A Trip to Luna's Moon, or the Equestrian Dream Factory

by dystopia8

Rating: teen
Tags: Other, Adventure, Flim and Flam, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, My Little Pony Comic, Romance, Princess Luna, Drama, Original Character
Length: 52857

Equestria is currently going through the golden years of cinema in Applewood, but the equestrian dream factory has a much more humble beginning than most ponies know

Applewood, the Equestrian Dream factory, the central hub of all things cinema. Equestria is currently undergoing the golden years of film, but it wasn't always like this.

In truth, there was a time when no pony thought that cinema would ever catch on, when it was seen as nothing more than a form of magic trick or side show attraction at the circus. But a striving filmmaker named Flicker Light knew otherwise. He has a dream, one he won't let die until it is fully realized.

But the streets of Coltifornia are not as friendly as they were before Luna was sent to the moon almost a thousand years ago. Mobsters, Con artists, elitists and the ever looming threat of civil war hangs over the streets like a fog. There's no room for emerging artists and revolutionaries in this decrepit, crime run world. That is, of course, until Flicker met the ghost of the theatre...

I would recommending reading IDW's MLP:FIM comic Issue #66 for full understanding, but it isn't required.

This fic and many of the characters in it are heavily based off of real film history, but in no way is this story accurate to actual events or historical figures. It's simply inspired by the founding of cinema and Hollywood, nothing more.

Published 2020-07-19 09:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2021-02-16 03:44:04 UTC

Prologue

Coltifornia.

One of the greatest regions on the equestrian map. The area is home to some of Equestria’s greatest cities, claiming locations like Los Pegasus and the surrounding Neighvada desert and stretching all the way up to the tip of the White Tail Woods and even a small portion of the infamous Ghastly Gorge.

But perhaps most importantly, and definitely the city of interest for my visit. Applewood! Also known as the great Equestrian dream factory. The central hub of all things cinema.

“All off for Applewood! All off for Applewood!” A zebra called out from beside me, a navy blue conductor's hat placed atop their head.

I took a step out of the train station and looked around me, taking in the beautiful sights of Applewood. The glittering lights, the curved palm trees that lined the road. Amongst the buildings were a collection of theatres and billboards, each one displaying one of the many newly released films, and even a couple of the more popular classics. I noticed one billboard displaying a personal favorite of mine, ‘The Third Mare’ by Horse N’ Welles. Far in the distance I could see the famous hill housing the large white letters that spelled out Applewood.

“Ah! You must be the columnist from the Applewood Reporter?!” A grey buck with a white mane and dark black turtleneck exclaimed joyously, gesturing me over as I stepped out of the train station fully. “The one who is doing the article on my newest film?”

Giving a small smile, I trotted over to the pony. “I am. And you must be Mr. Horsehooves? The acclaimed director behind many of Applewoods most successful recent features, as well as your most recent works, ‘A Princess’ Diary’?”

Horsehooves smile grew as he lead me towards a taxi parked on the side of the road. “I am. You cannot begin to understand how honored I am to have you here. Please follow me.”

The taxi driver quickly ducked out of the wagon and opened up the back seat for us as we approached. I gave him a quick thanks as I moved into the wagon myself. “And I am honored to be here. I cannot express how thankful I am that you wanted to meet me at the station and drive me to the premier yourself.”

“Think nothing of it,” Horsehooves whinnied with a small wave of his hoof. He pulled himself into the back seat of the taxi wagon next me. “I figured we could have a few moments to do your interview before all the craziness of the premier begins.”

I gave a small nod in response, as I pulled out my notebook to jot down what I knew was going to be a rather important interview. Slowly, the taxi began to move off into the slow moving traffic.

“Yes, well I suppose I shall start by asking you some simple questions,” I started, quickly looking over the list of questions I had prewritten the night before. “Would you mind giving just a quick rundown about what your movie is about?”

Horsehooves nodded. “Of course. The film follows the misadventures of Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends. How they met, the obstacles they had to overcome, and of course the beginning of Twilight Sparkles reign. It’s a film about Friendship, and its importance to us as ponies. A message I feel we could all learn from a little bit.”

I nodded thoughtfully, writing down his words furiously as he spoke. I glanced back up at him as he finished. “I was also curious about what inspired you to once more take the reins of your film ‘A Princess’ Diary’? If my memory serves, you worked on the original film back when it came out a few years ago, but dropped the project. What caused this change?”

Horsehooves gave a thin smile. “I was quite passionate about the project when it was first pitched to me, but when the opportunity to have Twilight and her friends direct the film themselves landed at my hooves, I simply couldn’t stand in the way of such a raw connection to the story they must have all shared,” He paused and glanced out the window as we passed one of the many billboards displaying advertisements for his own film. “Of course, they chose to create the film as a comedy, which I must admit was quite a unique idea. However, with Twilight having just taken Celestia’s place on the throne and Equestria finally reaching out and making peace with many of the surrounding kingdoms, I felt the message my vision for the film had was more important than ever before.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I concurred, jotting down his last few words. “I even heard that you pitched the idea by Twilight herself while in the writing process. Is that true?”

“I did. Primarily to get her whole account of the story, but also because I was interested in her views on the new peace between the other kingdoms,” Horsehooves replied, tracing his hoof along the side of the taxi wagons door. “Film has had a rather rocky history in regards to hatred with non ponies in the past. Equestria’s first feature, ‘The Birth of an Empire’, was a bad start for the world of cinema. Film is a powerful medium, and if used in the wrong hooves, it can be very dangerous. That’s why it was imperative to me that the first film of the new Equestria was one that promoted peace, love and tolerance.”

“Alright, I think I have only one more question before we get into the more nitty gritty questions,” I said. “I was curious about your choice to premiere your film in the FlickerSilhouette Theater? For a film as popular as ‘A Princess’ Diary’ I would assume you could have premiered it in any theatre in all of Equestria, why choose to only show it in a small theatre on the outskirts of Applewood when bigger places such as Palomino Theater would have shown it in a heartbeat? Certainly it would be more financially beneficial?”

Horsehooves stared at me for a few seconds, his eyes looking me over as if trying to figure out how to proceed. Finally he gave a small chuckle. “It is true that it might not have been the most financially sound decision, but I’m a nostalgic sort, and the FlickerSilhouette Theatre is perhaps the most rich theatre in regards to cinema’s history.”

I looked over the edge of my notebook at him at that remark. “It is? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of this before?”

Horsehooves looked almost offended at the comment. “Well, aside from it begin where I watched my first film, which I suppose is more of my own nostalgia than anything else, it also was the theatre that Flicker Light owned back before Applewood was considered the Equestrian Dream Factory!”

I scrunched up my muzzle as I tried to place the name. I do confess to not being quite as film literate as I should have been for a columnist from the Applewood Reporter. “Flicker Light… That was the pony responsible for that film about the moon, right? Where a spaceship crashes into Luna’s eye?”

“Yes, that’s the one,” Horsehooves said with a smug grin. “He of course made more films than just that one, though that is his most famous work,” He took a deep breath and looked up at the roof of the taxi wagon, his face reminiscent of an age long past. “You see, back before Luna had returned from the moon, the streets of Coltifornia were not as friendly as they are now. Back then, film was seen as little more than an expensive sideshow at the circus, a silly magic trick. That all changed with a pony by the name of Flicker Light. Please, if you wouldn’t mind indulging me, let me tell you his story…”

Author's Note

So I've wanted to make this for a while, and I finally decided to get around to it.

As a filmmaker myself, I have always found cinema's history to be very interesting, and it got me thinking of how it might have all played out in Equestria. I couldn't find any other stories on fimfiction that even remotely touch on cinema in Equestria, so I figured "Why the heck not, let's start something new!"

This story takes lots of inspiration from actual history, but it's in no way accurate to what really happened, so don't worry, I have no intention on writing a textbook.

With all that said, I hope you all have a wondrous day!

I Have a Dream

Flicker Light looked out the banks window at the moon. It sat glowing in the night sky, illuminating the dimly lit street with an eerie glow and making all the stars in the sky seem to shine brighter. His eyes locked on the face of the Mare in the Moon, imprinted on the large celestial bodies surface by a collection of craters.

Flickers eyes shifted from the moon to his own reflection. He had tried his best to brush his mane and look presentable, but no matter what he did, his brown mane always seemed to look like a mangy mess. He quickly patted at it with his tan hooves, trying to get his mane to at least look somewhat styled, but his horn kept getting in the way.

A mare with a small frame walked out of the room beside him, her eyes reading over a list on her clipboard. “Flicker Light? You’re up,” She said in a bored, monotone voice, not bothering to look up from her clipboard. “They will see you know.”

trying one last time to smooth out his mane, Flicker pulled himself up off the bench and glanced nervously at the large red door that led to the banks office. Gulping, he took a few steps forwards and opened the door.

"You want how much?!"

Flicker light took a small step back under the intense glare of the two bank managers. “I just need twenty thousand bits, that’s it!” Flicker quickly spat out, trying to make the amount sound like less than it was. He sighed. “I know that’s a lot, but I really think this could be a good investment. Film is such a huge opportunity and…”

One of the pony behind the large desk that Flicker knew to be Golden Bits slammed his hoof down on the table, cutting Flicker off. “You can't be serious? How do you hope to make money off of something so expensive? Where do you expect ponies to even watch these so-called films? The circus?”

The pony beside Golden Bits gave him a small nudge to quiet him. Flicker Light glanced down at the nametag on his desk and identified the pony as Many Bits. They must have been siblings.

“Look, Flicker Light… I knew your father. He was a good pony and a good business pony, not to mention that this magic lantern invention of his truly is a marvel, but he never expanded this whole film thing into anything bigger than it is for a reason. It simply won't work.”

“B-but it can,” Flicker protested, pacing back and forth in front of them. “I know it can. I have a dream, one I think could really demonstrate what film can do! If ponies would just give it a chance, then I really do believe that…”

Once again, Golden Bits cut him off. “You never did answer my question. How do you hope to get ponies to see these films? Where are they going to watch it?”

Flicker gave a smug smile and pulled out a stack of papers from his saddlebags and plopped them down on their desks. “I was thinking of building a theatre designed specifically for showing films! Much like a theatre for stage productions, only with a screen instead of a stage and an upper area for the magical lamp projector.”

Golden Bits raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “You’ve been thinking of building a theatre? You mean to say that you don’t even have one yet?”

“You seem to have a lot of ambition,” Many Bits said fatly, not bothering to look at any of the papers. “But your plans seem to be very dependent on a lot of what ifs. How do you expect us to fund your project if your so-called theatre hasn’t even been built.”

“That’s why it's so costly,” Flicker began again, once more trying to explain the ins and outs of his plan. “I would probably only need half of the money if I already had a theatre or studio space, but once all of that is in order, I promise that this will all be worth your time and money.”

The Bit siblings cast each other a long glance and seemed to silently exchange a few words between them. Finally they both turned back to him with grim expressions.

“I’m afraid we simply cannot support your project, Flicker,” Many Bits cooed, pushing the stack of papers back towards Flicker Light. “It's too expensive and too risky. There is absolutely nothing we can do for you.”

Flicker slowly slid the pages back into his saddlebag and looked up at them pleadingly. “Please? I really need this!”

Golden Bits scoffed. “It’s not happening. Go home Flicker. Come back when you have more than just a dream. Dreams don’t make money, only fools out of the ponies that pursue them.”

Splash!

A taxi wagon tore down the street past Flicker Light, one of its wheels splashing into a large puddle on the side of the street and drenching Flicker in a mini tidal wave of water. Flicker grumbled and shook himself off, sending beads of water flying in every direction.

It had started raining while he was in the bank. At first it had only been a small drizzle, but as he slowly walked his way back to his apartment, the rain had begun to pick up in earnest. Before long, the heavy rain was pelting the ground hard enough that the small water droplets bounced off the ground.

Groaning, Flicker pulled his saddlebags up over his head in an attempt to keep his mane somewhat dry. His efforts were not very effective, the rain quickly leaving him and his bags soaked all the way through.

Grumbling as a second taxi wagon rushed past him, Flicker glanced down the street before quickly stepping out into the road with aching legs and darting towards the other side. His apartment wasn’t a very far trot from the bank, but with his mood lousy and the rain beating down on him like drumsticks on a drum set, the walk couldn’t have seemed longer.

“Zebra’s are ponies too!”

Flicker heard the sounds of the ponies yelling long before he saw them. He paused at the corner of the road, knowing full well that a large crowd of protesters that had formed just outside of his apartment building. Just his damn luck.

Taking a deep breath, Flicker rounded the corner to face the crowd. Just as he had suspected, the protestors had chosen today of all days, and this street of all streets to make their protest. They were a large group of both ponies and zebras, though there were surprisingly more ponies than anything else. Many held large signs displaying messages against hatred, though a few just stood amongst them in support. Ponies walked past them with their muzzles held high, many refusing to even look at them, though Flicker did notice a few who had stopped to listen to what they had to say.

The protests had been going on for months, and with each passing day leading up to the upcoming election the number of protests and protestors had only risen. They had been demanding equality, fair rights and the ability to vote for zebras, and as the days continued to count down to the election, the uproar about the injustices had only doubled.

Not that Flicker Light usually minded. He couldn’t have agreed with their worldview more, he’d even attended a few rallies himself. But today was not a good day. Today, he just wanted to curl up in his bed with an apple cider and sleep. Was that so much to ask?

Apparently...

“Excuse me, do you mind if I squeeze through here? My apartment is on the other side…” Flicker said meekly, trying to wedge his way between a pony and a zebra that were waving a large sign above their heads that read, ‘Striped ponies are still ponies!’.

The two made way for him as he pushed himself forward towards the grimy looking apartment building. Before Flicker could make it much farther though, a silver pony with a pink mane stepped out in front of him and held up a clipboard with some sort of document on it.

“Excuse me, would you mind signing this? It's a petition for zebra’s to vote in the upcoming election.”

“Already signed it,” Flicker quickly replied, waving them off and continuing to move towards the building. It was true too, he had signed it only a few moons prior while attending one of the rallies himself.

He finally reached the entrance to the apartment and threw himself through the door. The moment he was inside, he began to realise just how soaked he really was. Within seconds a small puddle of water had formed below him from the rainwater slowly dripping from his drenched coat and he felt a sharp chill race through his whole body.

The elevator was broken, no surprise there. Flicker couldn’t remember a single day in his life when it had functioned properly. He slowly turned to the stairs and began walking up the long flight to the fifth floor, still shivering from the cold.

His legs had already been aching when he arrived at his apartment building, by the time he reached the top of the stairs, he felt like they were about to give out from under him. Flicker stumbled over to the door of his apartment and tiredly placed a hoof on the door handle, completely ignoring the notice of eviction note that his landlord had pinned to the front of the door. The notice had been there for nine moons now, he knew this was his last night sleeping under the roof of this apartment.

The door creaked open, letting the light from the hallway seep into the gritty room beyond. Flicker walked in and tossed his saddlebags down in the corner of the room. They made a rather unpleasing, wet squishing sound as they hit the floor, hopefully the water hadn’t seeped through them enough to damage all his papers.

Flickers apartment was practically empty. An empty room of stained concrete walls and a single window that overlooked the beautiful view of the brick wall of the conjoining building. To one side sat a lone refrigerator that produced a constant buzz and against the far wall by the window lay a beat up old plaid couch.

The only thing of interest was a small door that led into the far room. While most of the room was a desaturated looking industrial box, the door remained clean, a result of Flicker taking constant care of it. A sign had been taped to the door reading ‘Idea room’.

Walking to the fridge first, Flicker pulled it open and looked over the contents inside.

Nothing. The fridge held nothing but a single bottle of Sweet Apple Acres Apple Cider. Flicker took the bottle and slowly closed the fridge door, muffling the constant hum somewhat.

Sighing, he turned to face the door and slowly pushed it open. It was dark inside, a result of having no windows. Flicker ignited his horn and let the white aura of his magic spark the single lightbulb that hung from the ceiling.

The bulb flickered to life, illuminating the contents of the room with a dim glow. It was a small room, smaller still than the previous. Every inch of the room's walls were covered in sketches and storyboards, ideas for film projects he’d only ever dreamed of making. Images of flying clockwork machines and beautiful creatures from the deep filled up many of the pictures, with the largest drawing being an image of a cylindrical spaceship embedded in the eye of the Mare in the Moon. In one corner lay a stack of old film reels, most being shorts his father had made for the circus, though a couple being small, unfinished passion projects of Flickers and a magical lamp camera sat on an old, oak wood desk.

Flicker stared up at the large image of the Mare in the Moon, slowly taking another swig off the top of the apple cider. The image depicted his masterpiece, or at least, what he liked to call his masterpiece. The idea for the film had been his fathers, the gripping tale of a group of ponies that travel to the moon to meet the beautiful princess Luna.

Of course, his father had never actually made the film before he passed away, only the idea. He had spent too long making films for the circus he ran with, always leaving his real passions for another day. “I'll make it when I'm ready,” He had always said.

Flicker had taken it upon himself to finish the film, taking the idea his father had put into motion and turning it into a true tale. Not that all his work was doing him any good. No money and no actors meant no film.

Grumbling, Flicker light turned to the only other thing in the room that wasn’t a drawing; an old Zoetrope his father had given him of a running pony. He slowly moved over to it and gave it a quick spin, watching as the constantly spinning images made the pony look like it was galloping.

Flicker stared at the galloping horse for a bit as it slowly came to a halt before turning to look up at the large image of the Mare in the Moon. “I’ll make your vision come to life one day, dad. I promise I will,” He sighed and took another drink from his cider. “I know film has more to offer Equestria than just sideshow entertainment.”

Curling up around the Zoetrope, Flicker Light rested his head atop his hooves and let his eyes slowly slid shut. He allowed himself one more sip of the sweet cider before letting his magic wrap around the dangling lightbulb and flicking it off, once more casting the room into complete darkness.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Flicker Light!” A muffled voice called out through the door. “Flicker Light, it’s time!”

Knock, knock, knock!

Pulling himself towards the door, Flicker tugged it upon, wincing slightly as the blinding light of the hall outside his apartment flooded his vision and made his pupils constrict. His Landlord, Rosemary, stood on the other side of the door, her light blue mane dropping in front of her worried eyes.

“Hi, yes, sorry,” Flicker quickly apologized, magically levitating his saddlebags onto his back. They felt a lot heavier than the night before now that he was packing around all of his belongings. Not that he owned very much. “I was just packing up the last of my things.”

“I’m really sorry I have to do this,” his landlord said, her voice filled with genuine concern as she pried the eviction notice off the face of the door. “You do have a place to stay, right?”

Flicker glanced around him quickly before responding. “Oh… uh… yeah, I’ve got a place to stay. Don’t you worry about me,” He lied, putting on a fake smile that in no way reflected how he felt. “It’s not like you just kicked me out abruptly. I’ve had a few days to make arrangements.”

Rosemary gave him a sceptical look. “Are you sure? If you need, you can always stay at my place for a day or two. I wouldn’t mind if…”

“No no, I’m fine. Really I am,” Flicker falsely assured her, moving out of the doorway and into the hallway. He pulled the key to his… er… the key to the apartment out of his bag and floated it over to her. “I’ve got a great setup,” He quickly moved past her and started moving towards the stairs, trying his best to get out of the awkward situation as quickly as possible.

“Flicker, hold up just a sec,” Rosemary called out, making him pause. Flicker turned his head to look back at her. Rosemary gave him a somewhat sheepish smile. “I wish you the best of luck. Really. And if you ever make one of those films you’re always talking about, I’d love to see one of them.”

Flicker felt an actual smile reach his lips, probably the first true smile he'd had in the last few hours. “I’ll keep in touch and tell you if anything big happens. Thank you for being so nice, I know I haven’t been the greatest tenant.”

Rosemary gave him a sad smile as he turned and started the long descent down the flight of stairs. With each step, Flicker felt a strange sense of finality washing over him. It had been far from the greatest apartment in the world, but to know this was perhaps the last time he would ever walk up or down these steps, it felt like he was losing a part of his life he never even knew he had cared for. By the time he reached the last step, it took him genuine effort to step off and out into the street.

The rain had stopped, thank Celestia for that, though the sky was still obscured by a thick layer of clouds, casting the morning street into a dull, grey colour. A few ponies walked past him, but the area seemed emptier than usual.

He glanced down one way, then the next. The city was beginning to feel a lot bigger all of a sudden. Flicker sighed. “Well, I guess I’ll just… walk or something…”

A yelp of fear drew his attention to a tight alleyway beside him. Startled, and just a little curious, Flicker trotted over and poked his head into the alley, taking in the unfolding scene within. Two Stallions in dark blue coats had cornered a zebra mare into the alley wall and were slowly closing in on her. The zebra cowered in front of them as they grew closer, her striped hooves already pulling out her bits and offering them over to them.

“Hey!” The words left Flickers mouth before he had a chance to think them all through. The two stallions turned and looked at him, annoyed and angry expressions across their faces. Gulping and knowing there was no going back now, Flicker boldly stepped into the alley. “You leave her alone!”

The two stallions glanced down at the shivering Zebra mare before waving her off with a hoof. The zebra gave Flicker a grateful look before scampering off down the street, leaving her bits in a small pile by the stallions.

“Who do you think you are?” The stallion on the left growled. He was a tall grey buck with a short cut white mane.

Flicker gulped again. “Um… no pony…” He took a step back, only for the two stallions to mimic his movements and take a step towards him.

“No pony is right,” The other buck snarled, this one being a dark red stallion with a thin scar on the clip of his eye. “And we’re ‘bout ta make sure you don’t forget that.”

Flicker suddenly had a really bad feeling in his gut. This was going to be a long day.

“Ow..” Flicker mumbled, touching the tip of his hoof to his muzzle. It came away bloody. He rolled onto his back and watched as the two stallions trotted away from him and ducked around the corner of the alley.

Getting beat up could have gone worse, he supposed. At least they didn’t steal his stuff.

He slowly pulled himself to his hooves and took a shaky step towards the edge of the alley. His aching hooves wobbled, then gave out from below him, sending him crashing back to the ground.

“Ow again…” He mumbled again, once more finding himself collapsed on his front.

A yellow hoof reached down in front of him, offering to help haul him back up. “That was perhaps the stupidest thing I have ever seen,” A smooth voice said from above him. Flicker tried to twist his neck to see who it was, but he wasn’t able to get a good angle. “It's not every day that a pony stands up to the Nightmare gang like you just did.”

Taking a hold of the hoof, Flicker pulled himself back up. He stood for a second, trying to balance himself as he hooves once more tried to drag him back down. Once he was able to stand without fearing another collapse, Flicker turned to look at the mysterious pony who had helped him.

He was a tall yellow buck, with a wispy white mane that kind of reminded Flicker of a mix between cotton candy and toothpaste. He had a red and white striped vest over his barrel that was topped with a red bowtie and his cutie mark appeared to be a collection of three bits.

Flicker blinked at him for a few seconds, trying to let his mind settle and make sense of the situation. “Wait… the- the Nightmare gang?”

The yellow buck gave a small chuckle. “You’re telling me that you haven’t heard of the Nightmare gang?” At the shake of Flickers head, the pony elaborated. “They’re the biggest crime family in Coltifornia. Probably all of Equestria actually. No pony really knows why they’re called a gang honestly, they’re more of a mafia. If you know what’s best for you, you’ll keep your distance and not get tangled up with them. You don’t want to know what they do to ponies that get in their way.”

Flicker gave him a grateful smile and trotted over to where his saddlebag had fallen to retrieve it. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep it in mind,” Flicker threw his bag over his back and turned back to face the pony. “My name’s Flicker Light, it's nice to meet you…”

“Swindle Gyp,” The yellow pony replied charismatically. He looked Flicker over before his eyes landed on his saddlebags. Swindle Gyp’s eyes seemed to light up for a second as an idea passed through him. “Say… your name is awfully familiar. You wouldn’t happen to be the son of Lohorse Light Lumière? One of the two Lumière brothers?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I am. How did you…”

“I went to every one of their shows!” Swindle exclaimed, thrusting one of his hooves up into the air dramatically. “Oh, their magic lantern productions were simply breathtaking! Revolutionary! Packed full of enough magic to inspire me to my very core!”

Flicker let one of his eyebrows raise suspiciously. “Really?”

Swindle bumped his fore hooves together awkwardly. “Well, maybe I only saw one of their shows. But it definitely left an impression.”

Flickers face fell. “Figured as much. Glad it spoke to you though. Film doesn’t seem to speak to any pony else. Can’t even get anypony to fund a single project.”

Swindle tapped his chin for a second with a hoof, clearly only pretending to contemplate something Flicker had no doubt the pony had already thought over thoroughly. “You know, I have been looking for my next big thing. The next revolutionary idea! How about the two of us make a deal?”

“You want to help fund my film ideas?” Flicker said, his voice reflecting the disbelief that he felt. “Are you sure?”

“Well… not fund persay…” Swindle slurred, rolling the words around in his mouth. “I was thinking something more along the lines of investing my time and effort into getting you off the ground so that you can get the proper funding.”

“You actually think you can do that?” Flicker asked, his hopes both higher than they had been in years while remaining simultaneously reserved. “No pony else has that kind of faith in it…”

Swindle Gyp rolled his eyes. “Of course... I have tons of connections,” He coughed into his hoof. “Though perhaps not all the most reputable ones... I’m sure I would be able to pull a few strings and get some sort of business going.”

Flicker scratched the back of his head awkwardly, not fully knowing how to respond. “Well, we’d need some kind of studio space. And a place to screen the films of course. I want to do more than just small circus sideshows.”

Swindles ears shot straight up. He suddenly began looking Flicker over with more vigor. “A place to screen your films you say? You mean, like a theatre?”

Flicker gave a quick nod. “Yeah, some place we can renovate to house a large projector screen.”

Swindle's grin was infectious. “I think I know just the place you’re looking for,” He held out his hoof for Flicker to shake. “Well? What do you say? Partners?”

Flicker glanced down at the extended hoof before him. Something about the whole thing seemed a little too good to be true, especially after all that had happened over the past couple of days. Not to mention he hardly even knew this strange Swindle Gyp character. And with a name like that, he might just be conning him into giving up what little he had left.

But this was the first offer he had ever gotten that was more than a ‘come back when you’re more prepared’... And where else was Flicker supposed to go? Certainly not home. That didn’t even exist at the moment. the homeless shelter was really the only other option for him at this point.

Hesitantly, Flicker raised his own hoof and gave Swindle a firm shake. “Alright. You’ve got a deal,” Flicker paused, thinking over everything Swindle Gyp had said. “So wait… where exactly is this place you were talking about?”

The smile that Flicker got in return made him suddenly regret everything.

“This is the place?!” Flicker gasped, his mouth dropping open as he looked over the theatre.

The theatre had seen better days, in fact, the whole building was abandoned. The large sign that had once adorned the front of the theatre had rusted over and fallen from the building and the windows had become so covered in dust and grime that they had become opaque. The only thing that seemed to be somewhat intact was the glass doors that were inset into the front of the structure, though even those were coated in filth.

“Oh, it’s not as bad as it looks,” Swindle said smugly, as he trotted past Flicker and pushed open the glass door. “A bit of fixing up and it'll be as good as new. Besides, the rent is free!”

“Owner probably paid us to take it off their hooves,” Flicker grumbled, trotting after Swindle into the theatre.

“Exactly!” Swindle chirped happily; Flicker facehoofed.

The inside of the theatre wasn’t much better, being just as ramshackle and dust covered as the exterior. It was a fairly large front room, with a curved set of stairs on one side that led to what Flicker could only assume was an upper balcony overlooking the stage, and a small concession stand to the other side. A single set of double doors on the far wall of the room led into the theatre itself.

“Well, what do you think?” Swindle asked, grandly sweeping his hooves around him to gesture to the surrounding area. “Is this place something or what?!”

“It’s definitely something,” Flicker agreed, running his hoof along the stairway railing and brushing off some of the dust. “Place looks like it's haunted.”

“Some ponies say that it is,” Swindle said casually, turning his back and looking over the concession stand. He tapped it with a hoof. “We could probably sell popcorn or peanuts here or something. Give the ponies something to eat while they watch the movies.”

Flicker quickly held up his hoof as if asking a question in a classroom. “Hold up a second. What do you mean, ponies say this place is haunted?”

Swindle shrugged. “Beats me. Something about some actress falling from the catwalks back when this theatre here was still open. I didn’t really pay attention.”

“Um… Isn’t that kind of important though?” Flicker pushed, walking up and standing next to Swindle by the concession stand. “Aren’t you worried about ponies not coming because this place is haunted? the last thing we need is this place having a bad reputation before we even get it up and running.”

“It’s not actually haunted. Everypony knows ghosts aren’t real,” Swindle said, bushing Flickers concerns off with a wave of his hoof. “Besides, that’ll only bring more ponies in! Imagine the headline! Haunted theatre reopens! Watch Ghostly images come to life on stage! It’s marketing gold!”

“If you say so…” Flicker said, not sounding or feeling overly convinced on the idea.

“I do say so,” Swindle insisted with an enthusiastic nod, finally pulling himself away from the broken down concession stand and moving towards the double doors on the far wall. He glanced back at Flicker quickly. “Now come along! We have a lot of work to do before this place is up and running!” Then he ducked behind the door and out of sight.

Flicker moved to follow after him, only for a chunk of the roofs tiling to fall from the ceiling above and land by his hooves, sending a large cloud of dust billowing up around him and pulling him up short. He coughed and dared to glance up at the ceiling, spotting the hole where the tiling had fallen from. Something seemed to scuttle just beyond the hole and out of sight, but it was too dark and too fast to get a good look at it.

“Probably just rats…” Flicker assured himself, his heart pounding faster in his chest than he was comfortable with. “Just- Just friendly little rats. Nothing to worry about.”

“Well, are you coming or what?” Swindle asked, poking his head back around the door. "This place won't clean itself you know!"

Flicker Light nodded solemnly. “Yeah- let’s get to work…”

The Pursuit of Happiness

The large red door to the Bit siblings office swung open.

Golden Bits glanced up from the page he had been perusing to get a look at the pony who was boldly waltzing into the room with a wide grin across their face. “Flicker Light?” Golden Bits said, his muzzle scrunching up slightly. “What do you want now?”

Flicker happily skipped over to the desk and placed a stack of papers down in front of the two bank manager ponies. “I’d like to request some money for my film project.”

Many Bits’ face dropped at the request. “Flicker, we already told you last week that we simply can’t fund your project. It's too expensive and too risky. You don’t even have a theatre.”

Flicker gave a quick shake of his head. “Wrong, you said come back when I have more than just a dream. Well now I do,” He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a monochrome photograph of the theatre Swindle Gyp had been helping him set up in. “We have a theatre space, and enough room to use as a studio. Now I just need funding for the film itself.”

Golden Bits looked over the photo curiously. “Isn’t that the old, abandoned, haunted theatre on the outskirts of the city?”

Flicker gave off a slightly embarrassed look. “Well… technically… But it’s not abandoned anymore. We’ve set up shop there and have spent the last few days fixing it up. And it’s almost ready. Plus, ghosts aren’t real, so it's probably not haunted.”

The Bits siblings gave each other a surprised, but interested look. Many Bits tilted his head back to face Flicker. “Even still. I’m not sure we can fund something like this. Twenty thousand bits is a lot, especially for something that we have no way of knowing how successful it will or will not be.”

“It will be successful, I promise,” Flicker assured them as he began to pace back and forth. “And it won't be twenty thousand anymore. Now that I have a theatre and studio space, I could probably make do with only ten thousand.”

The Bits siblings exchanged another glance. It was clear that the idea was beginning to hold a little more water for them.

“And how can you be so sure that this film thing really will be as profitable as you claim?” Golden Bits said, his voice still holding clear signs of his reservations. “Ten thousand is still a lot of bits. I’m not sure if we can…”

“Then how about we make a deal,” Flicker interjected before Golden could turn him down completely. “We're going to be holding a grand opening of the FlickerLight Theatre next week. You give me five thousand bits for that now and I’ll pay you back triple after the premier. If all that turns out well, we can talk about getting funding for my bigger projects down the line afterwards.”

Both of the ponies stared at him, dumbfounded. Many Bits raised one of his eyebrows suspiciously. “You’re offering to pay us fifteen thousand bits in exchange for five? Are you sure?”

Flicker gave a self assured nod. “It will give me a chance to get off the ground and have some publicity as well as confirm for both of you once and for all if film has any profit behind it. Furthermore, you make a lot of bits out of the deal in the process…” Flicker held out his hoof and gave his best winning smile. “So? What do you say?”

Golden Bits eyes darted back and forth from Flickers hoof to his brother. “Can you give us just a second,” He finally said, before pulling his brother away from the table.

The two bank managers huddled close together, whispering in hushed tones back and forth. Occasionally, they would glance back at Flicker Light suspiciously before going back to their whispering. After a solid minute of debate, the two ponies spun around to face Flicker with a smile so comically wide Flicker was surprised it didn’t jump right off their faces.

“It sounds like you have yourself a deal!” Many Bits declared, trotting over and giving Flicker’s hoof a strong shake. “We will give you five thousand bits and attend your premier, and in exchange you will pay us back triple of what we gave you. No more. No less.”

Flicker felt his own lips twisting to match their wide smile. “I promise, you won't regret this. Thank you!”

Golden Bits trotted over to his desk and pulled out a checkbook. He flipped through it and pulled out a quill to begin writing down digits. Golden’s eyes glared at Flicker for a moment before jotting down a few numbers. “I hope you are right Flicker,” He slid a sheet of paper across the desk and offered Flicker a quill. “Now would you please sign here, here and here?”

Flicker nodded and took the quill in his magic before writing down his signatures. When he looked up, his eyes were met with Golden Bits intense glaze.

“I am warning you now though, Flicker Light. If this doesn’t work out and we don’t get our bits, you’re as good as dead…” his hard expression softened and his lips twisted back into his wide and overly fake smile. His hoof held out the check and passed it over to Flicker Light who took it warily. “I look forward to the Premier. We will see you soon.”

"Guess who got the money!” Flicker declared, bounding through the front doors of his new theatre, the large check held high above his head in his glowing white magic.

The theatre was already looking cleaner. A few of the windows were still covered in grim and one of the corners of the main room was still littered with fallen debris and soda bottles, but the rest of the theatre had been shaping up nicely. A few more days of cleaning and renovating, and the place would be just like Flicker had always dreamed it would be.

Swindle Gyp had been standing on the upper balcony, overlooking the front room. He gave Flicker a cheerful smile and began trotting down the curved steps towards him. “That's wondrous news! Told you we could get something going here! And you had your doubts about this place,” Swindle gave him a smug smile.

Swindle looked exhausted. Dark bags had formed under his eyes and his swirly mane was a bit of a tangled mess. Not that Flicker could blame him for that, he probably looked just as tired. They had spent the last five days cleaning and renovating the abandoned structure, stopping only for lunch and a few hours of sleep each night. It had been hard work, but it was finally paying off.

“I see you took my advice with only asking for five at first,” Swindle chirped, reading over the numbers that had been scrawled across the check. “Told you it was the only way they’d invest. How much do we need to pay them once this premier is over?”

Flicker scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Um… Fifteen thousand bits…”

Swindles Gyps head shot straight up. “Please tell me you’re joking…”

“Um… no…”

There was a pregnant pause as the news settled over Swindle. Finally he slapped his hoof against his face. “That’s it! From now on, I’ll handle all the business portions of our little company. You stick to the whole art side of it.”

Flicker felt his smile waver somewhat. “We can still pay that off though, right? We just need to have a successful premier and…”

Swindle gave him a flat glare. “Fifteen thousand in one night?! I mean, maybe if we sell popcorn for double the price…” He tapped his chin for a second. “Actually, that just might work,” He shook his head to move on from the idea. “I’ll need to get some more help spreading the news of the film. We’re going to need a full house.”

“You did say that you had lots of connections, didn’t you?” Flicker said warily, pulling out one of his film reels from his saddlebag and approaching the far door that led into the auditorium.

“Less reputable ones, yes…” Swindle grumbled, slowly following after Flicker. “But one week to pack a theatre full of ponies and make fifteen thousand bits? That… I don’t even know what that is, but it’s not going to be easy!” he paused for a second, deep in thought. “Actually… I think I might know the perfect two ponies for the job…”

Flicker cast him a backwards glance as he pushed open the double doors and moved into the theatres auditorium. “Really? Who?”

Swindle gave him another smug look and moved to hold the door open for him. “Just some… uh… ‘business’ ponies that I know. They can convince anypony into buying anything. Probably could round up enough ponies to fill up all the seats here in only one day alone.”

“Then you had better get them on it,” Flicker said, feeling a little relieved at the idea of having more ponies helping him out. “I’m going to get the projector set up. I want to be able to do a test screening first thing tomorrow.”

Swindle gave a quick salute and a charismatic grin. “You can count on me… and by extension, them. Consider the grand opening of the FlickerLight Theatre a success! Let us handle everything!” he paused for a second. “Will you be sleeping the night at my place again?”

Flicker nodded grimly. “Sorry. Just until I can find a place of my own. I really appreciate you letting me stay with you.”

Swindle gave a quick wave of my hoof. “Think nothing of it. As a business partner, you’re practically family.”

Flicker raised an eyebrow at that? “Not as a friend?”

Swindle chuckled, but the chuckle held little mirth. “Business partners, friends. They’re all the same.”

“Not sure if I fully agree with your logic, but sure,” Flicker mumbled softly, turning back to trot into the Auditorium. “I’ll probably be around in a few hours.”

Swindle gave a final nod before darting off to go find those associates of his. Hopefully they're as skilled as Swindle seemed to think they are.

Walking through the empty auditorium, Flicker Light made his way to the rickety ladder that led up to the lighting box that hung above the back few seats. The lander's rungs made low, creaking noises as he slowly ascended, reminding him that the ladder was the next part of the theatre he was going to need to replace. With his luck, it would end up collapsing on him.

Pulling himself into the lighting box, Flicker placed the film reel onto his magical lantern projector and began the process of threading the film through the machine.

Flicker pulled himself up onto the top of the roof.

When Swindle had first taken him to his place, Flicker had assumed the smooth talking yellow pony had simply lived in a small apartment like he had. He had been kind of right, he supposed.

Swindle lived in a broken down trailer that had somehow found itself parked on the roof of an abandoned apartment complex. The only logical way to get to the place was by climbing the side of the building via the fire escape that lay hidden in a dingy looking back alley.

Despite the oddity of the location, his setup wasn’t really all that bad. The trailer had proven to be more than large enough to fit his purposes, though was perhaps a little small to house two ponies at once. The rooftop around the trailer had been decorated with rows of multicoloured Hearth’s Warming Eve lights, with the strings of light having been stretched from the roof of the trailer to a large, sun umbrella and a rusting, old barbecue. He even had the single best view of the city, with two chairs perched on the edge of the roof that overlooked the vast streets of Coltifornia. It was defiantly a better view than Flickers apparent had had.

“How’d it go with your associates?” Flicker asked, throwing himself down into the chair next to Swindle. “Everything work out?”

Swindle passed him a bottle of Sweet Apple Cider and gave him one of his famous grins. “Like a charm! The premier will be a packed fuller than the Los Pegasus casinos.”

Flicker popped the cap off of his bottle of cider and took a small swig, tasting the sweet beverage as it trickled down his throat. “I set up the projector, so it should be ready for the testing tomorrow. I’m going to head back to the theatre extra early just to do some last second touches.”

Swindle gave him an amused look. “You do know you can just sleep in, right? I mean, there is literally no reason you need to push yourself this much. We’ve made great progress already and we still have a full week to set everything up.”

Flicker looked down at the street below in contemplation. “I just want to make sure that everything goes perfectly. We can’t afford to mess up. My whole life has been building up to these next few days, and honestly, the rest of my life is kind of riding on it too.”

Lowering his bottle, Swindle let out a sigh and returned his gaze to the city far below. “What are you going to do after the premier? Assuming it’s a success, that is.”

Flicker thought about that for a second, though the answer had popped into his head almost immediately. “I’m going to make my movie. A Trip To Luna’s Moon,” He let his gaze wander up to the night sky, where once more, the Mare in the Moon seemed to be looking down on them. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted…”

Swindle was silent for a few seconds, rolling that around in his head. “Why a trip up to the moon? Nothing up there but rocks, dust and more rocks.”

Flicker gave him a smug grin. “We don’t know that. There could be anything up there. That’s what’s so great about film. You can make any reality you want come to life,” His face faltered for a second. “My father first came up with the idea. He wanted to show a story where Celestia and Luna could have the chance to reconnect, to overcome the bitterness and hatred between them and show that tolerance is alway the solution. I think it’s a beautiful message.”

“All those protesters sure seem to think so,” Swindle chuckled, his gaze lingering on a street far below that was currently being flooded with ponies and zebras protesting about the shocking lack of zebra rights. “You hear that they just announced Zebras are getting the right to vote at the election?”

Flicker shook his head. “Haven’t paid much attention to the radio. Been too focused on getting the theatre up and running I guess. But it’s good to hear. Zebra’s don't deserve a lot of the hate they get,” He let himself smile a little. "I'm honestly surprised they are getting the opportunity this year, especially with only a few months left until the election."

Swindle nodded and took another sip before looking back up and over to Flicker Light. “You know, the Lumière brothers seemed fairly successful at their craft from what I could remember. Why didn’t your father ever make this movie of his if he was so passionate about it?”

“Because he let himself believe what everypony told him,” Flicker sighed. “That film simply won't sell. That all it’s good for is being an overpriced side attraction at some traveling circus.”

There was another long pause as the two of them simply stared out into the dark streets below. After a few seconds, Swindle let out a soft chuckle and raised his bottle of cider in Flickers direction. “Well… To the FlickerLight Theatre, the pursuit of happiness and the bright future ahead of us.”

Grinning, Flicker raised his own bottle and clinked it against Swindles. “To My father… to the future of cinema as we know it.”

Flicker Light unlocked the glass doors to his theatre and pushed them open. The sun hadn’t yet peeked over the tops of the city's skyline, leaving the barren streets of Coltifornia cast in a pale blue light.

The door swung open with a loud creak, making Flicker add 'oiling the hinges' to the mental list of things he needed to do before the grand opening.

He quickly locked the door behind him and trotted across the room to the second set of doors that led into the auditorium. The second his hoof touched the door handle however, he knew that something was wrong. The whole room was cold, as if a gust of wind he couldn’t feel was whipping through the structure. Through the closed doors to the auditorium, Flicker could hear a fast clicking and whirring noise that he recognized all too well.

He flung the doors open in a rush and took in the dark room beyond. His film projector had turned on, and was currently displaying one of his father's first films. A short depicting a train speeding towards the camera.

But that was impossible! Flicker had made sure that everything had been properly set up the night before, he was positive that he would never have left the projector simply running. And even still, if he had somehow forgotten to turn it off, the film would have long since finished.

Somepony had been in here… chances are they hadn’t even left.

Flicker spun around to look up at the lighting box that rested far above his head. For a fraction of a second, Flicker saw something large dart past the small window looking out from the box.

“Hey! Who’s up there!” Flicker shouted, rushing towards the rickety ladder leading up to the Lighting box. He heard a muffled sound of something scraping against the floor above him, then silence.

Ignoring the creaking ladder rungs, Flicker hauled himself into the Lighting box and looked around. Nothing. It was empty save for a stack of film reels and the magical lamp projector that was still playing the film.

Flicker Light nervously took another step into the lighting box, jumping slightly as the floorboards under his hooves creaked. “H-hello? Is anypony up here?” his voice seemed to echo around the small booth, making the space suddenly feel very claustrophobic.

He quickly trotted over to the projector and clicked it off, watching as the magical light emitting from it went dead. Flicker took a long deep breath. It had probably just been some weird accident. A projector couldn’t turn itself on and those noises had probably just been rats. He had seen a few scampering around over the last few days. He would need to make sure to get rid of them before the premier.

“I’m getting myself worked up over nothing,” Flicker grumbled to himself, sitting against the wall of the booth and trying to slow his rapid heartbeat. “It’s not like ghosts are real. I would have seen one by now if there were any here, right?”

For some reason that didn’t make him feel any better.

Thunk.

Something thudded from somewhere beside him. Flicker bolted back to his hooves, his pupils constricting into pinpricks as a sudden wave of fear once more washed over him. That hadn’t sounded like rats.

Thunk.

Flicker took a step back, his breath heavy. He perked up his ears as he tried to pinpoint where the sound was coming from, but it never seemed to come from the same spot twice.

Thunk.

No wait… it was in the walls! There was something in the walls of the theatre!

Yelping, Flicker scampered backwards, expecting the worst. The noise was getting quieter, but the sounds seemed to be coming from closer and closer. He pressed himself up against the window, his eyes transfixed on the wall as if expecting a ghostly figure to pop out and grab him at any moment.

Thunk.

The sound stopped behind the wall right in front of him. He felt his blood run cold. He spotted a small crack in the wall, a hole that led into whatever blackness was behind the wall. Something was shifting behind it. Squirming and looking out at him with dark, beady eyes.

Then it began to crawl through. First were the claws. Scratching and clicking across the wooden surface. Then the muzzle, a long twisted thing with rotting fangs.

Flicker felt himself sigh as the rat pulled itself fully from the wall and hopped to the floor before scampering away into the darkness. Gross and a nuisance? Yes. But he could deal with rats.

Chuckling at his own foalishness, Flicker turned back to the projector and began making sure it was all in working order for the big day. There was no such thing as ghosts, and he really needed to stop working himself up like that.

There was still a lot of work to be done before the premier, but if everything went well, his dream might finally become a reality.

Welcome to the FlickerLight Theatre

Flicker Light gulped as he looked out the window of the theatre and at the large line of ponies that had formed outside.

“Sweet Celestia! There are so many!” Flicker squeaked nervously, taking a step away from the window and beginning to pace back and forth as his nerves started to overtake him. “What if they don’t like it! What if the premier doesn’t go as well as we wanted!”

Swindle gave a short chuckle. “Trust me, they’ll like it,” he trotted over to the concession stand and popped open the cash register. “So long as everything we’ve prepared for goes according to plan, everything should be perfect.”

Flicker gave him a grim look. “So as long as nothing goes wrong, nothing will go wrong? That’s not overly reassuring,” Swindle just gave him a flat glare. Flicker took a deep breath. “Right… yes… of course,” He glanced back over at Swindle for a second, his face filled with nervous worry. “Are you ready?”

Swindle nodded. “Naturally.”

“Alright then, here it goes…”

With a flick of his magic, the doors to the theater swung open. Flicker took a step out and swept one of his fore hooves in the air before him in a grand gesture. “Welcome everypony, to the grand opening of the FlickerLight Theatre!”

A few ponies applauded as they all began to make their way into the newly cleaned and renovated theater. Flicker was beyond surprised to see the amount of ponies pouring into the theatre, there were even a few zebras and a griffin.

“Ah, Flicker Light,” a familiar voice said from behind him. Flicker turned to see the two Bits siblings trotting through the glass doors and into the theater. “We are greatly looking forward to this grand opening of yours.”

Flicker bit his lip as the two bank ponies approached him. “Golden Bits? Many Bits? What are you two doing here?”

“Well, we wanted to see this new theater of yours of course,” Many Bits replied charismatically, throwing a hoof around Flickers neck. Flicker was not oblivious to the obvious sarcasm that dripped from his voice. “According to you, this film business is the opportunity of a lifetime. We could hardly miss something like that.”

“Besides, how are we to agree to your future demands if we don't see exactly what you’re capable of,” Golden Bits added, though his voice sounded incredibly doubtful. “I simply can't wait to see what you have planned for tonight.”

The two Bits siblings chuckled at that. Flicker Light felt his eyes narrowing. They weren’t here for any of that, their tones made that perfectly clear. It was clear that in their minds, they had come to watch him fail.

Forcing himself to smile, Flicker gestured over to the concession stand where Swindle Gyp was selling bags of popcorn and peanuts. “Why don’t you go get yourselves something to eat for the show and take a look around. Get some ideas for what we can add to future shows down the line. This is only a proof of concept of course, there is always much more we can add to make more bits in the future.”

The two Bits siblings cast each other surprised looks. Many Bits coughed into his hoof and turned to face the concession stand. “Well yes.. Of course. I’m very interested to see its potential of course. Come along brother.”

Flicker sighed as he watched the two of them trotting away. This night was going to be stressful enough. The last thing he needed right now was for those two to be looking over and scrutinizing his every move, waiting for him to mess up.

“Flicker Light?” Another familiar voice said from behind him. This time the voice sounded a lot more pleasant.

Flicker turned to see his old Landlord, Rosemary, standing a few feet away, a small bag of popcorn in her hooves. Flicker felt himself grin. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

Rosemary shrugged. “I told you I’d watch one of your films if you got to make one. Though I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.”

“I got a business opportunity pretty quickly,” Flicker said sheepishly, gesturing to the theater around him. “But I’m glad you could make it.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Rosemary responded, popping a popcorn into her mouth and taking a few steps closer. “I saw the posters all over the city. I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”

Flicker gave yet another sheepish smile. “Swindle has a lot of connections apparently. He has a good marketing team. None of this would have been possible without them.”

Rosemary’s face flickered with doubt for a second. “Hold up, Swindle? You don’t mean Swindle Gyp, do you?”

He nodded cautiously. “Um… Yeah. Do you know him?”

Rosemary scowled. “Know him? Of course I know him. Most everypony has had at least one run in with that scammer,” Her scowl deepened. “That con artist posed as an elevator repair pony a few years back. Every wonder why the elevator never got fixed?”

Flicker grimaced. “I think I remember that…” He glanced over at Swindle who seemed to be laughing to himself as he sold popcorn by the dozens to ponies for a rather steep price. Flicker turned back to Rosemary. “That was him?”

She nodded. “I’d be careful around him, Flicker. Most ponies that work with him end up getting the short side of the stick.”

Flicker took a nervous step back, not really knowing how to respond to that. His eyes trailed up to the clock that hung on the wall across from him. It was almost time to begin. Flicker let a forced laugh escape his lips. “Well, thank you for the warning. I’ll keep it in mind. I must get going though. We’re about to start.”

Rosemary gave him a gentle smile. “Good luck. I hope it goes well for you.”

It didn’t just go well. It went great!

Ponies were applauding. As in, applauding applauding.

Flicker had seen ponies applaud to films before, but never like this. It had always been a few grateful stomps of their hooves, followed by them chuckling amongst each other and trotting out of the circus tent to see what other oddities awaited them.

This time was different. The films were the same. Still the same collection of quick three to five minute shorts his father had made. The ponies were very much the same. Same attention span, same interests and opinions, even a few familiar faces. Only the presentation was different.

It was being presented to them as art. As an event. As something to go to for more than just a quick couple seconds of cheap enjoyment.

A young, grey colt with a white mane was applauding profusely. Beggin his mother beside him to let him return tomorrow. The colt's mother patted his mane and sighed. “Of course Horsehooves. I’ll see if I can get us tickets…”

Not far away, Flicker caught sight of the two Bits siblings staring up at the large screen from the audience as the final film came to a close, their eyes wide and mouths slack. Their temporary shock was quickly wiped away as their eyes lit up with money symbols. The two siblings straightened their ties quickly and gave each other knowing looks.

Flicker felt himself smiling ear to ear as the rows of ponies in the theater stood up and stomped their hooves appreciatively. He felt Swindle give him a pat on the back from beside him.

“Do I dare ruin the moment and ask how much money we got out of this?” Flicker gulped, casting Swindle a sideways glance.

Swindle gave off his most charismatic smile. “Just under seventeen thousand. And this is just the first night!” Flicker could feel his whole body relax with relief at those words. Swindle wrapped a hoof around Flickers neck and pulled him in close. “I made the right choice partnering with you. It was a gamble, but a good one.”

“Those Business associates of yours really knew what they were doing filling the place,” Flicker replied, his expression thankful. He quickly thought back to his previous conversation with Rosemary. “Swindle, can I ask you something? Something important.”

“I’m sure it can wait for later. No point ruining the moment with serious talk!” Swindle replied quickly, cutting off his train of thought. Swindle’s smile suddenly broadened. “Ah yes, speaking of which. I suppose I should finally introduce you to those associates of mine. Quite the characters those two are,” He held up a hoof to tell Flicker to wait as he quickly slipped off into the crowd. “Stay right there. There are two ponies I think you should meet.”

Flicker watched him slip off into the crowd for a second before he let his eyes drift over the rest of the ponies as they talked amongst themselves or slowly made their way out the doors. The audience seemed genuinely happy. They had enjoyed it, and as more than a sideshow attraction. He felt himself smiling again.

Flickers smile faded slightly as he saw the two Bit’s siblings making their way over to him. They came to a stop in front of him and gave Flicker an expecting look. “Well…?” Golden Bits asked, waving a hoof in the air. “Don’t leave us waiting. How much did you make tonight?”

Flicker straightened up. “Swindle just told me. We made just under seventeen thousand.”

Many Bits did a spit take, his eyes widening at the rather large number. “You’re pulling our leg!” He said, his voice disbelieving. He glanced over at his brother. “He has to be pulling our leg!”

Flicker shook his head. “I’m not. Thank Celestia for that.”

The two Bits siblings looked at each other for a moment before puffing out their chest and putting on the widest smiles Flicker had ever seen on two ponies.

“What did we tell you!” Golden Bits exclaimed, his voice both excited and filled with false friendliness. “These films of yours are the thing of the future! We never doubted you for a second.”

Flicker raised his eyebrow at the obvious lie, but he smiled anyway. “So you’ll fund my future projects?”

“Consider us your new investors!” Many Bits proclaimed, thrusting his hoof in the air dramatically. “Tell you what Flicker Light my friend! Why don’t you stop by the bank tomorrow and we’ll see about getting you that money you wanted. What do you say?!” He held out his hoof to Flicker to shake.

Flicker smirked and held out his own hoof, giving Many Bits a firm shake. “It’s a deal. I will see you then.”

The Bits siblings gave each other smug looks before turning and walking out the doors to the theatre.

“Deals with the bank already, I do say brother of mine, we picked the right job!” A high, yet strangely charismatic voice called out from a few feet away from Flicker. He glanced over to see Swindle quickly approaching once again, only this time with two bright yellow colts fast on his heels. They couldn’t have been very old, neither of them having their cutie marks yet, but they seemed tall for their age, or at the very least, lanky. They wore matching red and white striped vests topped with a red bowtie and straw hat. They were clearly twins, as Flicker has no way of telling one apart from the other. When they get older, one of them should get some facial hair or something so ponies could differentiate them. Or at least wear different clothes.

“Flicker, allow me to introduce my marketing associates,” Swindle chirped, gesturing to the two foals. “This here is Flim, and that is Flam,” he pulled his hoof back and looked them over for a second. “Or maybe that is Flam, and this is Flim…? I can never tell.”

“Pleasure to meet you Flicker Light, this theater of yours is the opportunity of a lifetime!” Flam… er… Flim… one of the two twins said, taking off their hat and bowing down slightly. “My brother and I am honoured to be a part of this rather successful looking establishment.”

Flicker cast Swindle a surprised look. “Wait… the marketing ponies you put in charge of making sure this premier was a success were…” He looked back over at the FlimFlam brother to make sure he had seen them properly. “...They were foals!?”

Swindle Gyp held up a hoof with a small chuckle. “I know what it looks like Flicker my boy, but I assure you, these two ponies are the best ponies around. They can talk the average ponies into buying just about anything.”

Flicker cast a glance at the two foals. “If you say so.”

“Oh he says so,” The twin still wearing his hat said, taking a quick step forward. “In fact, I guarantee that with our help, this theater of yours will be one of the most successful establishments in aaaallll of Coltifornia. But why stop at just one theater? Why, we could expand. Turn this whole area into an industry of film. Why, it would be a bit making factory like none other I say. Don’t you agree brother of mine?”

“Oh most definitely,” the other brother responded before Flicker could have a chance to interject his own thoughts. “Why I can already see the headlines. The success of…”

Flicker held out a hoof to stop them there. “Okay, lets slow down. We haven’t even made a full film yet. We can talk about expanding once that’s done.”

“Well, what do you say brother of mine? Want to see if we can get a few more popcorn sales before all the ponies leave?” The twin that Flicker was pretty sure was Flam said, his voice squeaking slightly.

“Brother of mine, I thought you’d never ask!” The two foals quickly spun around and started rushing towards the doors that led to the concession stand, giggling deviously.

Flicker glared up at Swindle. “Are they always like that?”

Swindle rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “They’re just excited. It's not everyday that they get an opportunity to use their talents like this.”

“Do I even want to ask how you got associated with those two, um… foals?” Flicker asked, arching an eyebrow.

“It’s a long story,” Swindle said with a sigh. “And not necessarily a happy one. I’ll leave out most of the deals, but I found them living alone on the street a few years back. They were hungry so I decided to help them out. Been teaching them everything I know about makin’ bits and bein’ a businesspony since. I do say they will be much better at it than even me one day. Those ponies have ambition.”

Flicker’s expression soured. “Yes, about that. I’ve been meaning to ask. What exactly are you a businesspony for?”

Swindle’s face was as emotionless as ever, but his mouth was still twisted into a smile. “Why I’m a businesspony of opportunity of course. I see something with potential and I make some bits off of it. Why do you ask…?”

Flicker bit his lip. “Oh.. um… Well I just heard some things and… uh… never mind. It’s not important,” he quickly dropped the train of thought and looked away. “Just making sure you’re actually going to see this business we have going here through.”

Swindle gave a chuckle and slapped Flicker gently on the back. “Why of course I am. This theater of ours made more bits in one day than I’ve seen in years. You don’t have anything to worry about a thing from me.”

Flicker gave a smile, though it lacked much of the mirth it should have held. “Right… Of course. Sorry I doubted you.”

Swindle gave him another pat on the back before he began trotting towards the door. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to see if I can sell some last second tickets for tomorrow. Can't slow down now that we have a head start, now can we!” He paused and looked back at me. “Oh, and one last thing before I forget. There’s a Griffin over there that wants to talk to you. Seemed important.”

He gestured over to the other side of the theater. Flicker followed his hoof with his eyes until his gaze landed on a Griffin standing in a rather posh looking posture while slowly munching on a bag of popcorn.

“Who is he?” Flicker asked, shifting his gaze back to Swindle. Flicker didn’t know much about Griffins, aside from that they tended to be rather greedy creatures. Despite the fact that they had more rights here than Zebras did, there were very few Griffins in Coltifornia. Most of them tended to stay up in Griffonstone.

Swindle simply shrugged. “No clue. Told me his name was Griffin. Bit off an odd name if you ask me, but I’m not one to judge,” He finally turned fully and pushed his way through the doors into the room beyond.

Sighing, Flicker turned and began making his way towards the Griffin. He spotted the Griffin’s eyes following him as he approached. As he grew near, the Griffin’s beak twisted into a sort of smile. It was kind of disturbing actually.

The closer Flicker got, the more details he was able to make out. The griffin was a light grey, with the tips of the feathers on the top of his head fading into a dark charcoal. He was dressed in a grey, tweed jacket that was topped with a black tie.

“Your name is Griffin? Correct?” Flicker asked, finally moving into speaking distance with the Griffin. “I was told you wanted to talk to me?”

The Griffin looked over their rather sharp looking talons for a second before looking up at Flicker Light. “Indeed I did. The Name is D.W. Griffin. You may call me Griffin for short. And I had a particular interest in buying that camera of yours.”

A bolt of suprised excitement shot through Flicker. “Wait, really?! You’re interested in buying the magical lantern camera?”

D.W. Griffin nodded. “I am. I was interested in buying it back when it was owned by your father. Unfortunately, he had no desire to sell me his inventions. Said there was no future in it. As you have proven otherwise, I was hoping that perhaps you might be more lenient in selling this marvellous creation.”

Flicker gave the griffin a sceptical look. “What exactly do you want with this camera for?” A strange feeling was beginning to go through him. No pony… er… Griffin had ever wanted to buy the camera off him before.

“Why, I want to make a film with it of course!” D.W. Griffin exclaimed, raising a talon into the air slightly. “Ponies don’t seem to understand the capabilities of these films. It truly is an art like no other. My wish is to spread that artform. Bring it to life,” He looked down at Flicker Light with his eagle eyes. “I have a theory. An Idea for the future of film. So far, all your father's films have been static cameras, on flat backdrops. A stage play done with lights so to speak. But the camera is what makes film so different from stage. The audience does not need to be stationary. The sets don’t need to look staged.”

“So what exactly is this theory?” Flicker asked, his voice once again filling with excitement. Never before had anypony… any griffin talked about film with him like this before. Or even at all for that matter.

“I call it Cinema Space,” Griffin said, his beak twisting into a smile. “Where the camera can move. The angle can change. We can cut back and forth between what is happening in one place or the other. Even cutting forwards and backwards in time. The camera should not be limited to the simple parameters of a stage play. It is so much more complex than that.”

Flicker tapped his chin thoughtfully. “That… makes a lot of sense actually. Things would have to be done to make sure the audience still understands what's happening, but I think you’re right…” Flicker bounced up and down a couple of times, Griffin’s idea suddenly sparking more creative potential in his mind. “In fact, I’d go so far as to say that idea is genius!”

Griffin gave him a sly smile. “I’m glad you are interested. If only your father was so inclined to utilize my ideas. I see film as a real opportunity to stretch the boundaries of what we can do,” he reached into the front of his tweed jacket with a talon and pulled out a checkbook. “Now, about buying that camera? What exactly are you planning on charging?”

Flicker shook his head. “Not sure yet. I haven’t really had a reason to think about selling it before,” a curiosity overtook him. “Say, what exactly is this film you wanted to make?”

D.W. Griffin’s smile widened. “Just a dream I had. The Birth of an Empire. I film about overcoming the obstacles we are facing in these troubled times. And with all the controversy over the zebras in the upcoming election, I feel there is no better time than now for such a film to be made.”

Flicker’s face softened at that. “Oh! You want to make a film to help promote zebra voting rights?”

D.W. Griffin stared at Flicker for a long moment, his eyes looking over him as if he had said the most ridiculous thing. After an awkward moment of silence, Griffin lifted his head up and laughed. “Helping them get voting rights? You must be joking with me?” We raised a talon and wiped a tear away from his eye. “No no, I want to ensure that they never get these rights again!”

Flicker’s heart stopped dead in his chest, his previous excitement coming to an abrupt standstill. He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly found himself lost for words. The last few ponies filed out of the theater, making the room suddenly feel painfully quiet. “I, um… excuse me?”

Griffin put up a talon defensively. “Now don’t get me wrong. I love zebras. They do excellent work while working in the factories, but let's both be honest, they have no place in politics. That position is for the more intelligent races to decide. Like us ponies and griffins.”

Flicker took a shaky step back. “I… what? You want to use film to… make sure they don’t get equal rights?”

Griffin rolled his eyes. “I’d make films to ensure they get proper rights. The ones they deserve. Clearly a visionary like you would understand that. Art is a form of political intrigue. We use paintings and books to spread our political opinions and sway ponies to the proper conclusions. Why should we not do the same in this new upcoming art you have established?”

“Because maybe we’d spread the wrong message…” Flicker grumbled under his breath, taking another step back.

D.W. Griffin raised his eyebrows. “Now what was that?” he shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. How about I just put you down for a few hundred bits and we can work out the details of price later? With the election soon at hoof, I want to make sure I get started right away!”

“N-no!” Flicker blurted, looking up from his hooves and at the monochrome griffin. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

Griffin’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me? I could raise the price if you wish? I’m sure I could add another zero to the end of the-”

“I mean I won’t be selling you my camera,” Flicker cut in, stomping his hoof on the ground firmly. “I’ve heard what you’ve had to say and you’ve explained your vision. I don’t think you’re the best fit to sell my camera to.”

Slowly, Griffin placed his checkbook back into his jacket pocket. “Are you sure about that? I think we could really create something great, you and I. With your creative mind and my vision of cinema space, film could be like something nopony has ever seen.”

Flicker gulped and nodded. “I think your idea is truly marvelous. This cinema space has real potential. I’ll be honest, I think your vision is stronger than mine, and I’m sure that you could make films like nothing I’ve even imagined,” Taking a deep breath, Flicker took another step back. “Of course, therein lies the problem, doesn’t it. I think that a griffin of your ability, but also your mindset, might be very dangerous.”

Griffin’s beak twisted into a small snarl. He puffed out his chest with a huff. “So you would turn away a fell artist to advance your own political interests?”

Flicker gave a nervous grin. “Uh… wouldn’t you?”

Griffin shook his head. “Of course not. Art is philosophy. A debate to be discussed and admired from all sides, regardless of right and wrong. I would be interested in what a fellow artist has to say,” Griffin huffed again, Flickers expression making it clear he had no plans to change his mind. “Very well, if you will not sell me your camera, then I see no more reason for us to converse. I shall leave you to it Flicker Light. Good luck to you.”

Turning, D.W. Griffin stalked away and towards the door. He didn’t even bother looking back as he pushed the swinging double doors open and marched out of the theatre, walking past a confused looking Swindle Gyp.

“Now what in Equestria was that about?” Swindle asked, waltzing in. “Mr Griffin over there didn’t look overly happy.”

“He wanted to buy my camera off me,” Flicker said solemnly, turning back and looking up at the large projector screen. “He wanted to make a film.”

Swindle grinned ear to ear. “And you sold it to him, yes? Perhaps he can be our new business partner! I’ll start thinking about how we could advertise that!” Flicker’s head sagged. Swindle cast him a worried look. “You did sell it to him, right?”

Flicker shook his head slowly. “He wanted to use it to create anti zebra propaganda.”

Swindle looked genuinely confused. “Okay? Big deal! Film’s about making bits, right? That would have made a lot of bits! Please tell me that you at least didn’t turn down a large sum of money?”

Flicker’s head drooped even lower. “He offered a few thousand for it.”

Swindle slapped his own face with his hoof. “Darn it Flicker! Do you have any idea how big of a business opportunity that could have been!” Swindle sighed. “Just wait there! I’ll go see if I can get him back here. Maybe we can still salvage this…”

“Don’t bother,” Flicker grumbled, sitting down in one of the auditorium seats. “I won’t sell. Not to him.”

“But why not!” Swindle burst, hopping over and waving his hooves around as if the extra motion would add to his point. “Think of all the opportunities you’re missing out on!”

“What part of anti zebra propaganda did you not get?” Flicker snapped, whipping his head up to glare at Swindle. “Sure, we’d be making lots of bits, but what would be the point if we stoop to such levels! We’d be ruining what I believe film stands for!”

Swindle was visibly taken aback. “What would be the point of making lots of bits!? Have you lost your mind!?” He sighed, calming down slightly. “If not bits, what in Equestria do you believe this whole film business is about?”

Flicker looked him over for a second before looking back at the huge screen. It looked like a giant painting canvas to him, ready to bring any world he could imagine to life. “It’s about making dreams come true,” He said softly, his gaze never leaving the canvas like screen. “And not just my dreams, but every ponies dreams. Ponies, griffins, even zebras. What Griffin wants is to make his own dreams come true… by destroying the dreams and hopes of others. I won’t allow that.”

Swindle sighed. “Fine… fine! We’ll keep him out of this. But next time something like this comes along, let's talk about it together, got it?”

Flicker gave a slow nod of understanding. He glanced back over at Swindle, his mind confused. “Swindle, if this whole film thing stops being profitable, will you still help me? Or will you just move on to the next big thing?”

Swindle laughed at that, though he sounded a little nervous. “We’ll see when we cross that bridge,” He turned and began walking towards the door. “I’m heading out. It’s been a long day, and we need some rest. You coming?”

Flicker shook his head. “I’m going to stay here a bit. I’ve got a lot to think about.”

Swindle shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’ll see you later,” With that he pushed through the doors and out of sight.

Sighing, Flicker pulled himself up to his hooves and trotted over to the large projector screen. He reached out and placed a hoof on the screen, the thick canvas bending slightly under the pressure of his hoof.

In the sudden quiet of the theater, Flicker began to realise just how tired he actually was. The premier had really taken a lot out of him.

Yawning, he trotted over to the old ladder that led up to the lighting booth that held the projector. He rolled his eyes a little as he remembered that he had forgotten to get it replaced. He’d look everything over and make sure everything was set for the screening tomorrow, then he could go to sleep.

Clang!

Flickers eyes opened at the noise. Still groggy, he looked around. It was dark. So dark in fact that he could hardly see more than a few inches in front of him, but he was still just able to make out the dim walls of the lighting booth he was in. He was still in the theater. He realized he must have fallen asleep while he was looking over the reels.

Thump!

Another noise caused him to bolt upright. What had that been? How long had he slept? Was Swindle already coming back into work?

Flicker glanced up at the clock. It was twelve at night, so probably not Swindle. The rats then? He thought he had dealt with those a few nights ago.

He pulled himself up and looked around... And came face to face with a pony shrouded in shadows.

He jumped back, surprised. A frightened yelp escaping his muzzle and his heart immediately started beating a hundred miles a second. He landed hard on his rump, the wind being knocked out of him.

The pony he had come face to face with made a noise and lurched back. Whether it was a ghostly shriek or a yell of terror Flicker couldn’t tell.

Flicker quickly scrambled back to his hooves, his heart racing. He looked up just in time to see the figure dart backwards, floating upwards into the air for a second before seemingly disappearing into nothingness behind a stack of crates. Flicker felt a cold breeze pass through him as they vanished.

“Not a ghost, not a ghost,” Flicker reminded himself, trying to calm himself down. But his mind and heart were racing. He knew what he had seen. A pitch black pony with eyes that glowed in the darkness.

Clop! Clop! Clop!

There were hoofsteps echoing all around him. He staggered to the middle of the lighting booth, his head whipping around to try and catch sight of the intruder.

Clop! Clop! Clop!

“It’s not a ghost… Ghosts aren’t real…” He breathed, his breath coming out in short ragged pants.

Creak… scratch, scratch, scratch!

Something seemed to be clawing at the walls out of sight. Flicker pushed himself up against the glass wall of the booth. Through a crack in the wooden wall, he saw something large dart past, obscured by shadows.

“Not a rat! That is not a rat!” Flicker squealed, his heart beginning to pound so loud that he was afraid it would burst right from his chest.

Thump!

Agha!

A high pitched screech squealed out from all around him. Flicker jumped into the air in fright, spinning around and darting towards the ladder. He had to get out of there! Now! There was no doubting it anymore. There was something up there in the booth with him!

His hoof touched the first rung of the ladder, then the second. He began to move his way out of the lighting booth as fast as possible.

Crack!

The ladder rung he was standing on snapped. Flicker screamed, his hooves flailing as he tried to find purchase to keep himself from falling. His hooves grabbed onto the broken part of the ladder, only for it to give away completely and send him tumbling from the top of the auditorium.

Then he was falling. The floor of the auditorium raced up towards him at frightening speeds. It seemed to reach out to him, ready for him to splatter himself against it.

His breath was knocked out of his lungs as hooves wrapped around him midsection and abruptly halted his fall inches from the ground. He tried to breathe a sigh of relief as he looked down at the ground directly in front of his face, so close he could almost touch it with the tip of his muzzle.

There was the sound of flapping wings as his mysterious saviour slowly pulled him away from the ladder and laid him down gently in the middle of the auditorium floor.

Once Flicker was safely on the ground, he took a second to steady himself before looking up at his saviour. He had only just enough time to look up and catch the last bits of a ponies tail as they ducked behind one of the theatre chairs with a startled eep.

“Um… Hello?” Flicker Light called out to whomever had ducked behind the chair, daring himself to take a step closer. “Who’s there?”

A pair of eyes peeked over the top of the chair to look at him. In the darkness, Flicker was able to see little more than a mane of dark hair.

Flicker ignited his horn in a field of magic and lit the room around them with a silvery glow. What he had mistaken for a pure black coat and mane had instead been a dark blue. He dared himself to take another small step forward. “My name is Flicker Light… What’s yours?”

The two eyes seemed to sink a little lower below the chair before the pony they belonged to dared to answer. “Um… I’m Shadow Silhouette,” a timid voice spoke up, so quiet it was barely legible even in the silence of the theatre.

Flicker paused and looked at the two eyes looking at him. “Um… well... thank you for saving me Shadow…” He started, not really sure how to continue. “What uh… what are you doing here? I’m taking it you’re not a ghost?” a sudden fear shot through Flicker. What if he was talking to a ghost! Was that even possible!?

A small giggle sounded from behind the chair. “I’m… uh… I’m not a ghost silly…” Slowly, the mare behind the chair pulled herself up and into the light. She was a pretty pegasus mare, though a little dirty with much of her coat coated in dust and her mane in a small tangle. As Flicker had previously noted, she had a dark blue coat and mane, with the mane being only a little lighter than the coat, and a pair of dazzling cyan eyes. It was hard to see in the dim, flickering light, but her cutie mark appeared to be that of a full moon. She reminded him a lot of what Princess Luna might have looked like, if the old illustrations in the books he had read were to be believed that is.

Flicker pulled his eyes away from her cutie mark and kicked at the ground awkwardly for a second. “So, um… why are you in my theatre?”

Shadow seemed to wince away at that. “I um… well, I live here and… um… please don’t make me leave?”

Flicker gave her a surprised look. “Wait, what? What do you mean you live here? I thought this place was abandoned before I moved in?”

Shadow gave him a shy look and took a quick step back. “I… I don’t own the place… I-I mean I’ve lived here for a while, b-but I don’t think I was actually supposed to and… Sorry, when I saw you and that other pony come in I just thought you would be there for a few minutes and leave like everypony else and that would be that. I didn’t know you planned on making this place operational again…”

Flicker shook his head as he tried to wrap his mind around everything that was happening. “Wait, you’ve lived here, like… the whole time!” he stared at her for a second, slightly unbelieving. “So like… you were the ghost!?”

Shadow giggled again. “Ghosts aren’t really silly. And yes, I’ve been here the whole time.”

Flicker grumbled under his breath about how he knew ghosts weren’t real all along. He looked back up at Shadow Silhouette. “Why are you living in the theater? Don’t you have someplace to go?”

Shadow looked down at her hooves, her expression sad. “I don’t want to talk about it…”

“But, why-”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it…” Shadow repeated, her voice raising for the first time since Flicker had met her. “It’s just… Never mind. It’s complicated.”

Okay, clearly not a topic she wanted to discuss. Time to try a new approach. “Were you the one that turned my projector on the other night?” Flicker asked, taking another step towards the mare.

Shadow nodded nervously. “Yeah. I saw you and that other pony watching those light shows of yours. They’re really cool! I didn’t think you’d mind if I just watched a few of them while you were gone.”

Flicker brightened at that.”You like my dad's films!”

Shadow Silhouette’s face was suddenly filled with excitement. “They’re soooo cool! I’ve never seen anything like them! They’re like plays mixed with shadow puppets! It’s amazing!” Her face suddenly mixed with an expression of worry and she began taking a few steps backwards. “I probably shouldn’t have used your projector while you were gone, but I watched you set it up and all, so I knew how to do it without breaking it, honest. I-I hope you don’t mind.”

Flicker shivered. The thought was both nice and creepy. He waved a hoof to show it was okay. “No no, it’s alright. Just wish you had told me you were here. I’ve been jumping at shadows for almost a month thinking this place was haunted. You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“I’m sorry,” Shadow apologized, looking down at her hooves. “I’d understand if you don't want me to stay here. I can leave if you want…”

“Whoa whoa! Hold on a second! I never said anything about kicking you out,” Flicker said quickly. “I was just a little started. That’s all. I mean, you could, like… help out around the theatre if you wanted… If you want to, that is… But you can stay.”

Shadows eyes lit up. “You mean that! I can stay and help!”

“Uh…” Flicker Light scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “I don’t see why not. I mean we could use all the help we can get, and I don’t want to kick you out, so like… yeah, you can. Only if you want to, I mean.”

“Oh, yesyesyesyesyes!” Shadow squealed joyously, zipping into the air with a flap of her wings and doing a quick flip above Flickers head. “Thank you so much! I can be lots and lots of help! Really I can!”

Flicker chuckled. “Okay, got it. I didn’t think you’d be so excited about it.”

Shadow gave him a surprised look as she came down and landed in front of him. “Why wouldn’t I be excited! Having friends, not needing to hide here all the time! I mean, getting to watch those films with your permission and not from behind a wall is reward enough right!” She gave him a nervous, yet thankful look. “This really does mean a lot to me…”

Flicker gave her a smile. “Don’t mention it… sorry that I, uh… Moved into your house… I guess...” This was suddenly kinda awkward. An idea passed through him. “Say, how about we watch a couple of films?”

Shadow's eyes lit up with excitement.

“Flicker, you here?” Swindle called out, opening the glass doors to the theater with a creak. “You never showed up last night! Are you still here or what?”

The theater gave him no replay but silence as he walked in and headed towards the door leading to the auditorium. As he got closer, he began to make out the clicking sound of a projector. Frowning, Swindle opened the doors to see the projector projecting nothing onto the screen. There was a loud clanking noise every few seconds as the film reel spun aimlessly in the projector. Clearly somepony had turned the projector on, but failed to turn it off.

Quickly moving up to the lighting booth and only barely avoiding falling down the ladder as he found the topmost rung broken, Swindle ducked into the booth and flicked off the projector. As the theatre was cast into near darkness, he flipped on the light switch and looked around.

His eyes caught immediately on the forms of two ponies sitting completely still in the seat below. Narrowing his eyes, he slid down the ladder and approached them.

Flicker Light and a dark blue pegasus mare he didn’t recognise were sitting in the auditorium seats, asleep. Flicker’s head had come to a rest on the mare's shoulder while he slept, while one of the mare's wings had been draped over Flicker's back like a blanket. It didn’t take a scientist to figure out they had fallen asleep watching Flickers old reels.

Swindle put a hoof to his mouth and coughed loudly, making both of them wake up with a start. They both looked around groggily as they tried to make sense of the sudden jolt of awareness before looking up at Swindle awkwardly.

“Do I even want to ask?” Swindle cooed, looking the two of them over smuggly. He let his amused gaze settle on Flicker Light. “Flicker my pal! Have you been hiding a mare friend from me all this time?”

Both of them went bright red with embarrassment at that comment. They quickly pushed themselves up to their hooves and shuffled a few inches apart.

“I, uh… no…” Flicker stammered, trying to get a grasp on the situation. “Um… Swindle Gyp, I’d like you to meet Shadow Silhouette. She, um… lives here… and also works here now,” Flicker gave and abashed look. Shadow nervously crossed her fore hooves together in a quick curtsy.

Swindle’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m sorry, what? Did I miss something?”

Shadow took a nervous step back while Flicker scratched the back of his neck. “Uh… yeah… so about that… turns out that this theatre wasn’t exactly abandoned...”

This was going to be fun to explain.

Noir: The Shadow Equestria

The doors swung open with more enthusiasm than Flicker Light had intended as he strode into the theatre, a cheque held above his head in his magic. He could feel his smile growing on his face with each and every step.

They had said yes! He finally had the bits required to make the film he had always dreamed of making. Oh, today simply could not get any better. He was so happy he felt like nothing in the world could ruin his day!

“I’m taking it from that goofy face of yours that your meeting with the Bit siblings went well,” Swindle said, looking up at Flicker from the concession stand as he waltzed in.

Flicker nodded, his face practically lighting up like a heartwarming tree. “Ten thousand bits to make the film!” Flicker elaborated, his whole body giddy with excitement.

“That’s wonderful!” Flicker heard the voice of Shadow Silhouette say. He looked up just in time to see the small pegasus flutter into the room from the balcony above. She came to a somewhat shaky landing beside him and gave him an excited look.

Swindle climbed over the top of the concession stand booth and trotted over, looking up at the cheque with a greedy expression. “Dare I ask how much they want us to pay them back for that?”

“Double what was given,” Flicker said quickly, refusing to let the implication of how high of a price that was lower his enjoyment of the moment.

Swindle Gyp grimaced. “They want twenty thousand bits?” he thought that over for a second before letting his shoulder relax somewhat. “I suppose that’s doable. The premier was rather successful, and we are all booked out for today's show. I suppose that really won’t be all that hard.”

Flicker’s grin grew tenfold and did a quick twirl on his hooves. “I know! Oh, this is turning out perfectly! I can’t wait to get started!”

“The film about the moon?” Shadow’s voice piped up. Both Flicker and Swindle turned and gave her a strange look. Shadow took a small step back. “Oh… um… I heard you talking about it a few days ago. I hope that’s okay...?”

Flicker shook his head to shake away the oddity of somepony knowing about his film ideas before he had told them. “It’s fine, and yes. ‘A Trip to Luna’s Moon’. I’ve wanted to make it my whole life.”

The doors leading into the amphitheater swung open and a yellow mare with a red mane skipped in, humming a small little tune, a couple of bags of popcorn floating in her horns magical glow. Flicker whirled around in surprise to face her, having not expected another pony to be present. The mare stopped in her tracks under Flickers surprised glare, clearly not having expected such shock at her appearance.

The mare raised a hoof awkwardly and gave a small wave. “Um… hi…”

Flicker blinked before raising his own hoof out of instinct and waving back. “Uh… hi… who are you?”

The yellow and red mare cast Swindle Gype a confused look. “Did… um… Did Swindle not tell you?”

Flicker Light cast his own confused look towards Swindle who gave him a sheepish smile. “Wait, tell me what?”

Swindle’s sheepish smile grew into his normal charismatic grin. He gestured over to Shadow Silhouette, who was still standing beside Flicker. “Well, when we agreed to hire Shadow here last night to help us out, it got me thinking…”

Claiming that they had both agreed to hire Shadow was a bit of an understatement. Flicker had made it very clear from the moment he suggested the idea that there were no if, ands or buts in the matter. He refused to even consider the option of kicking Shadow out of the theatre, despite having no real idea who Shadow was, or how she came to be living in the theatre in the first place. Swindle had been less than thrilled at the idea of needing to pay more ponies, but Flicker quickly pointing out they had to expand the business somehow had quickly changed his mind.

“...Well it got me thinking that we needed employees,” Swindle Gyp continued lamely. He gestured over to the yellow mare. “This here is Popcorn. She saw the show last night and jumped on the idea of helping us out.”

Flicker cast a glance at Popcorn, before raising his hoof to her. She quickly extended her own hoof for a quick shake. “Welcome to the crew, Popcorn, I guess. My name's Flicker Light… which I guess you know already…” He paused and thought for a second. “You were sure quick to join up with us?”

Popcorn gave a small blush. “Well, I enjoyed the show, how could I not want to join up?” She placed the bags of popcorn down on the concession Stand and quickly turned back to face everypony. “Besides, I’ve always had a talent for illusion and projection magic. I figured this was a good opportunity for me.”

Swindle trotted over and threw a hoof around Popcorn’s neck, making her wince slightly. “Popcorn here is one of the best of the best when it comes to illusion magic. Studied out in Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns a few years back before comin’ out to Coltifornia. Figured it would be good to have some pony helpin’ you out with that projector of yours, instead of always you always needing to check up on it. You might finally get the rest you need now that there are four of us running this joint,” he pulled away from Popcorn and clapped his fore hooves together. “Now, onto more important matters. Tell us about this big film of yours. I Simply cannot wait for this big vision of ours to come together.”

Shadow Silhouette quickly fluttered around Flicker and sat down, as if awaiting story time. Flicker gestured to Swindle quickly before beginning. “I’ve already told you most of it, but I can probably give you all a quick rundown…” He tapped his chin for a second as he tried to figure out how to start. “Well, it begins with princess Celestia. She, and a bunch of her closest friends decided to build a rocket to go to the moon and meet Princess Luna. To reconnect with each other and overcome their differences through tolerance.”

Shadow raised her hoof into the air slowly. Flicker looks over at her for a second in confusion before realizing she is trying to ask a question, with a shake of his head and a small chuckle, he gestures for her to speak her mind.

“How… um… if you’re okay with me asking… how are you going to film on the moon?” Shadow asked, her voice filled with nervous curiosity.

Flicker’s muzzle split into a wide grin, happy to get to explain his ideas. “We won’t actually need to go anywhere. We can film it all here. We just need to build a set. Since no pony knows what the moon looks like, our imagination’s the limit with what we can do!” His thoughts quickly got away from him and he began to ramble about all the things he had always wanted to do. “In fact, I was thinking we could even try to add colour to the film! By painting the film images made by the magic lantern frame by frame. It would be a lot of work, but I think the effect could be…”

Crash!

They all jumped as a loud crash sounded from above them. Shadow leaped to her hooves with fright, both her mane and tail shooting straight up in surprise.

“What in Tartarus was that?” Swindle groaned, his eyes flickering up to look at the general direction the sound had come from. He gave Shadow a suspicious glare. “There aren’t more ponies living in here… are there?”

Shadow shook her head, her eyes still looking up at the roof. “Not unless they’re really sneaky. I haven’t seen anypony up there before.”

Popcorn shrugged. “It’s probably rats. This place was abandoned before you moved in right?” She gave Shadow an apologetic look. “Well, Kinda abandoned.”

Flicker furrowed his brow. “I don’t think so. I made sure to deal with all the rats before the premier. There’s no way there are more!”

There was a small yelp, muffled and slightly distant, but still very much audible. “Watch it. Don’t break it,” A voice scolded. It was too quiet to make out anything about the voice and who it belonged to, but the words were still distinct enough for everypony to hear.

Everypony froze again and looked around at each other. There was somepony, or from the sounds of it, two ponies up in the rafters that weren't supposed to be there. From the direction of the noise, it sounded like they were in the lighting booth.

Swindle cast Shadow yet another look. “Well, whether they were there before or not. Somepony is up there.”

At the sound of another small crash, Flicker couldn’t wait any longer in suspense. He spun around and rushed towards the double doors to the amphitheater. Shadow quickly took to the air and rushed after him, followed swiftly by both Swindle and Popcorn

Flicker and Shadow burst into the theater first, the doors banging open as they charged in. Flicker’s gaze immediately turned towards the trap door leading towards the lighting booth.

He froze as his eyes landed on the ladder.

Two ponies were quickly descending the ladder. They were clad in dark cloaks, hiding their faces and hides, and one of them was carrying his magic lantern camera in their magical grasp.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing!” Flicker shouted at them, drawing both of the mystery ponies attention to the doorway of the theatre.

The pony not carrying the camera made a startled eep sound as they realized they had been spotted. They tugged on the other ponies cloak hastily, signalling for them to do something. There was a quick flash of light, and both of the ponies disappeared, taking the camera with them.

Swindle and Popcorn stumbled through the door, their heads darting around to spot the intruders. “What’s going on? Who’s here?” Swindle asked, his own gaze shifting to where the intruders had just been moments before.

Both Flicker and Shadow spun around, already charging for the exit of the theater. “They took it! They stole our camera!” Flicker shouted, his mind filling with fear.

He only had one magic lantern camera. It was the one his father and uncle had made so long ago. While he did have a basic understanding of how the camera worked, he doubted he would be able to build a new one from memory and scratch alone and with nothing to go off of.

“Quick, they couldn’t have gotten far!” Shadow Silhouette said, flying out the door of the theatre and looking around the street. Flicker was surprised to see much of her nervous behaviour and mannerisms melt away under the seriousness of the situation.

Swindle, Popcorn! You check that way!” Flicker ordered, turning and rushing around the left side of the theater. Shadow continued to dart after him, rising higher into the air with a flap of her wings to try and get a better look at the area around them. Without question, Swindle and Popcorn began searching the direction Flicker had directed, moving to the right and searching for the thieves.

“Flicker! Over here!” Shadow shouted, drawing his attention up to the skies. He saw her pointing towards an alley a few feet away just in time to see the edge of a cloak dart behind the brick building and out of sight.

Changing his direction, Flicker Light began racing towards the alley, his heart racing as he tried to pick up speed. He could already feel his hooves tiring as he continued to power forwards. He was not the most fit of ponies.

Flicker galloped into the alleyway, Shadow swooping in behind him and looking around. They saw one of the cloaked ponies clamber over a fence at the far end of the alley, their cloak snagging on the top and ripping a little, giving them both a quick flash of yellow hide beneath.

“Come on! We can’t let them get away!” Flicker shouted, taking a deep breath before continuing to run forwards. Shadow swooped over the top of the fence, pausing only a second to help Flicker over. He quickly waved her off. “Keep going, don’t wait for me.”

Shadow nodded and darted off, flying after the intruders.

Flicker grunted and hauled himself up onto the fence. He huffed as he came to a quick stop at the top, already feeling out of breath. He had no idea how that other pony had made it look so easy.

With another grunt, he pulled himself the rest of the way over the fence and continued running. He could see the last bits of Shadows tail as she darted around yet another corner in the alley.

He sighed, his lungs feeling like they were on fire. “I need to get more in shape,” He grumbled to himself as he pulled himself around the corner to see that they had come to a dead end.

The alley was abruptly stopped by a large brick face of an apartment building. Shadow was hovering in the centre of the alley, her face a mix between a scowl and worry as she faced off against the two cloaked ponies who had skidded to a stop against the far wall.

Now a little closer and not in as much of a rush, Flicker could see that the two thieves were a lot shorter than he had expected. Not quite the height of a full grown pony, but still taller than your average foal. He raised an eyebrow at them as he slowly trotted towards them.

“Well, Brother of mine, it looks like we’re in a bit of a sticky situation,” One of the cloaked thieves squeaked, trying to back up more as Flicker and Shadow drew closer to them.

Flicker pulled up short. That voice? How could he forget a voice as memorable as that? “Flim and Flam?” Flicker panted, still trying to catch his breath. He reached out and pulled the two thieves hoods off with his magic, revealing two identical heads of yellow and red.

Shadow gave Flicker a confused look. “Wait, you know these ponies?”

Flicker nodded, taking another step forward. “Yeah, they’re my advertising team…” he returned his attention to the two young con ponies. “What are you doing? Stealing out stuff?”

Flim and Flam gave each other worried looks. “Well my brother and I were quite interested in this little film business of yours you see, and we decided to take things into our own hooves a little,” One of them said, whether it was Flim or Flam that spoke, no pony could tell. “We thought that what you’d set up was the opportunity of a lifetime. That was of course, until we found an even bigger opportunity!”

Flicker’s eyes narrowed. “So you thought you could just steal my stuff and make your own films?”

The Flim Flam brothers gave each other confused looks. After a second, they both broke out into childish laughter. “Make our own films?” The brother that had not yet spoken began, wiping a tear from his eye. He waved his hoof to dismiss the idea. “Oh no! My brother and I happened upon another business partner. One who we simply could not refuse!”

Flicker and Shadow exchanged worried looks. “Another partner?” Shadow asked, her gaze returning to the two young ponies. “What other partner?”

“Well now, that would be us,” A gravelly voice announced from behind them.

Startled, Flicker and Shadow spun around, to find their path blocked by three ponies in dark blue suits. Flickers eyes widened in surprise, his eyes catching on a specific dark red stallion with a thin scar on the clip of his eye. He had met this pony before, in an alley right after he had been kicked out of his apartment. Flicker still had a few bruises to prove it too.

Out of the corner of his eye, Flicker saw Shadow take a nervous step back. “No… oh no, not t-them…” She breathed, her voice coming out in a terrified whisper. “P-please anypony but them…”

The pony with the thin scar took an intimidating step towards them. “Flicker... I didn’t realize it was you,” His mouth twisted into a menacing smile. “You’re looking better than you were last time we met.”

Flicker felt his legs growing weak. What had Swindle called these ponies? The Nightmare Gang? The biggest Crime family in all of Coltifornia if not all of Equestrian? Flicker took a nervous step backwards, only to find that he was now pressed up against the back of the alley, cornered. He spotted the flim flam brothers quickly skirting out from behind him to join up with the well dressed gang ponies.

Shadow shuffled her wings nervously at her side as the three gang ponies began trotting towards them. “F-f-flicker… we need to get out of here… r-right now…”

The scarred gang pony tisked and shook his head. “I’m afraid you two are going to be coming with us. We’ve got a lot to talk about,” He stomped his hoof on the ground twice. Immediately, the two ponies at his side rushed forwards, making Shadow leep back with a startled eep. Flicker spun around, preparing to buck and fight it he had too.

It didn’t matter. The two gang ponies flashed forwards faster than they could react, burlap sacks already in their hooves and snapping shut around Flicker and Shadows heads, sending their vision into darkness.

The sack around Flickers head was ripped off violently, jerking his head back slightly in an uncomfortable manner. He squinted as the light of the room flooded his vision, momentarily blinding him as he tried to orientate himself. He saw Shadow sitting beside him, her muzzle scrunched up and her eyes narrowed as she tried to adjust her eyes to the light as well.

Flicker had tried to resist as the Nightmare Gang ponies had escorted him away, but it had done him no good. They were a lot stronger than he was, and there were a lot more of them. He had felt the gang ponies load him and Shadow into and eventually off of a wagon, but the trip had taken a few hours and he had no clue where that wagon had taken them. They could be anywhere in Coltifornia by now for all he knew.

As his eyes finally began to take in the rest of the room, he spotted a large ornate desk before him. Behind it sat a grey earth pony buck with a dark black mane that had been combed back in a very suave looking fashion. Like the rest of the nightmare gang ponies, he was dressed in a classy, dark blue suit, though his was completed with a black vest and bowtie that seemed to go well with his mane.

The pony behind the desk looked Flicker and Shadow over for a second before silently opening a drawer in his desk and pulling out a small box. “Cigar?” The pony asked, his voice sounding strangely casual while still having a strong sense of superiority that demanded respect.

Flicker shook his head quickly. He had never been much for smoking, and the last thing he wanted to do was take anything from a pony who had for all intents and purposes, ponynapped him.

The pony raised an eyebrow at Flicker for a second before shifting his sights to Shadow. “Cigar?” He offered again. Shadow took a few minutes to respond, her whole body trembling as she stared at the pony, before finally giving a small, timid shake of her head. The stallion sighed. “Oh well, suit yourselves,” He pulled a cigar out slowly and placed it in his mouth before lighting it with a lighter. He puffed the cigar for a moment, taking in the taste before removing it from his mouth and looking back at his captives. “I’d imagine you are very confused right now.”

Flicker couldn’t help it. He scoffed, and rolled his eyes. “No really? What gave you that idea?” Shadow gave him a rough nudge, telling him to be quiet. Flicker quickly silenced himself, realizing that insulting this pony before him probably wasn’t going to get him anywhere.

The pony simply gave Flicker an amused look before taking another puff of their cigar. “You see Flicker Light, this film business of yours has made quite an uproar in Coltifornia. It hasn’t even been a full twenty four hours since your opening premier and already news of this new upcoming artform has spread across the city. And things that cause uproars and make bits are my business you see. I simply had to invest a little of my own time into this whole ordeal.”

Flicker raised an eyebrow at that. “So… what exactly do you want here?”

The mob boss waved Flicker’s question off with a hoof. “This film thing seems to have a fair amount of potential. I’d be a fool to not at least be a little interested,” He tapped his chin thoughtfully, mulling something over in his mind. “There is a new election coming up in a few months, perhaps you’ve heard of it. My political stances are of little concern to you, and in all fairness of little concern to myself, but if a pony like me wishes to stay where he is in this city, he needs to make sure the ruling bodies stay in line with his needs, regardless of personal political desires and feelings. This camera of yours is just the thing I need to keep my head in the game.”

“But… okay… um… I kinda need it though…” Flicker mumbled, knowing that that rather lame sounding argument probably wasn’t going to hold much water when faced by a mob boss and a sudden central role in a game of politics and intrigue.

“Oh, of course!” The mob boss said, clapping his fore hooves together. “Perish the idea of me stealing anything from you. I have no desire to put a stop to your little business. In fact, a successful new industry in Coltifornia would be quite beneficial to me. You will have your magic lamp camera returned to you in time. I will have it delivered right back to your theatre by tomorrow evening at the latest. Right after I have made a few copies of my own of course.”

Flicker looked over to Shadow Silhouette, hoping to get some backup in the conversation. As soon as his eyes landed on her, he realized he was going to be on his own in this talk. She was shivering so much, Flicker was surprised her wings and hooves didn’t fall off and her eyes were wide as if she had seen a ghost.

Turning back to the mob boss, Flicker asked, “So, what exactly are you going to do with the camera?”

The mob boss gave him a smug grin. “I intend to make a film of course. One that might sway the general populous into my mindset for the coming election. I have an associate that is quite interested in getting his hooves on it as well. My interests at the moment currently lie in his success.”

Flicker gave a small growl, but quickly silenced himself when he realized that wouldn’t accomplish anything. “I can’t let you do that! Film isn’t about forcing ponies to think a certain way! It’s about…”

The mob boss slammed his hoof down on his desk, pulling Flicker up short. The mob boss's muzzle twisted into a growl and for the first time since this conversation had started, Flicker Light suddenly felt very afraid of the pony sitting in front of him.

After a second of glaring at Flicker, the mob boss straightened his bowtie and took a quick puff of his cigar, putting on a friendlier expression. “Why should it not be used for political gain? All other forms of media are? Besides, this is not exactly a matter that you have any say in. I will be taking your camera, and I will be making a film. You will not interfere,” The mob boss leaned back in his seat and took a final drag of his cigar before finally putting it out in an elegant looking ashtray on his desk. He looked Flicker and Shadow over for yet another moment before letting an uncomfortably warm smile spread across his face. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t we make a little deal. There’s no reason there needs to be a losing party here.”

“No!” Shadow suddenly blurted, bolting out of her seat and hovering in the air above them. Two ponies guarding the door that Flicker hadn’t previously noticed moved to restrain her, but the mob boss put a hoof up to stop them. Shadow looked around, suddenly looking very embarrassed by her outburst. She slowly fluttered back to her seat. “Oh… um… sorry…”

The mob boss shook his head with a chuckle. “Think nothing of it. In fact, you, Shadow Silhouette, are part of this deal I was wishing to propose.”

Flicker cast Shadow a worried glance. “How did he know your na… Wait! Do you know these ponies!”

Shadow gave him a look that was somewhere between an apology and a cry for help. “Um… Maybe… I’ll tell you later...”

The mob boss chuckled. “Now about that deal. You see, I have no interest in fighting with you. Not over silly matters such as these. Instead, how about I offer you ponies protection. Clearly your theatre is an easy target for thieves as two foals managed to sneak in and steal your most valuable possession. Furthermore, with all the hubbub about this new potential world of cinema, I feel there will be more ponies looking to get in on some of that action. If you allow us to make a copy of your camera, and do not interfere with my plans, no pony will bother you again,” He leaned a little closer and put his hooves together atop his desk. “And I never forget ponies who have helped me. Perhaps once all this election stuff is over and my own film endeavors are no longer consuming my time, I can give you a few bits here and there to keep your company afloat. You would never need to fight to attain funding again.”

Flicker had to admit, that offer was really tempting. But he still didn’t like the idea of a pony like this having control over his life and property, especially since he had so rudely stolen it. “And if I refuse this deal of yours?” Flicker pushed, trying not to sound too rude.

The mob boss gave him a flat look. “Then I’ll still make my film, as I already have your camera. However, I simply won’t return it. You will be camera-less and receive no protection or funding from me in the future...” he lowered his head slightly, his eyes becoming shrouded in shadows as his brow blocked them off from the overhead light above him. “...And there might be a few unfortunate... accidents. I hear film is very flammable. I’d hate if your theatre caught fire, and the fire ponies were unable to get there in time. Such a shame that you and your friends couldn't make it out in time before the fire consumed you…”

Flicker gulped, the image that the mob boss was painting terribly vivid in his mind. He gave a terrified nod, unable to meet the mob bosses shadow shrouded eyes. “D-deal…”

The mob boss's face brightened and he put a large smile back onto his face. “Wonderful! I assure you that you will not regret making such a gracious choice,” his gaze shifted back to Shadow. “Your friend here just saved your hide. Consider your debt to me paid in full,” He gave them one more smile before gesturing to the two guard ponies. “That is all that I need. Take them away.”

As the two ponies approached, they pulled burlap sacks out and held them out. Flicker groaned. Darn it, he really didn’t want to put his head back into one of those.

It had started raining. Because life simply couldn’t give him a break. So much for his previous sentiment about nothing being able to ruin his day.

The Nightmare gang ponies had dropped them off in a seemingly random back alley. By the time Flicker and Shadow had managed to remove the sacks over their heads, the gang ponies had disappeared, as if never having been there at all.

Flicker sighed, looking up at the overcast sky as they slowly walked back to the theatre. They could have at least dropped them off closer. It looked like it was going to be an annoyingly long walk in the rain. A freezing breeze seemed to blow down the near empty streets, making an ice cold chill race through their bodies and drenched coats.

Flicker glanced over at Shadow Silhouette, who had taken to staring silently at her hooves as they trudged onwards. After a few moments of walking in awkward silence, he cleared his throat. “So, uh… what’s your story with the Nightmare Gang?”

Shadow winced. “I...I don’t really want to talk about it,” She turned her head away, refusing to make eye contact.

Flicker Light raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Shadow, you need to tell me these kinds of things? If we’re going to work together, I need to know who I’m working with, and honestly, I don’t think I know the first thing about you.”

Sighing, Shadow returned her gaze to her hooves. She scuffed her hoof on the ground nervously for a second before responding. “W-what exactly do y-you want to know?”

“What your history with the Nightmare gang is to start. I don’t know much about them, but they seem like bad ponies...” Flicker answered truthfully. “And… Well, I guess a bit more about you as well. Your interests, hobbies… I don’t know… cutie mark story… I want to get to know you,” He blushed and glanced away himself. “If that’s not too much to ask.”

Shadow shook her head. “N-no, that’s… that’s fine. You let me stick around, so I suppose I owe you that much…”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Flicker argued, returning his gaze to her. She didn’t meet his eye. “I wasn’t simply going to kick you out of your home… even if you were just living in the roof of my theatre.”

“But I do owe you!” she burst, finally looking up and meeting Flickers gaze. “You let me stay when any other pony, even your business partner would have thrown me out! You gave me a job in a city where I was simply struggling to survive! I mean, you settled my debt with the Nightmare gang! Do you know how much that means!?”

Flicker shook his head, but he imagined that being in trouble with the Nightmare gang was pretty bad. “Is the Nightmare gang the reason you were sleeping in an abandoned theatre?”

Shadow reverted her gaze to the ground, and sighed. The heavy rain had soaked her mane, making the wet strands of hair sag into her face. “A few years ago, I moved to Coltifornia to start up my acting career. Stage shows mind you, film wasn’t really a thing.”

Flicker chuckled lightly at the specification. “Of that I am well aware.”

Shadow's face didn’t reflect the lightness of Flicker's laugh. “I didn’t have many bits at the time, so I was looking for a cheap place to stay. Surprisingly, I found a really high quality apartment in uptown that was selling for a shockingly low price. I bought the place in a heartbeat. It was a nice place, oddly cheap rent. I didn’t really think anything of it. I should have known that a place that nice wouldn’t have been selling for so cheap,” Shadow paused for a second to wipe some of the rain off her face with the back of her hoof. “It turns out the old owner of the apartment owed the Nightmare Gang some bits. A lot of bits actually. I don’t really know what for. As soon as I bought the place, they fled the city. The Nightmare gang came knocking on my door the next day…”

Flicker’s eyebrows furrowed together, a few raindrops dripping from his mane and rolling down his chin. “So? What did that have to do with you. You didn’t owe them any bits?”

“They didn’t see it that way,” Shadow sighed. “They expected me to pay what he owed. I couldn’t deliver that sort of thing. They threatened me. Or I thought they did. The Nightmare gang doesn’t make threats, only promises for ponies that fail to follow through with their demands.”

“So what? You fled and hid in the abandoned theatre?”

Shadow nodded. “I’ve always been a bit of a nervous pony. Making friends when I was in highschool was always hard. The only time I ever really felt confident was when I acted in school plays. It was why I wanted to become an actress in the first place. I felt it would be fitting to hide in the abandoned theater. No pony would look for me there. It worked for a while, of course, until you showed up.”

Flicker Light gave an apologetic grin. “Sorry…”

Shadow's eyes shot wide as she realized that her last statement sounded like she was accusing him. “No no! Don’t be! You’ve helped me so much and I’ve only known you for a day! Not to mention I’ve never really had friends before, so you’ve practically made all my dreams come true without even trying.”

Flicker felt himself blush again. “I don’t know about that, but I’m glad I could help out,” He looked Shadow over again for a second before continuing. “So, I guess that’s enough about those Nightmare gang jerks. What else is there to you? Obviously you like acting. What else?”

Shadow seemed to brighten up at that. “Oh… well, I like shadow puppets, that’s how I got my cutie mark actually!” she gestured to the image of the full moon on her rump. “I was on a camping trip when I was a filly. I entertained the rest of my class by making shadow puppets on the tent with the moonlight,” She sighed. “It was one of the few times ponies my age seemed to like me…” She looked back over at Flicker’s cutie mark. “What about yours? How did you get that cutie mark?”

Flicker glanced back at his own cutie mark, the image of a film projector stared back. “My dad and uncle were filming one of their short films,” Flicker started, his expression nostalgic as he remembered a better time a long time ago. “During the shoot, he showed me how to operate the camera. I wasn’t very good at it at first, but after a few tries, it practically became second nature. I was too engrossed in the filmmaking at the time and didn’t notice until I got home that I had gotten my cutie mark.”

They quickly crossed an empty street. It was a familiar street, one that Flicker had found himself on a couple of times in the past. To his right, Flicker could see the municipal government building, the very location that would soon hold the upcoming election. It was a fairly sparse street, only holding two other buildings. An apartment building that he knew his old landlord Rosemary lived in, and an abandoned skyscraper that had not seen use in far too many years.

A taxi wagon rushed past them. Flicker raised a hoof to try and catch the drivers attention, but the taxi just continued to speed away, leaving them behind in the torrential downpour. He sighed as the taxi turned a street corner and drove out of sight. “I guess we’re stuck walking back.”

Shadow stood straight up. “Oh, wait…” She stretched out her wing and raised it above Flicker’s head, using it to keeping him dry from the rain. “T-there. Now you wont get wet.”

Flicker gave her a flat look. “But you’re still stuck in the rain. You’ll catch a cold in this weather.”

Shadow shrugged, moving a little closer, pushing her side was up against Flicker’s own so that her wing was able to cover him properly. “Don’t worry about it. I’m a pegasus. We’re used to cold weather.”

Flicker gave her another look. He had never once in his life heard anything about Pegasi being immune to the cold. He was almost positive that she was making that up.

Giving a small grunt on, Flicker let his horn flare to life. After a second of concentration, a small shield of magic popped into existence above Shadow Silhouette’s head, keeping her away from the rain. Flicker was no expert with magic, but he was pretty sure he could hold up a simple spell like this for a bit. At least until they got back to the theatre.

His horn was probably going to be burning for a week after this though.

Shadow’s eyes widened as she looked up at the magical shield. “Whoa… cool!” She looked back at Flicker. “Thank you.”

Flicker shrugged. “Don’t mention it. Anything to help,” He shuffled a little closer to her to try and keep from the rain under her wing. He could feel her warmth radiating from her, keeping his shivering, wet body warm. Her soft, warm breath breathed gently against the tip of his muzzle, sending strange tingles down his spine.

He suddenly realized their faces were extremely close, their muzzles almost touching. Flicker Light quickly turned his head the other way, blushing profusely, his heart beating a little faster than it should have been. That was weird…

Shadow seemed to have noticed the same thing and turned her own head away, her cheeks turning a bright red. “So, uh…” Shadow stammered, trying to move the conversation along. “What… What are you going to do about your film now? Now that the Nightmare gang has your camera…?”

“Oh… I didn’t even think about that!” Flicker said, thankful for the sudden change in topic to take his mind off of… whatever had just happened. “I mean, there is a lot of work to be done before we need the camera. I guess while we wait for them to return it, we’ll start getting the set and crew together. Put up auditions for actors. That sort of stuff. I’ve already written the script so that won’t be a problem. Finding crew and actors interested in the project will be the hard part.”

Shadow scuffed the tip of her hoof softly against the ground nervously. “Um… I could… I could act. You know… if you want me to…”

Flickers ears shot up, suddenly extremely excited. “Of course! You would make a perfect Luna!” He exclaimed. He excitedly pulled closer and wrapped Shadow in a tight hug, forgetting about the rain entirely as he moved out from under the protection of her wing to wrap his hooves around her fully. After a few seconds of hugging, he blushed again and quickly pulled back under her wing, his expression filled with embarrassment. “Uh… hehe… sorry… got a little excited there.”

Shadow Silhouette giggled, her own cheeks flushing, though not nearly as hard as Flickers were. “That’s okay,” She smiled, giving him a little bump on the shoulder. “Hugs are always nice…” She paused, thinking over what Flicker had said. “Do… Do you really think I’d make a good Luna? I mean, that’s a really big role, isn’t it?”

Flicker gave an enthusiastic nod of his head. “Yeah, it is a large role, but you’d be perfect for it. You’ve already got the dark blue coat and mane and moon cutie mark. Plus you're a pegasus, and a fake horn is a lot easier than fake wings. You said yourself you are a good actress, and acting for film is easier than stage since there's no dialogue. And you’re super pretty and beautiful, just like everypony says Luna is supposed to be, and, and… And I’m going to stop talking now…” Flicker could feel the blush that was already on his face growing. He really hoped Shadow hadn’t picked up on that last comment of his.

From her surprised expression, he figured she had, but she didn’t mention it. Instead she just looked back down at her hooves. “I… Okay. Yeah. I can play Luna. I’d love to actually! I’ve just never done a big role like that before though…”

Shaking off his embarrassment, Flicker shrugged. “You’d be great. I know you would. Besides, I’ll be there to help you the whole way through if you need anything.”

Shadow looked up towards the end of the street where the FlickerLight Theatre was beginning to come into view. “I suppose we need to tell Swindle that the Nightmare gang has our camera.”

Flicker Light grimaced. “I suppose so… he’ll probably be okay though… after he stops scolding me about some bit making opportunity that I'm sure I missed somehow that is,” They both chuckled at that for a moment.

The rain finally let up and a bit of moonlight managed to peak down at them through the cloud layer. Shadow slowly folded her wing back against her side, while Flicker let the spell his horn was casting drop. They smiled up at the sky for a second, glad the rain was finally gone before they turned their smiles down to each other.

“Thank you,” Shadow said softly, her words so quiet Flicker almost didn’t hear them, even while standing as close to her as he was.

He gave her a questioning look in response. “For what? What did I do this time?”

Shadow shrugged. “I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. Just, thank you…”

They walked the rest of the way to the theatre in silence, simply enjoying each others company. Flicker could feel his cheeks grow warm and his smile widening. Right now he had a movie to start making, and now because of Shadow Silhouette, he was more excited about it than ever before.

Interlude

“Wait… Flim and Flam? As in the owners of the Casino in Los Pegasus?” I gaped as our taxi wagon continued to drive down the street.

Director Horsehooves nodded. “The very same. Those two have had quite the successful last few years as of late I've heard, though I admit to having not paid as much attention to them as I probably should be.”

I blinked, trying to piece a few things together. “So… If those two con artists working with the Nightmare gang is common knowledge, why haven't they been arrested yet?”

Horsehooves gave a small smile. “Quite a few reasons, honestly. Firstly, news of their affiliation with the Nightmare gang didn’t come out till many years after they had broken all ties with the crime family altogether. Furthermore, they were far too young at the time for any real prison time, and Flicker decided to never press any charges when questioned.”

I felt my eyebrows furrow. “Wait, why wouldn’t he push charges? It sounds like they caused him a lot of trouble…”

“Oh, you don’t even know the half of the trouble that they caused. Had Flicker known what awaited him, perhaps he would have been more assertive with the Nightmare gang in regards to possession of his father's invention,” Horsehooves chuckled, though there was some heaviness to his mirth. “Perhaps if you would let me finish the story, you will have a better understanding on how things came to be the way they are, and why Flicker Light chose to do what he did in regard to those rapscallions.”

I raised a hoof for him to continue, only for the taxi wagon to pull to an abrupt stop. “Alright. We’ve reached your destination,” The cabbie driver announced, unhooking himself from the front of the taxi and moving to open up the door for us.

Horsehooves gave me a sympathetic smile and pulled himself out of the taxi wagon, quickly passing the driver a few bits in payment for his services. I noticed that he added a surprisingly large tip. He quickly checked a watch around his hoof. “We still have quite a few hours before the premier. If you are interested, I can finish the story once inside.”

I gave a small nod and climbed out of the wagon myself. “I would love to hear the rest of it. I feel like a story like this is one that I should have heard a long time ago, and I find myself itching to hear what the future has in store for Flicker.”

The director's smile looked somewhat forced as he began trotting away from the taxi and towards the theatre. The place looked much like how Horsehooves had described it in the story, though there were a few additions that I was sure had been added on later in life.

“It really is a story to remember, and the ending is perhaps one of the most important moments in film history to date,” Horsehooves agreed, pushing open the door and holding for me. I gave him a gratuitous nod as I trotted in.

“Unfortunately though, the future of Flicker Light’s story that you are so interested in is not as happy as you might expect. Until this point in the tale, he has seen a lot of success, but as they say, what goes up, must come down. Flicker Light had no way of knowing at the time, but something terrible had been set in motion. Things were beginning to take a terrible turn for the worst and he was soon to find himself on the edge of a knife, a discarded pawn in a dangerous game of chess and the unwilling participant in a twisted game of political power,” Horsehooves forced a cough and gave me a sheepish look. “Excuse me, my love for metaphors and wordplay tend to get the better of me while I tell stories.”

I gave him a smile before turning my attention to the theatre's opening room. “Don’t feel sorry for anything, as a columnist, I myself am quite a fan of metaphors and fancy wordplay,” a framed picture against the far wall caught my eye and I trotted over to look at it. The photo was in black and white, making guessing the ponies coat and mane colour impossible, but quickly reading the name on the small plaque below it quickly answered my question as to who the picture was of. “This is a picture of Swindle gyp? Yes?”

Horsehooves trotted over and looked up at the picture. He gave a quick nod. “It is. I believe there is one of Flicker and Shadow inside the amphitheater as well, but you will need to wait till the screening begins to see those.”

I nodded before turning back to face the famous director. “Well, as much as I figure that I should probably stay focused on our interview about your new film, you have fully engrossed me in this historical tale and I do wish for you to continue it.”

Horsehooves gave another chuckle and directed me over to a bench against one wall of the room. “I cannot say I expected to be recounting the life story of Flicker Light today, but it’s always my pleasure to tell this story. It is one of my favorites,” He sat down on the bench and tapped one of his hooves against his chin thoughtfully. “Now where was I…”

“Their camera was temporarily stolen and they were preparing to make a movie,” I said, only somewhat helpfully.

Horsehooves nodded, his eyebrows knotting together as he tried to remember the next part of the story. “Yes. Not a bad place for us to have taken a short intermission actually, as I feel a quick leap forward in time will do this story wonders. The next few months of Flicker's life were somewhat lacking in the events and drama that one might consider interesting substance to add to a story. True to the mob bosses word, their magical lamp camera was returned the following day, and with it, the tail end of pre production and production itself began. They had no lack of ponies interested in working on the film, and within the week had assembled a rather capable cast and crew. Of course, as the looming election day grew closer on the horizon, so too came Flicker Lights apotheosis. Little did he know what was awaiting him in the coming hours… Or the tragedy that was soon to befall all of them. As I think of the next act of our tale, I am reminded of what Golden Bits told Flicker Light many, many moons ago. Dreams do not make money, only fools out of the ponies that pursue them...”

A Trip to Luna's Moon, or the Equestrian Dream Factory

The cylindrical, bullet shaped spaceship rocketed forward, flashing across the sky before crashing into the crater-like eye of the mare in the moon.

With a hiss of steam, the door on the side of the ship popped open, making way for Celestia and her five most trusted astronomers. Three zebras and two ponies. The white alicorn stepped from the rocket, dust billowing from around her hooves as she touched down upon the surface of the moon for the first time.

Excitedly, they look around, the landscape of the moon seeming vast and alien, but beautiful too, filled with a magical whimsy that only the mind of a foal could properly comprehend. They all stare out into the vast expanse of space, their breath catching with awe as they make out the beautiful planet of Equus, nearly silhouetted by the sun and surrounded by hundreds of twinkling stars.

Tired from their long and extravagant voyage through space, Celestia and her astronomers pull out blankets and bedrolls and settle into a deep sleep below the stars, preparing for the big day ahead of them tomorrow. As they slumber a comet passes across the star filled sky above them unseen.

Then, down from above them descends a crescent-moon swing. Seated atop it sits the most beautiful pony in the universe, their mane flowing softly in the breeze and shimmering with the light of the cosmos itself. She is the goddess of the Moon. Princess Luna herself.

Princess Luna raises her hoof towards the endless expanse of Space above. Slowly, snow begins to fall.

“Aaaand cut!” Flicker Light chirped gleefully, his grin practically stretching across his whole face. The camera pony beside him fumbled for a second before shutting off the camera and letting the rolling film come to an abrupt stop. Flicker had spent a while teaching him how to operate the magic lamp camera the moment it had been returned to them by the Nightmare Gang, but he was still a little inexperienced with the device.

Popcorn let her horn fade, the image of the night sky she was projecting onto the wall behind the set slowly faded from view. Swindle hadn’t been lying when he said that she was a master illusionist. After having watched her display her magic a few times, Flicker was pretty sure Popcorn could project an image onto any surface, any size and from any distance. She didn’t seem to even break a sweat. Her magic made his projector seem almost useless.

Shadow Silhouette glanced down nervously at Flicker from her spot atop the crescent-moon swing that still lay suspended above the set. “D-did that look good?” She questioned timidly, before glancing down at the six actors below her. “You all did really good by the way.”

The actress for Celestia gave Shadow a kind smile, using one of her fore hooves to adjust the fake horn atop her head. “You did good yourself.”

“It was perfect,” Flicker gushed, rushing over and beginning to pull out set pieces for the next scene of the film. Across the room, Flicker spotted Swindle trotting in, a newspaper tight in his magic. “All of you are doing perfect.”

“A-Are you sure? I could do something different if you didn’t like it,” Shadow squeaked.

Flicker gave her a nonplus stare. “Don’t be silly. That performance was exactly what I was looking for,” He turned to address everypony more fully. “I don't think I could have gotten a better crew.”

“Flicker my lad, mind if I talk to you for a second?” Swindle asked, finally coming to a stop behind Flicker Light. “Something just came up.”

Flicker glanced down at him for a second before nodding. “Alright. Popcorn, you’re in charge of setting up the set until I get back.”

Popcorn’s head shot straight up. “What? Me?”

Flicker nodded before hopping off the set to land beside Swindle. “Sure. Just make it look like it snowed. You’ll do great. I’ll be back to help you in a moment.”

Popcorn gave a confident nod and Flicker turned and followed Swindle a few feet away. “Okay… what’s going on?”

“This! This is what’s going on!” Swindle declared, levitating up his newspaper and waving it in Flicker’s face.

Flicker took a small step back and tried to read the words on the rapidly waving page. “Um… and what is that exactly?”

“What is it? What is it!” Swindle Gyp gaped, tossing the newspaper into the air. “It’s a threat against our next big thing. That's what! A competitor!”

“A what?” Flicker asked, raising an eyebrow. “Slow down. You aren’t making any sense.”

Swindle paused and took a deep breath before returning his attention to Flicker with a more reserved expression. “The papers don’t say who’s making it or what the film is, but somepony is making a movie. It’s aired to release before ours. ‘Equestria’s first feature,’ they’re calling it.”

Flicker gritted his teeth. “The Nightmare gang no doubt,” He grumbled, down casting his eyes. He had had a feeling that something like this would happen ever since he 'agreed' to letting the Nightmare Gang make their own copy of the magic lamp camera. “But there's nothing we can do about that. If we try to stop them, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”

Swindle tapped his chin with a hoof. “You’re not wrong. Directly getting in the way of Nightmare Gang activity is practically a death wish. I avoid those monsters if I can, and I'm notorious for getting into trouble with the wrong ponies. I can't even begin to imagine what they might do if you backed out on a deal with them.”

"I could," Flicker grumbled, remembering all too well the mob bosses threat to burn his theatre down with him and all his friends inside it. “Besides, I want other ponies to make movies too. I wanted to prove there's more to film than they all thought,” Flicker continued optimistically, his ears perking up a little. “I might not like the Nightmare gang, but somepony else making a movie isn’t all that bad. In fact, it was what I wanted anyway.”

Swindle sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I just don’t like the idea of needing to compete with other ponies for success. Not to mention it will be harder to get publicity now that you are insisting Flim and Flam don’t help us out.”

“They literally broke into the theatre and stole our one and only camera,” Flicker deadpanned, giving him his most grumpy looking face. “They resigned the moment they did that.”

“I hate that I can’t argue that,” Swindle chided himself. “All the same, it feels wrong to me that you aren’t the pony to be credited for the first feature.”

Flicker gave him an amused look. “I didn’t think me getting credit was all that important to you? I thought it was all about business and bits?”

Swindle responded with an unexpected sigh. “That’s what I used to think. To be honest with you, I’m coming to really enjoy this little business we’ve started up here. Can’t quite place it, but it feels better than others I’ve done somehow, and I’m not just talking about its success.”

Flicker felt a warm smile touch his lips. “It’s kinda like we’re family, huh?”

Swindle looked surprised at the sentiment for a moment before tweaking the tip of his muzzle and putting on a daft expression. “Don’t push it. You’re talking silly talk.”

He turned and trotted away from Flicker, moving to help Popcorn with the set. Flicker felt himself grinning as he watched the charismatic pony walk off. “Call is silly talk all you want. It's totally like family.”

Shadow Silhouette, seeing that their conversation had finished, lifted herself up into the air with her wings and flapped over to where Flicker was standing. “What was that about?” She asked, slowly touching down.

“It looks like those Nightmare Gang ponies are making that movie of theirs,” Flicker replied honestly, not quite meeting her eye. Shadow gave a perturbed look at that, but nodded as the two of them started walking back to the set. “Nothing we can really do about it now… Try to just focus on our film. We’ll be fine. Everything is going to be just fine...”

Flicker let his eyes roll over the menu, his thoughts more focus on the mysterious upcoming film than eating.

It had been almost two months since he had first heard that another film was being made by some allusive director, and yet aside from the rapidly growing hype over the production, there hadn’t been a single hint as to what the film was about or who was making it. Though he was almost positive that the Nightmare Gang was involved.

Who else could it be? And with the film's release date, that being that very day, happening to be only three days away from the ever approaching election, his suspicions were only growing. That mob boss had said he wanted to use film to advance his political agenda… If only Flicker could figure out what that actually meant.

Shadow looked up from her own menu, noticing that Flickers face had been cast into an expression of unfocused distress. “Hey? You alright?” She asked, worry creeping into her voice.

The two of them had spent the last two months grabbing a bite to eat at the old diner down the street from their theatre after film shoots. It was a good way to get their minds off of more pressing matters and the jukebox theme always seemed fitting for some reason. Flicker had to admit that half the reason he insisted the two of them get food so often was because he simply really enjoyed spending time with Shadow, though he found himself hesitant to say that outright to her for some reason.

He glanced up from his menu at her. “I’m… yeah, I’m alright. Just thinking is all.”

Shadow cocked an eyebrow at him. “You aren’t still worried about that other film are you?”

Yup. That is exactly what he was worried about. “What? Worried about the other film? No. Why would you think that?” Shadow continued to give him a flat, but patient stare. After a few seconds he dropped his gaze again. “Okay, well maybe that’s what’s on my mind a little bit.”

“We don’t need to go to their premier you know,” Shadow suggested. “We could just stay at the theatre? Maybe talk a little longer? I always like just sitting around talking to you, so I wouldn't mind. If you don’t want to go, just say so.”

Flicker Light shook his head sadly. “Not an option. I think I need to see this, if only to calm myself down and put all my worries to rest,” His smile brightened a little bit. “Besides, I look forward to seeing what other ponies can do with the medium, even if they will be taking the title of first feature film director.”

“And that doesn’t bother you?”

Flicker let his mouth twist into a sadder smile. “It does a little, but I’ll be fine, really. I never did all this for fame anyway. As long as I get to make my movie, I’ll be happy.”

Shadow’s smile softened a little as well. “Well in that case, you had better order. The premiere is in an hour and I feel like I’ve been waiting for you to choose what you’re going to eat for forever.”

Flicker stuck out his tongue playfully before once more returning his attention to the menu. After a few seconds of perusing, he put it aside, having finally decided what he was going to eat.

“You know, I’m glad we get the time to come out here,” Flicker admitted, picking up the glass of water in front of him and taking a small sip. He forced himself to say the next bit, feeling embarrassed to admit it for some reason. “I enjoy the time we get to spend together.”

Shadow blushed at that, her dark cheeks flushing a dark red. “Uh… yeah. M-me too.”

Putting the thoughts of the mysterious other movie out of his mind, Flicker allowed himself more pleasant thoughts. “I’ve been thinking. Once ‘A Trip to Luna’s Moon’ kicks off, I’ll probably look into buying a new apartment. And as great as Rosemary is, I would love to get a nicer place than my last one,” He paused, taking another sip. “I was thinking, we could probably get you a place to stay as well. Somewhere more comfy than a theatre that is. Without Nightmare Gang baggage attached.”

Shadow’s eyes widened a little. “You’d do that for me?”

Flicker gave a small half tilt of his head “Well I mean, technically you’ve been helping out and working in the film and all, so like… It only seems right that you get paid and all. I figured I could just throw a few extra bits towards you getting a place. Celestia knows I don’t need all the bits I’ve been raking in.”

Shadow’s blush deepened. “I um… yeah. That would be nice, but you really don’t have to…” She trailed off as Flicker gave her a look that told her his mind was already made up and there was no room for debate. She smiled wider and lunged across the table, wrapping him in a big hug. “Oh, thank you thank you thank you! You’re the best friend ever!”

Somepony coughed from beside them, making them both look up to see a waitress standing beside their table, a clipboard in her magic. “Please don’t lay on top of the tables.”

“Oh… um… sorry…” Shadow stuttered in embarrassment, unwrapping her hooves around Flicker and returning to her seat with an abashed look on her face.

“Can I get you two anything?” The waitress asked, an unamused expression scrawled across her face. "The lovers couple special perhaps?"

Flicker felt the slowly fading blush on his face strengthen at that comment. Shadows face turned an even brighter red as she realized what the waitress had said. Flicker cleared his throat and picked up his menu again in slight embarrassment. “Um, no no. Nothing like that. We're not... um... Can I get the hay burger please?”

Shadow gave him a playful look, her blush almost all but gone. “Hey, that’s what I was going to order,” She looked back at the waitress. “I’ll get the same please.”

With a nod, the waitress was off, rolling away on a pair of bright red roller skates and taking their menus with her.

Flicker Light turned his attention back to Shadow and let out a deep sigh, glad that awkwardness was over. He wasn't sure why that embarrassed him so much. Shadow was nice, but it wasn't like he... He quickly decided he needed to move the conversation along before he dwelled up this to much, picking back up the dropped conversation from earlier. “Well, whatever happens, I guess we’ll find out what all this film business is about in an hour. You ready?”

“They’re premiering their film here!” Flicker gaped, staring up at the huge theatre before them. “How, what, huh?”

Shadow cast him an odd glance. “What? Were you expecting it not to be in a theatre?”

“No, it’s not that. Of course it’s in a theatre,” Flicker corrected himself, allowing his face to lose a little of its shocked expression. “It's just... I wasn’t expecting it to be this theatre. I mean, this is the Palomino Theatre! The biggest theatre in all of Coltifornia! Only the highest rated Broadmare musicals get shown here, and sometimes even not those! How on Equus did a film no pony even knows the name of get the privilege of Premiering here?”

The two of them stared up at the theatre, no real answer to the proposed question on either of their minds. The theatre was huge, dwarfing Flickers theatre by quite a few stories. It was clear that the publicity for this film had been through the roof, a line consisting of almost the entire city stretched from the door all the way down the street. Flicker doubted that everypony was going to be able to get a seat.

This director got Flim and Flam working promo no doubt, Flicker thought to himself grumply. Darn those two smooth talking foals.

Shadow Silhouette kicked the ground softly with one of her hooves. “Keep in mind, this is probably funded by the Nightmare Gang. They could probably get any theatre they wanted for the premiere,” She reminded him.

“It would have been costly though,” Flicker insisted, still feeling confused by the premiering location. “This Nightmare Gang must really want this film to be a success.”

The two of them were silent for a little longer, just staring up at the large theatre. After a few seconds, Shadow looked around. “By the way, is Swindle coming along? He didn’t tell me if he was or not.”

Flicker shook his head. “Nah. Said he didn’t want to come. Grumbled something about not wanting to help the competition.”

The doors to the theatre opened up and the line of ponies outside slowly began to funnel into the ornate theatre. They had to wait for a bit, but eventually Flicker and Shadow managed to get themselves inside and into the audience with a fairly decent seat.

Flicker’s eyes scanned the room as he waited for the show to begin. His eyes landed on two ponies talking on the far side of the room. “Wait, is that who I think it is?”

Shadow glanced over, her own eyes trying to spot who he was looking at. Finally her eyes landed on the dark brown pony with a curled pink mustache that did not match his coat at all. “Who? The mayor? I heard he was going to do a small speech before the show. I don’t really like him much. He’s not very nice to non ponies.”

“Wait, I hadn’t heard anything about that? Flicker questioned, pulling his eyes away from the two ponies talking. “And no, I’m talking about the pony he’s talking to.”

Shadow raised and eyebrow suspiciously. “Who is he talking t…?” Shadow trailed off as she craned her neck a little to see the pony beside him. her eyes went wide with fear. It was the Nightmare gang mob boss, the very one who had captured us and stole our camera. A lit cigar protruded from his mouth and the top half of his face was shrouded by a dark, wide brimmed fedora. “O-oh…”

The mob boss pointed the mayor towards the stage, whispering something into his ear that no pony else could hear. The mayor looked around it worry, before gulping and giving a worried nod.

“Looks like the Nightmare gang has the mayor in their pocket,” Flicker grumbled, his eyes following the two ponies as they began walking towards the large, red curtain covered stage in front of the audience.

“Probably won’t for long,” Shadow said simply, pulling out and munching on a bag of popcorn. “His supporters have been dwindling since he was elected. Plus, with the zebra’s being allowed to vote this year, things will probably turn out pretty bad for him.”

Flicker’s eyes shot open, a sudden realization washing over him. He suddenly had a very unsettling idea about what all of this was about. “Oh no…” The words left his mouth at about the same time the mayor stepped up to the stage. “Shadow… I think we’re in for a big problem.”

“Fillies and Gentlecolts,” The mayor started, looking out over the crowd. “Today, I have the honor and privilege of presenting you with one of the greatest works of art that Equestria has seen in a long long time. I had the privilege of viewing this motion picture before hoof, and I must say, it is truly astounding. And its story, I feel is just as important in these uncertain times as ever, if not more so.”

Flicker felt an icy grip slowly constricting around his heart. This couldn’t be happening, he begged. “Please let me be wrong.”

“And now, allow me to introduce you to the wonderful visionary and mastermind director behind the piece,” The mayor declared proudly, stepping aside and gesturing to the red curtain behind him. Slowly, the curtain began to rise, revealing the monochrome griffon standing behind it.

“Thank you mayor,” D.W. Griffin said smugly as he stepped forwards to address the crowd in full. “I am honoured to be here tonight and am beyond ecstatic to share with all of you the film I have been working on these past few months. I would like to take a moment to thank the wonderful artist Flicker Light, for without his brilliant invention, none of what I am about to show you would be possible," There were a few stomps of applause from the crowd, silenced a second later as Griffin raised a single talon into the air. "But I digress. I will not hold your suspense any longer… Please, without further ado, allow me to introduce to you my film. The first Equestrian feature. The Birth of an Empire!”

The Birth of an Empire

It was an insult. A mockery. Flicker Light could feel his mouth drying up and his hooves trembling as he stared slack jawed at the massive flickering screen before him. How dare they… How dare they take his art and twisted it into something with such vile, malicious intent. It made him feel sick.

Beside him, he could see Shadow Silhouette looking around the theatre uncomfortably, unsure if she should continue to watch or flee before the impending violence and backlash would begin. Many others in the crowd were similarly looking around, fully aware of what was about to come.

But not all the crowd. Most of them started on in wonder. In amazement. Grinning as if they had just been shown the secret to life.

D.W. Griffin’s film, ‘The Birth of an Empire’ had been three hours of tantalizing hatred towards zebras. A powerful call to arms against their involvement in the upcoming election. A visual spectacle warped into a convincing world of hate that made even Flicker Light question his political stance. It had made out zebras to be vile and untrustworthy, unworthy of the same compassion and equality ponies shared amongst each other.

But worst of all, the film had the audacity to be good.

It was a cinematic masterpiece, far beyond anything Flicker Light had been able to achieve so far. With shots and acting and stories more in depth and dynamic than Flicker had even though fully possible.

Despite the horrors of what the film depicted, it seemed to pass all too quickly. And when the flickering images faded to blackness and the credits began to roll, the theatre was filled with silence. Then, the silence was replaced with an overpowering boom of noise, a mix of cheering and out roar.

Flicker closed his mouth, only for it to fall back open again. What was somepony even supposed to say after watching something like that.

The crowds seemed to be turning on each other. Friends that had once sat together turned to their neighbors in fits of screaming. Flicker saw the few zebras that had come to the show either backing away nervously or sprinting to the exits as ponies chased them out, shouting angry and hateful words.

“What are all of you doing!” Somepony shouted from the crowd, standing up on their seat and towering over everypony. “Are you all just going to sit there while Zebras take our power and control our government! I’m going to march right to town hall and demand zebras votes are removed from the election!”

Their outburst was met with a terrifying roar of approval. More ponies began jumping from their seats, rushing for the doors in rage and demanding retribution. Retribution for what was any ponies guess.

Flickers eyes flashed back to the stage where he could make out the forms of D.W. Griffin giving the mayors hoof a sturdy shake. They were saying something, though Flicker couldn’t hear it over the booming crowd that had been a near silent and attentive audience only moments before.

Mustering up his courage, Flicker pulled himself from his seat and took a step towards the stage. Shadow reached out, her eyes wide as she held him back. “What are you doing? We should get out of here… now...”

Flicker took a deep breath, his eyes still fixed on Griffin and the mayor. “I’m going to go give Griffin a piece of my mind…”

He took another step forward, removing himself from Shadow’s grasp, and continued to advance towards the stage. Shadow gulped nervously, but fluttered her wings and followed after him, her eyes darting around as the arguing crowds began to move their arguments out to the streets.

As he neared, the Mayor finished talking with Griffin and politely trotted off the stage. Flicker cast him an angry glare before stepping up onto the stage and approaching D.W. Griffin. The monochrome griffin straightened his suit for a second before turning to look over at Flicker Light. His beak broke into a large smile as he saw him.

“Ah, Flicker Light. I was worried you wouldn’t come. I know we have not agreed in the past on things, but I do hope you enjoyed the show,” The griffins voice was strangely optimistic and hopeful, Flicker could have sworn the bird was actually being genuine. He opened his two front legs as if offering a hug.

“Enjoyed the show!?” Flicker scoffed, coming to a stop a few feet away from the griffin. “That was horrible! Do you have any idea how many ponies and zebras are going to be hurt because of what your film has done!”

D.W. Griffin put a talon to his breast and took a small step back. His beak clucked slightly as if he were trying to think up a proper response. “Flicker, it is merely me stating my opinion. I had hoped that the two of us could appreciate this art form together, not bicker about petty politics.”

Flicker simply gaped at him. “Petty politics?” He gestured at the last of the crowd as they stormed out into the street. “Does that response look like petty politics to you?”

Griffin sighed. “Perhaps not, but change requires drastic action. I did what needed to be done to ensure equilibrium here in Coltifornia. Had you been in my horseshoes, perhaps you would have done the same.”

Flicker grit his teeth and stomped his fore hoof aggressively on the ground before him. “You don’t get it do you! What you’ve done is going to ruin everything ponies and zebras have been working for for years!” Flicker took a step back, D.W. Griffin’s film flashing through his mind. “I don’t know how… but I’m going to fix this mess… I started this cinema mess, and I’m going to find a way to make all of it right…”

“You’re going to do nothing of the sort…” a calm, yet intensely headstrong voice spoke up from behind them. Flicker and Shadow turned around to see the Nightmare Gang Mob Boss trotting up the steps of the stage to stand next to Griffin. Shadow gave a terrified whimper as he came to a stop before them. “I do hope you both remember our initial agreement about interfering with our work. We’ll leave you alone, even help you if you comply… but if you don’t…” He didn’t bother finishing the sentence, letting his threat dangle in the air above them.

Flicker felt himself growl before he made the conscious decision to make a noise. “Maybe I wouldn’t have made that deal if I had known you were going to do something like this!” He thrust his hoof at the blank screen for emphasis.

Shadow winced, grabbing Flicker’s outstretched hoof and trying to pull him back. “F-flicker… Maybe we should just g-go…”

The mob boss smirked. “Perhaps it would be wise to listen to your fillyfriend, before you say something you regret,” His hoof brushed past his suit as he spoke, giving Flicker a quick view of the revolver that rested just beyond.

Flicker was too angry to bother blushing or objecting to the fillyfriend comment. With one last growl he spun around, dragging Shadow with him. “You haven’t heard the last of this!” Flicker shouted back, quickly making his way to the door. He had had enough of those two monsters.

“For your sake, you had better hope that it is the last time,” the mob boss darkly chuckled back. Flicker didn’t give him another glance as he pushed his way through the doors.

Almost immediately, Flicker walked head first into both of the Bits brothers that were in the middle of arguing about something. Many Bits jumped back a little, turning to look at Flicker and Shadow. “O-oh, Flicker. We are just about to see if you were still inside-”

“What do you want? I’m not exactly in the mood at the moment,” Flicker grunted back, trying to push past them. Shadow hovered a few inches behind him, trying not to make much of a scene.

Golden Bits gave a small grunt. “We’re cutting your funding.”

Flicker abruptly pulled up short. He quickly spun around to face them, his eyes wide. “Y-you’re what? But… I thought you had agreed to fund my movie? I thought you thought that film was the thing of the future!”

Many Bits bit his lip nervously. “Well, we did… we still do… but I’m afraid you are simply taking too long, and D.W. Griffin seems to be making films that are much more profitable.”

Flicker’s jaw dropped for the second time since the film had ended. “You’re… You’re going to fund Griffin instead…” He could feel a hollowness slowly building up in his chest, threatening to consume him. "You're cutting my funding so that you can fund that monster?"

Golden Bits gave a gruf nod. “The simple truth is Flicker, that D.W. Griffin has proved that he gets results. His fame has surpassed yours in a matter of hours and he is commenting on something that's relevant. There is money to be found in cinema regarding the world of politics, but no pony is interested in hearing an old foals tale about the mare on the moon. You’re old news, and we need to keep our sights on where the bits are at.”

Flicker could feel his eyes growing wider and wider. The painful hollowness in his chest was quickly expanding, the tips of his hooves going numb. “But… But my movie…”

“What if you funded both,” Shadow offered. “Surely that would make more bits, right?”

Golden Bits scoffed at her. “Clearly you don’t understand how to get ahead in the world of economics. We’re cutting your funding. That is final.”

Many Bits stepped forwards and put a hoof on Flicker’s shoulder gently. “We’re sorry Flicker. We really were rooting for you. But I’m afraid we need to look out for ourselves. We do wish you the best of luck of course,” He turned back to Golden Bits, gesturing for him to follow. “Come on brother, we have much to discuss.

The two bits siblings pushed past them, moving back into the theatre to talk to Griffin. As they disappeared behind the doors completely, Flicker felt the hollowness fully enclose around his heart.

“You want something that comments on the world… you want something that’s not just old news?” Flicker scowled, glaring daggers at the door the two bank ponies had marched through. His eyes narrowed, a strange fire seemingly burning behind them. “I’ll show you… I’ll show all of them!”

“F-flicker…? You’re scaring me… Can we go back to the-” Shadow started, but she was cut off with a frightened eep as Flicker grabbed onto her and pulled her forwards as he began marching forwards at a rapid speed. “F-flicker, slow down… Where are you going!?”

“We’re going to finish my film!” Flicker growled back, not bothering to look at her. “We’re going to finish my film and fix all of this!”

The streets were practically a war zone.

Ponies were rushing up and down the streets, screaming and waving hateful signs advocating for zebras to be removed from the election. Torches were pitched and ponies seemed to be flooding from their houses to join in on the growing crowd. Flicker spotted a few shop windows that had been shattered by ponies that had been throwing rocks, and one building seemed to be on fire, black smoke spilling from its shattered windows and curling up into the air to blot out the overcast sky.

A small group of zebras had been corralled into the centre of the road where multiple angry ponies were shouting and screaming at them. There were a few ponies around that didn’t pitch in on the rioting, but they either kept their heads low or ran for safety as quickly as possible, not one of them stopping to help the zebras as the ponies closed in around them.

By the time Flicker and Shadow reached their theatre, Flicker was fuming. He burst through the entrance way, the double doors slamming against the walls with a loud bang. Inside, both Swindle and Popcorn were talking furiously with each other, both of them suddenly jumping with fright as the doors crashed open.

“What in the name of Celestia is going on out there!” Swindle gawked, giving Flicker and Shadow an annoyed glare before casting his gaze to the rioting ponies outside the window. “The whole city just broke into freaking Tartarus! And whatever is going on is spreading fast. And I just got news from Los Pegasus that there are riots breaking out there too!”

“It’s D.W. Griffin and his darn film!” Flicker shouted, making everypony in the room flinch from the angry tone of his voice. “He poked the hornet's nest and now he’s got half the city fighting against zebra rights!”

“The whole city,” Swindle corrected gravely. “And maybe even more than that. With the speed these riots have been spreading, I’d be surprised if it doesn’t reach Canterlot by tomorrow morning.”

Shadow slowly touched down beside Flicker. “But what are we going to do? We can’t fight the Nightmare gang, they’d kill us!”

“We’re going to finish my movie,” Flicker ordered bluntly. “But this time, it’s going to be a little bit different. If Griffin can cause all this hatred with his film, maybe we can undo some of that with our own.”

Swindle Gyp gave Flicker a confused cock of his head. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“We’re going to turn ‘A Trip To Luna’s Moon’ into a commentary on tolerance. Maybe if we can show everypony that it’s better to get along, then we might be able to stop some of this atrocity before it's to late! If it's not already...”

Popcorn’s eyes went wide at the idea. “Flicker, that’s crazy! You can’t just fix all of this by telling ponies what they’re doing is wrong.”

Flicker whirled on her and snarled. “Why not! Griffin did it, and it worked perfectly fine for him!” he spun back around and glared at Swindle. “Where is the rest of the cast and crew? We need them working ASAP!”

Swindle’s eyebrows knitted together slightly. “They’re already in the auditorium. Some were already here when the riots broke out, and the rest came straggling in shortly after hoping to get away from all the violence. But perhaps we should-”

“Good, we need to get to work now!” Flicker grunted, cutting him off and turning towards the doors leading to the auditorium. “The election is only in three days, and I’ll be darned if we don’t have this film finished by then.”

Swindle and Shadow nodded worriedly, slowly following behind Flicker. Popcorn held back and hesitated for a second as they approached the doors. “I, uh… I have something I need to do quickly. I’ll be with you in a second.”

Flicker paused and glared back at her for a second before shaking his head and pushing himself the rest of the way into the auditorium. “Just hurry up. We have work to do!”

Inside, the rest of the cast and crew were talking worriedly to each other in hushed voices. Flicker noticed one of the zebras in his cast had a drizzle of blood rushing down their head which his camera pony was tending to. It looked as if somepony had bashed them over the head while they were on their way here.

“Alright everypony, listen up!” Flicker shouted, storming towards them. “Get to your places! We have a lot of work to do!”

The camera operator looked up from the zebras side and gave Flicker a confused look. “Can we have a few minutes? Clavo is really hurt.”

Flicker growled, glaring down at him. “We don’t have time! Now get up and start rolling the camera before I do it myself!”

The cast and crew took a surprised step back, glancing around at each other as Flicker shouted at them. The white coated unicorn that played Celestia took a daring step forward. “Flicker, there are more-” she silenced herself as Flicker gave a loud huff of frustration.

Shadow stepped forwards and gently placed a hoof on Flicker’s shoulder. “Maybe we should take a quick breather. Help clear our heads. Please Flicker, you need to slow down.”

“How about you stop annoying me and get into your Tartarus condemned costume! Maybe we’d already be done this movie if I hadn’t spent so much freaking time with you and didn’t need to constantly fix all your darn problems!” Flicker snapped back, slamming his hoof down on the ground. Shadow flinched back at the retort as if his words had physically struck her. Flicker felt the ice that had grasped his heart melt away just long enough for a stab of guilt to wash over him. what ha he just said... why had he said it. “S-shadow… I didn’t mean that… I… I'm just angry right now, I shouldn't be taking it out on you... I don’t know what came over me… I...”

Shadow stared at him for a moment. Then, slowly, a tear crept into the corner of her eye and raced down the side of your face and her usually timid expression changed to something Flicker had never seen on her before. Anger.

“Fine!” She spat, taking a step back, her brows furrowing. “If I’m annoying you so much, I’ll just leave! Then I can’t get in the way of your freaking movie! Cause that’s all you’ve ever cared about, isn’t it! Your movie and your vision and your theatre! I’m always just second! I just… Agh!” She aggressively flapped her wings and spun around, flashing out the door before Flicker could get another word in.

Flicker put a hoof out to stop her, but she was long gone, out the door and out of sight. After a painfully long second, the hollow coldness in Flickers chest closed back over his heart and he gave off another frustrated scream. “Then don’t come back! I don’t need you anyway! I don’t need any of you!” He spun around, snarling at the gathering of ponies. "I'll make the whole movie myself if I have to!"

Flicker could feel his hooves trembling more and more, his breaths were coming out in quick, angry pants. Why couldn’t they all just see that he was trying to fix things!

Everypony stared at him in shock for a few moments, before one by one standing up and walking out. Each one of them marched past him, not even bothering to give Flicker a final look. With each pony that passed him, Flicker felt his resolve crumble away just a little bit more.

The actress for Celestia paused slightly as she passed him, looking straight ahead and at the doorway out. She opened her mouth, trying to think of what to say. When nothing came to mind, she shook her head and trotted out, head hung low.

As the door swung shut, Flicker let a long breath escape his lips. What had he done…

“What was that!” Swindle blurted, glaring at Flicker as he trembled. “Generally when you want ponies to work for you, you don’t go telling them they’re not wanted.”

Flicker turned and looked back at him for a second before his shaking legs gave out from under him and he collapsed to the floor. “Swindle… what have I done…”

“You’ve made a bloody mess out of an already messy situation is what you’ve done!” Swindle growled, looming over him.

“Are… are you going to leave me too?” Flicker asked nervously, looking up at the raging con pony before him.

Swindle Gyp looked down at him for a long moment, before sighing and sitting down on the floor next to him. “No… I’m not... I figure you don’t have anypony else right now, so I suppose somepony needs to look out for you.”

Flicker tried to force a laugh but it was obscured as his body was wracked with the first wave of sobs. “Sticking with me isn’t the most financially sound decision right about now…”

“Apparently,” Swindle grumbled, looking up at the door everypony had just walked out of. “But… well I guess we’re kind of like family now you and I… and I reckon family doesn’t abandon each other, no matter how badly the other messes up.”

Flicker forced a smile onto his face, though the tears that streaked his cheeks didn’t make it very believing. “Is that what we are? Family?”

“Well we certainly aren’t a business anymore. I like you Flicker Light. Whether we make any bits out of it or not, I’ll try to see this whole thing through. To the very end...”

The door to the auditorium swung open, causing both stallions to look up. Both of them froze as they saw the ponies that were marching in.

Ten tough looking stallions, all dressed in dark blue suits trotted in, each one a unicorn wielding a deadly looking revolver beside them in their magic. Flicker spotted a dark red stallion with a thin scar on the clip of his eye trotting in with the rest of the gangsters, his own gun pointed down at the two of them.

Both Flicker and Swindle quickly pushed themselves back up to their hooves as the ponies surrounded them, moving back to back as they were suddenly faced with the ten lethal firearms.

Swindle held up his hooves, gesturing for everypony to calm down. “Now hold on there, let's put the guns away. We haven’t done anything to the Nightmare gang. Why don’t we all just sit down and talk this out. There's no need for violence...” He put on his most winning smile, showing off his teeth. All the thugs stared back at him with blank expressions, clearly unamused with his proposition.

“I’m afraid that is where you’re wrong,” A calm tone spoke up. Flicker felt a shiver pass through him as the silky voice reached his ears. Pushing through the door, the grey and black mob boss trotted in after his goons, a sly looking expression scrawled across his face. Popcorn slowly slinked in after him, her head low and her eyes darting around to look anywhere but at Flicker and Swindle.

Flicker felt his eyes narrow. “Popcorn? What is going on here?”

The mob boss chuckled, patting Popcorn gently on the head as if she were a dog. “Your friend Popcorn here works for me you see. I had her apply for a job here so she could update me on what you were up to. Wouldn’t want the founder of Coltifornia’s newest and most promising industry acting out against me, now would I?” He gave a smug chuckled and ruffled Popcorn's hair, making her whimper slightly in fear. “Just imagine my surprise when she called me to say you had decided to go against our little deal.”

Flicker Light growled at him. “We haven’t gone on your deal, what are you talking about?!”

The mob boss took a second to take a puff of his cigar, the thick, silvery smoke swirling around his head, before lazily looking back at Flicker with a roll of his eyes. “The deal, if I remember correctly, was that you were not to interfere with my plans… and I must say, conspiring to make a film to undo all the hard work I did to allow Griffin to make Birth of an Empire sure sounds like interfering with my plans to me.”

Flicker backed up and gulped nervously. "Th- that's what this is all about?"

The mob boss grinned and straightened his bowtie. "I had my suspicions this whole film business could be rather profitable. I have a good thing going with Griffin's work. I can't have you trying to undermine that success," He glanced down at his dark blue suit, his smirk growing and a small chuckled escaping his lips. "I heard your little film is about Celestia reuniting with princess Luna. I have to wonder... did you ever question why we're called the Nightmare gang?"

Flicker took a second to steady himself before giving a small shake of his head. "I... No, I didn't..."

"Because we were formed after Princess Luna was sent to the moon... or rather... Nightmare moon," The mob boss took another drag from his cigar, stealing himself for a moment. "Ponies fear us because they have no hope of beating us. We were born from the schism that shaped Equestria and grow and thrive off of ponies by keeping that schism alive. No pony can beat us because I make sure they are always to busy trying to beat somepony else... So long as ponies are divided, we'll always be on top.

"And yet here you are, making a movie about princess Celestia and princess Luna coming together despite their differences. despite the hatred and space between them. Unfortunately for you, this I cannot allow," The mob boss continued, his eyes seeming to twinkle with a strange emotion that Flicker couldn't recognize. He turned and nodded towards the scarred, red stallion beside him, his expression suddenly serious. "I'm a pony of my word Flicker Light, and I keep my promises. Say goodbye to your theatre."

The dark red stallion stepped forward, pulling out a large drum of gasoline. The mob boss tossed his cigar aside and pulled out another, striking a match and holding the small, flickering flame up before his eye. The firelight danced across his features, the burning glow blazing in the reflection of his eyes.

Swindle quickly took a protective step in front of Flicker. “Well we haven’t made that film yet, so since we haven’t exactly interfered yet, perhaps it would be best to simply let us off with a bit of a warning. What do you say?” He diplomatically raised his hoof to the mob boss, offering for a more peaceful solution. "We can keep this civil still, right?"

The mob boss looked at Swindle’s raised hoof for a second with a raised eyebrow before letting his gaze flicker back up to Swindle’s face. A sly grin slinked across his face. “Perhaps you’re right,” The mob boss cooed, his words dripping with a sickening amount of honey. He flicked the match, putting out the flame. The red mobster slowed, standing down. “Perhaps letting you off with a little warning instead is the right way to go about this…”

He was simply so fast that neither Flicker or Swindle had enough time to react. In the blink of an eye, the mob boss's gun was up, it’s muzzle bursting with a bloom of fire and smoke and a deafening bang filling the air and echoing in Flicker's ears.

Flicker flinched back, his eyes scrunching shut as he expected pain to flare across his body. When the pain never came, he peeked an eye open and looked about. For a moment everypony was still, then Swindle dropped to the floor, blood slowly seeping from his body and pooling around his limp form.

A scream escaped Flicker mouth. He was at Swindle’s side in an instant, pressing his hoof up against the oozing bullet wound, his tan coat quickly turning black from Swindle’s blood as it soaked into his hide. Through his coat, Flicker could feel Swindle’s chest slowly rising and falling as he took painful breaths. Flicker glanced up at the mob boss fearfully, his pupils dilated and trembling with fear. “What have you done...!”

“I’ve shown you just what happens when you cross the Nightmare gang,” The mob boss chided, lifting his chin and glaring down at him. “Be thankful I was so generous and did not burn down your theatre. I won't show such generosity next time.”

Flicker could feel more tears leaking from his eyes. He opened his mouth to scowl, to give the mob boss a retort, to simply scream, but nothing would escape his lips. The mob boss looked down on him pitifully for a moment before turning around and trotting out of the theatre, the rest of his goons quickly following him out.

Popcorn hesitated for a moment, looking down at the two of them on the floor before slowly taking a hesitant step back, the look in her eyes just as fearful as Flickers. With a quick shudder, she spun around and darted out the doors after the mob boss.

With trembling breath, Flicker tried to wrap Swindle’s vest around the wound, in a hope to stop the bleeding, but there was simply too much blood. “I… I need to get an ambulance…” Flicker whimpered, raising Swindle’s fore hoof and trying to get him to apply pressure to his own wound. “Hold on Swindle, I’ll be right back…”

Before Flicker could get up, Swindle grasped onto his hoof and pulled him back down. “N-no point. I know every inch of this city. Ambulance won’t get here in time,” He gasped, his whole body shuddering as he pushed the words out.

“D-don’t say that. You’re going to be fine, I promise!” Flicker insisted, more tears streaking down his face and dripping from his chin. “You can’t die… I… I won’t let it!”

Swindle chuckled, only for blood to sputter from his lips. “Makin’ promises you can’t keep isn’t going to do either of us any good right now I’m afraid,” He had to paused to cough out a wad of blood. He weakly turned his head to look back up at Flicker, his eyes suddenly sparking with fear. “I know you and my boys don’t get along well, but somepony needs to be lookin’ out for them, you got me? Those rascals have talent, but they won’t last long on the streets alone. They tried it once and it almost killed them… you’ll look after them for me, won’t you?”

“I...I’ll try,” Flicker said, his heart pounding faster in his chest. He buried his face in Swindle’s side as if covering his eyes would magically make everything better. “I’ll find someplace safe for Film and Flam. A home... I will…”

“Good… Good…” Swindle sighed, his whole body relaxing a little. “Now you listen to me Flicker Light my boy, and you listen to me good. Ever since I met you, I’ve seen a passion and imagination in you stronger than I have in any other pony. You have a story you wanna tell and if ya tell it right, you might just save a few lives. You don’t give up on that, you understand me?”

Flicker nodded, clutching to Swindles shivering form even tighter. “I… I won't. I Promise.”

Swindle smirked. “Now that there is a promise you can keep,” he raised his hoof and placed it firmly against Flickers chest. “You get that crew of yours back together and you make that movie, understand?”

“I doubt they want to see me again,” Flicker whimpered. His vision began to grow blurry with tears. “I don’t even know where Shadow went… I don’t think I’ll ever see her again.”

“Yeah, you messed up...” Swindle agreed, his voice flaring with pain for a second as he spoke. “...But don’t let that stop you. Why should you? Equestria’s been throwing all it could against you from day one and you haven’t let it stop you yet…”

“But Shadow-”

Swindle’s hoof flew up and slapped Flicker across the face. It wasn’t hard, Flicker doubted Swindle still had the strength to do anything more than a light tap, but Flicker recoiled back in shock anyway. “You’ll find Shadow and you’re going to make things right between you two. And don’t you give me any of that ‘she doesn’t want anything to do with you’ bull. I’d have to be blind to not see how you two constantly look at each other. You’re head over hooves for that mare and you know full well she feels the same, now stop wallowing in guilt and fix this mess.”

Blushing through his tears, Flicker nodded again, wrapping Swindle in a tighter hug. “I will. I’ll fix everything Swindle, I swear. I’ll make all of this right…”

Swindle let his charismatic grin stretch across his face from ear to ear. “Thatta boy. And when you finally kick the bucket, I expect you to split all your earnings with me fifty fifty, got it?”

Flicker actually found the will to laugh at that. “I’ll give you all of it. I never was in it for the bits.”

“Ha!” Swindle laughed, his laugh sounding more like a pained wheeze. “I knew working with you was the right choice,” Coughing, Swindle leaned his head back and found himself staring up at the roof with hazy eyes. “I rather liked this little business of ours my friend, I had hoped to work here for a long time I think. But I suppose a business man can never stay in the same place for long… I just never thought this would end so soon… Now it’s time for my next big thing… My next big thing…”

Flicker felt Swindle’s body slump against him, the tense muscles in Swindle’s back relaxing as he swiftly drifted away. Swindle’s eyes fluttered closed and with one final exhale of breath, he went still.

...And with that, Swindle Gyp was gone from this world forever...

Author's Note

I swear, I conceptualized this chapter ages ago... This fic comments on and mirrors things that happened over a hundred years ago. The similarities this chapter has to modern day politics are purely coincidental.

And so it was that all the pieces were set for the final, only one more chapter before the big concussion!

Hope you have a great day and a happy holidays!

The Cost of Your Name in Lights

Flicker Light could feel his whole body shaking as he sobbed. He tried to get the tears to stop, but they wouldn’t leave him. Each and every moment was punctuated by a loud gasping sob as yet another tear streaked down his face and dripped into the slowly growing pool around his hooves.

He looked up, his bleary eyes scanning his empty theatre. He was alone. Everything was painfully silent. Even the yelling of ponies outside didn’t seem to reach his drooped ears as the streets of Coltifornia were flooded with rioting ponies.

His gaze finally landed on the slumped form of Swindle Gyp lying a few feet away. Flicker's heart seemed to stop in his chest as he stared unblinking at the unmoving form. He waited a few seconds, expecting Swindle’s chest to rise and fall, as if he was simply sleeping and not… not...

Flicker blinked back a few more tears as memories of the past few hours flashed through his mind. Griffin’s film, the riots, his fight with Shadow Silhouette and the rest of the cast and crew, and finally...

Swindle Gyp was dead. Shot for no reason other than to teach Flicker a lesson. As if by the flick of a switch, Flicker’s pain and sorrows were pushed aside to make room for rage.

He pushed himself up to his hooves, his whole body trembling not only with sorrow, but now with uncontrollable anger. He had wanted film to be more than just a sideshow attraction. He had wanted it to be seen by other ponies and zebras. He had wanted to elevate it to art. He had succeeded, and it was the worst thing that could have ever happened to him.

He screamed, storming across the empty amphitheater where his set remained. He raised his hooves, anger flaring through him.

“I didn’t want this!” He yelled out at the darkness of the theatre, his hooves slamming down and cracking a small chunk of the flimsy set. No pony answered save for the loud, resounding crack of his set as he shattered it. He whimpered, the broken set cutting at his hoof and drawing a small drizzle of blood. He reared up again, more and more rage filling him, only amplified by the pain. “I just wanted to follow my dreams!”

But dreams don't make bits and they defiantly don't make happy endings. Dreams only make fools out of the ponies that pursue them...

Once more, his hooves fell, more and more of the set shattering as he slammed down on it. He rose again, looming over the set. His nostrils flared and he fell, smashing the set apart again and again. Pieces of the fake lunar landscape crumbled around him, each fall of his hoof breaking apart another piece. With every chunk of the set that fell away, a small piece of Flicker’s dreams and aspirations began to crack and break with them.

The large model of the moon itself toppled from where it hung suspended from the ceiling, landing in front of him with a crash. He glared at the face of luna imprinted on the moon, his eyes wide and crazed.

Pangs of betrayal shot through him. His film was supposed to be about Celestia and Luna coming together, but that very same imagery was now being used to drive ponies and zebras apart. The Nightmare gang had twisted it. Warped it into something terrible.

Or maybe, he realized, he had been the one warping it the whole time. Maybe the Nightmare Gang was right. Maybe the mare on the moon really was a symbol of despair and intolerance. That there was no hope of the divides between ponies ever being mended. Perhaps he had simply had too much faith in pony kind...

He rose up again, his hoof bashing through the fake moon's surface. The thin material gave way, his hoof bursting directly through the eye of the mare of the moon. Where he had planned to have the rocket land, his hoof shattered.

Flicker staggered back, his head reeling with rage and pain. He looked over the set briefly, now a crumbling mess of broken plywood and plaster. His anger only escalated. It wasn’t enough.

He turned, his burning eyes landing on the large pile of film reels resting in the far corner of the room beside a projector. All of his fathers works, and of course, the unfinished piece that was his own film, ‘A Trip to Luna’s Moon’. The film that he now doubted ever would be.

He stumbled over, grabbing the first film on the pile. One of his fathers first works, ‘Workers Leaving a Factory’. He reefed the reel open and ripped out the film, scattering the 35mm film across the floor.

It still wasn’t enough.

Flicker’s eyes landed on the still smouldering cigar that lay not all that far from Swindle’s slumped body. An unlit match lay next to it as well, clearly dropped by the mob boss when he had threatened to light Flicker’s theatre ablaze.

Flicker Light knew film could burn. He had seen it done before. It would be so easy…

He stumbled forwards, snatching up the cigar and match in his hooves. He turned back to the film reels, the match quickly flicking across the surface of his coat. His rough hide sparked against the match, and suddenly the tip of the match was dancing with firelight.

He took another step forwards, his hooves trembling, fire glinting in the darks of his eyes.

“Just Get rid of them,” Flicker growled to himself, his eyes transfixed on the pile of films he was about to burn. His father and Uncle's life’s work. He own life’s work. “All film’s done is ruin lives…” He raised the match, preparing to set the reels alight.

His eyes drifted away as he found himself no longer able to look at the reels. It felt easier that way, to destroy everything he had ever stood for. All he had to do was not look at it as they were consumed by the inferno.

Then he spotted the projector resting beside him. One film reel was still threaded into it, ready to be played. He wasn’t sure what compelled him to watch it, but the next thing he knew he was walking over and clicking the projector on.

There was a whirring noise as the projector flickered to life. An image shone out, playing across the ruins of his set. The ghostly image of Shadow danced across the screen, a nervous look across her blushing face as she readied herself for the shoot.

Flicker remembered this moment clearly. They had filmed this shortly after they got the camera back. A quick test to make sure everything looked good and was in working order. Popcorn had projected the image of the night sky behind Shadow, making it look like the dark blue pegasus was standing amongst the stars themselves.

Shadow stared out at Flicker Light through the projection, her wide eyes seemingly locking with his. He felt himself trembling as he stared back at her, as if she was looking at him through both the projection and time itself.

He saw Shadow’s mouth moving as she spoke something to him off camera. The footage was silent of course, but he could remember all the words. Unable to stop himself, Flicker began to speak the words aloud, his mouth seemingly moving on its own accord.

“Are you sure about this?”

“It’s okay Shadow, you’ll do great.”

“I’m kind of nervous.”

“It’s just Popcorn and I. You’ll be fine.”

“A-all right…”

The ghostly image of Shadow Silhouette began dancing across the screen again, the flickering image making her seem to glide through the magical dream-like void of space, illuminated by hundreds of glowing stars.

A moon slowly lowered from above Shadows head. The very same moon that Flicker had just destroyed.

Suddenly, Shadow appeared to be somewhere else, like she was dancing across the lunar surface of the moon.

“See, like magic. Dreams realized…” Flicker muttered to himself, his voice echoing the distant memory. “If you've ever wondered where your dreams come from, you look around... this is where they're made.…”

Shadow finally stopped dancing and turned back to the camera, a small grin across her timid face.

Was that good? Flicker didn’t need to speak the words aloud anymore, they were planning within his mind just as surely as the image was playing across the wall.

It was magical…

Flicker looked back to the pile of reels, the lit match still smouldering in his hoof. Horror flashed through him and he quickly flicked the match aside, putting out the flame.

Tears continued to streak down his face as he slumped to the floor, his hooves wrapping around his collection of film reels.

“I’m going to make all of this right,” He whimpered, repeating his promise to Swindle Gyp. “I don’t know how, or where that will take me, but I have a dream, and that’s not something I’m going to let them take away.”

The loud sound of knocking on the door drew Rosemary's attention up from her book. She pulled herself out of her chair and trotted over to the doorway, glancing quickly through the peephole to see the pony standing outside.

She quickly pulled the door open as she spotted the tan, brown maned unicorn outside her apartment. “Flicker Light? What are you doing here? Come in,” She urged, moving aside for Flicker to stumbled into the apartment.

The rain outside had begun to pick up and the pouring raindrops could be heard pounding on the roof of the apartment, even through the floors above. Flicker had clearly walked to her apartment, his coat and mane drenched and slicked downwards. His mane was a mess and she could tell he had been crying from his red, puffy eyes.

“Thank you… I didn’t know where else to go,” Flicker said, trying his best to dry himself off and hide his tears.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Rosemary asked, leading him into the living room and moving to start making a new pot of tea. “Don’t you have a place to stay?”

Flicker trembled, trying to force down the emotions that were bubbling inside of him. “I’ve been staying with Swindle Gyp. I… I can’t stay there anymore... I need a place to stay for a bit…”

“O-of course!” Rosemary exclaimed, her hooves quickly moving to pour the tea. “I did warn you about Swindle. That pony is no g-”

“He’s dead,” Flicker interrupted, another tremor racing through his body. He took a deep breath to try and steady himself. “The Nightmare gang killed him. The police are at the crime scene now, but they said they can’t do anything about it… not against the Nightmare gang.”

Smash!

The tea pot shattered, dropping to the floor as Rosemary abruptly raised her hooves to cover her mouth in shock. “O-oh my Celestia. Flicker, I’m so sorry… I-I had no idea… are… are you okay? Did they hurt you… is…”

“I’m… no. I’m not okay. But I think I can fix this… I hope I can fix this. I just need to clear my head and deal with some things first,” Flicker answered quickly, his voice filled with desperation. “I know you offered a few months ago, and you’ve been really kind to me, more than most people in this city anyway, so… Can I stay here? Not forever, just until I’ve figured everything out? Please?”

Rosemary nodded, bending down to sweep up the broken pieces of the tea pot. “Yes. Of course. If you need anything just ask.”

“Thank you,” Flicker said, giving a small nod of gratitude. “That really means a lot,” He turned, looking out the window at the street below. Across from him he saw the remains of the abandoned skyscraper and the government building in the distance. Down below, hundreds of ponies had gathered, a few protesting for pony kind to settle their differences peacefully, but most waving wooden bats and crudely painted signs of hatred.

Rosemary slowly approached behind him and looked down at the rioting mob below. “It’s sad, how easy it is for ponies to hate…” Her eyes wandered to a particularly rowdy group of ponies, screaming and bashing in windows with their bats. “How hard is it for us to simply love one another? Shouldn’t that be as simple as smiling?”

Flicker took a deep breath, averting his gaze, no longer able to bear looking at the devastation that film had concocted. He had brought this upon the zebras and ponies of Equestria. Perhaps not directly, but it was his fault all the same.

“Do you have a phonebook?” Flicker finally blurted, looking back at Rosemary. “I need to make a few calls.”

Rosemary gave him an interested look, but nodded. “In the kitchen, next to the phone.”

“Thanks again,” Flicker responded, moving into the kitchen and spotting the large book on the counter. He flipped it open and began skimming over the names. He paused as his eyes landed on a specific name he had not expected to see. Popcorn…

He’d make sure to deal with that later.

Flipping back a few more pages he found the number he was looking for and dialed it. He waited a second, listening to the phone ringing. After a second, there was a click and a voice spoke to him over the phone. “Operator, please patch me over to Flim and Flam.”

The door to Rosemary’s apartment was pulled open an hour later, this time making way for the two vest-wearing, yellow and red twins. Flim and Flam trotted into the apartment looking around, their eyes seemingly sweeping everything and checking over all of their values.

In unison, the two twins turned their heads to look at both Flicker and Rosemary who were still silently standing by the door watching them.

“Well Flicker my lad, it is a pleasure to see you again,” the pony Flicker was pretty sure was Flam said, stepping towards him and giving a charismatic smile. “It’s good to know you still understand how valuable we are as business partners, despite any, ahem… previous disagreements we might have had.”

“Yes indeed it is,” His brother agreed, a large smile across his muzzle. “Why with the new boom of cinema here in Coltifornia, I think now is the opportune moment to expand the Flicker Light theatre company. And who better than us! We're very glad that you understand that!”

“Swindle is dead,” Flicker monotones back, his eyes scanning over the two twins for any signs of distress. The second the words left his mouth, both Flim and Flam went completely still, both of their wide eyes locked on him.

Flam worked his jaw, trying to figure out what to say. Instead, some strange moaning sound escaped his mouth.

“Swindle is…” Flim took a step back, his lanky legs wobbling as Flickers words hit him like a truck. “A-are you… are you sure…?”

Flicker gave a grim nod, slowly leading both of the colts to the couch and sitting them down. Cautiously, Flicker kneeled down before the two colts, his expression grim. Rosemary stood a few feet away, watching sadly. “I was there when it happened. He told me to look after you two, and I promised him that I would. I understand what it's like to lose somepony you love. I lost my dad a long time ago. I was probably about your age as well. I know we’ve had disagreements in the past, but if you two will let me, I’m here for you both.”

Flam gave a nod and looked away, hiding his face. Flicker spotted the first of many tears forming in the corners of the colt's eyes. “H-how did… how did it happen?” Flam finally managed to choke out, his voice shuddering.

“The Nightmare gang, they…” Flicker had to pause himself to maintain his composure. “They murdered him. Murdered him so that we could never make our film…”

“Because we stole the camera from you!” Flam spat, his face suddenly looking like he had been hit by a lighting bolt. “They killed him because we messed up!”

Flicker placed a hoof on his shoulder. “No. Nono. This had nothing to do with you. And I’m going to make sure that the ponies that did this get what’s coming to them.”

Flim looked up at him, revealing his tear stricken face. “Then what can we do to help?” Flam gave a nervous but enthusiastic nod in response to his brother's question.

Flicker furrowed his brow, uncertain. “There’s a lot that needs to be done. I’ll explain everything once our second guest arrives.”

“I’ll get you two some tea, how does that sound?” Rosemary asked gently, gesturing for Flim and Flam to follow her into the kitchen. Flicker wasn’t certain what she was making tea in since she just broke her tea pot.

Solemnly, Flim and Flam slowly followed Rosemary into the kitchen, leaving Flicker alone with his thoughts. He took another deep breath, trying to steady his heart rate. This was spiralling way out of control, he thought to himself. Film should never have been able to cause something like this…

There was another knock on the door, this one sounding timid and uncertain.

Flicker’s breath caught at the sound and he had to force himself to exhale to keep his emotions under control. Stealing himself, he trotted over to the door and opened it up.

Popcorn stood on the other side, her expression downcast and dark bags had formed under her eyes. Her curly red mane was a mess and she was soaked to the bone by the pouring rain outside.

She looked up at him, their eyes locking. There was a long moment of silence as they both stood there, not knowing what to say to each other.

“I, uh, came as soon as I got your call… I… I’m sorry, Flicker Light,” Popcorn finally said, taking a tentative step into the apartment. “I… I know this doesn’t excuse what I did, but for what it’s worth… I had no idea that they were going to kill anypony…”

Flicker took a shaky breath, keeping his eyes on the trembling mare. “Why did you do it? Why work for the Nightmare gang? Why spy on us?”

“When the Nightmare gang requests something from you, you don’t say no,” Popcorn replied, glancing behind her briefly as if expecting to see somepony behind her. “Ponies that disobey the Nightmare gang find themselves dead. You know that now just as well as me…”

Flicker nodded, moving aside slightly so she could move into the apartment proper. “I’m a slow learner,” Flicker admitted once Popcorn had made it inside. “I have a plan to try and fix everything. It’s a long shot, and I don’t think I’ll be able to get rid of all of the bad that's happened these last few hours, but… But I need to try. We need to try…”

Popcorn gave him a flat glare. “Have you not been listening to anything!? You can't fight against the Nightmare gang! You fight with them and you lose. That’s just how it works,” She looked away, her gaze drifting out the window and landing on the rioters in the street below. “They control the mayor, they control the police, heck, they even control all of the ponies down there now. What could you possibly hope to do that can even come close to stopping them.”

Flicker let out a deep sigh. “You’re right. I don’t have anything that can stop all that. I’m not cut out to deal with politics and intrigue. I’m not a politician, nor a police officer or a crime fighter or even a pony with any real power. But I am a pony. We’re all ponies. And I believe that every pony that tries to stand up to hate will make the world just a little bit of a better place,” Flicker let a smug grin sneak across his face. It was somewhat forced, but it was still there. “Besides, the Nightmare gang’s plan that started all of this was just a twisted version of my own plan anyway. Who better to stop them than the pony they used to start this in the first place.”

Popcorn stared at him for a long moment, her jaw hanging open ever so slightly. “You’re crazy, you know that?” she sighed, rubbing the bridge of her muzzle with a hoof. “Alright, I’ll help you. I figure I owe you a lot anyway… after what I did… After Swindle... What do you need?”

Rosemary walked out of the kitchen, Flim and Flam clutching two mugs of tea in their magic. “Sign us up as well,” The twins spoke together, their eyes distant but determined. “We’ll do whatever it takes.”

“We need to get the cast and crew back together,” Flicker started, turning so that he was facing everyone. “We won’t be able to do much without them. Round them up and gather them at the theatre.”

Flim and Flam gave quick salutes, their downcast faces growing small smiles. “You can count on us.”

“Ready brother of mine?”

“Never more so than today brother!”

Popcorn gave him a worried look, one of her eyebrows raising. “A-are you sure… I don’t know if I can face them all after everything I’ve done…”

Flicker put a hoof on her shoulder and nodded. “You faced me, didn’t you. If you can do that, then something tells me you got what it takes.”

“And what about you?” Rosemary asked, looking towards Flicker Light. “What are you going to do?”

Flicker took a long, deep breath before slowly exhaling. His body trembled slightly, but he did his best to hide his fear. “There’s one other pony we’re going to need. You won’t be able to find her. She doesn’t have a place to stay…” He took another deep breath in, this time he had a lot more trouble breathing out. “I need to make one more thing right…”

Flicker Light found Shadow Silhouette on the roof of the FlickerLight Theatre, overlooking the dreary, overcast streets below.

She was sitting atop the roof, her mane matted to the sides of her face as the heavy rain poured down atop her. She was crying, though her tears had long since been hidden by the rain.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Flicker said slowly, his eyes coming to a rest on Shadow’s hunched over form.

“I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go…” She said quietly, her voice barely audible. She tilted her head slightly, looking back at Flicker Light with one of her large, sad eyes. “Are you here to try and get me to work on the movie again?”

Flicker hesitated. “Yes… but there’s something I think we need to deal with first,” he trotted over and slowly sat down beside her, looking out at the surrounding streets of Coltifornia. It seemed oddly peaceful up here, despite the pouring rain and the rioting mobs. Flicker took another moment to ready himself before continuing. “I’m… I’m sorry I yelled at you. I shouldn’t have said any of those things. I was just angry and…” He dropped his head and looked down at his hooves, droplets of rain dripping from his mane and rolling down his face. “I didn’t mean any of it. I’m truly sorry...”

Shadow looked away, her gaze drifting to the entrance to the theatre below them. The police had come and gone, leaving no traces of ever even being there. “I saw the police arrive…” Shadow finally stated, not bothering to answer his apology. Her voice sounded distant. “I… I was worried, so I snuck into the theatre to see what was happening and I saw… I… I saw S-” Her voice hitched as a memory of the slumped body laying on the theatre floor flashed through her mind. “Swindle… he’s dead, isn’t he…?”

Flicker forced his own gaze away this time, looking up at the rain as it pounded down on them. “Yeah…” His dry voice wavered, unsure of what else to say.

Shadow looked back at him, her eyes wide and brimmed with a new wave of tears. “I never would have thought that he would… I… Flicker, how did this all get so bad? We just wanted to make a movie… now there are riots all across Equestria and a pony is dead and we’re…” She paused and averted her eyes, looking almost ashamed. “We’re not what I thought we might be… We really messed things up, didn’t we…?”

“I really messed things up,” Flicker corrected, shuffling a little closer to her. “And I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to fix all of this bad, but I’m going to try… I’m going to start with you…”

Shadow raised an eyebrow at him, slightly confused. “What do you mean?”

Taking a deep breath and pushing down the butterflies in his stomach, Flicker forced himself to continue. “Shadow, you’re probably the best thing to happen to me in a long time. When we last spoke, I said I wished I hadn’t been spending as much time with you. That I cared more about making my movie… I couldn’t have been more wrong. I wouldn’t give up a moment we’ve spent together. Not for anything.”

“Not even your movie?”

Flicker sighed almost blissfully. “Not even my movie.”

Shadow blushed slightly, looking down at her crossed hooves. “I shouldn’t have gotten angry like I did at you. I knew you were upset and hurting because of what Griffin did, but I…” She sighed and leaned back, her eyes filling with a distant look. “What an idiot I was to say that you only ever think about your movies, after everything you’ve done for me. You gave me a place to work, a place to stay, friendships like I’ve never had... You’ve helped me more these last two months than anypony has in my whole life. I owe you a lot Flicker, and when you finally needed me, I just got angry and ran away… I’m sorry too.”

Flicker shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything. All I ask is that you give me one more chance to make it up to you. I know I messed up, but I swear, never again.”

Shadow grinned back at him in response. She shuffled a little closer to him herself and wrapped a wing over his withers. “I’ll give you another chance if you can give me another chance.”

Flicker felt a smile creep onto his own face despite himself. “Thank you,” He pulled his head a little closer, nuzzling her neck slightly. Her coat was warm and soothing, starkly contrasting the chilling winds and rain,“Maybe when this is all done we can go get lunch sometime?”

“Don’t we usually do that?”

Flicker flushed. “Uh… like as a… um… like as a date…” Shadow blinked at him, her expression clearly surprised. Flicker felt his whole face grow hot. He scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly, backpedaling with his words. “Oh, uh… This probably wasn’t the best time, was it… I-I mean we just got back together and everything's been going crazy with the riots and the mob and Swindle, and and and… I’m just going to shut up now. Sorry. Forget I said anything…” He quickly silenced himself, putting a hoof over his muzzle.

Shadow chuckled, though her face was red as well. “Yeah. I’d like that too.”

“Like… um… like the date or…”

“Yes the date you big dork!” Shadow smacked him lightly across the top of his head with her wing. “Then maybe we could go on a few dates afterwards… If you want.”

Flicker could feel his smile grow a little. “I’d like that, yeah.”

Both of their eyes locked and Flicker could feel his breath stop. The gap between them was suddenly very close and he could feel her soft breath across his face. Shadow’s eyes closed as their heads slowly moved closer. Everything suddenly seemed to go quiet save for the pounding of his heart in his chest and the pounding of rain thundering against the rooftop like drums.

Then the feeling of Shadow’s breath across his face stopped and Flicker realized that they were both holding their breath in anticipation for what they knew was about to come.

“Uh… Shadow?”

“Mmhmm?”

“Can I… um…”

“Mmhmm.”

“Are you, um… are you sure?”

“Celestia damn it Flicker, just kiss me already.”

Shadow leaned forwards and placed her lips against his before Flicker could properly respond. His eyes widened in surprise for a second before they began to drift closed as he allowed himself to melt into the kiss. Warmth seemed to spread across his body, seemingly warding off the chilling rain that drenched his coat.

The kiss lasted far shorter than Flicker would have liked and he soon found them pulling away from each other once again. Flicker blinked a few times, trying to get his bearings. He reached up with a hoof and closed his mouth when he realized it was still hanging open. Shadow giggled slightly at his reaction.

“I, uh… I think I love you Shadow,” Flicker said, his head still trying to process the kiss.

Shadow blushed and tried to hide her face behind her wing, though she didn’t do a very good job. “I love you too.”

Their serendipity was interrupted by the loud shattering of glass from across the street. Their eyes raised, making out the sight of a few ponies wielding anti zebra signs throwing rocks through a store front. A few ponies cheered as the windows shattered, others screamed loudly as the zebra shopkeeper inside ran for safety.

Flicker straightened up, his face suddenly losing it’s bliss and once more hardening. “Come on. We need to get through these next couple of days first.”

Shadow nodded, pushing herself up to stand beside him. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to finish the movie. I promised Swindle I would, and I’m going to make sure I keep it. But this time I’m gonna try and do better,” Flicker responded, his eyes still locked on the shattered store window. Slowly, he turned and faced Shadow, his face a mask of worry and determination. “Popcorn and the Flim Flam brothers are gathering everypony down below. I can’t force you to join the film again, but if you want, the position is always open for you.”

Shadow looked up at him for a long moment before finally nodding. “Yeah. Yes. Of course I will.”

Flicker gave her a thankful smile before turning. “Then come on. We need to finish this…”

All eyes turned to glare at Flicker Light as he and Shadow trotted into the room.

Popcorn and the Flim Flam brothers had managed to round everypony up and convince them to return to the theatre, but making them stay seemed like it was taking a lot more work. One of the grips gave Flicker an angry stare as he strode forwards.

Shadow gave Flicker a small, comforting squeeze with her wing before pulling away and letting Flicker approach the small group of angry ponies and zebras.

“Flicker. What do you hope to do here?” The actress for Celestia asked, taking a step forward as if to speak for the group. “The film is done. It’s through. I’m sorry, but even if we all agreed to work on the project again after what you’ve done, we just got news that our funding has been cut,” She gestured to the broken set behind her. “We have no bits, the set is destroyed and if what Popcorn is telling us is true, then Swindle is dead and the Nightmare Gang wants to shut us down. It’s over.”

“I know,” Flicker started, trying his best to build up what little courage he had inside of him. “Things got bad. Really bad. And I messed up. I shouldn’t have said the things that I did to you. Any of you. And if all of you decide to leave right now after all that’s happened, I understand. But I need to say something to you all first.”

Flickers eyes moved away from the cast and crew for a moment, landing on the broken moon prop that he had smashed in. He stared at it for a long moment, as if expecting it to tell him something or give him some sort of a sign. But it didn’t. The symbol had been broken and now it was nothing more than a broken piece of plasterboard.

He returned his gaze to the group, his whole body stiff. “I’m sorry about what I said. I was angry and hurting and wasn’t thinking properly, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that I still said it. I treated all of you badly. Like labour. That was wrong. I might have made this production a reality, but it's all of you that keeps it working. I’m lost without you. All of you. And if I never see any of you again after today, I just want you all to know that you all mean a lot to me. More than I can express through words. That we were like a family, back before things got…” He stopped, the sound of a bullet ringing through his ears and the image of Swindle Gyp collapsing to the ground filling his mind. “I wish I had seen that sooner. Before it was too late. I’m not asking for forgiveness. Only that you understand just how much you’re all worth. If not to me, then to all of Equestria.”

The actress for Celestia gave a long sigh. She looked back, her eyes looking over the rest of the ponies as they all seemed to share a silent conversation. After a second, they seemed to come to a consensus and the actress turned back to face him. “Flicker, this place meant a lot to us as well. You were always so kind and creative. We all looked up to you in a way I suppose. I guess that’s why what you said hurt so much,” She paused, letting that sink in. “But you're right as well. We're like a family, all of us. We’re here for you now, if you’re willing to make things right.”

Flicker’s drooped ears perked up in shock. “Y-you… Really?”

“Really,” The camera pony stated, taking a step forwards himself to stand next to the Celestia look alike. “We’re with you till the end. Family sticks together, even when one of them messes up.”

"You do realize that this will put you all in danger with the Nightmare Gang," Flicker insisted, his thoughts reeling. "They've already killed one. There's nothing to say they won't kill again. I don't want to put you all in danger over this."

“All of Equestria is in danger right now because of those menaces and their puppet Griffin. Not just us," One of the other actors countered, stepping up as well. "Things got worse than we ever imagined they would, and I’ll be darned if we just walk away when you need us most.”

“But there's still a problem. We don't have a set anymore,” Popcorn pointed out, her eyes looking over the smashed stage props. “And without funding, I don’t know how we hope to achieve anything.”

Flicker forced his surprised gaze away from the cast to look at the broken set. He let a long, built up sigh escape his muzzle. “We’ll rebuild it. This isn’t about making a movie anymore. This is about standing up to what’s right. Brutes have taken the world's stage. They’ve shown ponies a way, but not the way they should be going. D.W. Griffin’s Birth of an Empire destroyed the floodgates and filled the streets of Coltifornia with hate. But we’re not going to let the flood wash over us. We’re going to try and mend it.”

“How?” Shadow asked, her eyes trailing out the window where a few more rioters were running past the theatre, signs waving and faces filled with rage. “What can we do to stop this much hate?”

Flicker could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he started speaking, a new resolve washing over him. “Griffin and the Nightmare gang used film to open the way for intolerance. We’re going to try and use film to close it. We probably won’t be able to stop everything, something tells me Equestria is going to be feeling the ripples of what Griffin has done for years to come. Honestly, I doubt all of this hate will ever go away for good, but we can try to slow it down! We can fight their fire with fire of our own. We might not be politicians, but we're filmmakers. We're artist and actors and designers. Those titles mean more than just paint on a canvas or ghostly images across a screen. We're revolutionaries. We're the ponies that show the world a different way. A better way...

Flicker marched forward, hopping up on top of the broken down set. He stood before them, his voice rising with each and every word. "We'll make the movie about coming together. About mending the schism between us! About standing up to hatred and intolerance! It doesn’t matter that the set is gone. We’ll build a new one. We’ll strip parts off the walls to build it if we must. If we run out of that, we’ll use paper or cardboard. We still have a camera. We still have each other. What else could we possibly need outside of that? We just need to show the world that together we can overcome anything!”

The actress for Celestia smirked, flipping her mane slightly. “I’ll go get into costume.”

“I’ll get to work on rebuilding!” One of the Set dec pitched in.

“So will I!”

One by one, each member of the cast and crew added to the hubbub, preparing themselves for the undertaking to come. They’re faces stern and determined, yet with a growing sense of pride and joy. They were all together now, ready to take on the world as one.

If only the rest of Equestria could learn that lesson. That it is better to be together than apart. That violence was never the way. That love is far stronger than hatred.

That friendship was magic...

Flicker stood up prouder, his heart filling with more and more confidence as the cast and crew rallied around him. Shadow flapped her wings and landed beside him, her expression beaming. “We only have forty eight hours until the election! Forty eight hours to finish A Trip to Luna’s Moon! That’s not a lot of time, but if we all work together, nothing can stop us from standing up for what is right,” Flickers voice lowered and he looked back at the broken face of the moon. The Mare on the Moon seemed to be looking back at him again, but this time she seemed to be smiling, ready to come back home. Ready to join the divide, even across the far reaches of space. “The Nightmare Gang has no idea what’s coming for them…”

Author's Note

What's this? Only one chapter left?

I decided to change the rating to Teen. I figured murder and hate crimes were probably a little much for the E rating.

Hope you enjoyed and have a great day :twilightsmile:.

Only the Unloved Hate, the Unloved and the Unnatural

It had all started with a dream. The dream that cinema could be something more than just a sideshow attraction at the circus. A dream that no pony believed in.

But then something wonderful had happened. That dream had taken flight. It had blossomed into something truly new and wondrous and quickly took Coltifornia by storm. Ponies had begun to share in on that very same dream and for a time, just a short little time, it seemed like that dream would become a reality.

But the world and the forces that rule it don’t care about dreams. Dreams can easily be twisted into lies, deceit and manipulation. Dreams are just as capable of brewing hatred as they are at creating friendship, perhaps even more so. Flicker Light had learned that better than anypony.

What had started as a dream, had quickly become a nightmare. A terrible, terrible nightmare. And for better or worse, it was all going to end tonight.

September 1st, 1902 - 3:00 PM - Five hours before the election:

“Pack your bags, we’re getting out of here,” Golden Bits said, stuffing as many of his bits as he could into his large suitcase before quickly starting to carelessly scoop the rest of his belongings off his desk and into a big luggage case. “This city has gone insane. We need to get out of here now.”

Many Bits hesitated, looking over all of his belongings before him. “Are you sure this is a good idea? What about our deal with D.W. Griffin?”

“To Tartarus with that deal!” Golden Bits spat back, shoving a wrinkled dress shirt into the suitcase. “Have you seen what's going on out there? More than half the city is armed and preparing for civil war. The election is only hours away, and as soon as that begins things are going to start getting real messy. Plus, I just heard that Swindle Gyp is dead. Nightmare Gang or something like that. If they have something against Flicker Light, then I don’t want to be around when they find out we funded his business. We just need to get to Canterlot, things will be safer there.”

Many Bits frowned. “So we’re just going to drop everything?” He sighed and finally began to gingerly place his things into his own bag, his face cast with melancholy. “I really thought this whole film thing was going to make us rich.”

“Look, don’t worry about all that now. I know a Pony; Thomhorse Edison. Him and his assistant contacted me a few days ago. Apparently they caught wind of this whole film thing and are interested in investing in the Magic Lantern Camera,” Golden Bits explained reassuringly, his voice lowering a little. “I did a bit of digging and it doesn’t look like Flicker Light or his father put any sort of copyright on their camera. We can meet up with Edison in Canterlot and make a claim on it ourselves. There's a lot of bits in that for us, more than there is sticking around this doomed city anyway.”

Many Bits scrunched up his nose at the idea, but didn’t comment on it further. Bits were bits he supposed, it didn’t matter how they got them in the end.

As soon as the last things were packed up and the suitcases closed with a loud click of the lock, the two bank managers began rushing for the door, their train tickets tight in their mouth.

“Are you ponies going somewhere?” A casual, yet headstrong voice spoke up, causing both of the bankers to spin around, their eyes wide with fear. Leaning against the wall, flanked by two tough looking bucks in dark blue suits, stood the infamous crime boss of the Nightmare gang. His eyes had been cast into shadow from his wide brimmed fedora, but the two banker ponies could still clearly feel his piercing gaze blazing into them. “You wouldn’t be planning on skip town, now would you?” The mob boss took a small puff of the thick cigar hanging from his mouth, a thin smile on his lips.

“I, uh… we were just, um…” Golden Bits stumbled, trying to find the right words. His eyes darted down to the large, gun shaped bulge in the Mob bosses suit. “Just uh… having ourselves a little vacation… that’s all.”

The Mob boss looked them over a second longer, another puff of smoke from his cigar swirling around his monochrome face. “Mmmhmm,” He finally soothed, pulling himself off the wall and taking a step towards the two cowering ponies. They took a nervous step away from him at his approach. “That there is an awful lot of luggage for a little vacation.”

Many Bits grimaced, trying to hide his suitcase behind him a little. “We uh… like to be prepared…”

The thin smile on the mob bosses face suddenly seemed to warp into a growl. “Many Bits, you know I don’t like to be lied to,” The mob boss cooed, taking another step forward. “We had a good thing going, the three of us. I was rather fond of having two very generous... donors... such as yourselves here at the bank.”

Golden Bits baulked. “L-look. I’m s-sure we can come to some sort of agreement? W-what do you want? Bits? I’m sure we can spare a few…”

The mob boss paused at that, rolling his words around in his head. “Hmm… Tempting. See, I know that you helped fund a little project belonging to Flicker Light. I want information on that…”

The Bits siblings exchanged a worried look, their previous fear of the Nightmare Gang finding out about their involvement with Flicker suddenly seeming very dire. “I-is that all… I’m sure we could tell you s-something? What do you want to k-know?”

The mob bosses growl reverted back to its original chilling smirk. “I told the good Flicker Light that he was to stop his production on his film. But I’m getting reports from some of my… informants... that Flicker and his crew have been hiding away inside of his theatre for the last two days. I want to know what he’s up to.”

Many Bits gulped, taking a step back. “W-we cut our ties with Flicker. We haven’t heard anything…”

The mob boss frowned, reaching up a hoof to take his cigar out of his mouth. He exhaled, thick smoke wafting from between his lips. "You don't know nothing?" Both bankers shook their heads enthusiastically. “Hmmm. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be in touch,” The mob boss finally said, his sweetly tone having a thick hint of malice.

He turned, both of his bodyguards following him out and into the overcast street beyond. Golden Bits shivered, looking over at his brother worriedly. “What are we gonna do?”

Many Bits stood silently, staring mortified at the glass doors of the bank as they slowly swung shut behind the trio of Nightmare gang ponies. “Y-you’re right… we need to get out of this city,” he looked down at his train ticket. “We need a less direct root. Cancel our tickets. We’ll catch a trail up to Vanhoover, wait this storm out there then make our way to Canterlot.”

Golden Bits nodded, gulping. Things had gone from bad to worse, and they both knew that it was only going to get worse before the night was through.

September 1st, 1902 - 3:48 PM - Four hours, twelve minutes before the election:

The Mob boss stepped out of the Bank, his cold eyes immediately spotting the dark grey griffin watching him from across the street. He grinned, straightening his suit and trotting casually over to him, his two guards trailing closely behind him.

“Griffin!” The mob boss exclaimed with faux pleasure, opening up his hooves welcomingly towards D.W. Griffin. The griffin only gave him a raised eyebrow in return. The mob boss dropped his hooves and went back to a more neutral position. “Something have you down Griffin? Today is a day to rejoice. Tonight our work finally comes to fruition,” he held out an unlit cigar. “Cigar?”

“What was that about?” Griffin asked, bluntly, accepting the cigar and lighting it with the small flick of a match. He pointed over to the bank with one of his talons.

The mob boss gave a sultry look. “Just dealing with some old friends of mine. Nothing to concern yourself with, I assure you.”

“I heard you have been keeping Flicker Light and his crew under surveillance?” D.W. Griffin annotated, taking a puff of his offered cigar.

The mob boss’ voice shifted into a defensive tone. “Don’t you worry about that either friendo. I’ll deal with Flicker Light.”

Griffin huffed in response, spreading his large wings. “I expect I shall see you outside the capitol building at the time of the election?”

The mob boss nodded. “I wouldn’t dare miss it for the world. I think it’s about time Coltifornia goes back to the way it is supposed to be. Run by the superior races such as the ponies and griffins.”

D.W. Griffin simply nodded. “Indeed. I feel this has been a long time coming,” With that, he flapped his powerful wings and shot off into the sky, soaring high above the brick skyscrapers and rioting streets of Coltifornia.

The Mob boss watched him fly off for a long moment before leaning in towards one of his bodyguards and whispering. “I want an eye kept on him.”

The guard nodded grimly, one hoof brushing against the firearm that rested just within the confines of his dark suit. “Of course boss.”

The mob boss took a step back, looking his two guards over. “I have no doubts that Flicker Light is going to make his move soon. Send out the word that there is to be a sniper watching every entrance of that theatre. He has to leave sooner or later. When he does, I want to know. If he has a film with him… Whack him.”

The two mobsters gave grim nods, both knowing full well that he meant something much more sinister than a rough slap on the hoof. But when the boss asked, you delivered. That’s just how the city worked.

September 1st, 1902 - 6:58 PM - One hour, two minutes before the election:

Rosemary trotted down the sidewalk, keeping close to the shadows, a large basket of food and supplies slung across her withers.

The streets were getting busy, more and more rioters storming out onto the streets and waving their hateful signs. Shouts and screams of rage and protest filled the air, many directed at the few zebras that dared to stay outside while others seemed to be even more obscene and directed at everypony that disagreed with them entirely.

She looked behind her as she quickly moved farther and farther away from her apartment. At the end of the street, verging on the edge of uptown sat the looming municipal building, towering over the large crowds of screaming ponies. The only other buildings were her apartment building and the old abandoned skyscraper. She wondered if they were ever going to repurpose it or tear the skyscraper down. It had been such an eyesore for so long. She doubted that anything would be done about it right now with the chaos that was the current political climate.

As she began to near the FlickerLight Theatre in the far distance, the first drops of rain began to splash against the cracked asphalt around her. It had been a tough month for everybody, and the weather seemed to enjoy reflecting that.

Her eyes drifted to the rooftop of the building across from the theatre. As she had seen on her last two trips out here, a pony in a dark blue suit was standing sentinel atop it, their eyes fixated on the door to Flicker’s theatre. But this time, things were different.

Now there were two ponies, and one of them was holding a rather large looking sniper…

Feeling a bolt of alarm, Rosemary began trotting in a large arch around the building, still trying to keep to the shadows the best she could. Slowly, she began making her way around to the back where she knew a back door would be waiting for her. Her eyes landed on the roof of the building behind the theatre, another Nightmare Gang sniper resting there as well, the scope of his large weapon pointed down menacingly at the back door.

“Oh no…” Rosemary mumbled to herself, pushing herself up tighter against the wall to keep from being seen. Her eyes darted around to all the other surrounding buildings, feeling her heartbeat start racing faster as she realized there were snipers located on all of those roofs as well.

The Nightmare gang was up to something, and she could tell that it spelt trouble.

Inching around the side of the building, Rosemary found a spot wedged between the theatre and the adjacent building that seemed to be out of view from the snipers. A small window leading into the upper part of the theatre was set into the wall a far above her, the glass pane slid aside to allow entry.

Flicker Light had shown it to her shortly after she had declared she would go out every few hours to get food and other necessities for the cast and crew. He had told her that it should allow a way in an out of the building if there was an emergency. She had hoped the situation wouldn’t get that bad, but clearly it had.

Putting her hoof on the side of the wall, Rosemary began pulling herself up, slowly making her way up the steep brick surface. The heavy rain made the thin cracks in the jagged bricks slick to the touch, and a few times she had to pause to keep from falling off.

Within a few minutes, Rosemary made it to the window and crawled inside, falling entirely to the Theatre floor below her.

“Rosemary!?” she heard a worried voice chirp as she heaved and tried to catch her breath. Rosemary looked up to see a surprised looking Shadow Silhouette rushing towards her, a growing look of concern across her face. “What’s going on? Why are you coming in through the window?”

Rosemary sat up, rubbing her hooves together and panting. “Nightmare gang outside... Snipers on the roofs... Had to find a safe way in,” She sputtered between breaths. Shadow quickly pulled up beside her and helped her back to her hooves. “Is Flicker Light still here?”

Shadow nodded, leading Rosemary down a set of stairs. Rosemary was surprised to find that there seemed to be a whole living area set up in the theatres attic. This must have been the area that Shadow had been living in all this time. “Yeah, he’s just cutting together the last bits of the film.”

Rosemary grimaced. “We’re cutting it close. We only have an hour left,” A sudden realization hit her. “How exactly does Flicker plan to get everyone to see the film before the election anyway? More than half the city is currently storming the streets to uptown and the government building.”

Shadow paused, biting her lower lip. “I, uh… I don’t know. I think he said he had a plan… maybe…” She blushed a little. “He’s always been a bit of a dreamer, so it’s probably going to be something unnecessarily big and theatrical.”

Rosemary stifled a laugh. “Great, just what this city needs right now. A vigilante with a flare for the dramatic,” Shadow didn’t know quite how to take that.”

The two mares reached a hatch in the floor and began descending down a ladder to the mane area of the theatre. After a few rungs, Shadow flapped her wings and lifted off from the ladder, swooping down to the theatre floor below.

“Show off,” Rosemary smirked at Shadow, as she finally reached the bottom of the ladder herself. She glanced around, making out the cast and crew all gathered in the middle of the theatre, talking to each other. She trotted over to them, opening up the basket on her back and revealing the food inside. “Here you go. I reckon you are all probably hungry right about now.”

They all gave her grateful smiles before digging in. The actress for Celestia went so far as to reach out and hug her. Popcorn gave her a timid nod.

With the cast dealt with, Rosemary turned to where Flicker Light was sitting. He was on the stage at the back of the auditorium, slowly threading strips of film through some sort of device that Rosemary briefly remembered him referring to as a Moviola. Every few moments there would be a small snipping noise as Flicker Light cut into the film strips with the device. His eyes were fixated on his work and the occasional bead of sweat dripped from his brow.

Shadow swooped over to him, planting a small kiss on his cheek. The touch drew a smile from Flicker, though he didn’t look up at her directly. Shadow rolled her eyes at his obliviousness, then leaned forwards and bit his ear.

Flicker’s head jerked up in surprise, his face turning a bright red. “S-s-shadow!” He squealed, finally having his attention pulled away from his work.

Shadow let go of his ear and pointed towards Rosemary as she slowly made her way towards them. “Rosemary’s here.”

Flicker Light flushed. “O-oh… sorry, I didn’t hear you come on,” He pulled himself up onto his hooves and hopped off of the stage to address her more directly. “Is everything alright out there?”

Rosemary gave him a grim look. “No. And we’re running out of time fast. The Nightmare gang has got snipers on the roof outside.”

That got the cast and crew's attention. They all looked up from their food, worried. Fear flashed across Flicker's face and he silently mouthed the words Rosemary had just said.

“S-snipers… As in like… ponies with big guns and s-stuff…” Flicker stammered. Rosemary just nodded in response. He had known about the Nightmare gang spies on the roof, but multiple armed ponies was not something he felt he could deal with at the moment. He looked back and forth from his film to the cast and crew a few feet away. “A-Alright, we need to find a way to get all of you out of here safely.”

“Oh no you don’t, we’ve all come too far now to give up like that,” The actress for Celestia asserted, taking a bold step forwards. “We all knew the risk when we decided to keep filming after the Nightmare Gangs warning. We are not backing out now.”

“Yeah. We’re with you until the end,” Popcorn piped up. The rest of the cast and crew all gave firm nods of agreement at that. Popcorn’s face fell a little. “It’s the least I can do after all that I’ve done.”

Flicker gave them all a worried look. “I doubt that they are going to just let me leave this theatre with the film in hoof. Sticking around is just going to get you all killed…” Flicker took a deep breath, trembling. “We already lost Swindle Gyp, I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose all of you as well.”

Shadow put a hoof on Flicker’s shoulder. “We’ll think of something.”

“My brother and I might have a bit of an idea,” the high, fast speaking voice of Flam declared, the colt hoping up onto the stage next to Flicker and striking a dramatic pose.

“Indeed we have,” Flim agreed, straightening his bowtie and giving everypony a charismatic grin. Flicker was glad to see that the two colts were at least able to smile after what had happened to Swindle. “My brother and I agree that the solution to our little problem requires little more than some misdirection.”

Rosemary raised an eyebrow at the two swindling colts. “Like, a distraction?”

Flam gave her a wink. “Exactly so. The cast and crew can lead the snipers away and get to safety while the rest of us sneak out and execute dear Flicker Lights plan.”

Flicker looked over at the cast and crew, checking to make sure that plan worked for them. It sounded like a sound plan, but it was still risky. “Are you all sure you’re up for something like that? That will put you right in the crosshairs of those snipers. We already know that the Nightmare gang has no qualms killing.”

The actress for Celestia gave her hair a dramatic flip. “Of course we are. A lot of us are actors after all, causing a scene is many of our specialties. Besides…” She paused, looking behind her and at the large double doors that led out with uncertainty. “...We’ll be safe. I doubt the Nightmare gang wants a bunch of innocent ponies to get shot in mob violence. Bad for business…”

Flicker gave her a thankful look, but he still looked nervous. “Even still, there’s a lot going on outside. If they chose to shoot, they’ll have an easier alibi than normal. If they really want you dead, the Nightmare gang can just claim it was rioters,” He felt his heart sink. “Or Celestia forbid they blame it on zebras and make this whole situation worse…”

Everypony looked around at each other grimly at that. They all knew he was right, but they were all going to go through with it anyway.

September 1st, 1902 - 7:26 PM - Thirty four minutes before the election:

Snip.

Flicker Light blinked, staring in awe as the Moviola cut into the final film strip, causing the last bit of excess film to fall away. He held his breath, expecting something to suddenly happen. Nothing did.

“It’s... done…” He breathed, his whole body going still. Something had to happen. Something was bound to go wrong and make him need to start all over from scratch. He must have missed something. Was this a dream? It wasn’t. It was actually finished.

His film, A Trip to Luna’s Moon, after all these years, was done. It was complete. No matter whatever happened after today, he had, at the very least, completed that dream. Maybe it was a little later than he had wanted, and it might not get the privilege of being Equestria’s first feature, but it was finally and truly done.

“It’s done,” Flicker repeated, this time his tone and mind filling more with excitement than shock. He beamed with pride, detaching the film reel from the Moviola and holding it up. “A Trip to Luna’s Moon is done!”

Shadow’s head bolted up, staring wide eyed at him. A large smile broke across her face. Flapping her wings, she rocketed across the room and wrapped Flicker in a bone crushing hug, a small laugh escaping her own lips. Flicker trembled in her embrace, this time out of joy. “I’m proud of you,” Shadow smiled, kissing him on the tip of his muzzle.

Flicker hugged her back, tears of joy racing down his face. “I- I was starting to think there wouldn’t be time… that I would never…” He felt his breath hitch in his throat as another tear raced down his face. “I did it dad… I did it Swindle…”

Flim and Flam pushed their way up to them, Flim tapping a pocket watch with a hoof. “Need I remind you that the election is in thirty minutes?”

“And that your film is eighteen minutes long?” Flam added, tapping a pocket watch of his own. “That only leaves you with twelve minutes to show the entire city your film.”

Flicker Light bolted up at that. In his work, he had lost track of time. He spun around, pointing a hoof to the cast and crew. “Alright. Time to make this happen. You cause a distraction at the front doors. Draw as many gang ponies as you can away from the back while we sneak out! Just be careful. This movie isn’t more important than your lives.”

The actress for Celestia gave a quick salute at that, gesturing for the rest of the ponies and zebras to follow her. “Come on. Let's show these ponies what we’re made of,” She turned back to Flicker and flashed a smile. “And I think we’re beyond this just being a movie, Flicker. You said it yourself. This is about standing up for what’s right.”

Flicker returned her smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Just be careful please… all of you,” they all smiled back, though there was a sad look in some of their eyes. Flicker turned around, pointing at the rest of the ponies. “Shadow, Popcorn, Rosemary, Flim and Flam, you’re with me. It’s time to go to the moon.”

September 1st, 1902 - 7:32 PM - Twenty six minutes before the election:

The Nightmare gang pony stared down the scope of his sniper, his sights trained on the large front doors of the FlickerLight Theatre.

He didn’t know why he had been asked to keep watch on some random group of ponies and zebras, and he didn’t care. The boss wanted it done, so that’s what he was going to do. No pony disobeyed the boss. Across the street, he could see another gang member in position, their own weapon trained at the back entrance. The boss sure wanted to make sure these ponies stayed in check.

There was suddenly movement below him and the front doors of the FlickerLight Theatre slammed open, making way for a large group of ponies and zebras. He recognized a few of them, many local talent that he had seen in a few plays over the years.

And they were… dancing?

Maybe not dancing exactly, but they were up to something. Running and jumping and zigzagging in all directions. A mare that looked surprisingly like Celestia herself stepped forwards amongst the chaos, raising her hoof and belting out. “Citizens of Equestria, today shall be a great day!”

The Gang pony quickly pulled out his walky talky, his hooves fumbling as he tried to get it out while keeping the Celestia look alike in his sights. “I think we got a problem,” The mobster grumbled into the walky talky. “Bunch’a ponies just burst out the front door.”

“Yeah, I gotta visual,” a crackly voice responded. “They’re in my sighs. Should I take a shot?”

“No. We have no orders to-” He paused as what the other mobster said finally clicked in his head. “You what!” If he had a visual then that meant… He looked up, his eyes catching sight of all the snipers on the roofs, their sights now trained on the crazy ponies below and not the entrances they were supposed to be watching. “Oh son of a- They’re a distraction!”

His gaze managed to snap down to where the other mobster had been covering the back door just in time to see another group of ponies, Flicker Light amongst them, racing down a back alley. His sniper immediately fired off a shot, but it was too late. Flicker and his friends darted around the corner and out of sight.

“Tartarus! They’re getting away!” He felt his gut falling into his stomach. “The boss ain’t going to be happy about this…”

September 1st, 1902 - 7:34 PM - Twenty six minutes before the election:

Flicker Light raced across the cracked asphalt, the heavy rain from the clouds above pounding down against the ground around him. He could hear the beating flaps of Shadow's wings as she dipped and swerved in the air around him and the clopping of Rosemary and Popcorn’s hooves as they rushed along behind him, carrying Flim and Flam atop their backs.

They turned, darting down another side alley. The sounds of screams and protests were getting louder. They must almost be there.

They burst out of the alley and onto the street proper, their manes and hides soaked with rain and sweat.

The street was filled with ponies. They waved signs of hate, their voices raised as they marched upon the looming municipal building in the distance. Baseball bats swung, smashing in windows and breaking the wheels of taxi wagons. Small groups of ponies were trying to hold them back, trying to push back the mobs, but it wasn’t good enough. There were too many ponies. There was just too much hatred.

The sun was quickly setting behind the building, starting to cast the sky into darkness and Luna’s moon began to shimmer into view. Flim and Flam hopped onto the ground, looking up as the sky flashed to twilight.

Flicker cast one glance up at the large, abandoned skyscraper beside him. It creaked ominously as ponies smashed at its bases, almost as if it might finally fall down. He turned back to face Shadow, Popcorn and Rosemary, passing them over a heavy backpack. “Alright, just follow the plan and things will be okay!” Flicker shouted, trying to make his voice heard over the shreikings of the mob. “Start when I give you the signal!”

Shadow took a step forward and wrapped her forehooves around the bag, giving it a nervous look. “The… Signal? What’s the signal?”

Flicker scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Uh… Guess I didn’t think that far ahead… just do it whenever it feels most dramatic. We need ponies to remember this.”

Shadow nodded, quickly rushing forward and wrapping Flicker in a tight hug. “You come back to me, alright? The second you start talking, you’re going to have the whole Nightmare gang on top of you…”

Flicker gave her a quick kiss and smiled. “It’ll be alright. I’ll come back. I promise…” he turned and looked to Rosemary “Thank you for everything you’ve done. You didn’t have to do anything, but you always helped me anyway. Thank you.”

Rosemary shrugged it off. “Stop talking like you’re not coming back. I hope to see more films out of you than just this one.”

Turning to Popcorn, Flicker gave her a small smile. “And thank you too. For coming around for us.”

Popcorn just looked away. “You shouldn’t forgive me Flicker. Half of all this is my fault. Swindle is on me…”

Flicker just shook his head, quickly embracing the unicorn. “No pony blames you for what the Nightmare gang did,” Flicker hesitated for a second. “I have something to ask of you though. This plan. You’re the most important part. I’ll need you to project the film. Somewhere that everypony can see it.”

Popcorn looked around, her eyes wide. “W-wait, out here? Where am I going to project the film out here!?”

Flicker broke off the hug, taking a step back. “I don’t know. We’re running out of time and you’re just going to have to find a way to make it work. But I trust you. You can do this.”

Popcorn stared at him for a long second before giving a brave nod. “I-I’ll try not to let you down.”

Flicker Light took a deep breath, taking all three of them in. “Okay… I guess we’re doing this,” His eyes locked with Shadow’s. “I love you.”

Shadow smirked back, but he could tell she was scared. “I love you two,” Grasping the bag Flicker had given her tight to her chest, Shadow spun around and flew off, Popcorn and Rosemary rushing along behind her.

Flicker clutched at a backpack of his own, feeling the weight of the heavy film reel inside. He hoped they would get far enough away to be safe. He turned and looked down at Flim and Flam who were standing beside him expectantly. “You two ready?”

Flam gave a snarky looking salute. “I don’t think we’ve ever been ready for anything more in our lives.”

Flicker glanced down at his watch. Twenty four minutes until the election. That meant he only had six minutes till show time. He could still do this. He pulled the large film reel out of his bag and looked at it longingly. “Here it goes…”

September 1st, 1902 - 7:34 PM - Twenty four minutes before the election:

The mob boss smirked as he watched the ponies close in on the government building. He glanced at his watch, watching as the seconds ticked by to the moment all his work had been building up too.

He was practically giddy. Who would have thought all this film business would lead to such success. He certainly hadn't when he had first experienced it at the circus all those years ago. Back when he was just a low level mobster.

But oh how it had paid off in the end. The mayor would get reelected, the zebra would be driven out of the city and he would hold his control over Coltifornia and the Las Pegasus Casinos.

Not that he had anything particulate against zebras. He couldn’t care less what they did as long as they stayed out of his way. But he knew that their vote would change things. And he knew it was not a change that favoured him.

Didn’t matter. He had made sure everything worked out just right. He was in such a good mood he figured it would be the right time for a cigar.

He stomped his hoof, calling over his right hoof pony, a large red buck with a scar on the clip of his eye. Instantly, the red buck opened up a pack of cigars, offering one to the mob boss.

“Thank you kindly,” the mob boss cooed, taking the cigar and placing it between his teeth.

The flapping of wings alerted him of D.W. Griffin swooping down and landing beside him. The classy, monochrome griffin was silent for a moment as the two of them watched the rioters push against the few ponies that dared to stand up for zebra rights.

“I’m glad you could make it,” The mob boss said, offering Griffin a cigar that the large griffin turned down. “The show was just about to get interesting.”

“Wouldn’t dare miss it for the world,” Griffin responded, mimicking the mob boss' earlier response. His eyes watched the rioting ponies in interest. He sighed as watched a few ponies advocating for zebra rights struggling to hold back the angry mob. "I don't understand why ponies are still fighting... We're trying to set things right..."

There was a ringing noise, followed by the mob bosses right hoof pony stepping towards them, a ringing phone in his hoof. “Uh, boss. It’s for you.”

Frowning, the mob boss excused himself from D.W. Griffin’s side and took the phone. “Who is this? I am in the middle of something.”

“Boss. We got bad news. Flicker Light escapes the Theatre… He was carrying something. We think it was a film reel…” The voice of one of the ponies he had put in charge of watching the FlickerLight Theatre spoke back at him over the phone.

“YOU DID WHAT!” The mob boss roared, his nostrils flaring and anger pushing through his voice. He growled, stamping out some of his frustration. “It doesn’t matter. The election begins in mere moments. There’s nothing Flicker Light can-” he paused, his eyes landing on the entrance to the abandoned skyscraper across the street from him. There, with those two, yellow, backstabbing colts, was Flicker Light. Flicker Light glanced around for a second, before darting into the broken down skyscraper and vanishing from sight.

The phone dropped from the mob bosses grip as he glared daggers at where Flicker Light had just been. “H-he… he’s here!” The mob boss growled, his hooves stomping at the ground. He spun, staring down his right hoof pony. “Get over there! Now! Stop Flicker Light. I don’t care what it takes. I want that pony six feet under,” He snarled.

The large red buck gave a stoic nod, his hoof already reaching for his gun. “Consider him dead.”

September 1st, 1902 - 7:36 PM - Twenty two minutes before the election:

Flicker began rushing up the crumbling steps of the skyscraper, the film reel in his bag bouncing against his side as scrambled up as fast as he could. He could almost feel himself running out of time.

Flim and Flam paused a few steps behind him, their gaze focused on something out the window. “Don’t look now Flicker my friend, but it looks like we’re about to get company,” Flam stated, pulling out a long, thick wire that he had tucked in his vest pocket. “You go on. My brother and I have everything under control.”

Flicker paused, turning to look back at them. “Company? What do you…” his eyes widened as the door at the bottom of the stairs slammed open, the large red Mobster with the scarred face burst in, a tommy gun already raised in his hooves and ready to fire. “Oh no…”

Flickers ears exploded with sound as the rapid gunfire of the submachine gun boomed around the echoey stairway. Flicker dove to the side, the wall behind him being riddled with bullet holes, plater and chipped cement bursting around him.

Flim and Flam darted off to the left, jumping behind a cracked, open door frame with a loud, “eep”.

Flicker scampered up a few more steps. The blaring tommy gun slashing at the steps behind him. He lunged for the landing that led to the next floor, his heart pounding in his chest. His head whipped around, looking for a place to hide. Not seeing anywhere good, he jumped behind a corner, praying the mobster didn’t come any closer.

“Come on out Flicker,” The mobster growled, his heavy hoofsteps echoing around the building as he moved up the stairs towards him. “Ain’t no pony mess with the Nightmare gang and get away with it.”

Flicker took a deep breath, trying to slow his heart rate. He was not much for running, and running while getting shot at pretty much topped the list of things he didn’t want to be doing ever.

Out of the corner of his eye, Flicker saw Flim and Flam darting about in the shadows around them, their hooves working furiously as they started setting something up.

There was another round of gunfire, this time the bullets slashing away at the corner Flicker was hiding behind. Flicker flinched away, his hooves instinctively covering his head to protect himself from the lethal fire. He couldn’t tell if the mobster was shooting at him or just trying to scare him out of hiding. If he was trying to scare him, it was working.

Flicker heard the mobsters hoof steps come to a stop only inches away from the corner he was hiding behind. He could practically feel the large ponies hot breath breathing down his neck. There was a click as the large red buck loaded another magazine into his firearm. “I got orders to pepper you with holes,” The mobster sneered, taking another step forward. “Come on out so I can fill ya with lead.”

Oh yeah, real tempting.

The mobster took another step forward, this time bringing the tip of his Tommy gun into Flicker’s line of sight. Flicker clamped his hooves over his mouth, trying to stay as silent as possible.

“Hey ugly,” Flicker heard Flim shout out. He glanced around the corner quickly to see the mobster spin around to face the two colts that were grinning at him from the bottom of the stairs. “Congratulations on being the lucky winner. You just won an express ticket out of here!”

Flam pulled down hard on a wire that he had strapped to the roof. The mobster only had just enough time to look down before a lasso that he had stepped in snapped tight around his hoof and lurched upwards, sending him flying up into the air.

The mobster growled, trying to aim his gun at the colts while hanging upside down from one hoof. Flim just gave him a snide sneer and bit down hard on another wire he had set up, this one causing a broken door that had been hooked up to the ceiling to come flying at the mobster like a battering ram.

The mobster screamed as the wooden surface slammed into him, sending him flying backwards and out the window. There was a loud crack as the wire around his leg pulled taught and he was sent dangling from his hind hoof outside the building.

Flicker took a deep breath, staring in awe at the Flim Flam brothers. “H-how did you…”

Flam waved a hoof casually. “We are experts on making quick escapes. Sometimes a little trap comes in handy.”

Flim nodded in agreement before snarling at the wire that held the mobster over the side of the building. “Besides, these goons should be happy this is all they get. They deserve worse for what they did to Swindle.”

Flicker sputtered, still surprised by the two colts ingenuity. Flam just rushed over and gave him a small push. “Hurry up now. We only have a few moments to go!”

Nodding, Flicker turned and raced up the last few steps. Reaching one of the higher floors, he quickly stepped out onto a creaky balcony that hung over the street below. From all the way up here he could see everything. Every pony that had come to protect zebra rights, and every pony that had come to take them away.

He cleared his throat, trying to be heard over the din. “Um… Excuse me…” Nothing happened. Ponies would be hard pressed to hear him even if he was on the street. No pony was going to be able to hear him all the way up here. “E-everypony, please…”

Frustrated he tried again, this time flaring his horn and amplifying his voice with his magic ten fold. “Excuse me, everypony. I-I have something I need to say!”

Slowly, the many ponies down below stopped and turned, suddenly aware of the lone pony looking down at them from the balcony above as if the skyscraper was a giant soap box. Some of the ponies recognised him, others did not. Everypony was confused regardless.

Flicker shuffled awkwardly, suddenly very hyper aware of the thousands of eyes that were now all trained on him. “Oh… I, uh… Hi… I, um… Need to say something. If you all don’t mind.” All the ponies down below just continued to stare up at him in confusion. A few looked annoyed and began to turn away. “I uh… I don’t mean to tell you all what to do. That’s none of my business. I don’t mean to control or regiment anypony...”

More ponies began losing interest in the pony that had begun preaching above them and started returning their attention to the commotion on the street. He had hardly begun, and already he was failing. Once more, the riots began. Flicker felt a new determination rise inside him. He had started this. He was going to stop it.

“I should like to help everypony if possible! Ponies, Griffins, even zebras,” That caught everyponies attention. Once more, all eyes turned to him, many of them scowling. Flicker gulped, his whole body being wracked by nerves, but he kept speaking. “We all want to help one another, ponies are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness, not be each other's misery. This world doesn’t have enough room for us all to hate and despise one another.”

Far below, the mob boss stared up at Flicker on the balcony in rage. He growled, twirling on D.W. Griffin and pointing at him with a hoof. “Don’t just stand there! Go! Stop him!” he ordered, demanding that the griffin launched into action at once.

D.W. Griffin turned his head, looking over the mob boss carefully. “Stop him...?" He hesitated, rolling that idea around in his head. "Hmmm. No. No, I don’t think that I will.”

The mob boss balked, his rage rising. “Wh-what did you just say to me? What do you mean no! He’s trying to ruin everything we’ve worked for!”

Griffin just stared back at him coolly, a slight smirk etched across his beak. “I do not agree with a lot of what Flicker Light has to say. Personally I find his insistence in helping zebras to be revolting. But he is an artist, as I am. And I am interested in what he has to say.”

Scowling, the mob boss slid his leg into her suit, wrapping his hoof around the handle of his gun. He growled at Griffin, spinning around and marching towards the broken down skyscraper. “Gah! Never send anything but a pony if you want the job done right,” the mob boss fumed. “Fine. I’ll deal with this nuisance myself.”

“When I was a colt, I thought I lived in a land where dreams came true. A place where all ponies and zebras could live together happily. I know that the land of Equestria can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned our souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed,” Flicker Light continued, feeling his own voice rising to match the emotions that were suddenly flowing from his heart. The mob below was really listening now, though many of them listened with anger sprawled across their faces. “These last few months have shown me that most ponies don't believe in dreams. That most ponies think dreams are nothing more than impossibilities. That they only make fools out of those that pursue them. But I know this isn’t true...”

A few of the scowling faces below morphed into interest. Flicker noticed that one pony even smiled. Flicker felt his heart start beating faster with fear as he spotted the black and grey mob boss quickly sprinting towards the entrance to the building, his revolver raised.

Somewhere on the other side of the mayhem, Shadow Silhouette smiled, her ears perking up at the sound of Flicker’s voice.

“I followed a dream. A dream where the schism between all of us could mend and melt away. A dream that has been stolen away from me by brutes. Ponies that want to control you and enslave you, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel. Don’t give yourselves over to these brutes, these unnatural ponies. Machine ponies with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not slaves! You are ponies! You have the love of Equestria in your hearts! You do not hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the Unnatural.”

A few more scowls melted away. A few ponies even began to look around hesitantly, as if realizing how terrible what was happening truly was. But not everypony seemed to be having a change of heart, in fact, most seemed to be staying headstrong in their hate, but at least a few seemed to be have second thoughts.

Flicker held up the large film reel with his hoof, flourishing it before the crowd. “And Dreams aren’t just reserved for one or two of us. But for every creature!” Flickers heart thump heavily as he stared out at the mass of ponies and zebras. Ponies were beginning to back away, simply leaving the rioters to their own devices. He wondered just how many ponies down there truly believed in what they had been rioting for, and how many had simply just followed the crowd. Maybe that’s all hate was. Just ponies following a crowd.

“When D.W. Griffin created his film ‘The Birth of an Empire’ he shattered the dreams of hundreds. He directed all of your pain and hurt and fear in a single direction. Channeled it for you. Don’t blindly follow these lies. These carefully crafted misdirections. Don’t even blindly follow me. Listen to all ideas, all voices, and think about them. Find for yourself what you truly believe is right!”

Far below him, Ficker heard the door to the abandoned skyscraper slam open. The mob boss was almost here. Flicker quickly glanced down at his watch, then up at the rapidly fading sunlight as Luna’s moon took hold of the sky. Not much time left, better make this last little bit count.

He raised his hoof, his voice rising even higher than it had been before. “Ponies! Don’t fight for the dreams of one pony. Fight for the dreams of everypony! You, you the ponies have the power! The power to dream, the power to make this life free and beautiful, like the world I know it can be. Please. You all have the power to make this life a wonderful adventure!

“Let us fight not to destroy dreams, but for a new world. A decent world. To do away with national barriers! To do away with hate and intolerance! Ponies, if you learn nothing but one thing from today, learn this! Hate is not a solution to your problems. It will only lead to those problems festering. Please, I'm begging you all now. Put away your hate, your fear. Let us all unite! Unite for a better tomorrow! A better Equestria! An Equestrian that will lead to all our happiness...”

To Flicker’s surprise he actually heard cheers rising from down below. Some ponies were smiling. Others were backing away in shame. Not all, not even most, but some.

Flicker shuffled his hooves a little, once again feeling his nerves screaming inside him. “Now… uh… if you all don’t mind, I have something to share with you all… Something that can say all of this far better than I can. If you will allow me, I’d like to present, for the first time ever... A Trip to Luna’s Moon!”

Flicker took a step back, his eyes sweeping the area around him. The ponies below were looking left and right, expecting something to happen. Gulping, Flicker dared a glance at his watch.

7:41 PM - Nineteen minutes before the election:

Come on Shadow, now is the time… Flicker thought to himself. What was going? Had something happened to her. If ever there was a time, it was now.

Blam!

Blood spurted from Flicker Lights shoulder and he dropped to the ground, his hoof grasping desperately at the bullet wound that had lashed through him. His film reel dropped to the ground, rolling across the floor to land at the grey hooves of the mob boss as they trotted into the room, a smug grin across his face.

Flicker rolled onto his back, his eyes wide and his body trembling as he faced down the mob boss and the gun barrel that levelled with his head.

With a smirk, the mob boss tossed his cigar to the ground, cinders spraying from its end as it landed atop the film reel. Flicker hardly had time to gasp as the large reel went up in a blaze of flame.

“Did you really think you could stop me!” The mob boss roared, advancing towards Flicker Light, the dancing light of the smouldering film reels reflecting in his pricing eyes. Flicker pushed himself away in fear, his back pushing up against the edge of the balcony. He gulped, glancing down at the street far below him. The Mob boss came to a stop before him, his body silhouetted and wreathed in the flickering fire behind him. “You can’t stop what I’ve started! I run this city! It's mine! Those ponies down there will do whatever I say! They’ll do whatever I say because they’re all fools! Witless foals that blindly follow my every word! You will never change that! My little puppet The mayor will be reelected, and the zebras will be driven out! You can’t stop hate! And so long as ponies hate, you will never be able to beat me!”

There was a moment of silence as the words settled. Then, the glow around Flicker Lights horn died away and Flicker gave the imposing mob boss a smug smile. “That might be true… But you probably should have waited until after I stopped casting the voice amplification spell to say that.”

The mob boss glared at him for a moment, then his eyes popped wide as he realized what Flicker had just implied. He scrambled forwards, staring over the edge of the balcony. Staring back up at him were the glares of thousands and thousands of very, very angry ponies.

“W-wha- You! I…” The mob boss sputtered, his face a mix of rage, surprise and fear.

Flicker winced and slowly pulled himself back up, using the side of the balconies rail to support him as blood flowed freely from the wound on his shoulder. “Oh, and by the way… that film reel you just burned… Wasn't my film. That was a copy of Griffin’s film… I was just the distraction.”

The mob boss whirled around, staring wide eyed at the burning reel behind him. The fake label across it was burned away revealing the real label underneath. ‘The Birth of an Empire.’

Flicker turned, looking across the street where Shadow, Popcorn and Rosemary were waving at him from the window of Rosemary’s apartment. He returned their wave, a smile across his face despite the pain he was in.

“No!” The mob boss roared, spinning around and rushing for the stairs. “You’ve made a big mistake Flicker Light! No pony messes with the Nightmare Gang!”

There was a sudden whooshing noise and a net shot up from underneath the mob boss. The mob boss screamed, thrashing about in an attempt to get free of the net, his revolver falling from his grasp and clattering to the floor.

“Oh I don’t think he’s made a mistake at all, not one bit. What do you think, brother of mine?” Flam asked, trotting up to where the mob boss was hanging.

“Oh no. Not in the slightest,” Flim agreed, smiling over at Flam. Both of the twins turned and glared at the mob boss, their snide smiles turning to growls. “I feel obligated to say mr. mob boss sir, that this is for Swindle gyp.”

From the window of Rosemary’s apartment, a streak of magic from Popcorn’s powerful horn shot out into the sky. The beam of light raced higher and higher, rapidly expanding outwards.

Flicker stood at the precipice of the balcony, his head raised as he watched the lights begin to dance across the night sky. All at once, the overcast clouds and glowing light of the moon above became a massive movie screen.

For a split second, Flicker Light looked to the face of Luna, imprinted on the moon, and it looked back at him. Then, flickering across the night sky, A Trip to Luna’s Moon began to play.

September 1st, 1902 - 7:42 PM - eighteen minutes before the election:

Nightmare Moon glared up at the vast reaches of space above her. She growled as she stared angrily at the shape of Equis, spinning aimlessly in the dark void. How pointless the lives of all the ponies down there seemed to her.

She hated all the ponies that lived on that planet for rejecting her rightful rule. She hated Celestia for daring to betray her and lock her away on the moon, eternally trapped in this desolation of rock and dust. She hated even herself for so foolishly letting Celestia beat her. She vowed to herself that if she- when she returned, Celestia and the ponies of Equestria would feel her wrath.

They would pay for what she had endured. They would never forgive her, and so she would never forgive them.

But then something happened. Something wonderful. Perhaps the first something that had happened to her since she had been locked away on the moon almost one hundred moons ago.

She saw lights. Magical, dancing lights, reflecting out at her from a small, shimmering prick on the spinning globe of Equis. It was small and faded at this distance, but she could still make out the images dancing across the surface of the night sky all those miles away.

She sat down, staring in dazed awe as she watched images of Celestia boarding a cylindrical rocket with her most prized astronomers. Gasped at seeing a younger version of herself greeting them on the moon. For a split second, she felt herself cry as she watched the ghostly image of her embracing her sister.

Nightmare Moon wasn’t sure how long she sat there, watching the flickering images, but when the images finally faded away, she felt herself longing for them to return. Longing for them to be real. Longing for her sister once more.

Then she scowled and pulled her gaze away. Just a trick of the light. Maybe a cruel joke from Celestia in an attempt to torture her.

She stomped away, snarling at her own foolishness for weeping. For letting herself show weakness. It would take a lot more than a few moving images to dissolve all of her hate.

Hate doesn’t simply go away.

But what Nightmare Moon didn’t notice as she stormed away was that where she had been sitting, a few, small black flecks had crumbled away from her body, revealing small specs of blue hide beneath. Perhaps she still had hate in her, but there were cracks in that hate now. And when she once more returned to Equestrian to satisfy that hatred brewing within her, maybe, just maybe, things might turn out just a little bit different...

Hate doesn’t simply go away. Not overnight anyway...

September 1st, 1902 - 8:00 PM - Time of the election:

Author's Note

Well folks, that's pretty much it. Only the Epilogue remains...

I feel it is important to state that Flicker Lights speech is heavily inspired by Charlie Chaplin's speech at the end of 'The Great Dictator'. If you haven't seen that film, I'd highly recommend watching it, or at the very least, watching the speech at the end. It's very powerful and still shockingly relevant, even today.

Thanks for reading! I hope you all have a good day.

Epilogue

I sat back a little, looking up at the roof of the theatre above me. Beside me, Director Horsehooves sighed and pulled himself up from the bench. I waited for him to continue, but he seemed to have run out of things to say. “Well? Then what happened?” I finally pushed, realizing that Horsehooves seemingly wasn’t going to continue.

Horsehooves looked down at me, an eyebrow raised. “That’s it. The end of the story.”

I felt my mouth drop open. “So... What was the point? I may not have known a lot of that story, but I still know basic history. Hundreds of ponies would still protest against zebra rights that year. And they would continue every year after to this very day,” I felt my heart suddenly sink. “You’re telling me that all of what Flicker Light went through was for nothing?”

Horsehooves gave a small, yet sad laugh at that. “No, I’m not saying it was all for nothing. It’s true that Flicker failed to save everypony from hatred, but a lot of ponies' hearts were changed that night because of him. A lot of ponies are still changing because of him. And I’ll tell you something else as well,” he paused, giving me a smirk. “Zebras voted that year. And the year after. And the year after that. That doesn’t sound like a failure to me.”

Director Horsehooves turned, taking in the empty theatre around us. “Flicker Light would go on to make hundreds of movies over the next few years. Shadow would act in every single one of them too. His films progressively got better over the years, though A Trip to Luna’s Moon would forever be his most popular work,” His face fell a little. “But Flicker never managed to fully escape tragedy.”

I pulled myself up to my hooves and trotted over to him, my expression worried. “What do you mean by that?”

“You might have noticed that the theatre we are currently in is not the FlickerLight Theatre I mentioned so many times in the story,” Horsehooves explained, gesturing around us. “This is the FlickerSilhouette theatre. A recreation of the original... Although a lot of the Nightmare gang would be arrested in the days that followed the 1902 election, they never fully went away. As the mob boss told Flicker, so long as pony hate, the Nightmare gang will always exist. And the Nightmare gang doesn’t make threats, they make promises. Five years after A Trip to Luna’s Moon premiered, the real FlickerLight Theatre would be burned to the ground. All of Flicker Lights films would be lost in the fire.”

“All… as in, every last one? But- What happened to Flicker Light? And Shadow? and-”

“Disappeared. Most ponies thought they died in the fire. With their films gone and everypony thinking they were killed, Flicker Light and Shadow Silhouette would fade away from history, forgotten… time would eventually move on...” the smallest of smiles suddenly played across his muzzle. “That is of course, until I entered the story…”

“Many years later, Horsehooves here found an old copy of A Trip to Luna’s Moon,” An elderly voice spoke up from behind us. Horeshooves and I spun around, making out the shape of two ponies standing at the top of the steps, smiling down at us. One was an old looking unicorn stallion, with a tan hide and a messy brown mane. The other was an old blue pegasus mare with a dark blue coat and wavy blue mane that was only a little bit lighter.

Horsehooves grinned as he saw the two ponies. “Ah, perfect timing. Please, allow me to introduce you to Flicker Light and Shadow Silhouette!”

I felt my mouth drop open. I pointed up at them for a second before looking back at Horsehooves, trying to properly find the right words. Nothing came to mind.

“The world had forgotten about Flicker Light, but I had not,” Horsehooves beamed. “I did mention I watched my first movie here did I not? After I found that old film reel I spent the next year tracking Flicker Light down, and after a long while, I found him. Working out of an old candy and toy shop at a small train station. Same one I picked you up at I believe.”

Shadow smiled, flapping her wings and swooping down to meet us as Flicker began to slowly take the stairs down. “You never could go without bragging about that, could you?”

Horsehooves gave her a sheepish smile. “To err is pony, to forgive divine... I suppose,” Horsehooves turned back to me, blushing a little bit. “Even when the world forgot about Flicker, the messages he had put in motion never died. And slowly, nearly ten years after the election of 1902, the legacy of Flicker Light was revived.”

Flicker Light chuckled, finally joining us. “After our rediscovery, and over the next few years, over five hundred of my films would be recovered,” Flicker stated joyfully. He glanced over at Shadow and pulled her close, nuzzling her neck a little. “We owe a lot to Horsehooves here. We were honored that he wanted to premiere his film ‘A Princess Diary’ here.”

I felt a little bit of relief flood through me. Their story had not been as happy as I had hoped, and even by just looking at Flicker Light’s tired eyes, I could tell he was a pony that had seen true tragedy in his life, but it had, at least, been happy in the end.

“And what about everypony else?” I questioned, slowly sitting back down on the bench. “Popcorn? Flim and Flam? The Bits siblings? D.W. Griffin? Did that nasty griffin at least get the what's for?”

“Popcorn worked with us for a long time,” Flicker said, his face filled with strange reminices. “We still see her from time to time, though she moved to Vanhoover a long time ago now.”

“Flicker and I looked after Flim and Flam for a few years,” Shadow added, smiling a little and laying a hoof across Flicker's withers. “But those two would eventually move on as well and travel across Equestria. Currently they are running a Casino in Las Pegasus, as I’m sure you are aware.”

Horsehooves gave an angry little snort. “Golden Bits and Many Bits would do as they said they would. They traveled to Canterlot and met up with a man named Thomhorse Edison. They would inevitably put a trademark on the magic lantern camera and make a lot of bits with their new business partners over at Edison Studios,” Flicker gave a small shake of his head at Horsehooves outburst, clearly not as upset over the ordeal as Horsehooves was. “It wouldn’t be for another few years until they stopped charging everypony that wanted to make a movie for the rights to use a camera.”

I felt my jaw clench a little. “And what about D.W. Griffin?”

All the gathered ponies exchanged sad looked before Ficker Light took a step towards me. “Griffin found great success in his film, ‘The Birth of an Empire’, but he would not find such success afterwards,” Flickers eyes and voice were far sadder than I had expected from him when talking about his rival. “Griffin would never let go of the hate that he had. He would even go so far as to make an apology film called ‘Intolerance’, though he never fully understood what he was apologizing for. Intolerance was a film far beyond its time, too far perhaps. He would lose a lot of bits on the film, and eventually, many years later, he would die broke and alone.”

I gave a smile that felt a little mean spirited. “Good. I say he got what he deserved.”

Flicker Light’s face was cast into even more sadness. “I don’t know if I can believe that myself. When I look at Griffin’s story, when I think about him… I see the story of an artist far beyond his time, that would make art with the power to revolutionize the world. I would see one of the world's most talented individuals, wasted on uneducated opinions,” His voice trailed away and he looked up at the ceiling, frowning. “Do not mistake my words as forgiveness for D.W. Griffin's actions. His actions hurt hundreds of ponies and zebras. He divided the whole world, and we’re still feeling those ripples today, but even still, I don’t see Griffin's fate as an evil pony getting his just rewards. I see it as the tragedy of a talented individual who failed to see a better way, failed to let go of hate, and in turn, would die alone. Perhaps poetically, Griffin’s undoing would be his own intolerance.”

We were all silent at that, the heavy subject having suddenly dampened the mood.

After a long moment, Horsehooves gave a thin smile. “I think it’s about time we head into the amphitheater, no? We’ll be letting ponies in for the premier of ‘A Princess Diary’ soon,” Flicker and Shadow nodded, slowly following Horsehooves as he trotted over to the large double door that led deeper into the theatre. Horsehooves stopped and looked back at me when he realized I hadn’t started to follow. “Are you coming?”

I nodded solemnly, looking away and at the theatre around me. “Yeah, yeah… just uh… give me a moment. I have a lot to think about.”

Horsehooves smiled at me, giving a small nod in return. “Alright. Come on in when you’re ready. Sorry the story took so long. I promise to give you that interview as soon as the premiere ends,” With that, he moved the rest of the way into the amphitheatre, Flicker and Shadow moving in behind him and out of sight.

I took a deep breath, soaking in the room around me. I had learned a lot today, but despite everything I had been told, this story was only just beginning. Equestria was a much nicer place than it was back before Luna returned from the moon, and maybe the streets of Coltifornia weren't run by Mobsters, Con artists and elitists anymore, but we all still had a long way to go until we could honestly say that everything was okay.

Perhaps hate would never fully go away for good. And perhaps there won't ever be a time where everything is perfect. But Flicker Light had fought for equality at the precipice of a new dawn, and in the end, despite the tragedy that would befall him, he had made the world just a little bit better because of it. The world will never be free of hate, but that isn't a reason not to fight against it.

And with Princess Twilight having taken the throne of Equestria, something told me we were once more standing on yet another precipice with a brand new dawn approaching. I didn’t know what this new dawn would hold, but I knew that it would definitely come with problems of its own. Some old, and some new. Now was not the time to look the other way. Now was the time to act. To do away with hatred and intolerance. To fight for a better would.

After all, isn’t that what all of us want, no matter what our beliefs and values? To make the world a better place? If not, then what else are dreams for?

A Trip to Luna's Moon, or The Equestrian Dream Factory

The End