Hoard of a Wrymby SPanDXltdChaptersEpisode 1: 15 % MoonshineEpisode 1: Part 2- Apples and GodsEpisode 1 Part 3- Rainbows, Dresses and plots.Episode 1: 15 % Moonshine"Look, now, Wrym. I'm twenty seven thousand years old. I have seen things that would screw up your mind. I have fought my own self, again and again and again . I have probably done things more twisted and cruel than you could ever scheme up, and do them on a daily basis." Dark said. He wasn't really annoyed, but he felt the situation elicited a harsh response. "So, please, for god's sake, take your petty politics and shove it up there. I am not in the mood." He finished. " I am not here for politics." The black dragon replied. He was an unusual one, not too big, with wings twice the length of his body, and deep green eyes that shone in the night. Only a little larger than an average pony,his talons were hard as diamonds and as sharp as an surgical scalpel. His face, a mix between danger and cold beauty, easily what you could call handsome. A beautiful piece of work, that body, Dark had to admit. The dragon grinned at the human's stare. "See something you like?" he said slyly. "You could say that. You have taste." " Well, too bad. " The dragon's body began to warp and shrink into itself. Muscles' tore and compressed. Bones snapped and moved around, rearranging themselves into a different skeletal structure. Even the face twisted into itself, turning into an adorable baby dragon face. "Killjoy." Dark muttered to himself. "Colt coddler" Spike shot back. His voice was much higher now. "I suppose I was." Dark said. " Wait, why are we here agian?" "Can't you tell? The same reason you are here. Two, the usual." Spike said to the bartender (barpony?) . The makeshift pub had come up on the edges of the city, on a small mountain outcropping. It was completely under the shade of the real city, and was quite close to the bad parts of town. Which made the whole situation all more interesting to Dark. A little dragon who was seen mostly in a princesses company could just waltz in here, into the most dangerous part of Canterlot, and be unharmed? The little dragon was a royal, and a noble. A prime target for ransom. He was also a defacto brother to the Captain Shining Armour, who, from Dark knew was not well liked by the folks around here. "I am here because Pinkie brought me here, speaking of whom.....?" "She's probably at the black market." Spike replied. "You know, cupcakes! Here we go. Thanks Clear." the bartender just nodded. "What's this then? Alcohol?" Dark asked. He wondered if it would be polite to say that it was literally impossible for him to get drunk. "If you can call this alcohol. Prohibition laws have turned everyone into prudes. There's something seriously wrong when even the illegal stuff tastes like water."He took a sip, and continued " Well, here goes." <><><><><><><> One year ago, Canterlot Royal Palace, Starswirl suite. <><><><><><><> "And done." I said, looking around the room. I had finally put back every single book, and I had finished binding the ones Twilight destroyed. It's been six years since I started, and I still can't understand how you can do that to a book overnight. And now that I could see the floor again, what was next on the list? I stepped down from the ladder, and started searching. "Where did I leave.. oh!" There, got the gift. I checked the clock. Good, an hour more to go. Now all I needed to do was get Twilight to the party in time. I have to admit, those ponies are way too patient with Twilight. I'm grateful and all, but who would want to be friends with a shut-in bookworm like her? Hopefully, this party knocks some sense into her. She really needs friends. Real friends, not me or Shining or books. Looking out the window, I spotted Twilight rushing back home . Huh. Hoping for things is a premonition to disappointment, but maybe I don't need to bribe her this time. In that moment, I'll admit I wasn't thinking. I grabbed the present, and went to the front door, forgetting about Twilight's door tendencies. My punishment was a solid smack in the face with a heavy wooden door. The usual, really. I will get back at that door someday. "SPIKE! Spike?! Oh, there you are! Quick, give me that old copy of Predictions and Prophecies " Well, my plans are shot. I have seen that expression before. She's obsessing over something again. "What's that for?" She asked me. What's what.... oh. I might need a new present. Then again... "Well, it was a gift for Moon Dancer, but......." I started, but she cut me off. "Oh Spike, you know we don't have time for that sort of thing" 'You bet your arse we don't.' is what I would've liked to say, but I rather not spoil this innocent little creature I've worked so hard to protect. Not yet, anyway. Instead, I chose a diplomatic reply. "But we're on break!" I don't think she heard me. Probably because she was busy throwing out all the books that I had just put back in place. "No no no no no......." She kept muttering, throwing every single book on the ground in frustration. "SPIIIIke!" It was adorable. I do wish it could be like this for ever, her never bothered by this harsh world. That she should never know true suffering. Wishfully thoughts. I went to get her book. Let's see now, Predictions and Prophecies... ah! "It's over here." I told Twillight, then it hit me. I was high above the ground. I was waving a book at Twillight. I was on a wooden ladder. I was waving a book at Twillight. The floor was hard wooden. Did I mention I was waving a book at Twillight? "WAI..." Crash! "owowow...." It was a familiar pain. A hairline fracture. On the bright side, it was the first one this week. And it was already Thursday. Twilight's getting better. Sighing, I got back up, and began to put back the books that Twilight had thrown around. She seemed to be researching some 'Element's'? I got back up on the treacherous wooden ladder with the book and began to place them back one by one before I heard something. "...See: Mare in the moon!" I fell off the ladder again. <><><><><><><> Canterlot Palace nursery, Eight years ago. <><><><><><><> This was ...... unexpected, to say the least. Celestia knew that much. The parakeet egg had actually been a dragon egg, that much was a given. It would explain the dragon hatchling, but it would not explain why a dragon egg had been mixed up with the entrance test samples. It wasn't a taxing mental exercise to know that the egg had been purposefully added into the collection by someone, or it would have been removed and destroyed. It was either a powerful disguise spell to fool the Unicorns in charge of collection and authentication, or a ploy by one of the higher ups in administration. As if any of that mattered now. The dragon popping out was unusual, but it was hardly the first time. But this, this merited the word 'unexpected'. The baby Dragon had destroyed the crib and the walls. With his bare claws, he had carved runes into the ground. Runes of the ancient language. And yet they were confused, as if made by a pony who had once known the language, but could no longer remember what the characters meant anymore, only a hollow spot in his mind where that knowledge once was. He had long abandoned drawing the runes, and instead he scraped fissures into the marble flooring in Equestrian. "Who am I?" <><><><><><><> Canterlot Royal Palace, Starswirl suite <><><><><><><> I got up slowly, still trying to process what Twillight just said. 'The Mare in the Moon?!?! How does she know about that!' This was not good. Vision tunneling. Fear. Panic. 'How the fuck does she know?How the actual fuck does she know this!! "Bu..but that's just ... an old ponies tale. Yeah, that's just an old ponies tale, Twillight." I managed to say. I don't think she heard me. Too busy ranting out the prophecies in the old tome. 'Deep breaths, deep breaths.' Who could have told her? Celestia? No, she's dense, not stupid. Flash? Not, definitely not. What about Trixie? That mare can't keep her mouth shut if her life depended on it. But she's in the Everfree already, isn't she? Blue? Why would Blue do such a thing? "Do you know what this means, Spike?" Twillight asked, snapping me out of my daze. "Wha..? Aaa,... No. No, I don't." "Take a note please, to the Princess." "Aaa, yeah!Okay." A chance ! I summoned my quill and a scroll with my seal. I needed Celestia to bluff our way out of this. "Dear Princess Celestia..." Twillight started. I completely ignored her, and wrote my own letter. Celestia, I need a favor. You see...... Author's Note And thus begins Spike's tale. I seem to have a fetish for stories with big things going on. Criticism is welcome and appreciated. Episode 1: Part 2- Apples and Gods<><><><><><><> Enroute to Ponyville, four hours later. <><><><><><><> Well, that blew up in my face. Twillight was still complaining that she was right. She was right, it's just that she shouldn't know about this. Only Celestia, Shiny, me and the top War-mages knew about Nightmare Moon. Celestia's idea of doing me a favor was sending Twillight to the town right next to the place where gods are clashing tonight. Then again, we were clashing in the middle of an ancient dangerous forest, quite a ways from the town. And Celestia was right. Twillight desperately needed some friends. It may be a tempting prospect to keep her close to me, warm and safe from this world, but then she would never grow any further. That would just mean I failed my purpose. Twillight needed this. Especially after what had happened, Twillight needed this. Twillight sighed, finally taking a break from complaining. Quick! Make hay while the sun lasts. "Look on the bright side, Twillight. You get to stay in a library. Doesn't that make you happy?" 'Perfect choice of words, Spike. After free access to the Royal library, maybe a library in the boones would be great change of scene'. "Yes, Yes it does!" I'm sorry, inner monologue. You were saying......? "You know why?" Twillight continued, absolutely killing my victory against myself. 'I think you heard it the first time' Shut up. "Why?" I asked Twillight. The town was pretty close now. Ponyville? I know this place. A Head of the Apple family lives here. "Because I'm right! I'll check on the preparations as fast as I can, then get to the library to find some proof of Nightmare Moon's return." ' Good luck with that.' The chariot began to pull in for landing. "Yeah, that......but when will you make friends? The Princess told you to make friends, you know." "She said to check on preparations. I am her student, and I'll do my royal duty, but the fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends." She walked of the chariot, and thanked the guard before starting to survey her new environment. She seemed to be taking it well enough. I followed her out. "Thank you ,Corporal." I leaned in closer to her. "Can you tell me how many?" "Three, Sun Guards. Take care of her."Three Sun guard? Celestia pulled out all the stops. I nodded to her, and joined up with Twillight. She was still looking around, wary of her surroundings and the other ponies looking at her. Only a pink mare was walking towards us, oblivious to the world. "Twillight, maybe the ponies here have interesting things to say. Come on, what's the worst that could happen?" I pushed her forward a little. "Come on, y......." The look on her face shut me up. Twillight was frozen with fear. Her pupils had shrunk to pinpricks, and she was beginning to sweat. As the pink pony came closer, she looked ready to bolt. The pink pony stopped right next to us, and only now seemed to notice us. 'Protect her. Mine. Protect her. Keep her safe.' I gently pushed Twillight forward, reminding her that I was always there. "Go, on, Twi." She looked at me, and her fear subsided somewhat 'Yes! Protect.'. I gave her an encouraging smile 'No', even though it crushed my heart 'PROTECTHER!PROTECT...'. She needed to talk 'NONONONO', to someone..... 'STOP IT'Anyone, almost anyone at all. I didn't want to force her, to see her sad, in pain, or in grief, 'IT WILL HURT HER!!' But... She needs this. 'And if this pink bitch says the wrong thing...... She will die..' 'Yes.' "Um...Hello?" The pink pony regarded her for a few seconds, before some sort of realization dawned upon her. Then she gasped, floated into the air... yes, floated into the air, and flew off. It took both of us a few seconds to compute, before Twillight spoke up. "Well, that was interesting." Both of us broke into a fit of giggles, laughing at the absurdity that we had just witnessed. It wasn't even that funny. Twillight's fear was all but forgotten now,though, so I guess the pink pony gets to live. <><><><><><><> Sweet Apple Acres, 20 minutes later <><><><><><><> This was good. Really good. I am not talking about the slice of pie I was holding (Though it was pretty good too) . Twillight was talking. Twillight was surrounded by huge stallions, and she was just talking. She wasn't afraid of them, she didn't have a breakdown, she was chatting and eating normally. She was happy, and she was making progress. It also helped that these were good, honorable Apple stallions. Everyone knows that you can trust an Apple. Speaking of whom. "Adviser." There was a red stallion walking towards me. "Mr Macintosh, I suppose?" "Eeyup." One of the three Elders of the family, the one responsible for those letters. Let's see how much he knows. Given the unsubtle implications, there's no point in mincing words. With something this delicate, I'd rather get straight to the point and risk confirming his suspicions than beat around to bush. "So you know about the minotaur prince?" "Eeyup." He knows. His face is nigh unreadable, but he knows about my involvement in the accident. Well then, time to press back. "There are inaccuracies in the accounts of your Gryphonia venture." "Nope." Denial? Well, it's not like I was bluffing with that threat. "So you say. However, I also know that the Apple family can be trusted more than some obsucre records." I gave him my best insidious grin. He didn't change his expression at all. 'Don't stab me, I don't stab you.' "Eeyup." He actually gave me a small smile, breaking his deadpan expression. I do like these blunt exchanges better, though. We both know that we're too big, and neither of us will actually rock the boat over petty advantages. I turned back to the table, where Twillight was attempting to eat a three storied cake, the Apple's egging her on. She was actually succeeding. Must have skipped out on breakfast again. "It's a deal, then." I took a bite of the pie. It was good. <><><><><><><> Chamber of the Creator <><><><><><><> The Former God of magic was busy. Again and again, he kept reviewing his spell while checking the surveillance systems, keeping a close watch on the world below. A thousand years of careful planning and preparing had led to this moment, and despite his best efforts, not everything had gone to plan. Celestia was was never meant to be princess. Luna was never supposed to be bound. The Wyrm was not playing his part as he was supposed to. And above all, what was to be an act was now reality. Still, it was working. Six souls attuned to six of the eight elements. Enough harmonic energy to bring his niece back. The tentacles protruding from his back twitched and ceased their frantic activity. The pale spindly stallion turned around, sensing a familiar presence. "Uncle!" "Six, why are you here? More importantly, where's your father? He should have reached here by now." The human had made it clear that he wanted to see the spell, before he left twenty years ago. "Yeah, about that. We made a mistake." The brown stallion looked a little sheepish. "No you didn't. Four cast a perfect spell. I saw him cast it. It was literally perfect." A telltale sign of Ed's on coming panic was the tentacles beginning to spark and fidget. With the stress of the ritual already piled on him, 'mistake' was an anathema to his calm. "Listen, Uncle, calm down. The spell isn't the problem. We just caught him at a bad time." The Sixth also cast a few dozen protection wards. "What do you mean?" The tentacles didn't stop their fidgeting. "Apparently, he was tussling with the High God." Tentacles began to shake harder. Bolts of magic began to jump from one to another. "And the pendant distracted him. He's heading here, but he isn't coherent enough to use the portal spell." Six strengthened the wards, and started an Omni precog spells, just in case. The tentacles on Ed's back shook for a few more seconds before they froze in place. Six braced himself. The outcomes grew smaller by the second, until the only two left were a magical explosion, or... "Damn It!" Ed returned to checking the spell. "We'll just have to go on without him. Go back to your post, Six." "All right, uncle. If you say so." The brown stallion walked back through the portal, heaving a sigh of relief. Author's Note Well, then Episode 1 Part 3- Rainbows, Dresses and plots.<><><><><><><><> Ponyville Town square, 11 hours till Summer Sun Celebration <><><><><><><><> Fucking crazy rainbow bitch. Fucking crazy gods fucking around with the world. I don't get it. I'm a dragon, so my senses are probably the best in the worlds. I can see, hear and smell better than almost any other pony. 'How did I trip on that rock? NO, wait. How did I not notice it? ' "Spike, you alright?" Twillight asked , stopping in her tracks. Touching, a part of me felt. Hypocrite, said the part of me who suffered broken bones weekly . I was walking down the road with Twillight, listening to her complaining about her distended stomach, watching the invisible cloud with the sun guards, searching for the missing pegasus who was supposed to be clearing the clouds, just taking in the scenery. And the next thing I know I was kissing the ground again. For a few seconds I thought that my worst nightmares had finally come true. Wood, ground and pebbles were working together to make my life miserable. And then I realised...... 'This rock wasn't here before.' This wasn't a coincidence. Because just seconds later, I sensed something approaching Twillight.Fast. I think she sensed it too. My instincts kicked in. I pushed Twillight out of the way , just before she cast a defensive spell. The spell was good news for the pegasus, as she was still alive and well after the crash. However, Twillight had cast the spell for herself and the pegasus , not for me. The spell must have been a two part cyclic load-shedder, and without the second part of the spell (A.K.A Twillight), it had released the entire force on me, along with magical backlash. I felt several ribs crack , and heard the distinct sound of my pelvis being crushed. All in all, a moderately bad day. It took me about fifty seconds to recover. "Oops. Heheh...? Sorry." The dancing rainbow apologised to me. What a stupid rainbow. "Ouch." that I uttered after that crash may or may not have been just a gurgling sound. "Nnnnnn." Twillight seemed to be in a muddy puddle. Better than a concussion, I guess. The crazy rainbow mare was talking to her too. "Uhh huh... Here , lemme help you." She flew up and emptied an entire storm cloud on Twillight. She seemed like a good sort, even if she flew like Fleetfoot drunk off her ass. Twillight , however, wasn't very amused at being soaked through. "Oops. Heheh...? Guess I overdid it?" ......................................... "I stand by what I said. It does look kind of cute." I was half serious and half joking. Twillight looked just adorable with that poofy mane, and her reaction was quite funny too. Though an annoying pegasus destroying her mane may have been a bit too much. Rainbow Dash was good for an amateur flyer. Maybe I should recommend her to Soarin? Nah, better to just wait and see. "Huumph!" Twillight was not in a good mood. Her stomach must still be aching from all the stuff she ate at the farm, her mane was pretty much dead, and she had done no productive research for hours. 'A first in eight years, since then.' My mood soured instantly. I remember it clearly. A small purple filly,bruised and broken, shivering and trembling in a corner. She was covering her eyes, afraid of the bad things. Afraid of her father. Afraid of Shiny.Afraid of me. 'It's all in the past now.' "Anyways, now we have to go check the Decorations. Somepony called Rarity should be looking after that." 'Rarity? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before.' We walked into the Townhall, to be greeted by tasteful yet grand decorations. "Beautiful." I checked off Decorations from the list, and then I caught sight of a white unicorn. " Yes, the décor is coming along nicely. This should be quick. I'll be at the library in no time. Beautiful indeed." I think Twillight said something, but my mind was focused on something else. Namely, the white unicorn in front of me 'Rarity......? RARITY!!! That dressmaker. I know about her........' In the depths of my black mind, something took form. A seed of a plan. An experiment. I have connections. I know people. In eight years I have turned from a insignificant runt to the most powerful person on the planet. The personal Adviser of Celestia herself. But I have never tried planting a pony into high society. I have few airtight sources of information from the Noble's own society, all of them ought with blackmail, money or favors. 'Maybe I can use her for my first try?' "How are my spines? Are they straight?" I must have been making a weird face ,or something because Twillight gave me an odd look, before walking up to Rarity. ....................................................................... "Now, wasn't she just wonderful?" I could see potential here. This Rarity, she seemed to be perfect for this job. I would need to learn more about her, of course. Much, much more. But this could be done. This was possible. "Focus, Casanova." Casanova? "What's next on the list?" I don't think Twilight enjoyed the corset experience, because she was getting a little snappy. "Oh, right. Let's see .... music! It's the last one! It's by somepony called......." I shut up when I heard something inconceivable. Birds were singing in rhythm. In rhythm. I'm not joking, and no, I wasn't drunk. Birds were singing in rhythm, and a pony was conducting them. A yellow pegasus pony was conducting them, and ........ wait, is she talking to them? I'll have you know I'm not high either. No, the pony was talking to BIRDS and they were RESPONDING. . . . . . Now I've seen everything. It's a goddamn whisperer. "Come on, Spike, let's go." Wait, they finished? Already? "Yeah, okay." It was at that moment that she noticed me. "Ooooh! Is that a baby dragon?" She flew towards me with small, delicate wing flaps. "I've never seen a baby dragon before. He's soooo cute!" Did she just call me cute? Me? "Umm, well....." "Oh my, he talks. I didn't know dragons could talk. That's just so incredibly wonderful I..... I just don't even know what to say!" She took a breath, and started again before I could get a word in edgewise. "What's his name? Where did he come from? I have so many questions!!!" "Well....., I'm Spike..... the Dragon..." "Hello Spike, I'm Fluttershy. Oh, wow, a real talking dragon! What do Dragons talk about?" Before I could finish, the yellow pegasus got right up in my face. I could see a deep curiosity in her eyes, similar to that of Twillight's. But there was something else, a small flash of an energy, a source of power. It piqued my interest. "What do you want to know?" I gave her my best smile. "Oh, EVERYTHING.......if that's okay?" Heh. What a cute little mare. ......................................... " DAAAAAANNNCEEEE!!!!......" To say Miss Pie knows her trade, is an understatement of epic proportions.I suppose this is why noise regulations are so lax in Ponyville. Twilight doesn't seem to like it. Well, baby steps, I suppose. Everyone who is attending is harmless. "Well then, I'll be off now." "Yes, sir!" Lieutenant Rose stood at attention, ramrod straight. Without her armor, she was almost unrecognizable. Almost. One might even consider her an ordinary mare, if you discounted the heavy makeup covering the scars and fraying fur where the armor met the pelt. There was so much of it, infact , that she looked like a cream colored harlot. For the purposes of self preservation, I won't let my opinion be known. Even with that pelt foundation, on closer inspection, muscles were still visible. Muscles that would make steel ropes blush in shame. This mare has broken a veteran minotaur phalanx by herself. It's rare enough to see uninjured royal guards, but Celestia went one step further. She pulled Rose from the Armour regiment. You won't hear me complaining. Moving on. I walked a fair distance from the tree-library thing. It's a bright night. The moon glows bright, and a little wind is blowing. A perfect night to battle a god. I spat out the package. A long staff of dragon fire, molded into a solid by skill and knowledge. A little favor from a recent friend. Finally, I pulled out the parchment Trixie gave me. A careful teleportation spell. Whatever qualities the whore lacks, skill is not one of them, unfortunately. "The Adviser of the Sun seeks passage." <><><><><><><><><><> Staging area, Classified operation, 100 meters from Everfree Temple, Two hours till Summer Sun Celebration <><><><><><><><><><> "Oooohh Shining Armor......" Stab! The poster in her hooves gave way easily to the needle. "You're sooo famous, dear. Every filly has you in their minds. Every mare has you in their secret dreams." Stab! Hmmm, through the eye. "I'm torn, Shiny. I hate you, I like you." STAB!! STABSTAB!!! Neck and skull. "No one knows my prince because of you...... Everyone looks up to you." STABSTABSTABSTABSTAB!!!!!....... "Miss Lulamoon, are you alright?" Flash asked. Immediately, the needle took flight, shredding the recruitment poster. For a commonpony, the speed of the needle would have been a cause for alarm. Flash Sentry was not a normal pony. As such, he his expression remained unchanged, a permanent smirk with lazy half closed eyes. His ceremonial guard armor lay beside him, as he adjusted the final straps on his Skirmisher armor. His spear lay beside him. He won't be using it today. "Fine, I'm fine, Flash. Never better." The blue mare burnt the last pieces of the poster. She used friction instead of creating heat. Much more efficient. Interesting "By the way, where's the Adviser? Shouldn't he be here by now?" "What, Spike? Oh, he'll be here. Don't you have to pray to your war god? Go do that, and leave me be." A rude little mare. But that can be overlooked. Perhaps. "Difficult as ever, Miss Lulamoon." The colt complied, however, and trotted to a corner of the sphere the mare had constructed to hide them from prying eyes. A very interesting cloak, it hid them well without taxing her abilities. Given her mana pool, she could keep this up for a day. Another flash revealed a larger mare. My niece, Celestia. Six's predictions are on point, as is usual. "Hello, Trixie, Flash. Sorry for the delay. That bastard from Rare held me up." She was not wearing her adornments. Instead she carried a box wrapped in cloth. A weapon? It is no secret that she wields a great Halberd. Further more, none of my spells can penetrate it. Perplexing. No, magic cannot penetrate it. It's not a box. It's Vibranium. My Father's Vibranium. She is preparing for combat. Combat that our Father, and her Grandfather specifically forbade. Another flash. A green one this time. The Wyrm? So he is the mind behind this? Hmmm. It is time for me to interfere. <><><><><><><><><><><> The Everfree Palace, same time <><><><><><><><><><><> "Kothai rohegache? Shomaya ney! Kono shomaya ney!" Ed knew that reverting to screeching in Bengali would make little difference to screeching in English, he didn't care. "Pipe down, Uncle! I'm sure Spider-legs just got held up." Five called out. He didn't stop scanning the six crystals. Each one had been changed at the molecular level to allow proper manipulation of the power they possessed. A spell driven not by will, but by design . It was not a very popular concept, to say the least. Without a mind to make subtle changes to a spell...... Let's just say that the saying 'Just because it can be done , doesn't mean that it should be done' would apply, especially in this particular case. The Fifth Malfunction is not very fond of said saying. "'Sides, everything else is ready. Or ,well, as ready as can be without Pa ... say, he really lost to that baby God?" It was a rhetorical question, conversation for conversation's sake to stifle his own misgivings. Regardless of how he carried himself, it was the life and security of his niece that was in question, after all. "It was our....... my fault. Through the power of impossible coincidences, I distracted him at a bad time." The joke was in bad taste, but it was good see the old god had already come to terms with his mistake. He recovered within days instead of years. "Anyways...... Libby sent down them arrays that we needed. Time predicts a 93% chance on this. And Big Brother's ready to channel anytime we need 'im. Fact is, I'd reckon that everything is as ready as it can be at this point. " The gems floated back onto their pedestal. A small part of him couldn't help but wonder at the tools he had created. Each gem was assembled, molecule by molecule , in unnatural patterns that were supposedly impossible. Quartz, forcefully removed from the Pillar of Order, imbued with the six Emotional energies that make up the basis of Order. What he created to cure his niece, was it a tool?........ Or a weapon? 'I ain't no Philosopher. I'm a Smith. It ain't no concern of mine. The rest of him was quick to remind him. Author's Note This chapter is in honour of 'Pinkie is the Best Pony' , who is apparently "Tracking my ass". Not sure how I feel about that. Also, thanks to TheReclaimer for kicking my lazy ass into gear.
Episode 1: 15 % Moonshine"Look, now, Wrym. I'm twenty seven thousand years old. I have seen things that would screw up your mind. I have fought my own self, again and again and again . I have probably done things more twisted and cruel than you could ever scheme up, and do them on a daily basis." Dark said. He wasn't really annoyed, but he felt the situation elicited a harsh response. "So, please, for god's sake, take your petty politics and shove it up there. I am not in the mood." He finished. " I am not here for politics." The black dragon replied. He was an unusual one, not too big, with wings twice the length of his body, and deep green eyes that shone in the night. Only a little larger than an average pony,his talons were hard as diamonds and as sharp as an surgical scalpel. His face, a mix between danger and cold beauty, easily what you could call handsome. A beautiful piece of work, that body, Dark had to admit. The dragon grinned at the human's stare. "See something you like?" he said slyly. "You could say that. You have taste." " Well, too bad. " The dragon's body began to warp and shrink into itself. Muscles' tore and compressed. Bones snapped and moved around, rearranging themselves into a different skeletal structure. Even the face twisted into itself, turning into an adorable baby dragon face. "Killjoy." Dark muttered to himself. "Colt coddler" Spike shot back. His voice was much higher now. "I suppose I was." Dark said. " Wait, why are we here agian?" "Can't you tell? The same reason you are here. Two, the usual." Spike said to the bartender (barpony?) . The makeshift pub had come up on the edges of the city, on a small mountain outcropping. It was completely under the shade of the real city, and was quite close to the bad parts of town. Which made the whole situation all more interesting to Dark. A little dragon who was seen mostly in a princesses company could just waltz in here, into the most dangerous part of Canterlot, and be unharmed? The little dragon was a royal, and a noble. A prime target for ransom. He was also a defacto brother to the Captain Shining Armour, who, from Dark knew was not well liked by the folks around here. "I am here because Pinkie brought me here, speaking of whom.....?" "She's probably at the black market." Spike replied. "You know, cupcakes! Here we go. Thanks Clear." the bartender just nodded. "What's this then? Alcohol?" Dark asked. He wondered if it would be polite to say that it was literally impossible for him to get drunk. "If you can call this alcohol. Prohibition laws have turned everyone into prudes. There's something seriously wrong when even the illegal stuff tastes like water."He took a sip, and continued " Well, here goes." <><><><><><><> One year ago, Canterlot Royal Palace, Starswirl suite. <><><><><><><> "And done." I said, looking around the room. I had finally put back every single book, and I had finished binding the ones Twilight destroyed. It's been six years since I started, and I still can't understand how you can do that to a book overnight. And now that I could see the floor again, what was next on the list? I stepped down from the ladder, and started searching. "Where did I leave.. oh!" There, got the gift. I checked the clock. Good, an hour more to go. Now all I needed to do was get Twilight to the party in time. I have to admit, those ponies are way too patient with Twilight. I'm grateful and all, but who would want to be friends with a shut-in bookworm like her? Hopefully, this party knocks some sense into her. She really needs friends. Real friends, not me or Shining or books. Looking out the window, I spotted Twilight rushing back home . Huh. Hoping for things is a premonition to disappointment, but maybe I don't need to bribe her this time. In that moment, I'll admit I wasn't thinking. I grabbed the present, and went to the front door, forgetting about Twilight's door tendencies. My punishment was a solid smack in the face with a heavy wooden door. The usual, really. I will get back at that door someday. "SPIKE! Spike?! Oh, there you are! Quick, give me that old copy of Predictions and Prophecies " Well, my plans are shot. I have seen that expression before. She's obsessing over something again. "What's that for?" She asked me. What's what.... oh. I might need a new present. Then again... "Well, it was a gift for Moon Dancer, but......." I started, but she cut me off. "Oh Spike, you know we don't have time for that sort of thing" 'You bet your arse we don't.' is what I would've liked to say, but I rather not spoil this innocent little creature I've worked so hard to protect. Not yet, anyway. Instead, I chose a diplomatic reply. "But we're on break!" I don't think she heard me. Probably because she was busy throwing out all the books that I had just put back in place. "No no no no no......." She kept muttering, throwing every single book on the ground in frustration. "SPIIIIke!" It was adorable. I do wish it could be like this for ever, her never bothered by this harsh world. That she should never know true suffering. Wishfully thoughts. I went to get her book. Let's see now, Predictions and Prophecies... ah! "It's over here." I told Twillight, then it hit me. I was high above the ground. I was waving a book at Twillight. I was on a wooden ladder. I was waving a book at Twillight. The floor was hard wooden. Did I mention I was waving a book at Twillight? "WAI..." Crash! "owowow...." It was a familiar pain. A hairline fracture. On the bright side, it was the first one this week. And it was already Thursday. Twilight's getting better. Sighing, I got back up, and began to put back the books that Twilight had thrown around. She seemed to be researching some 'Element's'? I got back up on the treacherous wooden ladder with the book and began to place them back one by one before I heard something. "...See: Mare in the moon!" I fell off the ladder again. <><><><><><><> Canterlot Palace nursery, Eight years ago. <><><><><><><> This was ...... unexpected, to say the least. Celestia knew that much. The parakeet egg had actually been a dragon egg, that much was a given. It would explain the dragon hatchling, but it would not explain why a dragon egg had been mixed up with the entrance test samples. It wasn't a taxing mental exercise to know that the egg had been purposefully added into the collection by someone, or it would have been removed and destroyed. It was either a powerful disguise spell to fool the Unicorns in charge of collection and authentication, or a ploy by one of the higher ups in administration. As if any of that mattered now. The dragon popping out was unusual, but it was hardly the first time. But this, this merited the word 'unexpected'. The baby Dragon had destroyed the crib and the walls. With his bare claws, he had carved runes into the ground. Runes of the ancient language. And yet they were confused, as if made by a pony who had once known the language, but could no longer remember what the characters meant anymore, only a hollow spot in his mind where that knowledge once was. He had long abandoned drawing the runes, and instead he scraped fissures into the marble flooring in Equestrian. "Who am I?" <><><><><><><> Canterlot Royal Palace, Starswirl suite <><><><><><><> I got up slowly, still trying to process what Twillight just said. 'The Mare in the Moon?!?! How does she know about that!' This was not good. Vision tunneling. Fear. Panic. 'How the fuck does she know?How the actual fuck does she know this!! "Bu..but that's just ... an old ponies tale. Yeah, that's just an old ponies tale, Twillight." I managed to say. I don't think she heard me. Too busy ranting out the prophecies in the old tome. 'Deep breaths, deep breaths.' Who could have told her? Celestia? No, she's dense, not stupid. Flash? Not, definitely not. What about Trixie? That mare can't keep her mouth shut if her life depended on it. But she's in the Everfree already, isn't she? Blue? Why would Blue do such a thing? "Do you know what this means, Spike?" Twillight asked, snapping me out of my daze. "Wha..? Aaa,... No. No, I don't." "Take a note please, to the Princess." "Aaa, yeah!Okay." A chance ! I summoned my quill and a scroll with my seal. I needed Celestia to bluff our way out of this. "Dear Princess Celestia..." Twillight started. I completely ignored her, and wrote my own letter. Celestia, I need a favor. You see...... Author's Note And thus begins Spike's tale. I seem to have a fetish for stories with big things going on. Criticism is welcome and appreciated.
Episode 1: Part 2- Apples and Gods<><><><><><><> Enroute to Ponyville, four hours later. <><><><><><><> Well, that blew up in my face. Twillight was still complaining that she was right. She was right, it's just that she shouldn't know about this. Only Celestia, Shiny, me and the top War-mages knew about Nightmare Moon. Celestia's idea of doing me a favor was sending Twillight to the town right next to the place where gods are clashing tonight. Then again, we were clashing in the middle of an ancient dangerous forest, quite a ways from the town. And Celestia was right. Twillight desperately needed some friends. It may be a tempting prospect to keep her close to me, warm and safe from this world, but then she would never grow any further. That would just mean I failed my purpose. Twillight needed this. Especially after what had happened, Twillight needed this. Twillight sighed, finally taking a break from complaining. Quick! Make hay while the sun lasts. "Look on the bright side, Twillight. You get to stay in a library. Doesn't that make you happy?" 'Perfect choice of words, Spike. After free access to the Royal library, maybe a library in the boones would be great change of scene'. "Yes, Yes it does!" I'm sorry, inner monologue. You were saying......? "You know why?" Twillight continued, absolutely killing my victory against myself. 'I think you heard it the first time' Shut up. "Why?" I asked Twillight. The town was pretty close now. Ponyville? I know this place. A Head of the Apple family lives here. "Because I'm right! I'll check on the preparations as fast as I can, then get to the library to find some proof of Nightmare Moon's return." ' Good luck with that.' The chariot began to pull in for landing. "Yeah, that......but when will you make friends? The Princess told you to make friends, you know." "She said to check on preparations. I am her student, and I'll do my royal duty, but the fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends." She walked of the chariot, and thanked the guard before starting to survey her new environment. She seemed to be taking it well enough. I followed her out. "Thank you ,Corporal." I leaned in closer to her. "Can you tell me how many?" "Three, Sun Guards. Take care of her."Three Sun guard? Celestia pulled out all the stops. I nodded to her, and joined up with Twillight. She was still looking around, wary of her surroundings and the other ponies looking at her. Only a pink mare was walking towards us, oblivious to the world. "Twillight, maybe the ponies here have interesting things to say. Come on, what's the worst that could happen?" I pushed her forward a little. "Come on, y......." The look on her face shut me up. Twillight was frozen with fear. Her pupils had shrunk to pinpricks, and she was beginning to sweat. As the pink pony came closer, she looked ready to bolt. The pink pony stopped right next to us, and only now seemed to notice us. 'Protect her. Mine. Protect her. Keep her safe.' I gently pushed Twillight forward, reminding her that I was always there. "Go, on, Twi." She looked at me, and her fear subsided somewhat 'Yes! Protect.'. I gave her an encouraging smile 'No', even though it crushed my heart 'PROTECTHER!PROTECT...'. She needed to talk 'NONONONO', to someone..... 'STOP IT'Anyone, almost anyone at all. I didn't want to force her, to see her sad, in pain, or in grief, 'IT WILL HURT HER!!' But... She needs this. 'And if this pink bitch says the wrong thing...... She will die..' 'Yes.' "Um...Hello?" The pink pony regarded her for a few seconds, before some sort of realization dawned upon her. Then she gasped, floated into the air... yes, floated into the air, and flew off. It took both of us a few seconds to compute, before Twillight spoke up. "Well, that was interesting." Both of us broke into a fit of giggles, laughing at the absurdity that we had just witnessed. It wasn't even that funny. Twillight's fear was all but forgotten now,though, so I guess the pink pony gets to live. <><><><><><><> Sweet Apple Acres, 20 minutes later <><><><><><><> This was good. Really good. I am not talking about the slice of pie I was holding (Though it was pretty good too) . Twillight was talking. Twillight was surrounded by huge stallions, and she was just talking. She wasn't afraid of them, she didn't have a breakdown, she was chatting and eating normally. She was happy, and she was making progress. It also helped that these were good, honorable Apple stallions. Everyone knows that you can trust an Apple. Speaking of whom. "Adviser." There was a red stallion walking towards me. "Mr Macintosh, I suppose?" "Eeyup." One of the three Elders of the family, the one responsible for those letters. Let's see how much he knows. Given the unsubtle implications, there's no point in mincing words. With something this delicate, I'd rather get straight to the point and risk confirming his suspicions than beat around to bush. "So you know about the minotaur prince?" "Eeyup." He knows. His face is nigh unreadable, but he knows about my involvement in the accident. Well then, time to press back. "There are inaccuracies in the accounts of your Gryphonia venture." "Nope." Denial? Well, it's not like I was bluffing with that threat. "So you say. However, I also know that the Apple family can be trusted more than some obsucre records." I gave him my best insidious grin. He didn't change his expression at all. 'Don't stab me, I don't stab you.' "Eeyup." He actually gave me a small smile, breaking his deadpan expression. I do like these blunt exchanges better, though. We both know that we're too big, and neither of us will actually rock the boat over petty advantages. I turned back to the table, where Twillight was attempting to eat a three storied cake, the Apple's egging her on. She was actually succeeding. Must have skipped out on breakfast again. "It's a deal, then." I took a bite of the pie. It was good. <><><><><><><> Chamber of the Creator <><><><><><><> The Former God of magic was busy. Again and again, he kept reviewing his spell while checking the surveillance systems, keeping a close watch on the world below. A thousand years of careful planning and preparing had led to this moment, and despite his best efforts, not everything had gone to plan. Celestia was was never meant to be princess. Luna was never supposed to be bound. The Wyrm was not playing his part as he was supposed to. And above all, what was to be an act was now reality. Still, it was working. Six souls attuned to six of the eight elements. Enough harmonic energy to bring his niece back. The tentacles protruding from his back twitched and ceased their frantic activity. The pale spindly stallion turned around, sensing a familiar presence. "Uncle!" "Six, why are you here? More importantly, where's your father? He should have reached here by now." The human had made it clear that he wanted to see the spell, before he left twenty years ago. "Yeah, about that. We made a mistake." The brown stallion looked a little sheepish. "No you didn't. Four cast a perfect spell. I saw him cast it. It was literally perfect." A telltale sign of Ed's on coming panic was the tentacles beginning to spark and fidget. With the stress of the ritual already piled on him, 'mistake' was an anathema to his calm. "Listen, Uncle, calm down. The spell isn't the problem. We just caught him at a bad time." The Sixth also cast a few dozen protection wards. "What do you mean?" The tentacles didn't stop their fidgeting. "Apparently, he was tussling with the High God." Tentacles began to shake harder. Bolts of magic began to jump from one to another. "And the pendant distracted him. He's heading here, but he isn't coherent enough to use the portal spell." Six strengthened the wards, and started an Omni precog spells, just in case. The tentacles on Ed's back shook for a few more seconds before they froze in place. Six braced himself. The outcomes grew smaller by the second, until the only two left were a magical explosion, or... "Damn It!" Ed returned to checking the spell. "We'll just have to go on without him. Go back to your post, Six." "All right, uncle. If you say so." The brown stallion walked back through the portal, heaving a sigh of relief. Author's Note Well, then
Episode 1 Part 3- Rainbows, Dresses and plots.<><><><><><><><> Ponyville Town square, 11 hours till Summer Sun Celebration <><><><><><><><> Fucking crazy rainbow bitch. Fucking crazy gods fucking around with the world. I don't get it. I'm a dragon, so my senses are probably the best in the worlds. I can see, hear and smell better than almost any other pony. 'How did I trip on that rock? NO, wait. How did I not notice it? ' "Spike, you alright?" Twillight asked , stopping in her tracks. Touching, a part of me felt. Hypocrite, said the part of me who suffered broken bones weekly . I was walking down the road with Twillight, listening to her complaining about her distended stomach, watching the invisible cloud with the sun guards, searching for the missing pegasus who was supposed to be clearing the clouds, just taking in the scenery. And the next thing I know I was kissing the ground again. For a few seconds I thought that my worst nightmares had finally come true. Wood, ground and pebbles were working together to make my life miserable. And then I realised...... 'This rock wasn't here before.' This wasn't a coincidence. Because just seconds later, I sensed something approaching Twillight.Fast. I think she sensed it too. My instincts kicked in. I pushed Twillight out of the way , just before she cast a defensive spell. The spell was good news for the pegasus, as she was still alive and well after the crash. However, Twillight had cast the spell for herself and the pegasus , not for me. The spell must have been a two part cyclic load-shedder, and without the second part of the spell (A.K.A Twillight), it had released the entire force on me, along with magical backlash. I felt several ribs crack , and heard the distinct sound of my pelvis being crushed. All in all, a moderately bad day. It took me about fifty seconds to recover. "Oops. Heheh...? Sorry." The dancing rainbow apologised to me. What a stupid rainbow. "Ouch." that I uttered after that crash may or may not have been just a gurgling sound. "Nnnnnn." Twillight seemed to be in a muddy puddle. Better than a concussion, I guess. The crazy rainbow mare was talking to her too. "Uhh huh... Here , lemme help you." She flew up and emptied an entire storm cloud on Twillight. She seemed like a good sort, even if she flew like Fleetfoot drunk off her ass. Twillight , however, wasn't very amused at being soaked through. "Oops. Heheh...? Guess I overdid it?" ......................................... "I stand by what I said. It does look kind of cute." I was half serious and half joking. Twillight looked just adorable with that poofy mane, and her reaction was quite funny too. Though an annoying pegasus destroying her mane may have been a bit too much. Rainbow Dash was good for an amateur flyer. Maybe I should recommend her to Soarin? Nah, better to just wait and see. "Huumph!" Twillight was not in a good mood. Her stomach must still be aching from all the stuff she ate at the farm, her mane was pretty much dead, and she had done no productive research for hours. 'A first in eight years, since then.' My mood soured instantly. I remember it clearly. A small purple filly,bruised and broken, shivering and trembling in a corner. She was covering her eyes, afraid of the bad things. Afraid of her father. Afraid of Shiny.Afraid of me. 'It's all in the past now.' "Anyways, now we have to go check the Decorations. Somepony called Rarity should be looking after that." 'Rarity? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before.' We walked into the Townhall, to be greeted by tasteful yet grand decorations. "Beautiful." I checked off Decorations from the list, and then I caught sight of a white unicorn. " Yes, the décor is coming along nicely. This should be quick. I'll be at the library in no time. Beautiful indeed." I think Twillight said something, but my mind was focused on something else. Namely, the white unicorn in front of me 'Rarity......? RARITY!!! That dressmaker. I know about her........' In the depths of my black mind, something took form. A seed of a plan. An experiment. I have connections. I know people. In eight years I have turned from a insignificant runt to the most powerful person on the planet. The personal Adviser of Celestia herself. But I have never tried planting a pony into high society. I have few airtight sources of information from the Noble's own society, all of them ought with blackmail, money or favors. 'Maybe I can use her for my first try?' "How are my spines? Are they straight?" I must have been making a weird face ,or something because Twillight gave me an odd look, before walking up to Rarity. ....................................................................... "Now, wasn't she just wonderful?" I could see potential here. This Rarity, she seemed to be perfect for this job. I would need to learn more about her, of course. Much, much more. But this could be done. This was possible. "Focus, Casanova." Casanova? "What's next on the list?" I don't think Twilight enjoyed the corset experience, because she was getting a little snappy. "Oh, right. Let's see .... music! It's the last one! It's by somepony called......." I shut up when I heard something inconceivable. Birds were singing in rhythm. In rhythm. I'm not joking, and no, I wasn't drunk. Birds were singing in rhythm, and a pony was conducting them. A yellow pegasus pony was conducting them, and ........ wait, is she talking to them? I'll have you know I'm not high either. No, the pony was talking to BIRDS and they were RESPONDING. . . . . . Now I've seen everything. It's a goddamn whisperer. "Come on, Spike, let's go." Wait, they finished? Already? "Yeah, okay." It was at that moment that she noticed me. "Ooooh! Is that a baby dragon?" She flew towards me with small, delicate wing flaps. "I've never seen a baby dragon before. He's soooo cute!" Did she just call me cute? Me? "Umm, well....." "Oh my, he talks. I didn't know dragons could talk. That's just so incredibly wonderful I..... I just don't even know what to say!" She took a breath, and started again before I could get a word in edgewise. "What's his name? Where did he come from? I have so many questions!!!" "Well....., I'm Spike..... the Dragon..." "Hello Spike, I'm Fluttershy. Oh, wow, a real talking dragon! What do Dragons talk about?" Before I could finish, the yellow pegasus got right up in my face. I could see a deep curiosity in her eyes, similar to that of Twillight's. But there was something else, a small flash of an energy, a source of power. It piqued my interest. "What do you want to know?" I gave her my best smile. "Oh, EVERYTHING.......if that's okay?" Heh. What a cute little mare. ......................................... " DAAAAAANNNCEEEE!!!!......" To say Miss Pie knows her trade, is an understatement of epic proportions.I suppose this is why noise regulations are so lax in Ponyville. Twilight doesn't seem to like it. Well, baby steps, I suppose. Everyone who is attending is harmless. "Well then, I'll be off now." "Yes, sir!" Lieutenant Rose stood at attention, ramrod straight. Without her armor, she was almost unrecognizable. Almost. One might even consider her an ordinary mare, if you discounted the heavy makeup covering the scars and fraying fur where the armor met the pelt. There was so much of it, infact , that she looked like a cream colored harlot. For the purposes of self preservation, I won't let my opinion be known. Even with that pelt foundation, on closer inspection, muscles were still visible. Muscles that would make steel ropes blush in shame. This mare has broken a veteran minotaur phalanx by herself. It's rare enough to see uninjured royal guards, but Celestia went one step further. She pulled Rose from the Armour regiment. You won't hear me complaining. Moving on. I walked a fair distance from the tree-library thing. It's a bright night. The moon glows bright, and a little wind is blowing. A perfect night to battle a god. I spat out the package. A long staff of dragon fire, molded into a solid by skill and knowledge. A little favor from a recent friend. Finally, I pulled out the parchment Trixie gave me. A careful teleportation spell. Whatever qualities the whore lacks, skill is not one of them, unfortunately. "The Adviser of the Sun seeks passage." <><><><><><><><><><> Staging area, Classified operation, 100 meters from Everfree Temple, Two hours till Summer Sun Celebration <><><><><><><><><><> "Oooohh Shining Armor......" Stab! The poster in her hooves gave way easily to the needle. "You're sooo famous, dear. Every filly has you in their minds. Every mare has you in their secret dreams." Stab! Hmmm, through the eye. "I'm torn, Shiny. I hate you, I like you." STAB!! STABSTAB!!! Neck and skull. "No one knows my prince because of you...... Everyone looks up to you." STABSTABSTABSTABSTAB!!!!!....... "Miss Lulamoon, are you alright?" Flash asked. Immediately, the needle took flight, shredding the recruitment poster. For a commonpony, the speed of the needle would have been a cause for alarm. Flash Sentry was not a normal pony. As such, he his expression remained unchanged, a permanent smirk with lazy half closed eyes. His ceremonial guard armor lay beside him, as he adjusted the final straps on his Skirmisher armor. His spear lay beside him. He won't be using it today. "Fine, I'm fine, Flash. Never better." The blue mare burnt the last pieces of the poster. She used friction instead of creating heat. Much more efficient. Interesting "By the way, where's the Adviser? Shouldn't he be here by now?" "What, Spike? Oh, he'll be here. Don't you have to pray to your war god? Go do that, and leave me be." A rude little mare. But that can be overlooked. Perhaps. "Difficult as ever, Miss Lulamoon." The colt complied, however, and trotted to a corner of the sphere the mare had constructed to hide them from prying eyes. A very interesting cloak, it hid them well without taxing her abilities. Given her mana pool, she could keep this up for a day. Another flash revealed a larger mare. My niece, Celestia. Six's predictions are on point, as is usual. "Hello, Trixie, Flash. Sorry for the delay. That bastard from Rare held me up." She was not wearing her adornments. Instead she carried a box wrapped in cloth. A weapon? It is no secret that she wields a great Halberd. Further more, none of my spells can penetrate it. Perplexing. No, magic cannot penetrate it. It's not a box. It's Vibranium. My Father's Vibranium. She is preparing for combat. Combat that our Father, and her Grandfather specifically forbade. Another flash. A green one this time. The Wyrm? So he is the mind behind this? Hmmm. It is time for me to interfere. <><><><><><><><><><><> The Everfree Palace, same time <><><><><><><><><><><> "Kothai rohegache? Shomaya ney! Kono shomaya ney!" Ed knew that reverting to screeching in Bengali would make little difference to screeching in English, he didn't care. "Pipe down, Uncle! I'm sure Spider-legs just got held up." Five called out. He didn't stop scanning the six crystals. Each one had been changed at the molecular level to allow proper manipulation of the power they possessed. A spell driven not by will, but by design . It was not a very popular concept, to say the least. Without a mind to make subtle changes to a spell...... Let's just say that the saying 'Just because it can be done , doesn't mean that it should be done' would apply, especially in this particular case. The Fifth Malfunction is not very fond of said saying. "'Sides, everything else is ready. Or ,well, as ready as can be without Pa ... say, he really lost to that baby God?" It was a rhetorical question, conversation for conversation's sake to stifle his own misgivings. Regardless of how he carried himself, it was the life and security of his niece that was in question, after all. "It was our....... my fault. Through the power of impossible coincidences, I distracted him at a bad time." The joke was in bad taste, but it was good see the old god had already come to terms with his mistake. He recovered within days instead of years. "Anyways...... Libby sent down them arrays that we needed. Time predicts a 93% chance on this. And Big Brother's ready to channel anytime we need 'im. Fact is, I'd reckon that everything is as ready as it can be at this point. " The gems floated back onto their pedestal. A small part of him couldn't help but wonder at the tools he had created. Each gem was assembled, molecule by molecule , in unnatural patterns that were supposedly impossible. Quartz, forcefully removed from the Pillar of Order, imbued with the six Emotional energies that make up the basis of Order. What he created to cure his niece, was it a tool?........ Or a weapon? 'I ain't no Philosopher. I'm a Smith. It ain't no concern of mine. The rest of him was quick to remind him. Author's Note This chapter is in honour of 'Pinkie is the Best Pony' , who is apparently "Tracking my ass". Not sure how I feel about that. Also, thanks to TheReclaimer for kicking my lazy ass into gear.
