Spectrum Overdose

// Story: Spectrum Overdose

// Chapter: Newcomers

// Author: BronyShock

//-----------------------------

               CHAPTER 1: THE GATHERING

Nothing*... Not even darkness...

Cold... So cold... And yet it feels... comfortable...

And a... sun... Not a normal one - a very, very bright, white one... and a rainbow around it...

Not one - three... And a voice... whispering...

• Soon...

Atom woke up. He rubbed his eyes and stared at the ceiling for about five minutes.’This isn't right.’ he thought ‘I've been having this dream every night the past week.’ Usually he wouldn’t pay it any attention at all, but this dream was…different. It felt so real. It wasn’t exactly a lucid dream, because he couldn’t move or control himself. Actually, he wasn’t sure if he was in the dream at all. And it was almost the same every time – a big hole, surrounded by light, then a white sun, a rainbow and finally – that voice. The only difference in the dreams was what the voice said. It spoke of magic, matter, time travelling and even apocalypse. It was…creepy. Not because of the nothing, no. It was creepy, because it actually made sense… Atom sighed. He missed his old, stupid, confusing dreams with the flying cupcakes and e.t.c. They were all better than this one**.

“Hey, Atom!” shouted someone from the floor below. “Get your backside down here and behold – my special breakfast!”

It was Allegory – Atom’s cousin. They had lived together for years. And through all those years Al hadn’t changed a bit – still the old mareanizer. Always looking for parties and music and all those things Atom was supposed to be (but wasn’t) interested in.

Atom got up. He reached for his glasses, only to find out they were missing from their case, on the cupboard.

“Al!” Atom shouted “Al have you seen my glasses?”

“Na!” Al shouted back.

“I can’t seem to be able to find them…” Atom replied looking around

“Well you don’t need them, if you aren’t gonna read!” Al countered. “Now get down here! It’s like... almost afternoon!”

Al was right – Atom didn’t need his glasses, if he wasn’t going to read. But he felt…naked without them. They were his talisman, his accessory. He felt surer with himself while wearing them…

Suddenly something sent a reflected sun beam, coming from the big window on the

room’s wall, in Atom’s eyes. Atom picked up his glasses. They had black frames.

He turned around and picked his shirt up. White, with stripes that were… well – darker white. It had 10 buttons*** and he always buttoned all of them.

(*According to many writers, in order to quickly understand the base plot of a book, you have to read the first sentence on the first five and the last five pages. Nothing is not exactly the best start of a book, so if you are going to use that method, please start with the next page.

**Except the one where he was chased by a giant, crying mannequin. At the end of the dream he fell and the mannequin cached him. He woke up, with the taste of blood in his mouth. He knew that it was caused by the fact he woke up on his bedroom’s floor, but he still gained a small phobia from mannequins.

*** Atom had this weird need sometimes to know the most useless things about something.)

For a moment, he saw his reflection in the mirror – not much had changed since last night*. He was still a normal colt. He had gray skin, a black mane with a white stripe going through it. It was short on the front, just so it can reveal the base of his horn and went on until midway of his neck.  Overall – a pretty ordinary haircut. His tail was the same – black with a white stripe. Only difference was that he never combed it. So his tail was a mess. He had a round chin, a flat nose and then a steep forehead. He also had freckles, which you could only see if you got really close, because they just blended in with his skin color.

He found his watch, put it on his hoof and went down the stairs, to the lower floor. Al was in the kitchen – dinner room, making breakfast.

“Finally!” He said as soon as Atom sat down on one of the chairs “It took you forever!”

“But I’m here, right?” Atom replied, gazing out the window. It was sunny. He didn’t like it. He preferred rain. “So what is this special breakfast you were telling me about?”

“It’s sittin’ right in front of ya!” Allegory said turning around and putting a bowl with chocolate cereal on the table, in front of his chair.

Atom looked down at his plate

“…Eggs and tomatoes? THIS is your special breakfast?” Atom said, giving a skeptical look at his plate, as if it would make it ashamed for being so inappropriate. “Who eats tomatoes and eggs for breakfast?”

“Nobody!” Allegory twittered happily “That’s why it’s special!”

Atom stared at him for some while.

“How come you get the cereal?” Atom asked.

“Because I made you breakfast.” Al replied with his mouth full.

“But I’m not going to eat it!” Atom said, with a hint of irritation in his tone.

“That’s your problem, not mine.” Al said.

Atom looked at his plate. Oh well – it’s better than nothing, right?

He grabbed his fork and tried taking a bite off one of the eggs.

“AL! This egg is like rubber! What the hell?!” he shouted, spitting the chunk out.

“Well that’s because it took ya so long to get down here!” Allegory said.

Atom gave him a stare of death.

“Well I’m going to go get something from… um… Sugarcube Corner.” Atom said getting up from his chair “Something that is actually edible”

“Do what you please” Al said “But be back in an hour”

“Why?” Atom asked heading to the door.

“You and I are going on a date!” Al said smiling.

“…” Atom had frozen midway to the door. “…NO! NO, NO, NO, NO!” He turned around “NO!”

“Aw, come on, bro!” Al said finishing his cereal “It’s going to be fun! A double date! Awesome!”

“No!” Atom shouted again “It’s not! You are not dragging me to one of those!”

“But I promised!” Al said.

“And I care so much I can barely live!” Atom said.

Al hated irony and sarcasm. Why? Because Atom used both of them way too much.

But he was too busy executing his plan to take note of that.

“Well…” Allegory started “I could leave you alone… if you let me bring a mare in the house tonight!”

“What?!” Atom’s chin dropped “A-Al! We’re in this village since 2 WEEKS! How did you even-” Atom took a deep breath “You know what – never mind. It’s better than the other option…”

‘But it’s still not OK with me’ Atom thought. Allegory always brought mares at their old house. It messed with his work.

“Thanks!*” Al said victoriously “And now if you will excuse me – I have a date to attend to.”

Atom thought for a moment.

“Who was the mare that was supposed to go with me?” Atom asked

“What mare?” Al smiled. He quickly jumped out of the house, just in time to evade the eggs that Atom threw at him.

(* Oh, wow - suprise!

**It’s actually  pretty hard to sound victorious while saying ‘Thanks’)

Atom sat down and sighed. Why did his cousin have to be so much different than him...

Atom was happy with a book, a pen and a notebook. He just needed something to be busy with and that’s it! Even better, if it has science in it! But all Allegory wanted to do is go to parties, drink and most importantly - get as much mares as he can. Why?! Couldn’t he overcome his primal instincts and be quiet and non-irritating for a day at least. Atom looked at the tomatoes in his plate. They looked nice, but they just weren’t a suitable breakfast...

His stomach growled. Atom got up and went outside the house.

It was a 2-storey building. The upper floor was divided by two. Those were Atom and Allegory’s rooms. Al’s room was bigger, because they had made a deal - Atom gets the roof and Al gets more space. Atom only wanted the roof so he can place his telescope there. Also - the cool night was quite refreshing. The main floor was made up of a few rooms - A kitchen-living room, a hallway and a bathroom. They also had  basement. Atom used it for his alchemy experiments. Allegory also hid his alcohol down there, thinking Atom didn’t know. Which was weird - Atom never drank any of it. But he did use it for experiments...

And so Atom set off for Sugarcube corner - the nearby bakery. And home to that annoying, pink pony. Pinkie pie. She was always happy. Always jumping around, squealing. Always throwing parties. Not the ones with booze and a lot of loud music. The happy ones with balloons and cake. She was still a filly by soul...

Maybe he could go to the nearby apple farm - it was a longer road, but he would evade any unnecessary meetings with Pinkie Pie. His stomach growled as an answer to that thought.

Guess he would have to deal with it...

After some time he was there. Sugarcube corner - a big house, stylized to look as if it was made out of... sugary stuff...

He went inside. He cautiously looked around. She wasn’t to be seen anywhere. Good. He executed his next move: browse the food. What did they have...

Cupcakes, biscuits, choco-mountains and all that sweet stuff that was like a public execution to your teeth. Anything else... Hmm...

“Hiya!” A voice said cheerfully from behind him. Atom closed his eyes. Not that is was going to help, but it was something...

“Uhh...Hello...Pinkie Pie” He said, his hopes dying. “How are you...?”

“Oh! Good! I think I have a pink spot growing on my back!” She answered, turning her head around to view her back.

“Pinkie - you’re pink. Your whole body, your mane and your tail - they’re all pink...” Atom said, letting off a deep sigh.

She was indeed pink. Her body, her fluffy hair and tail - everything was pink. Atom’s eyes started to hurt if he stared at her mane for too long. And of course - her cutie mark. Balloons.

“Oh! That’s right! Silly me!” She said with a giggling.

“Hey, Pinkie - do you have something less... sugary?’’ Atom asked.

“Oh! But of course not! That’s why it’s called Sugarcube Corner! Haha!” She pulled off a big smile after she was done with that sentence.

“I see...” Atom turned to the mare behind the shopping window - Mrs. Cake.

“I’d like...” Atom started and stopped for a brief moment “a...”

“Cupcake?” Pinkie hinted from behind.

“I was thinking for a sweet roll” Said Atom with an unsure tone.

“Oh! But Cupcakes are delicious!” Pinkie said jumping in front of him “They’re special! I make them!”

Why doesn’t that make me anywhere more enthusiastic... Atom thought.

“Good.. but I want a sweet roll right now...” Atom said, reaching for his bag.

His bag. OH SWEET CELESTIA! WHERE WAS HIS BAG?!

He rapidly turned his head and realized he hadn’t taken it with him. How was he gonna pay?! He didn’t have a book with him! He couldn’t do his studies! WITHOUT HIS BAG, WHAT WAS HE?!

“Well, from what I understood, you want a sweet roll, isn’t that right, sweetheart?” Mrs. Cake asked with a smile on her face. She picked up a pair of tongs an d used them to move a sweet roll out of the shopping window to a rectangular piece of paper, that she folded the roll with.

“That’ll be 10 bits, sweetie!” She said. “Is there something wrong?”

Atom’s face had gotten pale. Now only because he didn’t have his bag with him. She called him sweetie. He knew it was a speech habit, but he wasn’t used to it.

“I.. I have forgotten my bag... and with it - my bits” said Atom, closing his eyes in await for the sentence.

“Oh...” Mrs. Cake said. Atom took a deep breath ”Well in that case, you can pay it later!”

Atom sighed. That wasn’t what he expected. It was better, but not what he expected.

“E-Excuse me?” Atom said with a trembling voice. “Don’t you want me to... pay up?”

“Hmm? Oh, no! You can always pay me, right?” She said “And besides - I don’t want to keep you hungry! ”

“I...thanks..’’ Atom was crushed.

He walked out of Sugarcube Corner and headed home, for his bag. It was a normal bag - a brown, leather one. With a  few stains and holes*. But it was HIS bag. And he loved it. It had enough space to fit a few books, a few potions and some scrolls. Food, medicine and practically everything that belonged to him - he kept there.

he went back to Sugarcube Corner and payed. Mrs. Cake laughed and said he shouldn’t have rushed. It was weird - treating him like a child. Nobody had done that in quite some time. Since he was a kid...

What was he going to do now... he could always go back and study. But he was feeling like doing something, connected with astronomy. Watch stars and calculate distances. And it was still daytime. Plus he would have a “parallax” in a week...

Well... he could go and meet some of the folks around...

Can’t hurt, can it?

He remembered Pinkie. It was now officially a rhetorical question...

Not that far from there - right outside Ponyville, a colt was having troubles. They were caused by the huge amount of weaponry he was carrying. A sword-spear, a bow, a Two-handed sword and a few more things reflected the sun into the random bypassers’ eyes, blinding them for a moment. His name was Scratched Beats**. He was looking at the weapons on the ground viciously. He knew they would fall off his back at some point, but the fact he was so close to the inn he was staying in was just irritating. And now he had to take the judging looks of the other ponies walking by...

He tried to pick up the sword, but tripped and fell over, nearly stabbing himself on a dagger that was somehow sticking it’s sharp end upwards.

‘I will never make it like this.’ He thought ‘But I’m definitely NOT leaving my weapons! I’.

Sadly, he knew exactly what he had to do - ask for help somepony... He didn’t like it, but it was the smartest move right now. He looked around and saw a light - green, almost white colored unicorn walking in his direction. He had a long, black mane and a normally looking black tail. His cutie mark looked like a symbol. A glowing one as a matter of fact. As he came closer, Beats realized it was a colt.

“Hey there, buddy!” the colt said looking at Scratched “Need help?”

“Errr...” Beats looked around, like if he was searching for an exit out of this conversation. “Yeah...”

“Okay then!” the colt said looking at his weapons “Where do we have to carry them?”

Scratched opened his mouth and closed it shortly afterwards “...Aren’t you gonna ask why I’m carrying all these weapons?”

“If you insist.” the colt said “Name’s Allegory, by the way. Allegory Ancient! What’s your name?”

Scratched hesitated. Who was this colt? Why was he asking for his name

“It’s..” He looked around again. “... Shine Slash.” He said. It was a good getaway.

“Nice!” Allegory said “So where and why are you carrying all these weapons?”

“They’re the only thing I have...” Scratched said “I’ve never had a family... It’s just me and those weapons. Looking for my mother and father. And for the smith who crafted these jewels.” he explained, pointing at the mountain of metal on Al’s back.

“Interesting...” Al said. “Any idea where they might be?”

“I was born in a far away land...” Scratched answered “But I do have a lead. This.”

He pulled his sword out of the metal mountain and showed it to Al.

“You see this here?” He said pointing at the it’s engravement “It’s a map!”

“A map that leads to...?” Al asked

“To...” Scratched didn’t finish the sentence for some time. He didn’t know. He had thought about this a lot of times, but never got a lead. “... I don’t know...”

“Hmm...” Al stopped to think for a second “Where are you headed now?”

“Top the nearby inn.” Scratched replied.

“Ok...” Al started walking “I’m gonna help you get there and I’ll be off! I’ve got a date in 30 minutes or so!”

***

Atom was sitting on a bench in the nearby park. He was pondering on what he should do now.

He could go to the library. But he just felt shy when going there for “some reason”***. He felt nervous. He couldn’t focus. He shook his head.

‘The hell is wrong with me?!’ He thought. He got up from the bench. He could go to AJ’s farm. He wanted to make a study on the apples there since he came to Ponyville. They were so much different from the ones he normally ate.

*A few unfortunate spills from flasks that Atom didn’t place in the best way. He discovered that if some certain type of acids eat through cork insanely fast.

**HE IS NOT A DJ

***I thought that you could imply something by quoting that. Change it back if you don’t like the idea though. It’s your story after all. - Yuno

In another park, far away from Ponyville, a very peculiar pony was having a walk. A mare. She was dark grey, much like Atom’s coloring. Her tail was black, with some orange in it. Her mane wasn’t visible, due to the ushanka she was wearing. It had a thought bubble, sewed in the middle of it. The ponies called her Intrigue. And the most intriguing thing about her was the fact, that she didn’t have a cutie mark. At least not on her flank...

She was looking around for something inspiring. Something beautiful, something to give her ideas. She was into philosophy and she was constantly doing that. To her everything had a meaning - her dual-colored eyes, her mane, everything.

Also it was a long time since she had last seen the Doctor. She wondered what he was doing now.

She stopped near a tree and looked at the sky. She moved her attention to the tree. It was going to be autumn soon. The equinox was a few days away...

‘Our fall* come sudden’ she thought ‘I wonder... what is the purpose of these trees...just to help people with oxygen and the die? Get nothing in return, only wait, convert and die...  what a noble life...’  She looked at a nearby statue. The park was filled with them - beautiful stone sculptures of different famous ponies. The one she was looking at showed a famous soldier that managed to hold off a wave of diamond dogs during the “Glass wars”. ‘... this colt held off a whole wave of enemies by himself and earned a statue... trees ensure our lives every day but do not earn a statue...’

Intrigue shook her head. That’s not how things worked...

She got up and stared at the ground for a little while. Life wasn’t very interesting lately. Especially in this city. Nopony liked changes here...

She also hadn’t seen the Doctor lately. He used to come here more often, chat with her and tel her about his adventures. But she hadn’t seen him in months...

‘I wonder where he is...’

Intrigue didn’t react in any way. Mainly because she was used to it. It was kind of weird from the start, but after a few weeks you stop minding it...

And after all - having a living ushanka was pretty cool.

‘Probably somewhere in the past...’

‘Why not the future?’

‘Does it matter?’

‘Yes’

‘Ok then - or the future.’

Intrigue walked out on to the street. You couldn’t just start talking to somepony here. They would think you’re weird. Or homeless...

She once got a quarter this way...

She also needed to find a job - she didn’t want to be a waitress...

Neither did she want to ask people if they wanted french fries with their burgers...

Maybe she cou-

In the pony dictionary there is no word, describing the events that followed, which was understandable since matter and time had a “moment“.

Luckily there is a word for it in another race’s dictionary. Sadly that race lives in a far away dimension and uses high-pitch frequencies to communicate. The correct way to pronounce that word is: eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekuuuiiiiiieeeeeaaaayyyyyyykhhhuuuu

“Where the hell is she...?”

Allegory was waiting on the road outside the village. It was a long, dusty road. And most importantly - empty.

‘Im probably early’ Al thought. He looked around for something to do while waiting. He gathered a pile of rocks and started throwing them at an abandoned cartwheel nearby. He was pretty accurate.

‘...or Im late...’  He looked at the setting sun. It was coloring the clouds pink and dark-violet, as if it was leaving treats for the moon...

‘If I just had my watch with me...’ He gave the road one final look, filled with hope. Still so empty...

He looked at the sky one more time. ‘It’s too late for me to go back to the house... I’ll just stay at that inn - at least there’s a friendly face there...I’m sure Atom can manage without me for one night. ‘

The inn was basically a small, wooden building with a moustache-shaped roof. It had a small porch with 4 chairs and a table. There were 2 wooden columns on the sides of the porch that kept the big sign in front of the roof that said “At McRiley’s”. The structure had 3 tall, rectangular windows that let out warming light during Euquestria’s cold nights. The inside was pretty ordinary - a bar and a shelf behind it, stacked with all sorts of colorful bottles. Tables and wooden benches filled the remaining space of the room that was the inside of the inn. The walls were decorated with all sorts of paintings, talismans. The thing that really caught the eye was an old, rusty rifle in a glass case in the corner of the room.

The lighting in the room was achieved via a few torches on the walls and a big, shining orb in a transparent ball, hanged from the middle of the ceiling. There was also a toilet. But there is absolutely no need to describe it - an ordinary restaurant toilet.

Scratched Beats was sitting on the bar, staring at his glass. The drink was really odd: it had the taste of apples, mixed with pepper, cherries and spirit. It was supposed to taste like an “Stormy Spring Morning”, whatever that meant...

“Enjoying your drink?” Asked the bartender, who was cleaning glasses behind the bar. Strange - they didn’t seem dirty...

‘I guess he’s just bored’ Scratched thought. “It’s... odd... ” He said.

The bartender smiled.

“It’s disgusting, isn’t it?” He said

Scratched opened his mouth, but decided it would be smarter to not say anything. He looked at the glass again. The bartender raised his head and faced Scratched. He had a long, messy white hair that went all the way down to the middle of his legs. He also had a little goatee and a pretty rectangular chin. But the thing that impressed most about his face, was the scar that went from his mouth to his ear. His missing ear.

He was colored bright-blue and had a torn-up white tail. Scratched couldn’t get a clear view at his cutie mark.

“And you must be McRiley?” asked Scratched

The bartender smiled. Due to his scar it seemed more like a ‘I-will-kill-you-in-a-really-painful-way’ sort of look

“Kinda” He said “My father was... I’m carrying the family name on though...”

Scratched nodded. He was suprised that McRiley hadn’t asked about his weapons - after all, a pile of weapons were quite the sight. He picked up his sword and looked at the engravings on it.

‘One day...’ He thought ‘One day I WILL find you! MARK MY WORDS! No matter how far away and how hard it will be I shal find yo-’

He was startled by the ringing sound of the bell that was placed so that it rings whenever someone entered the inn.

It was Al.

“So... you’re going to a party?” Asked Atom. He was currently in front of Applejack’s farm, talking to her.

“Yup!” She said  happily. “A’h think a’h earned it! Been workin’ on the apple farm the whole day, yup!”

“And you’re going....” Atom started “...to a PARTY?”

“Yeah...” AJ raised her eyebrow “Why?”

“Well it’s just...I can’t picture you at an event like that...”

“Oh but I go to them often!” AJ laughed “I mean - Pinkie organizes them almost every week...”

“Oh...” Atom made the same face he would have if somepony had made him eat a whole lemon “Pinkie...well - have a good time I guess... it was getting late anyway...”

“What are ya gonna be doin’?” AJ asked

Atom looked at the sky. The first stars of the night were already visible.

“Don’t know...” He looked back at AJ “Certainly not going back to my house now - Al’s got some mare for the night probably...”

AJ stared at him for a while. “So where will you sleep?”

“I don’t know... there are plenty of benches near Twil’s library...”  Atom said with an ironic grimace.

“Twil?” AJ looked quizzed.

“Twilight.” Atom cleared up.

“A’ see...well I would invite you, but there’s no free space for ya!” AJ said “Real sorry to disappoint...”

“No worries, AJ” said Atom “I’m gonna get going to that inn at the end of the village now...”

“Oh! You’re headed there? Me too!” AJ said giving off a warm smile. “The party is hosted there!”

“Oh...” Atom looked at his feet “So everyone will be there?”

“Yep”

“Partying?”

“Yep”

“Pinkie too?”

“Yep”

“Well... that’s it for the sleeping...” Atom sighed “We better get going...”

Intrigue’s Ushanka was everything but a hat for keeping your head warm. It was made out of the fur and skin of an “Afrent”, a creature that lived in the cracks of time. Since time was cracked there, matter wasn’t really something common. So when it made its way there, time was balanced and the creatures became extinct. We cant exactly know when that happened, because there was no time there. It was something very intriguing, so The Doctor carried a body all the way to a race that had already mastered the smithing of matter and time. He asked them to make an Ushanka out of the creature. Why an Ushanka?

“Because” The Doctor said “if you are somewhere hot, you can just take it off. But if you’re somewhere where the temperatures are so low you will eat the turds of an Ukra** for something warm, you need a hat. ”

Thing is, the Afrent were made out of raw matter. It was required so reality didn’t suck itself in at the places where they lived. So when the new type, the new matter entered those areas, the old type was destroyed or chased away. And since the hat was made out of an Afrent, it was raw matter. The only way it could stay in reality was to attach to something made out of new matter - Intrigue...

But it came back there sometimes. It waited...

Then it just went there. For a little while. It never learned. Problem is - it knew the way to those places.

But it didn’t know the way back really well...

Night fell over Equestria. The cold breeze roleld in peacefully and the lights coming from the houses of the pony fellas were dying off, one by one. All, but the one shining inside a small inn. Around 500 meters from there, a bunch of mares were making their way through the darkness.

“...are you sure we’re not lost, Pinkie?” Asked one of them, colored purple.

“Yep! I sure do!” Answered the pink one. It was Pinkie, if you didn’t realise it from the previous sentence.

“Because it really seems like we have...” said the purple pony.

“Want me to go scout out?” Asked a blue mare, preparing to fly off.

“No, Dash.” Said the purple one “its way too dark. You won’t see anything...”

“That a challenge?” Asked the blue one, as if that argument made her even more eager to fly off.

“No.” Cut her off the violet mare. “It is not... wait... hey! I see lights! I think it’s...”

“It’s the inn! Oh thank Celestia!” Exclaimed the 4th mare in the group, a white one “All this dirt! Disgusting! And is it cold out here...It doesn’t suit a lady like me!”

“Umm...Rarity is kind of right - it really is cold out here... umm..I think...” Said the 5th and final mare in the group, a yellow one.

“Don’t worry - we’re almost there!”  Replied again the violet one “But it truly is way too chilly out here tonight...”

“So...” AJ started, kicking a rock out of her way “Ya got somethin’ ‘gainst parties?”

Atom tilted his head to one side and looked at her. “What makes you say that?”

“Well... the way you reacted.” confessed AJ  “Ya weren’ happy or anythin’. You actually frowned a bit!”

Atom looked down at his feet. It was true. He disliked parties - too loud, too pointless...

“Hmph...well I just don’t...” He replied. He realised that was kinda rude “... I just don’t like partying.It’s way too loud... and too many ponies... ”

“But that’s the idea!” AJ exclaimed “That’s FUN!”

“I don’t find having my brain pummeled by loud music fun.” Atom answered “Neither do I find it fun to get pushed around by a bunch of ponies..”

“Well too bad, because you will have to stay up all night and be in one!” AJ said with a smirk on her face.

Atom looked at her with a quizzed face “What do you mean...? The party at the inn? I’m not attending that one!”

“Yes you are!” Said Applejack with a hint of excitement in her voice “Otherwise Pinkie will get sad. And she will go nuts...”

“Nuts?” Atom asked

“Yeah! She will get all lonely and sad... and you don’t want to see Pinkie sad...” AJ replied.

Atom looked at Applejack.  She was bright orange, with a blond hair and tail. Her cutie mark was a bunch of apples. And of course - she had her signature hat on her head. She always did.

“Can’t I just sleep?” He asked, obviously unwanting to participate in the event

“No.” Cut him off Applejack.

“Please?”

“No!” She said with a commanding voice. “Oh! We’re here!”

“And THAT is how I lost my fake medical license!” Al said. He was sitting in the inn, next to Scratched.

The bartender gave out a smirk. “Oh you younglings and your crazy stories...”

He turned around and looked at a clock, placed above the glass case that contained the antique weapon.

“Boys” he started “you know there is gonna be some sort of a meeting in here after about half an hour...”

“Really?” Al livened up a bit “What kind of meeting?”

“A party, I think...”

“YES!” Al was now excited “Maybe the day isn’t so bad!”

“Were you invited?” Asked Scratched who was sitting silent until now.

“No.. but I’m sure there will be a place for me in a party!” Allegory answered.

The bartender went silent for a few minutes, looking outside through one of the windows from time to time.

“I think I see them...” he said suddenly “Go outside and give them a welcome, would you?”

“Sure!” Al said happily “C’mon Beats!”

Scratched looked at him and took a sip from his glass. “No, thanks...”

“Come on!” Al looked at him “For me? Don’t be my cousin!”

Beats sighed. He finished his drink, looked at his glass. “Ok, ok... but just this once...”

Atom was starting to shiver. Not only because of the cold night, the howling of unknown creatures kinda helped out too...

“I think I see lights!” Applejack said. She picked up her pace.

“Wait up!” Atom said, with a lower voice for some reason. He looked around again. It was a weird tic he had...

AJ ignored him and continued on. Atom was actually a pretty good runner, but he didn’t feel like running. He was sleepy, kinda sad and tasting the unavoidable, upcoming party. And the best was yet to come...

“Atom!” Applejack shouted a few feet in front of him “It is the inn! Finally!” She ran towards it and stopped in front of the entrance. She seemed to be talking to somepony...

After a minute or so Atom caught up with her. And all the sadness and fatigue immediately turned into rage the second he laid his eyes on his cousin - Allegory. Many words were going to be said. Some of which, are not very appropriate...

Atom was really short-fused for some reason. He was even more short-fused when he was tired, sad, nervous. But most of all, he hated having his daily program disturbed. And Allegory had done it twice that day...

But Atom didn’t show it. He just made an angry face for a moment, took a deep breath and buried his rage deep into the ball of anger he had built up through the years.

“So let me make this clear...” Atom said after Al finished with his story “You got dumped and you decided to sleep here?”

“Yeah!” Allegory said cheerfully

“And you ruined my plans...” Atom added “... I hate you. Way too much...”

Allegory laughed. Atom just cracked a little smile and blew out a bit more air from his nose than usual.

“Well it’s freezing outside here...” Scratched said turning around “I think we should get inside..”

“WAIT!” AJ jumped in front of him “I don’t think I know you!”

The three colts were staring at her.

“Uhh...” Scratched started “My name is Scr-” He suddenly stopped. He remembered what he had told Allegory earlier that day... Sadly, he only remembered what he had done. The name had escaped his mind... What now?

“His name’s Shine Slash!” Allegory answered “Slash, this is Applejack. She owns an apple farm nearby!”

Beats looked at Allegory. Well that saved his hide for now...

Suddenly everything got darker. Everyone looked at the inn***. There was no light coming from it anymore...

*Unintentional puns make everything so much better.

** The shortest and best matching description of an Ukra is an elephant who is made out of ice cream and is living in an oven. And best of all - the ice cream never ends.

*** Except Atom. Atom’s brain worked in a pretty weird way - while most ponies reacted quickly to things, but didn’t give them much thought, he needed some time to chew it up and digest it. But when he did, he was a fury! So when the lights went out he stayed there for a few seconds, staring at the ground, thinking about something else before actually realising it had gotten darker.

“Watch where you’re going!” Said somepony

“Sorry...” Answered another one.

“We neeed to get the lights on somehow...” Suggested a third one.

“Hello?” Shouted a 4th one “Bartender guy?”

Suddenly the whole inn shined with a bright light.

“SUPRISE!”

Atom was sitting on the bar, staring at the shelves stacked with all sorts of drinks.

So now he had to evaluate what had happened the last 30 minutes. So he got here. He got mad at Al.

Then the lights went off and they went to check what had happened. And it turned out that it was actually all planed:

AJ had to take him to the party. Rainbow Dash was going to handle Al and lead him to the inn. But that took care of itself, didn’t it?

And all this for what? A WELCOME PARTY!

Atom sighed. He was smiling, of course. All the other ponies were having fun and he didn’t want to kill their mood... And by “the other ponies” he meant half the population of Ponyville...

“Sorry Atom.” said someone sitting next to him. He turned his head quickly. It was Twilight. “I tried telling Pinkie you don’t like parties and et ceteria, but she wouldn’t listen...”

“It’s ok...” Atom replied. He looked at the two stripes on her mane. They were easy to spot and grab your attention - after all they were pink and dark violet on a purple font... She herself was light purple. The thing he never understood was her cutie mark: it had something to do with magic, that was for sure! Twilight was the best sorcerer he had seen...

He realised he was staring at the mane for a little bit too long and switched his attention to the party behind him.

“...I never understood parties.” He said after a bit “Ponies just dancing around, listening to pretty loud music, shouting...”

“Well.. it’s their way of having fun.” Twilight turned and looked at the party too “Allegory is having the time of his life that way, right?”

“I’ve never understood him either.” Atom blew out a bit more air again. “Neither will I ever...”

Scratched beats was standing by one of the tables. It was stacked with snacks and all kinds of drinks...

He didn’t like it. Too many people. He wasn’t the most social pony out there...

But he had to deal with it...

Still there was something troubling with how... friendly these ponies were...

The pink one even took that “Welcome to Ponyville” banner down and wrote his name next to Atom and Allegory’s...

His false name...

Allegory was indeed having the time of his life! Not only was the party going on for quite some time, not only was there an awesome DJ, but he was surrounded by mares!

Oh life couldn’t get happier than this! The decorations were kinda... childish...

But it didn’t matter! Allegory didn’t care for small details. The core, the idea was what mattered! And, of course, the mares!

The bartender had slipped away unnoticed. He had left the inn a few minutes ago and was currently trying to unlock a small, hidden door in the back of the building. On the 3rd try he succeeded.

He entered, slowly and carefully. The air inside was thick, filled with fumes of cheap alcohol...

“The gathering is almost complete” he said looking in the darkness of the room.

“...good.” said something sitting in the shadows. “When it is fully done, we are setting off. No time to waste. Every second is precious!”

“Understood...” The bartender turned around and exited the room. He locked the door and started walking towards the inn’s entrance.

The night, still so cold, was slowly enveloping the lands of Equestria. Few houses still had their lights on.

And one of them was in Canterlot castle. It wasn’t a house, more of a room, but it had the sizes of a house!

It was the bedroom of the queen: Celestia. Her official title was actually Princess, because Equestrian monarchy is a very silly thing, just like their technological advancement...

Anyway: The princess was sitting on her room’s balcony, looking at the lands she ruled...

And she could feel it...

Something was going to happen. Something bad. Something unpredictable...

And it was going to happen soon...