Chapters Prologue- A Plan For Peace.
A figure stood shadowed by the night sky, the only light present being the light of the moon, which shone upon the figure's face, revealing distant magenta eyes and the fairest of fair skin.
"But sister, you can't!"
A second figure stood in the shadow of the first, obscuring from sight all that would be viewed by the moon's lonesome face.
"I can and I must! It is for the sake of Equestria and all it's citizens."
"But sister!"
"No buts, sister. We cannot allow the harmony we fought so hard to build be shattered by this threat. And I have the perfect plan to prevent that."
"But at what cost, sister! Your plan is...too risky!"
"It is too late, sister. My mind is made up. I shall not be swayed from my decision."
"But what about your student?! What about Twilight Sparkle?"
"Don't you dare use her against me!! ...Fine. You want to stop me? You know what to do."
The magenta eyed figure turned around, her back to the window. "But, are you sure you can win, Luna?"
The obscured figure stepped forward, allowing what little of the light present to shine upon her form. "I have to, Celestia."
What followed was the sound of shuffling and dealing as the two opposing siblings prepared for their match.
Celestia found herself smiling. "How long has it been since we've played this game, again?"
"Around five hundred years, dear sister."
"And remind me, how many times have I won, again?"
"That will change soon enough, dearest sister."
"We'll see about that."
With that, all talk was finished as the two glared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Their glares switched to their hands as both siblings pondered their options, already trying to anticipate their opponents first move.
It was Luna who moved first, spreading her first hand out on the wooden table.
The poor wooden furniture had bore witness to the worst of their centuries of battling, and was now a wreck from head to toe.
Their were hundreds of small cuts and scratches in the wood, as well as full on gashes on its sides. It also had a single indent on the bottom of it from one of Luna's less than royal moments. One leg was held up by a marble block created by Celestia for that exact purpose.
Many a time was this table fixed by Celestia's magic, but after all the damage done to it, as well as five hundred years of neglect, it had decided to stay that way.
"Canterlot Hustle." Luna said as she spread out her hand on the table, smiling just a bit at her draw.
"It appears you have luck on your side today sister." Celestia played her own hand. "Everfree Dangers."
"It seems so. Perhaps I shall take the win this time after all."
"Don't get too cocky, dear sister. We still have four more sets to go."
"Indeed we do."
With that, all fell to silence once again as another bout of shuffling and dealing was heard.
"Crystal Journey." Celestia once again spread her hand across the table, directly below her first.
"It seems I may have spoken too soon. Allow me to apologize." Luna's smile widened. As tense as this was, she really did enjoy playing this with her sister. She was sure her sister felt the same. But this was no time to reminisce. "Manehattan Mayhem."
"Hmm, I'm impressed. Only you would be able to play those cards. But you'll still lose."
The two exchanged decks, shuffled, and returned them.
"Royal Family." Celestia once again played her hand.
"Royal Battalion." Luna played hers as well.
"That's two for me, one for you."
"I will make this a tie." Luna said as she glared at her sister. "I will stop you!"
"Go ahead and try Luna. We all know who the better payer is here. I respect your spirit, but you cannot win."
"We'll see what you say when I do."
The cards were shuffled and she spread her hand across the table.
"Ancient Elements."
Celestia grimaced, but made no sound as she spread her hand across the table.
Celestia's smile returned. "Bringer of Chaos. You know what that means."
"Indeed I do, sister." Luna's response held sadness.
The cards were returned to the deck, shuffled, and dealt again. Luna spread her hand across the table.
"Goddesses of Equestria."
Celestia looked down at her hand and silently hoped. She had to win for the fate of her country. She spread her hand across the table
"Griffon's greed."
Luna laughed. "I told you we would tie. Two all."
"It seems this is the end, dearest Luna. " She picked a card from the top of the stack.
"It would appear so, Celestia."
They both smiled and spread their hands across the table at the same time.
"Branches of Harmony" Came Luna's voice.
"Starswirl The Bearded." Came Celestia's voice.
Luna stared in horror. "Y-you won. And with that card, as well..."
Celestia smiled and looked at her sister. "Yes I did. Time to add another win to the tally, I suppose."
"We created this game to cure our boredom and settle our disputes, but we've never won against you. Not even once."
Celestia cleared her throat. "Now then sister. You know the rules."
"Yes. we know. We will not stop you from carrying out your plan. But, in exchange..."
Celestia was not expecting that. "What is it Luna?"
"Let us help you."
Celestia looked at her sister like she had lost her mind. "A-Are you serious, sister? But this is-"
"So what? You can risk your life for your country, but we cannot, despite ruling alongside you for several thousand years?"
"Th-That is..."
"We are not a child anymore, Celestia. We can protect ourselves and this country just as well as you can. And we want to help you. We're sisters after all. It's only natural."
Seeing that she wasn't getting out of this arrangement, she sighed, looked at Luna, and said, "Fine. But we have to watch each other's backs from now on."
"Really, sister? Do you even have to ask?"
The two smiled at each other and stood side by side, watching the moon in the night sky as it shone down on them, silently confirming the siblings decision, as if it could tell this was the right thing to do.
Without turning her head, Celestia said, "Your moon is beautiful tonight sister."
With the same reaction, Luna said in response, "Let us hope it does not bring with it ill tidings."
A long, long time ago. When Equestria was in its younger years, the country was at peace. Its people loved their rulers, and they loved them in return. There were no wars, no evil, and most certainly no crime. Everypony was happy. They had everything they could ever want supplied to them by princesses who were more than happy to share their wealth with the less fortunate.
The ponies of Equestria were special. They were not just mere ponies. Some had wings or horns, and even those without either still had more natural physical ability than their more gifted brethren.
However, even the most peaceful of countries has its flaws. Some ponies did not see their talents the same way others did. While some saw their differences as a sign that they were unique and special, others saw this as an unfair mistake that needed to be fixed. They saw it as a way for those with greater ability than their's to flaunt their talents in the faces of the less fortunate.
Of course, this deviation from the ignorance of peace into the bitterness of enlightenment did not come for quite a while, and Equestria was peaceful for a very long time. When it did however, it came down hard.
Jealousy ran rampant throughout the minds of all three races equally. Earth ponies grew irritated at the fact that they would never experience what it was like to fly and be free from the chains that bound them to the ground. Pegasi were in turn jealous of the feats of sheer strength shown by their heavier counterparts, and the Unicorns, who showed no interest in either of those pursuits given the ease of which they could do them with their magic, attracted the jealousy of both races by simply being given an easier life overall than the rest of them. They were jealous that they didn't have to work to get what they wanted. Even against those who did, as they rose through the ranks of their respective areas with such ease thanks to their magic.
What was worse however, was what followed.
As the unrest and agitation among ponies towards their 'unfair treatment' began reaching a boiling point, protesters from all sides rose up to combat the problem. The princesses were able to quell and calm the rage of the masses for a while, but there's only so much two ponies can do about another pony's way of thinking, even if they are alicorns.
Thus, the protests began again. And they returned with a vengeance No longer were the bouts left to simple shouting matches or battles to see who could outlast the other. Now they were getting physical.
Earth ponies shot Pegasi out of the sky, Pegasi tied Earth ponies up by their hooves and hung them on trees, only to beat them like pinatas, and Unicorns were made to defend themselves from attacks from both sides. Those who could not get away from the persecution received the worst of it. Earth ponies chopped their horns off, Pegasi dropped them from extreme heights, and some of them were just beaten by their ground bound counterparts until either their horns broke or they died.
Ponies had even started forming groups of like minded individuals, which they would use to further oppress the race they were opposed to. They would disallow certain races to join them in events or activities, they would revoke all access to essential necessities for certain races, and they would accuse and berate other races whenever the chance presented itself.
It was like Tartarus had broken loose and was wreaking havoc on Equestria. Eventually the princesses had had enough. They wanted to stop all the violence in their beloved kingdom. But they knew that any attempt to placate them at this point would be met with stiff resistance from the groups that had formed.
They decided that a more aggressive approach was needed. One that they could not enforce alone. If they could not get their beloved citizens to see reason, then maybe somepony else could. Somepony who could operate in ways that they could not. Somepony who could do things that they could not. Somepony with the power to stop all this chaos.
They put together a group of the only ponies with enough sense to not get involved with all of the violence, and made a plan. They would create an organization that would operate separately from the princesses, outside of their laws and restrictions. This group would do things they couldn't, see things they couldn't, and know things that only the princesses themselves would. They would operate in the shadows and never reveal themselves to the public. They would serve directly under the princesses, but how they handled their orders was entirely up to their own discretion. They would have complete and utter freedom in that regard.
And so, with their plans made, they set to work, making sure not to clue the ponies of their now devastated country in on anything that was going on. It broke their heart to hide things from them, but this was for their own good.
Of all the ponies in Equestria, only six were sane enough to be considered for what came next. Celestia spoke in a tone that told of her mounting sadness and grief.
"Twilight Sparkle, Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. The six of you are the only ponies left who didn't succumb to jealousy. Therefore, you are also the only ponies left besides my sister that I can trust to carry out my plan."
The six mares sat on their haunches and patiently waited for the princess to finish speaking.
"Now listen closely. This is extremely important. No matter what happens, you cannot tell anypony about it, do you understand?"
They all nodded in unison and she smiled at them. "Good."
She stepped up to a door with a hole in the center and veiled her horn in magic before placing it inside the hole and unlocking the door. Slowly, a shadowed figure could be seen hidden by mist. As it slowly faded and light returned to the room, a stand could be seen.
On the stand, kept inside a glass casing that had obviously seen better days with how dusty it was, were six amulets, set inside six pieces of gold jewelry. Each piece of jewelry looked exactly the same save for the one in the middle, which was shaped like a crown. The amulets inside looked exactly like the six mares' cutie marks.
"What is this place?" came Twilight's inquiring voice. Celestia smiled a bit, pleased at her students curiosity.
"This is the royal treasure chamber. Inside lies things beyond your wildest imagination."
"Then what are those?" She pointed to the jewelry in the case.
"These, are the Elements of Harmony. Throughout your lives the six of you have shown exceptional amounts of honesty, loyalty, kindness, generosity, and most certainly a lot of laughter." She winked at Pinkie Pie.
"But the one thing you were missing, the one thing that tied it all together, was magic. And now that you have it, you have proven yourselves worthy enough to bear the Elements."
She lifted the case with her magic and floated them over to the six mares, where she then proceeded to place them around their necks in succession.
"But that is not all the Elements represent." Garnering their attention once more, she continued, "These elements symbolize your positions as head of your house."
"Our house?" came Twilight's voice again. Celestia relished in the idea of teaching her most valued student about her plan.
"Yes, Twilight. As part of my plan, each of you will be given lead of your own house. You are free to do as you see fit with it once you receive it."
They all stared at her in awe at this. One by one she looked to each of them, choice words of wisdom ready to part on her subjects. Beginning with Apple Jack, she said, "Apple Jack, since you are the strongest of the group, you will be the main of the six houses, the House of Honesty." In recognition of the appraisal, the blonde-maned mare tipped up her hat.
Turning to the violet-coated unicorn, she declared, "Twilight, since you are the most intellectually inclined of the group, you will be in charge of the intelligence department and will gather information for the group."
In response, Twilight smiled at the prospect of being able to receive all kinds of new information.
Eyes then darting over to the rainbow-maned Pegasus, she stated, "Rainbow Dash, since you are the more courageous of the group, you will head the front lines with Apple Jack." A knowing smirk spread across Rainbow's face as she barely contained her excitement.
Stepping over to the shiest mare of them all and craning her neck to look at her eye-to-eye, she murmured, "Fluttershy, I would prefer to put you on the front lines as well, but since you are opposed to any such sort of violence, I cannot in good conscience put you out like that. Therefore, you will serve as the group's healer."
Returning her stare afterward, Fluttershy stopped quivering and gave a sigh in relief and murmured a word of gratitude.
Next, she glanced over to the fashionable appearance of the white-coated unicorn. "Rarity, since you are the one with the most expertise in the clothing department, you will serve as the equipment maker. You will also be the head of infiltration given your higher than average dexterity and skill with your hands."
Finally, she faced the overly excited pink-color-coated mare and said, "Pinkie Pie, given your...particular talents, you will be placed on the front line with Apple Jack. Are these positions okay with you all?"
They all nodded and said in unison, "Yes, princess!"
"Very Well then. One last thing though. As I said before, you must never tell anyone about this. You must remain hidden and never reveal yourselves to the public. You will operate in the shadows and serve directly under me. That being said, how you carry out my orders is completely up to you. Make decisions at your own discretion, but make sure that you truly believe it is the right decision. Am I clear?"
They all responded with a, "Yes, princess!"
"Good. Then from this moment forward you will be known as, The Equestrian Mafia. Use your skills to protect Equestria from itself, and help to rid it of its evils."
With that, they all left, returning to their homes for a good night's rest, and to prepare for whatever dangers awaited them the next morning.
"Infiltration was a success." came a voice over the walkie talkie. It was a girl's voice. The girl was covered from head to foot in the most form fitting black suit known to mankind, from its tight fit on her curves to its accentuation of her more...sensual areas.
The girl on the other end had no idea why her friend insisted on looking 'her best' as she called it, during their missions. It puzzled her to no end, Especially considering the rather...gruesome nature of their jobs. Still, she had to compliment her style choices.
"Good Job, Rarity. It's all up to AJ now." came another voice in response to the first. "Now head back before you get spotted."
"Of course, darling." she responded back.
With that, the rather fashionable girl switched the device off and moved to leave. However, as soon as she took a step, she was greeted by the sound of footsteps moving in her direction.
"Drat. I thought Twilight switched off all the sensors." she started to run, then she had a thought. 'No way. could he have been expecting us?'
Unfortunately, while she was having that thought, she didn't notice the footsteps moving in front of her, effectively surrounding her and blocking her escape. When she did, they already had their guns drawn.
"Oh now this is just 'wonderful'." she groaned out as she looked both in front of and behind her before jumping towards the ones in front of her and landing right inside the group. With a flirtatious wink she began to fight, sweeping the first off their feet with her legs and proceeding to knock the guns from their hands, grabbing two in her own and firing off round after round into the group, effectively hospitalizing, and/or killing all of them.
She walked out of the group that was now nothing more than a shivering mess at her feet and over to the others who were stunned with shock and fear at the speed with which she dispatched their comrades. But their fear was short lived as it was soon replaced with rage at the loss of their valued friends. They proceeded to fire on her.
As they did so, time seemed to slow to a crawl as Rarity stopped walking and brandished her stolen guns again, firing them off with expert precision towards her opponents own bullets, shattering them in an explosion that blinded both parties. Rarity raised her arm to cover her face as the debris from the explosion dispersed outward in every direction.
She stepped through the cloud of smoke that had formed to see her pursuers doing much the same. She had just set her guns down and settled on just knocking them out, not wanting to waste anymore bullets, when...
"Yoohoo, bad guys!" a voice sounded from behind the battling group and suddenly they were all on the floor. Their bodies slowly fell one by one to reveal a girl with a puffy head of dark pink hair and the brightest blue eyes you ever did see. She too wore the same outfit as Rarity. She smiled when she saw her partner in crime.
"Rarity! There you are!" suddenly a hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her. It was Rarity.
"Be quiet, Pinkie darling. We're on a secret mission, remember?"
Pinkie removed her hand and spoke in a whisper. "Oh, right. sorry."
Rarity smiled. "That's better dear. But I have to wonder. What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be distracting the guards."
"I was." said pinkie.
"Then why were there guards in the hall where i was?"
"I don't know. I was distracting them like we agreed. They all passed out when I gave them my special cupcakes."
"hmm..." Rarity put a hand to her chin in thought. 'Maybe there were more guards than we initially thought.' She shrugged and let go of her friend.
"Ah well, no time to think about it now. We have a mission to complete."
Pinkie suddenly looked confused. "But our parts are over silly! It's Twilight and AJ's turn, remember?"
Rarity sighed. "Ah yes. How could I ever forget."
"Ha...ha...ha...ha..." A blonde girl could be heard breathing heavily as she made her way through the air vents of the building, "Consarnit! These gosh darn things are so tight I can barely move. It's makin' this much harder than it has to be." Indeed she was right. Her friend's costume design skills may have been second to none, but they left something to be desired in the usability department.
"The least she could've done was make it a little less fittin'." Once again, her friends flare for the dramatic got her into uncomfortable situations. 'Well, at least it's breathable.' she thought as she made her way toward an open vent. She looked down it and sure enough, there was the area she needed to be.
She opened the vent and dropped down, pleased to see that Rarity had done her job. She wouldn't have to worry about any pesky guards getting in her way.
"Welp. Time to get movin'." With that, she made her way through the door and into another of the building's rooms. Into the target's room.
She moved silently, as to not be noticed until she was ready to make the final strike. She was just close enough to attack. However, when she did, she was satisfied with what came back. Red blood gushed out of the targets neck and coated her knife. But suddenly, there was a really bad feeling in her gut, like something was wrong. But what could it be? Then she heard it. A voice. She staggered back confused. It was then she dared to look behind her.
"Surprised?"
She turned around completely and saw something that made her eyes widen in shock. There was her target, safe and sound.
"Hold on a hay pickin' minute! If you're there, then what's this?"
With a frantic hand, she turned the chair around and saw an old man with a look of shock imprinted on his face from when she had stabbed him.
"W-what is this?" she said, her voice and body now shaking as much as her hands.
"That was my butler. Poor boy. Had a wife and child and everything. Did you really think I wouldn't be expecting someone to come after me? I'm a criminal, you idiot! It's kind of in the job description!"
AJ was furious. "You-you monster! how could you do that to one of your own?! He worked for you for Pete's sake!"
The man smiled. "Exactly. He worked for me. And as a loyal member of my household, he should feel honored to die for the sake of my protection."
That was the last nail in the coffin for AJ. She snapped and charged toward him, knife at the ready. "I'll kill you!!"
"Uh-uh-uh... I think you might want to reconsider that thought."
She stopped. "What do you mean?"
"Oh nothing. just this." He pressed a button and the ceiling opened up, revealing Fluttershy, tied up and gagged and hanging from the ceiling.
"If you attack me, she might get hurt too."
"You let her go. RIGHT NOW!"
"Ohh, that stopped you dead in your tracks didn't it? You can't do anything with your friend in danger like that, can you?"
"Let her go or I SWEAR I'll-"
"You'll what? Are you hard of hearing or something? I told you I have your friend. There's nothing you can d-"
Suddenly, an explosion was heard. AJ had to cover her eyes with her arm to keep from being blinded by the scattering debris.
When she removed her arm and the dust cleared, she saw a girl with rainbow hair, and an angry expression. She'd recognize those highlights anywhere. It was Rainbow Dash!
"Oh yeah? Well how about me?" Rainbow said as she stepped over the rubble towards AJ and the still tied up Fluttershy, who she proceeded to free from her bindings.
"Sorry I'm late, Apple Jack. I just thought I'd try to make my entrance a little more awesome."
AJ smiled and sighed. Typical Rainbow. "No, it's alright. You were right on time."
"Oh really? Great!" Suddenly her mood shifted back to angry as she said, "Now then. What about you?" She glared in fury at the man who had just finished his make out session with the ground and was now trying to sneak away from them. Unfortunately for him, it didn't work.
"Don't worry, Dash. This one's mine." AJ said as she stepped over to the cowering villain in front of her. He tried to run away, but was stopped by someone stepping in front of him, blocking his escape. He looked up and saw none other than Pinkie Pie, smiling a wide smile at him. To him, it was the smile of the angel of death.
"Hi there, Mr. criminal!" Without a single word more, she shot him with some sort of strange contraption, and suddenly he was tied up in...streamers?
The other two girls looked up and noticed a guard sneaking up behind Pinkie. They both screamed in unison, "Watch out!"
Pinkie looked behind her. Then laughed. It shocked them both. That is until she said, "Relax, girls! It's just Rarity!"
With that, the guard dropped, now revealed to be a corpse. Hidden behind was Rarity, just like Pinkie had said.
The two girls were shocked once again, but that quickly faded when they remembered that they still had a scumbag to kill.
They all glared at the now captured criminal. Especially Apple Jack. "You monster. I'll kill you for what you've done. Prepare yerself."
With that she walked over to the still tied up mobster and said, "See ya in hell." She then proceeded to stab him in the neck, ending his life, much to her satisfaction ad relief.
Their mission officially over, the five girls left the building and made their way home. They were soon joined by Twilight, a girl with purple hair and glasses. Her hair had both a lavender and purple streak in it. A treasured hereditary trait from her parents. The six girls left the site and went home. Back home, To Ponyville.
Even after the creation of the Equestrian Mafia, trouble, as it always does, still stirred in the heart of Equestria. With jealousy still rampant across the land, and violence spreading rapidly throughout the nation, a new threat arose to add to the mayhem that was already slowly becoming a staple in the world, earning it the nickname 'The Age of Disharmony'.
This wicked, dastardly threat was none other than...cutie marks.
For as long as Celestia could remember, cutie marks have been sources of happiness for all in her beloved country. Kids looked forward to the day they would gain their marks, waiting impatiently for their destiny to be revealed to them. It was also a source of happiness for the older generation, as they got to watch their kids grow and mature. They got to see the happy faces of their kids as they got their marks, and shower them with all the praise and gifts they could want. It made them proud to be parents.
Now, however, as she looks upon her people she feels only sadness. Where had all the smiles of her precious subjects gone?
When not only one's physical qualities were made the catalyst to pain, but their destinies as well, the horror only intensified.
The protests began again, saying that they were being categorized and placed into a way of life that they did not desire. They felt that they were being shackled, their freedom to choose being snuffed out and lost entirely.
Then the violence intensified as well. Ponies had their cutie marks forcefully ripped off their flanks, permanently scarring them, at times mentally as well. The same violence that the 'biological unfairness of the world' had brought about only grew in magnitude in relation to this.
There were more beatings, some of which were now being done publicly, as an example to those who opposed the ponies who committed them.
Their were more ponies being hung, much for the same reason, and now there were kidnappings and things known only as 'rituals'.
These rituals were the magical remaking of ones cutie mark to one that they thought suitable for them or, at times to having none at all.
Over time, cults sprang up in which these practices were seen as a form of rebellion. A way to free ones self from a life of 'misery'. A way to break free from the 'chains of fate.'
Out of all the evils that had plagued her beloved country as of late, these cults were the thing that Celestia hated the most. Yes, she knew she was a princess, and that these were her beautiful subjects, but even if she could love and forgive the ponies themselves, it was their actions she despised.
To her, the removal of ones cutie mark, a gift given to one by fate, was an affront to the forces of harmony and balance. It was to spit in the face of life and reject all that life could offer. It was to rebel against ones destiny and revoke any chance of enjoyment of one's unique gift.
But most of all, the thing that saddened her most, was that it was a rejection of one's self. A deliberate slap in the face of all that one could be, and the success and happiness one could have in being that which their cutie mark entails.
It saddened her to the point where it hurt her physically to even think about it. Her beloved children were missing the opportunities fate had laid out for them, and to see them hurt themselves hurt her more than anything else in the world.
She needed a way to make them see the error of their ways. To see that they were losing their way and veering off the paths they were meant to follow. She knew that she could not do this alone. Not with all the chaos constantly going on.
She needed a way to make people see their potential. To make them appreciate the talents they have and to see all it could give them in return. For one thing no one ever knew, was that cutie marks, though inanimate, are just as alive as they are, and can feel as much as they can. If one does not like their cutie mark, it will not gift them its abilities.
She needed to find like minded individuals who she could entrust this task to. She needed to be sure she could leave her beloved country in the hands of the people she would find. She needed to find people who could help her people overcome this problem. And so, she searched.
She went all over Equestria, but no one would help. Then she found them. The only ones she was sure would and could help her. She knew that they could do it as soon as she laid her eyes on them.
Three girls stood before her in her throne room as she prepared to give them their mission.
"Hello, my little ponies." Celestia said to the three of them as they stared around at the majesty that was Canterlot castle.
The trio of girls said nothing, too engrossed in the full glory of the place to say anything. Celestia cleared her throat to gt their attention. They turned to her.
Sweetie spoke up first. "Hehe...sorry, princess...it's just, this place is so big. we've never ever seen the inside of the castle before."
"Yeah!" came the collective shouts of joy from Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, her two friends.
Celestia smiled at the three of them, thinking, "Ah, how nice to be young."
Then came the voice of Scootaloo, cutting into her reminiscing, and bringing her back to reality. "So, what did you call us here for again?"
Celestia snapped back to the scene in front of her to see the trio of filly's staring at her expectantly.
"Ah yes, right. Onto my business with you. While it may be a bit overwhelming for little ones such as yourselves, I have called you here, to my castle, for something very important."
At the thought of being called into somewhere so important specifically 'for' something important, the three girls nearly screamed. "Really?" came the cry of the three at once.
"Yes, little ones. This task is very important indeed. And you are the only ones I can entrust with it."
At this, the three made a show of saluting the princess, all the while, Sweetie Belle was saying, "We won't let you down, princess!"
Celestia cleared her throat again, gaining their attention once more. "While I admire your enthusiasm, and I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that you will complete your task, I would appreciate it, if you would allow me to, tell you what it is first?"
At that, the three girls sat on the floor, cross-legged looking up at the princess with sheepish expressions.
"Sorry, princess. We're just so excited to be here."
"And I am excited that you are here. You have no idea how long it took me to find you three. Now, to business once more. I heard that you three finally received your cutie marks?"
At that the three of them said together, "Yep!" After that, they each pointed to their sides, showing off three shining cutie marks in all their glory.
"How wonderful! Now, how did you get those cutie marks?" Celestia said, already knowing what her next move would be with her plan.
"We got them after we helped Diamond Tiara find the true meaning of her cutie mark!" Came the voice of Apple Bloom, Apple Jack's sister.
"Oh, you did ,did you? That makes this easier."
"What do you mean, Princess? What's easier?"
"Let me tell you a story, girls."
"Ooh, what kind of story?" came Sweetie Belle's voice.
"A story about equestria, and how it became a much darker place than you young fillies realize."
"Equestria's gotten darker? Well, I would suppose so, seeing as it's nighttime now." said, Apple Bloom in her southern accent.
"No, Apple Bloom. That is not what I mean."
"Well, what do you mean, Princess?" said Scootaloo.
"What I mean is, equestria is in a dark place now. It's people are sad, and misguided. This has caused chaos to spread throughout the entirety of the country. The people do not know what it means to possess such a gift as a cutie mark."
The girls were dead silent at this, save for a look of sadness on each of their faces, accompanied by pained whimpers and sniffles. Sweetie, once again, broke the silence. She seemed to be the lead of the group, unlike Apple Jack, who lead the six.
"W-what can we d-do, Princess?"
"You see, Sweetie Belle, that very thing is what I called you three for."
This caused the three to stop in their tracks. "Huh?"
"You three go around ponyville every day looking for somepony to help find the true meaning of their cutie mark. You are the only ones who can lead ponyville back to it's peaceful ways. Your sisters are already out doing their best out in other areas of Equestria, and they need someone to hold down the fort while they are gone."
The girls remained silent.
"You three will be a force for the good of equestria, serving directly under me and following my orders only. Your methods of completing my orders are your own, as long as you truly believe what you are doing is right."
"Wait? But if we're working under the princess, who will be our leader?" came Scootaloo's voice once more.
"You will be lead by Sweetie Belle, who appears to have quite the knack for conversation." Celestia ruffled the little girl's hair and smiled. "So, do you accept my offer?"
With a serious expression on each of their faces, they all said in a harmony that sadly did not mirror the state of affairs outside, "Yes, Princess!"
"So...what's your name?" called a voice out of nowhere.
"I-it's Hoof. M-my name's...Righteous Hoof."
"Is that your real name?" The voice said, in an accusatory tone.
"Yes, it is."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am. Why wouldn't I be? It's my own name-"
"Do you have a family, Mr. Hoof." The voice cut him off before he could fully answer. The voice sounded unmistakably female, and had a melodic sound to it, and yet, it carried with it an air of authority that could shake the very core of whoever it was used on. A candle suddenly flickered into life, revealing two people, and the area surrounding them. One wore a black tuxedo and black dress pants, along with a pair of heels accompanied by and tied together with a black cowboy hat. The other wore a jet black cloak, which was currently pulled down to accommodate the guests he hadn't been expecting.
"What does my family have to do with this?"
"I guess we have our answer. Relax. We won't do anything to them."
"I swear if you hurt them i'll-" The voice of the man sounded a bit alarmed now.
"Calm down. I just said we won't do anything. However, your family might do something to you."
This confused the man. "W-what do you mean?"
"What do you think would happen if your family learned that you were the leader of a cult? Worse still, a cult that has caused Equestria a great deal of suffering with your little 'Rituals'." One could almost hear the smile that formed on the owner of the voice's lips as she slammed her hand down on the table and tipped up her hat, revealing the face of a young looking woman with lavender and purple curls in her hair.
"Now, i'll ask again. Are you sure that's your name?"
The man's forehead began to sweat a bit as he looked around himself, looking for a way out of this situation. When he couldn't find any, he settled on talking his way free.
"Stop trying now. You'll never get anything out of me. I'll never talk!"
"Oh really?" The woman snapped her fingers, and suddenly, the man could hear the cracking of knuckles, which was all he heard until he was scooped up by his cloak collar and slammed back first into a wall. The man screamed.
When he finally opened his eyes from the searing pain in his back, he noticed that yet another girl, this one maybe a bit younger than the first, had him pinned to the back wall of his house. How was she so strong?
The girl had a mop of pinkish hair, barely hidden behind her cowboy hat, peach skin, and was rather well built for a woman. Of course she had the typical womanly charms. None of which he paid attention to given his current situation of being carved into the wall.
With a resounding, "oof!" The man was nearly thrown back into his chair as he watched the girl walk away from him.
"Now will you be more cooperative?" called the woman, a hint of smugness in her voice.
"Yes, yes, i'll tell you just, please don't hurt me!"
The woman sat down in her chair.
"My real name...is Clear Cut."
The woman smiled. "That's better. Now, why did you leave your family?"
"I left...to get away."
"But why would you wanna get away from yer family? Didn't they love you?" came a voice. This one had a southern accent to it.
"Of course they did. They're my family. It's just...We have a family business."
"What a coincidence. So do we!" said the southern voice once more.
"We were trying to gain customers, but they were all stolen by another business. We became poor. Oh, so very poor. I had a talent for speaking, as you can tell from my cutie mark, and could gain a few customers, but soon, even that became worthless. And so I left to find a way to make more money. This group came to me and made me leader. They said they could help. So I helped them in return. I didn't like what they were doing, but I had to help my family."
"And you became the leader of an evil organization bent on destroying the concept of cutie marks forever in order to make the money you needed?" The woman said, looking to confirm her suspicions.
"Yes. I know it's bad but what else can I do. I-i'm sorry, but I won't change my ways, not now. I can't afford to."
"Well, In that case, I guess there's only one thing to do." Came the saddened voice of the woman. She stood up and brandished a gun, lifting it to sit right between the man's eyes. She walked over to the man and placed the barrel of the gun right in his face, so that he was forced to look down the hole of the metal object of death. He flinched and closed his eyes, waiting for her to pull the trigger. When nothing happened, he opened one eye only, too afraid to believe that they would not actually kill him, and watched. He saw that instead of a head shot, she had placed the gun mere inches from his flank, right in front of...his cutie mark?
He closed his eyes again, this time bracing for the pain, but grateful that they weren't going to kill him. He heard a gunshot...but there was no pain.
He opened his eyes and looked down at his flank. His cutie mark was gone!
Then came the voice of the woman once more. "There! Now you'll be able to start over and find out what your cutie mark really means?"
He glared at them as the leader tipped up her hate with a smile. "Do you three really believe that by taking away my cutie mark, that you can make everything better? I'm still dirt poor and i'm stuck with these fools! There's nothing you can do!"
The woman had a look of sadness, then glared back, a determined glint in her emerald eyes. "I don't know bout that..." She said under her breath before bringing a walkie talkie to her lips and saying into the receiver, "Bring it in."
Suddenly the door swung open with a loud crash as it hit the wall adjacent to it., and in walked a girl clad in the same black ensemble shared by the rest of them. She carried a suitcase, and kept her head down. She did so all the way until she was standing at the table that separated the two parties. She placed the suit case down on the table and fiddled with it until an audible click was heard, then she lifted the lid of the suitcase and turned it around so that the man could see.
He looked at the item before him, then back at the woman who had come in. His eyes were wide as he watched her lift her head, revealing a woman around the same age as the other three, but with a more mature atmosphere about her. She had strikingly blue eyes. The y looked so focused and deep that he felt like she could see into his soul. He continued staring until he heard her say...
"Are you sure about that?"
The man stared at what the woman had brought in. In front of him was the largest amount of money that he was sure he would ever see in his life. It was easily over a million bits. They shone as he looked at them.
He looked up from the gift they had so generously brought him, but as he looked on, they were already walking out the door. He called out to them.
"Wait! W-who are you?" he said, wanting to know just who had given him such a gift.
The woman who had been the leader of the group looked at him out of the corner of her eye and said, "We're the Cutie Mark Gang." She pointed to her back, where the symbol of a tricolor shield was emblazoned on the back of her tuxedo. Inside the shield was a music note, a lightning bolt, an apple, and a tiara, all in a perfect circle.
The group left, all save for one, who stayed behind long enough to say, "Oh and, keep the change." before walking off to join her comrades in arms.
They had done it. Their first mission was complete, and it had gone off without a hitch. Celestia was gonna be so proud. And what a story it would make.
