celestia of an… Interesting development in my studies.”

“Interesting?”

“You’ll see.”

Spike nodded and grabbed a scroll and a quill, as well as some ink. Twilight cleared her throat and started her letter.

“Dear Princess Celestia…”

Author's Note

Wow, I can't believe I managed to finish this... Then again, it is 4:30 in the morning. Well, now I've got a new deal. I recently moved into my dorm and college started yesterday. I might not be as lucky as I was with this chapter. In fact, I am almost positive I won't end up this lucky. I'm a little too nervous in regards to my work, not to mention that I am actually writing a book. Either way, I hope anyone reading who actually enjoys this fic will understand why I'm taking a while.

As per the norm, please leave all criticism good or bad in the comments so that I can learn from my mistakes and become a better writer. This is Crazy-Eyed Shapshooter, and as my college says...

BOILER UP!!!! HAMMER DOWN!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 3: Welcome to Our World

Time: 12:30 PM

365 Days Remaining

Location: Canterlot Castle

Celestia walked onto her balcony and gazed out at her kingdom. This country had been well at peace since the rise of Tirek. Much progress had been made. With Twilight rising into her own kingdom, she rest assured that much research would be gathered, and she held her word. She had left a few days ago with the aid of Discord to research other dimensions, and had established a small team of scientists, which she had named, “The Scholars of Starswirl,” to research many of the old books in her old castle while she was gone. The sun goddess chuckled lightly, a small, yet sad smile growing on her face. Much has changed since then…

The familiar magical green spark snapped her out of her lament. Oh, it seems Twilight has finished her research. It floated and turned into a simple scroll, tied in a red ribbon with no seal. Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head with a smile on her face. Oh, my dear Twilight, She unrolled the scroll and opening it, Even in royalty, you humble yourself. She looked at the scroll and slowly began to read.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I send you this letter with some interesting news. As you were aware, I had asked Discord to send me to the “other dimension” he had mentioned. The results were... Rather unpleasant. However, upon waking the next morning after returning, I had learned that I had attracted some "recovering" stowaways, for lack of a better term. These two are unfortunately trapped here for one year, due to unstable dimensional rifts. Although they had been shocked, they appeared to be quite docile and only seemed to lash out if one of us threatened or used force on them.

As opposed to sending you the data collected, I would like to invite you to Ponyville in three days to observe these Humans. They are quite different from what you had seen before. I look forward to your arrival.

Your former student and Princess of Friendship,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

Celestia’s face went from small smile to small frown in a matter of moments. Having Twilight find out about the true human world was fine to her. Having her travel there, even for one weekend, unsettled her, but still allowed as long as she had been safe. Humans… Actual humans entering their country. This is a true dilemma, Celestia thought, biting her lip as she walked back into her room. Twilight has no idea of the true implications humans can achieve… She moved at a brisk but casual pace, keeping her typical aura about her as to not cause anypony panic. Upon seeing her sister’s room, she raised her hoof and knocked a few times. Muffled hoofsteps followed as Luna opened the door, seeing her sister and knowing something was off.

"Sister," she said in a concerned tone, "Is something the matter?"

"Are you busy at the moment?"

"Well, no. Not at the moment. What has troubled you?" Noticing some passing maids, Celestia leaned in and whispered in Luna's ear.

"I'll explain when we are in private."

Slightly surprised and more or less worried at this point, Luna nodded and motioned for her to come in. Celestia entered the room. It was much like her room, except everything had been in the theme of a starry night, just as fitting for the Princess of the Night. Luna took a seat on her bed next to her bat plushie and asked, "Now, what has ailed you today, my sister?"

Celestia sat on a nearby couch and asked, "Do you remember when I told you Twilight had gone to the human world?"

Luna nodded. "Yes. Has she returned okay?"

"Yes, and she recently sent a letter about her... Findings."

She handed Luna the letter Twilight had sent. Unraveling it, Luna scanned through it with curiosity. After a few moments, she froze, a look of shock spread on her face. She looked at Celestia, who had donned a look of seriousness on her face.

"Humans?? Here?..."

Celestia nodded.

"Sister, we must apprehend them before they cause any serious damage!!"

Celestia looked down and hesitated for a moment before looking back at her lunar sister, saying, "As much as I wish to do so, I believe we should give them a chance."

Luna's jaw dropped. "Sister, have you lost your mind?!? Have you forgotten the stories our parents told us?!?"

"I... I have not." Celestia could never forget. Those stories were by far some of the most gruesome tales ever told to them. "But this is not my decision. This is Princess Twilight's decision. If she believes this to be a smart decision, then we must allow this.”

“But Celestia-!”

“We will see if Twilight can keep these two under control. If she cannot, we will take action.” She turned to the door. “We shouldn’t forget that no one should be judged simply because of stories.”

With that, Celestia left the room, Luna pondering her history. Perhaps I shouldn’t be one to judge…

Time: 1:00 PM

Location: Marketplace, Ponyville, Equestria

E was bored. Extremely bored. If the Bored were a race of alien, he would be their king. Naturally, he did as he usually did upon feeling bored. He went exploring. He had packed a small knapsack (which he conveniently kept in the large equipment boxes of his), and went for a walk. Surprisingly, when he walked through town, nobody (or pony, however this world says things) really reacted. The least he expected were the residents to scream and run away, yet the worst thing he got were several gazes, as if they were a bit too afraid to call the authorities. Great job, E you’ve officially spooked an entire town in one fell swoop. The jaded rapper sighed. I can’t believe it. I really need to reconfigure my life…

At that moment, he heard the familiar laughter of malicious and mischievous giggling. This can’t be good. E turned his head and saw a two fillies (That’s what they were called right? E thought to himself) laughing at a small pegasus. Right from the gecko he knew what was going on. He had been on the receiving end oh so many times.

“Bullies…” He grimaced. He shook his head, thinking, No way… Not going to try anything.

Really, dude? A voice in his head said, You’re going to let some poor kid get bullied? E rolled his eyes. Only because I just don’t want to cause any trouble. I’m trying to stay hidden.

Okay, that’s retarded, man. The voice retorted at his logic. You’re in another goddamned world, now. Even though Nika has people she misses and cares about, you got no one to hope for back home and one person to hide from. The voice made a clear argument. His whole trust issue was based on that… That “man.” To add to this, the voice in his head said something that made the rest of his mind halt.

Did you forget about what happened to you?

The rapper stopped in his tracks. Of course he didn’t forget. What sane person would forget something like that?

Even still, He tried to interject, How can I possibly… Stop...

Suddenly, an idea popped into his skull, causing a devilish grin to spread on his face as he reached for his knapsack…

“Nice job, you dodo!! I knew you couldn’t go that high!!”

Scootaloo winced at the pain she felt on her back knees. She was trying to do a new trick she had thought up, attempting to go higher and do some tricks in the air. Unfortunately, the “dynamic duo” themselves came and threw her off by knocking a rock onto the ramp, causing her to go flying and land on her knees. She noticed how badly they were scrapped up, a bit of blood coming from them. It stung a lot, causing the pegasus filly to instinctively tear up.

“Aww, what’s the matter,” Silver Spoon added, giggling like a madmare, “Gonna cry?”

I hate them… Scootaloo thought as she closed her eyes, I wish they would just go away…

“Excuse me, may I take a moment of your time?”

Scootaloo opened her eyes and noticed a shadow looming over them all. Looking up, she saw a tall creature in a grey zip-up hoodie, hood up, standing by them. She noticed its face was rather flat, with blond hair parted in the middle at the front, eyes squinted to a close, and a creepy grin fixated on his face. Silver Spoon had already begun to cower and shift back, and even Diamond Tiara seemed a bit shocked. The creature turned it’s head and looked at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

“I couldn’t help but notice you two picking on this poor, innocent filly."

The orange Pegasus watched as Diamond Tiara tried her best to keep her pompous attitude.

"Yeah, so what?" She said, stepping forward and looking up at the lengthy beast. "What are you, her daddy?" She let out her trademark rich girl giggle, which quickly faded as the bipedal beast let out an extremely dark chuckle.

"Oh no," it said leaning into Tiara's face, who's color started to pale, "I am a guardian. And guardians protect the ones trampled on. And do you wanna know what happens when you provoke the guardian?"

"U-Uh... Tiara?" Silver Spoon said, her leader completely ignoring her.

"What?"

The creature bent his head down so low that its creepy face became hidden. Scootaloo watched, too scared to move. Just as Tiara had put on a smirk, the creature snapped it's head forward, revealing a red demon face while yelling, "HE EATS YA!!" The two let out high pitched screams and ran away. Scootaloo tried to run, but fell back down, hitting her knees. She winced at the pain.

"Ow ow ow...."

All of a sudden, she heard large laughter coming from the monster. It moved a hand toward its face and slowly removed it. Behind the mask, she saw the creature’s actual face. It was a bit like it’s masks, except more… Three-dimensional. It had a small face, but it looked more lively. It’s mouth was wrapped in a smile, which faded as he looked at Scootaloo.

“Are you okay?” it said, getting on one knee.

Scootaloo nodded, saying nothing. It looked at her back knees, wincing. Wait, she thought, It… He… Yeah, it definitely sounds like a he. He winced?

“Ouch… That looks like it hurts… Hang on.” The male beast reached back and pulled out a bandage roll and a small spray can. “Hold still,” he said as he moved closer to the tiny pegasus. Scootaloo paused for a moment as she heard a hissing sound before feeling a bad stinging sensation on her knees. She jumped, yelling “Ow!!” before the being slowly pet her back, saying quietly, “Hold still… Just a little bit of this… And done.” Scoots looked back at her legs, both of which were bandaged securely. Slowly getting on her hooves, she smiled before realizing her leg movement was a bit restrictive. Still, she thought, keeping her smile, Better than nothing. Looking up at the tan colored being, she asked, “Thanks mister!!”

“Please, call me E. It’s what I’m known for.” E smiled and pat her head. “What’s your name, l’il homie?” Scootaloo giggled at the nickname. “The name’s Scootaloo!! Fastest scooter driver in all of Ponyville!!” Suddenly a look of realization and fear came to her eyes. “My scooter!!” She tried to move her tiny wings towards a makeshift ramp, but it lead to her falling on her face. She couldn’t help but blush in this situation. This is embarrassing… Right when you’re trying to be cool… Suddenly, the downed orange pegasus felt herself being lifted up. Looking up, she noticed E had picked her up and placed her on his shoulders. Moving towards the ramp, Scootaloo saw what became of her scooter. The front left wheel had come off, lying on it’s side, while the bar had been bent about thirty degrees. Although not in bad shape, the scooter’s bar would have to be completely replaced, which cost bits, a thing she didn’t have.

“Aw, no…” Scootaloo hung her head in dejection. Seeing the look on her face, E took a knee and picked up the scooter.

“No, wait E,” the filly tried to intervene, “You don’t have to-”

E muttered something under his breath and slowly bent the scooter bar, straightening it out.

“... Anything.” Scootaloo watched as the slightly bent aluminum bar had been realigned with the slightest of ease. Next, E took the fallen wheel of the scooter and placed it back in its home. He fidgeted it a few times until he heard a couple clicking noises, solidifying its security. To confirm it really was in position, he spun the wheel, which rolled as smoothly as butter. Scootaloo smiled brightly. “Thank you, E!!” she said as she hugged the DJ’s neck. E simply smiled and picked her up and placing her on the scooter, saying, “You got some place to be, Scootaloo?”

She paused, looking up in thought. “Well, I was supposed to meet my friends for a meeting.”

“A meeting, huh? Are you guys in some sort of club?”

She nodded excitedly. “We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders!! We work together to get our Cutie Marks and find our true talent!!”

Cutie mark, huh? That must be what those marks on the ponies’ butts are for. Like a tattoo as a sign of their medal.

"Hello? E?"

"Huh?" E snapped out of his train of thought. "What was that?"

"I asked if you wanted to meet my friends!!"

E smiled, normally, in this situation, he would refuse and hide. Now, however... He was free. Free to do anything without having to hide. Granted, he made a vow a long time ago about revealing his name, but that would be another issue for another name. He could at least roam around without his mask. Hopefully, nothing bad would bite him on the ass in regards to that. Finally, the tan-toned DJ nodded, saying in a kind, yet tough tone, “Sure, Scoots. Lead the way.”

Scootaloo smiled brightly and propelled her scooter forward using her tiny wings with great speed, E running close behind. Little had he known, sitting on a cloud was a certain cyan pegasus, a confident smile on her face. “Well well well, big guy. Looks like you’re not as bad as I thought.”

Time: 1:30 PM
Location: Vinyl and Ocatvia’s House, Ponyville, Equestria

Nika sighed as she layed on the futon in Vinyl Scratch’s room. It wasn’t too tough, but still had the type of firmness that she enjoyed. It reminded her of those nights she slept at… His place. She let out a sigh, her happy grin, slowly fading into a look of reminiscence. He was a good man… She thought as she laid there, And a great teach...

“Yo, Nika!!”

Nika shook her head out of dreamland as she saw Vinyl smirking at her from across the room.

"You good? You look like you're busy explorin’ lala land over there.”

Nika put on a smile, saying in a slightly somber tone, “Yeah… Just thinkin’ about someone really important.” She looked up at the ceiling, letting out another sigh. Life is never easy. At least she’s not a problem here. At least, Nika hoped so.

“Nika!!”

“Woah!!”

She finally snapped out of her daydream to see the pure white pony looking down at her, causing her to snap up and right into Vinyl’s forehead.

BONK!!

“OW!! Fuck!!”

Nika gripped her head, scooting back on the futon. Vinyl had done the same, holding her hoof to her forehead just under her horn. “Ah, crap… You got a thick head…”

“Heh, right back at you,” Nika remarked in a playful manner. Rubbing her head, she suddenly remembered one thing.

“Hey, where’s E?”

“Huh? Oh, I don’t know. Probably off on an adventure or something. Why?”

Nika shook her head and rubbed her temples. “Okay, well… Despite him being older than me, he can be a bit of a child. By that I mean he’s got a lot of childlike spark in him. It’s good, but it often led to E getting in trouble. And trust me. He got into a lot of unnecessary fights back home.”

Vinyl let out a laugh as she sat beside Nika, who was chuckling herself. “I mean, this guy was supposed to be in hiding, but he constantly insists on being a boob and just picks up fights. Wearing a mask.”

Hearing this, Vinyl let out a louder laugh, almost falling back before Nika grabbed her hoof and helped her back up. “Ahahahahah… Oh my… Seriously, how in Celestia can he fight with a mask on?”

“Well, again, it’s to hide his identity, but he’s actually a decent fighter. He mainly attacks using punches and take downs, plus a lot of dodging to wear out his opponents.” Nika leaned back, pondering the many fights she saw him end up in. “His mask actually doesn’t restrict his vision. Somehow, he knows where an opponent is and can sense just where an enemy is. I still don’t understand.”

“Huh.” Vinyl nodded, clearly impressed. “Now I know who to have as my bodyguard.”

Nika shook her head quickly. “Trust me. Don’t call him a bodyguard. Ever. He hates it.”

“Why?”

“Just… Don’t please?”

Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. I won’t.”

Meanwhile, outside their room, Octavia had been listening to the whole conversation. So, Octavia thought as she walked away, Mr. E is a complete idiot who would pick fights with anypony. Great, just what I need. Bad publicity. Octavia had been in fights before, but those were always in self-defense. She never picked a fight in her life. Never…

Knock Knock Knock!!

Excited knocking caught Octavia’s attention. She smiled, saying to herself, “I wonder who this could be…” Based on the knocking alone, she could make one deducement. As she opened the door, she indeed see a smiling pink pony on the other side.

“Hi, Tavi!!”

Octavia smiled kindly, “Hello, Pinkie. What brings you here?”

“I was wondering if you can help me with Nika and E’s party.”

Octavia’s smile dropped slightly. “I’d love to, Pinkie, but you see, I’m terribly busy.”

“Oh no no! It’s fine!!” Pinkie waved her hoof in a “don’t worry about it” manner. “Then can you just ask Vinyl to bring Nika and E to Sugarcube Corner at around six?”

Octavia pondered this. If all this is is bringing them to the party, she thought to herself, Then I could easily leave right afterwards. I’ll still seem considerate, but I won’t have to worry about any sort of shenanigans.

“On second thought, Pinkie. I’ll have enough time to bring them to the party.”

Pinkie smiled. “Really??” She hugged the cellist tightly, “Thank you Tavi!! Thank you so much!!”

“You’re… Wel… Come…” The strained earth pony said as she wriggled her way out of Pinkie’s death grip, panting.

“Also, can you ask Vinyl to DJ for the party?”

Octavia nodded. “Of course.” That much is expected. Vinyl was being asked to perform for Pinkie’s parties more often, which she did free of charge since Pinkie and Vinyl were good friends.

“Okie dokie lokie!! Bye then, Tavi!!” the pink mare exclaimed as she bounced off. Octavia returned inside, thinking that this was going to be a simple escorting to Sugarcube Corner.

How wrong she was.

Time: 7:10 PM
Location: Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville, Equestria

Octavia let out a groan as she sat in a chair. “A simple escorting, I thought,” she grumbled to herself, “I could go back home afterwards, I thought…” Normally, she would keep her grumbling in her head in such situations, but the fact that Vinyl was doing her usual routine of playing dubstep at high volumes. Octavia had attempted to leave the party Everypony was dancing and having a good time. The only one besides Octavia who wasn’t dancing was E, who simply leaned against a wall, a flat object (Which he referred to as a laptop on the way to the party) wrapped in his right arm while wearing a strange looking mask that looked like a vinyl record with a crack going down the center, nodding his head up and down. Octavia couldn’t help but ponder two things. One was why he wasn’t dancing or seeming to enjoy this too much if he was a DJ. The second question was why he had his laptop in the first place. Was he planning on doing something…?

Octavia shook her head. “No, calm down, Octavia,. You are just paranoid. He’s probably not going to do anything…”

Just as the song ended, E moved towards where Vinyl was stationed and leaned into her ear, obviously asking a question.

“For the love of Celestia, Vinyl, don’t say yes…”

Vinyl nodded and stepped aside.

Dammit, Vinyl!

Octavia got up to move towards them, only to be blocked by several unaware ponies who were watching as E set up his laptop, Nika already moved by his side. The two seemed to be discussing something before Nika stood by one of two microphones she had set up.

“E-Excuse me… I’m trying to-”

“HELLO PONYVILLE!! IT’S TIME TO MAKE SOME NOISE!!!”

Everypony cheered as E hit a few buttons, prompting the song to start. The initial start was an orchestral instrumental. Slowly, drums were automatically added as Nika had begun to strum her guitar, creating waves of sound unimaginable to the Equestrian citizens. E grabbed the second mic and begun to rap.

E:
Well now, what have here?
Some newbies on the floor?
Completely unaware of what’s in store?
What you’re about to hear is an experience so new
That you’ll surely change emotions from red, yellow, to blue.
We moved through the primaries, onto the next match.
the we Climbed to the top, took on the next batch
Of fools thinkin’ they got what it takes
But these people just don’t realize the stacks
Are so high that when they come crashing down to Earth
they get slapped in the eyes
Then their worlds are unbirthed.
They lose everything, from fame to fortune to friends
And it always seems that that’s how it ends

The ponies, mesmerized at this point, were completely caught off guard when Nika approached her mic and begun to sing.

N:
Welcome to our World,
Another dimension
so alien
We’ve fought for so long
Yet we won’t ever end
Cause we got the guile
Welcome to our world
We hope you enjoy
Take a load off
Don’t be a blowoff
Stay awhile
Welcome to our World

E:
And it seems that in our world, we never get a good life
we always have to fight
It’s called basic survival
And in our world the guile
we mentioned is what you really need!
Cause the smartest walk away the strongman’s riches
Build a company while the strongman recovers from his stitches
Cause the smart man brought a knife to a fist fight
took him down, but let him live
I’m guessing he won’t see the light.
It’s funny
Cause everyone at home’s complaining ‘bout money.
But me?
I could care less if I was homeless, starving, and broke.
All that matters to me is that you learned from the words we spoke!!

By this point, everypony was stomping to the beat, some were even hoofbumping. Even Octavia herself caught herself tapping her hoof to the beat (though she quickly stopped herself, blushing slightly.)

E:
Spending all this time trynna’ influence you through my rap,
I feel like I haven’t given somebody credit, Aw snap!!
Nika, sis forgive me!!
It’s your turn to shine,
Give your musical light so everypony here can see!!

At this moment, E stepped back, leaving his mic, as Nika rushed forward, guitar in hand. The beats slowed to a small violin, as Nika sang while strumming her guitar, sending the sound quietly throughout the crowd, everypony swaying to the sound of the music.

N:
One day I hope that I’ll fly like a hawk
And take off to sights unknown.
I think it is time for us to answer our
The sky’s the limit
We’ve all gotta give it
Our All!!!!

N:
Welcome to our World!!
Another dimension!!!
So alien!!
We’ve fought for so long,
Yet we won’t ever end,
Cause we got the guile!!!
Welcome to our world!!
We hope you enjoy!!
Take a load off!!
Don’t be a blowoff!!
Stay awhile!!!
Welcome to our Woooooooooorld!!!!

The end of Nika’s solo followed by her refrain was so loud, it was like shouting and singing at the same time. Once the song ended, everypony was quiet, as to make sure the song was over, and then all stomped in one glorious applause. E and Nika bowed, E adjusting his mask in the process. Even though I don’t have to hide, he thought to himself, At least I can make myself look cool as I have fun.

Time: 12:00 AM
Location: 200 naut. miles off the dock of Manehatten, Equestria

The waves of the ocean beat slowly, moving in slow, quiet paces as it pushed a very old-looking wooden boat across it at a steady pace. On the boat stood three figures, all obviously ponies. The first was the largest. With hooves the size of small tree trunks and a body built like a tank, it donned a black cloak. Another pony was obviously a mare by appearance. Her body and look was that of an enchantress, though much of her more defined details were covered in the same cloak. The final, also draped in a black cloak, had an elegant figure, similar to the seductress, yet her stance was clearly one of confidence and pride.

“There it is, my sisters,” The confident mare said as she pointed to the city ahead. “The home of the descendants…”

Licking her lips, the large one chuckled in a deep, yet feminine tone, “I cannot wait to consume this place in my fire…”

“Or I control their feeble little minds…” The seductress giggled in a high pitched tone. the three slowly moved side by side, their eyes glowing as they positioned themselves facing the great country. The large one stood to the right and had dark indigo-glowing eyes. The seductress, who positioned herself to the left, had eyes that were glowing a rich fuschia color. The confident mare’s eyes glowed a a crimson blood color, as she positioned herself to the center. All three smiling the same disturbing and malicious smile vaguely hidden underneath their hoods, they said in a singing voice that would strike fear in the bravest of soldiers:

Be dead of night or bright of day,
The three Muses are here to stay
Never will we part or break
We simply wish your soul to take...

Chapter 4: Nightmares and Noises

Time: 10:30 AM August 9th, 1989
Location: San Diego Airport, San Diego, CA

"But whyyyyy?"

"'Cause it's grown up stuff."

"But I am grown up!!"

"Not yet. Plus I don't wanna see you get hurt. There's gonna be a lot of fire out there."

The two going into an argument was a small 3 foot tall reddish-brown skinned four year old and a 5'6" man. The man had a far fairer tone in in his skin, although there was some tan in his skin. He wore a polo t-shirt, a set of light denim jeans, a pair of hipster glasses on his lightly bearded face, and a clean pair of Nike's. They stood outside the airport, the man carrying two suitcases. As the two bickered, a pure brown skinned woman with silky black-brown hair walked up to them.

"Cesar, we're going to be late!"

"In a minute!!" The man called out as he got on a knee and looked at the boy, saying, "Listen, l’il man. This rap tournaments gonna be tough. I know you're gonna miss us, but you gotta remember the truth."

The boy sniffled and nodded, "Soldiers gotta rap to keep the souls alive..."

The man smiled and nodded. "That's right. Keep outta trouble okay?"

Suddenly the boy hugged him, tears rolling down his face. Slowly, Cesar hugged him back. After what seemed like eternity, they slowly let go. Running over and hugging the woman, eyes closed, the boy said quietly, "Bye mom..."

"Hugging back, she said, "Don't worry, we’ll be safe…”

“Safe…”

“Safe..."

The boy opened his eyes to the sound of her mothers voice echoing. He realized he was hugging nothing, and felt a hot sensation beside him. All of a sudden, he felt his body turn on an axis as before him lied a burning, twisted pile of metal. Empty, hollow screams could be heard around around him as time slowed around the innocent child who gazed upon a melting pair of glasses…

“Hahahahaha…”

The boy froze in place. That laugh… That horrible, horrible laugh… The ground below him cast a gargantuan shadow, the shadow of a beast. A monster… The boy took off as quickly as he could. He didn’t want to look at it. He couldn’t look at it!!

“Go away!!” The boy screamed, as he ran. The world around him began to melt away into darkness. The noise of distorted laughter and screeching music more akin to the ambiance of a horror film played from all around, surrounding his mind and crushing his thoughts. He didn’t care anymore. The boy wanted to leave this place. He wanted to go away! Far away!!

“You’re evil!! Leave me alone!! Why won’t you just DIE?!?!?”

AWAKE.

Flash!!

Time: 8:30 AM
364 days Remaining
Location: Vinyl and Octavia's House, Ponyville, Equestria

E woke up in a cold sweat. His vision was blurry. His head ached. What happened last night? he thought to himself. Where am I?... Oh right... Magical pony land... God damn, why's it gotta happen to me? Why not 2Chainz? Or Big Sean?

The worn out rapper checked a clock on the wall, which read 8:30 AM.

Six hours of sleep… Good enough, I guess… E yawned as he got up from his makeshift bed, composed of a couch, some clothes, and several random objects he had apparently obtained from Sugarcube Corner, a memory that he could only remember because several of the items read “Property of Sugarcube Corner.”

“Great, now I actually gotta be doing something this morning,” he muttered to himself as he picked everything that didn’t belong to him and placing it in a backpack. Slipping the pack onto his back, he suddenly remembered that he wasn't the only one known for drunken kleptomania. However, looking around, he didn’t catch any sight of his spirit sis, only to remember Vinyl saying she would offer the guitarist a bed to sleep instead of the small couch E currently occupied.

Lucky little chica…, E grumbled as he climbed the stairs. Then again, I do prefer the small size of a cou-ow-ow-wow… As the human DJ entered Vinyl’s room, indicated by the music and name etched on the door, he found no stolen items, but something just as valuable. He saw Nika, the hardened rocker chick, was snuggling the snow white unicorn as the two peacefully slept.

Must… Resist… Pictures… However, the urge was too great and E quickly pulled out his phone from his pocket, taking a quick photo before vacating the area. I know this is morally wrong, he thought, But sometimes one needs to prepare for the worst. E then left the house, intent on bringing the items to their proper owners.

Time: 8: 45 AM
Location: Marketplace, Ponyville, Equestria

Not even fifteen minutes of exiting the house, E found himself in the middle of a crowd of ponies. None of them really wanted any lost items, however.

“And… There,” the rapper sighed as he handed a pony a signed piece of paper. “Next!”

Ay Dios mio, esto es una mierda… he cursed in his head as a mint green unicorn with big, glistening eyes and a look of pure awe spread across her face.

“Hey, there,” E said, looking at her. “What’s your name?”

The unicorn said nothing. Curious, E got on a knee and waved a hand in front of her face. “Yo, you still alive?”

Suddenly, his hand was pulled towards her with great force, it being clutched in her hooves.

“I-I’m sorry, Mr. E,” she whispered in a sort of spaced out tone that freaked E out a bit. To add to that, she started to rub his hand slowly, moving every finger slowly.

“Hey, get Lyra outta here!! She’s hogging him!!” somepony in the crowd yelled as they all began to push with greater force and vigor.

“‘Ey, no pushing!!” E shouted. However, it was no use. Lyra was pushed aside as several ponies started to push each other to get closer to having an autograph signed. E backed away but soon found himself backed into a corner, trying to think of a quick way out of the situation. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted that friend of Pinkie’s setting up an apple stand. Her name might have been Applejacks or something. I think I called her AJ for most of the party, E thought. Noticing she was not only in a sour mood, but also missing that trademark Stetson hat. The hat, he thought, remembering that was one of the items he somehow managed to snag. Pulling it out of his bag, he made a mad dash towards the work horse, shouting, “AJ I HAVE YOUR HAT PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS CROWD TO NOT MAUL ME TO DEEEAAAATH!!!”

The blonde pony chuckled and nodded, cuing E to toss the hat, which AJ caught and placed on her head. E then jumped and dived behind the apple cart as the ponies all stopped at Applejack yelling “EVERYPONY STOP!!”, bringing the crowd to a standstill.

“Now, listen up, all of ya,” AJ said in a stern tone, “Ya’ll are forcin’ E into a corner and makin’ him feel uncomfortable!” She gestured to E, who was still hiding in a defensive position behind the cart. “Ya need tah treat him and his friend as if they were any other pony here, not an animal or a fancy lil celebrity. That make sense to ya’ll?” With that, the ponies exchanged glances amongst one another before silently before slowly breaking off one by one until the entire crowd vanished. Relieved, the youthful adult got up and walked over to AJ.

“Hey, thanks a bunch A-.”

WHACK!!

Before he knew it, E doubled over and hit the ground with a thud, an immense pain in his stomach.

“Oh, c’mon now,” Applejack smirked as she adjusted her hat. “Ah didn’t punch ya that hard, did ah?”

E said nothing, attempting to pick himself up but instead deciding to rest against the apple cart, clutching his stomach and groaning.

“Think you broke something in there… Or maybe everything… Damn…”

“Ah, c’mere,” Applejack said as she handed E an apple. “Ah know it ain’t gonna fix what’s broken in there, but eatin’ll get yer strength up.”

Without question, E took the apple and scarfed it down without a word. As he swallowed, he immediately grabbed his stomach.

“Ow… Hurts to eat.”

Applejack only chuckled and helped the man to his feet. “Anyways, ah’m guessin’ ya weren't here just to return mah hat.”

“Well… Kinda.”

E then took his pack and opened it, revealing the large number of various items, almost all from Sugarcube Corner, lying in his bag.

Applejack whistled and shook her head in disapproval, “Did ya really take all this by yerself?”

“I do some pretty stupid things when I’m drunk,” E chuckled, closing the pack and slipping it back on.

“Well, ya better head off. The Cakes’ll never forgive ya if ya didn’t hand ‘em over.”

“Right.” With that, E moved briskly in the direction of the sugary shop.

“N-No, really. That’s quite alright.”

E found himself bowing and apologizing profusely, handing the items in the pack over to them. Mr. Cake, at first greatly upset that the out-of-this-world visitor had somehow taken a number of their supplies in one night without their knowledge until the morning, was now trying to keep said visitor from hitting the ground with how low he was bowing while Mrs. Cake was putting everything he had taken away.

“Please, if there is anything I can to fix this, just say the word...”

“Really, Mr. E, it’s quite alright,” Mr. Cake stated, “You gave us our equipment before the rush, so no harm no foul.”

“If you say so…” E muttered, still a bit upset with himself for his behavior. This mood was shattered once the rapper was tackled from behind by a blur of pink.

“E!! Last night was AWESOME!!”

E, picking himself up, looked and saw it was the pink party pony. “Oh hey… Pinkie was it?”
Pinkie giggled and hopped off of the bipedal and did a salute, saying, “Thaaaaat’s right!! Pinkamena Diane Pie, but ponies call me Pinkie Pie or Pinkie for short, but you can call me anything, but Diane is kinda boring, I prefer Pinkie, to be honest, what do you think is a good name for me, E-?”

“Woah woah woah!!” E realized this might go on for far longer than he would want, so in an attempt to seize the seemingly endless chatter, he placed his hand over her mouth and said, “Alright, I get it, it’s Pinkie. Don’t worry, I got it memorized.”

Pinkie looked at E as if processing what he had said and gave a wide grin behind the human’s hand.

“Hhhnkhhy!”

Smiling, the rapper removed his hand from her muzzle and patted her on the head. These ponies sure are strange, I thought, But they’re my kinda strange. Picking himself off of the ground, he looked at the mare, slipping his hands in his pockets.

“So, Pinkie,” he spoke, deciding to shoot the breeze for a bit, “You did some pretty good rapping last night.”

“Who, me? Psshaw,” Pinkie giggled, nudging the young man’s side. “That was nothin’ compared to you, Sir Rapsalot. You must’ve done a lot of rapping in your time.”

E chuckled, looking down at his feet. “You’ve got no idea…” Pinkie looked at E curiously for a brief moment as his smile dropped a little, and his look of enjoyment shifted to one of reminiscence. However, before E could even take notice, he felt a force pull his cheeks apart into a huge smile. “C’mon now!! No more sad faces!! It’s time to smiiiiile!!!”

E had to admit, it was so hard to stay in a negative mood with this ball of energy nearby. Maintaining the acquired smile, he gave the pink pony a quick hug, whispering, “Thank you.” She promptly returned the hug and and said in a cheerful tone, “You’re welcome!!”

Who says rappers gotta be cold? E thought to himself as he released Pinkie from their hug.

“So, are you here to give back those pots and pans and trays and stuff?” Pinkie inquired, causing E to look at her with shock and confusion. “Wait,” he began to inquire, “How did you know I did it?”

“Silly you!! I remember you leaving it from last night!!”

“W… Weren’t you as drunk as me last night?”

“Pinkie has a great memory, inebriated and otherwise,” Mr. Cake threw in as he tended to his two foals, Pumpkin and Pound Cake. Trying and failing to understand how such a thing was possible, he decided to give up and move on with his day. Snatching his nearly emptied satchel from the counter and nodded to Pinkie and the Cakes, saying “See ya guys. Need to make a few rounds ‘fore the days’ end.”

“Wait!!”

Pinkie slid a mug across the counter over to E, which he grabbed and took a big gulp of.

“Ahh!!” He let out a big sigh. The coffee was naturally sweetened, almost as if he were drinking coffee flavored milk and sugar. E slipped something out of his pocket and into his mouth before taking another large drink out of the mug. After finishing the cup, he felt himself feel more energized and more alert.

“Thanks, Pinks. How much?”

“For you? On the house!!” she giggled.

E smiled as he speed walked out of the building, he felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. These ponies, man… The man thought as he jogged around town. They don’t judge, they ain’t forceful, they ain’t even mean… I think it’s the perfect escape.

Time: 10:30 AM
Location: Vinyl and Octavia’s House, Ponyville, Equestria

Nika worked vigorously as she attempted to readjust her guitar, tuning it and making sure the spring mechanism wasn’t planning on jamming today. Her morning already came to a rough start when she woke up with both arms wrapped around Vinyl in a snuggle. When trying to slip out unnoticed, she ended up waking up the DJ, elevating the levels of awkward to insane levels for the two of them. Now, the rock-and-roll artist decided to stay a lengthy distance from her, at least for a time. God, why do I always end up in these kinda situations? she thought as she wiped her guillotine blade down. E’s never had to deal with this. SO easy for him, entitled little -OW!!

Nika pulled her hand away from the guitar, gripping her finger. In her internal ranting, she hadn’t realized her finger was coming dangerously close to the blade and, subsequently, cut her finger. Thick, red liquid was coming out of the cut, but Nika quickly gripped it, slowing down the bleeding. She needed to bandage this, but as she looked around, she couldn’t find any clear first aid. Thinking on a whim, Nika called out the first name she could think of.

“Vinyl!!” She called out, sitting on the couch. “You there?? I… Need some help.”

There was no response, which almost led the Russian rocker to think she left the house, but upon hearing some footsteps, she saw the face of DJ PON-3 herself looking a bit reserved in approaching Nika, but still walked slowly over to her, saying, “Uh, yeah… What do you need?”

“Cut myself. Bleeding.”

Vinyl’s eyes focused on the bleeding finger and almost immediately responded with “Hold on,” before running off and coming back with some band-aids. Using her magic, she placed band-aid after band-aid around her finger before sighing.

“... I think that may be too many band-aids.”

As the two gazed upon her finger, they saw how it looked more bandage than finger. They both started snickering until they couldn’t contain themselves, falling to the ground laughing. After a few moments, Nika picked herself up and took a cross-legged seated position, looking at Vinyl and speaking in a thoughtful tone, “Thanks. Means a lot to me.”

“Eh, not a problem,” Vinyl shrugged as she sat up herself. “Friends fix each other up sometimes.”

“No, I mean, thanks for getting me out of this funk I’m in.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Vinyl looked from behind her glasses curiously.

“I’m just… I can’t help but feel upset ‘cause we’re stuck here and we’ve gotta wait a whole year to go back. I mean, I should be happy. E and I have been on the run for a long time.”

“What? You guys were running? From what, the authorities?” Vinyl asked, curious if her new friend was an outlaw, of all things.

“Oh, no. No no no, nothing like that,” Nika instantly stated so she didn’t seem suspect of any dangerous activity, “It’s… We’ve got a lot of weight from our past to carry.”

Weight?... Vinyl was getting a bit concerned.

“It’s kind of the whole reason we made the group together, why we changed our names… But to be honest, I would much prefer it if we just…. Stopped now.”

“Stop? Are you kidding me? You guys are like one of the greatest music duos I’ve come across, and I only met you yesterday!! You could do a ton of work here!! Why stop???”

Nika said nothing, instead shrugging and looking at her guitar.

“Well, if you ask me,” Vinyl said, leaning on Nika nonchalantly. “I think it would be a huge waste of talent without your, uh... What is that again?”

When Vinyl looked and pointed at Nika’s guitar, Nika gave a small giggle and picked it up, remarking, “What? Never seen a guitar before?”

Vinyl felt a bit embarrassed. She was never one-upped when it came to awesome music. Those feelings slowly left her as she heard Nika say, “Hey, I didn’t expect you to really know, since it would be hard to make rock without hands.” She strummed the guitar a few times, stating, “This is a guitar, kinda like a special harp with bitchin’ electricity running through it, giving it its tunes. There are several models of guitars, some use electricity, some don’t.”

Nika then held the white guitar out as if putting it on display, continuing, “This particular beauty is a custom-made Gibson Flying V Electric Guitar, made from scratch for peak performance with… Additional modifications.”

Vinyl raised an eyebrow in interest. “... Modifications?”

Nika said nothing, instead flipping a small switch on the body, revealing at the bottom of the V-shaped body a sharp steel guillotine-like blade. Vinyl flinched a bit as the blade sprung out of the bottom of the body, but slowly rubbed the side of the blade with her hoof, admiring its gleam and durability.

“Wow…” Vinyl said quietly, looking up at Nika. “Now, I’m curious. Why do you have this in here?”

Nika sighed as she turned the whammy bar in a clockwise motion, the blade receding into the guitar with the sound of clicks. She then leaned against the guitar, looking up at the ceiling in a reminiscent fashion. Finally Nika spoke.

“My sensei taught me to always make your weapon something something you’re most familiar with, and keep that weapon close to you.”

“Your Sensei? What’s a sensei?”

“Like a teacher, a master. He was a great teacher, too. He said that people who know how to play should be prepared for anything, even insane fans, whether they mean harm or not.”

“Wow… He sounded a bit like a strict dude… But, I’m sure no fan would go so far as to kill their idol, right?” Nika said nothing, letting out a small sigh.

“Back home, musicians died a lot…” Nika sighed and looked down. “Be it from fans, brethren, themselves, or just people who want to watch music’s best die… It’s a reason to be armed.” She then raised her guitar like a mighty sword and said, “Which is why this baby is always kept close by at all times. To protect myself and my partner.”

Vinyl laughed lightly at the rocker’s actions. “Seems like you’ve got some tricks up your sleeve, like Tavi. She’s got martial arts skills.”

“Oh really?” Nika asked sat on the couch, crossing her legs.

“Yeah, she said something about being taught when she was young or something, but it’s pretty awesome regardless.”

“Heh, didn’t really peg Octavia as an action girl- er mare.”

“Oh yeah, Tavi could double as a bouncer if she could be in two places at once.” Nika laughed at the thought and Vinyl laughed with her before placing her hoof on her chin. “Hey, why don’t we go grab something to eat? I’m buying.”

Nika thought for a moment before clinching her head in pain. “Sure… Can we get coffee, too?”

“Heh heh, sure.”

After breakfast at Sugarcube Corner, Vinyl took it upon herself to show Nika the sights of Ponyville. Although there didn’t seem much to this place at first, she learned that this place had a good vibe to it that she hadn’t felt anywhere else. It felt like home. Real home. Like… With Sensei, she thought, the smallest of smiles creeping on the corners of her mouth. Yeah. The two stopped at a very frilly looking building. It displayed many variations of the color purple, mainly using many lighter shades. At the top was what appeared to be some weird kind of carousel, looking as if it were frozen in time.

“And here’s the Carousel Boutique,” Vinyl declared, motioning to the building. “It’s this fancy clothing store run by Rarity, that pony that looks like she combs her mane 20 times a day?”

Nika let out a laugh. “Oh yeah, I remember!” She got a better look at the shop itself. Even if she were a pony, it didn’t look like a place where she could get some clothes she wanted. Then again, she might know someone if she asks. Finally finished eyeing the building up, she asked Vinyl, “Mind if we have a look inside?”

Vinyl raised an eyebrow but shrugged. “Sure. Why not?” Vinyl pushed the door open, causing a small jingle. Nika ducked a bit to get inside and looked around. For a moment, she cringed a bit, observing the various, faceless mannequins covered in frothy, gem encrusted dresses, bringing back a moment in the rocker’s life she wished she didn't recall. Shaking her head, she tried her best to forget about it and look around some more. Just then, she heard a very posh voice come from the other end of the room. “Welcome to the Carousel Boutique!!” Nika looked down and saw the white and violet pony from the other day. “Oh, hello there Vinyl. Giving one of our guests a tour of the town?”

“Yeah, I offered to show Nika around here, just get her used to the place. She was curious of the inside of the place, I guess.”

“Yeah, uh, I was just wondering if you do interspecies clothing?”

“Hmm…” Rarity pondered, eyeing Nika as if mentally measuring her. “Well, I suppose I could attempt this. What sort of dress would you like?”

“Oh! Oh. Um…” Nika hesitated, making sure she didn’t offend the fashionista. Then, she suddenly remembered something. A magazine picture she cut out and put in her pocket a while back. Taking out the folded page, she unraveled the sheet and revealed a dark denim jacket, sleeves going down to the wrists. Rarity looked shocked for a fleeting moment before regaining her composure.

“Well, dear. This is… Very unique. I… I think I could manage this.” She paused, placing a hoof on her chin. “Hmm… Yes… Actually…” she muttered, a glimmer appearing in her eyes. “Idea!!” she said in a rather high pitch. “Nika, dear, do you have any other pictures of this type of clothing?”

“Huh? Oh, uh…” Nika thought for a moment, suddenly remembered of the dozens of magazines E kept in his equipment boxes. “I do, but can I hand them over later? They’re at Vinyl’s place.”

Rarity nodded and turned to put the page on a nearby desk. “Be sure to come by at some point for your measurements, dear. Oh, and I forgot to mention, your… Friend was just here.”

“Friend? Oh, E.” Nika nodded, knowing he might have been going exploring before she even got up.

“Yes, apparently he had acquired a number of other ponies’… Assets. He was spending the day returning everything.”

Nika rolled her eyes. Typical. “Well, at least he’s returning the stuff, right?”

“Indeed, dear. He seems very carefree.”

“Yeah, he likes to look at life at a different angle. Unique, but… A bit confusing.”

“Oh?”

“It’s a long story that I don’t feel like explaining. Maybe some other time,” Nika said casually, waving off the comment as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“Anyways,” Vinyl said, stretching a hoof up, “We should be heading out.”

“Very well. You two have a good day!” Rarity said, waving as the two left the boutique.

Time: 1:30 PM
Location: Twilight’s Castle

E entered the castle quietly, his footsteps not making that loud of a sound, despite the whole of the area was as quiet as a mouse. After spending some time wandering a lightly wooded area for a few hours, E realized that he needed to do something important. He asked around for anyone that was good with chemistry, and everyone pointed to Twilight and her giant crystal tree castle. He looked around, silently admiring the crystal design and the stained glass windows. As he explored, he heard a soft clopping noise coming around the corner. Turning the corner, he saw that the source of the noise was that of a small purple alicorn, head in a book.

“Hey, Twilight.”

Twilight looked up from her book, smiling at the youthful male. “Oh hi, E! What are you doing here?”

E coughed and looked at his hand for a moment, and held a bottle in front of her. It was an amber-clear bottle with a white cap that rattled when shook. She could see small objects in there and a word Twilight didn’t understand labeled in bold.

“I need you to make more of these…”

Twilight looked curiously. “What… Are these?”

These, um… These are special pills that I need to, um… Well, I need them.”

Twilight took the bottle with magic. “well, what’s in them?”

“I don’t know. I was hoping you could do some research and remake it based on what you’d find… If… That’s alright.”

Twilight said nothing for a long time, simply eyeing the bottle. Using magic, she opened the bottle and took out a pill, which was a little, white pill with tiny, red print on it, saying “TH-365.” After a few moments, she said, “Sure. I’d be happy to.”

E smiled. “Thank you, Twilight. I’ll appreciate it.”

“Twilight!!”

A small, boyish voice could be heard throughout the castle. A small, purple baby dragon came around the corner, holding a scroll that had been bound in a red ribbon and stamped with a golden seal. Almost immediately, Twilight handed the pill bottle back to E, who put it back into his knapsack, and took the scroll first, reading the contents out loud.

Dear Princess Twilight,

Last night, there was a very unusual occurrence that had transgressed in the docks of Manehatten. At approximately 1:30 AM, a strange fog rolled into the Manehatten docks, nearly blinding the dock security. When it had subsided, the security team had discovered a boat that had been found parked unauthorized in one of the empty docks. There were many questions that had been asked, mainly due to the ship itself. It did not match any current ship, and historians are currently looking for see if the ship has any sort of historical connection. There was no crew on board, and the ship did not appear to be powered by any sort of sail, motor, or even ores. Many are believing it was being controlled via magic, and it would seem to be the only option.

There is one last thing that I must address. That very night, at around 3:00 AM, a stallion was reported to have attacked a random pony in the streets in a blind rage. Although not appearing physically strong, it took several unicorns to restrain him before the Royal Guard could take him into custody. Many witnesses claim that they heard a strange sound, comparing it to a screeching. Although I do not wish to say it, I do believe that the recent events could have some sort of connection. I will be going to the Manehatten History Museum to observe the ship closer and possibly bring an origin. I suggest that you meet with me as well. Be wary, Twilight, for I fear that Equestria may be faced with a threat that may overshadow Tirek’s return.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

P.S. Please bring the humans as well. I wish to meet with them in person.

Twilight stared at the letter long and hard, pondering the letter’s contents. A secret vessel? Unexplained attacks? This must be serious.

“So, basically there’s some shit going down in this… Manehatten place, and we gotta investigate?”

Twilight turned to E, nodding. This got E pumped as he started bouncing back and forth on his feet. Twilight felt a tad unnerved. Why was E so excited on investigating a strange occurrence such as this, especially since Celestia told them to be wary of the whole thing. Did… Twilight thought. Did he have something to do with this? Twilight mentally stopped herself. She shouldn't judge people based on first appearance, as she did with Zecora. But... She had to know.

“Excuse me, E. I was just curious. Why are you so excited on going to this trip?”

E simply smiled and continued to bounce back and forth, saying, “Why? Cause I like investigating things I don’t know about. Simple as that.”

Twilight still felt unsure, but decided to brush off the feeling for now, making a mental note to keep an eye on E, as well as his friend. She turned to Spike and said with a stern tone, “Spike, head over to the others and tell them to prepare for a week long trip. We’re going to investigate.” Spike nodded and headed out of the castle to do his deed.

“Oh, I should tell Nika and the others!!” E turned to leave, but stopped and looked at Twilight. “Can Octavia and Vinyl come? You know, since they’ve been housing us and stuff?”

Twilight gave a matter-of-factly look at E, and replied with, “This isn’t a vacation. This is a research trip.”

“I’m not saying we have them do the research, but I thought as an act of generosity, we give them a bit of a vacation while we figure out the truth behind the boat.” E then leaned on the wall. “And if there’s another incident of assault, we have someone with them so that they don’t get harmed in any way.”

Twilight tried to object, but she found that, despite how this tan toned human appeared to be not that big of a thinker, he certainly knew how to cover his bases. “Very well... “ Twilight said. “Tell them to pack for a week, and to meet us at the train station tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM.”

E nodded and gave a salute before running off himself to tell the news to his soul sister and his new roommates. Twilight looked up at one of the stained glass windows, currently blank, with a concerned look on her face. Things may never be as peaceful as we’d like it to be…

Time: 9:30 PM
Location: Manehatten Museum of Natural History

Several ponies could have been seen escorting a ship relatively small boat, hidden under a tarp, into the back of the Museum of Natural History during the day, peaking the curiosity of the public, and naturally the journalists as well. While many were able to get pictures of the concealed vessel, at the moment unsure of what lies behind the sheet, none of the curators, historians, or even museum staff were willing to reveal any information on it, leading to such journalists to run back to the press rooms and begin theorizing. Fearing for any sort of invasion of the museum and concerned for the safety of the community, the museum officials had decided to shut down the museum and bring in extra security for the week, with today being the last day. That night, as the staff closed the museum for the night, the security crew sat in the break room, planning out how they would go through the night. The eldest, an Earth pony with a light tan coat and thin, greying hair stood by the table and said, “Alright everypony. You know the drill. A new artifact has been shipped and believed to be extremely dangerous. We’ve got to make sure nopony gets in and possibly set off any sort of magical doomsday device. It might be tough, but we gotta make sure to not have a single blind spot. Luckily, we’ve got help.”

He motioned his hoof to a couple younger ponies, both pegasus. One was a female, light blue coat and midsized lightning yellow mane and tail, with a lightning trophy Cutie Mark and a confident stature. The other pegasus was dark blue and male, with a long navy mane, and a dark thundercloud Cutie Mark. In contrast to the female, he seemed more nervous and reclusive, hiding behind the sister as the two were put into the spotlight.

“This is Gold Lightning and Dark Thunder,” the elder stallion said. “They’ll be watching the inner room while Flash Light and I will be guarding the door.”

“Hang on, Strong Guard,” The dark grey stallion with the flashlight Cutie Mark said, pointing to the two. “Why are we putting these two rookies in the room if we’ve got the room?”

“‘Cause of the damn colt that went crazy last night.” Strong Guard let out a sigh and looked at the crew. “The higher ups are worried somepony else will lose in and possibly try and break in. Petty concerns, if you ask me, but they’re the ones writing our paychecks, so we’ve got no choice to comply.”

Flash Light looked at the two newbies rather aggressively, causing the stallion to cower further, but the female to give a confident smile and determined look, saying, “Don’t worry, chief! We’ll do our best!!”

Strong Guard motioned to the rest of the security team and said, “The rest of you, go to your usual positions. Be on high alert ‘til this giant hunk of wood gets a proper use.” He gave a nod to the rest of the crew, who left the room to their usual appointed spots.

As the two newly appointed pegasus security guards entered the room, they took in the large, dark room in all of its ominous splendor. When they looked in the center of the massive room, they caught a glimpse of what they were to be “protecting.” A large wooden vessel with arcane carvings, strange shields decorated around the inside the vessel, and what appeared to be a dragon-like head carved into both ends of the boat. Trying to keep from giggling too loud, Gold Lightning pulled out a camera and began to position herself in front of the boat.

“Uh… Gold?” Dark Thunder whispered as quietly as he could. “Shouldn’t we try to be careful? I mean, we just got here, and…”

“Oh, hush Thunder,” Lightning whispered as he booped his nose. “We came here for pictures to sell. Ponies wanna know, so we’ll give ‘em what they want.”

They upbeat mare then proceeded to take various pictures of the ship, including the carved sides and the dragon heads. The timid stallion, however, listened in on the door and made sure the two eldest guards didn’t catch them in the act. He waited, listening. As he listened, he began to hear something. Whispering. He looked around sharply and found that Lightning was still taking pictures. Those stupid pictures. Why did she have to put him through with this? He hated this kind of pressure and tension. Thunder shook his head, trying to reassess himself.

Where did those thoughts come from? he thought. He then found that the whispers were getting a bit louder now. Saying things to him. Mean things. Cruel things. Or at least, that’s what he thought from what he could distinguish. The voices seemed so… Indistinguishable. Like they overlapped and said two or three different things at the same time. Suddenly, the whispers had been mixed with a series of groans and moans, like the sound of old pipes. The sounds mixed in his mind as he gripped his head. “Lightning…? Lightning, please stop… This hurts… I don’t like this…”

Lightning stopped taking pictures and looked at her friend. He was on the ground, cringing in pain while curled up on the floor. Putting the camera away, she went over to him, and whispered, “Th… Thunder? Thunder what’s wrong?” Her hoofsteps got faster, turning into a quick trot and then a full gallop as she ran to his aid. She sped up her movements with some wing movement and then skidded next to him.

“Thunder, c’mon!! Snap out of it!” The mare shook him vigorously, but to no avail. To Thunder, all he could hear was the sound of groaning pipes mixed with whispers and now screeching. He was scared, then angry, and oh so sad… Then he started to laugh. He began to laugh louder and louder, shedding tears. Lightning held her lifelong friend closer, not caring about the two guards that burst through the door at the sound of laughter. She knew what was going on. It was something that haunted her ever since she was a filly, when the fortune teller said in her dying breath. Something she tried to keep from happening.

Dark Thunder had gone insane.

Chapter 5: Heart of the City Part 1

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