Pucci's bizarre adventure: Made in Equestria

Moondancer (1st person)

My mind was swimming sluggishly, like trying to traverse an ocean of molasses without my legs, slowly sinking into the darkness further and further. I knew I was in a Hospital, that there were ponies taking care of me, and that I was safe now. Unfortunately, my mind had been going in and out of consciousness due to recent events. Luckily, moments like that became less common as my stay continued.

But my body still shivered with fear because of what had been embedded within me that night. Those nobles were jerks, but they didn't deserve to…die! All that blood, their screams of pain filling my ears, and seeing the lifeless bodies fall to the floor would forever be etched into my psyche. I had lost sleep during my, what I presume, three nights here. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was them tormenting me for an unknown reason. I know I couldn't have done anything! But still.

Sweet Celestia, I wish Mister Pucci was here right now.

I first lost consciousness shortly after the arrow was broken and pulled out of my foreleg; the pain was too much for me to bare. Don't get me wrong: I couldn't blame him for doing what he needed to do. It's just...he's starting to worry me. I assumed he would be here by now to see me awake and check on me, but I haven’t seen him since that night.

That probably sounds REALLY inconsiderate. But I can't help that my mind is playing all these awful scenarios of Pucci being hurt...or worse. I’m worried for him.

The day Twilight showed me the magic of friendship; how I needed to be more open with others, it was honestly scary. It felt great at first, the feeling of having all these new opportunities to live my life and meet new ponies to bond with. But that was also the problem. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't be like: 'Hey! I'm a total stranger you know nothing about. How about we become life-long pals?' to just anypony. I was dreading that if I did or said anything wrong to somepony, then I would lose a potential friend. Mixing that with my lackluster social skills, I was still stuck at square one, acting more like Fluttershy than an extra gloomy pony this time.

To make things worse, my bits were running low as well, and the stress of finding a job didn't wasn’t doing me any favors. During the Canterlot attacks, my home was caught in the crossfire of the battle and sustained some damage. It wasn’t anything severe besides small holes and missing roof tiles, but I had barely enough bits to cover the damage. When the lack of money began to affect me, I couldn't stay locked up inside my home forever in fear.

Plus, I was running out of my favorite muffins.

So I took to the streets, searching high and low to find any available jobs I could get my hooves on. I looked in magazines, newspapers, community boards, and the like, but not one seemed good-paying enough or something I saw myself being content working in. My search took me all over Canterlot, but in the end, it was useless. The sun had gone down by that time, and ponies were closing shops and stores, so it killed any chance I had left. Defeated and depressed, I walked back home with my head slumped and filled with rainy clouds; nothing was going right.

That was until I spotted a single sheet of paper taped to a light pole, the kind you see for shady businesses or ponies trying to make a quick bit. Having nothing better to do, I decided to see what it was about. Once I got a good look at it, the paper's owner was searching for help in the form of an assistant with their studies.

At first, I thought it was some rich student who was too lazy to do the work for themselves, but that was before I saw a name in the top left corner. "Advertisement made by Pucci Stary Ray at 163 Colver field Street.". I was confused by the name at first. Sure, I had a general idea of who Pucci was, but nothing in-depth about him beyond being a famous astronomer. Which was saying something, considering my talent for astronomy. Regardless, even if it was a scam, it wasn't like I had anything to lose except my time. Taking the gamble, I snatched one of the few paper tabs from the large sheet with the same hoof-written address. From there, it was history.

Usually, I say princess Twilight was the one who had a massive impact on my change in behavior, but I owe a bit to Pucci as well. Ever since my first day, he has treated me with kindness and respect that I never imagined a Canterlot pony could give. He consistently tries to put on a front of a calculated and all-serious pony when, in fact, he's too shy to make personal connections. He was more of a lovable teddy bear who didn’t know when to take a rest.

From what I assumed, he didn't appear like the type of stallion to speak to others if it wasn't science or space related. But when he took me in, he too began to open up to me about other things than work and vice versa. I actually started talking to strangers without having a panic attack!

In a way, we were just two ponies who needed a good friend.

A knock from my room's door snapped me out of my thoughts and gently swung open as a unicorn nurse entered. "Oh! You're awake, Mrs. dancer." She said with a little surprised look, "Are you feeling any better?" The nurse asked as she closed the door behind her.

I nodded, my eyes drifting to the plastic bag held in her magic, "Besides feeling a bit drowsy, yeah, I guess." I reply, watching as the nurse place the plastic bag on the foot of my bed.

"That's good," The nurse hummed, "I brought your belongings, you're to be discharged today after a small evaluation, but the doctors think you'll be okay to go home today."

"Thanks." I said with a polite smile.

Before I got the chance to get out of bed to put on my sweater, a look of realization crossed the nurse's face. "Wait, I almost forgot!" She then pulled out a small cardboard package from the bag, a note attached to it. "This was left on the front desk this morning. We don't know who it is from, but the attached letter was addressed to you." The nurse explained.

Weird. I didn't know anypony was sending me gifts this early. Was it Pucci, and he forgot to put his name on it? No, he wouldn't have missed something like that when sending something. Well, there's only one way to find out.

"That's strange. Mind if I see it?" I asked the nurse. She shook her head and levitated the package to me.

It took a little work, but I cut the tape holding the package closed with my... untrimmed hoof. Note to self: go to the salon more often. Embarrassing hygiene aside, I carefully dragged out an item wrapped in bubble wrap. With the nurse's assistance, we unraveled the trapped object from its protective prison, only to raise our brows at what it was.

The objects were strange; one was a picture of an arrow with a white background. It had a long, wooden spine ending in three feathers, the head had a broad but curved shape colored in gold with silver trim, and an upside-down hole in the middle that looked like an apple. The second item was a metal chuck with jagged edges as if it was broken off of something, that something being apparent when I saw that it looked like it belonged to the arrow in the picture.

I stared at the arrow shard for a good while before switching my attention back to the box itself. Turning it upside down and shaking it, I tried to see if there was anything else in the box: nothing. I then remembered the note the nurse had mentioned; taking it off the box's side, I unfolded the small paper and read it.

"Greetings, Moondancer. To answer your predictable question, no, I am not Pucci or anypony you care to remember. You will not know who I am or what I look like, at least not right now. I have sent this artifact piece to you in the hopes that you could help me prevent a crisis from happening. No details will be provided for you. All I ask is that you deliver this to Princess Celestia once you have found all the pieces; she'll hopefully take it from there."

"Signed F.V."

A flurry of emotions exploded in me once I had finished the letter. Crisis, what crisis? I thought Equestria was finally at peace! Was this some weird prank by Pucci or something, or some crazy pony that sent this package out, and I happened to get it? I couldn't have been either. The hoof writing was much fancier than Pucci's, an eye-pleasing form of calligraphy. And the package was specifically meant for me; my name in the letter is a dead giveaway, so it couldn't be a random chance. Who could’ve sent it? Fancy Velvet, Frantic Volts, Funny Volition? Who could it have-

"OW!" I cry out in pain, feeling a burning sensation on my hoof. Looking down, I saw a trail of crimson blood running down my hoof and staining the white bed sheets, a small amount on the arrow shard itself.

I heard a gasp, quickly learning it came from the nurse who looked at my hoof with shock and worry. "Oh, dear, are you okay?" She asked. When I nodded, she turned and ran to the door. "I'll grab some bandages; I will be right back!" She said, making her way out of the room.

Now alone, I threw the arrow shard next to the plastic bag with my things inside, making a dull thud against the firm bed sheets; I reached over to my side table and snatched a wad of tissues to cover my hoof. "Damn thing." I cursed at the blood-covered shard, "How am I supposed to find the rest of you if I can't handle you properly? Why am I even talking to the damn thing or considering going along with this?!" I quietly shouted to myself to not disturb anypony outside. Seconds of silence went by before I deadpanned. "Maybe because I'm bored. And, oh, right, crisis." I flatly say to myself. It’s not like I could turn this down.

I sighed, using my magic to re-wrap the arrow shard and place it back into the box. Better safe than sorry. As I lay in wait for the nurse to return, I had this bizarre feeling that somepony or something was watching me.

Probably nothing.

Pucci (3rd person)

Pucci’s legs burned as he ran through the empty streets of Canterlot, lungs at their absolute limit to supply oxygen to the rushing astronomer. He had been away for too long and was running late to find Moondancer.

The time he spent at the castle wasn't as long as he expected, mostly just chatting with Twilight and the doctors, who made sure his wounds were fully mended. What really took the time away from Pucci's day was his coat. Pucci's coat was specially crafted from silk made only in Saddle Arabia, which meant it was somewhat of a rare material to come across outside of the desert country, even in a city like Canterlot. Luckily, there was a materials store in Canterlot that happened to have the prized material. The only problems were that they were located at the city's edge and didn't allow custom requests for clothing. So most of Pucci's day consisted of running all over Canterlot while clothless, getting the silk, hunting down a tailor, and getting his new coat made.

In the end, Pucci's coat was made and looked like his old one, albeit a bit tighter around the forelegs. None of it mattered, anyhow, as Pucci wasted enough time dawdling. He needed to make one last stop by the observatory and pick something up, a gift for Moondancer. Pucci was planning to give the gift to her after the show, but he knew how that turned out.

But now was not the time for reminiscing as the observatory was in sight, causing a determined look to appear on Pucci's face. When the astronomer was about 50 feet from his destination, a familiar power welled up inside him. Not getting a chance to question the sensation, Pucci was suddenly running at a tremendous speed that made everything around him seem like a blur. And in less than a second, Pucci appeared directly in front of his observatory entrance, breathing heavily from a mix of adrenaline and exhaustion.

Pucci blinked in surprise, his muzzle inches from the wooden barrier. "Every second that passes, things seem to be getting stranger." Pucci growled in frustration. Putting the bizarre event aside, he went to pull the key he kept under the doormat to unlock the door. Distracted, he forgot where he stood, accidentally bumping his head on the door, making himself stumble back with a hiss. "Curses. It seems like this day just-" Pucci's voice caught itself in his throat, his eyes widening in shock as his front door slowly creaked open.

A cold chill of fear ran up Pucci's spine, not noticing that Made in Heaven had manifested behind him. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Pucci's hoof reached out and pushed the door in. The darkness of the observatory usually didn't bother Pucci, but the darkness ahead felt cold and sinister, like there was an unknown beast waiting just beyond the door. His legs were weak, and a bead of sweat rolled down his head. If there was an intruder in his workplace, he needed to do something! The closet guards were 2 street blocks back, and Pucci was certainly not up for running anymore.

So steeling his nerves, Pucci stood straight up and allowed himself to be swallowed by the darkness with Made in Heaven close behind. Closing the door behind him, he perked his ears up to listen for any sounds, a shuddering breath escaping his throat as he swiveled his head from side to side.

It was quiet, too quiet. There was barely any sound besides the crumbling of parchment under his hooves as he walked further into the dark; not even the winter breeze made a sound.

“Ah, so you finally made it!”

Pucci’s eyes bulged as he spun around in the direction of the voice, Made in Heaven went into a fighting stance to protect his master. There was silence once more; Pucci’s heartbeat and heavy breathing filled his ears. Then there was a laugh, an amused laugh, sounding as if the voice’s owner was taking enjoyment out of Pucci’s fear. Instead of taking offense, the sudden laughter made Pucci flinch, but he quickly recovered and put on his best angry expression.

"Show yourself, criminal. Or I'll alert the guard about you breaking into my property." He lied in a threatening tone, doing his best to adjust his eyes to the darkness.

"I doubt that," The voice said, now close behind Pucci, "Princess Luna, whilst in space, says that no sounds could be made and heard in the dark void. The lack of air prevents soundwaves from moving about, causing such a phenomenon." Warm breath grazed Pucci's left ear, sending a shiver down his spine as an icey-cold touch softly clutched his throat, "And you, Sir, Star ray, can not be heard at the moment by anypony except me." It said in a low, sly tone.

Pucci remained motionless, the astronomer's body shivering in fear. The voice sounded young and masculine, but the grip on his throat said otherwise. It felt as if, with little effort, the stallion behind him could easily crush his windpipe and not break a sweat. If he were to anger the voice's owner, then nopony would hear his screams.

"2...3...5...7...11..."

"What...do you want?" Pucci finally said after minutes of deafening silence.

"...29...31...37...41...43..."

Catching him off guard, the chandelier above and candles placed on wall-mounted candle holders sparked to life, nearly blinding Pucci with the sudden change in brightness.

Blinking away the dark spots in his vision, Pucci spun around to see if the stallion was there, only to meet with nothing. Another amused chuckle from the voice made Pucci snap in its direction to meet the culprit face-to-face, now directly under the chandelier's warm glow.

The stallion had a slim but muscular frame, A long, wild blond mane that reached his shoulders, and a pair of amber eyes. His outfit consisted of a black one-piece suit overlayed by a yellow jack with golden bracers at the sleeves, yellow pant legs held by a green belt with a heart in the middle, and two hearts on his knees. The remaining portions of his quirky outfit were a pair of pointed shoes on his hind hooves, a belt-like choker around his neck, and a headband that matched his waist belt. Despite the get-up, the menacing air surrounding the stallion sent off all alarms in Pucci's mind, causing him to keep Made in Heaven close.

"There's no need to be hostile. So you can put away your stand for now." The stallion calmly said, motioning a hoof at Made in Heaven.

Pucci's eyes widened for what felt like the dozenth time today, "Wait, you can see it?" Reluctantly, he called the "stand" back into his body, shuffling backward towards the door only if he needed to run. "So, are you Like Valiant?" Pucci asked.

That was another thing that Pucci had gotten distracted by today. Like a few moments ago, Made in heaven was appearing and disappearing throughout the day without Pucci’s command. Pucci theorized it to be a lack of control and understanding on his part, but what got his curiosity was the ponies around him. Whenever Made in Heaven appeared near ponies on the street, they didn't acknowledge the apparition floating around them like it didn't exist. So why was Princess Twilight able to see it? He guessed that the princess had one too. It made some sense. But then, how come she acted like she hadn't seen something like Made in heaven before? None of this made sense to Pucci.

A scoff drew Pucci from his thoughts, seeing the stallion look away with a sneer, "I'd rather burn in Tartarus before ever being compared to that filth." He muttered quietly, "I should have known not to trust a nut case like him. His mind was too far gone by that point, and he paid for it after going against my orders."

"So you're the one who really caused that massacre?!" Pucci shouted angrily with a scowl, the multi-colored aura appearing around him.

"No," The stallion said in mild offense, "During my travels, I had stumbled across the aftermath of a landslide. I thought nothing of it until I heard distant noises of distress. Investigating, I found Valiant crying and mumbling incoherently about how he needed to do something. That something being the murder of his entire squad."

Pucci gasped in shock at the reveal, "But why?" He asked unintentionally.

The stallion sighed, dawning a sad frown, "When you're so different from other ponies like Valiant, the constant string of pity tends to get old fast. He explained in tears that he joined the guard to gain control over his life and to stop being pitied so often. But tragically, it was all for naught. His illnesses kept him from rising through the ranks as the type of attention he hated so only seemed to worsen." he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye before the stallion continued, "The Canterlot attacks and reassignment was the straw that broke the camel's back. His mind couldn't take the strain, causing him to turn his murderous fury onto his fellow guard."

When the stallion finished his monologue, Pucci looked on in stunned silence. Combined with princess Twilight's story/ accounting and the stallion's story, it made sense. It would make logical that he would have caused the landslide as a way to murder his guard. But something didn't seem right. Pucci was no geologist, but it's known that the sedimentary rock created by, long since erupted, magma was tougher than common stone. It would take an impossible amount of magical or physical power to cause something like a landslide in the dragon's lands. If the rock in the dragon lands were like Equestrian sedimentary, then there wouldn't have been any dragon lands to speak of with all the savage conflict in their long history. There wouldn't have been a way for an earth pony guard to cause something like that.

Deciding to poke further into the matter, Pucci coughed into his hoof, gaining the stallion's attention, "May I ask you a simple question?" he asked.

The stallion raised a questioning brow, "Go on." He said, entirely losing the sorrowful tone he had moments ago.

Pucci ignored that fact and continued, "What are these 'stands' you mentioned? And how did Valiant acquire his?"

A look of annoyance appeared on the stallion's expression for a split second before returning to neutrality, "In short, stands are a part of a pony's soul, a manifestation of one's self, if you will. As for Valiants, I had felt a sense of responsibility and sorrow for the broken stallion. I helped him escape the hospital and helped him realize his power afterward."

"So you can bring out a stand?" Pucci asked.

A soft growl escaped the stallion's throat but went unheard by Pucci, "No, some ponies already have manifested their power, usually since foalhood. I just helped him...open his eyes." He quickly explained. "But enough question, I must ask for your assistance for a matter that has been plaguing me for ages now."

Pucci looked at the stallion suspiciously, "Which is?"

"Let's say that I...need somepony to pay back what they owe. I won't go into full detail now, but all you need to know is that somepony had wronged me years back and still hasn't been punished accordingly." The stallion explained, looking at the floor for a moment in disgust at the scattered parchments.

"If so, why haven't you done it yourself?" Pucci pressed the stallion.

This time, the stallion growled audibly in annoyance, startling Pucci, "Did you not hear me before, or are your ears stuffed with cotton?!" He berated. The stallion noticed his outburst, taking a calming breath before speaking, "Sorry, it's a sore subject of mine. I had tried to sort the matter out in the past, but it has become a bigger problem I can not handle alone." He explained, putting on a face of embarrassment.

"Where do I come into all this?" Pucci questioned, excusing the stallion’s outburst.

The stallion placed a hoof over his mouth in apparent thought, "For now, all I ask of you is to find something for me, a book." he answered.

Pucci looked perplexed for a moment- then holding a hoof out to the bookcases circling the two. "If that is all, then by all means, pick the one your looking for out of my collection."

"Not found in here," The stallion scoffed, " A book that has been lost to time itself. A book of important information that could aid my revenge." He grinned sinisterly. Instead of letting Pucci talk, the stallion added: "The book I'm looking for is somewhere in the castle of the two sisters, supposedly buried under the decaying structure. I've searched the palace already with no luck. You will be a fresh pair of eyes in the matter, and your ability may be of use."

Furrowing his brow, Pucci stepped forward, "What do you-" A knock from the front door suddenly interrupted the conversation, making the two stallions divert their attention.

The stallion clicked his tongue and rose from the floor. "Shame, it seems our little chat has to be cut short." The stallion turned and casually walked to the large observatory window and opened it, stopping to look back at Pucci, "Till we meet again, hold on to my offer."

Pucci's ears perked up to the stallion's voice, whipping his head around to catch him stepping on the window seal. "Wait!" He shouted, stopping the stallion's retreat. "Who are you?"

The stallion smirked and chuckled, "In due time, my dear Pucci. In due time.": Was all he said before disappearing from the window in a flash.

Another knock from the door snapped Pucci from his stunned state. Running to the door and swinging it open, Moondancer was on the other side mid-knock.

She put her hoof down and narrowed her eyes at Pucci. "And where were YOU?" She questioned with an annoyed tone.

Nervous sweat rolled down Pucci's forehead as he swallowed a lump in his throat, "Moondancer, you're...okay." He said. "I was coming back here to grab something before going to the hospital Twilight had mentioned before I...got distracted."

"Hold on, you met Twilight?" Moondancer, bewildered, asked: "And what kind of distracted? It sounded like you were finishing talking to somepony when I came to the door."

Pucci sighed tirelessly, "It's...a long story." Moving out of the way to make room for his assistant to walk through, Pucci motioned his head for Moondancer to come inside, "Sit down, and I'll explain myself."

Moondancer, still having her narrowed look, nodded slowly before limping forward. Pucci had instantly noticed, grimacing at the sight of Moondancers wrapped foreleg. Without warning, Moondancer yelped in surprise when she was unexpectedly lifted onto Pucci's back by an unknown force. Obviously, Made in Heaven had done the deed, but Moondancers frantic questioning meant she hadn't acknowledged the stand too.

Carefully, Pucci approached the nearest table, placing the highly confused Moondancer down on a chair and sitting across from her.

This was going to be a long night.