The World Today

by Dracarion

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Original Character, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Dinky Hooves
Length: 25521

Ponies surviving ten years after First Strike

Ten years ago, the griffins launched an attack against Equestria, pulling them into a war for which they were not prepared. Six years later, the strain on the market caused an economic collapse that left many ponies unemployed. Many have moved to small towns where work is easier to find and a special talent can be used.

But some have taken to the shadows of major cities, working for those who would rather not get their hooves dirtied by dealing with their problems. This has created "odd jobs" for small groups of ponies to step into lucrative deals and survive.

Welcome to the world today.

Published 2011-11-08 21:45:09 UTC
Last updated 2012-02-05 02:26:19 UTC

Part 1: The Setup

The world today
By Dracarion

/*
Disclaimer: I don’t own the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I don’t own the characters or places from the show. I do own the characters that I gave life in this fic though, and if you’d like to use them, then please let me know, or atleast send me a link. All vehicles and other brands mentioned in this are property of their respective owners.
*/

Part One: The Setup

Two mares walked into the large building. It was not hard to mistake them for a young couple judging by the way that the yellow one playfully nuzzled the white one who giggled at the affection. As they approached a teller window, the yellow mare shifted her red mane with her hoof before lowering her Stetson over her eyes. The white unicorn looked at the teller, her grey-green eyes dancing as she greeted her. “Good morning, ma’am.”

“Oh, good morning,” the older mare looked up from her ledgers, “how may I help you?”

“Oh, well,” the unicorn brought up a hoof and toyed at her pink and purple mane, “we would like to make a withdrawal.”

“Alright,” the teller shifted through her ledgers, pulling one in front of her, “can I get your name?”

“But of course, it’s Sweetella Blossom.” She said with a friendly smile on her face.

“Alright Sweetie, and the number for your account is?”

The yellow mare pulled a small piece of paper from her dress, and passed it to Sweetie, who passed it to the teller. “Here you go, ma’am”

“Thank you.” She turned to a nearby computer, the keys already typing under her magic. “Oh my. Um, I don’t know how to tell you girls this,” the hat started to lift up, “but the information you gave me for this account doesn’t match our records.”

“Welp, it were werth a try.” The hat raised and the teller was now facing into eyes the color of fire. The mare’s voice was quiet but had an edge of malice to it. “Now, jus’ giv’ us all the bit in that thar till, an’ nopony will get hurt.”

“I-I-I’m sorry miss, but I…” The teller shrieked as a shotgun was produced from under the dress, and a chunk of ceiling fell just behind her.

“I’m sorry tuh hear it.” Her thick southern drawl distorting her speech. She turned, brandishing the large gun as she shouted. “Alright! List’n up! The last thang we want is somepony thinkin’ that they could be a hero here, so just lay down ‘til we leave.” She swept the gun across the room, so everypony could see that she wasn’t kidding. She turned back to the teller. “Open the tills, all a ya!” She did have to marvel at how effective a shotgun was in getting things opened; tills, doors, mouths, this thing was like the ultimate opener.

It was that moment that a stallion thought he saw his opening, and started to charge. Only to be met with the business end of the horrific weapon. “Sorry.” He shouted as he fell down and started crying, any other words he said were lost to his fear.

The yellow mare only nodded at him. “Don’t wanna kill nopony, we just want the money.” She turned to her accomplice. “Hey, can ya hammaspase this?”

“I’ll try.” Sweetie closed her eyes, focusing and seemed to merely pop the money out of existence after a few seconds. “Alright, I got it.”

“Okay, I still don’ wanna hurt nopony,” her three legged canter looked rather interesting but was quite effective while holding her weapon, “so please stay down.” She watched as they lay before her. This power is still slightly intoxicating. She thought as the moved towards the door. She felt bad when she realized that the stallion still hadn’t learned his lesson, as he charged again. The mare turned and with her eyes dancing like fire, she pulled the trigger. “I didn’ wanna hurt nopony. But you jus’ couldn’ let me go.” She sighed, looking down at the now three legged stallion. “Anypony else?” Her gun leg swept across the prone crowd. “No? Good.”

From that point it took very little time to get out to the parking lot. The mares were greeted with the sight of a bright orange and purple sedan with dubstep blaring from its sound system. The yellow mare only sighed. “She really has no ider what ‘subtle’ means.” Sweetie only giggled. They quickly clamored into the offending vehicle, the yellow mare in front and Sweetie in the back. The yellow one tossed her gun into the back floor board.

The pegasus driver looked over at the yellow mare sitting next to her. “Heard you ran into a little problem there Bloom.” Cold purple eyes scanning fiery yellow-red.

“Had anotha’ hero in the audience, had to drop him.” She strained to hear the sirens over the blaring bass. “I think we should git goin.” She looked at her friend as she twisted the knob on the stereo.

“Agreed. HOLD ON!!!” The orange pegasus turned the stereo back up then reached down between the two and threw the car into gear. Her purple mane fell into her face as she tore out backwards, eyes glued to the mirror on the windshield. She then slammed it into first as she spun the car around in a perfect 270 along the axis. The pegasus could feel everything about the car, the tires vying for traction, the RPM of the overpowered engine, the heavy thump of the bass, all of it. It was her calling, and she loved it.

“Um, Scoots?” Bloom pointed to the very narrow exit out onto the side street.

Scoots muttered something like ‘show time’ as she floored the gas pedal, a small maniacal smile on her face. She hit the side street next to the bank with a slide, two of the cruisers following right behind her. Scoots took the next corner at almost a ninety degree angle to the curb. The cruisers still followed, somehow. She looked back, seeing that she had gained a small amount of ground from her gamble. Then she saw her escape across the park, a large truck with an obscenely large trailer heading down the next cross street. If I time this right, we escape, she thought, but if I’m off by the least little bit…. The grin only grew larger at that.

Bloom saw the truck at the same time, and after seeing the grin her long time friend was wearing, she started to worry. “Scoots?” The car started to turn. “Scoots!” the pegasus slammed on the gas. “SCOOTALOO!!!!” Bloom braced herself against the dashboard as the car slid sideways in front of the large truck. As the large bumper approached, Bloom found herself thinking back to what had gotten them to this point, the events of ten years earlier that had crafted the world today.

“Ten years ago, there was an event called First Strike.” A purplish-grey unicorn mare started. She sat alone in the room, her eyes focused on the camera in front of her as she carefully chose her words. “First Strike was a terroristic move by the griffons north of us to bring Equestria into a war.” There was a quick flash of static as the unicorn was replaced by an orange pegasus.

“In Ponyville, we watched as our homes burned and we wept as we heard the cries but there was nothing we could do.” The orange pegasus, who’s voice was cold with rage and regret bottled up, was replaced by a yellow earth pony with a Stetson on her head.

“The last thing mah sis said to me that night was ‘Take care o’ my hat, ya’ know I’ll be back for it.’” She took her hat off and toyed with it gently, tears in her eyes. “She ran to help those still in the burnin’ town, while I… I just... hid with the others.” Then with a sudden burst of static, she was replaced by a white unicorn.
“We became separated from our family and friends as Equestria needed soldiers to fight.” Her eyes cast down towards the floor. “Many never did return. And of those who did…” She paused for a second before another burst of static and the grey unicorn reappeared.

“That was ten years ago. It’s been ten years since Fillydelphia was burned to the ground,” static and then the yellow mare.

“Ten years since Ponyville was set ablaze,” static then the orange pegasus.

“Ten years since Cloudsdale was torn apart. We did this memorial so you can NEVER FORGET…!” She slammed her hoof down on the table so hard the camera shuddered, shouting the last two words before the static switcher her with the white mare, the camera back at its original focus.

“Always remember the heroes who fell and the lives that were lost.” The white mare closed her eyes and let her head drop. There was nothing but static afterwards.

It always amazes me where my mind strays when death approaches. Bloom thought, realizing she had just reminisced their last semi-legit job. How we got here, why we’re here, the last time I was this scared, the last time I was happy… those were thoughts most ponies would think were normal in these situations. Our last job, First Strike, things of that nature, most ponies would think that you were insane. She watched through the windshield as the two cars continued their dance in ultra slow motion. Her eyes looked at the wheelmare, revealing an impossibly large smile on her face. She loved the rush of her job in the group. She always had been a little insane behind the wheel, and yet she had only ever hurt two ponies, one of which had definitely deserved what he got.

Time seemed to suddenly catch up with the car as they started to pass the oncoming truck. An orange hoof tapped a cover on the dash board and lifted sunglasses out of the hidden compartment. “I knew we could do it.” She flipped her sunglasses on.

“I neva doubted ya’ Scoots.” Bloom twisted to look in the back. “Sweetie, can you mask us?”
“Easy.” The white unicorn’s eyes closed as her horn flashed for a second. “Done. Anypony that sees Evie will only see blue and yellow car.”

Bloom sighed as she turned back to her orange accomplice, who was currently merging them with normal traffic. “Must you name all your vehicles?”

“Yes.” A purple eye gazed at her from behind the sunglasses briefly before turning back to the road. “Each one of my cars is an individual, why shouldn’t they each have their own names? I mean that would have been like asking ‘Shy why she named all her bunnies.”

“A’right. I see your point.” Bloom turned back to looking forwards. “I jus’ don’ get it’s all.” Her gaze drifted up to the brown hat she wore. “I miss ‘em, ya’ll know?”

“Are you alright, dear?” came a voice from the back, a hauntingly familiar ring to it.

“Seriously, ya’ know we all miss them, but what’s done is done and there isn’t any going back now.” Their driver shot back coldly as if not wanting to through the memories again.

“Yeah, I know.” Bloom’s eyes fell to the floor. She felt the car turn. “What the… you have got to be kiddin’ me.” Scootaloo only grinned back at her as she pulled up to the order box.

“Welcome to Burger Joint, order when ready.” The static-y voice came from the small metal box.

A grey unicorn sat a desk with a computer setup on it, her eyes quickly scanning all three monitors that sat before her before she turned to a nearby laptop and gleaned more information from it. I saw it earlier, where did it go, where did it go. She learned a long time ago not to speak when this distracted, so she would always think to herself in times like these. I just saw it where did it…. AHA! There it was, a simple e-mail addressed to the crew. She moved the mouse to click it when she heard the garage door open. She froze as she heard a car pull in and the door close back. It wasn’t until three ponies came cantering in that she found the will to move again.

“…and I still can’t believe you!” The yellow one said, pausing to point a hoof at the orange one. “Dinks, can you believe that after losing the cops, this foal decides that we need to stop and get burgers!” She slung the shotgun off her back and stored it back in its rack near the door.

“What can I say?” The orange one replied around the Burger Joint bag in her mouth. “I was hungry, and I got enough for everypony!” She sat the bag on the counter, tilting it so the contents fell neatly out. “Now if you’ll excuse me,” she opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle before hoofing two burgers on to her back, “it’s lunch time.” She cantered off into the small living room they had setup.

Bloom just sighed at the pegasus. “That mare’s gonna get us killed one day.” She followed suit and grabbed something to drink and a couple of burgers before heading in the same direction.

“Hey, Sweetie, come here for sec.” Dinkie called over to Sweetie Bell, who had just rematerialized the money and put it in a safe for later.

“Ok,” she walked around the desk to be greeted by four screens, each one holding a dizzying amount of information alone. “What is it?”

“A job,” Dinkie’s eyes glistened at the idea, “an actual job!” She clicked the message and it popped open on the display. “Uh oh.”

The two unicorns entered the room where the other two mares were currently relaxing on overly large sofas. “Hay!” Sweetie Bell shouted, pulling their attention away from whatever surely existential conversation they were having. “We got a job!”

“Alright, whatchya got us?” Scoots quickly looked up at Dinkie, not moving from her current position on her back.
“Well, it said simple um… extraction. We’d get more details upon accepting the offer.” Her words were carefully selected as always.

“An’ the pay?” Drawled the yellow mare from her couch.

“Seventy five thousand,” she knew that this would entail more than just ‘extraction’, “a third to be paid to us upon acceptance.”

Bloom’s face reflected Dinkie’s thoughts. “Sounds like a tough, dirty job, what do y’all think?”

“For fifteen grand each? Hmmmm…” Scootaloo’s eyes locked with Bloom’s, a dead serious expression shown through clearly, “I say go for it, can’t be worse than anything we’ve done already.” Through some twist of fate, only the two mares on the sofas had blood on their hooves and they were determined to keep it that way.

“Alright,” Bloom stood up from her couch and started to move towards the room they had dubbed the command center, “let’s get Sweetie ready. We need to get all we can outta these guys ‘cause the last thing either of us needs is more blood on our hooves.” She dropped her voice as she leaned over to Scootaloo, “and let’s hope to Celestia that it ain’t another case of the ‘three E’s’.” Scootaloo solemnly nodded. The ‘three E’s’, as Bloom called them, were Extraction, Extortion, and Elimination, the three E’s that were used far too often in these kinds of communications.

It had taken less than thirty minutes for them to setup the light and camera rigs. The lights would obscure Sweetie’s features by only showing her silhouette. Let them show their face first. This had been the first lesson Bloom had learned when the world around them went to hell. For four years we’ve been doin’ this, livin’ on the darkside here, gettin’ our hooves dirty for the rich and powerful. If that first meetin’ didn’ teach me nothin’ else, I learned to let them show their face first. It had been four years since the Equestrian economy had collapsed, leaving the rich rich and the poor unemployed. Self proclaimed Survival Cells had started up, small groups of ponies just trying to survive by doing the things most would hate, anything and everything from doing a recorded message to personally seeing that somepony ‘gets the message’, from giving an advisory a nudge to removing a rival from the equation… permanently, these groups would take almost any job to get money. The four mares gathered in the room had followed suit and, like most other cells, had declared a name for themselves, The Crusading Mare Crew, CMC, almost as a tie to a time long since gone and as an impossible hope for things to return to the way they were more than ten years ago.

The lights were set, the connection was made, everything was ready to go. As the monitors flickered to life, two forms quickly came to light. On the left was the silhouette of Sweetie, the ‘face’ of the operation, and on the right, another silhouette, a colt with an overly long horn, their contact for the current job.

“Good evening, Crusaders.” He said, his voice was regal, and filled with disdain for having to contact such commoners as he would have put it.

“Good evening, sir…” Sweetie let her sentence trail, subtly inviting the colt before them to give up his name. Her voice carried a seductive edge to it, a little trick she’d learned to pull out when trying to get something from another pony.

“You may call me Night Runner, and what will I call you?” He maintained the arrogance in his voice.

“You will call me Sugar Cube.” Sweetie answered, using the generic name that Bloom’s sister used for everypony, the seductiveness still behind the words as she used similar words to the colt’s question. Her eyes shifted over to Apple Bloom, a silent apology for what would most likely bring back many a bad memory. “Now,” she let her voice become a little more seductive as she struck a pose that still kept her features obscured, “what do you want us to do?”
Negotiations had just begun.

To Be Continued……

Part 2: The Job

Part two: The Job
By Dracarion

Apple Bloom sighed for what had to be the thousandth time since they’d left home. “Retrieve the target, notify the contact, await further instruction.” Another sigh left the yellow mare’s lungs. “Sounds like another case of those damned triple E’s.”

“Aw, come on Blooms,” Scootaloo’s purple eyes scanned Apple Blooms normally fiery ones, “where’s your ‘go get ‘im’ spirit?”

“That ain’t funny.” Bloom’s lips curled slightly at the horrific joke the pegasus just managed to get off on her. “That really ain’t funny.”

“Yes it is.” The orange mare said, a proud grin on her face in response to the scolding.
“You’re right.” She finally relented, letting a small laugh dissolve some of her nervousness as they pulled up in front of a large hotel. “This the place?”

“Big, shiny, fancy. Yep, this is the place.” She pulled the large sedan up to the valet. “Let’s hope they can’t lose this one.”

“Like anypony can lose a giant blueberry.” Bloom chided her on her car choice. By Celestia, she has sooooo many different cars. “How many cars do you have again?”

“Seven. Evie, Runner, Midnight,” she motioned to their current ride, “Blade, Slide, Jaunt and Goat.”

“I had to ask.” She only shook her head. Scootaloo’s car obsession hadn’t come to her cheap, but then again, it could be worse. Goat had been her first, she had worked her hooves bloody, quite literally, to get the bits together to buy her first car and wound up in a junk yard ‘saving’ Goat, which had been a rusty shell of a car. She’d fixed it up nicely though, and the black behemoth sat at home, Scoot’s private joy to take out and run around in. Bloom quickly realized that her mind was getting too far off track, and she swiftly brought her thoughts back to the present, to the job at hand, to the dirty deeds that she would commit.

Scootaloo stood there as the large blue car disappeared around the corner. Apple Bloom set a reassuring hoof on her shoulder for a moment, before gently shoving her. “Alright, let’s go get him.” She straightened her posture, turned and started inside. Bloom was right next to her the entire way in.

The ride in the large glass elevator had gone almost uneventfully until around the twenty eighth floor, when small drops of water started to pat against the glass. Scootaloo turned and looked out the large window behind them. “Shit.”
“What’s up, sugar?”

“I left Midnight’s windows down.” She mentally kicked herself for her oversight.

“So? What’s the worst that could happen? We get a little wet when we get in?”

The elevator dinged twenty nine.

“The seats are leather…”

“Um…. ain’t that made from cows?”

“Yeah, and your point is?” Purple eyes snapped up to meet the yellow red of her partner’s. She didn’t wait for a response. “Here’s the way I figure it. You and me?” She flicked her hoof back and forth as the elevator dinged onto thirty. “There’s a special little spot reserved in hell for the things we’ve done. And we can’t just say that we did it to survive, or at least I can’t…”

“Scoots?” Bloom laid a comforting hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “I didn’t realize…”

Scootaloo brushed the hoof off. The elevator dinged thirty one. “I don’t know why, but I… I… enjoy what we do.” Apple Bloom’s jaw went slack, this was a revelation she never saw coming. “Not when we’ve had to kill, that’s not fun, but the rest of it, the running, the life in the shadows, the beatings. That’s the part I love. And doing all of that with you.” She winked at Bloom, flashing a sly smile. Bloom stood there silently for a second as Scootaloo turned back to her reflection in the door. “Better pull yourself together,” the elevator dinged and the doors opened on thirty two, “’cause here we go.”

The pair stepped out onto the floor, just as a pale grey unicorn stepped out of his room about half way down the hall. The timing was a little too coincidental for him, as his magic took a subtle hold on a knife under the black coat he wore. The red streaks in his pitch black mane and tail danced like fires as he seemed to limp on all four legs as he walked towards the elevators. He eyed the two mares as they likewise eyed him, each trying to figure out the move the other was going to make. Bloom finally broke the silence.

“Mr. Shade Trotter?” She tried to hide as much of her drawl as she could, but it was impossible to mask all of it. “We’re gonna need you to come with us. Please.” Ask nicely first. Fluttershy had always told us that we could get almost anything we wanted if we just asked nicely. A small tear formed in the corner of her eye from the memory and went unnoticed.

“Sure…” He said sarcastically, all three of them taking another step closer. “So I can just disappear like all the others. No thanks.” I really don’t want to hurt you, he thought, casting his eyes over the mares’ flanks, you’re too good looking.
“The hard way then.” Bloom said, pouncing towards him. He merely flared his magic, shoving her onto her back, and bringing his knife to her throat, where the blade started making small scrolling lines, just touching her enough for her to feel the cold steel without cutting.

Scootaloo found her opening and charged him, catching the distracted unicorn in the jaw with her forehoof before turning and planting both her back hooves into his chest. Shade found himself sprawled on his back with a leg across his throat and purple eyes burning into his dark ones. “Don’t. Ever. Try. Any-Thing. Like. That. A-gain.” Scoots said, pushing down just enough with each syllable to make him cough.

“We need him alive, pardner.” Bloom had a talent for keeping her voice calm and collected when a plan went awry.
“Yeah, yeah.” Scootaloo said, her eyes never turning from Shade. A twisted smile formed on her face as she lifted her free front hoof, and slowly dragged it down the side of his face, the blade concealed on the edge of the shoe leaving a long cut behind. “I won’t kill him.” She felt him sigh under her leg. “Yet.” She shifted her weight onto her leg across his neck, slowly and gently starting to push down again. “Ya’ see, there’s a delicate art to this.” Shade’s eyes went wide as he struggled for breath. “If you push down too hard, you crush the wind pipe and, well,” her smile twisted sadistically, “no more pony.” The unicorn tried to summon his magic, but he couldn’t concentrate enough through the haze to cast anything. “But if you’re too soft, then it either takes forever or it doesn’t work.” Her voice held no malice or even emotion; it was as if though she was keeping herself from killing him by telling him cold facts about the way she was pushing him into unconsciousness. “And of course once you’ve started, you can’t let up until the lights are out, otherwise you have to start all over again.” The look on her face indicated that she briefly thought about letting him catch a breath just to allow her to keep going. “Good night Shade.” She said, as she watched his lights fade out.
Scootaloo produced a small tube from the bag under her outfit, and jabbed it into the limp form before her, she knew the drug mix would keep him out until they could get him to the safe house. She turned to find Bloom already standing next to her, a streak of red running from the left side of her face to her shoulder. “You alright?” Bloom was just staring at her, an amused smile on her face. What’s she staring at… she thought, looking over her own shoulder and right at her small wings standing straight in the air, oh.

“I’m fine.” Bloom finally responded, watching as Scoots carefully folded her wings. “So, you really do, um…, enjoy, this kind of work.”

“Come on,” Scootaloo had already pulled the key card from the unicorn’s pocket, and was turning towards the door, “we need to get you cleaned up.”

Dinkie sat in her usual spot behind the monitors of the computer, an open pizza box adorned one corner of the desk. She had spent the last few hours going over the information that they’d been given for their current job. Something had just felt off to her, she wasn’t sure what it was, but it had bothered her since she’d read the email. It’s time to change strategies. She thought, turning to the left screen, which had information on their target already pulled up. Shade Trotter, a little older than Bloom, about as tall as Scoots, but there’s something hidden, she started looking deeper into the file she’d found, military service, three years in griffon lands, released for… Her concentration was broken by the ringing of a phone. Noting that it was Bloom’s number, she answered the phone, her attention still on the page. “Hello?” She mentally kicked herself. Hello doesn’t start with an ‘M’…

“Focus sugar, I need to understand ya.” A voice drawled back.

Dinkie focused her thoughts, and made an effort to get the right words out. “Sorry,” her voice now held the fact that she was being careful with her words, “you kind of caught me in the middle of reading up on Mr. Shade Trotter.” Many ponies had made fun of Dinkie’s mother, calling her stupid because she sometimes scrambled her words and because her eyes didn’t always focus correctly. The former was a magically altered gene somewhere in her heritage that was used to create what were known as ‘code talkers’, ponies that if they talk while distracted would sound like gibberish except to others like them. Few code talkers remain at this point, but like her mother Dinkie bares this curse.

“Really, so whadya… Scoots, what are ya… will ya stop that? Scoots!” Bloom was shouting at her accomplice and Dinkie could hear the orange mare responding, but couldn’t make out what she was saying. She was fairly sure that was a good thing.

Dinkie turned her attention back to the monitors while her friends argued in the background. She’d really only started to read the military file for their target when the red flags went to full mast. “Sweet Celestia…”

“What is it sugar? What’s wrong?” Bloom had dropped whatever she and Scoots had been arguing about when she heard Dinkie’s mild swearing.

“Shade Trotter, why hadn’t I seen it earlier…”

“Specifics Dinks, start at the beginning.” Bloom said, trying to calm Dinkie with her voice.

“Right.” Dinkie took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts and her words. “Something had bugged me about this job from the start. So I started looking into who this Shade Trotter was and couldn’t find anything. Well, almost nothing. Do you know what the Shadow Walkers are?”

“Nope, never heard a’ no Shadow Walkers.” Bloom paused as Scootaloo talked in the background. “Is that so?” another short pause, “Scoots says that their like some sorta E.I.B.?”

“What? No! The Shadow Walkers are unicorns that can shift through shadows like we walk across a floor. A unit was formed of Shadow Walkers during the early part of the war, and I’ve got a list of war crimes committed by one of their members against the griffons that would make both of you combined look like saints.”

“And?”

“Well, that member was one Carver Fel, currently known as Shade Trotter. Carver had been infamous for his use of a knife during the war. He…” She scrolled to the next page, and found herself hurling into her trashcan.

“Dinks? You alright?” A worried voice came from the other end of the line.

“Dinks? Talk t’ me Dinkie.” Bloom called into the phone, her voice filled with worry. Scoots looked up from what she was doing. “Dinkay! What’s happenin’?!?”

“Bloom?” The orange mare’s voice was filled with concern. “What is it?”

“Dinks jus’ dropped out. I mean she’s still there, but I’m jus’ gettin’ abunch o’ noise.”

“Sorry. I wasn’t expecting pictures.” Her voice was shaky, and sounded uncertain. “I’ve seen you two do some stuff, but…” There were the sounds of heaving. “…sorry, there’s several purples of omegas.”

“Dinkie, pull yourself together mare.” Bloom focused on keeping her voice reassuring, trying to calm her distraught friend from so far away.

“Sorry, it was just… everything. During his time in the war, he didn’t just kill griffons, there…. There were…. ponies in there as well, and dragons. Bloom, he killed unconditionally and without remorse or regret. Watch yourself.”

“Will do, thanks Dinkie. We should be at the safe house in about… Hey Scoots, how long till we get him there?”

Scootaloo thought about that for a second. “About, hmm, an hour, fifteen minutes more if we catch the red lights.”

“Scoots says hour an’ a quarter. I’ll call ya when we get there.” Bloom hung up the phone and returned it to her pack. “Let’s getta move on.”

Bloom sighed and shifted the unconscious unicorn on her back. Why didn’t I think about having to do this when we came in here… Scoots had gone back out the front so she could recover her car from the valet. She looked out the small window in the door. She should have been here by now. What’s takin’ her? As if on cue, the large blue monstrosity pulled into the back lot, pulling to stop right in front of the door. “Finally.” Bloom breathed, shifting the dead weight on her back once more before heading out to the car. “What took ya’ so long?”

“They lost Midnight.” Scoots said as she opened Midnight’s back door and started helping Bloom load Shade. “And then the foal knocked out a taillight!” She slammed the door.

“That could cause a problem…” Bloom started, grateful she had her hat with the way the rain was falling.

“I’m not stupid; I put some red cloth over it. It still lights and shouldn’t cause us any problems.” She stopped to shake her soaked mane out of her face before getting back behind the wheel.

Bloom had gone behind the car to see the damage for herself. It wasn’t too bad, a bent bumper and some broken glass. A red handkerchief covered the broken light almost perfectly. Bloom hurried around and got in the car.

He couldn’t tell much about where he was but he knew he had a vicious headache. He tried to move a hoof to his head and learned more about his world, he was also restrained. He let out a groan.

“Good morning!” The voice that sounded far too happy that he was awake resounded in his head.

He groaned again as he opened his eyes, only to be greeted by an orange blurry figure. He blinked a few time to bring the image before him into focus. An orange mare stood before him, her purple mane and tail reminded him of a mare he’d served with during the war. Down her back was a familiar black object, his coat, being flaunted before him. “That’s mine.” He said weakly.

“Not anymore.” She retorted, a playful smile crossing her face.

He tried to grab her with his magic, but only found that his headache spiked when he did. “Arrgg.”

“Don’t try magic.” Her smile remained, as she slightly shook her head. “It’ll only give you a headache.” She started to move towards him, her smile turning devious.

Carver reached out again, not attempting to focus it, and found his knife in the coat pocket. He attempted to gently touch it with his magic, and felt a pain in his head. He stopped before it got any worse. “When I get free,” he growled, unable to stand the confinement, “I’m gonna snap your wings, one bone at a time.”

“Oh Carvy.” Scoots said, reaching a hoof up to Carver’s head. “You won’t get out that easily.” She gently stroked his horn, sending shivers down his spine. “So,” her grin turned evil, “you like that.” Her hoof started down the left side of his face, tracing the cut she’d put there earlier, making him flinch. “But not that… interesting.” She eyed him over, from his cracked horn to his scarred body, noting that not all the scars were made by an enemy. Of the later kind, there were a few prominent ones, a crescent moon on his right shoulder, a swirly door below his left front knee, a castle on his left rear leg, and a ship on his right flank. She also noticed his cutie mark, which could easily have been overlooked, a knife. The blade was only a few shades lighter than his pelt, and the dull rust handle the only color on his body.
“So, you’re doing this for…?” He asked when he’d noticed she’d stopped.

“Fun!” She said loud enough that the words bounced inside his head. “I mean, we don’t get ‘guests’ very often, might as well have some fun with them while they’re here.”

“Don’t antagonize the comp’ny.” Drawled a voice from behind him. “We need t’ get ‘im ready to go, Sweetie just gave us the meetin’ point.”

“Really?” Scootaloo pulled herself off of Carver. “Where?”

Bloom pulled a map of the area around Canterlot from a shelf and unfurled it on a table just out of his view. “Here, about two hours from Canterlot.” She pointed a hoof at the map.

“Um, isn’t that…” Scootaloo let the end of the sentence drop and the question hang.

“Yup,” Bloom took off her hat in a reverent motion, “that’s the place whar the world changed forever.”

To Be Concluded….

Part 3: The Return

Part 3: The Return

Carver shifted again on the seat, trying to find a comfortable position with his legs bound. He’d worked over the last half hour at loosening the bonds, all while listening to the verbal dance his captors were going through in avoiding an obviously sore subject. I may be bound, he thought, using another small burst of magic to get the ropes slightly looser, I may be blinded, he still felt his knife nearby, but any idea of using it was dashed when he listened to the engine roaring under the hood, but I’m not blind! There must be a reason I’m here. He loosened the bindings further. At least I have my magic back. Another few minutes passed and he finally grew tired of being silent. “If I may,” he started and noticed that his captors stopped their conversation, “I’ve noticed you two have been dancing around a topic for the last, what forty five minutes? And, I’m just wondering as to what it could be.”

“None of your business,” Scootaloo shot back, glancing at him in the mirror, “that’s what it is.”

“Now now, no reason to get defensive, wait, let me try to figure it out.” A small grin formed on his face as his mind grabbed onto all the details he’d overheard in the last hour. “Alright, I’ll start with where we’re going, the fiery one said that it’s ‘where the world changed forever’. Now, that leaves us with five destinations. The distance from Canterlot rules out Fillydelphia, Clouds Fall, and Manehatten, leaving only two places.” He stretched, pulling at the ropes gently. “Now, judging by your avoidance of mentioning anything to do with the small town that was there, that
s where I’m gonna guess the two of you are from," He shifted again, "And, I’m assuming that’s our destination.” He smiled, taking in the way the silence hung in the car.

“How in tarnations did you do that?” Bloom asked, twisting to look back over the seat.

“I just pieced together what I’ve heard over the last little bit.” He replied, ready to get to the source of his current problem. “Now, why am I being taken there?”

“Why don’t you just piece together that answer as well.” Scoots cut in, not waiting for Bloom’s response.

“Well then, I guess it’s only fair that if I know something about you, that you know something about me. So, ask me anything.” He sat attentively, facing the two through his blindfold. “Quid-pro-quo, as it were.”

“Alright,” Bloom started, thinking about what Dinkie had said, “why did you do those horrific things durin’ the war?”

“For the same reason your friend did this,” he motioned a hoof down the left side of his face, “because I get some sick pleasure from hearing them scream.” He leaned back, reminiscing. “The war, well, it just gave me a free pass to that pleasure, a pass given by the highest bidder. But you two know all about that, don’t you?”

“Wait, highest bidder durin’… you were a mercenary? Bloom asked, looking at him in disbelief.

“Yes ma’am, my blades were for hire.” Carver sat back, a look of pride on his face as he reflected on his services. “Found myself on both sides of the line too. However, there are some things that one cannot be paid enough to do…” His train of thought seemed to derail. Bloom turned back and pulled off Carver’s blindfold. The bright light hitting the unicorn’s eyes brought on a new wave of pain. “Why don’t you give a guy some warning?”

“What couldn’t you be paid enough to do?” Bloom asked, her curiosity peeked.

“Nos aeternam pugnatumque in nocte.” The ancient language flowed effortlessly off his tongue. Both he and Bloom braced themselves as the car was brought to a sudden stop. Purple eyes turned back to look at him.

“Sed nox semper cedit in aurora.” Scoots replied. Carver’s surprised expression said more in that second than he could.

“Say what?” Bloom was lost and turned to her friend for an answer.

Ignoring her friend for a moment, Scootaloo gave her full attention to Carver. “We’re workin’ for a horn-head called ‘Night Runner’, what do we need to know?”

“Ah, and with that last piece of the puzzle, the picture is clear.” Carver said cryptically.

“Ya know this guy?” Scoots asked, a secret fortifying her trust in him.

“We’ve had…” Carver thought for a second, “…dealings. Well, crossings might be the better term.”

“Yeah, and?” Bloom asked after a few seconds of silence.

“He has a habit of crossing those who work for him.” A small smile worked its way across his face. He shifted to lay on his back across the seat, head back against the armrest. “But, you two would have discovered that for yourselves in a few moments.”

“What do ya mean?” Bloom asked before turning to her friend. “And why are we trusting him?”

“As for what I mean, a ‘friend’ of mine was hired to do a job for him and, well,” he waved a front hoof in the air, “let’s just say that he never did show up again. As to why you should trust me? I’m just gonna let her explain.”

“Great.” Scootaloo said, putting the car into gear and starting towards the ruins of the small town. “Bloom, ask me later because right now we need a plan.”

The car rolled slowly through the ruins. The poor town had been found to be far too expensive by the senate to rebuild, so it’s burnt ruins stood here as testament to the events of ten years past. A few landmarks remained recognizable, the boutique, the town hall, the sweet shop, even the large tree that loomed over the town, even though all of these were decimated versions of what they once were.

The large vehicle finally pulled up in front of the burnt out tree, where a deep blue unicorn waited under its blackened boughs. He checked a watch he wore around his hoof then headed towards the car. “You’re late!” He called to the yellow mare as she stepped out, his voice vying for an edge of superiority.

“By the Nightmare!” A very male voice said from the other side of the car. “You can’t expect us here so quickly with these roads!”

“Ah, Carver, my closest fiend.” Runner said, twisting his magic around a small weapon.

“In the flesh.” He just seemed to appear next to the car, practically in a battle stance.

“You have got to show me how to do that.” Bloom said as she rounded the car. The orange wheelmare got out and stood next to Bloom, just a little in front of her. “So, here’s the package, now where’s our money?”

Runner pulled the small firearm from its hidden spot, and shot Carver, who stumbled back and fell to the ground next to the car. “Money? Oh yeah.” He turned the gun on them. “I’ve decided to give you a different kind of reward,” he steadied his aim on the yellow mare, “an eternal reward.”

The next split second was a blur, Scootaloo shoved Bloom to the side, the gun went off, and the orange mare fell.
Bloom stood there, staring at Scoots on the ground when the metallic click of the hammer being pulled back returned her attention to Runner.

“So, this is how it goes down.” Bloom said, tilting her hat forward, her eyes burning with a silent rage. “Dying at the hooves of a coward, not my ideal way out.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make it….” Whatever else he was about to say was cut short by a knife impaling his chest. The gun dropped from the air as the knife twisted and tore his side open, forcing him to the ground.

“What the hay?” She turned and looked over at the grey unicorn, who was trying to get his hooves under him. “But I thought…”

“Never…. shoot… a shadow walker… in a shadow.” He breathed, the wound in his chest now looking much more grievous.

Bloom walked over to the unicorn on the ground, resting her hoof on his horn. “This,” she said, slightly raising her hoof, “is for Scootaloo.” She brought her hoof down with enough force to buck apples off a tree, easily snapping the colt’s long horn off. She scooped it up and threw it as hard as she could. “An’ this,” she stepped to his side, “is for tryin’ to kill me.” She planted both rear hooves into his ribs, shattering several of them. She then walked away from the mangled hornless-head.

“And, you might as well have this too.” Carver said, casting a relatively nasty spell for transferring injuries. He gave Runner almost the entire wound, letting the spell drop when he got to skin level.

Bloom sat down next to the car, fairly close to Scootaloo. “Do ya’ remember all the trouble we used t’ get into round here?” She asked, closing her eyes. A small yet sad smile formed on her face. “How many times we got kicked out o’ there,” she motioned to the tree, “or how often we tried to help Fluttershy with her animals.”

“Yeah.” The orange mare peaked one eye open. “And how about how often we ended up covered in tree sap?”

“Scoots!” Bloom swooped forward hand hugged her friend. “You’re alright!!”

“Not.. ugh, entirely.” Scoots said, trying to shift her left front leg to stand up, groaning from pain. “Aaahhhh!” She screamed in torment, agony and frustration as she fell back to the ground. Bloom moved to help her friend. “Don’t…” she shifted her right forehoof under her, “you…” she raised her front end up, “DARE!” She stood herself up, it had taken some labor on her part, but now she was standing. “There,” she caught her breath, “now you can help.”

“You got her?” Carver asked, opening the door and helping Bloom load her friend into the car.

“Yeah,” Bloom said, smiling at the purple eyes that glared at her, “I got her.”

“Ok. Well, I was supposed to meet some friends in Canterlot tonight….” He looked over at the tiny castle jutting out of the mountain side. “…but I don’t quite think that I’ll make it there any time soon.”

“Hop in!” Scoots said, looking out the rear window at him. “It’s our fault you’re here, it’s the least we could do.”

“After all she’s been through; she ain’t the most trusting soul.” Bloom opened the driver’s door and sat down. “Which leaves me to wonder exactly what you said to her.”

“I simply gave her the Nightmare Code.” He said, pulling his knife to him before getting in the car. “We’d used it during the war to verify a contact.” He idly twirled the knife in the air in front of him. “As to why it instilled such trust,” he turned to look back at the orange mare, “I have no idea.”

Bloom started the car and they headed towards Canterlot. Midnight was one of the few cars Scootaloo owned that Bloom could actually drive, due to the simple fact of that it was an automatic. "So, what couldn't you be paid enough to do?" She started the conversation back where they had left off.

"There are a few things, but the most prominent one, and the one that has the feather-heads after me, is that I simply could not sit there and let anyone get slaughtered." He replied, glancing back at the orange mare, who was unconscious in a far less than dignified position. "In fact, the Kingdom of Marrl III has me listed as a treasonous turncoat."

Carver trotted down the streets of Canterlot, the red streaks in his mane and tail dancing like fires. He’d ridden with his captors from the ruins below. The ride from the town to here had been an interesting one, he'd recanted many a fond memory he'd had with his friends and Bloom had done the same. He knew that they were only doing as they were told, just as he'd done the same a great many times before.

He turned a corner and found a familiar blue van waiting for him. He cantered up to it as the passenger rolled down the window. “Hello Prancer.”

“Hello darling.” She looked quite nice in her dragon skin coat. “We got ya a ‘present’.”

Carver hopped in the side door. He looked over the seat to find a light blue pegasus bound and gagged in the back. “A cloud head, how’d ya know?” He settled in, and they started off. “I can’t wait to get home and unwrap it!”

“Hey,” Shiny said, glancing up at Carver in the mirror, “where’s your coat?”

“Same place my old one is," he said, his grey eyes glancing at Prancer, "with a mare that bested me.”

Scootaloo lay on the couch in a very foul mood. She had been unable to drive for nearly two weeks now, which was driving her mad, due to a fractured shoulder from the gun shot. She had also told Bloom the story of the mail mare that had saved not only her life, but the lives of the ponies that served alongside her, even thought remembering the war always put her in a bad mood because she hated herself for what she'd been forced to become.

We were preparing to walk right into an ambush, but the information she gave us, it let us turn the tables on those feather heads. She used the Nightmare code to get the info to us, ‘We battle in eternal night, but the night yields to the dawn’. Those words seemed to fit their current situation almost too well for her tastes.

She stretched and rolled on to her side to look at the TV in the room. Some old science fiction movie was on, but she didn’t care. Tomorrow, she thought, eyes shifting away from the TV, I’ll be able to drive… if only to the store.

Fin

Holiday Special - Fall Harvest Feast 2011

Holiday Special - Fall Harvest Feast 2011
By Dracarion

“Hello Everypony, I’m Carver Fel from the story series The World Today.” The grey stallion said, standing to the right of an orange mare. Both of them were wearing black coats and standing in a warehouse.

“And I’m Scootaloo from the same series.” She said, turning to face the camera. “Me, Carver, and the whole cast here would like to wish you a safe Fall Harvest Feast.”

“And to let you guys know that there will be another adventure out for The World Today in a few weeks.” He looked back a Scootaloo. “Hey, where is everypony?”

“Well,” Scootaloo shuffled a little, “Sweetie Bell’s in Canterlot, Bloom went to Manehatten, and I believe Dinks said something about Filly. What about those two mares you run with, where are they?”

“Hoofington. Aquashine’s family moved there after… well you know.” He paused for a minute after nearly bringing up the tragic event that changed Equestria. “Anyway, Prancer and Aquashine have the feast with Shiny’s parents each year.” He paused again as a doorbell rings. “I’ll be right back.”

“So, yeah…. Since everypony else had places to be, we figured that we’d hang here, and…” She turned to look off where Carver’s at. “You got it?” She yelled at him.

“Yeah! Hornhead, remember?” Came the quiet response, which grew louder as he finally got back in front of the camera. He floated two boxes onto the counter behind them. “Let’s see, pepper, olive and bacon. Mine. Lettus, pepper and… WHAT is that?”

“Dandelions. You never had dandelion pizza before?” She looked at him quizzically, then turned back around. “Oh, right. *AHEM* Since everypony else has places to be, we’ve decided to order a couple pizzas and watch some cable.”

“So, until next time,” Carver said, levitating a slice of cheesy covered goodness out of the box, “Have a happy Fall Harvest Feast!”

With a bit of magic, the camera clicked off.

/*A/N: Not the original idea I had, but still, it works fairly well. Also, I’m hoping to actually be able to get some more work done on this series as finals will be over with this week and my workload should return to a more normal point. Also, typical disclaimer of not owning the series or characters of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. I do however own Carver. But, yeah, enjoy your feast!*/

S1E02 Fragment - Part 1

Fragment - Part 1: Dawn for a life
By Dracarion

Wooded back road, 15 miles from Chargecago, 9:18 PM

A purple unicorn watched the armored vehicle roll along, its green cargo bound in chains and surrounded by guards. It’s now or never. She thought to herself as she gathered her magic in her horn. Just like I practiced. She grabbed hold of a wheel and pulled with her magic causing the vehicle to twist and roll. Once it finally came to a stop on its roof, she teleported down into the mangled car. “Wouldn’t you love to live forever?” She asked the chained stallion. She teleported both of them without waiting for a response, leaving only dazed guards in the mangled vehicle.

The purple unicorn looked about her lair, which was little more than a long abandon warehouse. Everything was in place, the five nested arcane rings, the ‘subject’ to be used, even the alter with candles burnt to specific lengths. She’d studied the various rituals for the past two years and now, after months of preparation, she was ready to create her perfect being.

“Well, felon, you’ve led one impressive life.” She said, her deep blue eyes meeting with the green pony’s golden ones. She lifted him into the center of the rings. The inner most ring lit up with a touch of her magic, a scribed holding spell. “You have done many amazing and impressive things, terrible, true, but none the less amazing.” A twisted grin spread across her face. “The cops, the EIB, the royal guards, hell you even escaped The Family. You are impressive.” Her magic flared as the next circle started to light. “With a mind like that, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I wanted you become my perfect being.”

Once the second circle was fully lit, white lines began to shine across the green pony. “What… What’s, ahg, happening?”

“Oh, yeah, a little discomfort is to be expected, I mean I am going to tear apart your current body and that’s gonna hurt no matter who you are.” She said nonchalantly, waving one hoof in a circular motion. “But I will give you a new body! One that will make us both…” she stood on her hind legs, front hooves in the air and face up to the ceiling, “IMMORTAL!!!” She landed back on all fours, her star covered cape billowing slightly. “And soon, Equestria will never forget the names of Dawn Hope and…” Whatever she was about to say was obliterated by his screaming. Dawn watched in morbid fascination as the light quickly did away with the green being in front of her, leaving something akin to a glowing jelly fish with eyes, large golden eyes.

“Wow, that was… um…” Dawn took a couple of seconds to gather her thoughts. “Mooovving on,” she stated, as the next ring lit up, “I still need to make sure that you’ll be able to keep up with me, so I’ll impart my scientific and magical knowledge to you.” She watched as runes from the circle glowed and launched themselves into the conscious energy. “Call me crazy, huh? Tell me it can’t be done. Well,” she snorted, “feast your eyes on this.” She said to nopony as the next ring lit. A ball of burnt orange surrounded the floating energy, and sprouted to swaths of deep blue. The orange formed a pony’s body, horn and wings, and the blue became a mane and tail. The orange colt stood glowing for a second before he collapsed onto the floor.

With a flare of her horn, Dawn lit the candles on her alter and the final circle responded in kind. The colt pulsated for a moment, quickly growing in to a stallion. Dawn held her breath as he continued to lay there unmoving. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, his eyes opened but he continued to lay there, as if contemplating his next move. At long last he lept vertically and landed on his hooves.

“WOOOOOH!!!” He shouted, laughing while his golden eyes surveying everything around him rapidly. “What a trip! I mean first I was all ‘AAAAAHHHH!’ then I was all like not there at all, and now? … I’m orange!” His eyes locked finally on the third runic ring. “Wow! My mind feels…. weird. Ah, and here’s why! You made a slight error here,” he pointed to a rune with his hoof, “here, here, oops one here too, this whole sequence is out of order, this really should be lambda….” He motioned to each error in that ring until he was interrupted.

“Hey!” Dawn finally screamed at him, snapping him from his correcting. She took a second to regain her composure. “I, Dawn Hope, have given you new life. And with this new life, you and I will step into the pages of…”

“What was wrong with my old life? I mean, it can’t have been too bad… although I can’t seem to remember anything from it.” He laughed nervously, infact he hadn’t stopped laughing since his new life began. That is, until now. He looked at her, his golden eyes filled with hatred, this was definintly not what she had expected. “You took my life from me!” He widened his stance and flared his wings. “You took MY NAME! YOU TOOK WHO I WAS! YOU! TOOK! MY! LIFE!” He ended screaming, taking a flying leap at Dawn. He started laughing manically after he felt his hoof collide with her, and continued running out of warehouse.

He had been running for some time before he felt safe enough to finally stop and collect his thoughts. A maniacal laughter had been following him as he’d run, as if though the pony responsible was right there with him. He looked around only to discover that he was alone, and that the laughter, though spiraling to a stop, was still there. He looked at a mirror and saw his reflection, and for the first time saw himself as he was now. He had a long yet decently styled deep blue mane and tail, as if though some small pieces of the night sky had been attached to him and his fur was a burnt orange, the same color as the rising sun. Piercing through his mane was a horn, which he didn’t remember having, just like the wings at his sides. “What am I?” He asked his reflection. “Who am I?”

“That’s a really good question. And ya know something? I’ve been wonder that since I met you.” He heard the laughing pony say. His voice sounded… familiar. “Ooo! Look at that glass shine! No, wait, forget the glass! Look that those GEMS!!” The laughing pony paused for a second. “Anyways, I’d like to know what to call you, I mean ‘Hey You’ really would get old fast.”

“I.. I can’t seem to remember my name.” He looked around, still trying to find who he was talking to.
“Shame. Really is. WOW! Look how big that screen is!! But most pony’s names relate to their talent. What’s your talent? Hmm? What makes you special?”

The nameless pony turned back to his reflection, it was at least easier to talk to himself than to thin air. “I, I don’t know.” He hung his head as he found himself even more lost.

“Don’t keep me in the dark!” The laughing pony said. The nameless pony looked back at his reflection. “Much better. Now check your flank! All ponies have a mark depicting what they do best! Take a peek and see what you do! Then once we know….”

“It’s… it’s markless.” Nameless let his head drop slightly again. “I’m nothing more than a markless… Mark Less… Mark…”

“Nice to meet you Markis.” Laughing said. His voice seemed to be in constant awe over everything around him. “Wow, those are big rims! So, Markis, what do you remember about your past?”

“I remember… a unicorn, vanishing, and being here now… Why would this matter now? Why are you interested? WHO ARE YOU?!” Markis whipped his head around in an attempt to find the laughing pony who seemed intent on mocking him. He only managed to make himself light headed.

“Whoa, watch it there Markis, we don’t want to be dizzy now, do we?” The invisible pony stated, his inflection was something more akin to insulted. “And I’m not sure why it’s important that we hang on to our past, but you need to remember….. something. Not sure what, but something.”

Markis closed his eyes and thought hard. He could see the unicorn on her twisted alter as a pony vanished before her. He could see the spirit hanging there. But before that…. Before the unicorn there were chains. Chains brought on by power. His power.

“They feared us.” The laughing pony said, his voice was probably as close to serious as it could get. “She feared us. Everypony feared us.” He laughed a twisted and evil laugh. “But not anymore. Oh, and um I guess you can call me Felan, that’s the last thing I remember her calling us.” Somewhere in the distance, a clock bell rang ten times. “Wow, that’s a very pretty sound!”

His amusement never seems to end. Markis thought, feeling as if though somepony was giving him a swift shove in his side.

A grey stallion lay on the couch with a leg draped across his face to cover his eyes. The TV he kept perpetually on was currently tuned to a news station with a blue mare going on about the upcoming weather. “…back to you, Silver.”
“Thanks Storm.” A teal stallion who sat behind a desk turned to face the camera. “When we return at ten, why you shouldn’t get a flu shot and three things everypony has in their kitchen that will kill you.”

Two mares walked in from the garage. “Hey Carves, could youuuu…” The blue mare stopped talking for a second as the deep purple mare next to her started whispering into her ear. “Oh. I like…. Oooh, that sounds…. Ugh, never… well, maybe….” The blue mare’s attention returned to the couch. “Right, Carves, um… Groceries! Icecream! Melting!” She shoved the mare off her long enough to form a sentence. “Carves? Could you please go and get the groceries out of the van? I gotta get my mare here to bed before she gets me on the floor.”

“Oh, but the floor would be sooo much fun, darling!” She stated excited, her red eyes glistening as she smiled at the blue mare.

“Sure Shiny!” Carver said from where he lay on the couch, still amused by how ‘open’ the two were pretty much everywhere they went. “You and Prancer have fun!”

“Oh, we will darling!” Prancer called back, as she attempted to tackle Shiny to the floor.

“NO! NOT HERE! BED!” Shiny pointed towards the stairs. Prancer had started to saunter that way when a breaking news story started.

“This just in, a wrecked police wagon was found this evening on 285. We go to Sky Eyes on location for more information.”

“That’s right, Silver.” A grey pegasus with blue eyes and a dark blue suit took center screen. “I’m here on 285 where a police wagon was found overturned on the roadside by a passing motorist. This incident has led to the third largest ponyhunt conducted in the area, as the wagon was transporting none other than Dustrunner, who was just saddled with twelve consecutive life sentences earlier this week, to Canterlot Maximum Security.” The scene switched to an overturned police wagon.

“At current, there are no leads as to where he would head, or even as to what caused the wreck. We are hoping that he will be tracked down soon, but witness reports are inconsistent in every aspect of what happened.” The police representative’s voice was overlaid onto the video.

“So… Dustrunner actually pulled off his escape.” Carver said, staring in disbelief at the TV and the video there on.

“Who’s Dustrunner, darling?” Prancer asked, now working on getting at her mare’s flank. Shiny’s form, however, belied her strength and she easily kept the crazed mare off her. “Actually, who cares. Aquashine, I want your plot!”

“BED!! NOW!!” Aquashine deftly maneuvered Prancer towards the stairs. “Later Carves!” With that the couple disappeared up to the second floor.

“Later.” He said to the empty hall, heading to the garage to gather the groceries. Dusty always was fast on his hooves, and got us out of many a jam…

To be continued

/*A/N: I would like to thank everypony so far who's kept me going on this series. Mainly Aquashine and Shadow Prancer for letting me use them in my works, and a special thanks to my beta reader, Skyclimber! Thank you guys so much, you're truly awesome! Also, don't own ponies, do own Carver, Prancer and Shiny are property of their respective bronies. No profit was made by me from this work, so please don't sue me.*/

S1E02 Fragment - Part 2

According to Plan
By Dracarion

Griffon Lands, Kingdom of Marrl III, Shimmer Ridge, 1011 NB

Across from where the young unicorn stood was the spot where the infamous Battle of Shimmer Ridge would rage. He knew this. He also knew that the ponies about to be involved would be victorious. That’s why he was here now, even with his group only being given the order a mere quarter hour ago. He looked through his binoculars at the group approaching the ridge itself; a full battalion of ponies were approaching a few dozen griffons. With just those figures, the ponies would have a quick and conscience victory here. However, the problem was the griffon heavy weapons in the crag below where he stood, and while not many, they were the key support for their ambush. His orders: Eliminate the heavy nest.

Dusty stood a few feet away, his green pelt blending slightly with the green shrubs around him. “Do you know now why we do this, knife boy?”

“Yeah, I know Dusty.” He said, returning his binoculars to his pack and straitening his black coat. He turned to face Dusty, a sick grin on his face. “Fun.”

Dusty sighed. “You’re good at whatcha do, knife boy, I’ll give ya that much.” He turned to where a few other ponies stood, a mix of all three races were ready to go. “Alright!” He barked, causing everypony there to turn and face him. “We’ve heard that there are maybe a dozen feather-heads in there about to tear the ponies a new one. Well, as always, make your peace with your god, cuz we’re goin in to the hornet’s nest in,” he checked the makeshift sundial he’d setup, “five.” One pegasus kept staring at him, an expectant look on his face. “What do you want, cloud head, a buckin’ moral boost? Pray and get ready to act.” And hope to hell that Luna watches your bucking ass. The pegasus shrunk under the sudden lashout from his leader. So far, only one colt hasn’t flinched from me on day one and he can’t be more that sixteen, where as this cloud head’s gotta be nearly thirty!

After five minutes of mumbled promises and a few ponies writing, they formed up near the mouth of the cave upon which they had been standing earlier. “Alright,” he muttered barely loud enough for the group to hear him, “here’s the plan.” He motioned to Carver. “Knife, give us a distraction.” He turned to the other unicorn in their group, who was wearing bits of griffonic armor. “Eyes, tell us when to go then give ‘em all ya got.” He turned to the other earth pony in his command; a large red apple adorned his flank. “Rope, I’m just gonna hope we’ll need your skills. And cover your Luna forsaken mark.” Finally he turned to the new pegasus of the group. “I’m gonna say right here and now that I don’t care what your name is, you’re now Wings. Wings, just go in there and beat those feather-heads until they surrender. I don’t know what you’re good at, but we’ll see soon.” He turned back to the opening. “Go.”

I’ve heard, Carver thought to himself as he prepared for his role, that the first casualty of a battle is the plan. With that thought, he merged into the shade of the overhang and headed into the cave. A few griffons inside, eliminate.

Shadow walking is not teleporting, though the laypony will call it that, rather it is closer to, and by most is considered a lesser form of, dimension walking, in which one immerses themselves into a shadow, and can move swiftly through it. However, its ease of movement is based on the darkness of the shadow; a faint shadow is like walking in snow, uphill, for miles, where as in a dark shadow, it’s like skating on ice. And the entire inside of the cave was a dark shadow.

He slipped inside, quickly scanning the interior of the cave. Nine feather heads total, eight silhouetted by the cave mouth, and one near a second entrance, holding an assault rifle. With that he’d found his distraction, materializing and bringing a rock down onto his head. The griffon splattered Carver, who wasn’t expecting quite that big of mess. He suddenly tasted… vanilla?

Equestria, Chargecago, Home of the Night Strikers, 1020NB

The grey unicorn stood there coated in sticky ivory spots, a remnant of the horror he’d just let loose on the melted ice cream with the milk as his mind had wandered. “Damn it.” He muttered, before he scooped up the flattened container in his magic and dropped it into the trash. As he cleaned and put away the remaining groceries, his mind wandered to the noises coming from above him. “Well, it is their house.” He said to himself, as an exceedingly loud moan drifted down the stairs. He contemplated his next move as he put the last box away. The noises from the two mares’ room had gotten faster, and louder. “I~~I’ll leave them alone.” He stated decidedly as he pulled his keys from his coat pocket.

He’d been driving for about twenty minutes when he spotted a car going off to his right that made his fur stand on end. There was something familiar about it, and it wasn’t the car itself; nor was it immediately that he recognized the mare driving. It was a magical signature in the car, his signature. He clicked on his blinker and turned, intent on following his new found prey.

“Command, access, phonebook, Shiny, call.” He said, watching as the window display changed with each command, until an icon of a hoofset was displayed indicating that the call was being placed. Carver noticed he was heading towards the highway during his pursuit, and definitely wanted to let his ‘friends’ know that he could be late getting back. He wasn’t surprised when the fell through to voice-mail. He took a corner as he listened for the beep. “Hey Shiny, just wanted to let you know that I’m chasing down my coat, and I’ll be back later tonight, or at least I should be.” He bumped a button his phone, ending the call. He found himself on the highway, the signs indicating that he was heading towards Canterlot. He kept his eyes on the old black GTO he’d been following, knowing that the orange and purple mare inside had his coat.

As he drove, his mind wandered back to the cave.

Griffon Lands, Kingdom of Marrl III, Shimmer Ridge, 1011 NB

The young unicorn stood in the darkness, panting almost euphorically. It had been eight on five, and it was nowhere near a fair fight. Of the eight griffons that were in there originally, only two remained breathing, and they were barely doing that. It had been far from one sided though, as Eyes now was Eye, and Wings’ namesakes were on opposite ends of the room both from him and each other. Ever with those setbacks, all five members of the group were not only alive, but could walk out on their own.

“Hey, Knife, what say we even the odds a little, huh?” Dusty said, pointing a green hoof towards the artillery positioned before them.

Carver nodded eagerly, hopping behind one of the large cannons. They know both sides were waiting for this signal, but for different reasons. They pointed two cannons, and fired them towards the griffon ambushers. They were both sure that somewhere, hearing the blast, the ambush lead was giving a moral boost to his troops. Dusty turned the other cannons to face into the cave. Rope had gathered Wings’ wings, and helped the flightless pegasus out. After all but Carver and Dusty were gone, Dusty turned to his ‘friend’.

“No witnesses, no evidence. Got it?” Dusty asked. Carver nodded, starting to turn the remaining cannons to point into the cave. “Good, go to work.” With that Dusty departed, knowing that his orders would be carried out. Carver tied the fuses for the cannons together, and ran one long fuse to the mouth of the cave before trotting over to the ‘survivors’.

“Sorry about this.” He redrew the wicked dagger he had become infamous for using. “Orders and such.” He made one quick slashing motion across both ‘prisoners’ before resheathing his knife. He lit the fuse and darted from the cave. The meet point was a short distance away, in broad daylight. He had just arrived at the meet point, where Rope was attempting to save Wings’ wings, when there was a series of blasts behind him, and a huge fireball rose out of the cave.

Equestria, Intercity Highway, Roughly Manehatten, 1020NB, 1:30 AM

Carver realized that he’d been driving for nearly two and a half hours now. Judging by the fact that she was still on this road, he could only guess of two locations where she could be heading, either Clouds Fall or Canterlot.

Equestria, Canterlot, Palace Gardens, 1020NB, 4:00 AM

Carver was grateful for his shadow walking abilities at the moment as he followed the orange mare who had possession of his coat. She walked over to a particular tree and sat down. He started to follow her into its shadow, but stopped when he heard her talking to somepony. Unfortunately because of the distance he was following her by, he’d missed the first part of the conversation, and was straining to hear what he could now.

“…But yeah, I got this since I was here last month.” She said, running one hoof down the scale-covered sleeve of the coat. “I don’t really like it all that much though, as it fits kinda tight over my wings and binds when I drive.” She cast a quick glance around, before reaching out and lovingly touching the tree. “I’m sorry about what happened, I really am. I was just… We were… I…” She was quaking, but from where he was watching, he couldn’t see the tears that ran down her cheeks. She calmed after a minute, stood and stretched. “Well, it’s been a good visit,” she paused to wipe the trails from under her eyes, “but I gotta run. See ya next month.” And with that, she turned and trotted away from the tree….

…and right into Carver. She leapt back, wings flared and a look of panic on her face. He stepped forward and simultaneously, she stepped back. “Hello again.” He said, both of them stepping again, Carver now standing within the tree’s shadow. “I take it you remember my promise…” he seemed to vanish into smoke, just to reappear beside her, his front hooves wrapped around the top of her outstretched right wing. “…but with you it wouldn’t be any fun.” He twisted her wing up and out of the way, exposing the flesh underneath. A scar ran down her side about the length of her wing. “Your avia complex was injured during the war. In fact, were it to be intact, you would be begging me for anything I wanted, right now, just for me to stop.” He grinned and released her wing. “But we don’t have to go into unpleasantries, just gimme my coat back.”

“Alright,” Scootaloo said, “on one…” her phone chose that exact moment to ring. “One second.” Only one of four ponies should be calling her, and the name displayed definitely wasn’t one of them.

Equestria, Clouds Fall, Abandon Warehouse, four minutes earlier

Dawn was freaking, literally. “Ungrateful! Inconsiderate! Unfathomable!” She shook her head, trying to get a clear though through. When her creation had bolted, he’d clocked her good, leaving her laying there. She’d tried to find him inside the warehouse, but found that he’d already smashed out a window to escape; he’d also trashed half her library she’d built up here. She finally looked at the clock on the office wall. It was nearly four in the morning.

“Well, Dawn, only one thing to do.” She reached into a drawer, a look of determination on her face as she pulled a revolver. She set that on the desk surface and pulled a phone from further back. “It’s time to call in a favor.”

“Hello?” She heard a voice answer.

“Scoots?” Dawn’s voice was fraying.

“Yeah?”

“Oh man, Scoots.” Dawn fell back into her desk chair. “I bucked up. I really bucked up. Bad.”

To be continued

/*A/N: Yeah, a 4th dimensional chapter, but it's mostly for the backstory on Dusty and why he's going to react how he does (sorry if I spoiled anything for anypony.)

S1E02 Fragment - Part 3

Favors
By Dracarion

“I bucked up. I really bucked up. Bad.” Dawn stared up at the ceiling.

“Dawn? Dawn Hope?” The voice said back, more than a tinge of surprise in its sound.

The purple mare brought a hoof to her face. “I know it’s been a while…”

“Four years.”

“Really?” Dawn shook her head. Focus, girl. “Anyway, I’m calling in a favor.”

“Really…” Scootaloo said, a little in disbelief. “Since when do I owe you anything?”

“Well,” Dawn got a sly grin on her face as she leaned onto the desk in front of her, “how about that little ‘dry spell’ of thirteen?”

“Ugh,” Scootaloo let loose an exasperated sigh, “you’re calling in on that favor? This…”

“No.” Dawn quickly interrupted Scootaloo. “I’m cashing in on everything you owe me from that year.”

“I dunno. Can you do that?” Scootaloo’s voice became muffled. “Can she do that?”

“I think I just did.”

“Well then,” Scootaloo’s voice became serious with the gravity of the situation, “what’s the problem?” Dawn then began to recount the events of the night, starting with her taking Dustrunner.

Equestria, Canterlot, Palace Gardens, 1020NB

“Alright, Dawn, I’ll see you this afternoon.” Scootaloo said, closing her phone and turning back towards Carver. “So,” she paused to remember what they were discussing, “coat. Here’s the deal, I got a friend who needs some help, you lend me a helping hoof, and I give you back your coat. Deal?”

Carver snorted, weighing the options in his mind. On one hoof, he could take his coat back by force. But on the other hoof, he could possibly forge an alliance with those mares that foalnapped him almost a month ago, and he had to admit that the little cloud head in front of him was quite good.

“Alright.” He said finally, deciding on the choice that would be in his best interest. “I’ll help you.” Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief. “However,” he continued, taking another step towards her, “I’m gonna need payment in advance.”

An orange pony walked down the street, he was obviously being regarded as crazy since he was talking to himself In the few hours that he’d been running, he’d made it into the business district of the once great city of Clouds Fall. It was here that he saw a pony that sparked a memory. An unfortunate memory…

“It was 1014. That was the year our luck ran out.” Markis said, having grasped his situation but not wanting to believe it. “They got us… I don’t remember who, but they had us. They drug him out and… oh, what was his name…”

“Wings?” Felan asked. Markis had been blocking out his, for lack of a better word, friend’s idle chatter.

“ Yeah, Wings.” Markis felt a pang of sadness. “They… Oh the screams as they… All because we wouldn’t just roll over and let them in. Wouldn’t let them take over. All because we fought back.”

“Markis. Buddy.” Felan laughed as he talked. “What happened, happened. And I see just the thing to cheer you up.” His eyes locked on a mare’s flank.

“No.”

“Hey!” Felan took on a mock serious tone. “You look like the kind of filly that could show a colt a hell of a good time.” He was rewarded with a swift hoof to his face, to which he only laughed. “The hard way then.” He said, attempting to grapple the young mare. The mare screamed and bucked him hard, sending him sprawling and into unconsciousness.

“Alright. You’ve got your coat back.” The orange mare said as the two ponies trotted back to the parking lot. “Now, do you have a place to stay?”

“Why?” He turned and narrowed his eyes at her. “You making a pass at me?”

“WHAT!?” Scootaloo recoiled slightly, not even thinking about how what she’d asked could be misconstrued. “No! It’s just that we need to look into what my friend…”

“Dawn?” Carver asked, glad to see their cars in the lot.

“Yeah, Dawn. We need to look into what she was doing.” Scootaloo said, as they began walking again. “And I know a librarian that just might be able to help us.”

“And just what, exactly, was she doing?” Carver asked, curious as to what he had really gotten himself into.

“Something about biomancy.” Scootaloo shrugged, unsure of the true meaning of the word.

Carver tripped, literally, at such an art being so casually drop into the conversation. “Biomancy? Dawn was bucking with biomancy?” He stood back up, and looked at his coat. “Nightmare forgive me, but it’s not worth it.” He started to remove his coat, his motions a mixture of upset and rage. “It’s just not worth it.”

“Hey.” He kept going. “Hey! Look! STOP!” Carver halted, one sleeve on, one sleeve off, coat draped across his back. “Thanks. Look, how about, say, two grand for helping?”

“I say goodbye.” Carver said, following with a snort and a turn of his head. “I’d want at least ten.”

Negotiations never were Scootaloo’s strong suit, and were almost always handled by either Sweetie Belle or Dinkie. “Three. And your coat remains part of the deal.”

“Seven, and I don’t ask for your car.” He knew it was low after noting her cutiemark, but he was sure the negotiation was far from over.

“You and I both know that in our ‘line of work’ that we don’t make that much.” She paused for a minute. “I could make some calls and possibly come up with three and a half.”

He knew she was against a wall, but he put one last offer on the table. “Four. And my coat.”

She sighed, and muttered to herself “Bloom won’t be happy about this.” She looked the grey stallion in his eyes. “Deal.” With that they both spat on a hoof and shook on it. “So,” she scuffed the ground with a hoof, “you gotta place to stay?”

“No, I just figured I‘d grab a hotel room or something.” He said, pulling his coat the rest of the way back on.

“In Canterlot?” She shook her head. “Most places won’t rent you a room at this hour, and you really don’t want to stay at any of the ones that will.” She turned and started back to the parking lot. “Anyways, they are all sooo overpriced. We’ll stay with an old friend. She’s like maybe ten minutes away, and I doubt she’ll mind us showing up at this hour.” She paused for a second. “What time is it anyway?” She reached back and fished out her keys.

“It is…” Carver looked down at his watch, an enchantment allowing for the time to be read through the broken crystal. “…four thirty five.”

“Oooh, it’s fairly late.” She said, reaching for her phone. “I should call her before we head over there.”

“Ok, I’ll let my team know to meet us in Clouds Fall.” He said, leaning against his car and pulling out his phone. “If we’re dealing with a biomancer, we’re gonna need the help.” He quickly typed a message to Aquashine and Prancer telling them to meet him in Clouds Fall that evening. He looked over as he overheard the orange mare’s side of the phone conversation.

“Hey…. Yeah, I’m sorry about the late hour….. I know… Yeah, she’s fine….. No, she’s not here….. Why? Well, truthfully this never really involved her….. Hey…. HEY……. Sorry….. I only called you because you said if I need a place to stay, I only needed to call…. Yeah…” She opened the trunk of her car and started looking for something. “It’s two of us…..” She pulled her head out of her trunk, a dark jacket draped over an orange hoof. She looked Carver over. “We’ll be off by noon tomorrow….” She deftly pulled on the jacket. “Alright, we’ll see you in about ten minutes.” She reached a hoof over and flipped her phone closed. "Alright," she said, turning to address Carver fully, "I got us a place about ten minutes away. Just follow my tail lights, if ya aren't a gelding." She threw down the challenge, as she hopped into her car and let it roar to life.

Ten minutes away. Carver thought, glancing at his speedometer again. Sure, at triple the posted speed limit. They took another corner and this time Scootaloo didn’t accelerate back to an insanely high speed. We must be close. He was right, as they turned into a drive just a short distance down the street.

They walked up to Scootaloo’s friend’s home, to be greeted by a white mare with a deep blue mane and tail. “Hey Rares.” Scootaloo greeted the older pony, quickly pulling the mare into a hug.

“Scootaloo, darling, how have you been?” She asked, quickly looking the younger mare over.

“Good actually, considering how scarce work can be. You?” Scootaloo said, taking a weary step back.

“Good, good. Oh, but where are my manners, come in, come in.” She waved them in, closing the door behind them. “Now,” she said, summoning silver spectacles, “what have we here?” She eyed Carver over, who pawed slightly nervously at the polished hardwood beneath his hooves. “My, my, my, you have seen a life, haven’t you? And this coat, I mean the workmareship isn’t bad, but obviously made by an amateur, and just WHAT is this material? I feel as if though I should know it.” Her expert eyes and sharp mind quickly analyzing the young stallion before her.

“Truthfully, I would have to say that it’d be odd if you did. But for now, let’s just say that ignorance is bliss.” He looked at his black coat, which ran the full length of his back and split into four points across his flank.

The white unicorn continued to look at the coat, still trying to figure it out. “It looks like some kind of leather, but even the cuts look to be amateurish. Do you mind if I ask as to who made this?”

Carver proudly ran his hoof down his coat sleeve. “Actually, I did.”

Her eyes quickly started scanning the coat, her gaze more scrutinous that before. “You? Really?”

“Yes.”

“And what is your name?” She finally asked.

“Shade.” He said, giving a slight bow. “Shade Trotter. And I must say, Lady Rarity, that it is an honor to meet you face to face.” He let out a yawn, and let his train of thought change direction. “However, if we might skip the pleasantries, I think that it would be best if we were to get some sleep.”

“Of course.” Rarity said, motioning for them to follow as she headed up the stairs. “Unfortunately, my current project has taken over most my rooms, and I only really have one guest bed setup. So, you both will have to make do with sharing this room.” She opened the door, revealing a room about the size of a living room. It had a bed near one corner, and a couch sitting across from a small TV which was flanked by bookcases.

Carver turned towards Scootaloo. “I’ll take the couch.”

“Such a gentlecolt.” She said, heading to the bed. “But there’s no need for you to be uncomfortable when there’s more than enough room for both of us.”

“Trust me,” Carver said as he flopped onto the couch, “I’ve slept in far worse conditions.”

Scootaloo walked over to a small dresser that sat opposite the bed and pulled out a set of covers and a pillow, which she tossed at Carver. “Well, this is far from the battle fields.”

“True.” Carver said, shifting into a comfortable position and lowering the covers onto himself. He turned to their host for the night. “I must thank you for letting us stay here, Lady Rarity.”

“Oh, it’s my pleasure, darling.” Rarity said, leaning slightly against the doorframe. “Pleasant dreams.” The elder mare shifted back to her hooves and started to her room.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said around a large yawn, “Thanks Rares.” She quickly got into bed, questions trying to enter her sleep deprived mind just to be cast aside until morning. “Night Carver.”

“Night.” Was all that came back, as he started to fall asleep.

The young unicorn awoke; his back ached from the cramped cage he was confined in. He reached a grey hoof up and swept his black mane out of his face. He’d been woken by the screams of a pony mixed with the harsh sounds of griffonic laughter. He looked out to see Wings’ wings forcefully outstretched and bent in many unnatural places. If, no WHEN, when I get out, I’m gonna have a little fun with our ‘hosts’. He thought to himself, nearly unable to stomach watching what they were doing to his friend.

After what seemed like hours, they stopped and let the pegasus drop to the ground. “Please,” the weak winged pony started, “please, just end it.” The largest griffon of the group, who also bore the symbols of command, flexed his claws, rending the poor pony’s belly open. In a few minutes, it would be over.

It was supposed to be easier if you didn’t know their names. Carver thought, remembering the past three years they’d worked together, as he watch a pony he’d easily consider his brother slowly pass. But that was just a lie. A rage built within him, which he held on to. He’d need every horrid memory, every defeat, and every bit of rage in order to overcome his current disability. The ring that fit snuggly on his horn prevented magic from being channeled through it, but as with all devices, it could be overloaded, however it would be costly and difficult.

What the young pony found more disturbing, was the number of ponies he’d seen helping these bastards. But for now, he just had to wait…

S1E02 Fragment - Part 4

Breakfast, Books and Baring her Soul

By Dracarion

Carver awoke to the sound of teeth clacking quietly together. He lay still for a short time, gathering his wits. Not home… was the first thought to cross his mind as he noticed the fancy wallpaper. His orange rival turned friend came into view as he looked around, her left wing extended and her face buried in its feathers. “Morning.” He said as he stretched to work out a few kinks.

Scootaloo popped her head up and her wing closed. “Hey,” she said, blushing slightly, “good morning.”

“What time is it?” He asked, remembering his watch was on the dresser with his knife and keys.

Scootaloo looked at the clock in the room. “Around ten.”

“That early? Wow…” His nose picked up an alluring smell coming from somewhere else. “Is that… breakfast?”

“Yeah, Rares probably started it not too long ago, it should be done by now.” She said as she got up and looked over at the few things Carver had laid out on the dresser earlier that morning. “Nice knife.”

“You mean Leen?” He asked, receiving a nod in return. He picked the knife up lovingly in his magical field. “I’ve had her at my side for fifteen years now.”

“Leen? You call your knife Leen?” She asked as if she knew there had to be some reason behind it. “Why?”

“It’s her name. Well, it’s the acronym for her name; her real name is Lacrimas ex Equa Noctis. A fitting name, don’t you think, sister?”

Her eyes followed the dark, twisting blade from its point to its crescent moon hilt and carved rosewood handle. “The Nightmare’s Tear. It does… wait, how did you know?”

“Truthfully? You just confirmed it yourself by translating my blade’s name so quickly. Though, I’d had suspicions when you answered me nearly a month ago.” He said, sheathing the dagger in his coat. “Very few ponies know our ancient language, or at least how to pronounce it properly.” He grinned as the smell of pancakes entered his nostrils. “But enough about religion, it smells like foods ready.”

“This isn’t over.” She said as they walked out of the room.

“I wouldn’t expect it to be.” He said, as he followed. The two walked towards the stairs in silence until Scootaloo noticed Carver watching her flank.

“Hey.” She said, flicking his nose with the tip of her tail. “You had your chance last night, and you passed on it.” She started down the stairs, Carver stepping up next to her.

“Sorry, but I’m hopelessly loyal to one mare….” He said, but then gave a laughing snort. “Well… two, but that’s beside the point.”

“What, a wife and a marefriend?” Scootaloo teased, gently nudging Carver.

“Well,” he said as they entered the dining room, “one’s more like a good friend and the other’s good time. But the good friend and the good time are about to get married, so I can’t cross either one.” He turned to face her. “Ya’ know, as much as I hate you for what you did to me, I can’t get over how… similar we are.” He turned to face their hostess and gave a polite nod. “Good morning.” He headed over to the table and took a seat. “Thank you for letting us stay here last night.”

Rarity lowered her paper. “Don’t worry about it dear.” She folded her newspaper as she motioned to the table. “I’ll admit, this isn’t anything special, but should be enjoyable.”

He looked at the food before him, eggs, toast, and juice, a simple breakfast. “Thank you, but you really didn’t have to do this.”

“But of course I did, darling.” She said. “I mean, how else are we supposed to talk before you leave?”

Carver paused for a second before flicking out his napkin and answering her. “Of course. A little friendly conversation is a great way to start a day.” His dark eyes flicked up from looking at the food in front of him. “As long as it stays friendly.” He shifted his entire posture to be friendly. “So,” he lifted a fork and broke his eggs, “what do we want to talk about?”

Rarity’s eyes had been flitting over Carver’s black coat. Without sleep fogging her vision, she was able to pick out the fine lines that defined scales, the subtle folds of pockets, and the long line of Leen. But with each pass, her eyes flicked back to the scales. “I must ask, darling, as to where you got a coat that’s so… unique!” She got up and walked around to where Carver was sitting. “I must say, I’ve NEVER seen ANYTHING as unusual at this. May I?” She asked, extending a hoof towards the article in question.

Carver took a sip of juice, watching Rarity from the corner of his eye. He let out a sigh before answering, knowing that look on a mare’s face. “Go ahead.”

Rarity closed her eyes as she shifted her hoof closer, Scootaloo sat on the other side of the table waving her hooves back and forth in front of her, shaking her head vehemently side to side, silently hoping that Rarity wouldn’t realize what the captivating material was. Carver flashed the orange are a smirk as the white hoof connected with the scaled garment. “It feels so…” She started, as she slid her hoof down the sleeve, when suddenly the image of a small purple friend came to mine. At once, she knew exactly what it was, and she violently recoiled from Carver. “It can’t be! You! YOU!” Scootaloo covered her face with a hoof.

“I did warn you.” Carver said as the white mare stepped forward, her face twisting into a rage.

“MONSTER!!” Rarity spat, spinning Carver around to face her. “How could you!! How DARE you bring this… this... this… ABOMONATION... into my home!!!” She glared at him, mildly calming. “Actually, the only redeeming factor you have is that you most likely didn’t ‘harvest’ it yourself, as it were.” She growled. Scootaloo peered over her hoof.

“Well, if one wants a material this rare…” Carver started, lifting another bite from the plate. Scootaloo slammed her hoof back over her face.

“You! YOU!!” Rarity spat before an orange glow lit the dining room.

“Huh.” Carver said, turning to Scootaloo. “And here I thought the whole ‘burning unicorn’ thing was just a myth.”

Scootaloo merely muttered a ‘Nightmare why?’ from behind her own hoof.

“Well,” Carver started as he swiped egg from his mane, “she was fun.”

“Shut up.” A very insulted Scootaloo shot back.

“What?” He asked, trying for innocent.

“Shut. Up.” Scootaloo said, as they walked out the front door. She flipped out a set of pegashades. “Just tell me what provoked you had to do that.”

“It’s simple, sister. She was being too nice.”

“Come again?”

Carver sighed. “I’ve learned that anypony that’s that generous is always looking to get something in return.” He stopped walking. “And as generous as she was being, I was just getting a really bad feeling. Though I have to admit, I didn’t expect her to be so… strong.”

Scootaloo opened her car door. “Let’s take a ride and I’ll tell you the story of six friends divided.” Carver got in, and the pair headed off towards the library.

“You were bold and strong and strong and ready to begin your life. All for nothing you were sacrificed.” The song started near the end. Scootaloo reached over and poked off the stereo.

“The ten-thousand hooves album.” Carver said after Scoots turned off the stereo. “Nice.”

Scootaloo nodded in agreement with the monochromatic stallion before starting. “Alright, the story starts with the Elements of Harmony. I’ll assume you know what those are.”

“Of course I do, there’s six of them.” Carver looked out at Canterlot passing by as he listed off the Elements. “Devotion, Truth, Selflessness, Compassion, Joy, and um… I think the last one was magic or something like that.”

“Wait, where did you get your list of elements?”

“Legend of the Nightmare, Second edition.” He said, turning back from looking out the window.

“Ah.” Scootaloo said, knowing that she could skip right to the main part. “So, twenty years ago, when The Nightmare returned, six ponies stumbled into wielding them against her.”

“Yeah, I remember something about that morning there was a terror in Ponyville.” He said, his eyes scanning the dash. This drive was going to take a lot longer than last night. “Although, truthfully, I was only five at the time.”

“Well, I was there, front and center, for her return. And let me tell you, it scared me. um…. That’s beside the point. The point is, across a matter of hours the six became the closest friends. AJ with her honesty, Dash with her loyalty, Rarity with her generosity, Twilight with her magic, Pinkie with her laughter, and Fluttershy, oh dear Fluttershy, she is one of the kindest ponies one could ever meet. But fifteen year ago, well, things…. changed…… because of me.” Scootaloo got ready to launch into the story of her past. “Fluttershy is serving one of the harshest sentences anypony could be granted.” She pulled off the road and parked. “And it’s all because of me.”

Scootaloo took a deep shuddering breath before sighing. “Fifteen years ago, the four of us, me, Bloom, Sweetie, and Dinks, all lived in Ponyville, and we all four were ‘blank flanks’. Down its west side, Ponyville was bordered by the Everfree Forest, which was home to everything from ursas to hydras and cockatrice. And as fillies, we played in the forest, tempting fate, whenever we could.

“Then one day, it caught up with us.” She shrugged off her jacket, revealing four long scars down her back, any of which could have killed or crippled her. “I still don’t know what we ran into that day. It was fast, unbelievably fast, and strong. Me and Bloom held it off the other crusaders for some time, but eventually…” She pulled the jacket back up as she brought her hooves to her eyes. “Sorry, I’m…” She started rubbing her eyes, her shades pushed up to her forehead. It was then that she felt the last thing she ever expected to feel, a hoof on her shoulder, his hoof on her shoulder.

“Take your time.” Carver said, remembering his own having to tell harsh stories of the past.

Scootaloo finally caught another breath and resumed her story, but skipped right to the point of interest. “So,” she said then sighed, “Fluttershy was supposed to be watching us when this happened, but we’d snuck out on her. If it hadn’t been for Dinkie, we would have been goners. And in all truthfulness, I don’t think Shy’s punishment would have been so bad if news hadn’t spread like wildfire. Canterlot, Cloudsdale, Manehatten, Chargecago, hell even Filly went into an uproar over how this pegasus nearly let four fillies die on her watch.” She let out a small snort. “Nightmane even took her case, and when all was said and done, he’d talked Celestia into a far lighter sentence.” She turned to look at him. “Fluttershy ended up with a sentence of fifteen years imprisonment.” Scootaloo let out another sigh. “A little over a year later, when Nightmane left Ponyville, he took Pinkie and their foal Duskmane with him.”

“Hold up, you’re telling me that the infamous Senator Nightmane lived in Ponyville?”

“He moved there in five, and left in seven when he restarted his political career.” Scootaloo said, quickly answering Carver’s question. “So, Fluttershy imprisoned, Pinkie moved, that leaves four. Now, before he’d left, Nightmane made the off-hoof statement to Applejack as to why the Apples couldn’t all work together, and that lead to the rise of Sweet Apple Inc.”

“So, an Element runs the Sweet Apple Empire?” Carver said, a hoof rubbing his chin. “Interesting.”

“Well…” She looked at her captive audience. “Ya’ know, I’m not even sure why I’m telling you any of this.”

There was a moment of silence in which the only sound was that of the engine thrumming away under the hood. “I think…” Carver started, the pieces starting to come together in his mind. “I think that, well, we’ve been through similar shit in our lives. And… Alright, I got nothing. I insulted your friend with two sentences, I had every opportunity to torture and kill you and haven’t, not to mention how our last meeting went rather poorly.” He looked out the window as he thought about it more. “But I really would like to know how this story ends. So, would you please finish it?”

“Ok, fine. But you owe me for this.” She turned off the engine that had been happily growling away while they’d been talking. “So, the four remained in Ponyville until First Strike.” She paused, remembering the chaos and panic. She remembered the smell most of all, such horrid scents as the most precious things in her life were taken away. “With our town in ruins, most ponies moved on. And sadly, there was soon too few ponies to allow for reconstruction, so they moved. Rarity, came here and reopened her boutique, Carousel Boutique, but still gave most her profits to a charity to help the refugees of the attack. Twilight, whom you are about to meet, also moved here, and was given the position of Head Royal Librarian. Dash went to Hoofington to become a Wonderbolt and Applejack wound up in Manehatten.”

“That’s it?” Carver asked, after they’d sat in silence for a moment.

“Pretty much. Applejack, Rarity and Ditzy were all called to Canterlot to be assigned for the war, and I was orphaned during the attack.” Carver saw the tears form and be fought, these were obviously memories she rarely shared. “The four of us were sent to Summer’s Ville, which incidentally is where you’re living now, to be in a safe area during the war.” She laughed. “Two years later, I discovered that the feather heads were kinder than the ponies we met there.” She looked at the clock. “But that’s a story for another day.” She started the engine back up. “Now,” she said, as she put the car into gear, “I’ve bared my soul, it’s your turn. Who was this Wings guy?”

“Wings?” Carver asked, looking at Scootaloo. He sighed before continuing. “How did you…? Actually, it really doesn’t matter. We’d met during the second year of the war….” Carver told his story as they drove towards the library.

The Royal Canterlottian Library was massive. It had to be, as it contained every book, magazine and newspaper ever printed, as well as every film made. It was also the only place one could find books on the four ‘forbidden’ magics: biomancy, necromancy, celestamancy, and chronomancy. And it was somewhere inside this colossal structure that the two ponies who just pulled up in a black sports car were hoping to find some answers to exactly what Dawn was doing in Clouds Fall.

The two ponies entered the massive building, Carver marveling over the architecture while Scootaloo was still stunned by the cruelty that she’d heard of the griffons committing, and how it had paled to the rage Carver had fallen to. In fact, she was so wrapped in her own thoughts that she failed to notice the mare speaking to her until Carver gave her a gentle nudge. “Huh? Whadja say?”

“I asked if there was some way in which I could help you and your… coltfriend?” The mare said in a hushed voice as her green eyes scanned Carver.

“Actually,” Scootaloo said, knowing the pony she needed to talk to was here, “we’re looking for Librarian Twilight Sparkle. Could you point us towards her?”

“Oh, of course, she’s over in advanced magic.” The mare motioned a hoof casually in a leftish direction. “Go that way, and follow the signs.”

The pair thanked the mare and headed off in the direction they were pointed. They walked for what seemed like an hour in silence when suddenly the silence was broken by a crash of books.

“But WHY can’t I go mom? All the boys from my class will be there!” The pair rounded the corner to see a small blue pegasus stamping his tiny hooves.

“URR… Starsmoke! One more word about that party and I’ll….” Smoke literally radiated off the lavender mare as she scolded the foal at her hooves. Her sparkling horn explained why neither pony heard her until now. “I’ll ground you for a month!”

“That’s harsh, Twi.” Scootaloo said as they rounded the corner. “Then again, my mom only ever spanked me.” She reached down and ruffled the little colt’s mane. “Hey squirt.”

“Scootaloo!” He said, shoving the hoof off his head. “Not now!”

“Ok, fine.” Scootaloo put on a fake pout before turning her attention to Twilight. “Hey, Twi, can we speak to you for a minute?” She cast a subtle glance at Starsmoke. “Without him over hearing?”

“Um, ohh kay.” Twilight turned to Starsmoke. “Star, go wait for me in my office, please. I have some big pony business to discuss with Scootaloo and her friend.”

“But Mom…” The colt started.

“One. More. Word.” She said, lowering her head to her foal’s face.

“Going, going.” He said, as he stood to his full height, wings stretched up and trotted purposely and defiantly away, acting as if he didn’t even want to be there. However, once he was out of sight, he stepped back behind a book case to where he could still hear his mother talking to the other two ponies.

“So,” Twilight took a moment, checking to see if Starsmoke had come back around the other side, “what brings you all the way to Canterlot, besides your normal ritual of visiting, well... her?” Her voice became melancholy.

Scootaloo's face betrayed a twinge of regret. “Actually, I was visiting Flut... visiting her, when I got a call from Dawn, and, well, I was wondering if you could tell me anything about what she was studying.”

A look of concern flicked across Twilight’s face. “She pulled it off, didn’t she?” She then let out a exasperated sigh. “I have to say, she’s the only mare I know who’s far enough out of her bucking mind to actually attempt magic on that level.”

“And exactly what was she trying to do?” Carver asked, knowing that biomancy isn’t something to trot blindly into.

"And you are?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, this is Carver." Scoots said, throwing a hoof around his neck in mock affection. “He’s gonna help me fix whatever it is that Dawn’s done.”

"Alright." Twilight said with a sigh. "I was given Dawn as a student when she first started school for gifted unicorns. She showed remarkable potential in her first years, but kept trying to delve into more frowned upon magics.”

“So, she was like you?” Scootaloo interrupted, before her look fell to confusion. “But you were in Ponyville back when Dawn was a filly. How could you have taught her in the same school you went to?”

“It’s simple.” Twilight said, waiting as if though the answer was obvious. After a moment of confused looks, she sighed. “I went to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns where as Dawn went to Luna’s School for Gifted Unicorns.” Another moment of confused looks. “Okay, so imagine that Celestia’s school is more like the school at Ponyville, giving a basic general education while focusing on magic, alright?” Her audience nodded. “Well, Luna’s school is for unicorns who already have the basic schooling, but want to further their magic, kinda like a college exclusively for magic.” A look of understanding crossed the faces of the two ponies that stood before her as she finished her explanation. “So, since I have experience with higher difficulty magic, they had me teaching in Luna’s school, which is where I met Dawn…” She brought a hoof to her chin. “I think I already said that… Oh well. But it wasn’t just her potential that worried me, it was her class list. Advanced Biology, Advanced Psychology, Advanced Anatomy, the list just goes on, all giving her a complete look at how a pony functions. She then became obsessed with a project of hers.

“She began delving into archaic rituals and spells, claiming she could prove herself right if only she could find the right combination of magics.” Twilight shook her head, before answering an unasked question. “Her claims of creating another perfect being were just too far beyond her grasp for the longest, but then a year ago, that changed.”

“What happened a year ago?” Scootaloo asked, knowing she was missing some detail.

“Well, last year she stopped looking into magic, stopped coming to class, and had seemingly disappeared. I found her a few weeks later, camped out in the records room. Then last week she said something about having to go home to deal with a family issue, but...” Twilight was interrupted by an outburst from Scootaloo.

“Not possible.” She said, shaking her head. “Dawn lost her father in the first year of the war, and she didn’t have any have any family beyond that.”

“That might explain something then. Follow me.” Twilight turned and started further into the library, her silencing zone following her. “She was looking at a number of ponies, but I couldn't draw any links beyond simple locations as to what the ponies had to do with each other. But after weeks of searching, she had her ‘family thing’ come up, but wasn’t very tidy about her work. She left out five files when she left, and I have no real idea what the five ponies in question have in common.” She opened the door to the room. “But I’ve got the feeling that we have the answer to the quandary standing right here.”

“I’m not sure I follow…” Carver said, tilting his head in confusion.

“Here.” Twilight motioned to the table. “Take a look and see what you can tell me.”

Carver stepped up to the small oblong table in the center of the room, his face going a lighter shade of grey than it naturally was. There they were, all five of them, though by name he only recognized two. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and attempted to recover from his shock. “Me.” He said after a quiet moment. Both mares quickly focused on him. “I’m what they all have in common.” He laid a hoof on each file in turn. First was a pegasus named Blizzard Sky, with a white mane with blue fur, “Wings, the closest I’ve had to a brother,” then a unicorn named Sparkly Shine, who had a gorgeous face, “Eyes, named for her most alluring feature,” the next one was a yellow earth pony that Twilight herself had met, the folder read Braeburn Apple, “Rope, who couldn’t take a life even when his had depended on it” the following earth pony’s green fur and golden eyes snagged his attention, Dustrunner, “Dusty, who recently disappeared,” and finally was Carver Fel, a grey unicorn with a black mane with two red streaks in it, “Knife,” he looked at Twilight, all four hooves on the ground again, “who stands before you now. I take it you’ve looked at the files?” He flipped through his file with his magic. A surprising amount of it was covered by black marker. “It’s amazing how much of my life has been removed.” He muttered.

“Well, I tried, but these are only copies, and the text is completely obscured behind the redaction.” Twilight said, as Carver lifted a quill in the center of the table. “What are you… Hay! You can’t do that!”

“It’s incomplete.” He simply stated, as he returned the quill to its pot. Just under the name Blizzard Sky, next to the line ‘Born: June 12, 978’, Carver had written ‘Died: July 15, 1014’. He muttered a barely audible ‘Nightmare guide you’ before closing the file.

“What happened to him?” Twilight asked, after noting what had been added.

“Griffons.” Carver spat, as if somepony had just jammed their hoof into an open wound. “We left him behind, in a shallow, unmarked grave.”

“Wow.” Twilight was taken aback by the sheer hatred that radiated off the pony before her. She put a hoof on his shoulder to comfort him. “I had no idea.”

He let out a snort and shoved the file across the table from the other four. “To the business at hoof, we know that it has to be somepony who she’d want to target as her test subject.” His eyes fell on Dustrunner’s file. “Scoots, you don't think...?” He asked, shifting the file to her with his magic.

“What?” She leafed through it. “I'm not sure what you're showin' me with so much of it redacted…. Here we go. Something about working for some sort of 'security firm' during the war….” She flipped through the other files quickly, finding the same ‘firm’ mentioned in each. However, that wasn’t the only thing that matched up across the papers that summed up the lives of four ponies. “No way you all worked for Feather Tech." Scoots pointed at the page, her voice dripped with disdain.

“What’s wrong with Feather Tech?” Twilight asked, wondering what could make one of the largest companies in Equestria so bad.

“You’re cute when you’re naïve.” Scootaloo said, shaking her head slightly. “Feather Tech is the real power in Equestria. I mean, Celestia may rule Equestria politically, but Feather Tech rules the entirety of the ponydom economically. They are also the only company in Equestria who’s severance package actually includes severing parts from their owner.”

"Also, most of their business wasn't exactly on the level. When it says we worked security, it means that we made sure that if a pony couldn't be bought, that they were permanently out of the way." Carver said, flicking a hoof across his throat at permanently.

Scoots turned back to Carver. “But I'm not sure what most of this would have to do with Dawn. Unless….” She flipped through Dustrunner’s file one more time. “Dawn told me that her father had told her to not just do something right, but to do it smart, that power and strength were worthless without brains behind it. But look at the list of ponies that would have wanted Dustrunner. Feather Tech, Marrl, Equestrian Royal Guard, Equestrian Investigations Bureau, several NLR agencies, and with all that, the ERS snagged him.”

“What?” Carver looked at the file. “Wow…. I didn’t think that would happen. Arrested March of 1020 for due taxes unpaid for employment between 1010 and 1015. Huh.” He looked at Twilight. “Any idea of the spells she’d use to accomplish this… perfect being?”

“Well…” She thought for a moment, tapping her chin with a hoof. “I’m not sure of any spells that would accomplish what she was going for, but there are some rituals…” The hoof she was tapping against her chin rose to cover her face. “Why didn’t I think of that! I swear I can be so blind sometimes.” Twilight turned and started to leave, the other two ponies stood unsure what to do.

“What aren’t you telling us, Twi?” Scootaloo asked, her whole stance said that she was tired of being in the dark.

“Dawn had trouble with even simple spells, but when it came to ritual casting, well, she made my magnificent magical mastery look like little more than foal’s play.” Twilight laughed nervously. “However, since casting a ritual requires texts to cast from, there’s one place that might be able to tell us which books she has.” Twilight opened the door. Nopony saw the skittering blue hooves retreating to cover. “And that place is the front desk.” Twilight turned and headed from the records room, silently leading the way to the front desk where the mare that greeted them was waiting. “April, could you pull up the checkout logs for Miss Dawn Hope?”

“Of course, Miss Sparkle.” April said, and with a practiced speed that few non-unicorn ponies have, brought the records up on the computer screen before her. “Um… miss Sparkle? We’ve got some red flags here.”

“What?” Twilight suddenly popped around the counter, shoving April out of her way, and glared at the screen. “She’s got half the biomancy section checked out!”

Carver stepped up to the computer. “If I may?” Twilight nodded a go-ahead and stepped aside. “Now then,” he started typing with his magic, “let’s cross-reference this book list with the Feather Tech online spell list. He watched as the information danced before his eyes. “Wow, this is a very scattered list of rituals… Restraining, bioconstruction, mental separation, mental alteration and growth spells? What the buck was she bucking with?”

“Oh Celestia.” Twilight gasped. “She’s not going to just build a new pony." She gulped loudly. "She’s rebuilding an existing pony.”

“Actually, that would be the ideal way to do it.” Carver deadpanned.

“Nightmare’s mane, you ARE a monster.” Scootaloo muttered in his ear. Carver just grinned in return. She raised her voice to a hushed tone. “Well, now that we know what she’s doing, do we know how to stop or reverse it?”

“I’m sorry,” Twilight said, shaking her head, “but without knowing the exact rituals used we can’t know how to undo what’s been done or if it’s even possible.”

Scootaloo shifted to be laying on the floor. “I think I can get you that list.” She said as she pulled out her phone.

“Ok, if you can send me that, then I'll know if and how to break her spells.”

Carver checked his watch. “Um, Scoots, if we want to make Clouds Fall before sunset, we really should move. No disrespect, Miss Sparkle.”

“I don’t see why I’d be offended. You two obviously have places to go and ponies to see.” Twilight said, waving a hoof. “I’d appreciate it if you keep me informed though?”

“Sure.” Scootaloo said, as she stood up and pocketed her phone. "We’ll keep ya in the loop.” She turned to Carver. “Shall we?”

“Yeah, let’s hit the road. Good bye Miss Sparkle.”

“Good bye, Mr. Fel.” Twilight waved as the pair trotted towards the door.

The two ponies got back into the old black sports car. Carver looked over at Scootaloo, a question he’d been wanting to ask since they’d talked at Rarity’s. “If you don’t mind me asking, what was it that brought you to the Nightmare?”

“Ugh,” the orange mare ran a hoof down her face, “I knew this was coming.” She paused. “Well, it was right after First Strike, and my life was at a particularly low point…” She continued to talk as they drove back to Rarity’s to pick up Carver’s car.

Clouds Fall, Equestria

An orange pony lay on his back. His wings were spread out across the floor, a small, intricate ring at the base of his horn, and his blue mane and tail fanned out on each end of him. He watched the scene through the bars before him with a mix of boredom and excitement.

To be continued....

/*A/N: Well, while this ends the current ep, don't worry, Carver and Scoots will be back to finish this storyline in the next episode: Remnant. Also, the song referenced is Guarded by Disturbed from their Ten Thousand Fists album.
And I'm sorry that it took so long for me to get this up, but they didn't want to co-operate with me. */

Holiday Special - Hearth's Warming 2011

Hearth Warming Special – 2011

A tale of… redemption?

By Dracarrion

A lone golden mare stood at the top of a Manehattan skyscraper. She had everything; money, power, fame, the fastest cars and the rarest art. She raised her glass and took another drink as she looked out over the city, her city. And yet, she was alone. Nopony else stood around her, she was at the top, and she’d had to step on a lot of hooves to get there, but it had been worth it.

But then, why are you alone?

“Who’s there?” She asked, turning her head to see nopony else there.

“You forgot about me already? Hrmph, that’s just like you.” A pale blue mare said, heavy chains binding her wings and legs. “Always forgetting those you crushed to get on top.”

The golden mare smirked. “Temps, you never were one to stay down.” She turned back to face her friend, a look of shock flitting across her features as she saw through her. “What happened to you?”

“Car wreck, got an engine block to the muzzle. But enough about me, what’s happened to you?” She asked, her spectral eyes looking into her friends green. “You just ended our friendship, and turned you back on everypony who got you where you are today.”

“And look where it got me!” She said, stepping up to the edge of the roof, a large neon ‘S’ just to her left. She turned to look across the sign. ‘Sweet Apple Inc.’ “I own the whole bucking city! I don’t need anypony!”

Tempest just shook her head, her spectral mane shaking. “Don’t end up like me, Orchard. After you turned your back on me I got upeset, and found myself on the wrong end of one of your trucks.”

“That’s not my fault.”

“Card, he only hit me cause he was overworked by you.” She walked around her friend, standing in mid air. “Don’t end up like me. You chose this path, but it’s not too late to change.” She stepped forward. “You stand here on a special night; Hearth Warming’s Eve is indeed a very special night, for tonight is a night known for second chances. And tonight, you will be visited by three ghosts, each of which will show you a different part of your life.” A clock rang in the background. “Oops, times up. Sorry Card, gotta go.” With that, the bound pony fell into nothing.

Card looked out over the city, her mouth still in a smirk and a defiant look on her face. “Ghosts. Yeah right.” She finished her drink and threw the glass over the edge. “We’ll just see about that.”

Ten that night

Orchard was having an amazing dream, her and Tempest on their cross Equestria trip they’d always planned. Suddenly a voice like that of a drill sergeant woke her from her dream.

“Alright!” A cyan mare said, stamping a hoof against the floor. “Time to rise!”

“Huh?” Card asked, groggily looking around. “Whazzuh?”

“Out!” The cyan mare said, grabbing Card by her rear hoof and flinging her onto the floor. “Alright, we haven’t got much time so we’re gonna have to go, like, now.”

Card blew her red mane from her face, before looking up at her assailant. “Who are you? How did you get in here?”

“Shut it!” She seemed to be ticked about being there. “You’re too old to be sniveling like that.”

“Wait… I know this story… You’re the spirit of Warmings Past. But won’t…”

“I said SHUT IT!” She said again, cutting Card off mid sentence. “Look,” she put a hoof across her rosy eyes, “I got pulled from a great party with a certain pink pony only because YOU needed somepony who you’d actually LISTEN to.” She looked back down her own body. “That’s also why I look like this, I’m somepony who’s opinion you actually valued…. Or possibly somepony you hate. Eitherway, you’re coming with me.”

“So..”

“Shut it.” She grabbed Card and threw her through the window. “We only got twenty minutes.”

“Where are we?” Card asked, knowing she should recognize this place.

“When is the better question.” The spirit said, looking at the scene before her. “And that would be ’05, Appleloosa, Hearths Warming Eve.” She walked up to the door on the house and bucked it open. “Come on.”

“Lemme guess, they can’t see or hear us.” Card said, entering with the full haughtiness of a showmare.

“Yup. Now GET!” The spirit said, shooing her in with a hoof. Inside, her father had just come in, and had sat down.

“Dang drought, this is gonna be the worst year yet. I mean if it weren’t for Dustrunner, we’d be long out of food.” He said, lamenting his bad fortune of the past few years. “And we ain’t turned a profit at all this year. We barely broke even.” Exhaustion was starting to get the better of him.

“Maybe you ought to take your cousin’s offer to merge our farm with hers.” His wife said, shuffling her wings. “She’s gotten several of the others to pull together, why can’t we join them?”

“I love cousin AJ, but Dreamer.. well, we Apples are proud ponies, and I ain’t about to show any weakness.” He said, his eyes falling on the sleeping filly on the floor, a worn teddy bear in her hooves.

“Do it for her then.” Dreamer said, nodding towards their foal. Her husband sighed, he’d wanted to wait out the drought, but she was right.

“You’re right.” He said, pulling his hat down over his eyes. “I hate it, but you’re right.”

“I never knew that he’d given up his farm for me.” Card said, looking at the golden filly blissfully asleep on the floor. Her accent was closer the Manehattan one that her mother had, than the southern drawl of her father. “And yet, here I own everything.” She laughed, her own diminutive wings shuffling slightly.

The spirit sighed. “You don’t get it. He did what he thought was right. He always did what he thought was right. But we need to keep moving, more to see!” A blue hoof smacked Card upside the head, sending her spinning tail over mane into another scene.

“Wait, what was that for?” Card asked, looking around the house confused. The scant few decorations that had been there a mere second ago were now missing as was most the furniture. “What happened?”

“Yeah, temporal travel sometimes requires being…” The spirit started, only to get cut off.

“I know when we are now… Hearth’s Warming of ’10.” Card said, remembering the fact that they’d moved from her home in Appleloosa to Manehattan that Hearth’s Warming.

A young filly ran into the room, grabbing an old teddy bear and tucking it under one of her tiny wings. “Momma, why isn’t Daddy here?” Her voice carried a mix of Manehattan and southern accents.

“Because he is in the north defending us, dear.” Her mother, Day Dreamer, answered.

“Why’s he gotta be there?”

“Well dear,” Dreamer put her wing around the young Orchard, “someponies who aren’t very nice want to come down and hurt us. So he has to go and keep them on their side of the mountains.”

“But why do they wanna hurt us?” The young Card asked.

“I wish I knew.” Dreamer said sadly.

“Are you sure we’re at the right place? I mean it doesn’t look like there’s anypony living here.” A new voice said, carrying brash tones.

“Now, sugar, that ain’t no way to talk about somepony’s house.” This voice made Card freeze; its southern drawl was so distinctive, even in this nowhere southern town. The owner of the voice came into view a few seconds late, an orange earth pony with green eyes and a blonde mane topped by a black Stetson. “Mrs. Dreamer?”

“Well, hello Applejack.” Dreamer said, shaking AJ’s hoof. “Everything’s ready, we’re just waiting for the movers to get here.” The mare that had came with AJ stepped around the corner. She looked a lot like the spirit, multi-chromatic mane and all. Dreamer pulled out a rolled parchment. “Here’s the deed to the place.” She said as she passed the roll to AJ. “I hate having to leave, but without Brea and Dusty, we just can’t make ends meet anymore.”

“Trust me sugar cube, I know exactly whatcha mean.” AJ said, removing the Stetson she wore. “There were many a year in Ponyville where we had the same problem. In fact, if it weren’t for my friends, I’d of had to do this several times over.”

“Ya see?” The spirit said. “Your father never sold out. He only allied with the other farmers. Then when he left, AJ offered you mother a good price for the farm.” She grabbed Card with her hoof. “We still got a few more stops.” She then shoved Card sideways.

She looked up at the front of the apartment building they’d moved into after leaving their little frontier town. “Why are we here?” Card asked, looking at the spirit.

“Watch.” She said, turning her to face two ponies, one a pale blue pegasus and the other the Card that they’d just seen.

“Uhm, hello.” The little Card said, her small wings neatly folded at her sides and her mane styled more to suit civilized Manehattan than frontier Appleloosa.

“Hey,” the pegasus said, leaning against a fence, “I don’t think I remember seeing you around here before.”

“Yeah…” Card said. “My name’s Orchard, and me and my mom just moved here today.”

“Wow.” The pegasus said, looking at Card over her shades. “On Hearth’s Warming no less. Hmmm.” She tapped her hoof to her chin while she turned something over in her mind. “Orchard just doen’t work. I could call you Orch, but that’s dumb. Chard? No, but close…. Card! Alright. That is, if that’s cool with you.” She said, reaching out a hoof. “Well Card, my name’s Tempest, and I feel like this will turn into a beautiful friendship.”

“She was my closest friend.” Card said, looking at her hooves, then back up as the color seemed to start fading from the scene. “I can’t seem to recall what happened to us.”

“Allow me.” The ghost grinned, grabbing Card and taking off into the air.

They now stood inside her top floor office, shortly after she’d performed her hostile takeover of Sweet Apple Incorporated. Two mares sat in the office, Card behind the desk on the phone and Tempest sprawled on a couch.

“Look, I know it’s Hearth’s Warming Eve, but truthfully? I don’t care. You have a schedule to keep, and I can’t afford for you to be late.” Card’s voice was frustrated and angry.

“Card, ain’t that a bit harsh?” Tempest said, looking at her friend upside down. “I mean, it’ll be Hearth’s Warming in a few hours, and I know he’s got a family….”

“Temps,” Card sighed, rubbing her face with her hoof, “I know he’s got a family. I know he lives on the other side of Equestria from where his deliveries are taking him. And I know that can’t be easy, but then again, he knew that going into this job.”

Tempest sighed. Was this the mare she’d fallen for? The uncaring taskmaster who wouldn’t even give a driver the night off to see his family on Hearth’s Warming Eve. Well, not the taskmaster, but the pony beneath that, the caring pony who she only saw glimpses of now. And tonight, she was going to try to win that pony. “Hey Card,” the golden pony looked up from her desk, Tempest gulped as her courage fell, “how’d you like to have drinks?”

“Why Temps,” Card said, almost laughing, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were asking me out.”

“I am.” Tempest said, rolling to sit upright.

“WHAT!” Card shouted, reaching for the first thing she could grab. “HOW DARE YOU INSINUATE THAT I’M SOME KIND OF FILLY-FOOLER!” She hurled a picture frame at Tempest. “HOW! DARE! YOU!” The phone quickly followed the frame.

“I’m sorry!” Tempest cried, tears streaking down her face as she fled from the room. “I’m so sorry.”

“She loved you.” The spirit said mournfully, shaking her head. “She loved you, and you killed the you she loved that night.”

“Pphhhh.” Card stated, fighting laughing. “Imagine. Me. A… A… Filly-fooler.” She was losing the fight. “I mean…. It’s just… laughable…. I co… couldn’t even… think of a…a mare like that.”

“Then I have to ask,” the spirit started, somberly, “was it worth it?”

“Was it worth what?” Card's laughter was immediately gone.

“In exactly three hours she has a head on collision with a Sweet Apple Delivery Truck, and the official report states that it was because of overwork.” The spirit looked her in the eyes. “But you and me, we know the truth, don’t we?” Card stepped back towards the large windows of the office and the spirit took a step forward. “It’s your fault.” The pair continue to advance. “All of this is of your own doing. It’s your fault. It’s your fault, and you didn’t even care that she was dead! It’s your fault, and you didn’t even go to say goodbye!” Card stepped back through where the glass should be and fell.

Card lay sprawled on her floor after her adventure with the spirit of Warmings past. She looked up at the clock on her wall. 11:00. A noise in her wardrobe forced her to raise her head to look at the furniture. Suddenly the doors flew open, and in a flurry of streamers, confetti, and balloons, out sprang a pink pony, with various ribbons tied to her mane and tail.

“Hi there!” The pink pony said cheerfully. “I’m here to show you the Hearth Warming Present!”

“And?” Card asked, still shaken by what Past had just shown her. “Why by the Nightmare should I care?”

“Yeah, sorry about Past-y, she can be a bit of a grump, having to show everypony where their life went wrong’s a hard job.” The pink pony before her seemed to deflate slightly. “But,” she poofed back up, “that’s why I’m here!” She reached back and withdrew a box from her tail, a box that was twice her size. “And there’s nothing like the present!”

“How did…”

“Oh, that doesn’t matter,” the spirit said, almost bouncing in anticipation, “all that does is what’s inside!” She pounced up and pulled the paper off the box revealing a large cube with a frame on it and a picture of a rundown neighborhood. “Here we go!” The spirit called out as she pulled Card through the painting.

“Where are we now?” Card asked, trying to recognize the rundown street.

“You don’t know where we are? Hmm…. Ah ha!” The spirit pulled a small glowing ball from her fluffy jacket pocket. She then smooshed up against Card and held the ball up to the sky. In an instant, it was early morning, and Card knew exactly where she was. The spirit hopped in through a window, and seeing no point in trying to argue, Card did the same. Inside, a young pegasus was fixing a simple meal for himself.

“Hey, Card, is this your coltfriend?” the spirit asked.

“No, he’s…” Card started before being interrupted by the spirit.

“Your fiancé?”

“No. He’s..

“If he’s neither of those things, then what is he?” The pink spirit asked.

“He’s what you might call a…” Card thought about how to phrase it. “A good time call.”

The spirit gasped. “You can’t string a pony along like that!” She shouted. “Do you know what that does to a pony?? It destroys them! I mean look at him, he’s so alone. And on Hearth’s Warming aswell.”

“Hey, we both knew what this was going into it.” She said, looking at the young stallion before her. “It’s just a good time and nothing else.”

The pink spirit looked at her studiously, and then grinned as if though she knew something Card didn’t. “Okie dokie lokie!” She pulled an empty wooden picture frame out of nowhere. “Next stop!” She slid her hoof across the empty frame and the scene around them spun into a new setting, a winged mare just sitting down to dinner. “Look familiar?”

“Where is he?” Card asked, looking around the small apartment. “Where’s my father?”

“I’m sorry, Orchard, I really am, but he and the rest of his group from the war vanished eleven years ago.” She said, comforting Card with a soothing hoof on her shoulder.

“And how… why didn’t I know about that?”

“Hmmmm… Now that is a riddle. Why wouldn’t you have known?” the pink spirit tapped her hoof against her chin. “Oh! I got it! It’s probably cause you haven’t talked to them since you moved out!”

Card’s ears fell. “Oh, right.” She looked back over her mother. “Has it really been that long?”

“It’s been twelve years since she last heard anything from you. Maybe you should call her tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” Card said, turning back to look at her mother. “Yeah, I will.”

“Alright-y then,” the pink pony said, “One more stop before home.” She pulled a golden frame out of her tail and held it up. The pair found themselves in a grave yard, standing before a lone tombstone. “This is it. Manehattan Garden, Section F, Lot 12, Row 8, Plot 16.”

“Isn’t this the scene the future ghost is supposed to show me?” Card asked, looking at the ghost.

“No you silly filly, look around you.” The ghost said, glancing about the fog. As Card did she noticed that there wasn’t just one tombstone, but thousands, all decorated with wreaths or flowers, save one. The tombstone before her was bare of any Hearth Warming remembrance, no wreath, no flowers, no present, nothing but granite and grass.

Card walked up to the tombstone, noting the simplicity of it. It was little more than a chunk of granite onto which two lines of text were engraved.

Tempest Winds

1000-1025

Card ran a hoof along the smooth speckled surface.

“Who was she?” The spirit asked, her light blue eyes filled with concern.

“She was my best friend.” Card started, moving as so not to stand on the grave. “Growing up we had become inseparable. Looking back, it’s not hard to see why she tried to… to…” She just couldn’t bring herself to use the word she’d used in her head these last few years; the word was pervert. “Change our friendship.” She paused as she ran a hoof down the tombstone again. “When she did, I freaked out, lashed out at my closed friend, all because I was uncomfortable with the idea of….” Tears started to build in her eyes, “the idea of… of… loving her… that much…. and in… that way.”

“She truly loved you.” The pink pony said, looking sadly at the golden mare before her. “But you couldn’t return the feelings.” In the distance a bell rang out. “Ooops, um, that’s my cue to go.” She pulled a framed picture of Card’s bedroom from her mane and held it above her head. “Bye bye Card!” She brought the picture down over Card.

Card sat in quiet contemplation. She’d just been shown the affect she had over the ponies who she was truly closest to and who were closest to her. She heard the door open and close behind her. “You’re the final ghost, I presume.” She said, not even turning to look at the grey stallion standing there.

“Come now.” He said; his voice was gentle and sad. “We have a few more things to see.” He extended a hoof to her. She stood and took the offered hoof and with that, they were off.

She stood in her home, looking at her older self, an image of gold and silver. She quickly scanned the room, the normal pictures of her and Tempest adorned the mantle, followed by pictures of her and a foal, and finally her and a mare. The time progression from one side to the other seemed to be over the course of forty years, from her as a young mare to her close to how she was now. The older version of her picked up a ringing phone.

“Hello?”

“Hi mom!” the voice on the other end said. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ve thought about your offer, and I’d love to fill your horseshoes when you step down.”

“Really?” The gold mare said, eyes narrowing on a picture of her daughter standing with a formally dressed stallion. “Remind me, what does Gazer do again?”

“Gazer?” came back the voice. “Well, since we had our foals, he’s been staying home with them since I was making more money.”

“Well then, since you’re the one working, and for me, let’s make you a full partner. Starting immediately. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.”

“But mom, tomorrow’s Hearth’s Warming. I didn’t think you’d gotten senile yet.”

“I haven’t. It’s just that if we get all the paperwork done tomorrow, you’ll be counted as promoted this year.”

“Wait.” The younger Card said, looking at the grey pony who’d brought her here. “How am I hearing all this?”

“It’s because you need to know what’s to happen, so my magic’s allowing you to hear both sides of the conversation.” He said, his black robe shifting ethereally.

Card turned back, to see not herself alone and on the phone, but instead herself with the house decorated. A stallion stood next to her, and two foals ran between her legs. In front of her stood a deep blue pegasus that she hadn’t seen before.

“Star Gazer, so nice to see you again.” She greeted, embracing the young pony.

“You too, Card.” He said, returning the affection. “It seems like so long since we last saw each other.”

“July.” She said, looking at the pictures on the mantle, all of them similar to before, but something was off about the last few. “It’s been since July, when…”

“Yeah.” Gazer said, all three of them looking sadly at each other. “She was such a good pony, always giving anything and everything of herself. I really miss her.”

“Holdup!” Card said, turning to the grey stallion next to her, his robes still shifting in some unfelt wind. “I get that this is two different time lines, but which is which?”

“That’s the thing.” He said, looking back at the scene unfolding before them. “The first was if you keep to your current path. But the latter, well, it’s if you make the so called right decisions.” The scene before them faded out of view and Card found herself standing in her bedroom, alone. “The choice is yours.” The dark pony said, his parting words not pointing her one way or the other.

Card stood on top of her empire, looking out at the rising sun with a drink in her hoof. She walked to the ledge and raised her glass in a toast. “To you Temps, thank you for opening my eyes.” She then drained her glass before looking at contemplatively. She smirked, tossing the glass over her shoulder then turned and headed back inside. “And for showing me I’d made the right choice.”

fin

/* Happy Hearth's Warming Every Pony! I know this is late, but I kept getting sidetracked while putting this together. I hope you've enjoyed it.

And to all the ponies who follow this series. You're awesome.
Also a special thanks to my prereader, Skyclimber. You're also awesome!

-Dracarion
*/

Author's Note: Reformat

Author's Note: Reformat:

This story thread was originally labeled the pilot episode. I changed that on 11/12/11 to simply be "The World Today". I also changed the synopsis for the overall story series, as the CMC do not hold the spotlight throughout. I hope that this change will not confuse anypony, and that the bad rating with no constructive criticism doesn't deter you from reading this.

At current, I have three more "episodes" in the works with several more ready to start (including a couple multi-parters), and have decided the best way to keep the storyline somewhat fluid was to combine them all here in one long story. Here, Fin only means that the episode has ended, and the credits will roll. Again, I apologize for any confuse this leads to.

I will also be including a rudimentary timeline that goes from the Nightmare's return to the current point in time. I intend to keep this updated as more FIM eps are released and with this being post season 1 and pre season 2, I feel no guilt in omitting anything cannon presented after Best Night Ever.

Finally, I ask those who would give this work a rating to please tell me what I did or did not do to make their experience what it was so that I might better hone my skills. I admit that I am but a lowly amateur, so please help me make this better for everypony, and let me know where to improve.

Thank you for giving me your time, and for reading, what I feel, could be a very interesting journey.

Humbly,

Dracarion.

The World Today Time Line

/*A/N: For the timeline, I am going to be using the years since Nightmare Moon was banished. This timeline will incorporate major events that have occured to lead these ponies to where they are today. I will be using NB for Nightmare Banished on the ends of the years.

Ponies in my stories also have a more human lifespan of 75-80 years, with legal maturity being around 18 and the average pony getting their cutie mark around 8.

I hope this helps to clarify anything I have in my stories.*/

985 NB:
First confirmed sonic rain boom.

992 NB:
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell born

993 NB:
Scootaloo born

995 NB:
Carver Fel born
Dinkie Doo born

997 NB:
Aquashine born
Cars start becoming common place in suburban areas

1000 NB:
Twilight Sparkle moves to Ponyville
Nightmare Moon returns
Second documented sonic rain boom
Cutie Mark Crusaders formed
Shadow Prancer born

1001 NB:
Discord released and banished
Magic starts being channeled by non-unicorn
Cars start becoming commonplace in cities

1003 NB:
Dinkie inducted into the Crusaders
Electronics become far more common place due to improved manufacturing methods
Internet goes live
Automobiles banned from Manehatten city limits due to pollution
Carver Fel gets his cutie mark

1005 NB:
Crusaders attacked by creature in Everfree Forest
Fluttershy convicted of Foal Neglect
Scootaloo becomes one of the rare pegasi halfbreeds able to fly
Dinkie gets her cutie mark

1010 NB:
First Strike
-Ponyville, Cloudsdale, and Fillydelphia destroyed
-Crusader moved to proclaimed "Safe Zone"
-Ban on griffin made products
War breaks out between Equestria and The Griffin Kingdom of Marrl III
Carver Fel lies about age and becomes a mercenary
Scootaloo buys Goat
Scootaloo gets her cutie mark
Sweetie Bell gets her cutie mark

1012 NB:
Scootaloo goes to war involuntarily
Cloud's Fall founded
Ponyville rebuild project canceled

1015 NB:
Fillydelphia rebuild project completed
Scootaloo discharged from the Equestrian Hooved Services due to injury
Cloud's Fall rivals Canterlot for amount done in trade
Carver Fel returns to Fillydelphia

1016 NB:
Scootaloo involved in major car accident
Crusaders reunite after car wreck
Apple Bloom gets her cutie mark
War with Marrl III ends in The Nightmane Treaty
Ban on griffin made products remains in place
Economy collapses
-Unemployment skyrockets
-Ponies earn good money doing deeds for others
-Night Strikers formed
-Crusading Mare Cell formed