The Other Six

Chapter 5

Prophecy: Hatred

It was a night just like any other in the life of Crimson. His parents were out of town as he hosted a party in his back yard. Crimson was the only foal of the Lotus family and was particularly spoiled as the baby, but he didn't mind. Every night they were gone he would host a big party and his parents didn't care as long as they didn't wreck the place.

So there Crimson stood at the DJ station, the music blaring and lights flashing. Tonight was an unusually large party. He usually had twenty to thirty guests for his parties, but tonight there must have been well over forty. The yard was packed with dancing mares and flirting colts. But most of all everyone was having fun, that's what made Crimson's night.

As the dark red colt played the music, his crimson mane swayed as he bopped his head to the beat. His rich blue eyes sparkled watching all the happy ponies laughing and having fun. The house was smack in the middle of Baltimare, a small town with only a couple hundred residents. The house’s central location made it the perfect area for Crimson's parties.

Crimson loved to bring smiles to pony's faces. He did everything he could to make everyone happy. He didn't have a lot of money or talent, but he used what he had with his wild sense of humor and big smile. He had never met a pony he couldn't make smile for any reason, except for one.

As the tall colt stepped up to the stage, Crimson left the music to entertain his guests as he led the other back and away from the noise. His whole body shook, terrified of the dangerous gang leader. “Wh-what are you doing here? My parents are out of town tonight!”

The tall colt stepped intimidatingly toward him, “Then your gunna have to deliver the message for me. Your father has two days!” The colt stomped his hoof, Crimson flinched and backed away.

“Ok, ok I'll tell him!” Crimson backed into a corner with his hooves up, ready to defend himself. The colt only turned and began to walk away.

“You'd better! Or your papa's in for a surprise!” The colt disappeared into the shadows and Crimson let out a sigh of relief. The tall colt was the infamous gang leader known as Charles Lucky Hoofciano. His name was legendary across Equestria. “Lucky” was a nickname given to him from his gang, he escaped police so many times the nickname just seemed to fit.

Crimson's father had just recently quit drugs. After two years of heavy drugs, five months of interventions and a year of rehab, they could finally be a family again. The only thing in the way was a tremendous debt to his former drug dealer.

His parents finally had a day to spend by themselves and they wanted to spend it as a couple. Crimson was thrilled at the idea and threw the party to congratulate them, even though they wouldn't be attending.

After Crimson finally hushed away his fear, he stepped back onto the stage and concluded the party.

The crimson colt awoke feeling chipper and ready to start the day. Crimson slid down the stairs, greeted his two loving parents and sat down for breakfast. He vigorously chowed on the hay and wheat dish prepared for him. Despite the colossal amounts of junk food he consumed the previous night, Crimson was starving.

His father chuckled at his eating habits. “Woah! I didn't teach you those table manners!” He jokingly exclaimed. The elder colt looked at his wife with a snickering smile.

She looked back at him, raising an eyebrow and a smirk. She returned another condescending comment to her husband, “He's your son! All he has are my looks, the rest are yours!”

The two continued jokingly arguing as a loving couple does, while Crimson continued scarfing down his meal, mostly oblivious to his parent's dispute. His father finally turned back to Crimson and continued conversation with the boy, “So, anything interesting happen last night?”

Crimson's ears fell and his heart stopped. He remembered the words of warning given to him from Lucky. The colt didn't want to ruin the morning by telling them, but they needed to know. Crimson caught his breath and began to told them the last thing in the world he wanted to mention. “Hoofciano came by last night...”

Crimson's mother held her hooves over her mouth, His father just kept silent and as calm as he could, “What did he want?” The colt calmly asked.

Crimson sighed and hung his head, “He told me, to tell you that... that you have two days to pay your debt...”

Crimson's mother shook in fear, “B-but he said he'd give us a month! Why is he doing this!?”

Her husband raised his hoof to shush her momentarily, still fixing his calm expression on his son. “Son, please go to your room for a bit... Ok?”

The red colt hesitantly nodded and headed for his room. He went halfway up the stairs and pressed his ear to the wall in an attempt to hear his parent's conversation. His parents were just on the other side of the wall and he could make out every word.

“What do we do!? We don't have near enough bits to pay them off, and there's no way we'll make that much in two days!” A mare’s voice shuddered through her words.

“It will be ok, I'll go check what we have in the bank later and we'll see what we can do after that,” a colt spoke, still calm and caring.

“W-what if we don't make the deadline?” the worried mare asked, stuttering in fear of the thought.

“We will! Have faith...” the colt raised his voice but still kept his caring tone.

It was silent for a long time after that and Crimson finally removed his ear from the wall. The young colt hung his head and sighed, a tear fell from his eyes.

“I wish there was something I could do...”

For the most of that day the colt laid in bed, staring at the ceiling in hopes that it would give him the answers he needed. As Crimson tossed and turned his desperation grew, and a tingle tear began to build up in his eye.

His thoughts were broken by a knock on his door. The colt sat up in bed and wiped his eyes dry as fast as he could, “Come in.”

His father opened the door but stayed outside. He had a sincere grin on his face that confused Crimson. “C’mon, I'm taking us out to dinner tonight!” His father spoke with a jolly gusto, as if the very secrets of Equestria were revealed to him.

Crimson was weary at first, but upon seeing his father’s overly large smile he couldn't help but let out a restrained giggle.

The large colt outside the room clapped his hooves “Alright! Clean yourself up and meet us down stairs!”

After a hasty shower Crimson rushed down the stairs and to his porch, his coat was already half on by the time his parents got up. When everyone was ready Crimson burst through the door, nearly breaking it off its hinges. His parents trotted beside him as his father offered him a friendly challenge.

“I'll race ya there! Last one has to tip the waitress!” His father took off in front of him, his mother hot on his hooves.

“Oh no you don't!” Crimson yelled as he gained speed, a steady smirk built across his face.

The three earth ponies gasped and heaved as they ascended the stair case of the restaurant. There were only four steps but each one burned as they went higher. An exhausted grin slid across Crimson's face, “Ha ha! Looks like your last dad!”

His father staggered up the stairs with the same expression, “Ya... Well I guess us old folk aren't built... for track anymore...” he gasped.

His mother chuckled at them still hardly even sweating and still fit. “Speak for yourself!” She chuckled ahead of the group. They laughed but soon realized their sides hurt too much to laugh that hard.

As the family sat down and ordered their meals, Crimson looked around at the attire. It had been a while since he had been at a fancy restaurant like this. When the food came they each ate vigorously, starving from the race that seemed a lot longer of a trip than they remembered.

His father was the first to break the silence, “Son, could you do me a favor?”

Crimson gave him a confused look, “Sure dad, what is it?”

“I know how much you love throwing parties, and well...” His father paused as his son's eyes grew with excitement. “I was wondering if you could throw us a party tomorrow.”

The young earth pony nearly jetted out of his seat upon hearing the request, “I'd love to! What would you like at your party!? Streamers!? Fireworks!? Music!? Balloons!? Candy!? Presents!? Cake!? And how many guests would you like!? I can usually gather around twenty to thirty ponies but last party...”

He was finally silenced by his father’s hooves flailing in the air in desperation to calm him down. “Ok, ok! Get what you think is necessary! Surprise us,” his father said as he bit his lip.

Crimson held his hoof to his mouth and thought out loud in excitement, “What's necessary huh? So then we'll need absolutely everything, as many guests as possible, around a hundred if I can...”

His father banged his head on the table. “Dear Celestia, what have I done!?”

His wife put her hoof on his back with a kind smile on her face. “Don't worry so much. If there's one thing he can do, it's party!”

The father mumbled to himself, never raising his head. “That's what I'm afraid of....”

The next day Crimson got up early and prepared his party. He ordered his parents to stay inside and not look at the back yard. His mother had no problem with the surprise, but she had to keep his father on a short leash.

Crimson worked harder than ever on this party. This would be the very first party he has ever thrown that his parents would attend, so everything had to be perfect.

In the early evening Crimson finally stepped inside and bowed to his parents in pride, “Lady and gentlecolt, welcome to your party!”

Crimson opened the door as the parents stepped outside, the huge crowd erupted as they saw the guests of honor “SURPRISE!” everypony shouted. Streamers and fireworks screamed through the air as the DJ began to play his music.

Crimson's mother clapped her hooves and gasped in amusement, as his father nearly fainted. The crowd spread apart releasing hundreds of balloons and revealing a dance floor as the DJ began to play Crimson's parent's wedding song.

His mother gasped and grabbed her husband’s hoof. “C’mon lets go dance!”

“I really don't think that's a good idEA!” His father screamed and Crimson shoved him onto the dance floor with his mother.

Halfway through the song it changed into a more upbeat remix and the crowd joined them on the dance floor along with Crimson. As the night progressed Crimson watched as his father’s fear and embarrassment turned into laughter and even he was dancing like the world wasn't looking.

Near the climax of the party Crimson's father patted him on the shoulder in admiration, “Thank you son, I haven't had this much fun in a long time!”

Crimson gave him the biggest smile he ever made. “Any time dad!”

The next morning Crimson's father awoke with a slight headache but it was the least of his concern. He went to the back yard and, to his surprise, it was completely unscathed. It was as if there had never even been a party.

He sighed in relief and closed the door. He turned to see his son sitting at the table pouring himself a bowl of cereal, “Mornin' dad!”

“Good morning son, hey after breakfast could you run some errands for me?” The colt hastily asked.

“Sure what do you need?” Crimson asked eagerly.

“I just need you to pick up a few things up town, the fridge is getting empty!” he said rubbing his hooves together.

“No problem!” He quickly gulped down his breakfast and tossed the bowl in the sink. “Can I have a list?”

“Oh! Sure!” His father grabbed a small slip of paper and a pen and quickly jotted down a few random items on it and handed it to Crimson along with a couple bits to pay for them.

Crimson grabbed the slip and money and headed towards the door, “I'll see you guys in a bit!”

He passed his mom in the hallway and he stepped out the door. His parents ran to the doorway as he walked down the sidewalk. “Love you!” his mom yelled.

“Love you too!” He turned and waved, then continued on his assignment.

His father held his wife and she uttered the words she never wanted to say. “Take care of yourself...” A tear ran down her cheek.

As Crimson carried the few bags of groceries home he whistled a merry tune to himself. He saw his house down the street and gained speed as he stepped onto his property; he felt something out of place. He ignored his instincts and continued inside.

He opened the door and the moment his eyes fell on what was inside his smile fell along with the groceries. His father lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood and he wasn't breathing. His mother was tied to a chair and horribly beaten. As a shadow loomed behind her, she saw her son and with the last of her strength she pushed out one last word, “run...”

A knife plunged into her back and Crimson could see the end stick out his mother's chest. She gave one last jolt of resistance until she slumped over, stopped by the rope binding her.

The shadow behind her turned to Crimson and began to step forward. The young colt panicked and slammed the door. He ran as fast as he could as far as he could. More shadows emerged from behind, “Should we go after him?”

Hoofciano emerged from the shadows and spoke, “Nah... Let him suffer!” The gang let out a blood curtailing laughter.

Crimson kept running as his own panicking voice screamed in his head. This doesn’t make sense! I thought that my father had the money! That's why he acted so happy! The truth came to him as he tripped over a large rock. He tumbled down a hill and came to a stop as he crashed into a fallen tree.

Tears ran down his face as the truth ran through his head. They couldn't make the money... so they wanted to make their last days count. Crimson slammed his hoof down and let out a painful scream. The only thing that went through his mind now was the very name he hated more than anything in Equestria- Hoofciano...

Hatred and pain flowed through him like the blood in his veins. He trembled as his name repeated itself in his head, getting louder and angrier each time in repeated. Until a different voice interrupted. “I can give you what you want...”

The new voice startled Crimson and he began to look around for where the voice was coming from. “Wh-Wha? What I want?”

The voice continued, “Yes, power... The power to take revenge...”

Crimson shivered at the word, Revenge... His desperation pulled him further and further into darkness. “H-How!?”

A dark and twisted figure appeared with eyes that shot through Crimson's very soul and sanity, “I can give you that kind of power... But first you must give up something!”

Crimson's mind finally broke, “Please! Anything!”

The figure reached out towards him, “Take my hand... let go of happiness and parties, you won't need them anymore! The power you need comes from anger and hatred!”

Crimson reached out and touched the figure and it burst into nothingness. “You know what to do...” Crimson's eyes opened darker than ever. The move onward with ambition and hatred in his heart.

Hey everyone, sorry this chapter took so long. There have been issues around here lately, but i'll do my best to work through them and get more or the story for you guys!

Plus you may have noticed my new cover art, let me know what you think of it!

See you guys next chapter!