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                     Omega Industries                      
                   -by AvariceArtifice-                    
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                         Prologue                          
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Prologue
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
A scared, blindfolded and bound pegasus colt is being dragged through an unknown location by two strong ponies, or what he assumes are ponies anyway. They stop momentarily, the colt's ears perking at the sound of sliding metal. The ponies continue to drag the colt soon after. He feels the sensation of being lifted, until his back is pressed into a cold, metal surface. He flails his legs as best he can, easily overpowered as they're strapped to the metal. His captors remove the blindfold, the moderately lit room and its inhabitants becoming visible. The room itself is a fairly unassuming white color, lit by some kind of odd light fixtures embedded in the ceiling. On further examination, there appears to be strange mechanical apparatus all around the table. The colt doesn't get much time to think as the table moves to a near vertical position. When it does, the colt can see a large, glass like window with various creatures in labcoats looking back. The two in the center stare at the colt in the eyes. The colt looks elsewhere, thoroughly spooked. He sees the two burly stallions in black suits wearing odd looking glasses, most likely the ones responsible for strapping him to the table in the first place. They step back from the colt, mechanical arms with a single syringe on each end make themselves apparent as they moves toward the colt's body. The strange blue liquid within causing further alarm in the struggling colt.
"Now administering numbing agents." A femenine robotic voice announces through a speaker somewhere in the room, unseen by the colt.
The needles plunge into the colt, the sudden application causing him to wail in pain. The needles deposit the odd liquid into his body, removing once they're empty. Soon enough, the pain starts to dull, fading within the span of a minute. This worries the colt further, as he can't feel anything anymore.
"Now adding mechanical augments." The feminine robotic voice drones once more.
Multiple mechanical arms emerge from the colt's peripheral vision, some with blades, others grasping metal pieces in their claws. The blades cut into him, the lack of pain as some portions of his flesh are removed incredibly weird and unnerving to him. Soon enough, the odd components are placed onto his body. Additional needles inject a silvery liquid between his flesh and the metal.
"Now administering sedative." The feminine robotic voice says.
A final syringe descends upon the colt, injecting the sedative. In moments, his vision becomes blurry, colors smearing as he fades into unconsciousness. The two stallions unfasten the colt, bringing him out and escorting his unconscious body back to his room/cell. The two unicorn stallions standing in the upper, windowed off room nod to eachother. The one on the left is dark red in coat color, with a black and white mane and tail, dark purple eyes, and a dark purple blazing omega symbol for his mark. The other is more frail, with a pale green coat, lighter gray mane and tail color, and a flask with bubbles inside for his mark.
"Another successful operation, Omega." The pale green stallion says to the dark red one.
"For now, we still need to observe his condition. My components should bond well to the flesh, but it's still uncertain." Omega replies to the pale green stallion.
"Which foal shall we enhance next, sir?" Flask asks, gesturing to a computer screen showing viable candidates for the next experiment.
"The darker yellow earth pony colt with the brown mane and tail." Omega says, tapping the section on the screen showing the camera feed of the subject's room.
"You heard the boss, get that one for the next module!" A griffon worker barks through the intercom.
On command, the two guards stationed outside of his cell enter and grab the earth pony colt to repeat the process...
Author's Note
And there we have it, an updated prologue. What does this entail for the future? Who knows...

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                    Chapter 1: Arrival                     
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Chapter 1: Arrival
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Darkness. Pitch darkness surrounded him, the silence deafening. And the cold. The frigid cold seeping into his being felt like nothing he'd ever felt before. It was numbing, almost calming in a way. Was this it? Was this oblivion? He couldn't remember exactly how he ended up here. Perhaps he'd died in his sleep for some unknown reason. Whatever the case, this was certainly not home. But, that didn't feel like it mattered now, as he'd accepted his cold, desolate fate. He was never the religious type, and this would have proven his atheism right. Were it not for the sudden rustling of leaves.
"Leaves? The fuck's going on here?" He thinks.
In all this time, he'd never bothered to try moving. Attempting to stand, he breaks out of what seems to be a pile of wet leaves in a dark, foreboding forest. In that moment, he'd realized two things. He should've stayed oblivious to where he was, and he has to run from that giant star bear thing sleeping in a nearby cave. As soon as he tries to stand again, he notices another thing. He's small, red, and has no hands or feet anymore, just stumps. After falling for a second time, he tries to stand on all fours. Success! He gently steps, little by little, away from the star bear cave.
Still not quite adept at walking yet, he continues to move in a staggering manner through the forest. Some fucked up afterlife he'd wound up in, as a red stumpy thing in a creepy forest with giant star bear things. Eventually, he stumbles onto a dirt path, which can only mean one thing.
"Civilization! Maybe I can get some help!" He thinks excitedly, stumbling down the path with newfound resolve.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Upon exiting the forest, and following the path out to the horizon of the town it leads to, his hopes had turned to confusion. The ones going about their business in the rural looking town were all multicolored miniature rainbow horses with comically large eyes. What's weirder, some had wings, and others had horns. Before he could fully process what was going on, a couple of the horses, one male and one female, made their way over to him. This caused him to panic, and attempt to run, only to stumble over himself again.
"Oh, look at the poor dear, he looks so frightened." The mare laments. Her coat was a brighter pink, her mane and tail were purple, and she has what looks like cookies on her flank.
"Do you think he's lost? I've never seen a red unicorn like him around here before." The stallion asks his presumed wife or girlfriend. He has a white coat, brown mane and tail, and what looks like footballs on his flank. He also has VERY bushy eyebrows and a matching mustache.
"Good question. Say, little fella, where are your parents at?" The mare asks, leaning in to get to eye level with the recovering colt.
"Shit! What do I do, what do I DO!? Think, come on, apparently I'm one of those little horse things with a horn or whatever. Parents? Back home doing things just fine, I'd moved out years ago. Should I say dead? No, that wouldn't end too well. Maybe I should imply it with a fabricated story? Yeah, that should work." He thinks, looking up at the couple.
"I d-don't know... We went into a big, scary forest. Then, we ran into a giant star bear, and they told me to run. I-I heard screaming after that... But I still ran, like they said. They'll be back, I-I know they will be." He stammers, stomping a hoof on the ground to assert his statement.
The couple looks absolutely mortified by the story. "Bingo. Damn my voice is so high pitched."
"U-um, honey, you see..." The mare starts.
"Well, the uh, truth is..." The stallion continues.
He leans in, doing his best to look curious. "Yes?"
"We are going to... take you to see the mayor! Yeah, she'll know what to do next." The mare says.
"Yeah, good thinking Cookie. Let's go see the mayor!" The stallion agrees with the mare.
The couple and the stray all walk towards the town hall, the stray colt observing how the others around him are walking, mimicking their movements until he's walking normally.
Eventually, they make it to the town hall, entering. The place was empty aside from them, and a single secretary at the desk at the far end of the room. The colt finds himself a seat as the adults go to talk.
"So, I'm in a new world, with weird talking miniature horses, as a young version of these horses with a horn. I haven't even looked in a mirror yet, and I'm not sure I'll like what I see. Best to let them figure out my re-homing situation, I haven't got a clue what this world's social structures are like yet." He rationalizes to himself.
The couple approaches him, guiding him to the mayor's office. The office itself looked exactly like a generic, boring office one would normally find. The mayor at the desk, on the other hand.
"GAH! MY EYES! PINK ON BROWN!? AAAAAEEEEECGH! His mind recoils at the visual of such a vibrant hot pink on a brown color.
"So, you're the little mystery colt Hondo and Cookie found. Do you have a name?" The polite yet garish mayor asks.
"Hold up, the one woman, er, mare? Yeah, mare's name is Cookie or something, and she has a cookie ass tat. I wonder if I have one..." The colt thinks, quickly glancing at his hindquarters.
His mark appears to be that of a purple, blazing Omega symbol. "Omega. I'm Omega."
"Real creative, but if the ass marks are the way to go with names, so be it." Thought the newly-dubbed Omega.
"That's an... interesting name. But, who am I to question it. Mayor is my literal name." Mayor Mare says, looking down at a few different papers.
"Well Omega, there aren't exactly any er, places for you to stay here in Ponyville. Long-term, anyway. The closest place that could have you is out in Canterlot, so we'll have to get you a train ticket. The earliest we can schedule is tomorrow, so you'll need somepony to look after you here for tonight. Hondo, Cookie?" Mayor looks at them expectantly.
"Oh, well, I suppose we could look after the little scamp for tonight. Right?" Cookie says, looking to her husband now.
"You betcha, not sure how Rarity would feel about it, but we could definitely work something out." Hondo agrees.
"Then that's all settled. Have a nice evening!" The mayor says with a smile, waving as the trio exit her office.
"This is exactly what I needed to deal with again, adults making all the decisions for you when you're a child." Omega thinks in contempt. "Then again, it's my only option. Well, only safe option, I should say. Or think. I heard something about another pony in there, Rarity... their child perhaps?"
Omega continues to ponder his situation and surroundings as they walk. The house they arrive at looks very unassuming, like every other house in this town. On the outside, anyway. Inside, Omega makes note of the middle-class looking furnishings. Some things here and there appear to be fancier, though they're most likely cheaper than they appear. He also sees a filly around his physical age, white coat with purple mane and tail, and a triple diamond mark, who he can only assume is Rarity, and some kind of sitter. The sitter looked to be around teen-age, light tan with a light brown mane and tail, with a heart and baby bottle mark.
Rarity immediately drops the toy tea set she was holding with her hooves to rush to her father and mother, hugging them both before looking at Omega in confusion.
The sitter waves to the couple and stray colt. "Back already? I thought you'd be gone for another couple of hours or so."
"Well, things got a bit complicated. We found this one here running out from the Everfree Forest of all places." Hondo explains, much to the sitter's surprise.
"He says his name is Omega, and his parents..." Cookie trails off, looking at the sitter in a way that says not to talk about it any further.
"So, he's going to go to Canterlot tomorrow, but he has to have a place to stay for tonight." Hondo finishes.
"Ah, I see. I guess that means I won't be needed for tonight. I'll see myself out." The sitter says, moving to leave. "That was a very nice tea party Rarity, I can't wait for the next one."
"Here's the bits, and thank you." Hondo says, the bit pouch floating over to the sitter.
Omega looks confused at what just happened there for a moment, deciding to ask about it later.
The sitter hefts the bag slightly in her hoof. "Oh, but this is full payment. I was only here for about half the time-"
"Nonsense, just take it. You've more than earned it." Cookie cuts of and reassures her.
The sitter smiles. "Thank you both, so much!"
"Take care of yourself Cream." Cookie says, waving goodbye.
Omega lightly taps on Hondo's leg, about as high as he can reach.
"What is it little guy?" Hondo asks, leaning down.
"Do you have a bathroom I can use? I got all kinds of gross leaves and stuff in my coat back at the forest." Omega asks.
"Oh, it's just down that way, door on the left." Hondo points.
"Thank you." Omega thanks him, walking over that way.
Meanwhile, he can hear Rarity asking her mom all sorts of questions, though Omega doesn't pay any attention to them as he gets into the bathroom. He looks at the toilet, seeing a traditionally human toilet just sitting right there in the bathroom. The tub looks fairly normal too, though it doesn't seem as out of place. He quickly glances in the mirror, looking at his own, deep purple eyes, and somewhat dirtied black and white mane. Turning back to the tub, he runs himself a nice, warm bath, relaxing in the steaming water as he washes the grime of the Everfree off.
He looks at the toilet again. "How in the fuck do I use that as a horse?"
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
The accommodations were quite nice, despite the short notice of it all. Rarity had asked him a whole slew of questions after he got out of the bathroom, though most of it wasn't anything that was actually important. Her neglect to ask about his parents must have meant that her parents told her not to say anything, and the fact that she didn't ask was relieving. Now he was sleeping on a spare bed in Rarity's room, something he didn't pay much mind to. Of course, Rarity was already out cold, and his own urge to sleep grew heavier. As he dozed off, he thought of one last thing.
"These ponies, they're nice. Taking in some orphan child, that's not something a whole lot of human parents would do if they saw a stray child. Maybe this new world is a good thing after all...
Author's Note
Yes, for those wondering, the sitter is Button's mom, went with the name Cream Heart because idk, seemed like the one to use.

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     Chapter 2: Celestia's Home for the Less Fortunate     
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Chapter 2: Celestia's Home for the Less Fortunate
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Omega sits on the train to Canterlot, questioning the decision to send him out on his own as a literal child, with only a pair of saddlebags. Could predators even exist in this seemingly wholesome land though? He didn't know, but he wasn't going to let his guard down. Of course, Rarity had been jealous that he'd been sent off to Canterlot, which led him to believe it's probably some higher class area or something. Considering it sounds a hell of a lot like Camelot, but with a horse pun in the name, he'd wondered if there were any castles there, or if royalty was in its prime during these seemingly more primitive times. Of course, the fact that the train he's in exists made him really question where these ponies were in terms of development. He turns his attention to the window, looking out to see a castle town built on the side of a mountain.
"Is that Canterlot? Who thought it was a good idea to build a town on the side of a mountain of all places!? The structural instability of something like that just reeks of thoughtlessness! Unless, some of that magic bullshit is holding it up. Enchanted stuff maybe? It looks like it's been there for a long time." Omega contemplates.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Once he gets off the train, Omega observes the glory that is Canterlot. The stone brick streets, the fancy decorum, the high towers of a castle looming in the distance. This felt so surreal, like he really was in the middle-ages. He digs out the map from his saddlebags, checking for where that orphanage was. After a look, he puts the map away, plodding off to his destination. Most of the ponies around were wearing some kind of clothing, unlike the nudist town he came from. They also all seemed to have their snouts high and eyes closed, leaving him to wonder how they even know where they're walking. Doing his best to avoid bumping into these snobs, he makes one final observation. They're all unicorns.
"Hmm, this is really weird. Maybe it's a status thing? I remember Rarity saying something about unicorn magic before... And the ones I stayed with seemed like a normal family. Snobs just exist universally I suppose." He thinks to himself.
After a while, he finally arrives at the place, a sign reading "Celestia's Home for the Less Fortunate."
"What. What kind of a name is that!? That's like calling a soup kitchen 'The King's Diner for the Bums' or something." Omega thinks, knocking on the door.
A soft blue unicorn mare with a cyan mane opens the door, looking down at Omega with concerned, golden eyes. "Oh, you must be that Omega colt we're expecting. Come on in dear, it's a bit chilly out." She ushers him in.
Inside, Omega saw the old looking interior of a place that really needed some work done. The darker wood floorboards creaking in some spots as a bunch of loud, obnoxious foals run around, causing chaos in the main room. That is, until the mare clears her throat.
"Everypony, meet Omega. He's our newest addition to the family, so I expect you all to be courteous to him as well." The mare says firmly.
"Yes, miss Care." They all groan out.
"Good. I've got some paperwork to get done." Ms. Care says, walking up a set of stairs.
Omega can't even say a word before a larger, fatter colt gets up in Omega's face. "Ms. Care is off getting your papers done. But don't think you're getting out of here so easily. We're all stuck here. And cause I'm the biggest, oldest one of us, that means I'M the leader here. You get it? So don't do anything stupid, or I'll have to get the point across in a way you won't like. Got it?"
Omega applies a HEAVY amount of restraint to resist rolling his eyes. "Of course, what was your name?"
"Loan, Loan Shark. And don't you forget it." Loan says.
"How on-the-nose. Then again, so are most of these chucklefucks' names." Omega thinks.
"Alright Loan." Omega drones.
"Good, run along then." Loan sneers.
Omega immediately turns around, opening the door.
"HEY! Where the heck do you think you're going!?" Loan barks angrily.
"Out, not like anypony cares anyway. I'll be back by sundown." Omega says, shutting the door behind him.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Omega strolls along the streets of Canterlot, exploring the town and keeping track of his map.
"What better way to get the lay of the land?" Omega thinks smugly.
Eventually, Omega happens upon a decently large library. He enters, walking up to the desk, and standing on his hind legs, fore-hooves on the front of it with his head barely peeking above the actual surface of the desk. He clears his throat.
"Hm? Oh, a new colt. Are you interested in reading some of the fine tomes this library has to offer?" A grey mare with a full pink mane asks.
"Mmhm, what do I need for my library card?" Omega asks.
"So you already know about library cards, hmm? I bet you're an avid reader! Just a picture and name is all we need." The mare informs him.
"Cool! My name's Omega, what's yours?" He asks, sounding pretty eager. "Gotta remember the names if I'm gonna be talking with these ponies regularly."
"Dusty Pages. Come this way, and make sure to look at the camera." Dusty says, guiding him over to a nearby wall.
"This reminds me of the DMV, only a lot faster." Omega thinks as he smiles at the camera.
"Perfect! Now we just have to develop the film. Or, I will. In the meantime, go ahead and look around. I'm sure a little bookworm like you will have a blast here!" Dusty says, taking the undeveloped photo into another room.
Omega heads out to the magic section, which has its shelves almost entirely barren. "Guess other ponies must like learning this stuff too. City's full of unicorns, go figure."
Omega finds the one thing he can use out of what's left very quickly. He lifts his hoof to the book, and... he picks it up. With his hoof. "This feels so weird." He thinks, taking the book to a nearby table with a three-legged walk.
Omega sets the book down, looking at the full cover. "Magic for beginners: The absolute basics. This should help me get my start."
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
After a while of reading and practice, Omega effortlessly lifts the book in the air in a deep purple aura, placing it back where it was on the shelf. As he goes back to the counter, he lifts up his library card, storing it in his bag.
"Thank you Ms. Pages, I'll be on my way for the day." Omega thanks her.
"You're more than welcome, Omega. Aren't you going to check out any books?" Dusty asks.
"No, my current living situation would jeopardize the books, they'd probably get damaged or stolen. I don't want to be responsible for the library losing books, especially after you've been so nice to me. And besides, most of what I'd want to read is already checked out anyway." Omega clarifies.
Dusty blinks, a bit shocked at how well-spoken Omega was. "Well, I suppose I can't fault you for that. Have a nice evening."
"You too." Omega says, exiting the library.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Omega shuts the door to the orphanage behind himself, turning to walk forward when-
"OMEGA! What were you thinking!? You have to tell me before you just go wandering off all by yourself like that! I was worried sick!" Ms. Care scolded.
Omega sighs. "So even after I said I was going out, nobody told you huh? Figures."
Loan Shark snickers, as the other foal look at each-other with torn expressions.
Ms. Care walks up to Omega, pulling him into a hug. "Just let me know next time, okay?"
Omega nods. "Alright, I'll have to let you know myself next time." He agrees.
"Good, now come to the dining room, Supper's almost done." Ms. Care says.
"Yes, Ms. Care." Omega says, looking over Loan Shark's way.
Loan seems to be miffed he hadn't really gotten Omega into any trouble, leering at him. Omega remains unfazed, walking out to the dining hall with the others.
"Woah, you actually didn't listen to Loan, and got away with it just like that?" One of the other colts whispers to Omega as they walk.
"What of it?" Omega asks.
"He definitely won't like you, you have to watch out for him now for sure." Another colt whispers.
"What's he gonna do, sit on me?" Omega asks.
"Yeah, and it really hurts!" The first colt says.
"You won't be able to breathe, and he won't let up until you say uncle." The second confirms.
"Seriously? That's what I'm dealing with here? Time I usurp that tub of lard then, if he does try to sit on me. God this is so stupid." Omega thinks, taking a seat at the table.
It's not long before a bunch of food platters all fly out of the kitchen, wrapped in a golden aura. One they're set down, the aura disappears. "Dig in everypony!" Ms. Care exclaims, before leaving the dining room to attend to some other housework.
"Alright, you know the drill. I get first pickings." Loan says, taking VERY heaping helpings of everything at the table, leaving everyone else to divvy up the remainder.
"The fat bastard keeps on getting fatter. No wonder he can keep his weight up in a place like this. What worries me is how weak the rest of these foals are." Omega thinks bitterly. "I'll play along for tonight, I need all the information on the daily routines here before I go making any changes."
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Later that night, Omega climbs up a ladder to get to his newly assigned bunk. He keeps his bags close. While he only has a map and library card for now, they're still all he has, and both are VERY important. Of course, he knows the fat bastard wouldn't try to climb that ladder to get to him, as it could easily break under his weight. And if someone DID try to grab him, Omega's a light sleeper.
"Now, time to see if someone decides to be an idiot tonight..." Omega thinks as he goes to sleep.
Author's Note
Ms. Care's full name is Loving Care, for those curious.

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               Chapter 3: Ahead of Schedule                
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Chapter 3: Ahead of Schedule
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
As Omega thought, nobody disturbed his sleep. He stretches, legs releasing his bags, which he quickly puts back on before descending the ladder. Today was a new day, and the second day of observation. Breakfast was more of the same, with Ms. Care leaving the foal unattended, something Omega both understood, and didn't like. Once that was over, he'd decided to hang around in the main room, watching the others all play around and roughhouse. That's when Loan decides to step forward, smirking.
"Remember when I told you not to do anything stupid yesterday?" He asks rhetorically. "Because I clearly remember saying that. And what did you do immediately after?"
Omega rolls his eyes. "Enlighten me."
"Ooh, mister fancy words here thinks he's soooo much smarter than me. Did you all get that?" Loan asks the now silent room.
"Listen, Loan. I don't think I'm smarter than you. I know I am." Omega retorts. "So much for observation. This fatass wants to do this now, so there's no turning back now."
"That's the third stupid thing you did in the last day and a half, you're really in for it now." Loan threatens.
"Ooh, I'm sooooo scared." Omega says sarcastically.
The now infuriated Loan Shark attempts to tackle Omega, who quickly levitates his own body up and out of the way.
Loan looks up in mild shock. "What the!? Get down here now!"
Omega looks down at him. "No, I don't think I will."
Loan's face contorts in anger, as he attempts to jump at Omega, barely getting off the ground, yet landing with a noticeable creak in the floorboards, somewhere it normally didn't creak too. Omega moves himself through the air slowly, allowing Loan to continue to jump at him, until he gets to one of the usual creaking places, where Loan ends up falling through the floorboards with a loud crash. Ms. Care immediately rushes out to see what the noise was all about, seeing Loan in the hole, and Omega floating above it.
"WHAT HAPPENED HERE!?" Ms. Care bellows in a tone even louder than last night after Omega had played hookie.
That's when Loan starts to cry. "Of course, here I go forgetting that I'm not dealing with idiots, I'm dealing with literal children. This won't end well." Omega thinks.
"In my defense, he continued to jump at me after I tried to get away from him." Omega says before Loan can manage to get a word out.
"He-he's lying, he picked me up and dropped me through the floor, and then he called me fat!" Loan blubbers out.
"Never out loud, you fat bastard." Omega thinks. "You honestly think I could lift him up this high? How strong do you think I am exactly? Look at me." Omega says, gesturing to his small frame.
Ms. Care looks angry, seemingly in general about this. "You're both in trouble! Look at the floor! I don't care WHO did it! Go to your beds! NOW!" She yells.
Loan shark runs off crying to his bed, seemingly fine despite what happened, while Omega just casually floats there. "Fuck, now how am I supposed to do anything around here? Unless I can wait it out, the temperaments of these ponies might be less severe than that of a human's..."
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
After what seemed like an eternity, and a lot of construction noise, Ms. Care finally comes into the bedroom to check on the two troublemakers.
"The floor's been fixed. I hope you two have had enough time to think about what you did wrong?" Ms. Care asks sternly.
Omega floats down to the floor gently. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about what happened Ms. Care." He apologizes.
Meanwhile, Loan cries and hugs Ms. Care's leg.
"And neither of you will be doing that again, right?" Ms. Care asks once more.
"It won't happen again, Ms. Care." Omega states.
"Good, you're both free to go." Ms. Care says, stepping aside as both colts exit the bedroom.
Ms. Care seems to linger in the room for a moment, then is about to leave when Omega pops his head back into the room.
"I'm going out, I'll be back before dinner." Omega informs her, promptly leaving.
Ms. Care lingers for another moment, seemingly in thought, before walking off to go handle another task.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Omega browses through some of the books in the library, procuring a recently returned magic book. "Specialty Magic: How your special talent relates to your magic. This should be interesting..." Omega thinks.
As he reads the book, he learns about how Cutie Marks are formed, why spells won't make them appear any faster, and how most unicorns have higher magical potency in the field of work their marks lead them to. He looks back at his own mark, wondering what exactly his supposed talent entails.
"Sometimes a talent may be harder to discern from your mark because its meaning won't be apparent from appearance alone. Look closely at what it is you're good at doing, and you may rediscover what your destiny is. Pfft, okay book. The fuck's an Omega symbol mean anyway, the end? The end of what?" Omega ponders, shaking his head. "I might have to go through trial and error for that, which could take a while. Then again, I AM a child now, I've got plenty of time." He reasons.
The rest of the day was spent trying out some of the more immediate suggestions the book offered, none of which seemed to work. Once it got late enough in the day, Omega decided to put the book back and exit the library. Once he got back to the orphanage, something felt... off, somehow. Steeling himself, he opens the door, seeing a new adult pony there. The somewhat snobbish looking stallion and Ms. Care both look at Omega once he enters, as Omega walks in cautiously.
The stallion approaches him. "You must be that Omega colt Ms. Care was talking about."
Omega nods. "I am, and you are?"
"Professor Theory, from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Would you care to demonstrate that levitation spell for me?" The Professor asks.
Omega lifts himself up, floating up to eye level with Theory. "This all you wanted?"
Theory nods. "Yes. It seems even with the minimal basics of magic, you're already pulling off some mid-level techniques without proper education. Tell me, would you like to pursue an education in higher magics?" Theory asks.
Omega looks to the ground in thought. "Already being offered tuition at a school for higher learning just for levitating myself? Like it or not, if that's considered high education in Equestria, I'm going to need it to stay sane in any kind of educational environment." He reasons, looking back up to the professor. "Yes, I also think it would help me put my talents to good use." Omega says.
"Well-spoken for such a young colt. Of course, your current accommodations seem to be a bit... lacking. Naturally, we have many good candidates for fostering an aspiring academic such as yourself. Tomorrow, you will be taking your entrance exam in front of these candidates. Should you impress them enough, you may have a choice in whom you stay with until adoption or adulthood. Is this an agreeable arrangement?" Theory asks, brow quirked.
"Yes, what time should I be ready by tomorrow?" Omega queries back.
"You will be escorted to the school tomorrow at eight am, be ready by then." Theory says, stepping out the door. "Farewell, young Omega."
"Goodbye, Professor Theory." Omega waves, before setting himself back on the ground.
Ms. Care picks Omega up in a hug, nuzzling him, much to his chagrin. "You've got a real chance at this dear! I'm so proud that a colt under my care's getting such a big opportunity! I knew from the moment I saw you floating around like that you were something special!"
Omega attempts to breathe while being crushed in Ms. Care's grip. "Agh! Thank- Ghh, you!" He sputters out.
She lets go of Omega, patting him on the head. "Sorry about that, I can get a bit emotional sometimes."
Omega wheezes for a moment as he regains his composure. "Yeah, apology accepted."
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Dinner that night was somewhat different, as Loan Shark hadn't taken as much as he usually did, leaving everyone with normal-ish portions. Omega wondered if the incident from that day had left an impression on Loan, since from what he'd seen, all the foals there had very short attention spans, and being forced to stay in one spot for that long as a punishment by their only guardian figure must have left some kind of effect on him. After dinner, the other foals had bombarded Omega with questions about his magic, his mark, and how to get into the school too. Having answers for none of this, Omega just told them that he studied at the library. He felt sorry for Dusty on the account of the onslaught of foals she would likely have to deal with the next day. As he lies in bed, one last thought occurs to him.
"Tomorrow, I'll have some answers to some of my suspicions. The fact that Canterlot is a predominately unicorn inhabited city, and the higher class living around here seems to coincide with that, I wonder if my entrance exam will be stacked against me for not being of noble blood..." Omega wonders, drifting off to sleep.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                  Chapter 4: Examination                   
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 4: Examination
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Omega enters the school grounds, staying at Professor Theory's side. Since the school day itself had only begun an hour ago, the outside grounds were all but barren as the attending students were busy in their respective classes. Neither Omega, nor Professor theory bothered to make any small talk as they silently walked to their destination. The smallish classroom he was led into had quite a few ponies present for its size. Four different additional professors sat up top, with a few couples of equally snobbish looking unicorns seated just below them.
As Omega took his place on the floor, an additional pony rolled a cart into the room. The cart had a white egg with red spots on it, and a little diagram below showing the egg halves opening to reveal what Omega could only assume was a dragon.
"WHAT THE FUCK!? DRAGONS EXIST HERE!? AND I HAVE TO HATCH ONE!?" Omega mentally screams, looking up at the professors briefly before turning his attention back to the egg. "Okay, how should I do this? It's likely the egg needs something it doesn't currently have to hatch. It's in a semblance of a nest... But it's a dragon, traditionally fire-breathing creatures that live in volcanic regions. So, it must need heat." Omega deduces, looking at the egg as he ignites his horn.
Omega builds up his magic, charging his horn as it grows hotter on his head. Then, he sends the beam of heat directly at the egg, letting it absorb the heat from his magic, until it begins to shake and crack. Concentrating harder, Omega gives the egg consistent heat, letting the splintering egg take everything in at a moderate pace until... BOOM! The eggshell bursts open completely, leaving a small, white baby dragon with red spines sitting in its place, the little dragon grabbing and sucking on the end of its tail. All the while, the professors jot down notes on their clipboards at a rapid pace, while the potential fosters look and talk amongst each-other.
Professor Theory walks up to the other four professors, reading through their notes and grades. "It appears that, with no prior study into heat magic, Omega has managed to both properly deduce the needs of a dragon egg, and perform a sufficient hatching spell in mere moments. The ability to solve the problem in such a short amount of time shows that this colt has immense potential at our school, and is eligible for a scholarship enrollment. The only remaining factor is his living situation. For those of you here interested in fostering this bright young mind, follow me to the counselor's office to meet with him individually." Theory states, as he motions for Omega to follow him as well.
"Holy crap that was draining... Wait a minute. What about the dragon? Screw it, it's coming with me." Omega thinks, levitating the baby dragon over onto his back as he walks.
Theory quirks a brow at this. "What exactly are you doing?"
"I hatched this one, so I'm taking it with me. Is that a problem?" Omega counters, stopping in his tracks.
"Not for me, but potentially for the candidates. Nopony knows exactly how to care for a baby dragon." Theory states.
"They don't know how to care for a dragon, but make you hatch one anyway!? What the fuck do they do with the hatched dragons normally!?" Omega thinks. "Well, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out, if anyone actually bothers to pay attention to them. Where do you normally send the hatched dragons?" Omega asks.
"Back to where we find them usually. It's a simple system we have going. We hire specialists to collect the eggs for us, we hatch the dragons, then have them sent back to their nests. The parents are none-the-wiser, and we have a perfect testing system because of it. So I'd recommend putting the dragon back." Theory firmly suggests.
Omega takes one last look at the dragon. "Sorry little one, I wouldn't be able to properly care for you if I tried." He laments, levitating the dragon back to the cart before moving on.
"A wise decision, don't fret about it. Dragons are nothing but dangerous, greed-fueled creatures." Theory states as the pair makes their way to the counselor's office.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Omega sits patiently, waiting for the verdict on which of the couples he'd met would be taking him home. The three couples all seemed nice enough, though Omega could tell all of them had those same, snobbish tendencies. They all seemed to be more respectful once they heard him speak in his usual manner, likely to keep from revealing their true intentions behind fostering him. Omega knew full-well that none of these homes would be quite as welcoming as the ponies would have him believe, now it was just a matter of who would take him home.
One of the couples had dipped out, after realizing Omega may have been too smart for them to manipulate. The decision was eventually made that Penny Pincher, an orange coated, purple maned mare, and Business Savvy, a blue coated, blonde maned stallion, would be the lucky foster parents of Omega. However, that didn't mean Omega would be going home just yet. Once the decision was finalized, Omega had to go start on his first round of catch-up classes, as school had already been in session for a week.
"Cramming a week's worth of work as fast as possible, eh? Shouldn't be too hard, if I forego my weekend breaks. I could be caught up by the start of next week." Omega thought to himself as he entered his first catch-up class.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
All in all, the classes were fine, despite his missing out on recess. Omega hardly cared about it, knowing the importance of his studies took precedent over socializing with his future classmates at the moment. As he walked home with his new foster parents, he noted the weight of the school books in his bags. It felt somewhat comforting, in a way. A true sense of normalcy in this strange world.
"So, how was your first day of attending Celestia's school?" Business Savvy asked.
"It's alright, I have a week's worth of work to catch up on, but foregoing my weekend should help me catch up completely by the start of next week." Omega informs him.
"Sounds like you know where your priorities lie, you're such a mature colt for your age." Penny Pincher remarks.
"Thank you, I try my best to be. Aside from that, I should still be able to spend my later evenings with the both of you should you want to." Omega says.
Penny and Savvy look at one-another briefly. "I believe we could go for a night on the town tomorrow evening, after you're all settled in." Penny says.
"Then that's what we'll do. I trust you have a room set aside already?" Omega asks.
"Indeed. If you have any requests for any changes to your room, make sure to flag down a member of our staff, and report it to them. It will be done by the time you get home from school tomorrow." Savvy informs him.
"Thank you, both of you. I am very grateful you decided to have me in your home." Omega thanks them.
"Think nothing of it dear." Penny says, as they make it to their front gate.
One of their butlers opens the gate for the trio, as they pass through without needing to slow their gait. Omega notes the garden out front, hedges in the shapes of ponies in semi-dynamic poses. He also notes the fact that the home itself is a friggin mansion of all things.
Once inside, a maid escorts Omega to his room, which looks to be a very generic boy's bedroom. Not wasting any time, Omega takes the nearby paper, quill, and inkwell, and begins to fill out his requests. Once he finishes writing them out, he gives the parchment to the maid, before setting his bags down and levitating one of the books out. Retrieving a new sheet of paper, his quill and ink, and a worksheet, he sets to completing his homework. After a few hours of completing some of the more mundane work, like simple math and reading, he gets a knock on the door.
A different maid from before escorts him to the dining room, where he was sat between his new parents as the staff brought out their meals for the night. This was the first decently sized meal Omega had seen since his time at the orphanage, actually managing to get himself some normal portions. Dinner that night was mostly quiet, save for a few times where Penny and Savvy discussed their own work from the day, while Omega had made it seem like he actually cared about any of it when asked.
Once dinner was over, Omega went back to completing his schoolwork, lighting the gas lamp by his desk to give himself enough light to work in, without using up the gas in the other lamps around the room. All that was left of his extra homework now was the magic-oriented things, which he quickly got engrossed in. The entire concept of using magic had greatly enthralled him, the potential applications of it all giving him some real mental stimulation, something he'd lacked prior.
Once Omega's finally completed his homework for the night, he goes to bed. As he lies there, he plays with a few simpler spells, combining the levitation and light spells to form a light orb he could manipulate around. He manipulates the light ball to appear to fall onto the bed, and bounce around as if it were a tennis ball. Soon after, the need to sleep overtakes him.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                  Chapter 5: Friendship?                   
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 5: Friendship?
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
After the minor renovations to his room, Omega has a larger desk, a shelf for his books when he's not using them at home, and mostly just relegated the toys to a toybox in the corner. The remaining days of catch-up work passed by fairly quickly, nothing of much note happening. During those days at the school, he'd never interacted with any of the other foals on account of his rushing between classes. Now, though...
Omega sat in one of the benches by the playground, watching as a majority of the other foals played around. "Being an adult in a child's body is just too weird, playing isn't really something I do anymore. Maybe I should find something in the school's library to read during recesses like these."
In the school's library, Omega saw something that was quite surprising. Two fillies occupying the same table, reading next to each-other. What's even stranger, is they have the same style of mane and tail cuts.
"Friends, or siblings? Eh, none of my business." Omega disregards the pair, heading over to some of the more advanced magic books. There, he saw a slightly older yellow filly that had what could only be described as bacon colored hair. Paying her no mind, he browses the book titles.
"Aren't you a bit under-grade for this stuff?" The bacon filly asks him.
"The grading system doesn't always match the learning level of the individual. The more complicated, the more I want to understand it." Omega says without so much as glancing at her, before grabbing Combination Spells and How to Use Them off the shelf.
"You know... I haven't seen you around here before. You must be a new student." Baconhair remarks.
"Yep, name's Omega. I got in by a scholarship, and I got foster parents out of the deal as well." He explains.
"I'm Sunset Shimmer, this is my second year here so far. Are you sure you're only a first year? You kinda sound like those professors." She says, tailing him.
"Just because I'm younger, doesn't mean I'm immature. I've already figured out a light ball spell from the basic light and levitation spells. I'm fully capable of these combined spells, I just need to know what to look for." Omega clarifies, taking a seat and opening the book up.
"Can you show me?" Sunset asks, wanting to verify his claims.
Omega sets the book down, turning to face Sunset as he casts the light ball spell, making it appear as though he's bouncing the light ball between his hooves, before "throwing" it at her, making it appear to bounce off her horn before gently bouncing on the floor, then fizzling out. Omega turns back to his book, without saying another word.
Sunset looks at where the light ball just was, then back to Omega. She knew he clearly wasn't joking now, which only made her more curious. She also realized she was probably only going to get him annoyed at her if she kept talking right then, so she opts to go back to her own studies for now.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
The nice thing about having parents, is the potential for allowance. Of course, Omega has himself a new allowance of 100 bits at the moment, which would seem like a hefty amount to the common pony, but is practically pocket change in Canterlot's richer environment. Since he had some time to kill before it was time to go out with his foster parents, Omega decided to do some shopping. His first stop is a tailor shop, where he purchases some sewing needles. His next stop is a quill and ink shop, for some extra quills and ink. His next stop is a tool and hardware store, where he'd managed to acquire some tools. His final stop is a crafts shop, where he purchases various materials, including clear plastic sheets, some small tubing, and some additional items he planned to repurpose. After filling his bags with all of this, and with few bits leftover, he makes his way back home.
Once he places his bags into his room, his foster parents have him fitted in a tuxedo with a bow-tie. Once he's made presentable, they finally take him out for the evening. Of course, the real purpose behind it was to show him off amongst their classy friends, and to brag about how giving they are for taking him in. Omega plays along with this, not intent on upsetting his foster parents over anything petty. The droll conversations were what they were, this much Omega knew. This was all a farce, as he'd expected of his foster parents. A PR stunt, meant to improve their image greatly, especially with such a "prodigal child" under their care.
Upon returning home, Omega set to work on creating his "first invention" in this world. First, he draws up a diagram of it, to make the process look all the more convincing. Using his tools to cut, bend, and warp the individual plastic and metal components, he fills the smallest plastic tube with some of the ink from the new inkwell, levitating the ink into the tube without any trouble. All that's left is to assemble the components into the new creation; a pen. A few test clicks of it, along with some writing tests, the prototype pen works perfectly. Omega smiles at his work, knowing that this new product was bound to become a widespread thing due to its simplicity. Now all that was left to do was to present this to his foster parents to potentially get it on the market. That would have to wait until one of them was available next, but he didn't mind waiting. He quickly stashes the diagram and pen into his desk drawer, before heading off to sleep.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Omega reads to himself in the school's library during recess again, noting the pair of equally silent fillies were doing the same again. "Seems I'm not the only antisocial one here. Although, they're alone together, so is that really alone? Doesn't matter, they're not bothering me."
Suddenly, the door to the library bursts open, as a thin, pale green colt with a grey mane and tail bolts inside, almost dropping his glasses as he tries to hide. Shortly after, a trio of larger colts barges in.
"Where are you, you little twerp!?" The supposed leader yells out.
After a minute of complete silence, the trio make their way over to Omega. "Hey, you. Did you see a little green twerp run in here?" The leader asks in a demanding tone.
"No, I haven't." Omega says, not looking away from his book. While he hadn't seen the other colt enter on account of his reading, he did know the one they're after is around.
One of the lackey colts closes Omega's book with a hoof, holding it down. "It's rude not to look at somepony when they're talking to you."
Omega turns around, glaring at the group. "It's also rude to close someone's book when they're reading it."
"Ohh, you some kind of though guy, you little runt?" The second lackey jeers.
"You've got some nerve!" The first lackey yells.
Omega levitates a single sewing needle out of his bag, in front of the three troublesome colts. "Do you know what this is?"
While they're distracted with the initial needle, Omega levitates three additional needles out of his bags, snaking them on the ground below each colt until the sharp ends are pointed at their rears.
"A needle. What are you gonna do, sew us some sweaters?" The ringleader sneers.
Omega pokes the three in their flanks simultaneously, causing them to yelp out in pain. "Far from it, I was just showing you how annoying three little pricks can be. Now scram, before I shove those needles up where the sun doesn't shine." He threatens.
The three spooked colts all run out the doors, the leader turning back for a moment. "This isn't the end of this you little freak!" He calls out before slamming the door shut.
Omega turns back to his book, opening it back up to the page he was at. Then, he feels a light tap on his withers. Omega turns to see the colt the trio was initially after.
"Th-thank you for saving me." The colt says nervously.
"Don't get the wrong idea, I didn't do it for your sake." Omega brushes it off, turning back to his book.
"I've never seen anypony stand up to those bullies like you did, even if you didn't stand up for me." The colt continues.
"They tried to pick a fight with me, I only ended it." Omega explains, turning a page.
"Oh, I almost forgot! I'm Bubbling Flask, what's your name?" The now dubbed Flask says, extending a hoof out.
"Bubbling Flask, eh? Might have a chemistry or alchemy related talent. He's also got some level of persistence to him... He could be useful." Omega thinks turning to Flask again. "I'm Omega, pleased to meet you, Flask." He says, shaking hooves with Flask.
"My first friend, I wonder... Perhaps I should befriend some of the other foals here, they could prove useful as well..." Omega thinks with a smile.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                  Chapter 6: More Friends                  
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 6: More Friends
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Omega sits in the cafeteria, eating his usual sandwich from home, when a particular pony marches up to him. Omega quirks a brow mid-bite.
"Hello again, I was wondering if I could sit with you today?" Flask asks, holding his tray a little shakily despite it being in his magic.
Omega nods. "Go ahead, we are friends, remember?" Omega reminds him.
"R-right." Flask agrees, taking a seat next to Omega.
That's when a group of familiar looking colts approaches them.
"Hey, freak." The leader of the trio addresses Omega, slamming his hooves onto the table.
Omega looks up from his food, into the colt's eyes with disinterest. "What." He says coldly, taking another bite of his sandwich.
"Pay attention when I'm talking!" The colt yells, using his magic to knock Omega's sandwich away.
Omega glares at him, causing the colt to flinch. Omega stands up, walking onto the table directly in front of the colt.
Omega ignites his horn, glaring into the colt's eyes harshly. "Leave me and my friend alone, or you won't like what I'll do to you and your friends in kind. Got it?"
The colt's eyes glint dimly briefly, which Omega takes mental note of. "Okay, I won't bother either of you again." He says, much to the shock of his underlings.
"Y-you okay boss?" One of the other colts asks.
"Yeah, let's go." The lead colt half drones, walking off with his underlings in tow.
"Woah, you really scared those guys off." Flask remarks, looking on as Omega returns to his seat. "How'd you do that?"
"I honestly don't have an answer for that. Maybe they remembered I carry those needles on me in case of confrontation. Regardless, I'm glad they're gone." Omega says, pulling out a granola bar from his bags.
"Really? I still can't believe they'd back off so easily." Flask says, bewildered.
Omega finishes the first bite of his granola bar. "Eh, whatever gets them off our backs."
"I wonder... Maybe I should test this out more..." Omega thinks darkly.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Later that night, Omega tracks down a random butler in the mansion, activating his horn and staring into his eyes.
"Whenever anyone says the word pineapples, you'll cluck like a chicken for three seconds, and forget you did it immediately after it's done." Omega instructs.
The butler's eyes glint dimly for a moment, as he nods. "As you wish sir."
"Say, how difficult is it to obtain pineapples?" Omega asks.
The butler proceeds to cluck for three full seconds. "Well, they're imported fruits sir, although nothing is out of the reach of Master Savvy or Miss Pincher. Would you like me to pass along your request for pineapples?" The butler abruptly stops, clucking like a chicken for three additional seconds, before going back to normal.
"No, I was just curious. By the way, did you cluck like a chicken just now?" Omega asks.
"Of course not, why would I do something so ridiculous, sir?" The butler asks incredulously.
"Oh, no reason." Omega says, igniting his horn once more. "You will no longer cluck like a chicken when the word pineapples is spoken, and you will have no recollection of this ever happening."
The butler blinks, seeming completely lost for a moment, before wandering off to his usual assignments.
"Oh yes, I'm onto something absolutely wonderful!" Omega thinks excitedly, a spring in his step as he goes back to his room.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
The days started to pass normally, Omega using his time at the school to steadily learn the intricacies of magic, furthering his research in his spare time to add even more spells to his rapidly growing repertoire.
Being so focused on his reading, Omega hadn't noticed Sunset's approach, or throat clear. Upon her tapping his withers, he'd been effectively startled.
"Ah! Oh, hey uh, Sunset?" Omega asks, unsure if he remembered her name right.
"Yeah, I kinda need the book you have. Can I have it?" Sunset asks. Despite the lack of manners, she wasn't rude about it either.
Omega mulls it over for a moment, deciding to hoof over the book. "Go ahead, I've got others."
Sunset nods in thanks, walking away with the book in her magical grasp.
"Maybe I should start making some additional friends in this place. Forming these bonds early on could prove useful in the future... Oh yes, maybe I should spot out some talent to make friends with. The ones with more abstract marks like mine, or the ones that would lead to desirable talents most of all." Omega thought with a sinister smirk. "Sunset seems to have a mark that's sun related, like the monarch of this land... She could prove an instrumental piece, above that of a simple pawn. Perhaps more... the versatility of the knight."
Omega stands up, walking after Sunset. Using his self-levitation, he catches up to just a few paces behind her, speed-walking the rest of the way up. "Actually, since we're both interested in that book, maybe we could read it together? Peer studies can yield greater results, you know."
Sunset rolls her eyes. "I'm not going to read it to you. I'll be reading silently, so try to keep up as I turn the pages."
"I doubt that would be a problem." Omega retorts, his voice gaining the slightest hint of edge.
As Sunset begins at the start of the book, Omega looks at the page. Having already read it, he simply waits for Sunset to reach the point where he'd left off.
While Sunset initially tried to ignore Omega's presence, she'd noticed his eyes weren't tracking the words on the page as she read. She wondered why for a brief moment, before remembering he'd been about halfway through when she asked for it. Resolving to continue her own reading, she turned the page.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
The next day, Omega had begun his hunt for the specially talented ponies. The first two he spotted were an easy find, as he'd passed by the pair almost every day when in the school's library. The pair seemed to be twins, or at least sisters as far as he could tell.
"Their diligence in learning rivals my own, this same ambition could be very useful to me. Who knows, they could be in a similar situation to myself, I'll have to ask a few coded questions to see if they really are like me." Omega thinks as he approaches the bookish fillies.
"So what are you two focusing on right now?" Omega asks.
The fillies either didn't hear him, or were ignoring him. He reaches out, gently tapping on them. The pair quickly turn to look at Omega.
"Oh, hi." The purple one said, turning back to her work with disinterest towards Omega.
The cream coated one noticed this, and copied the purple one's reaction. Omega stood their in a quiet anger for a moment, letting it pass before he took a look at what it was they were doing himself. Of course, trying to read over their shoulders wasn't easy, especially since they were well into the books already.
"I tried, maybe when they're not already reading then..." Omega thinks, resolving to try again later.
Omega walks away, nearly bumping into an orange colt with a ginger mane and tail. Glancing at his mark, it also seemed to be sun related.
"S-sorry! I didn't see you there." The colt apologizes, lowering his head and trying to walk past.
Omega stops him by putting a hoof on his withers. "Don't worry about it, I almost bumped into you too... Um."
"Sunburst." The colt says sheepishly.
"Omega, nice to meet you. What's got you in such a rush anyway?" Omega asks.
"I have a lot to catch up on, I slept in too late again, and I'm already not doing too well, this stuff is harder than I thought..." Sunburst admits.
Omega thinks for a moment. "What if I tutor you? I'd hate to see someone with your potential flunk because you're not good at regurgitating information."
Sunburst perks up a little. "R-really? You'd help me?"
"Sure, what are friends for?" Omega said with a calm smile.
"Friends? But, we just met?" Sunburst says, confused.
"Why not? Why can't we be friends?" Omega asks, still smiling.
"I... don't know? Okay, thank you Omega." Sunburst beams.
Omega nods. "You're more than welcome. Now, what's the first subject you needed help in?"
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Omega lies in his bed, light ball hovering over a book he borrowed from the school library.
"If things like magic exist in this land, it may serve me well to read up on myths and legends. They could be more than that, and I want to be prepared in case any predictions or prophecies come to pass. Let's see here... Grogar... Father of monsters? A ram with dark magic, and stolen magic? If the creatures he supposedly made exist in this world, then he did too... So his magic bell would exist... How very, very, interesting...
Author's Note
New chapter! I sat on most of this for a while, writer's block and all that jazz. But yeah, I may have two stories going, but I haven't forgotten either one of them.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                 Chapter 7: Disappearance                  
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 7: Disappearance
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
After months of learning, forming connections at school, and tutoring Sunburst, the school year is coming to a close. Naturally, Omega came out of it with top marks, as did Sunset and Twilight. Moondancer and Flask shared a similar level, with Moondancer being slightly above Flask. Sunburst managed to pass, though it was clear his early struggles in the year had set him back quite a bit. Had he been tutored by Omega from the start, he'd be in a similar range as Moondancer and Flask. Omega managed to befriend a few additional ponies, children of some of the nobles involved with Business Savvy's business, which Omega learned was a cereal selling company, featuring a variety of "brands" under one parent name, similar to General Mills' and Kelloggs' way of selling cereals.
Not to mention, his presence at different social events his parents hold and/or attend, allows him access to speak with many of the Canterlot elite. Using this to his advantage, he plants thoughts of investing in his parents' company within their subconscious minds. At one such party, Omega notices his father approaching one of the "convinced" noble ponies.
"Have you reached a decision?" Business Savvy asks.
"Oh yes, I do believe it to be a wise investment. Cereals are so popular all-over Equestria, one would be mad not to invest in such a profitable market." The noblemare pontificates.
"Really? What changed your mind?" Business asks, as the mare had rejected his business many times prior.
"Well, your son did a fine job of articulating his vernacular. Quite intelligent for his age, and so charming. He won't be having any trouble with the ladies when he gets older." She notes, gesturing with her hoof.
"Ecgh, as if I have any time for that. No, I have too many things to focus on." Omega thinks, acting shy at the Mare's comment.
"Oh come now, he's a bit young for that kind of talk." Business says, winking Omega's way. "Say, why don't we discuss the terms over here?" Business continues, leading the mare elsewhere.
"Hmm... Odd. Well then, time to mingle some more. What's some influencing here and there? These nobles have the cash to spare, and stand to gain more from these deals. It's just a... guarantee." Omega thinks with a smile, trotting to another rich-looking noble.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Six Years Later
Omega follows a suspiciously sneaking Sunset Shimmer, keeping himself invisible and silencing his hoofsteps by use of spells. "Where are you off to so late at night..."
Sunset darts behind a corner, narrowly avoiding a patrolling castle guard's light. Once the guard passes, she continues toward the library's restricted section. Hiding behind another corner, Sunset levitates a stone in her magic, then throws the mineral far down the corridor, causing the guard to leave his post to investigate. The guard successfully distracted, Sunset unlocks the door. As she slips inside, Omega follows above via his levitation, both intruders slipping into the restricted section.
Sunset locks the door behind herself, making sure the guard won't notice anything amiss when he returns. That done, she peruses the books with intrigue. Omega followed suit, still hidden. Books on necromancy, unedited old Equestrian history, and dark magics line the shelves.
Something in the corner of the room catches Sunset's eye. She approaches the covered object, removing the sheet to reveal a large, pristine mirror. Sunset reaches out to touch the mirror, yanking her hoof back with a shock when it seems to go through it.
Omega notes the mirror, filing its existence away for later. As if on cue, a blinding flash of light illuminates the room. Rubbing their eyes, the intruders see that Celestia herself is standing there, looking very miffed.
"Sunset Shimmer! What do you think you're doing in here!?" Celestia scolds stoically.
Sunset shrinks back, ears flattened against her skull. "I just wanted to see what was in here..."
Celestia walks forward. "And you didn't think this section was restricted for a reason?"
Sunset fidgets in place. "I've already learned everything this place has to offer, I wanted to learn more than that."
"So how does touching a mirror help you learn?" Celestia says, unwavering.
"I'm supposed to be your star pupil! I'm supposed to be powerful, gifted! But I'm not getting any better than some of the other unicorns at school because of those limited lesson plans! If I can't be the best, why am I your star pupil in the first place!?" Sunset yells in an outburst, no longer cowering in Celestia's presence.
Celestia sighs. "That's not why I made you my pupil, and that's certainly not why you were my star pupil either."
Sunset's eyes widen slightly. "W- WERE!? As in past-tense!?"
Celestia flinches, having let that word slip unintentionally. Rather than try to hide it, Celestia decides to be truthful about her intentions. "Yes, after hearing what you've said tonight, and your breaking into the restricted section, I'm afraid you're no longer my star pupil." Celestia says, disappointment present on her features. "Come along, let's get you back home."
"NO!" Sunset yells angrily, her face twisted in unbridled rage.
Frantically looking around for something, anything she could do to stop this, Sunset's eyes fixate back on the mirror. Without warning, Sunset dashes into the mirror, leaving behind a stunned Celestia. Shaking her head, Celestia runs to the mirror, disappearing through it.
Omega contemplates following them for a moment, deciding against it. "If the mirror had some kind of touch sensitive enchantment, then so would these books... Perhaps another time."
With that, Omega deigns to see if either of the ponies return. After roughly two hours, a frazzled and defeated looking Celestia returns from the mirror, tears staining her face as she cries.
"Sunset must be lost, or dead... Damn, she was one of the ones with the greatest potential here. Natural selection is a cruel mistress, but if she acts that impulsively, how reliable would she have been anyway? Sorry Sunset, the reckless are culled for a reason." Omega thinks darkly, waiting until Celestia leaves before teleporting back home himself.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
The school halls are abuzz with rumors about Sunset's disappearance, and Celestia's lack of any word on it. Omega chose to ignore the rumors, knowing full-well what happened that night. Bubbling Flask and Sunburst walk up beside Omega.
"Hey Omega, got a moment?" Flask asks, adjusting his glasses.
"If it's about the rumors, sure. I want you two to gather Moondancer and Twilight, this is something you all need to hear." Omega says, not breaking his stride. "Meet me in the cafeteria."
"Got it, we'll be there!" Sunburst confirms, dashing off with Flask.
After a while of waiting, the other ponies show up to meet with Omega.
"What's with all the secrecy?" Moondancer asks, tilting her head.
Omega shuts and locks the doors and windows, conjuring a light ball before shutting the blinds. "Because I saw what happened to Sunset Shimmer. As you know, she's about three years ahead of us in age and school year. Last night, I noticed her take a trip to Canterlot Castle, sneaking around. I followed, because I wanted to see what she was up to. She went into the restricted section of the castle's library, and Celestia was alerted to it. Sunset disappeared after that, and Celestia tried to find her. Two hours later, Celestia came back out, she was a mess. Sunset isn't going to be returning, lost to us." Omega sums up, eliciting shock from the rest of the ponies present.
"B-but, she's Celestia's star pupil! It makes no sense!" Sunburst exclaims in disbelief.
"I think Sunset got too ambitious for her own good. She ranted about not being as good as she should be." Omega adds.
"Wait, where did she disappear to? How could she do that in the restricted section?" Twilight asks.
"I'd rather not say, I don't want anyone here getting any ideas of saving Sunset. Celestia couldn't, so how could we? Face it, she's gone, and she's not returning. None of this information leaves this room, we don't want to cause panic at the school, or let anyone else through the portal in a rescue attempt. We'd only lose more ponies that way." Omega finishes.
Moondancer looks down. "So we're just going to abandon her?"
"She abandoned us, maybe she didn't really like us? We're younger than her." Flask reasons.
"We'll get over it, moping about her leaving won't get us anywhere. We just have to continue our studies, and be the best we can be." Omega says, attempting to alleviate their moods even a little bit.
The rest of the ponies nod.
"Good, now let's get going to our next classes." Omega says, opening the blinds and snuffing his light sphere.
With the doors and windows unlocked, the group files out of the school cafeteria to their next classes.
"I just hope the rest of them stick around. I'm not making these connections for nothing." Omega thinks, walking off.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                  Chapter 8: Myth to Fact                  
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 8: Myth to Fact
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
It's been years since Sunset's disappearance, and months since Omega and company's graduation from Celestia's School. Except for Sunburst, who had dropped out a couple of years prior. Omega mulls this over, sitting with Flask at Moondancer's admittedly lackluster birthday party. The other ponies Moondancer had made friendships with arrive. Omega doesn't, and never will like these mares, since they're unimportant to his plans for the future.
Moondancer perks up at seeing them. "I'm glad you could make it! I was getting a little worried there."
"Oh yes, today would have been such a disaster without them..." Omega thinks sarcastically, remaining stonefaced.
"So, where's Twilight?" Moondancer asks hopefully.
"We saw her on the way here, but she said she's not coming..." One of the three mares Omega never bothers to remember says awkwardly.
Moondancer deflates at this, looking down in confused misery. "But... she's my friend. Why wouldn't she want to celebrate my birthday with me?" Moondancer asks aloud, the question not directed at anybody in particular.
"Don't worry Moondancer, we're still your friends, right?" Flask tries to comfort her, earning a few looks varying from mild disdain to disgust from the other mares.
"Now is SO not the time, can't you see she's sad?" The white and pink one says.
This confuses Flask. "But, I'm trying to help?"
"Honestly, I do NOT understand why Moondancer hangs out with a nerd like you." She retorts.
Meanwhile, Moondancer isn't paying any attention to what's going on around her, going over any possible reason Twilight would just abandon her like that.
Omega scoffs. "I could say the same of you. My only guess as to why Moondancer even socializes with a fake, uppity brat like you is because she needs mare friends. Flask and I are her REAL friends here. The three of us all studied and graduated from the same school, but you single Flask out merely because he wears glasses? Pathetic."
The white and pink mare Omega was addressing shrinks down with each remark, while the other two look between her and Omega.
"Th-that was harsh." The crouching mare eeks out, shaking a bit.
"C-come on Twinkleshine, let's just give Moonie her gifts and go. I... don't think we're wanted here." The yellow coated, blue maned mare says, already levitating the present over to the table.
Omega watches them leave, his stare unwavering.
Moondancer looks up, catching a glimpse of her other friends leaving. "N-no! Wait! Come back!" She calls out.
Omega places a hoof to her wither. "Let them go. If they weren't willing to stay by your side in your time of need, then they weren't your friends at all."
Moondancer looks back to Omega, tears streaking down her face, staining her cream colored coat as they run. She hugs Omega, weeping into his neck. Much to his chagrin, he gently hugs her back.
"And now she's hugging me, and crying into my fur. I'll need to bathe when I get home." Omega thinks.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
After Moondancer called off the party, Omega went straight home. Today is supposed to be the day of the Summer Sun celebration, and Canterlot will be holding a celebration of its own, despite the big event taking place in Ponyville. This is ripe for opportunity, one Omega isn't going to waste.
The catering staff is still in the middle of preparing the food for the evening, putting the finishing touches on the dishes to be served. Omega walks into the kitchen, making his way towards the head chef. Horn ignited, he whispers something into the chef's ears. The task done, he acknowledges and thanks the other chefs in the kitchen on his way out, going so far as to compliment some of their work. Heading back out to the party, all he had to do was wait, mingle, and waste time until the chaos ensues.
"Ah, Omega. Still a bachelor? I'd have expected you to find a lucky young mare by now." One of the older mares remarks as she walks closer to him.
"Well, you know me Ms. Velvet. Studying magic is still one of my priorities." Omega says.
"You sound just like my daughter. Honestly, how could you two be just friends still?" Twilight Velvet continues to push.
The wait staff exits the kitchen, offering various hors d'oeuvres to the guests. Omega planned for this, having studied which hors d'oeuvre his parents always go for above all others, and had the head chef sabotage them in advance. While this means there's going to be some collateral, all that matters is the end result. Upon Business Savvy and Penny Pincher consuming the tainted food, a noticeable foam begins to leak from their muzzles, as they collapse and spasm, along with a few other nobleponies who'd partaken in the deadly dish. Those who hadn't yet eaten theirs, quickly toss them away, most opting to not eat anything for fear of what else may be unsafe.
Omega rushes over to his parents, putting on a convincing display of panicked dismay at his parents' suffering, which doesn't last much longer as they go limp. Unmoving.
The guards hired for the event quickly detain the catering staff, escorting them from the building. A "grieving" Omega is taken back home, the celebration ending in a tragedy. An investigation is conducted that night, and it is discovered the head chef had ground up cherry pits, mixing it into the hors d'oeuvres with the intent of targeting Business Savvy and Penny Pincher. The supposed motive? Their business sells cereals that are a "crime against real cooking" and "a disgrace to ponykind". Thoughts implanted by Omega, unknown to all but himself.
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
When Omega first awakens from his nap, he notices something disturbing. The grandfather clock in his room reads 6:21, and it should be morning. But there's no hint of sunlight to be seen at all.
"The sun should have risen by now. Princess Celestia always ensures it rises at 6am, within the minute. To be twenty one minutes late is unheard of!" Omega thinks, turning his attention to the streets below.
Not a lot of ponies are outside, but the few who are are staring up. Omega turns his attention to the moon, noticing the lack of a vague pony head silhouette. For the first time in years, Omega has no idea what this means, or what to do about it.
"There's gotta be something about this somewhere! Wait... The Mare in the Moon... Could she have been real? The Man in the Moon isn't, but... this is a magical land full of talking, tattooed, multicolored ponies. The Mare in the moon must be real. I have to go check on this!"
Omega dashes out of the mansion, bee-lining it for the library. Upon reaching it, he finds that the door is locked. Without time to waste, he uses his magic to grab every mechanism within the lock, opening the door shortly after picking it. Now inside the library, he quickly makes his way to the historical section, eyes quickly scanning the titles of the books. Picking out a few, he begins to skim the pages over. Three books later, and he finally finds what he's looking for.
"The Mare in the Moon. Supposedly, on the day of the thousandth year since her banishment, the stars will... aid in her escape? How in the hell would stars, billions of lightyears apart from one another even come remotely close to the moon, a MUCH smaller and closer celestial body? Unless they cycle to the exact same position every thousand years, or something about their alignment allows her to escape her imprisonment?"
Omega doesn't get to ponder this much longer, as the sun finally rises, skipping the sunrise itself pretty fast, going right to the position it should be, at 6:30.
"If legends like the Mare in the Moon are true... I should pay more attention. There's no telling what else could come back to bite Equestria..."
Author's Note
Ruthless efficiency, and coercing someone else into murdering his adoptive parents? What a bastard.
Also, time to play spot the hidden reference. Figure it out first, and you earn... uh, the knowledge that you were the first one to find it. Above everybody else.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
               Chapter 9: Smoke And Mirrors                
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 9: Smoke And Mirrors
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Omega walks into the board room, past the suits, and sits right at the head of the table. Originally, it had been made wide enough to accommodate two. Now, one chair sits central, giving the head more space than the rest at the table. This fact isn't lost on him.
"Fillies and gentlecolts, today marks the first day I officially take over as CEO of Neightural Ways. As your new CEO, I want to review the state of business, and how it could be improved." Omega says, levitating a graph over to the whiteboard right behind him. "As you can see, our sales have been stagnating for a few years. Even the smaller, novelty items I'd introduced a few times haven't kept our figures up much at all. So, cereal may be working for us at present, but maybe our business could be expanded upon. Thus, I have a... proposal. Neightural Ways is recognized simply as a cereal distributor, so if we expand, there needs to be a new, distinct brand to market any other type of product. Therefore, we need a brand to serve as the parent company to Neightural Ways. I present to you." Omega brings up a separate piece of chart paper, showing off a logo consisting of the omega symbol, with a sideways I underneath it. "Omega Industries. All new brands we create for our business will all belong to Omega Industries moving forward. Including Neightural Ways."
The entire board stands up, stomping their hooves in a standing ovation, each of the members having a slightly purple tint in their eyes for the duration of this. Everything, is going according to plan.
"Good, my influence has affected every one of them. Now, to start branching into new ventures for the company..."
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Omega steps outside his inherited mansion, only to immediately notice something wrong. Or rather, multiple things wrong. Between a brown liquid raining down from strange pink clouds, to all manner of oddly proportioned animals roaming the streets and disobeying the laws of physics.
"What." Omega says aloud, an eye twitching.
"Oh, what do we have here? Somepony who doesn't belong." An eerie, yet iconic voice rings out from seemingly all sides.
"Q? What the hell are you doing in this world, shouldn't you be pestering Picard or Janeway or something?" Omega asks.
Then, various animal parts start bouncing and falling from nowhere, until they assemble into a creature that Omega recognizes separately from his reading.
"I haven't the foggiest what you're prattling on about. And everypony says I'm the one who doesn't make any sense." Discord teases, conjuring up a baseball. "Fore!" Discord tosses the ball into the air, and hits it with a previously unseen baseball bat towards Omega's mansion.
Omega isn't having any of it, blasting the ball with a magic shot. When the ball is struck, it disintegrates into a whitish, wispy mist.
Discord narrows his eyes at this. "That should have made it duplicate."
Omega fires his next shot at Discord, who promptly opens a hole for the blast to sail right through. And yet, it passed through without turning into a miniature sailboat racer as was intended. When the shot does hit one of the passing animals, it returns to normal.
Discord slowly turns his head back around to Omega, the sound of grinding stone on stone reverberating as he does so. "Well, I'd LOVE to stay and chat, but I left my laundry cooking."
Before Omega can respond, Discord snaps his claw and disappears in a white flash.
"Just what the hell is going on!?" Omega thinks, frozen in place as he's trying to process what happened.
"... I wonder..." Omega fires a blast of his magic at a nearby cotton candy cloud, dispelling it instantly on contact. He fires off another shot at a tall bunny, turning it back to normal as well. "I'm not even USING a dispel spell... But if my magic is able to undo this... madness... Should I right this disaster? It'll take days, and Q-cord could easily redo it faster than I can dispel it... But he's afraid of me. Screw it, time to save Canterlot, and the rest of Equestria from that thing."
With that, Omega starts a meager stroll, casting his magic on everything disorderly in sight. The slower pace is necessary, if he's to fix everything. Along the way, he manages to save some affected ponies from their fits of madness. As he continues his walk, some of the saved citizens trail behind him, watching in awe as his magic does its work.
Suddenly, an agitated draconequus flashes into being in front of Omega. "No no no no NO! You're NOT supposed to be undoing my chaos! How are you even-" Discord suddenly splits his head down the middle, a bolt of Omega's magic sailing right through. "How rude! I'm SPEAKING-" Discord's torso bisects, the top half hopping off the bottom half as yet another bolt sails through. "STOP THAT! Do you have any shame! I'm trying to mono-" Suddenly, a doll in the likeness of Discord appears in front of him, taking the hit and returning to non-existence. "-logue here!"
"Can it." Omega says, firing another bolt.
Discord FUMES, smoke blowing out of his ears as he screams like a tea kettle. He holds his claw and paw out, a purple-plaid lightning shooting out of his palms. Upon touching Omega, they fizzle out with a weak puff. Discord growls even more, his face completely red with fury, red spirals in his yellow eyes. This rage prevented him from seeing what Omega's blasts had actually been doing behind his back. By using a transfiguration spell, Omega's been making mirrors behind the lord of chaos. Omega fires one more shot, easily avoided. Suddenly switching to levitation magic, one of the mirrors comes into Discord's view. Before Discord can begin to react, the blast reflects off one of the mirrors behind him, going through his body for real this time. Stunned by the pain, Discord lets out a scream, as the blast quickly reflects from mirror to mirror, shredding through his body like wet paper. Strangely enough, no blood or viscera comes of it, the exposed insides merely consisting of that same purple-plaid energy. In the span of seconds from that final shot being fired, Discord has been reduced to a hole riddled net of a mess. With one last casting of magic, Omega picks up the net in his levitation, causing it to dispel entirely.
Slowly, the remaining chaos begins to fizzle away, things returning to normal in a slow but sure manner. "Did I really just... save the world?"
The small crowd gathered behind Omega cheer, coming closer to thank and praise him for getting rid of Discord.
That's when something clicks in his mind, his perceived purpose becoming clear. "I am Omega Maelstrom. I am the end of chaos. And I shall bring order to this world."
I_/I---^---#*#---^---I\_I
Celestia sits patiently in her throne room, having seen the chaos fade away. Not having to wait long, she receives the awaited scroll from Twilight. Humming to herself in delight, she opens the scroll, her eyes tracking across the page.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED! One minute, I was standing in Ponyville after my friends got into a huge argument, and Discord was talking to me, but then he said to wait a minute, and then everything just went back to normal! Is he coming back? Did he get bored? WHERE IN THE WIDE WIDE WORLD OF EQUESTRIA IS HE!? I suggest keeping a vigilant watch, he might be hiding out somewhere for all we know!
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
Celestia's ears flatten against the back of her head, her mind racing as she re-reads the scroll, checks the back of it, turns it upside-down, and checks for any magically concealed hidden message.
"This can't be right. Discord can only be defeated by the Elements of Harmony. Has he truly gone into hiding?" A pit of dread grows in Celestia's stomach. "Tirek should be in Tartarus. I have to check and see if he's still contained."
Author's Note
Omega's magic ability is finally revealed. Order magic. It stands to reason if chaos magic can exist, order magic must as well. This also pertains to the meaning of Omega Maelstrom's name. Omega; The end of. Maelstrom; Chaos. I've also gone and updated the prologue. Dropping the hybrids plot in favor of... well, you'll have to go back and see for yourself.