Enter the Stage did Two Strangers
Two Strangers
Chapter 1
Twilight was bored. There was nothing to do. Twilight had helped Spike with chores and, now tuckered out, he was napping in the kitchen for peace. Everyone else was busy and yet did not require her assistance. There were a few new books downstairs yet surprisingly Twilight did not feel like opening them just yet. She kept them on the library desk still concealed within their brown paper packaging to retain that new book smell. Twilight relished that scent and did not want to waste it. Surprisingly her normal book-aholic nature was rather lackluster today.
She had an idea. Turning to one of her many shelves surrounding her bed, she levitated a box lying dormant from it and exited her room.
Opening the doors onto her balcony she placed the box in front of her and blew the coating of dust from it and carefully lifted free its contents onto the balcony floor.
Her star gazing kit. Remembering when she disassembled it to make more room for one lengthy reading session she rather haphazardly planned for, Twilight never felt the need to use it since and as a result never removed it from its small cozy cardboard pod. Boredom however proved to be enough of a reason to persist with allowing it to see the light of day again.
Setting up was easy enough. Whilst it had been a while since last using it, Twilight had performed this task many times before and had it sentinelled proudly overlooking the world before her like it had in the past. Yet that was not what it’s job was for now, Twilight thought. Firstly it was daytime and therefore no hint of the glistening stars would be seen for more than a few hours. No, Twilight was feeling in an unproductive mood today.
Pointing the telescope downwards, she scanned the quiet village below her. Her beautiful home was living up to its nature. Quiet. Twilight sighed, her boredom only increasing as she watched a light blue mare tend to her garden, quickly moving on when Twilight feared she may have spotted her intrusive behavior. Instead Twilight decided to look further from home.
‘Come on. It’s been weeks and not a single solitary engaging event has happened! Since moving here my friends and I have been on all kinds of adventures, battled monsters, reasoned with dragons and repelled invasions from changelings to parasprites.’ The sights of her telescope slowly panned over the ever wide horizon starting just east of the Everfree Forest. ‘Now that I want something to happen, nothing does. Not that I want anything dangerous to happen. Just something exciting.’ Her gaze passed over the many lush green fields and smooth, lazy, rolling hills. In the distance, other humble towns, simple villages and grand cities disrupted the almost flat lands around her.
With another huff, Twilight slumped back and spun the telescope on its stand. ‘Nothing’ she thought as she watched its momentum slow. Fatigue pestered her, the kind that can only be experienced after a long day of performing nothing in particular.
The telescope stopped. Twilight stared at it for a moment before slowly, with extenuating effort, leaning in to take one final look through the telescope.
The Everfree Forest. Twilight shuddered. She had been in there on multiple occasions for a plethora of reasons. Yet the unsettling feeling it seeded in her never seemed to falter. Yet she did not look away. No, in fact her eyes were fixed on the surface of the deep trees and bushes. More specifically, two looming shadows, becoming more and more defined the longer she stared.
Calmly emerging from the dense thicket of twisting thorns and gnarled trees was...
“A stallion?” Twilight gasped. Difficult to see from such a distance, Twilight could just about make the tall toned stature of the grey stallion. It took her a moment to realize his attention was focused on the forest behind him. Bursting from the bushes appeared another smaller stallion with a similar grey coat. “Wait two stallions?” Even from this distance she knew she didn't know either of these two ponies.
“Somepony new?” Twilight pondered lifting a hoof underneath her muzzle. Returning to the telescope she watched as they slowly headed in the direction of Ponyville.
The smaller pony seemed to be far more energetic and talkative than his taller counterpart who didn't appear to say anything at all, merely watching the smaller pony flit and jump about. As he strolled slowly onward the smaller stallion impatiently flew ahead and retreating back, having to wait for the larger pony, who seemed to refuse to go any faster. They appeared to be completely opposite in personality.
The smaller grey pony wore a large white hat with a black band around the centre, standing out against the ponies green tipped black hair. Somehow he managed to effortlessly wear it whilst flying around at speeds that would most certainly give Rainbow Dash a run for her money.
In almost perfect contrast, the larger of the two ponies wore a waistcoat that hugged his chest that matched the bracelets around his forelegs. Both a thick black. However more curiously was the hat he donned. It was a simple black trilby. No markings or colours. It had a plain design that cover his eyes from sight for the most part. Yet Twilight’s curiosity only grew as she found herself almost drawn to it. It felt... odd.
Pondering the odd feeling this strange pair was giving her, she looked away for a brief moment, lost in thought. When she returned to the telescope, the pair could no longer be seen.
Whoever they were, they were heading to Ponyville.
I wonder who will meet them first? If it’s Pinkie then I wish them luck.
Thinking back to her first day in Ponyville, Twilight could remember the first impression the rampant ball of energy in a small pink package gave her.
Pinkie was quite calm that day I first met her. Even then she seemed a little... much. I hope she doesn’t over do it. More recently Pinkie has been far more excitable than usual resulting in far more... Pinkie-ish shenanigans. Oh it will be fine. I’m sure they will meet someone else first. Ponyville’s has so many friendly ponies here, what are the chances of Pinkie being the first to see them?
Slim, a voice in her head answered back. My thoughts exactly.
Tuning back to the telescope the two figures were gone.
* * *
“I’m sorry to wake you sister” A motherly voice rang out. 2But you know that I wouldn’t do this unless absolutely necessary.” Luna stirred as sleep still clung heavily to her mind. With copious amounts of effort, Luna cracked open one dizzy eye to glimpse her clock stood guarding her bedside.
4:18 PM it glowed.
Letting out a disgruntled moan she turned over to return to her rest. Another nudge prevented her.
“Sister, please.” Luna opened both eyes now. Celestia was standing over her. Her voice lacked the calming nobility that it so often held. The feint tremor of worry it now contained was sobering. She never spoke like this apart from on the rarest of occasions. As Luna’s eyes adjusted, she focused on her older sisters face. She was wearing an expression which only worried Luna further.
If this is another banana shortage crisis, I’m gonna kill her.’ But when her eyes were drawn to her open bedroom door, they faltered on the half dozen gowned figures behind her sisters tall stature. Lunas thoughts immediately turned more serious.
Sitting bolt upright, sending her duvet flying from her, her gaze returned to her sibling.
“What happened?”
Author's Note
N.B. I want to let it be known that I can make up words for the purpose of descriptive writing if the words used describe the action or situation in an adequate manner.
Shakespeare did it... so I feel I should too ^_^
Pinkie Pie bounced her way around town as she normally did, a cheerful melody dancing through her head as she tried to set words to it. Singing bits and pieces from other songs she knew as well as new ideas to this playful tune between the many greetings she gave almost every passing pony she crossed.
Her pink hair bobbed with each pace. Her gleaming eyes were particularly keen as of late. Pinkie could feel it. Something different was coming. Her left hind leg had been telling her so. But her twitching eyebrow told her it was nothing to be afraid of.
It was a doozy... but not a dangerous doozy. Those were the worst kind of doozies. No, this doozy made her excited. She wanted to let the others know but she knew it would only frustrate Twilight. Poor thing, Pinkie thought. Sometimes you just have to except that some things cannot be explained scientifically.
Such as how something completely infallible may have a completely legitimate affect on its environment. Such as imaginary numbers. The square root of minus one cannot be presented in real life or even within a picture or drawing, yet could be used to calculate the effects of probabilities within a three dimensional plain in relation to moving objects... Pinkie stopped, feeling dizzy. What was I doing again?
Resuming her jolly bouncing, she continued down the path. It’s like the time when Uncle Canter got caught in a public restroom for two days after trying to bungie jump from the Eiffel Tower in Prance all because he forgot to...
She stopped again. This time her eyes locked onto two ponies making their way over the threshold of the town. Without a second’s hesitation, she bolted over to them. Her mind switching itself back on again.
Why is this town called Ponyville if it’s a town? Oh no time for that now Pinkie, you have new people to meet! As she came closer to the strangers, she watched the younger of the two speak something to the older before taking to the skies. Within an instant, he was gone. Slightly dishevelled, she continued her quick advance. I can always meet that Pegasus later.
Coming to a slow trot, she approached the tall hatted stallion. His gaze still focused on the direction his companion disappeared to but as the strange pink mare drew close, his attention turned, his stern silver eyes pierced hers for a moment. His stance portrayed almost an aggressive unease at this encounter, something that was uncommon to strangers meeting somepony new.
I know how to deal with new ponies like this, Pinkie thought. But before she could open her mouth to greet the newcomer, his whole demeanour altered. Eyes softened and stance relaxed almost visibly.
“Hi,” Pinkie started. “My name is Pinkie Pie and I noticed that you were new around here, I knew you were new because I didn’t recognise you and if I didn’t recognise you then that must mean that you aren’t from around here which mean that you’re new and if you’re new then you-“ A look of surprise at the stream of words spilling forth without a seconds pause attached itself to this strange stallion who took a step back from the overly excited pink mare.
”-must be here to see someone like family or friends but as you haven’t been here before then that must mean that neither of those things are right as no one else new has arrived here in Ponyville for a while now so the-phffff pff fpffff phfff-” The grey stallion slowly raised a hoof to cover the frantic mares mouth- failing to make her stop attempting to finish her nonstop thought as muffled words continued to spill forth. At this a small smile cracked the grey stallions face.
Patiently waiting for her to stop, he kept his hoof covering Pinkie mouth.
“Which way to the nearest rentable place of residence?”
“Phfff therttthhh-” Pinkie stopped, looking Bass in the eyes. After a moment she answered. Unfortunately still muffled by Bass’s hoof, the incomprehensible “Offehy Doffehy” Caught him off guard. Pinkie Pie spun on her hooves and skipped off chirping “this way, this way”.
Bass, left baffled by this pink mare merely stood with leg outstretched in the absence of her. Sighing with a small smile crossing his lips, he muttered:
“Never a normal day,” before realising his stance and swiftly followed.
“So that stallion you were with,” Pinkie said when Bass finally caught up. “You gonna want a room with him?
“If possible” Bass scanned the town beneath his hat as he walked.
“So that means you two are...” Giving him a look. Bass stopped so suddenly it raised dust from the floor.
“BUCK NO! Neither of us are into that” He stared.
“Its fine,” Pinkie said waving him off. “We have a very accepting community. We have all sorts around here – depending on which fan-fiction you read.”
“What?”
“Nothing...” Bass, still reeling a little from Pinkie’s over exaggerated happiness, was left both amused and bemused. Maybe both together makes me C-mused? Bass thought. Oh god this girl’s madness is infectious, Bass chuckled.
“He’s my brother” Bass finally cut the silence.
“Really, who’s older?”
“I am” Bass smiled. “Something I used to brag about often when we were young.”
“So where did you come from? Is it nice there, is it in another country? Do you still have bits over there? How old are you? How old is your brother?”
“Elsewhere, no, yes, yes, old, less old.” He answered.
“Talkative aren’t you.”
“No” Pinkie smiled.
“Well, here it is!” Pinkie halted in front of a colourful cosy building. Small windows quartered by wood decorated the outside and provided sufficient lighting for its dwellers. Decals coated the outside, clearly crafted by skilled hooves, or delicate magic. At the front, was a small wide door. “If you need any help with anything then by all means ask. It wouldn’t be any trouble. If you want to find me, come and look for Sugar Cube Corner” with a jump and a twist she landed facing 180 degrees to where she was and proceeded to skip away.
“He seemed nice” Pinkie told herself. “Quiet but nice” Pinkies paused. A feeling of dread prickled the back of her mind. Her knee felt ‘pinchy’, Pinkie sense dictates that means something scary is about to happen.
Turning around, she watched the tall grey pony push open the door as a second stallion, plummeting out of the sky to land next to him, caught his attention. Pinkies smile returned as she took a step forward to greet the Pegasus. Her knee pinched harder. The smile faded from her face. Still watching, Pinkie stood motionless as the two stallions passed through the door, closing it behind them.
Annoyed at her lack of x-ray vision, something she hoped to attain someday, Pinkie lost sight of them both. But the fact remained: the Pinkie sense said something scary would happen. The Pinkie sense never lies.
Energy drained from her as she made to move away once more. This time skips and smiles replaced by slow steps and looks of fret.
Something scary.
* * *
Much to Luna’s dismay, her older sister did not answer her question, merely telling her to make herself presentable before leaving the room. Luna scrambled through her wardrobe, sending outfits flying behind her, before picking out her favourite attire she typically wore to more prestigious gatherings. Donning them she left the room, immediately stumbling into one of the figures she spotted behind her sister. Handing her a cup of very sweet tea he politely murmured “follow me” with all the courtesy he could muster without letting his agitation get the better of him.
Luna took it. Bringing it to her lips with her blue aura, she trotted in hot pursuit of her present company.
Through regal rooms and marble hallways; through pristine corridors and grand walkways they travelled until happening upon a small secluded chamber.
Her guide pushed open the small oaken door and entered. Luna drained the last of her drink before doing the same.
“Thank you for coming Luna.” An elderly white bearded stallion announced on her arrival. “Naturally the importance of your presence at this meeting far exceeds your sleeping regime and I hope you understand that.” He stated flatly, almost sensing her displeasure at such a rude awakening.
“I should hope so.” She answered irritably. “Getting up during the day is exhausting.” Collapsing into the nearest chair.
“Hmm” He murmured. “Luna. While you were...” he glanced at Celestia, pausing for a brief moment “...while you were exiled” Tia visibly stiffened.
The elder stallion continued “Great evils have been growing. Festering. And we believe that they may have already started to move without our notice.” Uncomfortable whispers and incoherent words exchanged around the table. Celestia remained silent.
“What do you mean?” Luna asked.
A different robed stallion stood up.
“We believe that something malicious may have already made its way into Ponyville.”