chapter one: The oddball.
Sand, sand, sand for as long as one can see, combined with the big open and blue sky with nothing but a few vultures circling and circling about.
They are waiting for the traveler down on the ground to die of some reason. The traveler who has been walking for days with no end, no rest for water, food or sleep. But the birds still patiently waits for him to meet his end, as all before him has done to.
The traveler walks through the water fumes that sippers out of the ground and does not seem to be bothered by the scorching sun. The mans clothes is what you would think would be fitting for this kind of trip, if you saw him from afar that is. He wears some kind of dark cloak that is as thick as a thumb, and in this climate it makes you sweat just by looking at it. His pants are some old worn down chinos, and his feet are bare as he walk on the 104 degrees hot sand without hesitation. On his head he wears a wide, brown, threadbare hat and his eyes are covered by some wierd, big goggles with at least five different kind of lincese on the sides to fold down for use.
Now and then he switches license and look around without stopping, and a few times he take out a notebook and scribble something down. He walks, and walks through the day. The scavengers are just starting to lose their patience, when he abruptly stops.
Finally he is done, the birds think and starts to circle faster. The man change his goggles lenses into some black ones and says absently.
"There you are." Reaches out his hand into the thin air and grabs it, startle the birds above as he disappear and leave nothing but his soon gone footsteps in the sand and an unsettling echo of a chuckle in the air.
The undertaker digs on the grave for whatever poor soul that would need it. The graveyard was quiet as it usually was at the dark hours and the only light came from his lantern that was placed next to the grave.
He stopped for a while to check his pocket watch. It was 11 o'clock in the evening and it was quite cold outside. Luckily his wife would be waiting for him with a nice cup of tea and some scones as he got home. He wrapped his coat tighter around his body and started once again to dig, tugh, tugh, tugh, it sounded as the shovel hit the ground.
The undertaker loved his job, because for some reason handling with the dead soothed him in a way nothing else could. He used to pretend that the dead, or the clients which he used to call them when he was in a fun mood, were still alive and that his job was to make them look pretty as he later on sent them into another dimension as he buried them.
"Krah! Krah!" A raven said and sat down on the lantern handle.
"Here you go Sanguis.", he said and threw a piece of pork to the raven who catched it in the air and feasted on the meat.
The undertaker has always had a strange connection to the Corvus birds. When he was little he used to teach them tricks, and when he was beaten by other kids they soon learned to stop after being attacked by a whole pack of crows, magpies and ravens.
"Krah!" The raven once again exclaimed and bowed.
"You're welcome.", The undertaker said and took a sip from a flask. "Want one?", he asked and reached his flask to the raven. Sanguis took some of the schnapps and leaned back to chug it down.
"Good boy, it will help you sing better.", he chuckled.
Then he heard a pair of lips, whistling on some happy tune from a few meters behind him. He turned around and saw the contour of a man slowly approaching. He was soon out of the unfinished grave and as he brushed of some of the dirt from his clothes he opened his mouth.
"Hello there friend, what are you doing here at this hour?"
"Who me?", the man said with a soft voice and entered the reach of the light. "Oh, i'm just passing through."
The man where, to say in a nice way, odd. What was most odd about him was his bare feet against the frost covered ground and some weird goggles that covered half of his face.
"And who may you be?", the undertaker asked and where on his guard.
"Not important.", the man said casually. "What is important though is that your grave digging skills are wonderful, true masterpieces, and I'm not just saying that to be nice."
"Why, thank you.", the undertaker said surprised.
"No need to thank me for your talent.", the man said and turned to an old grave which gravestone he studied.
"No disrespect, but what are you doing here?"
"Hm? Oh I'm just passing by as i said before, I just wanted to say hello to... a familiar of mine before I continue my travels.", he said and nodded at the gravestone.
"What is your name?", the undertaker asked.
"It's the same as this fine gentleman.", he whispered and started to walk away.
The undertaker looked at the stone and was sure that what was written was not there before. It said: The Collector.
He looked for the man he just talked to, but he was gone.
"Just what i needed.", the undertaker muttered. "When i was in a good mood and all."
He jumped back in his hole, grabbed his shovel and went back to work.
*What he said was true though.*, he thought and looked at his progress. "It is a masterpiece, isn't it?", he asked his raven.
"Krah! Krah!", Sanguis agreed.
Jonas was running from the bullies from his school. The adrenaline is pumping through his blood and made him run faster than ever before, if it was enough he didnt know. He should just had picked up their trash and maybe they would had chased him this time, but hindsight was to no help here. He snuck in one of the empty magazines and took a risk by resting for a while. He sweated all over his body and his breath was fast and loud, too loud. He tried to be quiet and listen for footsteps.
"JONAS!", Chris yelled. "COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE!"
"I think he is over here Chris!", Kaleb shouted. "I can hear him crying."
*Shit.* Jonas thought and just noticed that he was hulkling and that at least half of what he thought was sweat was tears.
"Fourteen years old and still crying like a baby,", Alan said with pity. "that is just sad."
"There you are pipsqueak!", Chris the giant exclaim as he entered the magazine.
Jonas tried to run again but was caught from behind by Alan before he lifted one leg.
"Oh I'm going to love this!", Chris said loudly and took aim as he closed his fist and leaned back as he came closer and closer. Jonas close his eyes and tried to think about something else. It felt like the time has slowed down as the punch never came. It felt like one minute... two minutes... Three minutes.
"Are you going to stand there with your eyes closed like an idiot for ever?", he heard a soft voice ask.
Jonas opened his eyes just to see Chris knuckles right in front of him, but unmoving.
"What is this?"
"Their simple minds and bodies are on standby mode for the moment.", a strange man with bare feet and a coat said a few meters away from him. "I used what many people like myself would call magic."
"Magic?"
"Yes."
"How, and why?"
"How is simple, I just wanted it to happen. Why is a bit more complicated, not even I know why I do what I do, maybe I did it to help a fellow sorcerer."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that you have magic in you, you just didn't know that... Would you like to learn?"
"You mean to throw lightning bolts and stuff?"
"Well... yes. That and other... umh, stuff."
"Yes please.", Jonas said eagerly.
"Come over here then.", he said as jonas felt how Alans gripp was gone.
When he was in front of the man, he placed both of his index fingers on Jonas temples and closed his eyes. It felt like being lightning struck as all the information went through Jonas head.
"You now have one percent of my knowledge of magic in you,", the man said. "that is the greatest gift anyone has ever received, so use it well."
"I will.", Jonas said grimly. But he was talking to the air, as the man was gone.
"What the &#@%!" Chris yelled and turned about to find Jonas standing several meters away smiling. Alan was lying on the ground grabbing his stomach and all the others were extremely puzzled.
"I don't know how the hell you did that, but your dead pipsqueak."
The next thing the bullies knew was that they had joined Alan on the ground and were in unexplainable, unbearable pain as Jonas smiled and laughed in pure joy.
"what is this?!", The oddball exclaim in the middle of a road in Manehattan. All of the ponies look with surprised faces at the weird creature standing on two legs that just stepped out of nowhere.
The man was writing something down in a book and was standing still, mumbling something inaudible.
A green stallion gathered some courage and uttered.
"Excuse me, sir... or mam. Who or what are you, and... what are you doing here?"
The man ignored the stallion and studied his hands which looked just as the rest of his boody, funny for him, and said. "Interesting. Seems I changed into some kind of animated form."
"Excuse me.", the stallion said one more time.
"Yes, yes one second.",the man said annoyed and went back to his notebook.
Some quiet time passed by and the man finally answered.
"The who or what question i answer with the same answer, The collector. And why I'm here? I'm here to collect. Now you must excuse me as i must go that way." He pointed at the direction to Canterlot and started to walk as he he touched his worn hat and some strange fluid ran down from it staining his boddy and made him invisible piece by piece.
The ponies on the road was scared still and listened to the happy tune that pinpointed the collectors location as he slowly walked away from their lives. For now that is.
End of Chapter one.
Author's Note
Hello everypony. This project has been going on for a while now as just a thought and has now taken form as a text. I don't know if it's good or not, but it's fun to write so who gives a crap.
Sorry If my writing is not that good, though my original language is Swedish and i don't have an editor to help me.
Thanks for reading, hope you like it, and stay tuned for the next chapter.
chapter two: Wanting is good enough
The sun was just about setting over canterlot and trew long, dark and unsettling shadows over the city as its daily activities ended.
Nothing overly exciting had happened that day for the palace guards, when there had only been one incident with an out of control trolley that resulted in a warning to the owner, but besides that it had been a peaceful day.
Storm bringer, and Iron boot had guard duty at the castles main gate till midnight, and they both tried their best to look as sharp and disciplined as they could for a few more hours until they could go to the tavern and drink some well deserved cider.
They had decided to kill their boredom with some idle conversation about the new rumors that had spread all over Equestria.
The rumors about the merry mirage was on everyponys lips, including the proud and fancy palace guards. Storm bringer and Iron boot were no different as they talked enthusiastically about what each of them had heard.
"He's tall as a tree, and has eyes that glow as intense as dragonfire.", Iron boot stated with a really serious face. "And before he disappear he stares into your soul and fill it with never ending horror. The best way to avoid it is to close your eyes and hope that he leaves."
"I've heard that the first and last thing you hear is some happy whistling,", Storm bringer said with an equally serious face. "and if you are unlucky he finds you interesting."
"What happens then?" Iron boot asked.
"Then he...", Storm said but was silenced by the captain of the guards, which had come from nowhere and was now looking at his subordinates with silent anger.
"COLTS!", captain of the guards, lord Silver, yelled at his colts with distaste.
"Sir, yes sir!", they both answered as they stood straight and saluted..
"I don't care about your silly pastimes!", Silver exclaimed. "But as long as you are representing the royal family as the guards of this city and it's castle, you are to radiate strength and respekt. And not look like two old mares at a tea party!... Understood?!"
"Sir, yes sir!"
"Good! If I have to repeat myself, you will be stuck on an 48 hour shift at the salt fields! You got that!?"
"Sir, yes sir!"
"Back to duty then!", he roared, then turned his back and went on his way towards the training grounds to finish his instructions with the new recruits.
After shining armor had left his position as the head of the guards of canterlot, the position has fallen upon the lord of Glowstead, lord Silver, one of the rare few male alicorns. Silver was a tall stalion with blue eyes, a fur coat of polished silver and a mane and tail shining of platinum, his steel boots and helmet were always polished, and placed on his flank he had a dodecagram in silver with golden edges as his cutie mark. He was positioned as general over the army during the time of war and had led the land of Equestria through wiktory many times, and after the last war ended, he had been given land and the titel of lord.
He had been offered the place as captain of the guards many times before, and he had always declined. But this time he has accepted as he said that since no one before him could do their jobb properly, he has to clean up, and do it right.
After only a week in service, everypony in the uniform knew that he was the most short tempered, angriest and strictest captain there had been... But there had also been no one better suited for the jobb than him.
He started with retraining all the guards in a more superior fighting technique than earlier instructed, then he tinkered on the guarding areas and optimised their shifts and schedules.
He also proposed to princess Celestia to reinstate for the guards to carry a weapon at a time, and even showed an magical invention that enabled earth ponies and pegasie guards to use swords. The proposal was declined because Celestia wanted peace, but she agreed to that all guards had to practise with either a sword, spear, axe or wing blades,and that at most 20 of the palace guards had to be armed.
A lot of changes had been going on in canterlot over the last half year since lord Silver arrived, but only for the better. And though he was hated at first, he was now deeply appreciated and respected by all of the guards, and the people of canterlot felt safe behind it's walls.
"That was terrifying.", Iron boot said and relaxed a bit.
"Yeah.", storm agreed. "As usual."
"I think he overreacted a bit. I mean we didn't look like two old mares at a tea party, right?"
"Nah. But you know how big of a patriot he is, as long as we are in service of the crown he wont let us alone if we make the palace or it's guard look bad in the tiniest bit."
"Yeah you're right.",
"But I wish he would get off our backs. It's not like the city will fall just because we talk a little during guard duty.", Iron complained.
As the words left his lips the last of the sun disappeared over the horizon and the night took its place, and a cold wind swept through the city as a warning to be aware of what was apout to happen.
Farmer Jodd was not a superstitious stallion, but the talks about the merry mirage had made his fantasy running wild, and as the late summers sun was going down and the shadows became longer he couldn't help but to not feel at ease
"Silly Jodd." he scolded himself. "It's all in your head. An besides, there is just one ball of hay left to take in to the barn, and then you're done."
Talking like that, in third person always cheered Jodd up, and this time it was no difference.
"And when you're done you can treat yourself to some good ol snuff, but don't tell the missis.", he said and laughed.
Jodd, and his wife had been at each other about Jodds old smaltown farm habits for years now. Ever since they had moved to their new farm in Outtown she had made Jodd give upp his misguided ways and to learn propper maner, give up his country accent in place for the canterlotts prude and fancy tongue, and much more. And since they did live in the for-town of Canterlot he was prepared for that. But worst of all she has decided that he had to quit his beloved snuff.
After many ifs and buts he had promised his wife to quit, but after about a month he had made a secret stash in one a hidden panel in his barn full of his favorite snuff. Seven years later, and she still havn't found out.
"And what she won't know about can't hurt her.", he sang as he carried the hay ball.
Still there were some good things that had happened. His sons, Iron and Copper had both joined the guard and were both lieutenants. He was proud of them, but he had rather stayed in Harn where they'd came from. But what can you do?
After Jodd had put down the ball he had cracked open a new carton of snuff and was now watching what was left of the sun setting over the not so distant Canterlot. If something had been worth the move to Outtown exept the bits, it had to be the view.
"That's quite a sight.", Jodd heard a soft voice coming from beside him say.
Jodd felt his heart skipping a beat as he heard the words, and it did so once more as he turned to his left and saw nothing else than the merry mirage sitting on a hay ball, gazing at canterlot through his huge goggles as he hummed happily to him self.
Jodd waited with anticipati for the spook to do something. But the creature just sat there, and the only thing that happened was him switching from humming to whistling on his happy tune.
And after quite some time of just the sound of the mirage whistling Jodd felt he had to say something. And so he did.
"Um, Mr Mirage, I...", he began but got interrupted.
"Collector.", he corrected Jodd.
"What?"
"I know that you ponyfolk like to call me the Merry Mirage, but i usually go by the name of the Collector." he said and turned his gaze to Jodd. "I mostly don't care about what people call me, but I've gotten quite fond of Collector, so if you don't mind could you call me that in stead?"
"Oh, of course.", Jodd said and felt a shiver down his spine as their eyes met..
"Grand.", the Collector said and went back to admiring the scene.
"Collector.", Jodd began. "If you don't mind me asking. Why are you here?"
"Admiring the castle from afar, what else did you think I'm doing here?"
"Well." Jodd said nervously and swallowed. "I've heard that you... Kill everypony you meet."
"That is nonsense. I only kill when someone's in my way. And besides. If I killed everyone, who would tell the stories?"
As he uttered the last words of the sentence he turned his gaze back towards Jodd and spoke the last words poor Jodd would ever hear.
"Too bad that you have to die anyways."
Jodd wasn't even able to scream when the wave of darkness fell over him, and all that was left of him that night was can of his precious snuff.
The big canterlot gate was always closed at dark, and th the big gate at night was the most boring place to have guard duty. Before Sir Silvers arrival they could atleast have had a flagon of cider as company, but the last person to drink on duty was wipped and then transfered to the salt fields, permanently. So that was out of question.
If you were located in the gates guardhouse you would have some company, a chair and an open fire, so on a night like that it weren't so bad. But for the ones on the wall talking were a bit hard, because of how widely spread out they were they had to shout to hear one another, So all they could do was to stare into the darkness and be alone with their thoughts and envy those in the house.
One of those unlucky people where Irons brother, A brownish read pegasie named Copper. He was stationed for eight hours on end at the gate wall, and he knew that nothing ever happened there. It was soon midnight, six hours were left of Coppers guard duty and he had never been more bored in his whole life, than he was now.
But he stood as straight and looked as sharp as he could, because you wouldn't know when Silver observed you until it was too late. You never know when he's having an sleepless night and decided to inspect his stallions.
"Looking good Lieutenant Copper.", lord silver said and was suddenly standing next to the stallion.
*Speaking of discord.*, Copper thought.
"Most ponies would be making themselves comfortable, but you stand as the disciplined guard you are."
The guard standing further away, a newly recruited colt named Clay saw Silver and straightened himself up immediately.
"I saw that Private!", Silver yelled. "I will deal with you in a moment!"
Since Clay was so far away so it was hard to see, but Copper thought he could actually see him blush.
"Every time I'm doing an inspection, you're doing an excellent job and setting a great example as a guard. I think you are ready for a promotion."
Copper was speechless. He never thought that after just one year as a guard he would outrank his brother who had been there for five.
"Thank you sir.", he finally uttered.
"You earned it. Come to my office when your next shift begins and i will grant you your officer badge."
"Thank you captain!", Copper saluted.
"Back to duty officer Copper.", Lord Silver said and turned his head towards Clay. "And you private! Do not let me see you slacking off again if you dont want to go back to peeling potatoes in the barracks!"
Clay saluted as an acknowledgment and blushed even more. Lord Silver nodded and flew of towards the castle, and was soon gone.
Coppper was quite proud of himself. He had been promoted to lieutenant after only half a year of service. And now, half a year later he got promoted to officer. Now he was even able to hope to become a branch captain, and to work only beneath the captain of the guards.
He imagine how jealous his brother would be once he found out that his little brother had outranked him and chuckled
When he first joined, his brother had abused his powers as a superior for fun. Now Copper was the one who would have some fun.
But copper had to think about that later on, because now something were happening. A pony shaped figure were closing in slowly with limping movements.
"Who goes there!", Copper heards clay shout.
No one answered.
"Who goes there!", Clay repeated. "It is dark and the gate is closed, go back and come back tomorrow."
"Help.", they heard the pony wheezing.
Pony approached the reach of the light, and at once Copper could see who it was. His father, Jodd.
"DAD!", Copper yelled as he saw his father collapsing. "Open the gate!"
"On whose authority?!", He heard lieutenant Wide ask.
"Mine!", Copper shouted. "I'm an officer now! Now open the gate!"
Wide looked confused, and turned to Clay for a clarification. Clay nodded, and Wide accepted.
"You heard the officer boys!", he shouted to the others in the house. "Open the gate!"
The stallions and colts hurried to the gate as Copper flew to his fathers side. He was badly injured, with a broken leg, what looked like a few broken ribs and a crushed and bloodied face. He was still alive, but onconcius.
"Bring a stretcher!", ho ordered.
It actually just took a few seconds for them to come to his father's aid, but it felt like hours. And once they arrived and put Jodd in the stretcher Copper were about to put it on his shoulders but was stopped by Wide.
"No.", he said, "Clay and I will take him."
"He is my father!", Copper protested.
"Yes, but as you said. You are an officer now. You must stay here. We don't know what happened here, so we need a commander to supervise it all."
Copper knew that Wide was right. According to the regulations the one with highest rank has to stay put in a situation like this until it was deemed secure.
"Fine.", he said with a face of stone. "Bring him to the hospital asap. And come back as soon as the doctor has treated him."
"Sir yes sir.", the colt and stallion answered and hurried who they thought was Jodd to the emergency room.
The collector were annoyed. He usually saw himself as a person who wasn't easily so, but ever since he arrived to the land of Equestria he had found his powers shrunken to a shadow of his past self. He, with the powers of an entity had ben degraded to an arch mage. If this were not the case he could just had stormed the castle by himself if he wanted to, but now he had to rely on stealth to get in. This angered him, but he had to force himself calm.
He had found use of some of the ponies of the land, as of the unicorns that could provide him with some magic power to aid him in his quest. It was little compared to his original power, but it was a start.
The farmers body has provided him access to canterlot, since he would not turn invisible, into mist or shadows near the town he had tried the necromancy art of boody creeping, and to play on the guards heartstrings. It had worked brilliantly.
The peasants never gained acces to the castle, so he choosed to abandon the farmer and take the body of the one the young one called Wide instead. And now he had entered the castle ground without any suspicion.
Since the body he was in control of was dead he could not go through his memories, so he had to use a tracking spell to find his goal, guess his way to it and hope that no one would ask any questions which only Wide could answer.
He was advancing towards the inner castle door when he was stopped by the two stallions standing guard.
"Halt. What business do you have in the castle at this hour.?"
"I'm here to report an important matter to the Captain.", he answered with Wides deap voice, full of staged stress.
The guards looked at him funny and one of them replied.
"His quarters are on the western side of the grounds, you should know that. And you should also know that taking the way trough the main door is one hay of a detour."
"Of course it is, but I was told by my superior that he was not to be found there."
"Well, he's there now. So if your business are with lord Silver I suggest you relocate yourself there now."
The collector looked around and found no one in sight, then he decided that the guards were in his way.
"Unfortunately for you I don't have time for this.", he said with his own soft voice.
A red light flashed and the two guards flew up in the air like to rag dolls to later hit the hard ground, dead.
He stepped over the lifeless guards and hurried through long hallways and corridors of castle Canterlot. Once or twice he halted to determine which way the object of power were located.
After what seemed like forever, the collector now face the door to the Canterlot tower where he felt its presence .As he observed it he heard distant yells echoing through the corridors, he figured that the bodies were found.
"I'd better hurry up then.", he muttered, then started to whistle as he pushed the door open.
He walked at a leisurely pace without stopping his whistling and he knew that it was as good as his now, or atleast he thought so.
"What does thou think thou art doing?!", a booming female voice filled the room.
The door behind him slammed shut, and no one else but princess Luna stepped out of the shadows at the end of the room looking straight at him, he stopped his whistling and looked back.
"Who art thou?!", she boomed even higher.
"I am Wide, your loyal subject princess." the creature lied.
"No! your true self!", the princess of the night demanded.
They both stared at each other for a long time as the princess voice echoed away in the night.
Once the room seemed to be quiet it started to get filled by the sound of bones snapping and liquids spilling.The body of Wide were twisting and jerking into all directions, his face were turned at the roof and out of his mouth which were deformed into a big gap, a black liquid were spilling out.
First, a hand came out of the gape, than the other, and slowly but steady a man, with a wide threadbare hat, big goggles, cloak, and bare feet, appeared out of the pony carcass.
"Hello.", a soft voice said. "I'm the collector."
End of Chapter two.
Author's Note
Hello everypony.
Now that chapter two is finished I know two things.
That this project will be finished easily and with no writers block, unlike some of my other projects I'm working on. And that I'm having so much fun with this one. I dont think I've had this much fun writing before. As I've said before, forgive me if my writing is incorrect. I'm Swedish, so naturally my native language is Swedish. Also I don't have the help of an editor, so I can't really know if it's good or not. Anyway, thanks for reading. If you enjoyed it, like, favorite, and subscribe for more. For those who are waiting for more Grand shield, and/or A True Man Of Justice. I'm afraid you have to wait a little longer. As soon as I'm happy with the new chapters they will come out, I promice.
Thanks again.
Equestriapatriot, Salute.
