The Creation of Chaosby The Truth of ChaosChaptersChapter 1 - Twilight's WishChapter 2 - Not what you'd expect...Chapter 3 - Sweet DelicacyChapter 4 - A King's Greed.Chapter 5 - Beginning of the EndChapter 6 - Proud FlierChapter 7 - One Fang and a BountyGoing through intensive rewrite.Chapter 1 - Twilight's WishOn the horizon, the sun rose by the bidding of the sun goddess, shining its rays of light upon the world. Such a place was Ponyville, as the ponies already began yawning, jumping from their beds and heading for their kitchens to prepare breakfast. One mare in particular did not feel like getting up. She had stayed up the entire night studying, expanding and fortifying her knowledge on the history of Equestria. She moaned and rolled over, covering her head with her pillow to block out the sun coming from the window. Her purple mane and lavender fur could be seen trying to hide under the covers. Her assistant, a small baby dragon that scales were a lovely light shade of purple, which went by the name of Spike, raised to his feet, yawning. "Twilight, get up! The sun is rising!" He yelled out. The lavender pony groaned and stirred, but did not get out of bed. Spike sighed, "Whatever." He shrugged, and began heading downstairs as soon as he hopped out of bed. As soon as he was on ground level, he felt his stomach growl, and so he walked into the kitchen, and soon opened a drawer full of the gems he so loved to eat. He shoved a few into his mouth and closed the drawer, happily chewing on his breakfast. He began walking out, but turned, and headed back to the drawer. "Well, since Twilight's asleep, I guess that means she wouldn't mind me eating a few extra gems." He grinned deviously. "I mean, it's not like she would notice..." He chuckled and pulled the drawer out, taking one gem at a time and happily devouring it. After about ten gems, he started to get full, but before he placed the drawer back in its holder, he noticed a glimmer in the corner of his eye. He saw that the shine came from behind where the drawer was kept. He looked at the small shine curiously. "Huh?" He reached inside and his claws took hold of something. He began to pull it out, feeling the cold, dust covered metal. The unicorn known as Twilight Sparkle was humming soundly, enjoying her sleep in. She barely heard anything with the pillow overhead, which also blocked out the sun light, but it was beginning to get hot. Still, even with the pillow over her head, she could not ignore the screaming pain in her ears when a deafening "HEY TWILIGHT! WAKE UP!" was screamed beside her head. She immediately jumped to her feet, expecting an attack on the library or Ponyville in general. Instead, she opened her eyes to a rather boring sight. It was her assistant Spike holding an old, dust encased lamp. She groaned tiredly. "Ugh, Spike! I was sleeping!" She shouted; her expression one of tired frustration. "I'm sorry, but Twilight! I found a lamp!" He held the old, dusty, rusted lamp in front of her. "It might be a genie lamp!" "Oh Spike..." She shook her head and hopped off her bed, sighing. "Genie's don't exist." Spike laughed at this. "Yeah, and neither did Nightmare Moon until she showed up, proving everypony wrong except you. And yet you still believed." He said, and jumped onto the bed, holding the lamp high. He seemed to be posing. "Now I'm going to prove you wrong!" Spike began rubbing the old lamp, and the dust began to wipe off, revealing its true golden color. Still nothing came out of it. Nothing happened, and the silence had already begun to get weary. Twilight sighed, but before she could speak, Spike was already yapping. "Maybe it isn't clean enough. Twilight, can you clean it under some water?" Spike asked. Before she could protest, she was met with two, adorable, begging eyes. She sighed once more and gave in. "Fine," He replied. Spike jumped with joy and immediately ran down stairs, tripping on the last few and falling face down on the floor. Though injured, he immediately got up, rubbing his snout and heading downstairs to the water tank. Twilight sighed, knowing that this would not end the way Spike would hope it would. She entered the basement and looked around. The Tree of the Library's roots was more than noticeable. The huge, brown appendages were covering the ceiling, and sinking into the walls and floor. At the center of the basement was the huge, main root. Connected to it, at hoof level, was a tap, ready and waiting. Twilight first thought when she discovered the tap that it would be completely useless. Only later did Spike discover it's capability to draw the water from the root, and pour it out of its funnel. And so they used the tap for a lot of the water related things they did now. Spike placed the lamp directly under the place of the funnel's end. The tap itself was too high for him to reach. He turned and looked at Twilight with pleading eyes. "Please?" She sighed and using her magic, yanked the lamp out of his talons and turned the tap on. The water gushed from the tap, pouring down onto the lamp, and some splashed onto Spike. Soon the lamp was completely drenched; Twilight took a cloth from nearby, and began wiping the lamp. "Spike, after this, I want you reorganize the books on the history shelf. You woke me up way too early this morning." She exclaimed, looking at him with an un-happy expression. Spike sighed, but he remained hopeful that the lamp was magical. After a few minutes of intense cleaning, the lamp was shinier than it ever had been. It looked good as new, its golden material shining brighter. But still, there was no genie. Spike sighed, and already quickly ascended up the stairs. "Okay, I'll go to the shelf..." As soon as Spike was out of sight, Twilight began to walk up the stairs. It was only now that she was alone with the lamp, did she notice some inscriptions of an ancient, unknown language written on the side. Twilight glanced at it, puzzled. "I've never seen writing like this before.... Where did Spike find this?" She asked herself, examining the object at every angle. Twilight reached the top steps, and managed to see Spike doing the job he was applied to do. "Spike, pull up a book about Equestrian Ancient Writings, I think I need to take a look at thiiiiiissssss--!" She tripped on the last step, falling over and losing concentration, as her head hit the floor. The lamp flew from her magical hold, and landed on the ground. The collision caused the lamp's lip to slide of, landing a few meters away from her. Suddenly, the room began to rumble. It started soft, but it was already getting more intense. Twilight stumbled to her hooves, while Spike fell down with the three books in his claw falling to the floor. The rumbling eventually stopped, but when it did, both Spike and Twilight noticed they were knee deep in a strange fog. The lamp stirred a bit, and stopped moving. A small amount of mist, along with what seemed like a pearl, glided out of the lamp's lidless hole. It began to seep upwards, the pearl and the mist growing in size. Spike gasped, holding his claw over his mouth. Twilight simply stood in amazement as the huge mist cloud changed its shape, so it seemed like it had two, huge arms, sharp claws, and a muscular body. A trail of mist descended back into the lamp, and it didn't move from there. The pearl had grown into a huge, white orb, in the place of what would be the head. Inside the orb formed two, glowing yellow eyes. It blinked several times. "Ugh..... And I thought I had finally achieved sleep...,” The being said, its voice male but also dark and old. It glanced around, looking to Spike, and then back to Twilight. He noticed both of which were too stunned to do anything. He bowed before Twilight. "Greetings mistress, I am the genie from the lamp, and you have awoken me from my eternal slumber. I shall grant you three wishes, and then disappear off to some other place in this world, never to bother with you again." Twilight simply stared at the spectral creature. "I-it's not possible! Genies don't.... Genies don't....." She shook her head, closing her eyes, and counting to ten. She opened them, and sighed as the genie was still in her view. He was a real thing, or she was dreaming. Either way, couldn't hurt to have fun as she went along. "I guess I should make three wishes and let you rest..." Spike jumped up and down frantically, "Twilight! Can I get a wish? I found it." He asked, hopeful. Twilight took a look at him, and began walking towards him; the entities eyes following her movements. "Maybe Spike, but we shouldn't do something for ourselves. We should make the world a better place to live in, and make other ponies happy. Remember what happened last time you got selfish and greedy?" She asked with a serious expression on her face. He sighed and nodded. "Then you make the first wish Twilight." She nodded, and continued to walk closer to Spike, looking around, deep in thought. "Hmmmm, something to make Equestria a better place..... Maybe something we could do without? Like getting rid of the greed in dragons..." The genie laughed at this statement, "Seems like my mistress is a thoughtful and caring one. That is a change from the greed I worked for in the past." He exclaimed. He seemed to be smirking, yet he had no mouth. Twilight kept looking around, hoping for a good idea. "No chance of Changeling attack? Or what about no evil force in Equestria? That sounds good.... But everything has consequences...." She looked to the floor, where Spike dropped the three books. “History of Equestria: A beginner's guide”, “The History of the Twin Sister's Rule” and “Equestrian History: Discord Era”. She looked at the last book on the floor, and had an idea. "Hmmmm, what if I got rid of Discord? There couldn't be any consequence in that. Nothing could go wrong!" She exclaimed, smiling. She turned to the genie. "I wish Discord never existed." The genie was taken aback by this, as if he saw a horrifying beast before it. "... Is that your final decision?" "Yes." Though what made the genie jump, her decision was final. Spike shrugged, it seemed like a good idea. "I'm with Twilight. No doubt that without him here there would only be good stuff." The genie began to glow, and the room around them began to light up. They huddled close together, and as the white light took them into the bounds of space and time, they heard one final remark from the genie. "Oh how wrong you are...." Chapter 2 - Not what you'd expect...Twilight opened her eyes hesitantly. Her vision had been blurred by the intense light that surrounded her and Spike after she made her wish. She found herself lying on a cold, sterile, metal floor. Not the rough, wooden one from the library. She opened her eyes wide, and jumped to her hooves. Next to her was Spike, still sleeping soundly like a baby. And even further beside him was the magical lamp containing the genie. She walked over to it, and using the magic in her horn, lifted it from the floor. She glanced around, examining the new room she was in. It was a small bedroom, but not like any bedroom she had ever seen. The walls were made of hard steel, the floor made of the same cold material. Her bed was rather inviting, until she spotted several wires above it, dangling down to where her head would be lying. There was a small bedside table, with what seemed like an advanced digital clock. She had only seen those in the richest of houses in Canterlot. There were no windows, with a pale, white light on the ceiling keeping the room bright. Behind her, was a huge, metal door with a large, steel pad with several glowing strings surrounding it, with a imprint of a hoof in the center of it. Twilight slightly scared, yet slightly curious, nudged Spike. If she was going to do anything, she wanted her loyal assistant to be with her. He stirred a little more, curling up into a ball. She groaned, and gave him a kick. He yelped, and jumped to his feet, looking around. At first, he had a look of confusion, but, as he saw the lamp in her magical grasp, he giggled in delight. "It worked! It worked, didn't it?" He asked, curious, yet excited. She nodded in agreement. Spike was most defiantly right about the wish, confirming his suspicions and proving Twilight wrong. Then Spike took a good long look at the room around them. He shivered, never seeing so much grey in his life. "I don't like this place Twilight.... It doesn't feel right...." "Oh Spike, don't worry, everything will be fine..." She exclaimed, smiling. But, she too felt uneasy in the presence of such a grey and grim place, like it was hollow emptiness. Then she realized something. Everything was silent. She didn't hear anypony before waking up Spike. There were no sounds, except for the sounds of their own voices. This made Twilight jump. Though she liked silence, this silence was different. Normal silence you would still here the trotting of hooves, the sound of pages being turned, and the occasional cough every now and then. "Spike... It's--" "Quiet, I know...." He interrupted, glancing around. "It just doesn't feel right!" He looked around frantically, trying to find some way out. The only thing which he knew of was the large, knob-less door. He pressed against it, though it didn't move one bit. "What kind of door is this?!" The silence finally starting to get to him, he started knocking against the door. "Let me out!" He cried out desperately, hoping somepony would hear. Twilight pulled Spike away from the door, and pushed him to the ground. He groaned a bit, and glanced at her, his expression upset. "Ugh... What was that for Twilight?!" "You were losing it, Spike. If we are going to get out of here, we need a cool head." She exclaimed, walking up to the door. She pressed her hooves against it, with the faint hope it would budge. It did not. She sighed, and then moved away from the door. Instead, she turned her attention to the metal pad on the wall. She began examining it, especially the hoof indent in the center. Being the only thing she could do, she lifted her hoof, and pressed it against the indent. The pad glowed, and a large siren noise was heard, booming inside the silent room. The door then slowly slid open, into a long, metal corridor, with large metal doors much like the one that had just slid away. She walked out into the corridor, being slightly thankful that corridor was not as silent as the room she was trapped in for a while. The corridor emitted a low hum, and, with her ears trying to find the source, her eyes glanced to the ceiling. It was entwined with wires and electronics, including several flashing lights and strange screens. Spike quickly followed her out, shivering with the noise of the hum overhead. "... I don't like this place Twilight.... Where is everypony...?" He asked, fear well heard in his voice. Twilight looked around, just as worried as Spike. "I don't know..." She began walking through the corridor. She continued glancing to the doors, noticing each had the same metal pad beside it like the one in her room. The genie lamp still in her holding spell, she contemplated asking the genie what was wrong. Surely erasing Discord from existence wouldn't have caused anything bad. Right? Twilight kept her thoughts to herself, not wanting to worry Spike even more, for he already seemed terrified. He was only a baby after all. Her own deep worry was enough. And although they had escaped the room they arrived in, they seemed to be stuck in another room much similar, just longer and with more doors and less beds. With nothing better to do, she asked Spike his opinion on what they should do. "Spike, what do you think we should do?" The small purple dragon looked around, pondering. "Maybe we should try opening one of these doors?" He suggested bluntly. Twilight pondered on it. Since they had nowhere in particular to go, she walked up to the closest door on the left side of the corridor. She pressed her hoof in the indent, and the siren boomed its horn. Slowly, the door began to slide away, and as soon as Twilight could see properly inside, she wanted to puke. Inside, the room was much like the room they found themselves in, with a bedside table, and the most horrific sight. The bed contained a mare sleeping in it. She was skinny, her bony ribcage very visible, along with her scrawny legs, gaunt head; there where several wires from the ceiling entering her mouth, nostrils, and ears. Her fur was a dull cyan color, with the same color, along with white streaks, in her mane. She was a unicorn upon the sight of her horn, and Twilight gaze traveled to her cutie mark, the sign of her talent. It was a lyre. Twilight backed away, her mind in haze. She pressed her hoof against the indent, and the door slid shut. Spike, luckily, did not get a chance to see what's inside, but looked at Twilight, scared to see such a deathly scare on her face. He was afraid to ask, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Twilight, what was in there...?" She muttered "...Lyra..." to herself, before turning to her dragon assistant. "Spike, we need to get out of here. Now!" Suddenly, alarms began emitting from everywhere. Their sound deafening as a strong, feminine voice began shouting. "Warning! Warning! Unauthorized access to hub #0863! Begin immediate detainment procedure!" Then words boomed in the mare's ears, along with the alarms. Suddenly, over all the deafening noises that could be heard, Twilight heard a strange, metallic clanking. She turned her head to the opposite side of the hall, and saw three, large pony-like robots galloping towards them. A few panels in their bodies moved away to reveal what looked like...weapons. She turned, using her magic to lift Spike onto her back, and gave him the lamp, and with only one last backwards glance, filled with fear, she began to gallop and concentrated solely on running. The robotic pony quickly followed, chasing after the lavender pony. She charged on, not looking back. She had Spike to do that for her, shouting and pointing to "Go faster!" because “They're catching up!". She continued to run at her fastest pace, being chased down the seemingly endless corridor. Suddenly, she had, well to her, a brilliant idea. Concentrating, she poured all her energy into a spell, hoping to teleport away from the robotic ponies. She released the energy... But nothing happened. Something was denying her magic. After several minutes of intense running and Spike's shouting, Twilight had ground to a halt. A dead end. It seems like the endless corridor had an end after all. She looked back, seeing that the robot ponies stopped, and began readying their weapons. She felt all her hope lost. That was when Spike jumped off her back, and in a last ditch attempt, threw the lamp on the floor, hoping for anything, just as the metallic ponies fired their weapons. In a white flash of light, Spike and Twilight disappeared, causing the fired missiles and bullets to hit the wall behind them. The magical lamp faded from view, and the robotic ponies, no longer picking anything up on their sensors, turned and began trotting back to the deployment point. Twilight and Spike found themselves in an endless void of space and time, stranded on a single piece of what seem like land. The universe around them was constantly changing; stars appear and disappear, worlds flying past them into massive black holes. It was simply amazing and terrifying at the same time. Suddenly, Twilight felt like a being of unknown power was directly behind her, similar to the way she felt around Celestia. But this...this was on a whole new level. She slowly turned her gaze to a familiar being, the spectral transparent body with the orb containing those yellow slim eyes all too unnatural. The two exchanged a long, hard glare, before the genie finally spoke. "Beautiful, isn't it?" The genie said, glancing at the two. Spike jumped, not knowing the genie was there, but sighed in relief as he recognized the being. "Where are we?" Twilight asked, the dimension around them warping and changing. "We are in what I call home, the lamp." He replied, now watching the surrounding realm with a strange form of content placed upon his face. "Wait.... You live in this place?!" Twilight shouted, horrified at the genie. More than a day of this constant chaos would drive her insane. "Yes... It takes a while to get used to... But it's not usually like this." His gaze came back to Twilight's eyes. "You should thank your little friend here..." He gestured towards Spike. "If he did not throw my home so abruptly intcrashing when it crashed on the floor, I would not have realized you two were so endangered." Twilight's ears perked up, and she looked at the genie curiously. "So... You saved us?" The genie nodded in response. "I am not a heartless wish-granting specter. If your wishes are not evil based, which it was not, I will care for your well-being as long as you have me in your care." He gave her a stern look. "But... My wish... How could it cause--" "Such horrifying things?” He interrupted, his sight going back to the chaos around them. Twilight followed his gaze, and the world around them seemed to slow down. "Discord is one of the most crucial parts of Equestrian History. You may think he is the worst thing that happened to Equestria, but it is quite the opposite." Twilight gave the genie a quizzical look. "Without Discord, the Princesses of Night and Day would not exist, along with the Elements of Harmony." He implied. Twilight's jaw dropped. "What?! But....But...!" Twilight was left speechless. She had never heard something so preposterous in her life. Discord was the Personification of Chaos and Disharmony. How in the land of Equestria did he have to do with the Princesses' existence if he wasn't created? Even more unbelievable was that his creation had some connection to the Elements of Harmony existing. To Twilight, it didn't make sense. "You seem confused..." The genie exclaimed. "Perhaps now is the time to use your second wish..." Twilight gave him a quizzical look. "What do you mean?" "Don't you want to find out how this..." He made a gesture his transparent hand, and a shadowed figure of Discord appeared, though it was more of a lifeless statue. Soon, it faded with a swipe of the genie's hand. "... Contributes to the Land of Equestria you know.... And this..." He made another gesture, signaling them to look to the world around them. Slowly, it changed to a barren wasteland, a fiery sky spanning above them. They continued moving until they reached a single building, which shined white, along with pure black smoke rising from it through strange tubes that looked like chimneys. Suddenly, in a flash of light, they appeared somewhere else. At the sight of another poor pony, Twilight's first reaction was to cover Spike's eyes. But it was too late. Spike shoved Twilight's hoof out of the way of his eyes, looking at the horrific sight of Lyra. It took him a few seconds before Spike turned to the genie. "W-what happened to E-Equestria...?" He stuttered, scared and shivering. The genie placed his hand on his head. "I believe correctly, your master said you may obtain a wish." "I didn't say that! I said mayb--" Twilight began, when the genie gave her a dark glance. "I know you want to find out what happened just as much as he does..." The genie said, looking back to Spike. "So, what is your one wish?" Spike took another glance at Lyra, or what was left of her, before turning to the genie. "I wish to know what Discord has to do with all this..." He answered, staring at the genie. He nodded in response, and the world around them began to fade, including the land beneath them...and the genie. Soon, Twilight and Spike were only standing on tiny eocks, when that faded too, and they fell into everlasting blackness. Twilight began screaming, when the genie spoke to her, and Spike, as it seemed the voice was so close, so far, and all around them. "Do not fret... Just close your eyes, and soon you will see the truth." Spike and Twilight did as the genie asked, and they both held each other close as they slowly shut their eyes, waiting for whatever was to come... Chapter 3 - Sweet DelicacyThe sun began rising at its usual time, its radiance showering over the horizon. The land of Equestria awoke to the view of a light rising higher into the sky, until the light was no longer hidden to those farthest out in the land. Camps, sheds, and houses began to awake with a stir with their owners leaving their beds and starting off a new day in the first city of Equestria, Canterlot. One house in particular was holding a very special pony whose smile seemed to light up other's hearts like the sun itself. The light shone through a small opening through the middle of the silky curtains, for they had not been shut properly the night before. The light had finally managed to find itself shining on a certain pony's eyes, forcing him awake from the glare of it's source. The light brown pony stirred, and slowly opened his eyes. His eyes, in fact, were probably the most unique part of him. They had two different sizes. The iris in his left eye was smaller than an average pony's, making him a source for teasing when he was little. But instead of succumbing to the depression, he simply decided to like whatever ponies said about his eyes. He would reply 'Thank you!' to a pony who would say his eyes were weird; he would say 'Sorry, but it's not my problem if you don't like me. I don't really care if you don't want to be friends, but you're missing out,' to anypony who would say he should 'leave because he was different or because he seemed like such a bother'. Now, in his bed at a ripe age of 20, he groaned a little as he slowly rose from his bed, and smiled at the window. "Morning sunshine," He said as he stepped out of his bed and moved over to the curtain. He grinned widely and spread the curtains wide, embracing the full force of the sun's light. "Nice day you got here." The sign on the door flipped from 'Closed' to 'Open' as the light brown pony passed by, his smile quite wide as he hopped over the counter, placing the bell ringer down as he headed into the kitchen to grab some pre-made chocolate out of his freezing cabinet. He began to collect the orders some of the ponies made yesterday, and as he trotted back to the counter with the chocolate in hoof. Just as he made himself comfortable, he was surprised to see the door open up at such an early hour, but smiled as he saw a familiar face enter the shop. "Well, good morning Ticking Clock!" He greeted, smiling at the grey mare with the straight, white mane and cutie mark clock. The unicorn smiled back at him shyly, walking towards the counter as she pressed her small spectacles further back her nose. "Uh... Hi, Chocolate Chaos..." She smiled shyly at him as she made it face to face. The light brown pony giggled a little, smiling back. "I told you, call me Choco. All my friends do!" He exclaimed, cocking his head a little to make himself look adorable. He pulled up a paper bag from the display case, and held it in his hoof, untying the sting that held it together. It was a thing of his to make sure his customers were completely satisfied with his products before they bought them. "There you go, fifteen Cocoa flies, like you ordered." Chocolate Chaos said, emptying the bag carefully after he pulled the string away. After which, he smiled as Ticking gazed at the delicacies spread across the counter. They were butterflies made from chocolate, which were about 10 centimeters long and wide in average. But, the most unique thing about them was the details. Each one of them were different, whether it be body size or wingspan. But the most eye catching feature were the wings, on each them were different indentations, with remarkable accuracy. Ticking Clock put her hoof to her mouth, stunned by the beauty and details of the small butterflies. "Choco... They're amazing..." She picked one up, looking at it from all sides. "I'm not sure I can eat something that looks so... so... wonderful..." She exclaimed as she continued to examine the beautiful chocolate treat. Choco giggled at her statement, his spiky black mane shifting around as he jumped in success, letting off a soft squeal. He then leaned over the counter, pushing his head right up to Ticking's face, in which she reared back bit, looking a bit stunned with a red tint on her cheeks as she pushed her spectacles up her nose once again. "Of course you can! It's only chocolate!" He said, giving off another childish giggle. He felt like he needed to show her how, so he took a spare from the display case. He threw it high in the air and caught it in his mouth like a dog, eating it whole. Ticking looked towards Choco, giggling a little, before hesitantly turning to the delicacy in her hoof. She pulled it to her mouth and, opening her jaws a little, pushed the chocolate against her teeth, and began to nibble on it. She looked pleased and slowly began to eat the whole thing, licking her lips and smiling in satisfaction when she finished. "That's really, really good!" She said, smiling happily at Choco. He squealed softly again in delight, shaking a bit. "Thanks! It's my own special recipe. Maybe later I can show you my famous chocolate milk!" Just before he could start ranting, his ears perked up as he heard the front door creak open again. He quickly got behind the counter, smiling as three ponies walked in. An earth pony mare, a pegasus stallion and pegasus colt. Choco smiled, instantly knowing they were a family, but surprised as he had not seen them before. He rested his hoof on the counter as the family walked up to him. Ticking stepped out of the way, allowing the ponies to get to the counter. he mare smiled at her in response, thanking her. The stallion took a good look at Choco, and reared back as he saw the two different colored and sized eyes. "What's with your--"He started, but was quickly interrupted by a childish grin. "Eyes? Oh, they've been like that since I was a small foal. Everypony teased me about it, but I don't mind it anymore. Sticks and Stones, right?" Choco explained. Before the stallion could answer, he and his family's eyes drifted to the chocolate butterflies, in which the stallion gazed in amazement. The mare, stunned, let her jaw drop and the colt smiled gleefully and began looking at each different one. "They are so pretty!" He said, grinning as he kept shifting between each one. The stallion smiled, and, seeing his son pleased, once more faced Choco. "How much for ten of these?" He asked curiously, glancing back at the Cocoa flies. The mare pulled out a bag of bits from her saddle bag, placing it on the counter, smiling kindly at him. Choco cocked his head in return, smiling at the family. "Two." He said with a cheerful expression on his face. The mare's mouth dropped once more, along with the stallions. The stallion shook his head, regaining his concentration. "Two? But....That's awfully cheap for such.... Art. Are you sure you don't mean five?" The father asked, his expression one of dumbfound. "Nope, definitely two bits!" Chocolate Chaos replied, smiling sincerely. The stallion looked stunned, then took two bits out of the bag. "Alright, if you say so..." The stallion said, partially feeling guilty for paying such a small price for something that looked like something out of a Five-Star restaurant. "Please, take a seat and I'll go get them ready." He smiled, gesturing to the tables near the front of the room. The family began trotting over to a table and Choco quickly disappeared into his kitchen in another room. Ticking started scooping up all the chocolate butterflies into a bag, smiling gratefully. As the family proceeded to the chairs around the table, the stallion sat down along with the rest of his family.And a noise resembling a long, loud fart was heard. Everything went silent as all the eyes in the room turned to the stallion. The noise had come from his direction. He looked around, a red tint on his cheeks as he saw everyone staring at him. It was a few seconds after that the child broke the silence with a repressed giggle, which turned into a large laugh. He laughed, pointing at his daddy, when soon another voice joined the laughter. Popping out from behind the count, Choco couldn't help but laugh aloud. During the laughter, he managed to get a few words in before he continued his laughing frenzy. "YOU'VE BEEN PRANKED!" He yelled, falling to his belly and rolling around laughing. Soon, Ticking began to giggle with the colt and Choco, and eventually joining them in group laughter. The stallion looked down to see he had sat on a whoopee cushion, and soon his wife, though she tried to resist, joined in with the crowded laughter. The stallion himself then began to laugh a little. The more he thought about it, the funnier it was. Soon, he had joined in also in the laughing frenzy. Eventually, the laughter eventually died off, smiles still on everypony's face as Choco picked himself off the ground, and grabbed a bag that had been placed on the counter. He moved over to the stallion, placing the bag on the table they sat around. "There you go, fifteen chocolate butterflies." The stallion looked at him strangely. "I thought we only ordered ten?" He exclaimed, curious as to what Chocolate Chaos was up to. The light brown pony smiled. "A rule of mine is: 'When you make a pony laugh, give them an extra half! Because what you do may not be kind, so in repayment, give them a gift so they don't mind." He smiled, cocking his head to the side a bit. The stallion looking in the bag, counting exactly fifteen Cocoa flies. He looked back up, his mouth opening to say something when he found that Chocolate Chaos was gone, already back behind the counter. He shrugged, and he spread the chocolate butterflies between him and his family. As they began to eat, his eyes widened. The chocolate was like none he had ever tasted, a perfect mix of sweetness and flavor. "We are definitely coming here again." Soon, business was bursting, probably the most customers Chocolate Chaos had for a one while. The orders were overwhelming, and soon he was beginning to think his customers may get displeased. That's when Ticking stepped into the kitchen, poking her head around several cabinets to find Chocolate Chaos rummaging through what looked like a bowl cabinet. "Come on come on come on!" He said, shifting through the container of containers. "Where is that stupid…Ah! Here it is." He said, pulling out a small wooden bowl with several holes in it. He began to turn around, already his next objective on his mind. "Now where are those ch--" He stopped mid-sentence as he saw Ticking Clock holding a bad of chocolate dust. She smiled and placed it on the bench near her, then brushed a bit of her mane out of her face. "You look like you need some help." She said flatly, smiling. Chocolate Chaos then thought about how she had stayed here the whole day, ever since he opened. He cocked his head slightly as he began pouring milk into a large container, then placing the bowl with holes inside that as well. "Ticking, why are you still here?" He asked bluntly. Ticking was a little taken aback, and seemed a little sad. Choco realized what he had just said and waved his hooves desperately in front of her. "Nononono, I meant, why are you staying here when you could be out in the Canterlot Gardens or something?" Ticking sighed thankfully, her expression flipping back into her joyous smile. "Well, I just wanted to spend the day with you of course." She said, her eyes then widening and covering her mouth with her hoof. "I mean, well...Uh.....Umm...." She blushed, looking away shyly. Choco smiled, placing one of his hooves on her shoulder. "I would be glad if you continued to stay. I don't mind." He then grew his childish grin. "In fact, would you like to help me out in the kitchen?" He asked, smiling sincerely. "Okay, on one condition." She replied, smiling with the red tint on her cheeks. "What?" "After your work hours are over, you have to take me on a date~" She said, looking away blushing hard, but a smirk was apparent on her face. Choco blushed in return, but then shook his head. "D-Deal." He replied, smiling shyly turning as red as Ticking. Soon, they heard complaints from the counter, and they immediately got to work. Chapter 4 - A King's Greed.The dim lit throne room gave a dark impression on any who would enter it. Even though the room was newly built it still had a few improvements to be made, but it satisfied the current ruler's needs. The columns were half finished; several connected but needed some reinforcement to stay strong. The huge windows in the large chamber were sealed by curtains, hiding the light from the outside world. Instead, the room was lit by torches connected to the wall, and a large, elegant chandelier ridden with candles. Two large gates opened to the throne room, and directly opposite the entrance on the other side of the hall a large, decorative throne stood. It was a shining gold color, with rubies and amethysts dug into its shape. Sitting in the throne, hoof at his cheek to keep him up, was a male Pegasus wearing a dark crown decorated with jewels. His dark blue fur blended in with the shaded environment around him, his light blue mohawk mane cut up well above his neck, in the old War Pony fashion. His hair was up except for a certain number of strands, long since cut, arching over his crown to the front of his face. He blew the strands constantly, trying to keep them away from his face, though the act was futile. He was uninterested in everything around him, his grey eyes constantly shifting for something new. He yearned for a good hour of flying due to his pegasus nature, but being a pony of royal statue, this would raise discussion. He decided he would check up on his latest project, a secret not known to the public, and slowly heaving himself from his throne. He felt like sitting down one more, the comfort of the throne leaving him. A grim expression was plain on his face as he sighed, walking away from his seat. He trotted down the chamber, grunting in frustration as he gestured for his personal guards stationed at the door, to open it. They used the magic of their horns, being unicorns, and opened the huge doors in ease. He marched through and trotted through the hall way. Both guards gave uneasy glances as the watched him go. He continued to walk, a fake, sincere-looking smile on his face as he greeted all he passed. That way, many still believed him to be the kind, promising king he had shaped himself to be in his speeches. The ponies loved him. His silver tongue had won over the crowd; his false promises had grabbed their hopes. Little did they know the ponies of the now one hundred year old Equestria had just appointed a power hungry selfish Pegasus as their new ruler. He chuckled at the thought of it, his pace quickening a little as he hoped to rid the fake smile off his face. He hated when he smiled. Unless, it was for himself of course. He finally found the end of the large hall. It appeared to be unclean, and highly unused. The true purpose, however, was exactly that. It seemed like a completely useless place to be, and as such, it was the perfect place to hide a secret. The end of the hall had been maintained to look that way ever since the king had unearthed a millennia old secret, and hid it in the very door to the left at the end of the hall. He grinned, and pressed his hoof against the door. It slid open, and, when nopony was looking, he walked inside, the door slamming behind him, returned the hall to its original dirty look. On the other side of the door everything was different. Ancient glowing lines and runes were scattered across the walls, showing that the passage further down. The king began to continue his visit, a glint of darkness in his eyes as he continued down the secret passage. Soon, after several meters of walking, his darkened smirk fell across his face once more as he saw the result of his works. He stood in a wide chamber, filled to the brim with ponies in lab coats, and several wore goggles as they rushed from place to place, worked where they stood, or were having a nice chat. They didn't care much about the arrival of their king, since he did so almost every twelve hours. The dark blue noble walked stridently towards the only pony he cared to pay any attention to. He was always the most noticeable in a crowd, the way he did his hair like that. The king raised an eyebrow, still smirking as he walked up to the lead scientist and tapped him on the shoulder. The stallion zipped around, his eyes widening at his kings arrival. "Commanding Hoof! I-I mean, your majesty, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you had arrived." "Nonsense, Chemical Flask. Come, tell me about the progress." Commanding hoof said, grinned rather amusingly at the scientist. Chemical Flask was an interesting unicorn, with a variety of colors, his body was covered with a light purple coat of fur, with a tint of lavender; his eyes were a deep purple. On his rump, was a cutie mark of a flask, rocking side to side brimming with a purple liquid that seemed to sparkle; showing his talent for science and magic. But his mane, while interesting to the king, was the most unordinary part of his body. It was white, seemingly shimmering even, with purple and pink streaks through it and his tail. Many of his fellow community laughed at him for that, but when they did, he would always backfire with how he actually had a wife while most of his fellow scientists didn't even have marefriends; putting them to shame. The king found this act amusing all the time. Chemical Flask was definitely one of the ponies he liked most in all of Equestria. They began to walk down a corridor, leaving the main group of scientists behind. "So, I hear you have good news for me?" "Yes sir!" He replied brightly, smiling at the king. "Soon, probably a couple of weeks or so from now, we will finally have access to the power inside the element!" Commanding Hoof gave a fake, but sincere smile back to him. He lied even to those he was closest to. Why? Because he cared only for himself that’s why. "Yes, and when we do, the unlimited power will bring Equestria higher than ever before as we shall develop new technologies with you at my side, friend." He exclaimed, placing a hoof on Flask's shoulder. He felt praised, his smile widened more. They were all so gullible, these ponies. As long as they were provided with treats, they would do tricks for their master. "S-Sir, I am honored you call me friend, but it makes me feel a little...Embarrassed. Please, just call me Professor." He replied nervously. He did not want Ill words on the king, one had done so before and was never heard from again. Rumor had it that he had insulted the king so terribly he was locked away in the deepest dungeon. Flask gulped, never wanting anything like that to happen to him. "Of course Professor, but stop calling me sir, it makes me feel old. Lordship will do, I suppose." The king said, last in thought. He shook his head, turning to his follower. "Say, do you mind if I may... Examine the object?" He asked. He had quickened his pace, hoping for a fast reaction from Flask. "In fact, yes, you may. We finally have it under stable condition, and as such, it can now even be viewed up close. Just don't touch it, or expect the worst." Flask said, chuckling nervously. They reached the end of the corridor. The lights no longer lit up on the wall, and something glowed through the space between the door and the hallway. Chemical Flask pressed his hoof against the metal door, creaking as it opened and the light momentarily blinded them. Flask simply closed his eyes, while Commanding Hoof covered his face with his hoof, wince away. Soon, the bright light was tolerable and the king pulled his hoof away. Flask was already entering, walking inside a room with a glass wall which peered into another room. Several gadgets were about, but the king did not pay them any mind as he stepped inside the observation room, standing next to Flask as they gazed at the object, both wishing a different goal with it. The king wanted to obtain absolute power. The scientist wanted only to further exam it and find the source of its power, hoping to create a brighter future from it. "It was such a joyless day when my men found it. I needed to discover it's purpose, so I sent out for somepony to discover just that. And I found you, and I couldn't ask for anypony better for the job." He said, nudging him slightly. This was all just an act, an illusion of friendship between ponies. While Chemical Flask felt it, Commanding Hoof felt nothing. Flask nudged back, and gave a small chuckle. His sight went from his experiment to the king, happiness in his eyes. The king gave a smirk, raising one of his eyebrows back at him. "So, may I enter?" "Of course my king, remember what I said though." "Just curious, can you hear anything behind this glass?" "Nope" Flask replied, glancing back to the object. "Or else several ponies would’ve been driven mad by its intense humming." The king nodded, glancing back to see his prize, his future, as Flask pulled a lever on a nearby gadget. A small entryway cut itself into the glass, the first thing to be heard was an intense, low hum. Commanding Hoof passed through it, ignoring the sound and took a few steps forward. It seemed a lot lighter from the other side of the glass, causing his vision to adjust to the darkness around him. The entrance closed, and he edged closer to the objective he had set out to check upon. Never before was he this close. He could almost touch it, but was reminded silently of Flask's words. He hissed a little, and then grinned, staring at the object at the top of the small, metallic altar. The altar had been built for the element, to contain its overflow of power. The king gave a low chuckle, staring at the gem that was ridden with different colors. "Soon Element of Harmony, you will be mine..." Chapter 5 - Beginning of the EndCommanding Hoof sat up in his throne, one of the things he did little of, with Chemical Flask to the front of him. He was having a deep conversation, and ordered the guards out of the room. After all, these were private matters. Coming from a dark corner of the chamber was a sound which resembled snoring, but was not like the voice of a pony. "My king, I'm not sure this 'grand' surprise will work. I mean, doesn't it seem a little sudden? Only two weeks to prepare?" Chemical Flask questioned the King; worry was plain in his tone. Cautiousness and smart thinking had gotten him his job, but that did not make him the King's advisor. Well, at least Commanding Hoof did not see it that way. The King took a deep breath, his fake smile waving. "Well, that's what makes it so grand. I mean, it's been one hundred years since the founding of our wondrous land. Can't you imagine the ponies will want to hold a celebration on the day that birthed Equestria?" The Pegasus questioned, seemingly raising a valid point. His inner expression turned to dark joy when he saw the professor trying to think of something to reply with, but not a word left his lips. The dark coated stallion continued, sitting tall in his gem ridden throne. "And what better way to celebrate than to hold a contest for every creature in the lands to attend? Imagine the crowd, cheering and shouting out for their favorite competitor." The light purple pony sighed, nodding reluctantly to the Kings’ opinion. "As you wish your lordship, but I still don't think this is a good idea. I believe the people would take the news regarding the Harmony Element rather happil--" Chemical Flask was quickly cut off by his superior's cold stare, lips instantly closing as he took a step back. Giving a heavy sigh, the professor turned on his hoofs and paced towards the entrance. Without looking back, his horn enveloped in a white light, the doors shutting close behind him, setting off to find the records bank. Once the doors refused to reveal any light from outside, the King's smile vanished, the grim, uptight expression once again painted on his face. He glanced to the corner that was shedding the essence of noise. Squinting his eyes, "Chito, if you do not stop that snoring I will send you to the dungeons to sleep!" Commanding Hoof yelled, slamming his forefoot against the arm of his throne. A figure stirred in the corner, stretching and yawning quietly before beginning to make his way over to his lord. As soon as the creature stood in the light, the king had to resist the urge to rear back in disturbing shock. It stood on two claws, connecting to a pair of stubby, short legs. His body was a dark and slightly grey shade of purple, his fur brimming around his neck. His arms tucked into the sides of his body, the wings attached to them closing as much as they could. He shook his head slightly, his large, rounded ears flicking around, jet black eyes staring at his master. He smiled towards the pony, rolling his shoulders. "I am sorry that I disturbed you, master. If you wish I shall go sleep somewhere else." The creature known as Chito began, bowing slightly as he approached the king, "Unless you have need of me?" "Actually, yes, I do..." He placed his hoof beneath his chin, looking off into space as he recapped what he needed the strange bat creature for. The image of a bear came searing into his mind, and the king let out a quiet growl. "Do you remember that law enforcer Lania?" Chito looked upwards into space, bringing a talon to his chin as he searched his memories. "Are you referring to the Chief of P.O.C., also one of the subjects from the many Animal Adaption programs?" The purple bat questioned, his sight moving back to his lord. The ruler of Equestria nodded, up-rightly sitting in his throne. "I need Lania out of the picture. The way she spoke out against me was more than an argument. It was a threat. I need her gone before she becomes more trouble. Understand?" The king ordered, glaring menacingly to his dark follower. The bat smiled grimly, an expression that was only ever seen before he went off to do his job. "Any conditions?" "Just one, do it sometime next week. There is going to be a huge festival and not many ponies will notice a missing animal with such a fuss going on. I don't care how you do it, drowning, posting, the works, just do it." The assassin smirked, fanning his wings. He gave his master a bow, and directly after waved his wings. A large gust of wings blew into the kings face, forcing his eyes shut as the distinct sound of flying ringed in his ears. By the time he finally opened his eyes and returned his sight, Chito had disappeared, though not an opening into the room was found. No matter how hard you try, science would never help you create something to read books. The professor shook his hoof in frustration as he once again turned the page, skimming through the thousands of thousands of words that represented each pony. His sight scanned the names, his mind beginning to wander as he lost his concentration. Was his king truly making the right decision? Hiding the Element of Harmony from public knowledge may surprise, if not frighten, the people if revealed at a celebration. But that surprise may turn to joy after he expressed the wonders the element could do for every living being in Equestria. He shook his head, regaining his composure as his sight returned to the writing filled book. He resumed his name scanning, hoping to find a 5-Star pony that could make delicacies and was, well, likeable. He finally reached the 'C' section, scanning through names and occupations. Candy Aero. Pegasus. Mare. 4-Star rating. Hilarious, but talks too much. Confection Blur. Unicorn. Stallion. 5-Star rating. Snobby, proud, and highly distinguished. Chocolate Chaos. Earth Pony. Stallion. 5-Star rating. Friendly, pulls the occasional prank, but always manages to get on a pony's good side. The scientist stopped, raising and eyebrow as he reread the previous line. Excellent quality goods and a social success? Perfect. He wrote the name down on the list of ponies he was scanning through, underlining it with a soft smile. He scanned the details on the location of his workplace, and wrote that next to the name in smaller writing. He closed the book, sighing in satisfaction. Hopefully, this pony would be able to deal with the confection. If not, Flask had some more reading to do. He exited the room, a list of names on a single piece of paper, the words all resembling food of some sort. He returned to his office, taking out fresh instruments for writing, and began to write a series of letters. Chemical Flask sighed, his eyes weary as he finished jotting down the final letter. But he couldn't sleep yet. Now that the food was (hopefully) dealt with, tomorrow would be full of name finding for the entertainment section of the festival. He groaned, rising to his feet and exiting his office, the letters folding into his saddlebag. He soon exited the secret compartment of the palace, trotting slowly and unseen out into the main chamber of the royal castle. He passed down the stairs, moving through the chamber and exiting the castle, outside into the glorious night. The stars were lit rather brightly, as the sky above was a true marvel of the universes creation. He smiled, the tire of his body sweeping over him. He would welcome sleeping on the lovely grass under the watchful gaze of the moon, but he had a job to finish. Continuing down the road, he eventually found himself at the post office, a pegasus stallion with a grey coat and black, spiky mane smiling at him from behind the counter as he entered. "Professor Flask, it is good to see you. Staying up late working again?" He asked, trying to start conversation. Flask smiled back, taking the letters out of the saddlebag. "Yes, in fact. I was writing these letters in the king's name and I need them to be delivered quite quickly." The weary stallion replied. The mailpony nodded, scanning the locations on each of the letters. "I'll get right to it, sir. Now, you need some sleep, so I suggest you return to your room in the palace, and get a good night's sleep." The pegasus stated, before placing his saddlebag on his back and scooping all the letter into them. He flipped the sign on the front of the door from 'Active' to 'Busy', and followed the professor outside, locking the door behind him. "Good day, Professor Flask." He ended, stretching his wings and taking to the sky, soon out of sight in the vast darkness of the night. Flask sighed happily, before trotting towards the castle to obtain some well-earned sleep. Chocolate Chaos giggled, rubbing his cheek fondly as he practically pranced through the room. Everything was a bit of a blur to him, but he found himself not caring. “Perhaps it was the wine”, he thought to himself. Smiling sheepishly as he trotted into his kitchen, Choco sighed in glee as he began to cautiously clean the dishes. He hadn't felt this happy as he did now in a long time. His date with Ticking had gone more than smoothly. His cheek still bright red from where she kissed him, he couldn't help but feel something for this mare. His chest jumped whenever he thought of her, her image consuming his thoughts. He quickly reminded himself of his job, and resumed to clean. His smile did not waver though, a grin spreading from ear to ear. He heard a knock on his door. He raised his brow, looking towards the walkway of the kitchen. He shrugged; putting the dishes he was holding away and headed out to see who was knocking. His eyes widened as he saw a familiar pony standing outside through the glass, holding a letter in his hoof. He unlocked the door, smiling at the mailpony. "Hello Jet Stream. How are you?" He greeted, smiling at the black maned pony. The mailpony hooved the letter over returning the smile. "Not bad actually, thanks for asking." He glanced at the letter, raising an eyebrow. "That's a letter from the Royal Castle in the name of the king. I hope you haven't been causing too much trouble, Choco." He stated. The chocolate making pony slumped, his eyes widening. He quickly ripped open the letter, checking its contents. His expression changed instantly from fear to curiosity as he began to read the letter aloud. "Dear Chocolate Chaos, In two weeks we shall be hosting the greatest festival in honor of our one hundred year old Equestria, the Race of Bolts and Lightning. The best fliers of the land will come by and partake in such an amazing event that will surely be a spectacle to watch. And as such, we need the best of the best to prepare the confection and delicacies, and seeing as you have gained such an approval from many customers, we have decided that you... prepare... the.... sweets and.... deserts?" Chocolate Chaos looked at it stunned, his mouth agape, trying to process the information. "Me? But... I'm no expert...." He stated to himself more than the mailpony in front of him, who was also listening intently to the letter he was reading aloud. Chocolate Chaos shook his head, and continued to read. "We hope you will be able to attend this celebration, and as such, we would love it if you could spread the word about the celebration. If you are going to take advantage of this opportunity, please reply to this letter as fast as you can. From, The King's messenger." Chocolate Chaos stood there for a moment, taking in all this new information, before looking back up at Jet Stream. A smile returned to his face, his eyes widening in excitement. "Jet Stream, could you tell them I would be glad to?" Chapter 6 - Proud FlierIn the forest lands of Gi' Thadu, deep in the towering trees of forest, there lived a small village. The huts were built upon the branches of the Sky Trees, the strong bark provided a base for the small homes to lean on. There was no need for ladders or doors, just a simple home made of entwining willows and twigs, with no glass windows. And of course, a nice, comfortable hammock in which the residents use to sleep. The residents themselves were a flying race not known much about. They had the pride and the honor. These were the griffons, a species of beings which resembled the front half of an eagle and the back half of a lion. They were informed about the recent developments in the land known now as Equestria, over the eastern seas, and were quite surprised. They had never heard of the ponies before then, and were curious to their behavior, just like any other sentient creature would be. But before long, the years went by and they had gotten used to their friendly nature. The ponies were entranced by their land and living style, touring all there was to see. The griffins had created a bond with the ponies after long, helping each other out in certain situations. But as the lands were so commonly visited, eventually the tourists began to decline, leaving the griffons alone once more. Only one pony had decided to properly live with the village, settling on the ground beneath the towering protection of the trees. A unicorn stallion, with enough strength to lift a boulder, Smoulder Forge was a Blacksmith and apparently according to the rest of his kind, he is one of the best. He found that the wood in the forest could be used to help create high quality tools, furniture, and weapons. According to him, a nearby cave housed a large amount of quality steel as well. The griffins, while they didn't talk to him much since he lived so far below, enjoyed his company most of the time. The items he created had made a nice improvement on the village, some of which were clippers for their feathers, buckets to carry water, and blades for cutting branches which were growing out of place. Only one griffon visited him daily. The black feathered flier Glider was Smoulder's apprentice, learning the arts of metal moldering. He started the day with a small flight before the rise of the sun, and by the time the dawn had only begun, he was flying down below the trees to the metal forge. It was then that Smoulder opened the door for him, gesturing him inside quickly, and shut the door for the rest of the morning. It was only during the beginning of the sunset the Glider exited the forge, every time with a new creation to show off. The one he was most proud of was his compass, a device to point in the direction known as 'North'. He boasted that because of it, he would never get lost if his wing managed to get injured and he had to reside on the ground. He would talk all day about the wonders of metal and heat. The forge truly did him wonders and dreams. Which was why he had felt so incredibly bored when Smoulder Forge had to leave for an entire week. The griffon had been specifically told not to go into the forgery until the unicorn returned. While he was somewhat of a trouble maker, he was loyal to his teacher and respected his wishes. Glider did not even find the skies he so loved as entertaining as they once were. His friends told him he had grown too accustomed to the ground. His brother, Gipha, was currently trying to persuade him to have a little fun to brighten up his day. "Come on, Glider. One race. You always loved to when you were a kid." Gipha pestered, trying to make his brother submit to his wants. It was a habit of his, being annoying to get what he wanted from his older brother. Glider sighed. His wings felt heavy, his energy low. He believed he did not have the energy to compete. "Gipha, please, just stop it. I don't feel like it okay?" The elder replied, craning his head away from his sibling. Gipha groaned, and brought his claw up above his head, and immediately began to bring it back down. Glider yelped, turning to see that his younger brother had sliced his claw against his leg, some fur still on his talons. He growled menacingly, only to be met with a ridiculously poor impersonation of a chicken, before his younger took to the skies laughing. The black feather griffon flexed his now weightless wings, and leaped from the balcony, chasing the wind behind his brother. Mocking the older brother was never a smart thing to do. Snickering, Gipha dropped below the branches of the trees, to the twisting labyrinth of trunks. The unicorn's apprentice followed, diving down into the maze, already catching up to his assaulter. The younger's claws clung to a nearby tree, his wings closing in as his body flew like an arrow around the trunk, letting go halfway around and flinging to the right. This little act surprised Glider, causing him to lose his concentration for a few moments, before returning to the chase. It irritated him immensely, seeing his brother taunt him like that. He gave a huge flap of his wings, soaring up above. His brother looked back, only to find wind on his trail. Before he noticed, the black feathered griffon dived down onto his younger brother. Reacting in the last instant, Gipha, being the devious one, curved his way from his brothers’ claws, shooting up into the branches. Glider grinned, instantly hitting upwards, following Gipha's trail. Soon, the chase had taken them into the maze where the branches were, curving and swerving in order to manage a way though the endless sea of wood. This brought Glider to a slight disadvantage. He was bigger than Gipha, and therefore could not fit in the smaller spaces his younger brother could. But, his advantage was that he was more experienced, moving through the branches as easily as a stroll in the park. He zigzagged through the wood, his younger brother, while evasive, was losing speed in attempts to lose him. The branches were constantly getting in his way, and instead of moving with the tree's like his older brother, Gipha shot up further, hoping to make a break for it up in the sky. Big mistake. As soon as he had reached open air, a black figure shot out of the forest plantation. He grabbed his younger brother around the waist, bringing him to a halt. Gipha yelped, his eyes widening as his brother tugged him back to the village with ease. He dragged him to a wooden platform, his younger brother yelping out in fright. Glider pinned the younger to the solid floor, and growled at him. "Please please please please please don't hurt me!" Gipha begged, wincing away as he expected revenge from his brother. "I won't do it again I swear!" Glider smirked, his claw loosening a little. It was always fun for him to see his brother like this. "Begging now, are we?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, even though his brother couldn't see from being pinned face down. The younger griffin shook in the claws, nodding. "Yes, it's all true. I'm begging to be released! Please!" He admitted, continuing to persist in his ethics of freedom. Glider began to snicker, his brother's performance amusing him. Soon, the shivering child had caused the griffin to burst into laughter. It was always a joy to see his brother cower in his wake. Such was the bond between brothers. He loosened his claws, no longer pinning him down. Gipha, embarrassed, took it upon himself to get up, stretching his wings as he looked away, his cheeks reddening. "It's not funny..." He finally said, his gaze still not on Glider's being. Glider, though, continued to laugh, pointing at his younger. "You're right. IT'S HILARIOUS!" He exclaimed, flopping onto the floor and rolling around, clutching his belly. He eventually calmed down, his laughter dimming, only to wipe the tears away from his eyes to see his brother staring down on him, unamused. "You're mean" He simply stated, before turning away and taking to the air. Glider chuckled, bringing himself to his feet as he watched his brother go. He sighed, satisfied at teaching his brother a lesson, he spread his wings also, flying up into the currently cloudless sky. He groaned. A nice, fluffy cloud would be a good place to rest right now. He decided he would take a long flight; see how far his endurance would take him. He began beating his wings furiously as he set out to explore. The sun began to set, the sky ridden with the majority of warm, energetic colors, making way for the calm, star lit night. Glider panted heavily, his wings seemingly full of led as he strained his way back to the village. After using as much effort as possible, he glided down upon his small home, collapsing at the floor. He gasped heavily, deeply breathing to replace the air in his lungs. He climbed over to his hammock, the only place he was known to sleep. Letting out a deep sigh, he rose up into his version of a bed, and quickly feel asleep. What happened earlier he would reveal to no one. The sun had once again taken to the sky, though it was several hours after when the sky was in its peak in the sky did Glider rise from his sleep. He felt his body renewed after the long sleep, though strains in his wings would keep him from his daily dose of flying. He slid his eyes open, adjusting to the light of day. He stretched, rising from his hammock, and rubbing the back of his head as he hopped on the floor. He yawned, moving over to the perch where he kept his food, when he recognized a familiar scent. He moved to the entrance to see smoke rising up into the sky from below. His grinned, lifted in joy. Knocking on the front door of the Forgery, Glider only had to wait a few moments before the door opened to the familiar face of the unicorn. The tinted cyan pony grinned at the sight of his apprentice, shaking some ash out of his beard. "Glider! It's good tah’ see yah laddy!" Smoulder said deeply in a thick accent. Glider wasn't sure what of though, since he had never really been outside his village. But the griffin found it amusing, which added to the stallion's character. He offered a hoof to shake, which the griffon accepted gladly, only to be pulled into the stallion's embrace. He reluctantly returned the gesture, smiling. As soon as they broke, Glider began to make his way inside. Though, to his surprise, Smoulder held him back, guarding the door. "Laddy, we won't be needin' tah go in there. Believe it or not, I'm actually cookin' for a trip... I'm goin' on another vacation." Glider felt his heart drop. Another vacation?! The griffon twitched, his wings puffing up in instinct. He couldn't stand another week without the blacksmith. Everything seemed so.... boring. Just as the apprentice was about to enter a frenzied state, Smoulder placed his hoof on the young griffon's shoulder, snapping Glider's attention back to his teacher. "I was hopin' you'd come wid me lad." He stated, smiling sincerely at the feathered beast. Glider was taken aback by this, the short sentence taking so long to process. His master had practically asked him if he wanted to go on an adventure to see lands unknown to him, full of wonders and secrets to those who wish to discover them. His beak widened to a grin, nodding towards the stallion. "I would gladly accept going with you, Mister Forge!" He beamed out, his feathers shivering in excitement. This would be a life time experience. He wondered where his teacher planned on taking him. "I told ya’ laddy, call me Smoulder." He replied, giving him a tired smile. "Go pack ya’ things boy. We have a long trip ahead of us." The blacksmith began to turn, heading back inside. "Where are we going, Mist-- I mean, Smoulder?" Glider asked right as the unicorn began to shut the door. He grinned back at the griffon, almost devious. "Be here at three o'clock, the trip to Canterlot is a long one." Smoulder shut the door, leaving Glider to ponder on the place Smoulder spoke of. Canterlot sounded like some sort of area, like a town or port. It was probably filled with ponies, as he realized. He tried hard to contain a squeal. More ponies were better in his opinion fore he had seen pictures, and all of them were terrifyingly adorable. Shaking his head, trying to get back to the real world, Glider took to the skies, flying up to his home in the tree. But halfway up, he stopped, deadpanning in sudden realization, asking himself an oblivious question. "Isn't Canterlot the Capital of Equestria?" Chapter 7 - One Fang and a BountyThree ponies sat in a room, one mare and two stallions, staring at each other intently as they placed their hooves at the table they sat near. Their bodyguards shifted nervously, glancing around at any suspicious activity. After all, when the three greatest minds behind the black market got together, there would a huge possibility of trouble. Staring down at the table in front of them, they all placed giant bags of bits on the table, making a huge total sum of money on. The one wearing a cloak was the first to speak. "This new event has been quite the attraction, as we all know. There are bets being placed, and that's where we come in. We need to decide now who is going to win this race, and put our money--" "--where our mouth is." The one with a suit and an evil smirk interrupted, much to the displeasure of the cloaked one. "I see where we're going with this. I'm definitely in." "As am I," said the third, which wore nothing but a large scar cutting from above his eye down to his chest, which was obviously a defining feature. "We bribe the competition to lose, and, if they disagree, we use different methods." "Exactly. I have a list of all the recent competitors. Many I have already introduced myself to, but I still have not all the possible information I could have on them. Obviously, many more are going to join this race, but it is best we pick out our competitor now. That way, we are ensured to make the most bits." The cloaked pony suggested, an evil fanged grin spread across her face that even scared the most black- hearted stallions. The stallion's guards eyed her own suspiciously, which only smiled back. "Do you have the necessary data on the current competitors so we may make a decision?" The scarred one asked. "I would not have called you here otherwise." "Excellent. Then let us begin our debate." And so set forth another plan in the game fate had stored for the world of Equestria. "I still say we choose Lightning." "Sonic Strike is the best possible choice." "Ventus Soar shall remain in my personal favor." The three dark minsters continued their bickering, each one too stubborn to let up. Their choices had been narrowed down to two pegasi, a fierce, agile stallion called Lightning, a dare devil mare named Sonic Strike, and a bat pony stallion who usually never says a word, Ventus Soar. The guards, too wrapped up in watching the debate, failed to notice another presence enter the room. The intruder made no noise, and was soon right behind the scarred pony, looking over his shoulder to inspect the three candidates chosen. "I believe that Ssssonic Sssstrike would be the easiest to bend to your will." The mysterious figure interrupted, bringing all the eyes on him in fright. The guards immediately brought their spears, swords, and daggers forward, ready to kill if the intruder made a move. "Now now, why don't we all put the weaponssss down. I'm not your enemy." The intruder said in a sly, calm voice. The stallion dressed in a suit immediately smirked, knowing the voice well and true. "Simon! I've been waiting for your arrival. Where were you, stuck in traffic?" He asked jokingly, making every other creature in the room slightly more eased. "Are you saying this.. Whatever it is, is your friend?" The cloaked one asked wearily. Simon chuckled, moving into the light surrounding the table. "Ssssnake, Mistresssss Dark Sssspell." Simon corrected, showing off his figure; a long, brown scaled snake, with a tan underbelly. He wore a western outback hat, with a gun holster wrapped around his midsection, with his personal weapon carried inside. A seemly strange feature about him though was that he only had one fang, a long venomous canine on the right side of his mouth. Dark Spell looked at the snake surprised and confused. Hardly anypony knew her real name. Simon turned to the well-dressed stallion, giving him a devious smile. "Ssssso Black Cover, how issss everything with you?" "Not bad, actually. I may just have a double amount in my bank account, and if everything goes according to plan, you'll get your fair share of it." He replied, returning the dark smile. He then pointed towards the snake, and looked to the other two ponies around the table. "This is Simon 'One Fang' Snake, best bounty hunter around and a personal friend of mine." "The pleasssure is all mine." Simon exclaimed, bowing before them. Dark Spell and the yet to be named scarred stallion looked him over curiously. "I didn't think animals could talk." The scarred stallion stated, bringing a hoof to his chin. "I wasssss part of one of the firsssst Animal Adaption programsssss a long while back, but after I obtained the knowledge I needed to ssssssurvive, I left. It wassss too... boring there." Simon explained, bringing the end of his tail up to gesture, seeing as he had no other limbs. "I then earned a living assss a mercenary bounty hunter, alwayssss working for the rich, Master Sharp Edge." Sharp Edge nodded in approval, smiling a little at the new arrival. "Now, what was that you said when you entered?" He asked. "Well, in my opinion, Ssssonic Sssstrike would be a very favorable option. For you sssssee, I know thisssss mare, and sssshe issss fasssst. Well, fassssster than anything I've sssseen. Sssshe is alsssso, believe it or not, greedy when it comessss to money. Sssshe'll do anything for the right amount of bitsssss." Simon leaned back, tipping his hat a little to cover his eyes as he smiled darkly. "Asssss for the other two competitorsssss , Lightning issss good, but too ssssstubborn. Bribing him may be hard, ssssso a little enforcement would be required. Now Ventusssss Sssssoar isssss too ssssusssspicioussss, and assss ssssuch, untrussstworthy. I know little of him, sssso you bessssst invessssstigate into him more. He may not be what he ssseemsss." Everyone in the room fell silent after Simon's long examination. And what surprised the three dark minsters was that he was completely right. Sharp Edge's smile grew wider, for his choice was already in higher favor from the bounty hunter. Dark Spell nodded in approval, and Black Cover began to chuckle. "Well, I'm going with Simon's decision, for more than one reason." Black Cover stated, smiling at Dark Spell. "I guess majority rules." "Indeed." The cloaked mare nodded, and then gestured for her guards to come forth. They stood at attention, standing before the mysterious mare. "Go to Sonic Strike and give her a suitable bribe. Do not fail me." The guards nodded, and immediately left, intent on fulfilling their leader's desires. "I hope your minionssss are assss reliable as you ssssay they are." The bounty hunter spoke, looking towards Dark Spell unconvinced. "It'ssss alwayssss the mosssst loyal onessss that become the traitorssss." "And where do your loyalties lie bounty hunter?" Sharp Edge asked, raising an eyebrow towards the snake. The reptile snickered in return, and then prodded one of the huge bags on the table before them. "With the highesssst bidder." Simon began his trek back through the black marble corridor, lit faintly by the torches hung on the wall. He smiled as his scaly body tingled with excitement, the after effect of being in the presence of so much gold. He now made himself known to three of the darkest and richest leaders in Equestria, which was good for business. He stopped in his tracks, however, when he felt another living thing hiding near him. Part of an ancestral instinct snakes had, he had always been told. "Sssshow yoursssself." He hissed, glancing around him swiftly. He turned around find Dark Spell right behind him, her hood down. Two purple, slit eyes stared down at him, her coat a dark indigo. Her mane, however, glistened white, running down her head straight and silky. Her horn was longer than most, sharpened at the end. She smiled at Simon, showing of her fanged teeth. He felt a little intimidated. "Simon, was it? I honestly wasn't expecting the bounty hunter Black Cover spoke of to be... well, you, to put it simply. I mean no offence." She said, looking the snake over. He chuckled, feeling more relaxed as he turned and began to slither down the corridor, Dark Spell following close behind. "Don't judge a book by it'ssss cover issss a motto I have lived by." He replied, glancing at the mare. "I know much about you, Misssstressssss Dark Sssspell, like how you are the child of a unicorn and a bat pegassssussss, or how you lived the life of an asssssasssssin until you decided to create your own dark empire, or how you only sssshow your face to the creaturessss you trusssst the mosssst." He looked at her to find her quite startled, and began grinning confidently. "But thosssse are only a few thingssss. Though I know a lot about you Misssstresssss Dark Ssssspell, it issss not assss much assss I would like to know. They ssssay knowledge issss the greatest weapon and I for one agree." The dark unicorn looked at the snake slightly frightened, but stood firm and continued to walk with him down his dark path. "You seem to know a lot about me, Simon, but if you know that I only reveal my face to those I trust most, can you tell me why I revealed it to you?" "Indeed I can, misssstressss, for you think that ssssince you can detect liessss with your dark magic which issss unique only to you, you detected no liessss in my earlier sssstatement that I am loyal to the highesssst bidder, sssso therefor you are thinking of making me work for you in sssseveral sssservicessss in return for a nice amount bitssss." When Simon finished his long answer, he stopped in his tracks to stare at his now less confident conversationalist. Snickering, he turned and continued to slither in the dimly lit corridor. The dark unicorn followed close behind, and soon, the pair came to a pair of small doors. Simon turned to the unicorn, and tipped his hat. "It wassss a pleassssure, Dark Sssspell. If you ever require my sssservicessss, don't be afraid to assssk." He took a gem from under his hat using his tail, and placed it slyly in the pocket of her cloak. He grinned before swiftly opening the doors and exited from the hall. Dark Spell placed her hood over her head once again, and walked into the dark alley outside. The vilest city of Equestria so far was Manehattan, the living place of the most dangerous criminals. Simon slithered through the dark alleys of the growing city, careful to avoid any unwanted attention. The trash reeked of rotting substances, the rood stained with small amounts of blood. Simon hated it here, and continued on until he found himself on the open road in the city. The bounty hunter, a well- known criminal, kept to the shadows in fear of being caught. He did not need to raise his bounty higher if he had to use violence to get to his home. Crossing the street, he glanced into an alleyway to see three large stallions towering over a small child. The child was crying, the three ruffians laughing, which almost made Simon spew on the spot. He was never one for justice, but he despised the ill-treatment of children. He slowly slithered towards the group where he began to hear the group of thugs talking. "We sell her. Slaves are in high pay nowadays." "Meh, why not cut her up and trade her organs. That pays higher on the black market." "Ah say we take 'er home and have a littl' fun with 'er, if you know what ah mean." The child, obviously thanks to the conversation defined a female, backed up against the wall, shaking terribly. Simon could not bear the sight, and continued to approach the three. They laughed and debated amongst themselves, not noticing the snake approach them. Before any one of them could react, the snake took the gun from his holster, reloaded, and fired three bullets into the heads of the ponies before more than a second passed. They collapsed, hitting the ground like bricks, dead before they even hit the floor. The child looked up to see the criminal’s dead, with a serpentine figure checking their wallets. She sniffed, and began to crawl over to her current hero. Now much closer, she saw that the figure was indeed a snake, a well dress one at that. The bounty hunter's eyes moved from the bodies and wallets to her, examining the child. She reared back a little, but the snake moved closer, trying to smile kindly and began to reassure the child. "Don't be afraid, girl, I won't hurt you." Simon said smoothly, but it did not affect to calm the girl's nerves. She was an earth pony, a blank flank, brown coat, red curly hair, and blue eyes, and she was shivering in fear, so he continued his attempts to make her feel safe. "What'ssss your name, girl?" "R-rosy Petal, m-mister snake sir..." She stammered, still frightened that the reptile may kill her. "Rossssy, huh? That'ssss a pretty name. Where are your parentssss Rossssy?" She sniffed, hanging her head as she replied to the snake. "... D-dead..." This took Simon aback, raising and eyebrow at the young girl. If her parents were dead, that means her life so far must have become horrible. "Do you have any family to go to?" "No... I lived at the orphanage... But I didn't like it there, the Miss hated me.... Hurt me... So I ran away..." She said, looking the snake in the eyes. "Who are you, mister snake sir?" "Don't ever call me ssssir, makessss me feel old." He stated as a joke, getting a small giggle out of the sobbing girl. "Call me Ssssimon. I'm a bounty hunter." Rosy gasped, bringing a hoof to her mouth. "You're the legendary 'One Fang' Simon?" Simon smiled, bringing the end of his tail to point to the one fang he had left in his mouth, "The one and only." "What happened to your other fang, Simon?" The snake widened his eyes a little, and then quickly shook his head. "Never mind about that. How about you come with me until I find you ssssomewhere to live?" "You want me to come with you?" She asked doubtfully, widening her eyes. "Ssssure kid, why not?" She smiled and stumbled to her hooves, and walked over to the now less scary killer. The bounty hunter in return tried his best not to laugh. Smiling, he began a long trek to an abandoned shed on the outskirts of the city which he called home, now with a guest to show his collection of bits and books to. Going through intensive rewrite.Will eventually publish as new story on Fanfiction.
Chapter 1 - Twilight's WishOn the horizon, the sun rose by the bidding of the sun goddess, shining its rays of light upon the world. Such a place was Ponyville, as the ponies already began yawning, jumping from their beds and heading for their kitchens to prepare breakfast. One mare in particular did not feel like getting up. She had stayed up the entire night studying, expanding and fortifying her knowledge on the history of Equestria. She moaned and rolled over, covering her head with her pillow to block out the sun coming from the window. Her purple mane and lavender fur could be seen trying to hide under the covers. Her assistant, a small baby dragon that scales were a lovely light shade of purple, which went by the name of Spike, raised to his feet, yawning. "Twilight, get up! The sun is rising!" He yelled out. The lavender pony groaned and stirred, but did not get out of bed. Spike sighed, "Whatever." He shrugged, and began heading downstairs as soon as he hopped out of bed. As soon as he was on ground level, he felt his stomach growl, and so he walked into the kitchen, and soon opened a drawer full of the gems he so loved to eat. He shoved a few into his mouth and closed the drawer, happily chewing on his breakfast. He began walking out, but turned, and headed back to the drawer. "Well, since Twilight's asleep, I guess that means she wouldn't mind me eating a few extra gems." He grinned deviously. "I mean, it's not like she would notice..." He chuckled and pulled the drawer out, taking one gem at a time and happily devouring it. After about ten gems, he started to get full, but before he placed the drawer back in its holder, he noticed a glimmer in the corner of his eye. He saw that the shine came from behind where the drawer was kept. He looked at the small shine curiously. "Huh?" He reached inside and his claws took hold of something. He began to pull it out, feeling the cold, dust covered metal. The unicorn known as Twilight Sparkle was humming soundly, enjoying her sleep in. She barely heard anything with the pillow overhead, which also blocked out the sun light, but it was beginning to get hot. Still, even with the pillow over her head, she could not ignore the screaming pain in her ears when a deafening "HEY TWILIGHT! WAKE UP!" was screamed beside her head. She immediately jumped to her feet, expecting an attack on the library or Ponyville in general. Instead, she opened her eyes to a rather boring sight. It was her assistant Spike holding an old, dust encased lamp. She groaned tiredly. "Ugh, Spike! I was sleeping!" She shouted; her expression one of tired frustration. "I'm sorry, but Twilight! I found a lamp!" He held the old, dusty, rusted lamp in front of her. "It might be a genie lamp!" "Oh Spike..." She shook her head and hopped off her bed, sighing. "Genie's don't exist." Spike laughed at this. "Yeah, and neither did Nightmare Moon until she showed up, proving everypony wrong except you. And yet you still believed." He said, and jumped onto the bed, holding the lamp high. He seemed to be posing. "Now I'm going to prove you wrong!" Spike began rubbing the old lamp, and the dust began to wipe off, revealing its true golden color. Still nothing came out of it. Nothing happened, and the silence had already begun to get weary. Twilight sighed, but before she could speak, Spike was already yapping. "Maybe it isn't clean enough. Twilight, can you clean it under some water?" Spike asked. Before she could protest, she was met with two, adorable, begging eyes. She sighed once more and gave in. "Fine," He replied. Spike jumped with joy and immediately ran down stairs, tripping on the last few and falling face down on the floor. Though injured, he immediately got up, rubbing his snout and heading downstairs to the water tank. Twilight sighed, knowing that this would not end the way Spike would hope it would. She entered the basement and looked around. The Tree of the Library's roots was more than noticeable. The huge, brown appendages were covering the ceiling, and sinking into the walls and floor. At the center of the basement was the huge, main root. Connected to it, at hoof level, was a tap, ready and waiting. Twilight first thought when she discovered the tap that it would be completely useless. Only later did Spike discover it's capability to draw the water from the root, and pour it out of its funnel. And so they used the tap for a lot of the water related things they did now. Spike placed the lamp directly under the place of the funnel's end. The tap itself was too high for him to reach. He turned and looked at Twilight with pleading eyes. "Please?" She sighed and using her magic, yanked the lamp out of his talons and turned the tap on. The water gushed from the tap, pouring down onto the lamp, and some splashed onto Spike. Soon the lamp was completely drenched; Twilight took a cloth from nearby, and began wiping the lamp. "Spike, after this, I want you reorganize the books on the history shelf. You woke me up way too early this morning." She exclaimed, looking at him with an un-happy expression. Spike sighed, but he remained hopeful that the lamp was magical. After a few minutes of intense cleaning, the lamp was shinier than it ever had been. It looked good as new, its golden material shining brighter. But still, there was no genie. Spike sighed, and already quickly ascended up the stairs. "Okay, I'll go to the shelf..." As soon as Spike was out of sight, Twilight began to walk up the stairs. It was only now that she was alone with the lamp, did she notice some inscriptions of an ancient, unknown language written on the side. Twilight glanced at it, puzzled. "I've never seen writing like this before.... Where did Spike find this?" She asked herself, examining the object at every angle. Twilight reached the top steps, and managed to see Spike doing the job he was applied to do. "Spike, pull up a book about Equestrian Ancient Writings, I think I need to take a look at thiiiiiissssss--!" She tripped on the last step, falling over and losing concentration, as her head hit the floor. The lamp flew from her magical hold, and landed on the ground. The collision caused the lamp's lip to slide of, landing a few meters away from her. Suddenly, the room began to rumble. It started soft, but it was already getting more intense. Twilight stumbled to her hooves, while Spike fell down with the three books in his claw falling to the floor. The rumbling eventually stopped, but when it did, both Spike and Twilight noticed they were knee deep in a strange fog. The lamp stirred a bit, and stopped moving. A small amount of mist, along with what seemed like a pearl, glided out of the lamp's lidless hole. It began to seep upwards, the pearl and the mist growing in size. Spike gasped, holding his claw over his mouth. Twilight simply stood in amazement as the huge mist cloud changed its shape, so it seemed like it had two, huge arms, sharp claws, and a muscular body. A trail of mist descended back into the lamp, and it didn't move from there. The pearl had grown into a huge, white orb, in the place of what would be the head. Inside the orb formed two, glowing yellow eyes. It blinked several times. "Ugh..... And I thought I had finally achieved sleep...,” The being said, its voice male but also dark and old. It glanced around, looking to Spike, and then back to Twilight. He noticed both of which were too stunned to do anything. He bowed before Twilight. "Greetings mistress, I am the genie from the lamp, and you have awoken me from my eternal slumber. I shall grant you three wishes, and then disappear off to some other place in this world, never to bother with you again." Twilight simply stared at the spectral creature. "I-it's not possible! Genies don't.... Genies don't....." She shook her head, closing her eyes, and counting to ten. She opened them, and sighed as the genie was still in her view. He was a real thing, or she was dreaming. Either way, couldn't hurt to have fun as she went along. "I guess I should make three wishes and let you rest..." Spike jumped up and down frantically, "Twilight! Can I get a wish? I found it." He asked, hopeful. Twilight took a look at him, and began walking towards him; the entities eyes following her movements. "Maybe Spike, but we shouldn't do something for ourselves. We should make the world a better place to live in, and make other ponies happy. Remember what happened last time you got selfish and greedy?" She asked with a serious expression on her face. He sighed and nodded. "Then you make the first wish Twilight." She nodded, and continued to walk closer to Spike, looking around, deep in thought. "Hmmmm, something to make Equestria a better place..... Maybe something we could do without? Like getting rid of the greed in dragons..." The genie laughed at this statement, "Seems like my mistress is a thoughtful and caring one. That is a change from the greed I worked for in the past." He exclaimed. He seemed to be smirking, yet he had no mouth. Twilight kept looking around, hoping for a good idea. "No chance of Changeling attack? Or what about no evil force in Equestria? That sounds good.... But everything has consequences...." She looked to the floor, where Spike dropped the three books. “History of Equestria: A beginner's guide”, “The History of the Twin Sister's Rule” and “Equestrian History: Discord Era”. She looked at the last book on the floor, and had an idea. "Hmmmm, what if I got rid of Discord? There couldn't be any consequence in that. Nothing could go wrong!" She exclaimed, smiling. She turned to the genie. "I wish Discord never existed." The genie was taken aback by this, as if he saw a horrifying beast before it. "... Is that your final decision?" "Yes." Though what made the genie jump, her decision was final. Spike shrugged, it seemed like a good idea. "I'm with Twilight. No doubt that without him here there would only be good stuff." The genie began to glow, and the room around them began to light up. They huddled close together, and as the white light took them into the bounds of space and time, they heard one final remark from the genie. "Oh how wrong you are...."
Chapter 2 - Not what you'd expect...Twilight opened her eyes hesitantly. Her vision had been blurred by the intense light that surrounded her and Spike after she made her wish. She found herself lying on a cold, sterile, metal floor. Not the rough, wooden one from the library. She opened her eyes wide, and jumped to her hooves. Next to her was Spike, still sleeping soundly like a baby. And even further beside him was the magical lamp containing the genie. She walked over to it, and using the magic in her horn, lifted it from the floor. She glanced around, examining the new room she was in. It was a small bedroom, but not like any bedroom she had ever seen. The walls were made of hard steel, the floor made of the same cold material. Her bed was rather inviting, until she spotted several wires above it, dangling down to where her head would be lying. There was a small bedside table, with what seemed like an advanced digital clock. She had only seen those in the richest of houses in Canterlot. There were no windows, with a pale, white light on the ceiling keeping the room bright. Behind her, was a huge, metal door with a large, steel pad with several glowing strings surrounding it, with a imprint of a hoof in the center of it. Twilight slightly scared, yet slightly curious, nudged Spike. If she was going to do anything, she wanted her loyal assistant to be with her. He stirred a little more, curling up into a ball. She groaned, and gave him a kick. He yelped, and jumped to his feet, looking around. At first, he had a look of confusion, but, as he saw the lamp in her magical grasp, he giggled in delight. "It worked! It worked, didn't it?" He asked, curious, yet excited. She nodded in agreement. Spike was most defiantly right about the wish, confirming his suspicions and proving Twilight wrong. Then Spike took a good long look at the room around them. He shivered, never seeing so much grey in his life. "I don't like this place Twilight.... It doesn't feel right...." "Oh Spike, don't worry, everything will be fine..." She exclaimed, smiling. But, she too felt uneasy in the presence of such a grey and grim place, like it was hollow emptiness. Then she realized something. Everything was silent. She didn't hear anypony before waking up Spike. There were no sounds, except for the sounds of their own voices. This made Twilight jump. Though she liked silence, this silence was different. Normal silence you would still here the trotting of hooves, the sound of pages being turned, and the occasional cough every now and then. "Spike... It's--" "Quiet, I know...." He interrupted, glancing around. "It just doesn't feel right!" He looked around frantically, trying to find some way out. The only thing which he knew of was the large, knob-less door. He pressed against it, though it didn't move one bit. "What kind of door is this?!" The silence finally starting to get to him, he started knocking against the door. "Let me out!" He cried out desperately, hoping somepony would hear. Twilight pulled Spike away from the door, and pushed him to the ground. He groaned a bit, and glanced at her, his expression upset. "Ugh... What was that for Twilight?!" "You were losing it, Spike. If we are going to get out of here, we need a cool head." She exclaimed, walking up to the door. She pressed her hooves against it, with the faint hope it would budge. It did not. She sighed, and then moved away from the door. Instead, she turned her attention to the metal pad on the wall. She began examining it, especially the hoof indent in the center. Being the only thing she could do, she lifted her hoof, and pressed it against the indent. The pad glowed, and a large siren noise was heard, booming inside the silent room. The door then slowly slid open, into a long, metal corridor, with large metal doors much like the one that had just slid away. She walked out into the corridor, being slightly thankful that corridor was not as silent as the room she was trapped in for a while. The corridor emitted a low hum, and, with her ears trying to find the source, her eyes glanced to the ceiling. It was entwined with wires and electronics, including several flashing lights and strange screens. Spike quickly followed her out, shivering with the noise of the hum overhead. "... I don't like this place Twilight.... Where is everypony...?" He asked, fear well heard in his voice. Twilight looked around, just as worried as Spike. "I don't know..." She began walking through the corridor. She continued glancing to the doors, noticing each had the same metal pad beside it like the one in her room. The genie lamp still in her holding spell, she contemplated asking the genie what was wrong. Surely erasing Discord from existence wouldn't have caused anything bad. Right? Twilight kept her thoughts to herself, not wanting to worry Spike even more, for he already seemed terrified. He was only a baby after all. Her own deep worry was enough. And although they had escaped the room they arrived in, they seemed to be stuck in another room much similar, just longer and with more doors and less beds. With nothing better to do, she asked Spike his opinion on what they should do. "Spike, what do you think we should do?" The small purple dragon looked around, pondering. "Maybe we should try opening one of these doors?" He suggested bluntly. Twilight pondered on it. Since they had nowhere in particular to go, she walked up to the closest door on the left side of the corridor. She pressed her hoof in the indent, and the siren boomed its horn. Slowly, the door began to slide away, and as soon as Twilight could see properly inside, she wanted to puke. Inside, the room was much like the room they found themselves in, with a bedside table, and the most horrific sight. The bed contained a mare sleeping in it. She was skinny, her bony ribcage very visible, along with her scrawny legs, gaunt head; there where several wires from the ceiling entering her mouth, nostrils, and ears. Her fur was a dull cyan color, with the same color, along with white streaks, in her mane. She was a unicorn upon the sight of her horn, and Twilight gaze traveled to her cutie mark, the sign of her talent. It was a lyre. Twilight backed away, her mind in haze. She pressed her hoof against the indent, and the door slid shut. Spike, luckily, did not get a chance to see what's inside, but looked at Twilight, scared to see such a deathly scare on her face. He was afraid to ask, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Twilight, what was in there...?" She muttered "...Lyra..." to herself, before turning to her dragon assistant. "Spike, we need to get out of here. Now!" Suddenly, alarms began emitting from everywhere. Their sound deafening as a strong, feminine voice began shouting. "Warning! Warning! Unauthorized access to hub #0863! Begin immediate detainment procedure!" Then words boomed in the mare's ears, along with the alarms. Suddenly, over all the deafening noises that could be heard, Twilight heard a strange, metallic clanking. She turned her head to the opposite side of the hall, and saw three, large pony-like robots galloping towards them. A few panels in their bodies moved away to reveal what looked like...weapons. She turned, using her magic to lift Spike onto her back, and gave him the lamp, and with only one last backwards glance, filled with fear, she began to gallop and concentrated solely on running. The robotic pony quickly followed, chasing after the lavender pony. She charged on, not looking back. She had Spike to do that for her, shouting and pointing to "Go faster!" because “They're catching up!". She continued to run at her fastest pace, being chased down the seemingly endless corridor. Suddenly, she had, well to her, a brilliant idea. Concentrating, she poured all her energy into a spell, hoping to teleport away from the robotic ponies. She released the energy... But nothing happened. Something was denying her magic. After several minutes of intense running and Spike's shouting, Twilight had ground to a halt. A dead end. It seems like the endless corridor had an end after all. She looked back, seeing that the robot ponies stopped, and began readying their weapons. She felt all her hope lost. That was when Spike jumped off her back, and in a last ditch attempt, threw the lamp on the floor, hoping for anything, just as the metallic ponies fired their weapons. In a white flash of light, Spike and Twilight disappeared, causing the fired missiles and bullets to hit the wall behind them. The magical lamp faded from view, and the robotic ponies, no longer picking anything up on their sensors, turned and began trotting back to the deployment point. Twilight and Spike found themselves in an endless void of space and time, stranded on a single piece of what seem like land. The universe around them was constantly changing; stars appear and disappear, worlds flying past them into massive black holes. It was simply amazing and terrifying at the same time. Suddenly, Twilight felt like a being of unknown power was directly behind her, similar to the way she felt around Celestia. But this...this was on a whole new level. She slowly turned her gaze to a familiar being, the spectral transparent body with the orb containing those yellow slim eyes all too unnatural. The two exchanged a long, hard glare, before the genie finally spoke. "Beautiful, isn't it?" The genie said, glancing at the two. Spike jumped, not knowing the genie was there, but sighed in relief as he recognized the being. "Where are we?" Twilight asked, the dimension around them warping and changing. "We are in what I call home, the lamp." He replied, now watching the surrounding realm with a strange form of content placed upon his face. "Wait.... You live in this place?!" Twilight shouted, horrified at the genie. More than a day of this constant chaos would drive her insane. "Yes... It takes a while to get used to... But it's not usually like this." His gaze came back to Twilight's eyes. "You should thank your little friend here..." He gestured towards Spike. "If he did not throw my home so abruptly intcrashing when it crashed on the floor, I would not have realized you two were so endangered." Twilight's ears perked up, and she looked at the genie curiously. "So... You saved us?" The genie nodded in response. "I am not a heartless wish-granting specter. If your wishes are not evil based, which it was not, I will care for your well-being as long as you have me in your care." He gave her a stern look. "But... My wish... How could it cause--" "Such horrifying things?” He interrupted, his sight going back to the chaos around them. Twilight followed his gaze, and the world around them seemed to slow down. "Discord is one of the most crucial parts of Equestrian History. You may think he is the worst thing that happened to Equestria, but it is quite the opposite." Twilight gave the genie a quizzical look. "Without Discord, the Princesses of Night and Day would not exist, along with the Elements of Harmony." He implied. Twilight's jaw dropped. "What?! But....But...!" Twilight was left speechless. She had never heard something so preposterous in her life. Discord was the Personification of Chaos and Disharmony. How in the land of Equestria did he have to do with the Princesses' existence if he wasn't created? Even more unbelievable was that his creation had some connection to the Elements of Harmony existing. To Twilight, it didn't make sense. "You seem confused..." The genie exclaimed. "Perhaps now is the time to use your second wish..." Twilight gave him a quizzical look. "What do you mean?" "Don't you want to find out how this..." He made a gesture his transparent hand, and a shadowed figure of Discord appeared, though it was more of a lifeless statue. Soon, it faded with a swipe of the genie's hand. "... Contributes to the Land of Equestria you know.... And this..." He made another gesture, signaling them to look to the world around them. Slowly, it changed to a barren wasteland, a fiery sky spanning above them. They continued moving until they reached a single building, which shined white, along with pure black smoke rising from it through strange tubes that looked like chimneys. Suddenly, in a flash of light, they appeared somewhere else. At the sight of another poor pony, Twilight's first reaction was to cover Spike's eyes. But it was too late. Spike shoved Twilight's hoof out of the way of his eyes, looking at the horrific sight of Lyra. It took him a few seconds before Spike turned to the genie. "W-what happened to E-Equestria...?" He stuttered, scared and shivering. The genie placed his hand on his head. "I believe correctly, your master said you may obtain a wish." "I didn't say that! I said mayb--" Twilight began, when the genie gave her a dark glance. "I know you want to find out what happened just as much as he does..." The genie said, looking back to Spike. "So, what is your one wish?" Spike took another glance at Lyra, or what was left of her, before turning to the genie. "I wish to know what Discord has to do with all this..." He answered, staring at the genie. He nodded in response, and the world around them began to fade, including the land beneath them...and the genie. Soon, Twilight and Spike were only standing on tiny eocks, when that faded too, and they fell into everlasting blackness. Twilight began screaming, when the genie spoke to her, and Spike, as it seemed the voice was so close, so far, and all around them. "Do not fret... Just close your eyes, and soon you will see the truth." Spike and Twilight did as the genie asked, and they both held each other close as they slowly shut their eyes, waiting for whatever was to come...
Chapter 3 - Sweet DelicacyThe sun began rising at its usual time, its radiance showering over the horizon. The land of Equestria awoke to the view of a light rising higher into the sky, until the light was no longer hidden to those farthest out in the land. Camps, sheds, and houses began to awake with a stir with their owners leaving their beds and starting off a new day in the first city of Equestria, Canterlot. One house in particular was holding a very special pony whose smile seemed to light up other's hearts like the sun itself. The light shone through a small opening through the middle of the silky curtains, for they had not been shut properly the night before. The light had finally managed to find itself shining on a certain pony's eyes, forcing him awake from the glare of it's source. The light brown pony stirred, and slowly opened his eyes. His eyes, in fact, were probably the most unique part of him. They had two different sizes. The iris in his left eye was smaller than an average pony's, making him a source for teasing when he was little. But instead of succumbing to the depression, he simply decided to like whatever ponies said about his eyes. He would reply 'Thank you!' to a pony who would say his eyes were weird; he would say 'Sorry, but it's not my problem if you don't like me. I don't really care if you don't want to be friends, but you're missing out,' to anypony who would say he should 'leave because he was different or because he seemed like such a bother'. Now, in his bed at a ripe age of 20, he groaned a little as he slowly rose from his bed, and smiled at the window. "Morning sunshine," He said as he stepped out of his bed and moved over to the curtain. He grinned widely and spread the curtains wide, embracing the full force of the sun's light. "Nice day you got here." The sign on the door flipped from 'Closed' to 'Open' as the light brown pony passed by, his smile quite wide as he hopped over the counter, placing the bell ringer down as he headed into the kitchen to grab some pre-made chocolate out of his freezing cabinet. He began to collect the orders some of the ponies made yesterday, and as he trotted back to the counter with the chocolate in hoof. Just as he made himself comfortable, he was surprised to see the door open up at such an early hour, but smiled as he saw a familiar face enter the shop. "Well, good morning Ticking Clock!" He greeted, smiling at the grey mare with the straight, white mane and cutie mark clock. The unicorn smiled back at him shyly, walking towards the counter as she pressed her small spectacles further back her nose. "Uh... Hi, Chocolate Chaos..." She smiled shyly at him as she made it face to face. The light brown pony giggled a little, smiling back. "I told you, call me Choco. All my friends do!" He exclaimed, cocking his head a little to make himself look adorable. He pulled up a paper bag from the display case, and held it in his hoof, untying the sting that held it together. It was a thing of his to make sure his customers were completely satisfied with his products before they bought them. "There you go, fifteen Cocoa flies, like you ordered." Chocolate Chaos said, emptying the bag carefully after he pulled the string away. After which, he smiled as Ticking gazed at the delicacies spread across the counter. They were butterflies made from chocolate, which were about 10 centimeters long and wide in average. But, the most unique thing about them was the details. Each one of them were different, whether it be body size or wingspan. But the most eye catching feature were the wings, on each them were different indentations, with remarkable accuracy. Ticking Clock put her hoof to her mouth, stunned by the beauty and details of the small butterflies. "Choco... They're amazing..." She picked one up, looking at it from all sides. "I'm not sure I can eat something that looks so... so... wonderful..." She exclaimed as she continued to examine the beautiful chocolate treat. Choco giggled at her statement, his spiky black mane shifting around as he jumped in success, letting off a soft squeal. He then leaned over the counter, pushing his head right up to Ticking's face, in which she reared back bit, looking a bit stunned with a red tint on her cheeks as she pushed her spectacles up her nose once again. "Of course you can! It's only chocolate!" He said, giving off another childish giggle. He felt like he needed to show her how, so he took a spare from the display case. He threw it high in the air and caught it in his mouth like a dog, eating it whole. Ticking looked towards Choco, giggling a little, before hesitantly turning to the delicacy in her hoof. She pulled it to her mouth and, opening her jaws a little, pushed the chocolate against her teeth, and began to nibble on it. She looked pleased and slowly began to eat the whole thing, licking her lips and smiling in satisfaction when she finished. "That's really, really good!" She said, smiling happily at Choco. He squealed softly again in delight, shaking a bit. "Thanks! It's my own special recipe. Maybe later I can show you my famous chocolate milk!" Just before he could start ranting, his ears perked up as he heard the front door creak open again. He quickly got behind the counter, smiling as three ponies walked in. An earth pony mare, a pegasus stallion and pegasus colt. Choco smiled, instantly knowing they were a family, but surprised as he had not seen them before. He rested his hoof on the counter as the family walked up to him. Ticking stepped out of the way, allowing the ponies to get to the counter. he mare smiled at her in response, thanking her. The stallion took a good look at Choco, and reared back as he saw the two different colored and sized eyes. "What's with your--"He started, but was quickly interrupted by a childish grin. "Eyes? Oh, they've been like that since I was a small foal. Everypony teased me about it, but I don't mind it anymore. Sticks and Stones, right?" Choco explained. Before the stallion could answer, he and his family's eyes drifted to the chocolate butterflies, in which the stallion gazed in amazement. The mare, stunned, let her jaw drop and the colt smiled gleefully and began looking at each different one. "They are so pretty!" He said, grinning as he kept shifting between each one. The stallion smiled, and, seeing his son pleased, once more faced Choco. "How much for ten of these?" He asked curiously, glancing back at the Cocoa flies. The mare pulled out a bag of bits from her saddle bag, placing it on the counter, smiling kindly at him. Choco cocked his head in return, smiling at the family. "Two." He said with a cheerful expression on his face. The mare's mouth dropped once more, along with the stallions. The stallion shook his head, regaining his concentration. "Two? But....That's awfully cheap for such.... Art. Are you sure you don't mean five?" The father asked, his expression one of dumbfound. "Nope, definitely two bits!" Chocolate Chaos replied, smiling sincerely. The stallion looked stunned, then took two bits out of the bag. "Alright, if you say so..." The stallion said, partially feeling guilty for paying such a small price for something that looked like something out of a Five-Star restaurant. "Please, take a seat and I'll go get them ready." He smiled, gesturing to the tables near the front of the room. The family began trotting over to a table and Choco quickly disappeared into his kitchen in another room. Ticking started scooping up all the chocolate butterflies into a bag, smiling gratefully. As the family proceeded to the chairs around the table, the stallion sat down along with the rest of his family.And a noise resembling a long, loud fart was heard. Everything went silent as all the eyes in the room turned to the stallion. The noise had come from his direction. He looked around, a red tint on his cheeks as he saw everyone staring at him. It was a few seconds after that the child broke the silence with a repressed giggle, which turned into a large laugh. He laughed, pointing at his daddy, when soon another voice joined the laughter. Popping out from behind the count, Choco couldn't help but laugh aloud. During the laughter, he managed to get a few words in before he continued his laughing frenzy. "YOU'VE BEEN PRANKED!" He yelled, falling to his belly and rolling around laughing. Soon, Ticking began to giggle with the colt and Choco, and eventually joining them in group laughter. The stallion looked down to see he had sat on a whoopee cushion, and soon his wife, though she tried to resist, joined in with the crowded laughter. The stallion himself then began to laugh a little. The more he thought about it, the funnier it was. Soon, he had joined in also in the laughing frenzy. Eventually, the laughter eventually died off, smiles still on everypony's face as Choco picked himself off the ground, and grabbed a bag that had been placed on the counter. He moved over to the stallion, placing the bag on the table they sat around. "There you go, fifteen chocolate butterflies." The stallion looked at him strangely. "I thought we only ordered ten?" He exclaimed, curious as to what Chocolate Chaos was up to. The light brown pony smiled. "A rule of mine is: 'When you make a pony laugh, give them an extra half! Because what you do may not be kind, so in repayment, give them a gift so they don't mind." He smiled, cocking his head to the side a bit. The stallion looking in the bag, counting exactly fifteen Cocoa flies. He looked back up, his mouth opening to say something when he found that Chocolate Chaos was gone, already back behind the counter. He shrugged, and he spread the chocolate butterflies between him and his family. As they began to eat, his eyes widened. The chocolate was like none he had ever tasted, a perfect mix of sweetness and flavor. "We are definitely coming here again." Soon, business was bursting, probably the most customers Chocolate Chaos had for a one while. The orders were overwhelming, and soon he was beginning to think his customers may get displeased. That's when Ticking stepped into the kitchen, poking her head around several cabinets to find Chocolate Chaos rummaging through what looked like a bowl cabinet. "Come on come on come on!" He said, shifting through the container of containers. "Where is that stupid…Ah! Here it is." He said, pulling out a small wooden bowl with several holes in it. He began to turn around, already his next objective on his mind. "Now where are those ch--" He stopped mid-sentence as he saw Ticking Clock holding a bad of chocolate dust. She smiled and placed it on the bench near her, then brushed a bit of her mane out of her face. "You look like you need some help." She said flatly, smiling. Chocolate Chaos then thought about how she had stayed here the whole day, ever since he opened. He cocked his head slightly as he began pouring milk into a large container, then placing the bowl with holes inside that as well. "Ticking, why are you still here?" He asked bluntly. Ticking was a little taken aback, and seemed a little sad. Choco realized what he had just said and waved his hooves desperately in front of her. "Nononono, I meant, why are you staying here when you could be out in the Canterlot Gardens or something?" Ticking sighed thankfully, her expression flipping back into her joyous smile. "Well, I just wanted to spend the day with you of course." She said, her eyes then widening and covering her mouth with her hoof. "I mean, well...Uh.....Umm...." She blushed, looking away shyly. Choco smiled, placing one of his hooves on her shoulder. "I would be glad if you continued to stay. I don't mind." He then grew his childish grin. "In fact, would you like to help me out in the kitchen?" He asked, smiling sincerely. "Okay, on one condition." She replied, smiling with the red tint on her cheeks. "What?" "After your work hours are over, you have to take me on a date~" She said, looking away blushing hard, but a smirk was apparent on her face. Choco blushed in return, but then shook his head. "D-Deal." He replied, smiling shyly turning as red as Ticking. Soon, they heard complaints from the counter, and they immediately got to work.
Chapter 4 - A King's Greed.The dim lit throne room gave a dark impression on any who would enter it. Even though the room was newly built it still had a few improvements to be made, but it satisfied the current ruler's needs. The columns were half finished; several connected but needed some reinforcement to stay strong. The huge windows in the large chamber were sealed by curtains, hiding the light from the outside world. Instead, the room was lit by torches connected to the wall, and a large, elegant chandelier ridden with candles. Two large gates opened to the throne room, and directly opposite the entrance on the other side of the hall a large, decorative throne stood. It was a shining gold color, with rubies and amethysts dug into its shape. Sitting in the throne, hoof at his cheek to keep him up, was a male Pegasus wearing a dark crown decorated with jewels. His dark blue fur blended in with the shaded environment around him, his light blue mohawk mane cut up well above his neck, in the old War Pony fashion. His hair was up except for a certain number of strands, long since cut, arching over his crown to the front of his face. He blew the strands constantly, trying to keep them away from his face, though the act was futile. He was uninterested in everything around him, his grey eyes constantly shifting for something new. He yearned for a good hour of flying due to his pegasus nature, but being a pony of royal statue, this would raise discussion. He decided he would check up on his latest project, a secret not known to the public, and slowly heaving himself from his throne. He felt like sitting down one more, the comfort of the throne leaving him. A grim expression was plain on his face as he sighed, walking away from his seat. He trotted down the chamber, grunting in frustration as he gestured for his personal guards stationed at the door, to open it. They used the magic of their horns, being unicorns, and opened the huge doors in ease. He marched through and trotted through the hall way. Both guards gave uneasy glances as the watched him go. He continued to walk, a fake, sincere-looking smile on his face as he greeted all he passed. That way, many still believed him to be the kind, promising king he had shaped himself to be in his speeches. The ponies loved him. His silver tongue had won over the crowd; his false promises had grabbed their hopes. Little did they know the ponies of the now one hundred year old Equestria had just appointed a power hungry selfish Pegasus as their new ruler. He chuckled at the thought of it, his pace quickening a little as he hoped to rid the fake smile off his face. He hated when he smiled. Unless, it was for himself of course. He finally found the end of the large hall. It appeared to be unclean, and highly unused. The true purpose, however, was exactly that. It seemed like a completely useless place to be, and as such, it was the perfect place to hide a secret. The end of the hall had been maintained to look that way ever since the king had unearthed a millennia old secret, and hid it in the very door to the left at the end of the hall. He grinned, and pressed his hoof against the door. It slid open, and, when nopony was looking, he walked inside, the door slamming behind him, returned the hall to its original dirty look. On the other side of the door everything was different. Ancient glowing lines and runes were scattered across the walls, showing that the passage further down. The king began to continue his visit, a glint of darkness in his eyes as he continued down the secret passage. Soon, after several meters of walking, his darkened smirk fell across his face once more as he saw the result of his works. He stood in a wide chamber, filled to the brim with ponies in lab coats, and several wore goggles as they rushed from place to place, worked where they stood, or were having a nice chat. They didn't care much about the arrival of their king, since he did so almost every twelve hours. The dark blue noble walked stridently towards the only pony he cared to pay any attention to. He was always the most noticeable in a crowd, the way he did his hair like that. The king raised an eyebrow, still smirking as he walked up to the lead scientist and tapped him on the shoulder. The stallion zipped around, his eyes widening at his kings arrival. "Commanding Hoof! I-I mean, your majesty, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you had arrived." "Nonsense, Chemical Flask. Come, tell me about the progress." Commanding hoof said, grinned rather amusingly at the scientist. Chemical Flask was an interesting unicorn, with a variety of colors, his body was covered with a light purple coat of fur, with a tint of lavender; his eyes were a deep purple. On his rump, was a cutie mark of a flask, rocking side to side brimming with a purple liquid that seemed to sparkle; showing his talent for science and magic. But his mane, while interesting to the king, was the most unordinary part of his body. It was white, seemingly shimmering even, with purple and pink streaks through it and his tail. Many of his fellow community laughed at him for that, but when they did, he would always backfire with how he actually had a wife while most of his fellow scientists didn't even have marefriends; putting them to shame. The king found this act amusing all the time. Chemical Flask was definitely one of the ponies he liked most in all of Equestria. They began to walk down a corridor, leaving the main group of scientists behind. "So, I hear you have good news for me?" "Yes sir!" He replied brightly, smiling at the king. "Soon, probably a couple of weeks or so from now, we will finally have access to the power inside the element!" Commanding Hoof gave a fake, but sincere smile back to him. He lied even to those he was closest to. Why? Because he cared only for himself that’s why. "Yes, and when we do, the unlimited power will bring Equestria higher than ever before as we shall develop new technologies with you at my side, friend." He exclaimed, placing a hoof on Flask's shoulder. He felt praised, his smile widened more. They were all so gullible, these ponies. As long as they were provided with treats, they would do tricks for their master. "S-Sir, I am honored you call me friend, but it makes me feel a little...Embarrassed. Please, just call me Professor." He replied nervously. He did not want Ill words on the king, one had done so before and was never heard from again. Rumor had it that he had insulted the king so terribly he was locked away in the deepest dungeon. Flask gulped, never wanting anything like that to happen to him. "Of course Professor, but stop calling me sir, it makes me feel old. Lordship will do, I suppose." The king said, last in thought. He shook his head, turning to his follower. "Say, do you mind if I may... Examine the object?" He asked. He had quickened his pace, hoping for a fast reaction from Flask. "In fact, yes, you may. We finally have it under stable condition, and as such, it can now even be viewed up close. Just don't touch it, or expect the worst." Flask said, chuckling nervously. They reached the end of the corridor. The lights no longer lit up on the wall, and something glowed through the space between the door and the hallway. Chemical Flask pressed his hoof against the metal door, creaking as it opened and the light momentarily blinded them. Flask simply closed his eyes, while Commanding Hoof covered his face with his hoof, wince away. Soon, the bright light was tolerable and the king pulled his hoof away. Flask was already entering, walking inside a room with a glass wall which peered into another room. Several gadgets were about, but the king did not pay them any mind as he stepped inside the observation room, standing next to Flask as they gazed at the object, both wishing a different goal with it. The king wanted to obtain absolute power. The scientist wanted only to further exam it and find the source of its power, hoping to create a brighter future from it. "It was such a joyless day when my men found it. I needed to discover it's purpose, so I sent out for somepony to discover just that. And I found you, and I couldn't ask for anypony better for the job." He said, nudging him slightly. This was all just an act, an illusion of friendship between ponies. While Chemical Flask felt it, Commanding Hoof felt nothing. Flask nudged back, and gave a small chuckle. His sight went from his experiment to the king, happiness in his eyes. The king gave a smirk, raising one of his eyebrows back at him. "So, may I enter?" "Of course my king, remember what I said though." "Just curious, can you hear anything behind this glass?" "Nope" Flask replied, glancing back to the object. "Or else several ponies would’ve been driven mad by its intense humming." The king nodded, glancing back to see his prize, his future, as Flask pulled a lever on a nearby gadget. A small entryway cut itself into the glass, the first thing to be heard was an intense, low hum. Commanding Hoof passed through it, ignoring the sound and took a few steps forward. It seemed a lot lighter from the other side of the glass, causing his vision to adjust to the darkness around him. The entrance closed, and he edged closer to the objective he had set out to check upon. Never before was he this close. He could almost touch it, but was reminded silently of Flask's words. He hissed a little, and then grinned, staring at the object at the top of the small, metallic altar. The altar had been built for the element, to contain its overflow of power. The king gave a low chuckle, staring at the gem that was ridden with different colors. "Soon Element of Harmony, you will be mine..."
Chapter 5 - Beginning of the EndCommanding Hoof sat up in his throne, one of the things he did little of, with Chemical Flask to the front of him. He was having a deep conversation, and ordered the guards out of the room. After all, these were private matters. Coming from a dark corner of the chamber was a sound which resembled snoring, but was not like the voice of a pony. "My king, I'm not sure this 'grand' surprise will work. I mean, doesn't it seem a little sudden? Only two weeks to prepare?" Chemical Flask questioned the King; worry was plain in his tone. Cautiousness and smart thinking had gotten him his job, but that did not make him the King's advisor. Well, at least Commanding Hoof did not see it that way. The King took a deep breath, his fake smile waving. "Well, that's what makes it so grand. I mean, it's been one hundred years since the founding of our wondrous land. Can't you imagine the ponies will want to hold a celebration on the day that birthed Equestria?" The Pegasus questioned, seemingly raising a valid point. His inner expression turned to dark joy when he saw the professor trying to think of something to reply with, but not a word left his lips. The dark coated stallion continued, sitting tall in his gem ridden throne. "And what better way to celebrate than to hold a contest for every creature in the lands to attend? Imagine the crowd, cheering and shouting out for their favorite competitor." The light purple pony sighed, nodding reluctantly to the Kings’ opinion. "As you wish your lordship, but I still don't think this is a good idea. I believe the people would take the news regarding the Harmony Element rather happil--" Chemical Flask was quickly cut off by his superior's cold stare, lips instantly closing as he took a step back. Giving a heavy sigh, the professor turned on his hoofs and paced towards the entrance. Without looking back, his horn enveloped in a white light, the doors shutting close behind him, setting off to find the records bank. Once the doors refused to reveal any light from outside, the King's smile vanished, the grim, uptight expression once again painted on his face. He glanced to the corner that was shedding the essence of noise. Squinting his eyes, "Chito, if you do not stop that snoring I will send you to the dungeons to sleep!" Commanding Hoof yelled, slamming his forefoot against the arm of his throne. A figure stirred in the corner, stretching and yawning quietly before beginning to make his way over to his lord. As soon as the creature stood in the light, the king had to resist the urge to rear back in disturbing shock. It stood on two claws, connecting to a pair of stubby, short legs. His body was a dark and slightly grey shade of purple, his fur brimming around his neck. His arms tucked into the sides of his body, the wings attached to them closing as much as they could. He shook his head slightly, his large, rounded ears flicking around, jet black eyes staring at his master. He smiled towards the pony, rolling his shoulders. "I am sorry that I disturbed you, master. If you wish I shall go sleep somewhere else." The creature known as Chito began, bowing slightly as he approached the king, "Unless you have need of me?" "Actually, yes, I do..." He placed his hoof beneath his chin, looking off into space as he recapped what he needed the strange bat creature for. The image of a bear came searing into his mind, and the king let out a quiet growl. "Do you remember that law enforcer Lania?" Chito looked upwards into space, bringing a talon to his chin as he searched his memories. "Are you referring to the Chief of P.O.C., also one of the subjects from the many Animal Adaption programs?" The purple bat questioned, his sight moving back to his lord. The ruler of Equestria nodded, up-rightly sitting in his throne. "I need Lania out of the picture. The way she spoke out against me was more than an argument. It was a threat. I need her gone before she becomes more trouble. Understand?" The king ordered, glaring menacingly to his dark follower. The bat smiled grimly, an expression that was only ever seen before he went off to do his job. "Any conditions?" "Just one, do it sometime next week. There is going to be a huge festival and not many ponies will notice a missing animal with such a fuss going on. I don't care how you do it, drowning, posting, the works, just do it." The assassin smirked, fanning his wings. He gave his master a bow, and directly after waved his wings. A large gust of wings blew into the kings face, forcing his eyes shut as the distinct sound of flying ringed in his ears. By the time he finally opened his eyes and returned his sight, Chito had disappeared, though not an opening into the room was found. No matter how hard you try, science would never help you create something to read books. The professor shook his hoof in frustration as he once again turned the page, skimming through the thousands of thousands of words that represented each pony. His sight scanned the names, his mind beginning to wander as he lost his concentration. Was his king truly making the right decision? Hiding the Element of Harmony from public knowledge may surprise, if not frighten, the people if revealed at a celebration. But that surprise may turn to joy after he expressed the wonders the element could do for every living being in Equestria. He shook his head, regaining his composure as his sight returned to the writing filled book. He resumed his name scanning, hoping to find a 5-Star pony that could make delicacies and was, well, likeable. He finally reached the 'C' section, scanning through names and occupations. Candy Aero. Pegasus. Mare. 4-Star rating. Hilarious, but talks too much. Confection Blur. Unicorn. Stallion. 5-Star rating. Snobby, proud, and highly distinguished. Chocolate Chaos. Earth Pony. Stallion. 5-Star rating. Friendly, pulls the occasional prank, but always manages to get on a pony's good side. The scientist stopped, raising and eyebrow as he reread the previous line. Excellent quality goods and a social success? Perfect. He wrote the name down on the list of ponies he was scanning through, underlining it with a soft smile. He scanned the details on the location of his workplace, and wrote that next to the name in smaller writing. He closed the book, sighing in satisfaction. Hopefully, this pony would be able to deal with the confection. If not, Flask had some more reading to do. He exited the room, a list of names on a single piece of paper, the words all resembling food of some sort. He returned to his office, taking out fresh instruments for writing, and began to write a series of letters. Chemical Flask sighed, his eyes weary as he finished jotting down the final letter. But he couldn't sleep yet. Now that the food was (hopefully) dealt with, tomorrow would be full of name finding for the entertainment section of the festival. He groaned, rising to his feet and exiting his office, the letters folding into his saddlebag. He soon exited the secret compartment of the palace, trotting slowly and unseen out into the main chamber of the royal castle. He passed down the stairs, moving through the chamber and exiting the castle, outside into the glorious night. The stars were lit rather brightly, as the sky above was a true marvel of the universes creation. He smiled, the tire of his body sweeping over him. He would welcome sleeping on the lovely grass under the watchful gaze of the moon, but he had a job to finish. Continuing down the road, he eventually found himself at the post office, a pegasus stallion with a grey coat and black, spiky mane smiling at him from behind the counter as he entered. "Professor Flask, it is good to see you. Staying up late working again?" He asked, trying to start conversation. Flask smiled back, taking the letters out of the saddlebag. "Yes, in fact. I was writing these letters in the king's name and I need them to be delivered quite quickly." The weary stallion replied. The mailpony nodded, scanning the locations on each of the letters. "I'll get right to it, sir. Now, you need some sleep, so I suggest you return to your room in the palace, and get a good night's sleep." The pegasus stated, before placing his saddlebag on his back and scooping all the letter into them. He flipped the sign on the front of the door from 'Active' to 'Busy', and followed the professor outside, locking the door behind him. "Good day, Professor Flask." He ended, stretching his wings and taking to the sky, soon out of sight in the vast darkness of the night. Flask sighed happily, before trotting towards the castle to obtain some well-earned sleep. Chocolate Chaos giggled, rubbing his cheek fondly as he practically pranced through the room. Everything was a bit of a blur to him, but he found himself not caring. “Perhaps it was the wine”, he thought to himself. Smiling sheepishly as he trotted into his kitchen, Choco sighed in glee as he began to cautiously clean the dishes. He hadn't felt this happy as he did now in a long time. His date with Ticking had gone more than smoothly. His cheek still bright red from where she kissed him, he couldn't help but feel something for this mare. His chest jumped whenever he thought of her, her image consuming his thoughts. He quickly reminded himself of his job, and resumed to clean. His smile did not waver though, a grin spreading from ear to ear. He heard a knock on his door. He raised his brow, looking towards the walkway of the kitchen. He shrugged; putting the dishes he was holding away and headed out to see who was knocking. His eyes widened as he saw a familiar pony standing outside through the glass, holding a letter in his hoof. He unlocked the door, smiling at the mailpony. "Hello Jet Stream. How are you?" He greeted, smiling at the black maned pony. The mailpony hooved the letter over returning the smile. "Not bad actually, thanks for asking." He glanced at the letter, raising an eyebrow. "That's a letter from the Royal Castle in the name of the king. I hope you haven't been causing too much trouble, Choco." He stated. The chocolate making pony slumped, his eyes widening. He quickly ripped open the letter, checking its contents. His expression changed instantly from fear to curiosity as he began to read the letter aloud. "Dear Chocolate Chaos, In two weeks we shall be hosting the greatest festival in honor of our one hundred year old Equestria, the Race of Bolts and Lightning. The best fliers of the land will come by and partake in such an amazing event that will surely be a spectacle to watch. And as such, we need the best of the best to prepare the confection and delicacies, and seeing as you have gained such an approval from many customers, we have decided that you... prepare... the.... sweets and.... deserts?" Chocolate Chaos looked at it stunned, his mouth agape, trying to process the information. "Me? But... I'm no expert...." He stated to himself more than the mailpony in front of him, who was also listening intently to the letter he was reading aloud. Chocolate Chaos shook his head, and continued to read. "We hope you will be able to attend this celebration, and as such, we would love it if you could spread the word about the celebration. If you are going to take advantage of this opportunity, please reply to this letter as fast as you can. From, The King's messenger." Chocolate Chaos stood there for a moment, taking in all this new information, before looking back up at Jet Stream. A smile returned to his face, his eyes widening in excitement. "Jet Stream, could you tell them I would be glad to?"
Chapter 6 - Proud FlierIn the forest lands of Gi' Thadu, deep in the towering trees of forest, there lived a small village. The huts were built upon the branches of the Sky Trees, the strong bark provided a base for the small homes to lean on. There was no need for ladders or doors, just a simple home made of entwining willows and twigs, with no glass windows. And of course, a nice, comfortable hammock in which the residents use to sleep. The residents themselves were a flying race not known much about. They had the pride and the honor. These were the griffons, a species of beings which resembled the front half of an eagle and the back half of a lion. They were informed about the recent developments in the land known now as Equestria, over the eastern seas, and were quite surprised. They had never heard of the ponies before then, and were curious to their behavior, just like any other sentient creature would be. But before long, the years went by and they had gotten used to their friendly nature. The ponies were entranced by their land and living style, touring all there was to see. The griffins had created a bond with the ponies after long, helping each other out in certain situations. But as the lands were so commonly visited, eventually the tourists began to decline, leaving the griffons alone once more. Only one pony had decided to properly live with the village, settling on the ground beneath the towering protection of the trees. A unicorn stallion, with enough strength to lift a boulder, Smoulder Forge was a Blacksmith and apparently according to the rest of his kind, he is one of the best. He found that the wood in the forest could be used to help create high quality tools, furniture, and weapons. According to him, a nearby cave housed a large amount of quality steel as well. The griffins, while they didn't talk to him much since he lived so far below, enjoyed his company most of the time. The items he created had made a nice improvement on the village, some of which were clippers for their feathers, buckets to carry water, and blades for cutting branches which were growing out of place. Only one griffon visited him daily. The black feathered flier Glider was Smoulder's apprentice, learning the arts of metal moldering. He started the day with a small flight before the rise of the sun, and by the time the dawn had only begun, he was flying down below the trees to the metal forge. It was then that Smoulder opened the door for him, gesturing him inside quickly, and shut the door for the rest of the morning. It was only during the beginning of the sunset the Glider exited the forge, every time with a new creation to show off. The one he was most proud of was his compass, a device to point in the direction known as 'North'. He boasted that because of it, he would never get lost if his wing managed to get injured and he had to reside on the ground. He would talk all day about the wonders of metal and heat. The forge truly did him wonders and dreams. Which was why he had felt so incredibly bored when Smoulder Forge had to leave for an entire week. The griffon had been specifically told not to go into the forgery until the unicorn returned. While he was somewhat of a trouble maker, he was loyal to his teacher and respected his wishes. Glider did not even find the skies he so loved as entertaining as they once were. His friends told him he had grown too accustomed to the ground. His brother, Gipha, was currently trying to persuade him to have a little fun to brighten up his day. "Come on, Glider. One race. You always loved to when you were a kid." Gipha pestered, trying to make his brother submit to his wants. It was a habit of his, being annoying to get what he wanted from his older brother. Glider sighed. His wings felt heavy, his energy low. He believed he did not have the energy to compete. "Gipha, please, just stop it. I don't feel like it okay?" The elder replied, craning his head away from his sibling. Gipha groaned, and brought his claw up above his head, and immediately began to bring it back down. Glider yelped, turning to see that his younger brother had sliced his claw against his leg, some fur still on his talons. He growled menacingly, only to be met with a ridiculously poor impersonation of a chicken, before his younger took to the skies laughing. The black feather griffon flexed his now weightless wings, and leaped from the balcony, chasing the wind behind his brother. Mocking the older brother was never a smart thing to do. Snickering, Gipha dropped below the branches of the trees, to the twisting labyrinth of trunks. The unicorn's apprentice followed, diving down into the maze, already catching up to his assaulter. The younger's claws clung to a nearby tree, his wings closing in as his body flew like an arrow around the trunk, letting go halfway around and flinging to the right. This little act surprised Glider, causing him to lose his concentration for a few moments, before returning to the chase. It irritated him immensely, seeing his brother taunt him like that. He gave a huge flap of his wings, soaring up above. His brother looked back, only to find wind on his trail. Before he noticed, the black feathered griffon dived down onto his younger brother. Reacting in the last instant, Gipha, being the devious one, curved his way from his brothers’ claws, shooting up into the branches. Glider grinned, instantly hitting upwards, following Gipha's trail. Soon, the chase had taken them into the maze where the branches were, curving and swerving in order to manage a way though the endless sea of wood. This brought Glider to a slight disadvantage. He was bigger than Gipha, and therefore could not fit in the smaller spaces his younger brother could. But, his advantage was that he was more experienced, moving through the branches as easily as a stroll in the park. He zigzagged through the wood, his younger brother, while evasive, was losing speed in attempts to lose him. The branches were constantly getting in his way, and instead of moving with the tree's like his older brother, Gipha shot up further, hoping to make a break for it up in the sky. Big mistake. As soon as he had reached open air, a black figure shot out of the forest plantation. He grabbed his younger brother around the waist, bringing him to a halt. Gipha yelped, his eyes widening as his brother tugged him back to the village with ease. He dragged him to a wooden platform, his younger brother yelping out in fright. Glider pinned the younger to the solid floor, and growled at him. "Please please please please please don't hurt me!" Gipha begged, wincing away as he expected revenge from his brother. "I won't do it again I swear!" Glider smirked, his claw loosening a little. It was always fun for him to see his brother like this. "Begging now, are we?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, even though his brother couldn't see from being pinned face down. The younger griffin shook in the claws, nodding. "Yes, it's all true. I'm begging to be released! Please!" He admitted, continuing to persist in his ethics of freedom. Glider began to snicker, his brother's performance amusing him. Soon, the shivering child had caused the griffin to burst into laughter. It was always a joy to see his brother cower in his wake. Such was the bond between brothers. He loosened his claws, no longer pinning him down. Gipha, embarrassed, took it upon himself to get up, stretching his wings as he looked away, his cheeks reddening. "It's not funny..." He finally said, his gaze still not on Glider's being. Glider, though, continued to laugh, pointing at his younger. "You're right. IT'S HILARIOUS!" He exclaimed, flopping onto the floor and rolling around, clutching his belly. He eventually calmed down, his laughter dimming, only to wipe the tears away from his eyes to see his brother staring down on him, unamused. "You're mean" He simply stated, before turning away and taking to the air. Glider chuckled, bringing himself to his feet as he watched his brother go. He sighed, satisfied at teaching his brother a lesson, he spread his wings also, flying up into the currently cloudless sky. He groaned. A nice, fluffy cloud would be a good place to rest right now. He decided he would take a long flight; see how far his endurance would take him. He began beating his wings furiously as he set out to explore. The sun began to set, the sky ridden with the majority of warm, energetic colors, making way for the calm, star lit night. Glider panted heavily, his wings seemingly full of led as he strained his way back to the village. After using as much effort as possible, he glided down upon his small home, collapsing at the floor. He gasped heavily, deeply breathing to replace the air in his lungs. He climbed over to his hammock, the only place he was known to sleep. Letting out a deep sigh, he rose up into his version of a bed, and quickly feel asleep. What happened earlier he would reveal to no one. The sun had once again taken to the sky, though it was several hours after when the sky was in its peak in the sky did Glider rise from his sleep. He felt his body renewed after the long sleep, though strains in his wings would keep him from his daily dose of flying. He slid his eyes open, adjusting to the light of day. He stretched, rising from his hammock, and rubbing the back of his head as he hopped on the floor. He yawned, moving over to the perch where he kept his food, when he recognized a familiar scent. He moved to the entrance to see smoke rising up into the sky from below. His grinned, lifted in joy. Knocking on the front door of the Forgery, Glider only had to wait a few moments before the door opened to the familiar face of the unicorn. The tinted cyan pony grinned at the sight of his apprentice, shaking some ash out of his beard. "Glider! It's good tah’ see yah laddy!" Smoulder said deeply in a thick accent. Glider wasn't sure what of though, since he had never really been outside his village. But the griffin found it amusing, which added to the stallion's character. He offered a hoof to shake, which the griffon accepted gladly, only to be pulled into the stallion's embrace. He reluctantly returned the gesture, smiling. As soon as they broke, Glider began to make his way inside. Though, to his surprise, Smoulder held him back, guarding the door. "Laddy, we won't be needin' tah go in there. Believe it or not, I'm actually cookin' for a trip... I'm goin' on another vacation." Glider felt his heart drop. Another vacation?! The griffon twitched, his wings puffing up in instinct. He couldn't stand another week without the blacksmith. Everything seemed so.... boring. Just as the apprentice was about to enter a frenzied state, Smoulder placed his hoof on the young griffon's shoulder, snapping Glider's attention back to his teacher. "I was hopin' you'd come wid me lad." He stated, smiling sincerely at the feathered beast. Glider was taken aback by this, the short sentence taking so long to process. His master had practically asked him if he wanted to go on an adventure to see lands unknown to him, full of wonders and secrets to those who wish to discover them. His beak widened to a grin, nodding towards the stallion. "I would gladly accept going with you, Mister Forge!" He beamed out, his feathers shivering in excitement. This would be a life time experience. He wondered where his teacher planned on taking him. "I told ya’ laddy, call me Smoulder." He replied, giving him a tired smile. "Go pack ya’ things boy. We have a long trip ahead of us." The blacksmith began to turn, heading back inside. "Where are we going, Mist-- I mean, Smoulder?" Glider asked right as the unicorn began to shut the door. He grinned back at the griffon, almost devious. "Be here at three o'clock, the trip to Canterlot is a long one." Smoulder shut the door, leaving Glider to ponder on the place Smoulder spoke of. Canterlot sounded like some sort of area, like a town or port. It was probably filled with ponies, as he realized. He tried hard to contain a squeal. More ponies were better in his opinion fore he had seen pictures, and all of them were terrifyingly adorable. Shaking his head, trying to get back to the real world, Glider took to the skies, flying up to his home in the tree. But halfway up, he stopped, deadpanning in sudden realization, asking himself an oblivious question. "Isn't Canterlot the Capital of Equestria?"
Chapter 7 - One Fang and a BountyThree ponies sat in a room, one mare and two stallions, staring at each other intently as they placed their hooves at the table they sat near. Their bodyguards shifted nervously, glancing around at any suspicious activity. After all, when the three greatest minds behind the black market got together, there would a huge possibility of trouble. Staring down at the table in front of them, they all placed giant bags of bits on the table, making a huge total sum of money on. The one wearing a cloak was the first to speak. "This new event has been quite the attraction, as we all know. There are bets being placed, and that's where we come in. We need to decide now who is going to win this race, and put our money--" "--where our mouth is." The one with a suit and an evil smirk interrupted, much to the displeasure of the cloaked one. "I see where we're going with this. I'm definitely in." "As am I," said the third, which wore nothing but a large scar cutting from above his eye down to his chest, which was obviously a defining feature. "We bribe the competition to lose, and, if they disagree, we use different methods." "Exactly. I have a list of all the recent competitors. Many I have already introduced myself to, but I still have not all the possible information I could have on them. Obviously, many more are going to join this race, but it is best we pick out our competitor now. That way, we are ensured to make the most bits." The cloaked pony suggested, an evil fanged grin spread across her face that even scared the most black- hearted stallions. The stallion's guards eyed her own suspiciously, which only smiled back. "Do you have the necessary data on the current competitors so we may make a decision?" The scarred one asked. "I would not have called you here otherwise." "Excellent. Then let us begin our debate." And so set forth another plan in the game fate had stored for the world of Equestria. "I still say we choose Lightning." "Sonic Strike is the best possible choice." "Ventus Soar shall remain in my personal favor." The three dark minsters continued their bickering, each one too stubborn to let up. Their choices had been narrowed down to two pegasi, a fierce, agile stallion called Lightning, a dare devil mare named Sonic Strike, and a bat pony stallion who usually never says a word, Ventus Soar. The guards, too wrapped up in watching the debate, failed to notice another presence enter the room. The intruder made no noise, and was soon right behind the scarred pony, looking over his shoulder to inspect the three candidates chosen. "I believe that Ssssonic Sssstrike would be the easiest to bend to your will." The mysterious figure interrupted, bringing all the eyes on him in fright. The guards immediately brought their spears, swords, and daggers forward, ready to kill if the intruder made a move. "Now now, why don't we all put the weaponssss down. I'm not your enemy." The intruder said in a sly, calm voice. The stallion dressed in a suit immediately smirked, knowing the voice well and true. "Simon! I've been waiting for your arrival. Where were you, stuck in traffic?" He asked jokingly, making every other creature in the room slightly more eased. "Are you saying this.. Whatever it is, is your friend?" The cloaked one asked wearily. Simon chuckled, moving into the light surrounding the table. "Ssssnake, Mistresssss Dark Sssspell." Simon corrected, showing off his figure; a long, brown scaled snake, with a tan underbelly. He wore a western outback hat, with a gun holster wrapped around his midsection, with his personal weapon carried inside. A seemly strange feature about him though was that he only had one fang, a long venomous canine on the right side of his mouth. Dark Spell looked at the snake surprised and confused. Hardly anypony knew her real name. Simon turned to the well-dressed stallion, giving him a devious smile. "Ssssso Black Cover, how issss everything with you?" "Not bad, actually. I may just have a double amount in my bank account, and if everything goes according to plan, you'll get your fair share of it." He replied, returning the dark smile. He then pointed towards the snake, and looked to the other two ponies around the table. "This is Simon 'One Fang' Snake, best bounty hunter around and a personal friend of mine." "The pleasssure is all mine." Simon exclaimed, bowing before them. Dark Spell and the yet to be named scarred stallion looked him over curiously. "I didn't think animals could talk." The scarred stallion stated, bringing a hoof to his chin. "I wasssss part of one of the firsssst Animal Adaption programsssss a long while back, but after I obtained the knowledge I needed to ssssssurvive, I left. It wassss too... boring there." Simon explained, bringing the end of his tail up to gesture, seeing as he had no other limbs. "I then earned a living assss a mercenary bounty hunter, alwayssss working for the rich, Master Sharp Edge." Sharp Edge nodded in approval, smiling a little at the new arrival. "Now, what was that you said when you entered?" He asked. "Well, in my opinion, Ssssonic Sssstrike would be a very favorable option. For you sssssee, I know thisssss mare, and sssshe issss fasssst. Well, fassssster than anything I've sssseen. Sssshe is alsssso, believe it or not, greedy when it comessss to money. Sssshe'll do anything for the right amount of bitsssss." Simon leaned back, tipping his hat a little to cover his eyes as he smiled darkly. "Asssss for the other two competitorsssss , Lightning issss good, but too ssssstubborn. Bribing him may be hard, ssssso a little enforcement would be required. Now Ventusssss Sssssoar isssss too ssssusssspicioussss, and assss ssssuch, untrussstworthy. I know little of him, sssso you bessssst invessssstigate into him more. He may not be what he ssseemsss." Everyone in the room fell silent after Simon's long examination. And what surprised the three dark minsters was that he was completely right. Sharp Edge's smile grew wider, for his choice was already in higher favor from the bounty hunter. Dark Spell nodded in approval, and Black Cover began to chuckle. "Well, I'm going with Simon's decision, for more than one reason." Black Cover stated, smiling at Dark Spell. "I guess majority rules." "Indeed." The cloaked mare nodded, and then gestured for her guards to come forth. They stood at attention, standing before the mysterious mare. "Go to Sonic Strike and give her a suitable bribe. Do not fail me." The guards nodded, and immediately left, intent on fulfilling their leader's desires. "I hope your minionssss are assss reliable as you ssssay they are." The bounty hunter spoke, looking towards Dark Spell unconvinced. "It'ssss alwayssss the mosssst loyal onessss that become the traitorssss." "And where do your loyalties lie bounty hunter?" Sharp Edge asked, raising an eyebrow towards the snake. The reptile snickered in return, and then prodded one of the huge bags on the table before them. "With the highesssst bidder." Simon began his trek back through the black marble corridor, lit faintly by the torches hung on the wall. He smiled as his scaly body tingled with excitement, the after effect of being in the presence of so much gold. He now made himself known to three of the darkest and richest leaders in Equestria, which was good for business. He stopped in his tracks, however, when he felt another living thing hiding near him. Part of an ancestral instinct snakes had, he had always been told. "Sssshow yoursssself." He hissed, glancing around him swiftly. He turned around find Dark Spell right behind him, her hood down. Two purple, slit eyes stared down at him, her coat a dark indigo. Her mane, however, glistened white, running down her head straight and silky. Her horn was longer than most, sharpened at the end. She smiled at Simon, showing of her fanged teeth. He felt a little intimidated. "Simon, was it? I honestly wasn't expecting the bounty hunter Black Cover spoke of to be... well, you, to put it simply. I mean no offence." She said, looking the snake over. He chuckled, feeling more relaxed as he turned and began to slither down the corridor, Dark Spell following close behind. "Don't judge a book by it'ssss cover issss a motto I have lived by." He replied, glancing at the mare. "I know much about you, Misssstressssss Dark Sssspell, like how you are the child of a unicorn and a bat pegassssussss, or how you lived the life of an asssssasssssin until you decided to create your own dark empire, or how you only sssshow your face to the creaturessss you trusssst the mosssst." He looked at her to find her quite startled, and began grinning confidently. "But thosssse are only a few thingssss. Though I know a lot about you Misssstresssss Dark Ssssspell, it issss not assss much assss I would like to know. They ssssay knowledge issss the greatest weapon and I for one agree." The dark unicorn looked at the snake slightly frightened, but stood firm and continued to walk with him down his dark path. "You seem to know a lot about me, Simon, but if you know that I only reveal my face to those I trust most, can you tell me why I revealed it to you?" "Indeed I can, misssstressss, for you think that ssssince you can detect liessss with your dark magic which issss unique only to you, you detected no liessss in my earlier sssstatement that I am loyal to the highesssst bidder, sssso therefor you are thinking of making me work for you in sssseveral sssservicessss in return for a nice amount bitssss." When Simon finished his long answer, he stopped in his tracks to stare at his now less confident conversationalist. Snickering, he turned and continued to slither in the dimly lit corridor. The dark unicorn followed close behind, and soon, the pair came to a pair of small doors. Simon turned to the unicorn, and tipped his hat. "It wassss a pleassssure, Dark Sssspell. If you ever require my sssservicessss, don't be afraid to assssk." He took a gem from under his hat using his tail, and placed it slyly in the pocket of her cloak. He grinned before swiftly opening the doors and exited from the hall. Dark Spell placed her hood over her head once again, and walked into the dark alley outside. The vilest city of Equestria so far was Manehattan, the living place of the most dangerous criminals. Simon slithered through the dark alleys of the growing city, careful to avoid any unwanted attention. The trash reeked of rotting substances, the rood stained with small amounts of blood. Simon hated it here, and continued on until he found himself on the open road in the city. The bounty hunter, a well- known criminal, kept to the shadows in fear of being caught. He did not need to raise his bounty higher if he had to use violence to get to his home. Crossing the street, he glanced into an alleyway to see three large stallions towering over a small child. The child was crying, the three ruffians laughing, which almost made Simon spew on the spot. He was never one for justice, but he despised the ill-treatment of children. He slowly slithered towards the group where he began to hear the group of thugs talking. "We sell her. Slaves are in high pay nowadays." "Meh, why not cut her up and trade her organs. That pays higher on the black market." "Ah say we take 'er home and have a littl' fun with 'er, if you know what ah mean." The child, obviously thanks to the conversation defined a female, backed up against the wall, shaking terribly. Simon could not bear the sight, and continued to approach the three. They laughed and debated amongst themselves, not noticing the snake approach them. Before any one of them could react, the snake took the gun from his holster, reloaded, and fired three bullets into the heads of the ponies before more than a second passed. They collapsed, hitting the ground like bricks, dead before they even hit the floor. The child looked up to see the criminal’s dead, with a serpentine figure checking their wallets. She sniffed, and began to crawl over to her current hero. Now much closer, she saw that the figure was indeed a snake, a well dress one at that. The bounty hunter's eyes moved from the bodies and wallets to her, examining the child. She reared back a little, but the snake moved closer, trying to smile kindly and began to reassure the child. "Don't be afraid, girl, I won't hurt you." Simon said smoothly, but it did not affect to calm the girl's nerves. She was an earth pony, a blank flank, brown coat, red curly hair, and blue eyes, and she was shivering in fear, so he continued his attempts to make her feel safe. "What'ssss your name, girl?" "R-rosy Petal, m-mister snake sir..." She stammered, still frightened that the reptile may kill her. "Rossssy, huh? That'ssss a pretty name. Where are your parentssss Rossssy?" She sniffed, hanging her head as she replied to the snake. "... D-dead..." This took Simon aback, raising and eyebrow at the young girl. If her parents were dead, that means her life so far must have become horrible. "Do you have any family to go to?" "No... I lived at the orphanage... But I didn't like it there, the Miss hated me.... Hurt me... So I ran away..." She said, looking the snake in the eyes. "Who are you, mister snake sir?" "Don't ever call me ssssir, makessss me feel old." He stated as a joke, getting a small giggle out of the sobbing girl. "Call me Ssssimon. I'm a bounty hunter." Rosy gasped, bringing a hoof to her mouth. "You're the legendary 'One Fang' Simon?" Simon smiled, bringing the end of his tail to point to the one fang he had left in his mouth, "The one and only." "What happened to your other fang, Simon?" The snake widened his eyes a little, and then quickly shook his head. "Never mind about that. How about you come with me until I find you ssssomewhere to live?" "You want me to come with you?" She asked doubtfully, widening her eyes. "Ssssure kid, why not?" She smiled and stumbled to her hooves, and walked over to the now less scary killer. The bounty hunter in return tried his best not to laugh. Smiling, he began a long trek to an abandoned shed on the outskirts of the city which he called home, now with a guest to show his collection of bits and books to.
