Chapters The city of Canterlot was quite that night. Luna watched the night skies when she sensed a disturbance. She gasped — something malevolent, something evil, was here. There was only one creature who had that much power: Malik. He was a magic user, and specialized in combat magic, a con artiste, thief, sword fighter, knife thrower, rogue, fighter, and in taverns, a master gambler. And he was in Canterlot.
She ran to her sister's room and informed her of the presence she felt when suddenly the guard ran in the room and said he had a strange problem at a local tavern. They headed down a dark street on the other side of Canterlot, towards the tavern. Whatever Malik wanted here, I could not be good. Last time the princesses had encountered him, he had set up so many magic wards and spells that the princesses' magic was useless. Then they saw a little old stallion with a small beard, bent over in a nasty coughing fit, in the dirty street across from the tavern. Then he righted himself and bowed to the princesses very lowly, and commented in a low voice, "something's amiss in there, I can feel it." They thanked him and bode him well.
Little did the princesses know, the old stallion was on a mission that had dark intentions, for he had found the fifth in the line of magic. A little dark red unicorn colt with a shaggy mane that was a shade darker than his brown eyes, was his target. He found the lock and used oil to silence the squeaking back door. Ah oil, he thought, it could be used for many things: silencing doors, greasing pans, and slicking back onepony's mane. He opened the door and worked his way upstairs to the crib. He gently scooped up the little colt, set a small package in his place, and snuck out the back of the house. He then walked past the guard and gave him the 750 bits with the colt all wrapped up hidden against his chest. He left the city and walked down the path. Whistling he stood up, and stretched his back. He looked at the little colt, saying as he walked, "I shall call you Firestarter, I will figure out your first name later. Hmp. What to call you.…". Continuing to walk, the house that the little colt had come from exploded in bright black fire.
Canterlot didn't even know what had hit them.
That was several thousand years ago, Malik thought, the little unicorn colt had been kept in stasis, when captured. He then got of his throne, walked over to the treasure chamber, and woke the little colt out of the stasis spell. He woke up, and started crying. Malik took him to the kitchen, and got some applesauce, and fed the little colt so it would shut up. He looked at the little colt. He then said, "Nightmare Moon's time shall end in twelve years, Discord's tyranny shall end the next year, the Changlings defeated the year after that, and then Tireq shall be defeated as well. And then after that, the land shall be ours."
The Discovery
Whirlwind Firestarter laid in his bed, his back was killing him. He was sure that the pain was not from the logs he lifted the other day, gosh it hurt! He got himself up and watched the sun rise, as this happened he wondered how the evil tyrant princesses known as Celestia and Luna could completely control the sun and moon cycle. He knew that they were some sort of great magic users, but in reality did not know much except for what Malik told him. Remembering that name, Whirlwind rushed off to prepare breakfast for the morning. He thought as he went down the clean stairs he swept yesterday that he would make Malik some pancakes with fried eggs on the side. He heated up the oven with a ignite spell and started cooking. An hour or so later, Malik arrived downstairs and started eating the food that was set out for him. "Very good, I swear you're getting better by the day, what is next on the to do list for today?" Said Malik after the two had nearly finished breakfast.
"Hauling logs to the river, no magic today, buck twenty apple trees, practice magic—" started Whirlwind.
"Just a moment, how are your studies coming along?" asked Malik.
"Well, I have finished all of Starswirl's books, I have completed The Essential Guide to Magic: Volumes: One and Two, completed Combat Magic for Beginners, Combat Magic for Acolytes, Combat Magic: Volume: Two, and the entire set of Magic Wards and Their Many Effects." answered Whirlwind, "Also I have finished the books on sword fighting and knife throwing, oh and I read that copy of Effective Melee and Magic Combat: Volumes 1-6." he finished.
Malik then asked, "Did you read Disguises and Magic Effects to Hide an Identity?"
"Yes, Master." came Whirlwind's reply.
"Good, here's the final spell book and you'll just need to take the finals afterwards....." concluded Malik, "now clean up these dishes, and finish those chores while I go into town for the Third Volume of Combat Magic."
The rest of the day went simply by, Malik got him the book, and Whirlwind started practicing his spells at sundown. That night he had a strange dream, he was in a city of some sort, and this giant alicorn was chasing him! Whirlwind woke up and could not rest, so he decided to do tomorrow's lesson that night. He slept in that morning, when Malik entered his room, he levitated the unicorn out of bed and downstairs into the kitchen. Malik then woke him up and asked what is the matter.
"I couldn't sleep last night, master, I had a dream I was in a weird city being chased by one of those dreadful alicorns, I guess I fell asleep...." Whirlwind groggily said.
"Here, you just practice spells today by the woods, I shall watch and see how your studies are coming along." Malik replied to the sleepy unicorn. They two of them headed out to the woods behind the manor, and he showed Malik several spells. He then show him the fireball spell; it went up and smashed into one of the largest trees Whirlwind had ever seen, and then the tree started falling his way.
Everything then went black.
Whirlwind woke up, really dizzy, he had no idea how long he had been out. He looked around and realized, I'm floating among the stars. Then he saw different parts of his life when he had helped others, being kind, generous, honest, told jokes, when he had been loyal to Malik, and when he had used magic. It all was there. He sat there watching his life in reverie. That's when he heard a couple of voices behind him. Their was a little purple colored unicorn with a flank sign with a big six pointed star surrounded by five smaller stars, and a big white, alicorn talking to her, the purple unicorn looked so happy, but also really sad. What was happening? His curiosity ignited, he decided to follow them, the two ponies continued on, talking about something to do with destiny or fate. Then he was about to say something when suddenly the alicorn asked "Hello? Who's there? Who is here? No else can be here unless..... The fourth of the line...."
Suddenly Whirlwind woke up in his bed with Malik and a few nurses around his bed. He sat up in bed and felt a weight on his back, he had wings! Then he felt the horn on his head and realized, I am going to be one of them! I am going to be a tyrant! No! Whirlwind started to shake with fear when Malik said "You shall not be one of them."
Whirlwind was relieved, but then he realized, he going to have to learn to fly!
It was much harder than he had thought.
A year had passed, and Whirlwind was sitting in his room, watching the sun set when he thought to himself, I now have nearly completed my studies, I have mastered all my flight maneuvers, and I know how to reach ultrasonic speeds. I should do something honorable, and do right by my master, whatever it takes. Malik arrived and yelled at him, "practice your magic, idiot, you don't know nothing except for books!"
Whirlwind, feeling deflated, went downstairs from his room and started his practice by conjuring a fireball, when all the sudden, his mostly black mane and tail set on fire and then suddenly he rocketed straight into the sky. He then started rocketing to the forbidden far lands, and he couldn't stop him self, he was coming towards a cloud. Yes he thought, I can slow myself down and maybe get back home. He went through six clouds and wasn't even showing signs of slowing down. He then saw a really large cloud and smiled, that should help slow him down! Then as he approached the cloud at high speeds he saw a building on the cloud. Oh, Buck...
He crashed straight through the building, and right into a sky blue colored mare with a rainbow colored mane and tail, and the both of them smashed onto the street. Whirlwind sat up, his mane and tail still ablaze. The mare then yelled at him, "Why in Celestia's name did you crash into me? There is no reason you should be flying like that—" then she noticed his mane, "why in the world is your mane ablaze? Hmmmm. Hey, I should take you to Twi, she could help with this!"
Whirlwind then asked who Twi was. Her reaction was a look that said 'have you been living under a rock?'. Then I asked were it was, and she said "in Ponyville!"
Something about my expression on my face made her just gape at me. She then said " can you follow me? And keep up"
Whirlwind looked at her and said "Yes"
She jumped up and then rocketed off at a easy speed. Whirlwind easily caught up with her, she then led the shaggy-headed alicorn to Twi's place. He saw the castle and entered inside with the rainbow maned mare. Twi was apparently the purple.... alicorn that entered the library where they were waiting. Twi's name was Twilight Sparkle, and then Whirlwind then stood up when he saw her flank's sign. He then said "I know you. You were that mare with the alicorn in that dream where I became an alicorn."
Twilight then replied with, "so you were that presence that we felt..... I thought I was my imagination, but then— Your mane's on fire!" she finished yelling. She then started examining it with all sorts of magic observation spells. And she then said "it is nearly as hot as Celestia's mane when it was on fire, but it is not burning anything....." She then examined Whirlwind's horn and wings. He was definitely an alicorn, and she thought, he needs to be brought to Celestia and Luna. Then suddenly the door slammed open and a pink mare was jumping all over the room. Whirlwind then weaved several spells and wards in in twenty seconds flat, had the mare restrained and subdued. Twilight reaction was in two distinct forms, pure amazement from the different spells' magic signature lingering around the room, and then shocked that Whirlwind had used them on Pinkie Pie. Whirlwind let her go but kept an eye on her. Pinkie then fell asleep. Twilight looked at Whirlwind slightly cross, he then shrugged a little. She finished his examination, and said, "You need real help. Do you know magic?"
"Yes, I know almost all forms of magic." answered the black alicorn.
"What have you read on the subject?" came from the purple alicorn.
""Well, I have finished all of Starswirl's books, and in addition, I have completed The Essential Guides to Magic: Volumes: One Through Seven, completed Combat Magic for Beginners, Combat Magic for Acolytes, Combat Magic Mastery Volumes one and two, Combat Magic: Volume: Two Through Nine, and the entire set of Magic Wards and Their Many Effects, oh and I read that copy of Effective Melee and Magic Combat: Volumes 1-6, Teleportation and Other Utilities, Aplications of Magic in Life" he finished.
"You've read all those?" Asked a very shocked Twilight.
"Yes" answered Whirlwind.
"So what do you do for a living?" asked a curious country pony that had entered,
"I am my master's servant, I maintain his estate and everything else, myself." Said a proud Whirlwind.
"You're a slave!?" Came the shocked reply of several ponies that had entered the library.
"I wouldn't say slave..." Muttered the embarrassed alicorn.
"We need to see the princesses," said Twilight, "pack your bags, and we shall take the train."
Suddenly they heard a magical pufft and they were in front of the castle doors with all their bags. And Whirlwind, then said, "We are here," with a look of reservation.
Breakfast and Assassination
Whirlwind and the six mares entered the main hall, Whirlwind thought to himself, this is a bad idea. Twilight apparently knew where they were going, and Whirlwind and the group followed her to this large set of white doors. Then the doors opened before Twilight could knock.
"Come in, and bring all of your company," came a forced gentle voice from the bedroom. They entered immediately after that statement was delivered.
"Celestia! Celestia! Celestia! We found another—" Twilght was interrupted by Celestia.
"Malik.... What are you doing here, obviously deceiving my student with your lies, where did you put the fifth in my line?" she yelled, and then restrained him against the wall. Whirlwind flailed his hooves and shouted "Who the buck are you?"
"Celestia, and I know who you are Malik!" Spat Celestia. Whirlwind then focused all his concentration onto the magic restraints binding him to the wall. As he started working away on the spell, weakening the bonds, his mane set ablaze and started burning the wall. She stared at him wide eyed until her sister, Luna, arrived.
"Malik is not here sister, it's not him, this one is the fifth!" Luna yelled, "the one that was coltnapped! He has been in constant contact with him. And because of it, he probably has the filthy creature's magic all over him."
Celestia released a very terrified looking Whirlwind and apologized to him as soon as he was set down. He then preceded to faint, muttering "I'm in a room with mad tyrants...."
The eight mares stared at the messy heap on the floor. Whirlwind's unconscious form was then moved to a guest room, and put under guard. After that incident, Celestia asked Twilight where she had found Whirlwind, with Twilight explained that Rainbow Dash had brought him into her home with his mane all ablaze. Celestia sat in thought, and then replied "we shall speak of it in the morning, understand that he is very dangerous, we don't know anything about him. This is quite a calamity....."
The next morning when Celestia had the guards bring the shaggy maned stallion to the main hall, all the guards had found was a smoldering bed. After looking around, they found Whirlwind in the kitchen preparing a meal.
"Gah! Where are the strawberries? I know they are here somewhere.... Here strawberries, come to papa! Where are you? Ahh! There you are. Almost thought I couldn't make breakfast for all nice mares out there without ya? Well, I found ya. Even if some of 'em are tyrants." Came from the cooking stallion. He started humming a tune that was pretty odd and then a real sight was shown to their eyes. He started dancing while the food was in the oven. He conjured several instruments and then proceeded to start dancing on his hooves. Celestia and the guards just watched in utter silence. He was strange.
After about fifteen minutes Celestia then entered the kitchen, and politely asked what he was doing. He jumped and shot straight up into the ceiling of the kitchen, banging his head. "Just making breakfast," came from the startled Whirlwind.
"We have cooks here. Where are they?" asked Celestia.
"I sent them home,"
"Why?"
"Because I am making breakfast, like I normally do."
"What?"
"I normally make breakfast for Malik," answered the red alicorn, raising his spoon at her, "but since he is not here, I shall be making breakfast for you. Even if you are some crazy tyrant, but as of the moment you don't seem so tyrannical, so I will be nice. And to complete the mess, I am a creature of habit." Replied Whirlwind.
Whirlwind set the food out on the dining table and then the company of the castle sluggishly came into the room. The sight that greeted their eyes was breathtaking. Waffles, pancakes, eggs, omelettes, and a huge assortment of other foods greeted them. "Eat up" said Whirlwind, there's not going to be any food after the Crystal Empire arrives."
While the ponies ate, Whirlwind snuck out the door and into the kitchen. He set up his little bowl of strawberries and sugared them liberally. He then proceeded to devour them. He quickly finished the strawberries and drank a cup of apple vinegar. It was rather foul, but he didn't care, the strawberries had been good. Got to keep some balance he thought to himself.
~~~~~~
Twilight Sparkle wondered at the mass assortment of food on the castle's dining table. A compliment to the chefs in going to be in order, she thought to herself. As breakfast was getting on, she visited the kitchens to thank the cooks, what she found was a shaggy headed alicorn reading a book on magic, while washing up pans. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be somewhere else? Where are the cooks?" asked Twilight.
"I made breakfast, and I am washing up pans. Celestia already knows I am here." Replied Whirlwind. "I have always made breakfast for Malik, as I am his servant, but he is not here, I then I saw this marvelous kitchen, and I knew I had to prepare breakfast for the lot of you."
"Wha—" started Twilight, before being interrupted.
"It's habitual, before you say anything else."
"Hmmm"
"I also am reading this magnificent book by Starswirl, he is rather talented at magic. I dare say, I've got a lot of practice ahead of me, so I shall be studying in the library after finishing these dishes. If you care to join I think I shall read up on, what's this place called?" Asked Whirlwind.
"Equestria, you've never heard of it?" answered Twilight.
"Not the name, just the country. Aren't you the inquisitive type, let me guess, you're a prodigy when it magic, not overly social, and if I hd to say.... Seeing somepony? Hmm who is he?" Asked Whirlwind, very casually.
"Umm, how did you—"
"Let's see shall we, he's a member of the royal guard, probably from the Crystal Empire, and a Pegasus. Am I right?"
"How did you know that?"
"You are very bad about controlling your expressions."
"What!? I haven't even moved my face!"
"That, Madam, is a lie. And one shouldn't lie. Does nothing good for a pony's character, at least in my personal opinion. So what's his name?"
"You're not one of those philosophical types are you? I generally don't like those types."
"Um-Hmmmm. I am not a sucker for philosophy, but I can see it as necessary."
"Well his name is Flash Sentry, why?" Asked Twilight. Whirlwind stopped what he was doing when she had said his name.
"Where is that bucking son of a—" asked a suddenly very angry Whirlwind.
"Wait, how do you know him, did he do something?"
"Yes I knew him, he tried to kill me, when I was real young, but Malik deployed him to—"
Suddenly Whirlwind shot straight through the kitchen door straight to the envoy from the Crystal Empire. He landed in front of the throne and landed in front of the guards that was about to stab the Princess, and then spun and planted a solid hoof into his chest and he flew backwards about ten feet. Startling everyone Flash Sentry got up and threw twelve magic daggers at Whirlwind. They cut him up a bit, but now he was Flash's problem.
Everyone in the courtroom just stared as Whirlwind then engaged the would be assassin in hoof-to-hoof combat. Sadly though, Flash did not know karate. "I recommend putting him in captivity, ma'am. G'day folks, I shall be in the kitchen." Whirlwind bowed to the nobles and left. Twilight then arrived to find flash under arrest.
"What...." Twilight said.
"Flash Sentry is one of the most accomplished assassins in all of Equestria, and is very dangerous. He was going to kill the Princess of the Sun."
"But…"
"So. You look like you need some books. Let us go to the library m'lady." Whirlwind said.
