Amuletby F-Arts1ChaptersPrologueWhat's Going On?Where's My Brother?Not So Far Future[Side-Story] Where’s My Brother?Prologue“This was all his fault! He didn’t have the interests of your kind in mind when he overstepped his boundaries. He is the reason you no longer have a home! I did what I had to and for that you should be thanking me!” Celestia could no longer hold back the tears. Turning to her sister, she continued, “and you, sister. You were blind to his actions. You were still ignorant. I couldn’t just let my own sister fall into the hooves of a tyrant. He was using you!” ~~~ “Sister?” A voice said faintly. “Sister, are you alright?” The voice was now clear. It was Luna. “Celestia!” The yell helped Celestia ground herself to reality. “Is something the matter, sister?” Luna asked, unsure of what her sister had been scowling at. It was not unheard of for Celestia’s mind to wander but never to this extent, much less during an important discussion such as this. Still, Luna waited for her sister’s response. “Sorry. My mind began to wander. What was it that you were saying?” Luna raised her brow, but continued explaining. “I’ve noticed that there have been fluctuations in all three types of magic recently. I figured nothing would come of it, but a strong surge in pegasus magic happened earlier today which leaves me to believe that the source of these events are the amulets. I’m sure you understand the implications of this?” Luna’s voice trailed off as she noticed her sister’s intense glare. “Are you sure about this?” Celestia’s demeanor had completely changed. From angry to oblivious and now to stern; Luna found it difficult to keep up with her sister’s emotions. Still, she continued explaining. “I took the liberty of visiting Discord’s dreams in order to ask him about the situation. While it was difficult to get a straight answer from him,” Luna said scrunching up her muzzle, “I found that he too felt the change.” Celestia still held her stern expression. “Alright. I’ll have Twilight and her friends investigate this. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.” Luna gave a nod of approval before excusing herself from the table and exiting the room. Now that Celestia was alone, she was able to thoroughly interpret what had happened. Celestia had always been able to see glimpses of the future. Though vague, they often served to benefit her and her plans. In fact, this was how she was able to guide Twilight and her friends to become the holders of the Elements of Harmony. Recently however, these visions had started happening more and more frequently. Not only that, but they also shifted from the more helpful tone to something darker and more sinister. She thought back to her vision. Who could the first person she was talking to be? She pondered this for moment, but nothing came of it. Instead, she focused on the other large question, why was she upset with her sister? "Let my own sister fall into the hooves of a tyrant?" Celestia repeated in a mumble. She sat there unable to decipher the message. Frustrated now, she decided to clear her mind by contacting twilight. In her room, she pulled out a piece of paper and a quill that Twilight had given her when she was just a filly. Celestia smiled and began writing. The letter was nothing more than the standard request to come to Canterlot. ~~~ It had been a while since Celestia sent the letter, but Twilight eventually showed up. “Amulet of the three races?” Twilight asked. “I’ve studied all sorts of ancient artifacts but I’ve never heard of that one before”. "That is because most records of it have been stored within the Alicorn Temple. Luna and I were the only ones who had access to it. However, as the moons passed, our visits became less frequent. It's been left untouched since Luna's banishment.” Celestia explained. Twilight stopped and remained silent for a moment. “If only you and Luna could go in there, how did the amulet get stolen?" Celestia was taken aback by the question, but maintained her regal appearance. "That is why I need your help. Twilight, I need you and your friends to locate this amulet before anypony else gets to it. If it falls into the wrong hooves, I fear all of Equestria will be in danger,” Celestia explained. With little delay, Twilight looked at her mentor with a smile, “You can count on me princess!” Celestia reciprocated the smile and nodded Twilight off. As twilight exited the throne room, Celestia stared blankly as the door closed. "I cannot allow them to find the amulet before I." Author's Note The images are from the teaser I released on my twitter account What's Going On?It was a clear autumn afternoon in the Everfree Forest. There was a light breeze that rustled the overgrown vegetation found within. From the outside looking in, it was easy to spot a small opening in which an old cabin stood. It was run down and noticeably overun by nature. Even so, the house had an alluring warmth to it. Faintly in the distance, the sound of a voice could be heard. The voice became exponentially louder and was soon recognizable as a scream of fear. In an instant, an object fell from the sky and crashed through the ceiling of the old cabin. “OUCH!” yelled a voice from inside the house. A sign on the door reveals that the little broken cabin belongs to a pair of brothers, the elder being Dark Shadow and the younger, Flippsy. “Are you KIDDING ME!” Yelled a grey earth pony with long black hair. “I just finished fixing the roof from your last incident! Is it so hard to land correctly? If that’s too hard, why not crash literally anywhere else?” The grey pony continued to scold and complain. Finally, the other pony, a pegasus, stood up looking dazed. His coat and hair were slightly lighter tints of grey and black compared to the other pony. After grounding his thoughts and inspecting his body for damage, he turned to the angry pony and replied, “I’m sorry Shadow. I promise that this time it wasn’t my fault!” They stood there for a moment. “Wasn’t your fault? Wasn’t your fault! Flippsy, you were the one who crashed in through the ceiling. Please, tell me, how is this not your fault!” Shadow retorted. “I was on my way back from picking up the order of apples we got from Ponyville when all of a sudden my wings felt really weird, almost like a little tingle, and so I decided to try and stretch them out but when I flapped them, they shot me up at a speed I didn’t even know was possible, so I started to panic and lost control and so I tried to balance myself but when I flapped my wings again it happened again and they did that all the way until I got here!” Flippsy was noticeably shaken by the incident. This was clear to Shadow as he had come to learn that his brother often spoke with minimal pauses when anxious. Taking into consideration the fact that Flippsy was actually a pretty talented flyer, Shadow reluctantly gave his brother a chance. “Shadow, you gotta believe me. I-I promise I didn’t do it on purpose. Please don’t be mad.” Flippsy stammered, covering himself with his wings. “I’m not mad. A little annoyed, but not mad.” Shadow walked over to his brother and gave him an assuring nudge. “Can you at least show me what you’re talking about?” Excited at the chance to redeem himself, the younger brother ran outside and positioned himself to fly. He raised his wings and despite slight hesitation, he flapped them. Nothing happened. He tried again, but still, nothing happened. Frustrated now, Flippsy began to flap his wings as fast as he could but for whatever reason, he couldn’t seem to get himself off the ground. This left them both confused. “I - I can’t get off the ground”, Flippsy said, going into a panic. “Shadow. My wings aren’t working. Why aren’t my wings working? I promise I’m not lying, I mean, you know I really like flying so I would never lie about this kind of thing, especially at a time like this where I'm tryin-” “Flippsy, it’s alright! I know you wouldn’t lie about this. Maybe you just hurt your wings in the fall or wasted all your energy. It’s okay.” Shadow said walking over to his younger brother who was on the verge of tears. He walked his brother back into the house. Flippsy went to his bed and began to examine and flap his wings. Shadow noticed his brother's worried expression and assured him. "How about you take it easy? Just rest for the day." Flippsy looked up and nodded. Shadow made his way back to the entrance but suddenly came to a stop. "Wait. Did you even bring back the apples?" Shadow asked looking back at his younger brother who quickly turned away and feigned being asleep. "Of course not.” Shadow grabbed his satchel and began to make his way through the forest. It was a peaceful walk. Through the maze of trees, the thin fog caught the rays of the setting sun and gave the area an orange glow. Despite its negative reputation, Shadow had come to love the forest. While it still contained it’s dangers, none of them would be made present without explicitly looking for them. As he ventured towards the edge of the forest, Shadow noted that for the past few months, the sun had begun to set earlier each day, though that thought was quickly replaced by concern of whether or not he'd make it back on time before nightfall. As he trotted forward, he came across what seemed to be confetti. Although a little confused, Shadow didn't think much of it. After all, with Pinkie Pie traveling all across Equestria, it really wouldn't be much of a surprise if she had left some behind on her way. By the time Shadow arrived, the sun was almost entirely set. Most of the shops at the market had already closed down except for a few. Luckily, the apple stand was barely being packed up. Shadow quickly trotted up to the yellow mare in charge of it. "Hey, Apple Bloom!" Shadow called out. The mare's ears perked up and she turned around. Apple Bloom, the youngest of the apple siblings, had been running the shop for quite some time now. Ever since Applejack began to travel, she and Big Mac had to take charge of the business. Despite the rocky transition, they seemed to have figured things out. "Well, howdy! If it isn't my most annoying customer" she said while loading the bucket of apples into her cart. "Annoying but loyal" Shadow joked. They both gave a small chuckle. "What can I do for ya?" Apple Bloom asked, still loading apples. "I came to pick up the order I had placed a few days back. That and I gotta ask you something." Shadow pulled out some bits from his satchel. "My brother was supposed to come pick these apples up but he said that something weird happened with his wings. Something about flying into the air?" She stopped and stared at him. "Ain’t that what wings are s’posed to do?" She said half-jokingly as she passed him the apples "Well, yeah. It was different though. He said that he flew into the air faster than he had ever gone before. Considering the fact that he’s an acrobatic flyer, it must've been fast.” The mare stopped and pondered the story for a bit. “Now that you mention it, I think I did overhear somepony talking about it. I didn’t personally see it though. It must’ve been while I was out gettin’ lunch.” The mare closed her stand and locked it. “Hmm. Well, thanks anyway! I should get going before it gets too dark.” Shadow said, turning away. “Alrighty then! Be safe and tell Flippsy I said ‘hi’!” Applebloom yelled. Shadow returned into the forest. At this point, the sun had completely set and the leaves from the forest blocked out most of the moonlight. This wasn’t an issue however as Shadow had memorized his way home. The walk was peaceful at first, but soon Shadow found himself trotting forward nervously. He had learned better than to go into the forest on his own during the night. The abundance of animals and monsters found within the Everfree forest meant that behind any tree or bush, danger could be lurking. It wasn’t the small animals he was worried about however, his attention was focused solely on watching for any sign of timberwolves. The large wooden beasts are the most dangerous creatures found within the forest. Their tendency to travel in packs of three made it nearly impossible for a single pony to be able to escape them. Shadow knew this and quickly continued home. After having traveled a notable distance, Shadow was finally able to see a glimpse of light coming from his house. Relieved, he lowered his pace and began to walk. Suddenly he heard some rustling in the leaves. He stopped and looked around, but saw nothing. He began walking again. A few moments later, he heard the rustling again. Now concerned that he was being followed, he carefully scouted the area. He now noticed irregular movement within one of the trees in front of him. He hesitated to act but decided it would be safer for him to do so. He stood in a defensive position and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could call out he was struck to the ground from behind. Shadow was dazed for a moment but was quick to respond. “Hey, what gives!” Shadow exclaimed. The pony who ambushed him was stepping on his back not letting him get up. “Who are you? What business do you have here?” the pony said. “My name is Dark Shadow! I live here with my brother, now will you please get off of me!” Shadow yelled. The pony took his hoof off Shadow's back. “Hurry home and refrain from coming through this area. By orders of Princess Luna, the northern entrance to the Everfree forest is currently closed for investigation.” The pony spoke. Shadow got up and looked at the pony, a grey stallion with red hair wearing armor for the Lunar Kingdoms royal guard. Something seemed off about him though. Shadow looked closely and noticed that the stallion had bat wings and fangs. “A bat pony? You must be pretty important, huh?” Shadow said absentmindedly. Annoyed, the bat pony glared at Shadow. “Hurry home, or else I will be obligated to use force”, the stallion said. “Alright, alright. Sheesh. Let me just pick up my apples. If any of them are bruised, I'll make sure to report this to the defense office.” Shadow said mockingly. The bat pony rolled his eyes and flew off. Shadow continued on his way home. Before long, he finally saw the glimmer of the lamp outside of their home, he walked up to the house but noticed confetti tracing up to the door. Confused, he entered and called out to his brother. "Flippsy? What's with all this confetti?" Nobody responded. Shadow assumed that Flippsy had fallen asleep like he had told him to. He emptied his satchel and began to put away the apples. As he did he heard what he thought to be the sound of hoofs pacing around the upstairs. Maybe Flippsy had woken up? Shadow continued organizing the apples when all of a sudden he heard multiple hooves pacing upstairs. Confused, he decided to head up the stairs to check on his brother but at the instant he placed his hoof on the first step, the pacing upstairs turned into a trot. Something wasn’t right. Shadow now ran up the stairs and swung open the door. From the window located directly across the door, he was able to spot a figure escaping. This wasn’t his concern though, immediately he turned to his brother’s bed only to find that it was empty. Shadow stood there in shock as questions quickly filled his mind. Why did he hear so many hoofs from downstairs? Who was that figure in the window? Why hadn’t Flippsy called back? Where was Flippsy? What happened to Flippsy? Shadow shook his head. "Maybe his wings got better and he went out to fly" he said attempting to calm himself. He went back downstairs and made his way outdoors to their yard. Shadow scanned the area for any sign of his brother but quickly realized that doing so would only fill his mind with more fear. Begrudgingly, he went back inside and tried not to worry. It was out of the ordinary for Shadow to be so worried for Flippsy, but it was equally as strange for Flippsy to just leave unannounced. Time passed. It was nearing the middle of the night and Flippsy had yet to return. At this point Shadow was no longer able to remain calm, especially not with the thoughts that something had happened to his brother. He grabbed his satchel and went outside once again. This time he would go and look for his brother. Where's My Brother?Unsure of where to begin his search, Shadow looked around for any signs of where Flippsy may have gone. He looked down to examine the confetti at his door. Though the memory escaped him earlier, he was able to recall seeing similar confetti. He picked some up and placed it in his satchel. Having now found a lead, Shadow decided he would go to investigate the area where the other confetti was located. He looked up once again and stared into the pitch black forest. With the mystery unfolding, the atmosphere of the forest became cold and foreboding. The once peaceful silence now brought with it an unnerving sensation. Flippsy could just be out for a walk or could be out flying, but this was unlikely. If Shadow was scared of going into the forest, Flippsy wouldn’t even consider it. As for flying, it was just too unlikely that Flippsy would leave without letting Shadow know. Shadow knew that more time he spent reasoning with himself would be more time wasted. He gathered the little courage he had left in him and went into the dark forest. Shadow began his venture walking but with the occasional shuffling among the leaves he sped up to a brisk trot and continued to increase his speed until he reached a gallop. Retracing his steps, Shadow made his way through the forest hoping that the wind hadn’t blown the paper bits away. His focus was set on the ground as he made his way through. This oversight led him into a clearing within the forest. He looked up. The moonlight illuminated him along with his immediate surroundings but in turn made it hard to see what was within the forest. Shadow knew where he was however. Slowly, he began to step back but from behind him came a loud howl. He stood still and seconds later 2 more howls could be heard not too far away. The timber wolves had found him. “Now you’ve done it” he muttered to himself. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to re-enter the forest shadow moved himself to the center of the area. Without many options, he positioned himself to be able to run as soon as the timberwolves made themselves visible. Each second that passed by he became more tense, unsure if he would be able to outrun them. After what seemed like forever, they walked out from the Shadows. To his dismay, it was just as he predicted. Three full grown timberwolves had surrounded him making it essentially impossible to escape. They circled him slowly, growing closer with each rotation. Accepting defeat, Shadow closed his eyes in fear. He heard one of the timberwolves snarl and presumably lunge at him, but immediately after the jump came a loud crash. Shadow opened his eyes only to find that one of the wolves had been shattered. In the middle of the pile of wood stood a mace. Busy looking around, Shadow failed to notice the other wolf run up behind him, but before it could do any harm, Shadow was tackled. He rolled across the ground, but avoided being attacked by the wolf. After looking around, Shadow found that the one who had tackled him was another pony, but not just any pony. In the light, Shadow was able to see that it was the bat pony from before. The bat pony took flight towards one of the timber wolves and hit it in the face in order to agitate it. The wolf began to chase and swipe at the bat pony who was doing the same to the other wolf. Now, with both wolves chasing after him, the pony moved to the center of the area. Once again, the wolves began to circle him but he just stood there. When within striking range, both wolves pounced at him but the bat pony took flight, only narrowly avoiding the attack. The two wolves knocked into each other. With both of them stunned in the center, the bat pony took the opportunity to fly higher and let himself go into free fall. The force and speed allowed for him to crash into their heads and blow them to pieces. Shadow was still laying on the floor in awe of what he had just witnessed. The bat pony stood up and began to walk towards the mace. He hooked it onto his armor and turned to Shadow with a stern expression. Shadow stood up knowing he would get some sort of lecture about how he was told to stay out of the forest. The grey pony didn’t stop however and just walked past him saying “Let’s go.” In no position to dispute, Shadow followed. They continued into the forest for a while. Growing anxious about where his brother could be, Shadow decided to break the silence. “I really appreciate what you did back there. I’m honestly not sure I would have made it out on my own.” The bat pony didn’t acknowledge his words. They continued walking. “I understand that you told me not to come back into the woods, bu-” “But you were looking for your brother.” The bat pony interrupted. Bewildered, Shadow stopped and stared at the bat pony. How could he have known? Shadow now grew cautious of the pony. “I followed you back to make sure you would stay home. Now keep walking.” The bat pony said. “First of all, weird. Second of all, if you followed me back why didn’t you tell me to stay home when I was first about to leave?” Shadow said, still not moving. “Keep walking.” The bat pony replied. “You sure are bossy Mr...uhh... what’s your name anyways?” Shadow asked Annoyed now at the nuisance Shadow was being, he turned around and stomped his hoof. “If you don’t keep walking I’ll leave you in worse condition than the timber wolves!” Shadow quickly trotted over to the pony. They continued into the forest and after a while. Shadow began to recognize where they were going. “Are you arresting me?” Shadow asked, concerned that he would lose more time. “As much as I wish I could, no. You’re a key witness.” The bat pony explained. “Witness?” “Over the past weeks, there have been an increasing amount of disappearances within the forest. Specifically, pegasi residing or walking through the forest have been going missing. We’ve had no luck with our search. That is, until I met you.” “Missing pegasi? That means-” shadow said before being interrupted “Your brother is a victim. Not only that, but seeing how you reacted to the confetti at your door I assume you may have a hint as to who or where the culprit might be.” The bat pony said. Shadow stayed silent for a while. On one hoof, he knew that whatever it was that was taking the ponies, it would be far too strong for him to confront on his own, especially because there had been multiple victims. On the other hoof, telling a guard might make his search messy or lead to an unneeded use of force. Shadow decided to keep to himself. “I was actually just going to walk the perimeter of our house. I guess I just got carried away.” The bat pony looked at Shadow with a dissatisfied expression. “No pony with a functioning brain is careless enough to walk straight into timber wolf territory.” The bat pony refuted. That was exactly what had happened. Shadow decided not to say anything though, both for the sake of his pride and in order to prevent an argument. They continued in silence nearing an end to the forest. They stepped out from the dense forest into the moonlight. In front of them was Luna’s castle, formally known as the castle of the two sisters. Shadow stood in awe of the sight. He had last visited the castle when it was under construction. It was no longer in ruins as it once was. The bat pony once again signaled Shadow to keep walking. Before he continued, Shadow heard a noise coming from the forest. He turned back and saw the silhouette of a pony. Not enough was visible to him other than what seemed to be two wings coming out from the pony’s head. Because his sight had failed him earlier though, he thought nothing of it. They walked towards the castle's back entrance where the barracks were located. The bat pony was allowed entry with no hesitation but Shadow received various scowls. The grey bat pony led Shadow to a smaller building away from the rest. They stepped inside and Shadow quickly realized that it was the bat pony’s private quarters. There were two cots in the corner and a large table scattered with papers in the middle. The only light in the room came from two candles on the table and a lantern hanging from the roof. Shadow’s curiosity got the best of him and he decided to skim the papers for any information regarding the situation or the bat pony. “Blood Moon?” Shadow chuckled. “That’s kind of edgy.” “How about you stop talking and listen, Dark Shadow” The pony said. Shadow sat and shrugged. “Under permission of Princess Luna, I’ve been working on this case for a few days now and have gotten no leads. If I can’t find any information regarding the whereabouts of the missing ponies I’ll have no choice but to let the investigation go public. I’m trying to avoid creating a scandal of this so if you have any information, it is in your best interest to share it with me.” Blood Moon explained. “Permission? You mean you went out of your way to take this on by yourself? Why?” Shadow asked. These words seemed to have wounded Blood Moon, but after slight hesitation he responded. “This incident began with the disappearance of my younger sister, Moon Rise. I was hoping I could find her on my own, but as time passed more and more ponies disappeared. Not only that, but as you can imagine, hope becomes slimmer with the passing of each day.” Shadow felt uneasy, he had withheld information for no justifiable reason. Knowing now that it was a single pony effort and that Moon was in a similar situation as him, Shadow decided to speak. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He began.”And I’m sorry, but I lied. The confetti” Shadow said hesitantly, not knowing how the bat pony would react. “Earlier today, I went to town and on my way out, I noticed a slight trail of confetti going east into the forest. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now that you-” “That’s all I needed. Now go home.” Blood Moon interjected. “What? I can’t go home, not when my brother is out-” “Just go home!” Blood Moon yelled. Not So Far FutureFollowing the changelings' attack on Canterlot, the population found within this city dispersed from the capital of Equestria, fearing another attack was underway. The royal sisters decided it would be best that they live separately. This precaution ensured that in the off chance of one falling, the other would still be able to lead. Thus, the nation was split into two. The west was under the rule of Princess Luna while the east remained in the hoofs of Princess Celestia. Serving as messengers of both, Twilight Sparkle and her friends traveled across Equestria aiding in easing any tensions that would arise. Having prepared for the worst, the nation of Equestria was prepared to fend off another changeling invasion. However, this would never come to be. A period of peace and prosperity for the nation had begun. Groundbreaking discoveries in magic and technology quickly led to a slight industrial revolution within the nation. Additionally, the ponies who left Canterlot began to settle in many previously uninhabited locations. Homes started being built and communities grew. One of which within the Everfree Forest. Unlike other locations, the Everfree Forest still refused to allow settlement within its borders. Still, the ponies were persistent. Luna, having decided to reclaim the ruined castle of the sisters, used her magic to partially quell the dangers of the forest allowing families to finally settle in. Years passed, the princesses built their kingdoms and Twilight was given the role of princess-hood for helping conserve peace. Everything was looking up for Equestria. [Side-Story] Where’s My Brother?Being unable to fly, Flippsy knew he had no real reason to leave the house so his fake sleeping became reality. It wasn’t until a sudden sense of uneasiness overcame him that he woke up. He felt as if someone had been watching him so he sat up in his bed and looked around. There was nothing. He shrugged it off as paranoia from being alone and attempted to fall back asleep. Not long after, the sensation returned but at a greater scale. He got out of bed and decided to look out the window to make sure that no one was around. He was alone. He shook his head and decided to go downstairs in order to drink some water. Everything was normal, but even still he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was there with him. After getting his water, Flippsy scurried back up the stairs but as he made it halfway up, a knock came from the door. His heart sank. This knock confirmed his suspicions. A few moments passed, and Flippsy remained motionless. He knew that Shadow would have already walked in if it was him. Flippsy didn’t know what to do so he continued to stand there. Another more aggressive knock was made but this time was followed up by the voice of a mare. “Hello? Is anypony there? I don’t mean to bother you so late in the evening but I was hoping that you might be able to help me. You see, I seem to have lost a pet and was wondering if you may have seen them?” Flippsy glanced at the door nervously, no one ever really came by their house at this time but he also didn’t want to seem rude. He took a deep breath, walked to the door and opened it. At his doorstep stood a bright pink mare unfamiliar to him. She gave him a wide grin but said nothing. Flippsy stood there awkwardly for a while but then decided to break the silence. “Hello?” The mare said nothing. Unsure of what to do, Flippsy just smiled back. “So...uhh...what kind of pet is it?” The mares vacant smile began to creep Flippsy out so he began to slowly close the door. Before he could however, the mare stepped her hoof into it so as not to let him. Flippsy knew this wasn’t good so he closed his eyes in fear. “It’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you” a different voice spoke. Flippsy opened his eyes but a different mare stood before him but before he could get a good look at her, she bucked him square in the face. “Well, maybe a little” she giggled. Having been taken by surprise, Flippsy stumbled back and tripped over himself. Instead of falling onto the floor however he slammed into some sort of thick, liquid object. He turned around to see what it was and was greeted by what seemed to be a pony made of tar. He tried to pull back but was stuck within the substance that was now slowly engulfing him. “Hmm. You’re a cute one. Shame I gotta take you in though. You won't hate me will you?” The mare said as if she was talking to a child. “Now hurry it up sludge, the other one is bound to be back soon” Flippsy heard her turn around and exit the door but was unable to look as his head was stuck inside the liquid which also began to make its way to the door. Now fully panicking, Flippsy began to struggle and scream but before he could finish his plea a party popper exploded right in his face letting out a burst of streamers and confetti along with some sort of gas. Flippsy began to cough and feel light headed. “You’re making it really hard for me to make a good first impression” The mare spoke. “Please be a dear and stop resisting. I would hate to have to ruin that face of yours” Flippsy was almost completely unconscious, but before he gave out, he managed to make out a silhouette of the mare. She looked like a normal pony, but was wearing a red and white outfit and had what seemed to be wings atop her head. That probably wasn’t right. Flippsy gave up and completely lost consciousness.
Prologue“This was all his fault! He didn’t have the interests of your kind in mind when he overstepped his boundaries. He is the reason you no longer have a home! I did what I had to and for that you should be thanking me!” Celestia could no longer hold back the tears. Turning to her sister, she continued, “and you, sister. You were blind to his actions. You were still ignorant. I couldn’t just let my own sister fall into the hooves of a tyrant. He was using you!” ~~~ “Sister?” A voice said faintly. “Sister, are you alright?” The voice was now clear. It was Luna. “Celestia!” The yell helped Celestia ground herself to reality. “Is something the matter, sister?” Luna asked, unsure of what her sister had been scowling at. It was not unheard of for Celestia’s mind to wander but never to this extent, much less during an important discussion such as this. Still, Luna waited for her sister’s response. “Sorry. My mind began to wander. What was it that you were saying?” Luna raised her brow, but continued explaining. “I’ve noticed that there have been fluctuations in all three types of magic recently. I figured nothing would come of it, but a strong surge in pegasus magic happened earlier today which leaves me to believe that the source of these events are the amulets. I’m sure you understand the implications of this?” Luna’s voice trailed off as she noticed her sister’s intense glare. “Are you sure about this?” Celestia’s demeanor had completely changed. From angry to oblivious and now to stern; Luna found it difficult to keep up with her sister’s emotions. Still, she continued explaining. “I took the liberty of visiting Discord’s dreams in order to ask him about the situation. While it was difficult to get a straight answer from him,” Luna said scrunching up her muzzle, “I found that he too felt the change.” Celestia still held her stern expression. “Alright. I’ll have Twilight and her friends investigate this. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.” Luna gave a nod of approval before excusing herself from the table and exiting the room. Now that Celestia was alone, she was able to thoroughly interpret what had happened. Celestia had always been able to see glimpses of the future. Though vague, they often served to benefit her and her plans. In fact, this was how she was able to guide Twilight and her friends to become the holders of the Elements of Harmony. Recently however, these visions had started happening more and more frequently. Not only that, but they also shifted from the more helpful tone to something darker and more sinister. She thought back to her vision. Who could the first person she was talking to be? She pondered this for moment, but nothing came of it. Instead, she focused on the other large question, why was she upset with her sister? "Let my own sister fall into the hooves of a tyrant?" Celestia repeated in a mumble. She sat there unable to decipher the message. Frustrated now, she decided to clear her mind by contacting twilight. In her room, she pulled out a piece of paper and a quill that Twilight had given her when she was just a filly. Celestia smiled and began writing. The letter was nothing more than the standard request to come to Canterlot. ~~~ It had been a while since Celestia sent the letter, but Twilight eventually showed up. “Amulet of the three races?” Twilight asked. “I’ve studied all sorts of ancient artifacts but I’ve never heard of that one before”. "That is because most records of it have been stored within the Alicorn Temple. Luna and I were the only ones who had access to it. However, as the moons passed, our visits became less frequent. It's been left untouched since Luna's banishment.” Celestia explained. Twilight stopped and remained silent for a moment. “If only you and Luna could go in there, how did the amulet get stolen?" Celestia was taken aback by the question, but maintained her regal appearance. "That is why I need your help. Twilight, I need you and your friends to locate this amulet before anypony else gets to it. If it falls into the wrong hooves, I fear all of Equestria will be in danger,” Celestia explained. With little delay, Twilight looked at her mentor with a smile, “You can count on me princess!” Celestia reciprocated the smile and nodded Twilight off. As twilight exited the throne room, Celestia stared blankly as the door closed. "I cannot allow them to find the amulet before I." Author's Note The images are from the teaser I released on my twitter account
What's Going On?It was a clear autumn afternoon in the Everfree Forest. There was a light breeze that rustled the overgrown vegetation found within. From the outside looking in, it was easy to spot a small opening in which an old cabin stood. It was run down and noticeably overun by nature. Even so, the house had an alluring warmth to it. Faintly in the distance, the sound of a voice could be heard. The voice became exponentially louder and was soon recognizable as a scream of fear. In an instant, an object fell from the sky and crashed through the ceiling of the old cabin. “OUCH!” yelled a voice from inside the house. A sign on the door reveals that the little broken cabin belongs to a pair of brothers, the elder being Dark Shadow and the younger, Flippsy. “Are you KIDDING ME!” Yelled a grey earth pony with long black hair. “I just finished fixing the roof from your last incident! Is it so hard to land correctly? If that’s too hard, why not crash literally anywhere else?” The grey pony continued to scold and complain. Finally, the other pony, a pegasus, stood up looking dazed. His coat and hair were slightly lighter tints of grey and black compared to the other pony. After grounding his thoughts and inspecting his body for damage, he turned to the angry pony and replied, “I’m sorry Shadow. I promise that this time it wasn’t my fault!” They stood there for a moment. “Wasn’t your fault? Wasn’t your fault! Flippsy, you were the one who crashed in through the ceiling. Please, tell me, how is this not your fault!” Shadow retorted. “I was on my way back from picking up the order of apples we got from Ponyville when all of a sudden my wings felt really weird, almost like a little tingle, and so I decided to try and stretch them out but when I flapped them, they shot me up at a speed I didn’t even know was possible, so I started to panic and lost control and so I tried to balance myself but when I flapped my wings again it happened again and they did that all the way until I got here!” Flippsy was noticeably shaken by the incident. This was clear to Shadow as he had come to learn that his brother often spoke with minimal pauses when anxious. Taking into consideration the fact that Flippsy was actually a pretty talented flyer, Shadow reluctantly gave his brother a chance. “Shadow, you gotta believe me. I-I promise I didn’t do it on purpose. Please don’t be mad.” Flippsy stammered, covering himself with his wings. “I’m not mad. A little annoyed, but not mad.” Shadow walked over to his brother and gave him an assuring nudge. “Can you at least show me what you’re talking about?” Excited at the chance to redeem himself, the younger brother ran outside and positioned himself to fly. He raised his wings and despite slight hesitation, he flapped them. Nothing happened. He tried again, but still, nothing happened. Frustrated now, Flippsy began to flap his wings as fast as he could but for whatever reason, he couldn’t seem to get himself off the ground. This left them both confused. “I - I can’t get off the ground”, Flippsy said, going into a panic. “Shadow. My wings aren’t working. Why aren’t my wings working? I promise I’m not lying, I mean, you know I really like flying so I would never lie about this kind of thing, especially at a time like this where I'm tryin-” “Flippsy, it’s alright! I know you wouldn’t lie about this. Maybe you just hurt your wings in the fall or wasted all your energy. It’s okay.” Shadow said walking over to his younger brother who was on the verge of tears. He walked his brother back into the house. Flippsy went to his bed and began to examine and flap his wings. Shadow noticed his brother's worried expression and assured him. "How about you take it easy? Just rest for the day." Flippsy looked up and nodded. Shadow made his way back to the entrance but suddenly came to a stop. "Wait. Did you even bring back the apples?" Shadow asked looking back at his younger brother who quickly turned away and feigned being asleep. "Of course not.” Shadow grabbed his satchel and began to make his way through the forest. It was a peaceful walk. Through the maze of trees, the thin fog caught the rays of the setting sun and gave the area an orange glow. Despite its negative reputation, Shadow had come to love the forest. While it still contained it’s dangers, none of them would be made present without explicitly looking for them. As he ventured towards the edge of the forest, Shadow noted that for the past few months, the sun had begun to set earlier each day, though that thought was quickly replaced by concern of whether or not he'd make it back on time before nightfall. As he trotted forward, he came across what seemed to be confetti. Although a little confused, Shadow didn't think much of it. After all, with Pinkie Pie traveling all across Equestria, it really wouldn't be much of a surprise if she had left some behind on her way. By the time Shadow arrived, the sun was almost entirely set. Most of the shops at the market had already closed down except for a few. Luckily, the apple stand was barely being packed up. Shadow quickly trotted up to the yellow mare in charge of it. "Hey, Apple Bloom!" Shadow called out. The mare's ears perked up and she turned around. Apple Bloom, the youngest of the apple siblings, had been running the shop for quite some time now. Ever since Applejack began to travel, she and Big Mac had to take charge of the business. Despite the rocky transition, they seemed to have figured things out. "Well, howdy! If it isn't my most annoying customer" she said while loading the bucket of apples into her cart. "Annoying but loyal" Shadow joked. They both gave a small chuckle. "What can I do for ya?" Apple Bloom asked, still loading apples. "I came to pick up the order I had placed a few days back. That and I gotta ask you something." Shadow pulled out some bits from his satchel. "My brother was supposed to come pick these apples up but he said that something weird happened with his wings. Something about flying into the air?" She stopped and stared at him. "Ain’t that what wings are s’posed to do?" She said half-jokingly as she passed him the apples "Well, yeah. It was different though. He said that he flew into the air faster than he had ever gone before. Considering the fact that he’s an acrobatic flyer, it must've been fast.” The mare stopped and pondered the story for a bit. “Now that you mention it, I think I did overhear somepony talking about it. I didn’t personally see it though. It must’ve been while I was out gettin’ lunch.” The mare closed her stand and locked it. “Hmm. Well, thanks anyway! I should get going before it gets too dark.” Shadow said, turning away. “Alrighty then! Be safe and tell Flippsy I said ‘hi’!” Applebloom yelled. Shadow returned into the forest. At this point, the sun had completely set and the leaves from the forest blocked out most of the moonlight. This wasn’t an issue however as Shadow had memorized his way home. The walk was peaceful at first, but soon Shadow found himself trotting forward nervously. He had learned better than to go into the forest on his own during the night. The abundance of animals and monsters found within the Everfree forest meant that behind any tree or bush, danger could be lurking. It wasn’t the small animals he was worried about however, his attention was focused solely on watching for any sign of timberwolves. The large wooden beasts are the most dangerous creatures found within the forest. Their tendency to travel in packs of three made it nearly impossible for a single pony to be able to escape them. Shadow knew this and quickly continued home. After having traveled a notable distance, Shadow was finally able to see a glimpse of light coming from his house. Relieved, he lowered his pace and began to walk. Suddenly he heard some rustling in the leaves. He stopped and looked around, but saw nothing. He began walking again. A few moments later, he heard the rustling again. Now concerned that he was being followed, he carefully scouted the area. He now noticed irregular movement within one of the trees in front of him. He hesitated to act but decided it would be safer for him to do so. He stood in a defensive position and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could call out he was struck to the ground from behind. Shadow was dazed for a moment but was quick to respond. “Hey, what gives!” Shadow exclaimed. The pony who ambushed him was stepping on his back not letting him get up. “Who are you? What business do you have here?” the pony said. “My name is Dark Shadow! I live here with my brother, now will you please get off of me!” Shadow yelled. The pony took his hoof off Shadow's back. “Hurry home and refrain from coming through this area. By orders of Princess Luna, the northern entrance to the Everfree forest is currently closed for investigation.” The pony spoke. Shadow got up and looked at the pony, a grey stallion with red hair wearing armor for the Lunar Kingdoms royal guard. Something seemed off about him though. Shadow looked closely and noticed that the stallion had bat wings and fangs. “A bat pony? You must be pretty important, huh?” Shadow said absentmindedly. Annoyed, the bat pony glared at Shadow. “Hurry home, or else I will be obligated to use force”, the stallion said. “Alright, alright. Sheesh. Let me just pick up my apples. If any of them are bruised, I'll make sure to report this to the defense office.” Shadow said mockingly. The bat pony rolled his eyes and flew off. Shadow continued on his way home. Before long, he finally saw the glimmer of the lamp outside of their home, he walked up to the house but noticed confetti tracing up to the door. Confused, he entered and called out to his brother. "Flippsy? What's with all this confetti?" Nobody responded. Shadow assumed that Flippsy had fallen asleep like he had told him to. He emptied his satchel and began to put away the apples. As he did he heard what he thought to be the sound of hoofs pacing around the upstairs. Maybe Flippsy had woken up? Shadow continued organizing the apples when all of a sudden he heard multiple hooves pacing upstairs. Confused, he decided to head up the stairs to check on his brother but at the instant he placed his hoof on the first step, the pacing upstairs turned into a trot. Something wasn’t right. Shadow now ran up the stairs and swung open the door. From the window located directly across the door, he was able to spot a figure escaping. This wasn’t his concern though, immediately he turned to his brother’s bed only to find that it was empty. Shadow stood there in shock as questions quickly filled his mind. Why did he hear so many hoofs from downstairs? Who was that figure in the window? Why hadn’t Flippsy called back? Where was Flippsy? What happened to Flippsy? Shadow shook his head. "Maybe his wings got better and he went out to fly" he said attempting to calm himself. He went back downstairs and made his way outdoors to their yard. Shadow scanned the area for any sign of his brother but quickly realized that doing so would only fill his mind with more fear. Begrudgingly, he went back inside and tried not to worry. It was out of the ordinary for Shadow to be so worried for Flippsy, but it was equally as strange for Flippsy to just leave unannounced. Time passed. It was nearing the middle of the night and Flippsy had yet to return. At this point Shadow was no longer able to remain calm, especially not with the thoughts that something had happened to his brother. He grabbed his satchel and went outside once again. This time he would go and look for his brother.
Where's My Brother?Unsure of where to begin his search, Shadow looked around for any signs of where Flippsy may have gone. He looked down to examine the confetti at his door. Though the memory escaped him earlier, he was able to recall seeing similar confetti. He picked some up and placed it in his satchel. Having now found a lead, Shadow decided he would go to investigate the area where the other confetti was located. He looked up once again and stared into the pitch black forest. With the mystery unfolding, the atmosphere of the forest became cold and foreboding. The once peaceful silence now brought with it an unnerving sensation. Flippsy could just be out for a walk or could be out flying, but this was unlikely. If Shadow was scared of going into the forest, Flippsy wouldn’t even consider it. As for flying, it was just too unlikely that Flippsy would leave without letting Shadow know. Shadow knew that more time he spent reasoning with himself would be more time wasted. He gathered the little courage he had left in him and went into the dark forest. Shadow began his venture walking but with the occasional shuffling among the leaves he sped up to a brisk trot and continued to increase his speed until he reached a gallop. Retracing his steps, Shadow made his way through the forest hoping that the wind hadn’t blown the paper bits away. His focus was set on the ground as he made his way through. This oversight led him into a clearing within the forest. He looked up. The moonlight illuminated him along with his immediate surroundings but in turn made it hard to see what was within the forest. Shadow knew where he was however. Slowly, he began to step back but from behind him came a loud howl. He stood still and seconds later 2 more howls could be heard not too far away. The timber wolves had found him. “Now you’ve done it” he muttered to himself. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to re-enter the forest shadow moved himself to the center of the area. Without many options, he positioned himself to be able to run as soon as the timberwolves made themselves visible. Each second that passed by he became more tense, unsure if he would be able to outrun them. After what seemed like forever, they walked out from the Shadows. To his dismay, it was just as he predicted. Three full grown timberwolves had surrounded him making it essentially impossible to escape. They circled him slowly, growing closer with each rotation. Accepting defeat, Shadow closed his eyes in fear. He heard one of the timberwolves snarl and presumably lunge at him, but immediately after the jump came a loud crash. Shadow opened his eyes only to find that one of the wolves had been shattered. In the middle of the pile of wood stood a mace. Busy looking around, Shadow failed to notice the other wolf run up behind him, but before it could do any harm, Shadow was tackled. He rolled across the ground, but avoided being attacked by the wolf. After looking around, Shadow found that the one who had tackled him was another pony, but not just any pony. In the light, Shadow was able to see that it was the bat pony from before. The bat pony took flight towards one of the timber wolves and hit it in the face in order to agitate it. The wolf began to chase and swipe at the bat pony who was doing the same to the other wolf. Now, with both wolves chasing after him, the pony moved to the center of the area. Once again, the wolves began to circle him but he just stood there. When within striking range, both wolves pounced at him but the bat pony took flight, only narrowly avoiding the attack. The two wolves knocked into each other. With both of them stunned in the center, the bat pony took the opportunity to fly higher and let himself go into free fall. The force and speed allowed for him to crash into their heads and blow them to pieces. Shadow was still laying on the floor in awe of what he had just witnessed. The bat pony stood up and began to walk towards the mace. He hooked it onto his armor and turned to Shadow with a stern expression. Shadow stood up knowing he would get some sort of lecture about how he was told to stay out of the forest. The grey pony didn’t stop however and just walked past him saying “Let’s go.” In no position to dispute, Shadow followed. They continued into the forest for a while. Growing anxious about where his brother could be, Shadow decided to break the silence. “I really appreciate what you did back there. I’m honestly not sure I would have made it out on my own.” The bat pony didn’t acknowledge his words. They continued walking. “I understand that you told me not to come back into the woods, bu-” “But you were looking for your brother.” The bat pony interrupted. Bewildered, Shadow stopped and stared at the bat pony. How could he have known? Shadow now grew cautious of the pony. “I followed you back to make sure you would stay home. Now keep walking.” The bat pony said. “First of all, weird. Second of all, if you followed me back why didn’t you tell me to stay home when I was first about to leave?” Shadow said, still not moving. “Keep walking.” The bat pony replied. “You sure are bossy Mr...uhh... what’s your name anyways?” Shadow asked Annoyed now at the nuisance Shadow was being, he turned around and stomped his hoof. “If you don’t keep walking I’ll leave you in worse condition than the timber wolves!” Shadow quickly trotted over to the pony. They continued into the forest and after a while. Shadow began to recognize where they were going. “Are you arresting me?” Shadow asked, concerned that he would lose more time. “As much as I wish I could, no. You’re a key witness.” The bat pony explained. “Witness?” “Over the past weeks, there have been an increasing amount of disappearances within the forest. Specifically, pegasi residing or walking through the forest have been going missing. We’ve had no luck with our search. That is, until I met you.” “Missing pegasi? That means-” shadow said before being interrupted “Your brother is a victim. Not only that, but seeing how you reacted to the confetti at your door I assume you may have a hint as to who or where the culprit might be.” The bat pony said. Shadow stayed silent for a while. On one hoof, he knew that whatever it was that was taking the ponies, it would be far too strong for him to confront on his own, especially because there had been multiple victims. On the other hoof, telling a guard might make his search messy or lead to an unneeded use of force. Shadow decided to keep to himself. “I was actually just going to walk the perimeter of our house. I guess I just got carried away.” The bat pony looked at Shadow with a dissatisfied expression. “No pony with a functioning brain is careless enough to walk straight into timber wolf territory.” The bat pony refuted. That was exactly what had happened. Shadow decided not to say anything though, both for the sake of his pride and in order to prevent an argument. They continued in silence nearing an end to the forest. They stepped out from the dense forest into the moonlight. In front of them was Luna’s castle, formally known as the castle of the two sisters. Shadow stood in awe of the sight. He had last visited the castle when it was under construction. It was no longer in ruins as it once was. The bat pony once again signaled Shadow to keep walking. Before he continued, Shadow heard a noise coming from the forest. He turned back and saw the silhouette of a pony. Not enough was visible to him other than what seemed to be two wings coming out from the pony’s head. Because his sight had failed him earlier though, he thought nothing of it. They walked towards the castle's back entrance where the barracks were located. The bat pony was allowed entry with no hesitation but Shadow received various scowls. The grey bat pony led Shadow to a smaller building away from the rest. They stepped inside and Shadow quickly realized that it was the bat pony’s private quarters. There were two cots in the corner and a large table scattered with papers in the middle. The only light in the room came from two candles on the table and a lantern hanging from the roof. Shadow’s curiosity got the best of him and he decided to skim the papers for any information regarding the situation or the bat pony. “Blood Moon?” Shadow chuckled. “That’s kind of edgy.” “How about you stop talking and listen, Dark Shadow” The pony said. Shadow sat and shrugged. “Under permission of Princess Luna, I’ve been working on this case for a few days now and have gotten no leads. If I can’t find any information regarding the whereabouts of the missing ponies I’ll have no choice but to let the investigation go public. I’m trying to avoid creating a scandal of this so if you have any information, it is in your best interest to share it with me.” Blood Moon explained. “Permission? You mean you went out of your way to take this on by yourself? Why?” Shadow asked. These words seemed to have wounded Blood Moon, but after slight hesitation he responded. “This incident began with the disappearance of my younger sister, Moon Rise. I was hoping I could find her on my own, but as time passed more and more ponies disappeared. Not only that, but as you can imagine, hope becomes slimmer with the passing of each day.” Shadow felt uneasy, he had withheld information for no justifiable reason. Knowing now that it was a single pony effort and that Moon was in a similar situation as him, Shadow decided to speak. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He began.”And I’m sorry, but I lied. The confetti” Shadow said hesitantly, not knowing how the bat pony would react. “Earlier today, I went to town and on my way out, I noticed a slight trail of confetti going east into the forest. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now that you-” “That’s all I needed. Now go home.” Blood Moon interjected. “What? I can’t go home, not when my brother is out-” “Just go home!” Blood Moon yelled.
Not So Far FutureFollowing the changelings' attack on Canterlot, the population found within this city dispersed from the capital of Equestria, fearing another attack was underway. The royal sisters decided it would be best that they live separately. This precaution ensured that in the off chance of one falling, the other would still be able to lead. Thus, the nation was split into two. The west was under the rule of Princess Luna while the east remained in the hoofs of Princess Celestia. Serving as messengers of both, Twilight Sparkle and her friends traveled across Equestria aiding in easing any tensions that would arise. Having prepared for the worst, the nation of Equestria was prepared to fend off another changeling invasion. However, this would never come to be. A period of peace and prosperity for the nation had begun. Groundbreaking discoveries in magic and technology quickly led to a slight industrial revolution within the nation. Additionally, the ponies who left Canterlot began to settle in many previously uninhabited locations. Homes started being built and communities grew. One of which within the Everfree Forest. Unlike other locations, the Everfree Forest still refused to allow settlement within its borders. Still, the ponies were persistent. Luna, having decided to reclaim the ruined castle of the sisters, used her magic to partially quell the dangers of the forest allowing families to finally settle in. Years passed, the princesses built their kingdoms and Twilight was given the role of princess-hood for helping conserve peace. Everything was looking up for Equestria.
[Side-Story] Where’s My Brother?Being unable to fly, Flippsy knew he had no real reason to leave the house so his fake sleeping became reality. It wasn’t until a sudden sense of uneasiness overcame him that he woke up. He felt as if someone had been watching him so he sat up in his bed and looked around. There was nothing. He shrugged it off as paranoia from being alone and attempted to fall back asleep. Not long after, the sensation returned but at a greater scale. He got out of bed and decided to look out the window to make sure that no one was around. He was alone. He shook his head and decided to go downstairs in order to drink some water. Everything was normal, but even still he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was there with him. After getting his water, Flippsy scurried back up the stairs but as he made it halfway up, a knock came from the door. His heart sank. This knock confirmed his suspicions. A few moments passed, and Flippsy remained motionless. He knew that Shadow would have already walked in if it was him. Flippsy didn’t know what to do so he continued to stand there. Another more aggressive knock was made but this time was followed up by the voice of a mare. “Hello? Is anypony there? I don’t mean to bother you so late in the evening but I was hoping that you might be able to help me. You see, I seem to have lost a pet and was wondering if you may have seen them?” Flippsy glanced at the door nervously, no one ever really came by their house at this time but he also didn’t want to seem rude. He took a deep breath, walked to the door and opened it. At his doorstep stood a bright pink mare unfamiliar to him. She gave him a wide grin but said nothing. Flippsy stood there awkwardly for a while but then decided to break the silence. “Hello?” The mare said nothing. Unsure of what to do, Flippsy just smiled back. “So...uhh...what kind of pet is it?” The mares vacant smile began to creep Flippsy out so he began to slowly close the door. Before he could however, the mare stepped her hoof into it so as not to let him. Flippsy knew this wasn’t good so he closed his eyes in fear. “It’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you” a different voice spoke. Flippsy opened his eyes but a different mare stood before him but before he could get a good look at her, she bucked him square in the face. “Well, maybe a little” she giggled. Having been taken by surprise, Flippsy stumbled back and tripped over himself. Instead of falling onto the floor however he slammed into some sort of thick, liquid object. He turned around to see what it was and was greeted by what seemed to be a pony made of tar. He tried to pull back but was stuck within the substance that was now slowly engulfing him. “Hmm. You’re a cute one. Shame I gotta take you in though. You won't hate me will you?” The mare said as if she was talking to a child. “Now hurry it up sludge, the other one is bound to be back soon” Flippsy heard her turn around and exit the door but was unable to look as his head was stuck inside the liquid which also began to make its way to the door. Now fully panicking, Flippsy began to struggle and scream but before he could finish his plea a party popper exploded right in his face letting out a burst of streamers and confetti along with some sort of gas. Flippsy began to cough and feel light headed. “You’re making it really hard for me to make a good first impression” The mare spoke. “Please be a dear and stop resisting. I would hate to have to ruin that face of yours” Flippsy was almost completely unconscious, but before he gave out, he managed to make out a silhouette of the mare. She looked like a normal pony, but was wearing a red and white outfit and had what seemed to be wings atop her head. That probably wasn’t right. Flippsy gave up and completely lost consciousness.
