01 - The Horrible Three

"Finally..." He said, removing the parchment from it's protected glass container. "The spell Star Swirl the Bearded couldn't complete in his final hours... Yet here it is, in my hooves!" He shouted manically.

"Don't you mean our hooves?" Firebird quipped, peeking over his fathers broad shoulders. The stallion looked up in a dead-pan.

"Yes, Son, our hooves." Mr. Blazer said in a dull voice. He quickly levitated the scroll away and into his saddlebags, fully out of sight. While floating it, he could practically feel the unadulterated magic pooling off of the ink written onto the pages. This kind of magic was not to be taken lightly. It was going to be his final hours as a mortal pony.

"Honey?" His wife shouted. Mr. Blazer turned around to meet her. "This one's feisty." She prodded a unicorn guard, currently tied against a pillar in the Canterlot Royal Archives. "What shall we do with him?"

"Dearest Fiero Flame, I've been married to you for twenty years. Don't I trust you enough?"

"Of course, honey." She smiled, licking her lips deviously. Fiero looked at the unicorn, raising her hoof high above her head, the stallion shrinking under her gaze. As the father-son walked out of the archives, they heard a snap, followed by girlish screaming.

Fiero caught up to the rest of the group a moment later as they walked through the empty halls of the castle. The walls were practically glowing with energy, the capital of Equus being a breathing magical golem itself. Soon, it would be theirs.

The three ponies were obviously family, for they all looked almost identical. Mr. Blazer and Fiero both had long-aged gray coats, Mr. Blazer being slightly darker than his wife's. Their manes were gray and aging fast, bags under their eyes, and lines in their faces. Mr. Blazer's eyes were an eccentric yellow, and Fiero's eyes were a scarily bright red.

Firebird was an average-sized colt. His mane was a curly blonde, his coat wasn't aged gray, but rather a natural gray. His eyes were orange, a mix between his fathers and mothers.

What bound all three family members together, however, was the fact they were all unicorns.

This was a fact they would take to their graves, holler from the tallest mountain, and hear for miles. They were Unicorns and proud.

For their entire lives, they had been oppressed. Political freedom was non-existent with the current holders of the throne. The one way Equestria could prosper in it's current state was if they were dethroned. They had tried reasoning, but the Princesses response was always a resounding 'No.' Didn't they, themselves being Alicorn, know that Unicorns were the superior race of the three tribes? Didn't they know that the Mud Ponies and Feather Brains could only cause trouble?

Well, this was it. The day they would finally prove to the word the might of the Unicorn tribe, with or without the Princesses on their side.

"Well, we got the spell, so-" Firebird started. His father shot him a nasty glance over his shoulder. Firebird stopped talking, restarting his sentance. "I- I mean, how unfortunate we have to take these matters into our own hooves!" He stomped his hooves in apparent frustration.

"Do not worry, son. With the power of this spell, the other Tribes will be eliminated forever!" Mr. Blazer said, his gaze hardening on the castle walls as they slowly became more and more unkempt and stone-like as they descended deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of Canterlot Mountain. "All of these years of torture, for what? Do delay us? This would've happened eventually. When we have the power of gods on our sides, nothing can stop us. Not even the Element Bearers. Not even Princess Celestia herself."

"Oh, I love it when you talk like that." Fiero said, leaning against her husband. "Please, keep talking."

"Of course... With the power of this spell, we will be unbeatable! A spell, devised to exponentially grow the power of a unicorn... I can wipe them all out!"

Unbenounced to the group, a long, snake-like figure apparated into the grooves of the stone wall, floating in a 2d-animation. More stone pillowed around his claw-like fingers to signify a bucket of popcorn, himself eating out of the bucket.

"I shall murder the other two tribes, and behead the tyrants of the throne!"

The figure rolled his eyes. He clapped, and the bucket dissapeared, as did he. He had some tyrants to warn.

"And I would walk five-hundred miles!"

"And I would walk five-hundred more!"

"I do not know the words of this song."

"To fall down at your door!"

The group jammed heavily and happily as the car rocketed down the streets of the city. Andrew, the one at the wheel, looked happier than anything else that currently resided in this world. A smile, one hand on the wheel, his elbow out the window... The only person who didn't exactly appreciate his driving skills would've been Leo, the same one who failed when it came his turn to sing.

As a matter of fact, beads of sweat had started to pour down his sides as Leo mentally and physically braced himself at every turn of the vehicle.

"Leo, you don't know five-hundred miles?" Abigail, the person sitting in the back seat with Leo yelled over the sound of the music blasting and engine revving. Her blonde hair whipped wildly as the air from the front window blasted back into the small cabin of the car.

"I am not familiar with American songs."

"Yeah, but you've been here for like, a million years." Charles quipped, the man riding shotgun. He also had blonde hair, feet crossed on the dash, and was wearing 70s styled pants only describable as an eyesore by Leo. "Besides, I don't think being Italian is an excuse not to know this song." He turned around in his seat, facing the startled man and propping up his oversized, circular sunglasses on his hair. "Get boppin', son! C'mon!"

"Uhh-"

"But I would walk five-hundred miles"

"And I would walk five-hundred more!"

"J-Just the man who- who walked-"

"To fall down at your door!"

"See? Better already!" Abigail punched Leo on the shoulder.

"Awhh-"

"That did not hurt, you baby!" Abigail teased, an expression of amusement crossing her features.

"Not that- my shirt!" He peeled the fabric away from his skin, looking at the irreversible damage she caused. "Testa Di Minchia! You got dirt all over it!"

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Hey!" Andrew yelled from the front seat. He snapped his finger, looking in the rear-view mirror at the bickering two. "Don't insult a man's fashion! He's brave enough for even caring about that stuff."

"B-Brave?" Leo yelled "Just because I have an eye for fashion doesn't mean I'm gay, or whatever-"

"But I would walk five-hundred miles"

"And I would walk five-hundred more!"

"Just to be the man who walk a-thousand miles"

"To fall down at your door!"

"Da-da-dada!"

"Da-da-dada!"

"Da-da-dada!"

"Da-da-dada!"

"Da-dun-de-dun-de-dun-de-"

"Holy fuck Andrew, look out for that-!"

And then there was blackness.

"A-Are the runes completed, father?" Firebird asked, peering decisively between the scribbling stallion and the entrance to the cavern the three currently resided. They had since delved deeper into the depths of Canterlot mountain, not even the brightest day reaching it's tendrils of light down into the hole they found themselves in.

Torches lit the walls they resided in, but no light could reach the ceiling, itself being too tall. The cavern was massive, and the two guarding mother-and-son ponies paced nervously.

"Patience, Son." Mr. Blazer said, his eyes locked between the runes written on the parchment and the dust on the floor. "It'll all be in due time. It is nothing more than fate." He scratched the powdered magic deeper into the stone floor, the white substance making meticulous and intricate patterns on the ground. To any normal pony, the runes might be considered beautiful. But to any expert magic user, the runes were ancient, barbaric, and downright scary. The three unicorns could feel the building magic in the air as Mr. Blazer scratched the final few runes into the ground.

This spell was powerful. More so than Equestria had seen for a long, long time. No mortal pony had cast a spell this large in ages. Well- that was a lie. For the past four years, a particularly rowdy Unicorn down in Ponyville had been having her go at Equus-endangering spells. But no normal mortal pony has casted a spell this large in a long, long time.

Perhaps the last one to do so was Starswirl the Bearded himself. But that was eons ago. Now, it was time for Mr. Blazer to make his own headway. Now it was time for him to be remembered in the history books. Now, it was his time to shine.

They were the only ones who had enough guts to take over Equestria. The other Unicorns would understand. If they didn't- well, that was a bridge to be crossed later. They were going to prove that Unicorns were the greatest tribe.

All it took was a little push for them to understand.

"Ready." Mr. Blazer said. He threw the scroll and his saddlebags against a stone wall, stepping into the middle circle. "Join me at my sides, for Equestrian history shall be rewritten." Fiero gave one last wary look down the damp corridor before joining Mr. Blazer in the runes.

"What do you require?" Firebird asked, delicately stepping over the white powder and joining his father.

"Merely pool magic into the runes. I shall weave these patterns to create an Equus-wide spell. From there, every Pegasus, Earth-pony and Thesteral shall be wiped from existence in the blink of an eye!" His hooves quivered with anticipation as he lit his horn, igniting a deep-orange hue.

"Here- We- Go-!"

"By the order of Princess Celestia, I order you to stop!" A sudden, fourth voice filled the cavern, echoing off the walls. The white powder slowly started illuminating a hellish-red glow as the magic being poured in began to activate. Mr. Blazer looked up, meeting the eyes of the Royal Guard who dared to stand in his way.

It was a Thesteral, signified by his gray coat and blue armor. His eyes were piercing as he splayed his hooves, his wings erect in a battle-stance. All in all, it was very admirable. Standing up for your own Tribe. But this was more than that. Mr. Blazer couldn't help but laugh at the pitiful display.

"You cannot stop us alone." He laughed. The white powder stepped into the next stage, the entire ring suddenly igniting at once. Firebird flinched unexpectedly, the sparkling and popping powder startling him. Mr. Blazer, however, was too concentrated on the Thesteral and his spell-weaving to pay any mind.

"I know." He said. "But she can."

He stepped out of the way, and what he saw froze his blood.

Princess Celestia herself marched in, her golden regula and mystically flowing mane beautiful in every definition. She held her head high, an aura of superiority and faint posh ruminating.

"Trail Chev. Blazer. One of my former students." She said, her voice gentle, her eyes gentler. "I see you've discovered one of Starswirl's late spells."

"You cannot stop me now. The spell has weaved it's own-"

"Oh, I know." She interrupted. "I was there when the spell was written. Protective enchantments to seal the caster. Of course." She smiled. "You know, I always did like runic-spells. Things now-a-days are so mentally-driven, it's hard to picture what you want. I prefer the old, analog way of writing spells. It saves the hassle of having to memorize every little rune." She laughed, staring off into the ceiling like reminiscing on school-days. Not like when she was a filly Equus was nothing more than a floating rock, but still.

"Where is this going?" Mr. Blazer demanded, the sparkling white powder now erupting into chest-height red flames. He tried staring daggers into her eyes, but all she did was continue to look polite. Not what he wanted. He wanted something. Anger, resentment, panic... But all he got was a polite smile. That scared him. Only ponies who had a plan smiled like that.

"Where this is going is- you don't have to do this. Only you can cancel the spell. Please, we have support in the castle-"

"No. I don't want to hear your blabbering. You had the chance when we tried appealing diplomatically. Look where that got us." Firebird peeked over his father's shoulder. Princess Celestia's gaze momentarily darkened, becoming almost saddened by the young foal. Her facade soon caught up, as the polite smile returned.

"I refused because you simply cannot lock up three of the four tribes for simply existing." She said. Infuriatingly, she rolled her eyes, like chastising a foal. "Trust me. Lulu tried once. Ended in her banishment to the moon." She still held her smile, staring up into the ceiling as she reminisced. "You know- back when Equus was a lifeless hunk of rock floating through space, I had her to-"

"Why are you stalling?" He shouted, barring his teeth. "What are you waiting for?"

"I am waiting for the perfect moment."

"To do what?"

"To overfeed the spell with magic and make it purposefully backfire." Her horn lit with all the power in the sun. "Which is about three seconds from now. Anything you want to say?"

"Wh- but this could have Equus-wide damage!"

"It's better than murdering three-fourths the population."

"You don't know what you're-"

And everything went black.

BEEP

Hey ma. Today was great. I ate at that fancy restaurant again. The food was good... Good food. I still can't believe I can afford shit like that. Crazy. Anyway- Florida's great. Always hotter than hell. People here don't seem to mind it, though. I saw somebody bundle up because it was seventy out. Seventy. I just cannot believe that. I was swimming in a public pool, and this couple walked by. They looked at me like I was the craziest guy they'd ever see. Apparently seventy isn't hot enough to go swimming. Anyways. I gotta go pick up my friends. You didn't hear this from me, but I think Abigail got an eye for Leo. I ship it. That's internet slang for 'cute couple' by the way. Uhh- see ya. Bye bye.

BEEP

"Ugh- My head..." He complained. Headaches, to Charles, was an uncommon phenomena that rarely plagued his day-to-day life. The last time he had a headache was when he had the Flu. Before that, he can't remember. But right now, the back lower half of his brain seemed to be screaming at him in an almost-constant agony.

His ears twitched to the sounds of shuffling feet on the ground. Which was odd, as last he checked his ears didn't move...

"Is everypony okay?" A lady asked. In his border-line delusional state of teeming on half-consciousness, he simply glanced over the fact she said 'pony' instead of 'body.' But that was fine. That was okay. What mattered most right now was the fact he was alive...

Because last thing he remembered was eating metal going seventy miles an hour.

His last memory... Work had just gotten out. Andrew picked them up. They were having fun.

The tearing of metal plagued his memories as he remembered the car being torn apart by a force beyond imagination. His skull, mashing against his headrest as a piece of sheared metal blew directly through his head. Although it happened in less than the blink of an eye, he could still remember the sensation of the metal slicing his brain, moving through his head.

...

Then how was he still alive?

"Mr. Blazer, are you alright?" She asked kindly. "Ms. Flame? Firebird?" He didn't know who she was talking to, but he was glad to be in his more skin right now than anything else in this universe.

Against his will, he let out a breath of air. It streamed past his teeth, letting out a slight whine as hot air escaped his lips. It sounded like a dying dog, or a gravely injured person. He didn't feel injured, though. He felt fine, just a horrid headache.

"Oh dear. I believe he's hurt."

"Your Majesty, I do not suggest approaching the prisoner. He could still be dangerous." A second, gruffer voice talked. "Reinforcements are still on the way. We should wait-"

"He is not an enemy, merely a misguided soul." She cut off gently. "Besides, we do not let our 'prisoners' potentially bleed out on the floor." There was more shuffling of feet, clicking of what sounded to be high-heels, and the warmth of a body next to Charles.

"Mr. Blazer, can you hear me?"

It soon dawned on him that whoever this disembodied voice was solely mistook Charles as this 'Blazer' character. Slowly, he sucked in air, and barely moved his head off the ground.

"W-Why do you keep- keep calling me that?" He asked, his voice suddenly overtaken by a hardy cough.

Suddenly, he felt- something- touch his back. It felt like metal, yet wasn't cold. It was almost emitting heat, like standing in direct sunlight.

"It's okay." She said. "Do you remember who you are?" It took a moment, but he finally managed to get his breathing back under control. He kept his eyes firmly shut, however.

"Y-Yeah. Charles Green." He rubbed his eye, not registering the fact he touched his own face with not his own fingers.

"Okay... Charles. Mind if I scan you for a moment?" She asked. Charles nodded. He soon felt a warmth suddenly surge through his body. Just like the metal, it was comparable to standing outside in direct sunlight, except penetrating his body through every angle. Oddly, it was methodical and almost therapeutic. As soon as he came to enjoy the feeling, it dissipated, leaving him feeling cold against the ground.

"Huh... Interesting. Mr. Blazer's magical signature has been severely dampened..." She observed. "Tell me, what is your last memory?"

"Last memory?" He asked. "Getting a huge piece of metal lodged in my skull..." He opened his eyes. "I remember it being painful, and-" His voice faded as he stared at the figure.

...

"H-Horse?"

He looked at his 'fingers'

"H-Hooves?"

To say the next five minutes were filled with an awful lot of screaming would be an understatement.

Author's Note

"When a person dies from Cancer, the Cancer dies too. That's not a loss, that's a draw. Technoblade never looses." - Norm Macdonald

Rest in Power.