Equinox: Demons withinby JtpivotChaptersChapter 1: OriginsChapter 2: Royal BusinessChapter 3: The Introduction of the comic relie- I mean an unsung athleteChapter 1: OriginsEquinox is a dark place that is found past the dimensional gate that is passed the void that blocks Equestria's reach. The void is a place between those two dimensions which sustains absolutely no life whatsoever and will eliminate any who try to cross it. Nothing gory or graphical. They just disappear. Equinox and its inhabitants are identical to Equestria and those who live in there. But Equinox is twisted and filled with demented and psychotic creatures. This place is ruled by a tyrant by the name of Queen Black Hole. She and her loyal followers are responsible for the corruption which runs through Equinox. The Elements of Anarchy are made up of six mares who uphold the Queen’s tyranic rule respectfully and without question. Each represent a role similar to the elements of harmony from equestria But have a demonic twist attached to said role: Dimmed Star (Twilight Sparkle): The Spirit of magic... Black magic that is. She is Loyal to her queen and has studied under her wing since her filly hood. She is an expert sorceress and has the ability to reanimate corpses from the dead. She successfully resurrected one pony, reconstructed one’s wings, and may or may not have created a hybrid of pony and para sprite. Overall. Shes evil. She resides mostly in a small hamlet in the center of town and continues to study. Stone (Rarity): The Spirit of generosity. She’s generous to the point of petrifying and leaving you in her dark garden. You may wander aimlessly through the town to find a majestic garden. You take the time to admire all of the stone statues. By then it’s already too late for you have just wandered into Stone’s lair. She carries the same features as the mythical Greek creature by the name of Medusa.She is seen in town wearing a blindfold to cover her deathly gaze. Dull Sloth (Rainbow Dash): The spirit of Loyalty. Although the Elements of Anarchy are already loyal to their queen, Dull Sloth is mostly loyal to herself. She does not care about what everypony thinks about her and focuses on her own goals. She is a thrill seeker much like her dimensional counterpart and can be very competitive. Almost too competitive to the point of annihilating her opponents. She had a terrible accident when trying to do a high risk move and lost her wings. Dimmed Star had replaced Dulls wings with artificial wings and rockets. Spider lock (Flutter shy): The spirit of kindness. This mare loved animals to the point of obsession. She wanted to become an animal. So Dimmed Star decided to help her, but unfortunately something went wrong. Dimmed Star created a para sprite and it grew inside Spider lock. Enormous insect legs shot out of her body and her eye was replaced by the para sprites. Since the para sprite needed a host to survive, Spider lock agreed to keep the para sprite. They made a symbiosis and have been living in a cottage isolated from the rest of the town. Rotten Bunch (Apple Jack): The spirit of honesty. She died a long time ago. That was until Dimmed Star brought her back to life. However Rotten Bunch was far too clever to be called a zombie. So Dimmed Star left her recreation on her dead farm. She occasionally visits the town to see what’s happening and to visit the other elements. Despite her living again, she still fears that everypony had forgotten her and she would be sent to the void for it. Zalgy Cake(Pinkie Pie): The spirit of laughter. She is a pony of pranks. It didn’t matter if said prank were to hurt anypony. If it made her happy, that’s all that matters. She has a great sense of humor and a lot of ponies laugh at her jokes and pranks. But sometimes she takes the joke too far, thus resulting in somepony being very hurt. Everypony knows to keep Zalgy cake happy for the sake of their lives because if she became sad, she becomes Zalgressa. This is her depressed state and it takes awhile for her to recover from this. She is a relentless killer when in this state of mind. To disturb her in this state... That’s a death wish. The average lifestyle of an Equinoxian citizen. Either become corrupted or die. --The Introduction of Articus Blazier-- -In Pony ville- “You have a great piece of history in your hooves Articus. It describes the alternate dimension known as Equinox.” Twilight Sparkle said to Articus as she continued to organize the bookshelves in the library. Articus briefly skimmed through a few pages and then closed the book. “Well this sounds like a load of hogwash, yeah I ain’t buying it.” Articus said in disappointment. He brushed his luminous blue mane back and hopped off his reading nook. The sky light from the library window Illuminating his teal fur as he trotted to a nearby bookshelf. “There is absolutely no way that there is an opposing dimension which conveniently resembles everypony here” He said confidently and jokingly as he reached the shelf which was labeled "History of Equestria". “Twilight. Why is this book in the history of Equestria section? It sounds way too fictional to be true” He asked as he placed the book in its allocated shelf. “Because it’s true. Equinox actually exists” she said frustratingly as she continued to re shelve books. “It’s said that Queen Black hole is Princess Celestia’s corruption but was cast off across the void. But that’s all we know. Only the princess can truly answer your question” Articus took some time to consider actually asking the princess about Equinox. “Hmmmm.... Maybe I should actually ask about -” He was cut off as a magical bolt had fallen from the skies. Articus and Twilight fell over in shock and all of the books fell off their shelves. There was a large, thunderous noise which echoed across Ponyville. “What in the world was that!?” He exclaimed as he recovered. He dusted off his mane and looked outside to where the bolt had hit. “I have no idea what that was. Maybe it was a meteorite that had just hit ponyville?” Twilight said in confusion. Twilight was at a loss for an explanation. She really had no idea what it was. Wait... The Smartest pony in Ponyville or even Equestria having no idea what that bolt was?! Well... There goes the world. “Or maybe its... Ummm. I don’t know. Something? Lets check it out instead of standing around like morons.” He said as he charged outside and towards the destination where the bolt had hit, which just so happens to be outside Articus’ cottage near the everfree forest (a fair distance from Fluttershy’s cottage). Moments passed and the charge became futile as Articus became fatigued very quickly which forced Twilight to slow down so she would not lose him in her haste. “Ahaha man. I need to exercise more.” He said in embarrassment as he continued to try and catch his breath after a huge 20 seconds of sprinting. “Yes you do Articus” Twilight said cheekily as they continued onward. “This is so exciting!” “Who knows what we will find from whatever it was that fell from the sky!?” Articus nodded slowly. He was panting slightly from the fatigue as they continued towards his home. "Agreed. This is a very unusual sight indeed" Moments passed and things started to become awkwardly silent. Come on man! Think of something to say you moron! “So umm... Twilight. Why are you so smart?” He asked bluntly. Damn it. Smooth move idiot. Things just got more awkward. “Why is it that you know so much about nearly everything? Sure I may not know you that much but your knowledge is just amazing!” He exclaimed. Stop yammering about it man! Calm the hell down! Twilight was shocked by this question and went crimson for a brief moment before answering. “Well. I’m not that smart.” Hmmm... Maybe something you can work with here. Go man! You may have only known this mare from your occasional visits to and from the library but what the hay? Go for it! “You’re also modest as well? Wow”. “You’re smart and you know it” he said in a confident and serious tone. “Thank you" she said as the crimson red complexion began to intensify, she recovered quickly but not without Articus noticing the redness on her face. He chuckled playfully and signaled Twilight to answer his question "To answer your previous question. I studied magic ever since I was a filly and have been practicing magic”. “A few years later after exhaustive studying, I got to prove my skills and enroll in the school for gifted unicorns, It did not turn out that well”. Articus gasped at the thought of Twilight Sparkle failing. "What happened next?" He asked worried about the outcome. “As I was about to fail, A magical pulse caused me to have a magical overload and it caused chaos”. “But then Princess Celestia found me and suppressed the chaotic magic. She took me under wing and has made me her faithful student”. “From the day she saw my capabilities, she has been teaching me how to control my magic.” She points to her cutie mark. “This mark is my special talent. My special talent is magic” Articus was at a loss for words. Clearly he did not know this mare very well. “Wow! That is awesome! I’m stunned!” he exclaimed. "I guess you're more than just a librarian" he said in a playful tone. Twilight rolled her eyes in response then spoke. “What’s your special talent Articus?” She said as she studied his flank to see a snowflake inside a ball of fire. "It looks pretty poetic" she said intrigued by how unusual his cutie mark was. “Well my special talent is, wait a minute” he lifted his hoof into the air and a drop of water fell into it. “Damn it It’s gonna rain!” He said as more drops of water were beginning to fall from the sky. “Look there’s my house! Let’s go!” They charged inside his house and successfully avoided being drenched in rain. Articus magically teleported a cup of tea towards the table and signaled Twilight to take a seat. “Twilight, wait here. I’m gonna go see what the bolt was. There is tea on the table, feel free to refill whenever you want, I’ll explain my talent later alright?” She nodded reluctantly. “Fine. You go and discover something new while I stay inside and drink tea” she said sarcastically. Articus did not notice the hint and went outside into the rain. “Darn you Articus, I’m coming with you no matter what!” she declared as she followed. “Now what are we dealing with?” As they ventured further outside. The rain has left them completely drenching them in soaking water. “I thought I said to wait inside. What if something happens to you?!” He said. He was clearly not amused by Twilight's presence. “Nothing you say will stop me from following” she responded “So smart, modest and stubborn? Fine, just be careful” “I'm an element of harmony, when has danger ever harmed me?” She said cheekily. “About once or twice” he responded as a matter of fact. "If my memory serves me right, you were almost defeated by Nightmare Moon, turned against your friends by Discord and you almost lost your brother and the kingdom to Queen Chrysalis". “Still won’t stop me from helping” she responded sticking her tongue out. “I’m just as curious, if not more curious about this as you are, so let’s go!” she announced. They walked for about a minute to find the source of the bolt. They ventured cautiously and curiously into a crater that was presumably made by the strange bolt. Inside the crater were 3 equines, all covered in dirt from the ground. One was a young colt which had a messy, black mane style. He had monochrome grey fur and was wearing black and white Armour. His cutie mark was unidentified due to the massive amount of dirt that covered him. Maybe he was a guard? Who knew? Articus and Twilight didn’t. Another was a mare with a short, purple mane much like Twilight’s. She had a large amount of cuts on her violet fur and had strange fangs sticking out of her mouth. A radiant, green glow had emitted from her horn but nothing was happening. It was just... glowing. The last colt of the trio looked like the youngest. His cutie mark was the only one we could see. It was apple pie? Maybe he was an apple? But aside the details that were mentioned, one detail in particular scared the daylights out of Twilight and Articus. The three of them were unconscious. “Gahh!” Articus Exclaimed. “Twilight! We need to help these ponies!” He said as he rushed towards the three lifeless ponies. “Alright we’ll take them to your place and bring them back to good health” She said seriously. Articus took a brief moment to check for a pulse. Luckily they were still breathing, but they were severely injured. “We need to hurry Articus”. “These ponies will get really sick in this rain”. So they picked up the three ponies magically and brought them to his home safely. "Alright then. Let's find out what's wrong here." --The Introduction of Black Roses and Quartz-- Coming soon... Chapter 2: Royal BusinessNote: This chapter takes place during the events of chapter 1. -- The Introduction of a Great Knight and an Alchemist-- -- The Canterlot Barracks -- Canterlot. Home to those ponies born to be the rich and ‘successful’ of society, and to the castle that houses the royal sisters, Celestia and Luna. On the premises of the castle, there are the gardens and the maze, the castle itself, and the barracks for the guards. The barracks are composed of two small, but comfortable, living quarters, one each for the guards of both the day and night shift, each loyal to their respective princess. In between the housing of the guards, there is a tavern hidden away known as The Drunken Minotaur, and it serves only the guards of the castle. The tavern is run and operated by a Minotaur known as Blood Horn. Blood Horn was chieftain of the tribe of Minos to the lands east of Equestria and borders on the Northern Griffon territory. The tension between the Griffons and Minotaurs has been ongoing for many generations, and due to ever increasing violence along the borders and trade routes, a pact was made. Representatives from both the Griffons and Minotaurs were to be relocated in each other’s lands with some representatives from Equestria as well, to maintain the role of mediator, and to make sure that the pact would be one to last. It was a usual night in the tavern, Guards drinking cider and being loud. This was their way of unwinding on their off time, just letting everything go and harassing one another. When things got out of hoof, there was never a need for a bouncer since the only muscle needed is Blood Horn. The tavern is an aged but sturdy place, made from the trees deep in the Everfree, the wood is known to be strong and dependable. When one was to walk in the place, the first thing they notice is along the opposite side is the bar itself with tables scattered across the room and the smell of smoke from the fireplace to the left side of the room and the atmosphere held the aroma of aged cider and rum since the opening of the tavern. On this night, a regular visitor of the tavern, a guard, whose name is Quartz, happened to bring a guest. Now, while it isn’t against the unspoken code to bring someone to the tavern who isn’t a guard, it still stands as a disregard to the code. Quartz is a large built unicorn with a charcoal grey coat and a short spiked silver mane. During his shift of guarding the castle and the princesses, he is donned with a very ornate golden armor, but during the nights where he is off he wears a simple white undershirt to cool off in the night. Quartz opened the door for his guest, who was donned in a simple ragged cloak, and both of them took a seat at a table that was in between the fireplace and bar. “Blood Horn, we’ll take a round of cider over here!” exclaimed Quartz, who slammed his hoof onto the table for emphasis, which had also startled his guest. “So, this is where the guards are at night? Well, that explains why it’s easier to move around at night.” chuckled the hooded figure, who then proceeded to take off the cloak and rest it on the seat next to him. The visitor was a white stallion of medium built was in guess in his mid or late twenties; he had a black mane and tail with a single dark red streak in the middle of his tail and three bands of them in his mane. A few guards nearby, who had been there a while and already reek of cider and the ever usual loss of balance, had recognized the guest and proceeded to stumble in his direction. “Hey, I know you, you’re that servant, the one who plays with the flowers.” Slurs the drunken guard, the few guards who were behind him started to chuckle at the statement coming from the stallion who was leading them. “Yes, you would be half right, I am a servant but I do not ‘play’ with flowers, I tend to them because I’m the gardener.” retorted the gardener in a most calm and almost quiet tone as he took a few sips of the cider that his friend had ordered for him. “Well then gardener, how about you get your flowery tended arse out of our tavern then?” said a guard from the back of the group who then inspired the rest of the group to laugh at his statement. “I only have two things to say: One, my name is not gardener, its Black Roses, and Two, I bet 300 bits that I am more guard pony then anybody in this tavern.” Black Roses said with a smug grin as he pointed to the group to show he was very serious about this proposed wager. “You think you can take on the best of the guards? I bet you wouldn’t last five minutes against the strongest guard here in this tavern!” shouted an enraged guard pony in the ever growing crowd of muscular stallions that were suddenly circling around Black Roses. All looked at him with anger. "Alright then. Pick your best zealot. I mean royal guard." he said jokingly. Quartz face hoofed at Black Roses' terrible save. One guard was ready to explode and decided to charge at Black roses with the intent of putting him in his place. “How dare you address us in that manner in our own tavern!” the guard exclaimed in anger as he charged at Black Roses. The guard attempted to swing a hoof at Black Roses but only swiped the air. Black roses had successfully avoided the guard's deathly swing. "Darn you flower boy. Stand still and face my hoof like a stallion!" The infuriated guard bellowed as Black Roses continued to dodge his every blow. "And risk breaking a bone? No chance." he took a quick dash back and was out of the guard's hooves range. The stallion charged to Black Roses again, but Black Roses anticipated this and pulled out a vial of concentrated poison joke, which he tossed into the guard's face as he dodged his charge. The guard lost his balance and fell face first onto the floor. "Silly guard. Don't run at an unpredictable opponent. It could end badly for you." He tsked as he waved a disapproving hoof towards him. "Huh? What did you do?! Wait a minute... Where am I?! Why can’t I see?!” The guard said as he attempted to stand up but crashed back down to the floor. "Hmmm... When you charged at me earlier, I tossed a vial of concentrated poison joke to your face. Looks like the substance hit your eyes. You will be blind for a day it seems." Roses replied nonchalantly. "WHAT?!" The guard cried. His pupils had disappeared. He had no way of seeing anything. The crowd had, at first, been ready to explode in Black Roses’ face because of what had just happened. But they refrained from doing that. Quite the opposite actually. They cheered him on for winning. "I didn't hurt him. I just crippled him temporarily. He will be fine. Plus, he’s a guard for Celestia's sake. He will shake it off tomorrow." Black Roses said as he rolled his eyes and dusted off his coat. "Oh when my pupils return I swear I'll-" The guard was interrupted by a smack across his head from another guard. "You will do nothing of the sort. What happens here, stays here" the guard said. The guard approached by Black Roses’ side and pat his shoulder heavily. "You're quite fast... For a flower boy." the guard said as he chuckled lightly by Black Roses' side. “Thank you. If he had landed a hit on me, I’m sure I would've been destroyed in an instant, hence why I had to dodge. You see I ha-” He was cut short by Quartz. "Woah B.R! Hold up!" Quartz hollered towards his friend. "You do realise you just made my job harder right?" He pointed to the blind guard. "I have to cover his shift because of your little stunt" Quartz groaned. Black Roses smiled sheepishly. He was Quartz' friend after all... "Hey, it was either that or a dagger to the throat." He swiftly brought out his hoof dagger. "Hmmm... Fair point. But anyway. You technically won.. Sooooo..." Black Roses perked up. "So where's the bits?" He said slyly. A guard handed him his winnings respectfully. "The fact you are able to disable a noble guard earns my respect easily." The guard said as he saluted Black Roses. "Thanks. I hope you all learn to never underestimate anypony. For we are all unique in many ways." and with that. Quartz escorted Black Roses out of the tavern. But not without getting a few ciders to go. "A few for the road buddy." Quartz said as the pair strolled on outside the tavern. “Yeah. I could use a drink after that little tussle earlier.” He took a sip out of a mug. “Wow. That went empty fast” Black Roses said. He took another drink to toss back. Then another... And Another... And Another... A few drinks later... The pair were making their way to Black Roses’ home. Celestia’s sun was about to descend. Luna’s graceful moon will soon rise and glow amongst the darkness along with the stars. It was also beginning to rain unfortunately for Black Roses and Quartz because they were stuck in the town square. "I luf you dude. Ur the best fwend I ever had." Black Roses slurred under the influence. Unfortunately for Quartz, it seems that Black Roses had a little too much to drink. This forced Quartz to keep an eagle eye on him so he didn’t hurt himself. "Lightweight... You got a long way to go dude. But enough mumbling, we gotta get you home". He said as he assisted Black Roses back on all fours as he slipped on a nearby puddle. Then... Out of nowhere... A bolt of light passed them overhead. Both looked up in awe as the bolt had soared across the sky and eventually leaving their line of sight. "Either I'm too lightning bolt or that was a drunk." Black Roses said as he belched in a hearty manner. "Dude... Go home. You're drunk." Quartz started walking back to the barracks to cover the unlucky guard's shift. Fortunately Quartz is able to walk with ease, thanks to his ability to hide his drink. "Kay bye." Black Roses departed to his home for a well earned rest. Luna’s Shimmering moonlight was now rising into the night sky while being assisted by the light of a thousand stars. Rain had continued to pour down onto the streets of canterlot as both of the pair had reached their destinations. Quartz was forced to cover the crippled guard’s shift, and Black Roses finally made it home to rest till morning. "300 bits for Bucking a stallions sorry arse? Ok then. But seriously What was up with that piece of light?” Black Roses wondered as he let another hearty belch leave his mouth. “Did Celestia drop a piece of the sun? Eh I don’t know... Too tired to think.” He went into his bathroom to wash off all the hard work. He had a quick shower, headed into his room and fell onto his bed for a refreshing sleep. “Hmmm... I should probably consult the princess about that ball of light.” Quartz said as he contemplated the future. “Damnit Roses. Why are you such a genius and be stupid at the same time? I’m stuck here on guard duty while a random ball of light flies past. It will probably hurt somepony. Hmmm then again, chances are the princesses had already seen it so, no worries for now.” He waved a hoof to the air. “Or maybe my mind is just playing tricks on me thanks to the alcohol...” Ironic because, little did they know, the bolt was not their minds playing tricks on them. The bolt was real... And it was heading towards the everfree forest. Author's Note Im so sorry i took so damned long... Im back and im ready to do this story. :) Cheers lads Chapter 3: The Introduction of the comic relie- I mean an unsung athlete--The Introduction of the comic relie- I mean an unsung athlete.-- “Heh. Like the title says... I’m an Athlete of a high caliber” a cocky voice said proudly. “You see these babies?” He lets his wings point outward. “They are the instrument to my awesome” "I'm the hero of the story so listen up. The name's Matrix and I'm an athlete... An unsung athlete ahah. I fly around like anypony else. But i have a little twist. Everything looks like it moves 2 times slower than me. Ponies tend to think i'm really fast and they don't stand a chance. They are wrong. I am not extremely fast. In fact I'm everything but fast. I'm just a smart flyer. I know the ins and outs. The corners, the routes. The shortcuts. All that technical stuff. And it helps me beat a lot of pegasi in races. It also helps me win chess games with those uptight and so called “mighty” Unicorns in that pansy land known as Canterlot. So I'm not a fast flyer. I'm a fast thinker... Nothing personal". "Excuse me Matrix? Can you please get off that sign?!” A distant voice calls out. Matrix slowly descends from the sign. His look of grim resentment showing. “But unfortunately I gotta deal with ponies who wouldn’t know skill unless their lives depended on it” he muttered to himself as he slowly flew around the small hamlet that is Ponyville. The wind hums quietly as he slowly descends to one of his favorite hot spots in the area. He finally lands outside Sugarcube Corner, his favorite desserts shop and possibly the only desserts shop in PonyVille. “Rumours spread around the hamlet that I get my strong sense of perception from eating a special dessert that gives me a sugar rush, thus giving me a massive burst of energy I will confirm this rumour as it is true. In fact I get a special candy from this fine establishment that only myself and another pink ball of untold energy can handle eating without losing control and going crazy” The door to the entrance of sugarcube corner opens, A familiar pink ball of untold energy is standing in front of Matrix. “Who are you talking to Matty?” She said in her usual squeaky hyperactive tone of voice. “Why I’m of course having a conversation with myself Pinkie and totally not the entities that are currently viewing my life through an electronic device” He smirks. He clearly eats too much of the sweet stuff, his mind winds up all over the place sometimes. “Okie Dokey Lokey Matty! It’s great that you must have a huge amount of fans listening to your story huh?” “Yep, damn straight. It’s good to know some ponies know a good hero when they see one” Matrix smiles as he takes a second to address the small group of ponies passing by his field of vision, nopony was actually taking any notice to him whatsoever. “Geez tough crowd out here huh?” Pinkie snorted and giggled some, Matrix felt a bit annoyed but chuckled alongside Pinkie. “Anyways!” Matrix said to change the topic. “Is the next batch of Turbo Candy ready? I was challenged to a race again by your blue buddy and I need to restock on my aces”. Pinkie nods and tosses a small pouch full of candy towards him. “Here you go! One batch of fresh Turbo Candy that only you and I can eat without going crazy!” Matrix chuckles and shakes his head. “I’ll just stick to Turbo Candy, it’s quicker” he says as he tosses a pouch full of bits towards Pinkie’s direction. “Keep the change, chances are I’m going to get that money back if not more within a week if my workload increases which it probably will knowing me” Pinkie catches the pouch and puts it away in a pocket that can’t be seen by the audience that Pinkie somehow has, she smiles. “Always an AB-SO-LUTE pleasure doing business with you, my good pegasus friend” She salutes and waves Matrix a swift goodbye as she rushes back into the cakery returning to work. “These babies right here, my ace in the hole.” he pulls out a small gumball that is pretty blandly colored as it emits a grayish glow and looking quite unremarkable. “I only use these if I know my natural skill just won’t be enough, usually it is but there are always special situations that call for a Turbo charge you know?” He winks still talking to himself at this point as he goes on a search for the blue pony mentioned in the previous conversation. “As you may already know my non existent audience, Ms Rainbow Dash is the mare who challenged me to a sprint race, she’s challenged me at least three times now and she’s lost because I excel at sprint races but I lack the stamina to fly a proper circuit race. She has the stamina and will always win a prolonged race but it bugs her that her sprint racing is weak compared to mine. I’m pretty sure she’ll be very determined to try to beat me because she said this the last couple times before, But again I’ll win and basically rob her of whatever bits she decides to bet, hell at this point I should just make her my slave if she loses this time” Matrix smirks at the mere thought of making the element of Loyalty his own personal slave, he shakes his head, “but I’m the hero here I wouldn’t do something as low as that haha” He laughs as he finally finds his target stretching out on a large clearing. “Do you really want to do this again Blue?” Matrix says as he moves towards Rainbow. “Of course! It would hurt my reputation as the fastest flyer if I can’t even beat a chump like you!” She says with determination as she continues her stretches. “Well this chump kinda kicked your hind quarters about three times in a row if I recall correctly, not that I was counting or anything huh?” He snickers. “Not good enough! I will be the fastest flyer! I know I can beat you in a circuit race but I need to be fastest at everything! If I can’t beat you at a sprint, it doesn’t count as everything you hear me?!” Rainbow shouted strongly, the fire in her heart blazing aloud. “Yes yes I hear you loud and Clear Blue” Matrix said nonchalantly as he positions himself at the starting line for the sprint. “Come on Blue let’s get this over with. I got my bits ready” The pair put their bits together on the ground next to their starting line and they prepared to race. Three. Two. One. Go! Both racers bolted from their starting positions. Time slows down for Matrix as he notices Rainbow was once again slow on her launch, this meant an easy win for him as he perfectly executes his launch. Matrix passes through the finish line first with Rainbow not too far behind him. “Easy bits Blue, easy bits” Matrix says as he huffs and puffs quietly, recovering from the temporary fatigue he got from the extremely fast sprint. Rainbow slammed a hoof to the ground frustratingly. She is sometimes known for being a sore loser however this time was a little different, she had an angry look on her face but she was smiling also. “You uh, okay there Blue? Not feeling too bad there are you?” Matrix asked, the smile on her face worried him slightly. “I’ll get you next time don’t even worry Doormatt” She declares as she finishes recovering from her fatigue. Suddenly a massive bolt shot through the sky over the duo’s heads followed by rain. “What the hay was that?!” Rainbow yelled, unable to contain her amazement. “Hell if I know Blue, let’s go check it out!” Matrix yells as he darts towards the destination where the bolt struck. Rainbow smirks and follows suit, again slow on the startup but immediately picks up speed as they travel towards the edge of the Everfree forest, presumed to be the destination where the massive bolt struck. --One Race later-- The duo lands, Rainbow Dash smiling triumphantly as she beat Matrix to the finish by a fraction of a second. “Hah! Of course you can’t handle the long haul Matrix, too easy” She said “Not bad, not bad at all. One to one, I’ll settle for a tie for today” He says and chuckles as the two meet up with a duo that they’re very much familiar with. “Hey look! It’s the Egghead Duo!” She shouts as the speedy duo trots towards the “Egghead Duo”. Matrix follows with a smirk and a hearty laugh. “Egghead. Real classy of you both” The Egghead who is revealed to be Articus says as he taps his head with a hoof, indicating the two Athlete’s lack of cranial capacity, all while laughing alongside Twilight Sparkle. “So, Blue Horn, what’s the deal?” Rainbow Dash asks Articus as she bumps him from the rear. Articus frowns “Hmmm. Not too sure about this one Dash.” “Hey, since you guys are here, I think it might be a good idea to gather the rest of the troops, you think you could gather everyone around guys?” Twilight asks the winged duo. Both Pegasi nodded “Roger!” The winged duo smirked. “Final round blue, let’s go!” He bolts off immediately “Hey no fair!” Rainbow Dash follows with speed. Finally those two idiots are gone. Time for actual story progre- I mean as the duo valiantly surveyed the area, looking for the Elements of Harmony, the Unicorn Duo continued to survey the massive crater. -Chapter end- -Next chapter: coming soon- Author's Note Sorry for the massive Hiatus! I've been really busy dealing with Real life. Im sorry everyone. I will continue with a new chapter maybe soon. But just a heads up. I'm alive and well!
Chapter 1: OriginsEquinox is a dark place that is found past the dimensional gate that is passed the void that blocks Equestria's reach. The void is a place between those two dimensions which sustains absolutely no life whatsoever and will eliminate any who try to cross it. Nothing gory or graphical. They just disappear. Equinox and its inhabitants are identical to Equestria and those who live in there. But Equinox is twisted and filled with demented and psychotic creatures. This place is ruled by a tyrant by the name of Queen Black Hole. She and her loyal followers are responsible for the corruption which runs through Equinox. The Elements of Anarchy are made up of six mares who uphold the Queen’s tyranic rule respectfully and without question. Each represent a role similar to the elements of harmony from equestria But have a demonic twist attached to said role: Dimmed Star (Twilight Sparkle): The Spirit of magic... Black magic that is. She is Loyal to her queen and has studied under her wing since her filly hood. She is an expert sorceress and has the ability to reanimate corpses from the dead. She successfully resurrected one pony, reconstructed one’s wings, and may or may not have created a hybrid of pony and para sprite. Overall. Shes evil. She resides mostly in a small hamlet in the center of town and continues to study. Stone (Rarity): The Spirit of generosity. She’s generous to the point of petrifying and leaving you in her dark garden. You may wander aimlessly through the town to find a majestic garden. You take the time to admire all of the stone statues. By then it’s already too late for you have just wandered into Stone’s lair. She carries the same features as the mythical Greek creature by the name of Medusa.She is seen in town wearing a blindfold to cover her deathly gaze. Dull Sloth (Rainbow Dash): The spirit of Loyalty. Although the Elements of Anarchy are already loyal to their queen, Dull Sloth is mostly loyal to herself. She does not care about what everypony thinks about her and focuses on her own goals. She is a thrill seeker much like her dimensional counterpart and can be very competitive. Almost too competitive to the point of annihilating her opponents. She had a terrible accident when trying to do a high risk move and lost her wings. Dimmed Star had replaced Dulls wings with artificial wings and rockets. Spider lock (Flutter shy): The spirit of kindness. This mare loved animals to the point of obsession. She wanted to become an animal. So Dimmed Star decided to help her, but unfortunately something went wrong. Dimmed Star created a para sprite and it grew inside Spider lock. Enormous insect legs shot out of her body and her eye was replaced by the para sprites. Since the para sprite needed a host to survive, Spider lock agreed to keep the para sprite. They made a symbiosis and have been living in a cottage isolated from the rest of the town. Rotten Bunch (Apple Jack): The spirit of honesty. She died a long time ago. That was until Dimmed Star brought her back to life. However Rotten Bunch was far too clever to be called a zombie. So Dimmed Star left her recreation on her dead farm. She occasionally visits the town to see what’s happening and to visit the other elements. Despite her living again, she still fears that everypony had forgotten her and she would be sent to the void for it. Zalgy Cake(Pinkie Pie): The spirit of laughter. She is a pony of pranks. It didn’t matter if said prank were to hurt anypony. If it made her happy, that’s all that matters. She has a great sense of humor and a lot of ponies laugh at her jokes and pranks. But sometimes she takes the joke too far, thus resulting in somepony being very hurt. Everypony knows to keep Zalgy cake happy for the sake of their lives because if she became sad, she becomes Zalgressa. This is her depressed state and it takes awhile for her to recover from this. She is a relentless killer when in this state of mind. To disturb her in this state... That’s a death wish. The average lifestyle of an Equinoxian citizen. Either become corrupted or die. --The Introduction of Articus Blazier-- -In Pony ville- “You have a great piece of history in your hooves Articus. It describes the alternate dimension known as Equinox.” Twilight Sparkle said to Articus as she continued to organize the bookshelves in the library. Articus briefly skimmed through a few pages and then closed the book. “Well this sounds like a load of hogwash, yeah I ain’t buying it.” Articus said in disappointment. He brushed his luminous blue mane back and hopped off his reading nook. The sky light from the library window Illuminating his teal fur as he trotted to a nearby bookshelf. “There is absolutely no way that there is an opposing dimension which conveniently resembles everypony here” He said confidently and jokingly as he reached the shelf which was labeled "History of Equestria". “Twilight. Why is this book in the history of Equestria section? It sounds way too fictional to be true” He asked as he placed the book in its allocated shelf. “Because it’s true. Equinox actually exists” she said frustratingly as she continued to re shelve books. “It’s said that Queen Black hole is Princess Celestia’s corruption but was cast off across the void. But that’s all we know. Only the princess can truly answer your question” Articus took some time to consider actually asking the princess about Equinox. “Hmmmm.... Maybe I should actually ask about -” He was cut off as a magical bolt had fallen from the skies. Articus and Twilight fell over in shock and all of the books fell off their shelves. There was a large, thunderous noise which echoed across Ponyville. “What in the world was that!?” He exclaimed as he recovered. He dusted off his mane and looked outside to where the bolt had hit. “I have no idea what that was. Maybe it was a meteorite that had just hit ponyville?” Twilight said in confusion. Twilight was at a loss for an explanation. She really had no idea what it was. Wait... The Smartest pony in Ponyville or even Equestria having no idea what that bolt was?! Well... There goes the world. “Or maybe its... Ummm. I don’t know. Something? Lets check it out instead of standing around like morons.” He said as he charged outside and towards the destination where the bolt had hit, which just so happens to be outside Articus’ cottage near the everfree forest (a fair distance from Fluttershy’s cottage). Moments passed and the charge became futile as Articus became fatigued very quickly which forced Twilight to slow down so she would not lose him in her haste. “Ahaha man. I need to exercise more.” He said in embarrassment as he continued to try and catch his breath after a huge 20 seconds of sprinting. “Yes you do Articus” Twilight said cheekily as they continued onward. “This is so exciting!” “Who knows what we will find from whatever it was that fell from the sky!?” Articus nodded slowly. He was panting slightly from the fatigue as they continued towards his home. "Agreed. This is a very unusual sight indeed" Moments passed and things started to become awkwardly silent. Come on man! Think of something to say you moron! “So umm... Twilight. Why are you so smart?” He asked bluntly. Damn it. Smooth move idiot. Things just got more awkward. “Why is it that you know so much about nearly everything? Sure I may not know you that much but your knowledge is just amazing!” He exclaimed. Stop yammering about it man! Calm the hell down! Twilight was shocked by this question and went crimson for a brief moment before answering. “Well. I’m not that smart.” Hmmm... Maybe something you can work with here. Go man! You may have only known this mare from your occasional visits to and from the library but what the hay? Go for it! “You’re also modest as well? Wow”. “You’re smart and you know it” he said in a confident and serious tone. “Thank you" she said as the crimson red complexion began to intensify, she recovered quickly but not without Articus noticing the redness on her face. He chuckled playfully and signaled Twilight to answer his question "To answer your previous question. I studied magic ever since I was a filly and have been practicing magic”. “A few years later after exhaustive studying, I got to prove my skills and enroll in the school for gifted unicorns, It did not turn out that well”. Articus gasped at the thought of Twilight Sparkle failing. "What happened next?" He asked worried about the outcome. “As I was about to fail, A magical pulse caused me to have a magical overload and it caused chaos”. “But then Princess Celestia found me and suppressed the chaotic magic. She took me under wing and has made me her faithful student”. “From the day she saw my capabilities, she has been teaching me how to control my magic.” She points to her cutie mark. “This mark is my special talent. My special talent is magic” Articus was at a loss for words. Clearly he did not know this mare very well. “Wow! That is awesome! I’m stunned!” he exclaimed. "I guess you're more than just a librarian" he said in a playful tone. Twilight rolled her eyes in response then spoke. “What’s your special talent Articus?” She said as she studied his flank to see a snowflake inside a ball of fire. "It looks pretty poetic" she said intrigued by how unusual his cutie mark was. “Well my special talent is, wait a minute” he lifted his hoof into the air and a drop of water fell into it. “Damn it It’s gonna rain!” He said as more drops of water were beginning to fall from the sky. “Look there’s my house! Let’s go!” They charged inside his house and successfully avoided being drenched in rain. Articus magically teleported a cup of tea towards the table and signaled Twilight to take a seat. “Twilight, wait here. I’m gonna go see what the bolt was. There is tea on the table, feel free to refill whenever you want, I’ll explain my talent later alright?” She nodded reluctantly. “Fine. You go and discover something new while I stay inside and drink tea” she said sarcastically. Articus did not notice the hint and went outside into the rain. “Darn you Articus, I’m coming with you no matter what!” she declared as she followed. “Now what are we dealing with?” As they ventured further outside. The rain has left them completely drenching them in soaking water. “I thought I said to wait inside. What if something happens to you?!” He said. He was clearly not amused by Twilight's presence. “Nothing you say will stop me from following” she responded “So smart, modest and stubborn? Fine, just be careful” “I'm an element of harmony, when has danger ever harmed me?” She said cheekily. “About once or twice” he responded as a matter of fact. "If my memory serves me right, you were almost defeated by Nightmare Moon, turned against your friends by Discord and you almost lost your brother and the kingdom to Queen Chrysalis". “Still won’t stop me from helping” she responded sticking her tongue out. “I’m just as curious, if not more curious about this as you are, so let’s go!” she announced. They walked for about a minute to find the source of the bolt. They ventured cautiously and curiously into a crater that was presumably made by the strange bolt. Inside the crater were 3 equines, all covered in dirt from the ground. One was a young colt which had a messy, black mane style. He had monochrome grey fur and was wearing black and white Armour. His cutie mark was unidentified due to the massive amount of dirt that covered him. Maybe he was a guard? Who knew? Articus and Twilight didn’t. Another was a mare with a short, purple mane much like Twilight’s. She had a large amount of cuts on her violet fur and had strange fangs sticking out of her mouth. A radiant, green glow had emitted from her horn but nothing was happening. It was just... glowing. The last colt of the trio looked like the youngest. His cutie mark was the only one we could see. It was apple pie? Maybe he was an apple? But aside the details that were mentioned, one detail in particular scared the daylights out of Twilight and Articus. The three of them were unconscious. “Gahh!” Articus Exclaimed. “Twilight! We need to help these ponies!” He said as he rushed towards the three lifeless ponies. “Alright we’ll take them to your place and bring them back to good health” She said seriously. Articus took a brief moment to check for a pulse. Luckily they were still breathing, but they were severely injured. “We need to hurry Articus”. “These ponies will get really sick in this rain”. So they picked up the three ponies magically and brought them to his home safely. "Alright then. Let's find out what's wrong here." --The Introduction of Black Roses and Quartz-- Coming soon...
Chapter 2: Royal BusinessNote: This chapter takes place during the events of chapter 1. -- The Introduction of a Great Knight and an Alchemist-- -- The Canterlot Barracks -- Canterlot. Home to those ponies born to be the rich and ‘successful’ of society, and to the castle that houses the royal sisters, Celestia and Luna. On the premises of the castle, there are the gardens and the maze, the castle itself, and the barracks for the guards. The barracks are composed of two small, but comfortable, living quarters, one each for the guards of both the day and night shift, each loyal to their respective princess. In between the housing of the guards, there is a tavern hidden away known as The Drunken Minotaur, and it serves only the guards of the castle. The tavern is run and operated by a Minotaur known as Blood Horn. Blood Horn was chieftain of the tribe of Minos to the lands east of Equestria and borders on the Northern Griffon territory. The tension between the Griffons and Minotaurs has been ongoing for many generations, and due to ever increasing violence along the borders and trade routes, a pact was made. Representatives from both the Griffons and Minotaurs were to be relocated in each other’s lands with some representatives from Equestria as well, to maintain the role of mediator, and to make sure that the pact would be one to last. It was a usual night in the tavern, Guards drinking cider and being loud. This was their way of unwinding on their off time, just letting everything go and harassing one another. When things got out of hoof, there was never a need for a bouncer since the only muscle needed is Blood Horn. The tavern is an aged but sturdy place, made from the trees deep in the Everfree, the wood is known to be strong and dependable. When one was to walk in the place, the first thing they notice is along the opposite side is the bar itself with tables scattered across the room and the smell of smoke from the fireplace to the left side of the room and the atmosphere held the aroma of aged cider and rum since the opening of the tavern. On this night, a regular visitor of the tavern, a guard, whose name is Quartz, happened to bring a guest. Now, while it isn’t against the unspoken code to bring someone to the tavern who isn’t a guard, it still stands as a disregard to the code. Quartz is a large built unicorn with a charcoal grey coat and a short spiked silver mane. During his shift of guarding the castle and the princesses, he is donned with a very ornate golden armor, but during the nights where he is off he wears a simple white undershirt to cool off in the night. Quartz opened the door for his guest, who was donned in a simple ragged cloak, and both of them took a seat at a table that was in between the fireplace and bar. “Blood Horn, we’ll take a round of cider over here!” exclaimed Quartz, who slammed his hoof onto the table for emphasis, which had also startled his guest. “So, this is where the guards are at night? Well, that explains why it’s easier to move around at night.” chuckled the hooded figure, who then proceeded to take off the cloak and rest it on the seat next to him. The visitor was a white stallion of medium built was in guess in his mid or late twenties; he had a black mane and tail with a single dark red streak in the middle of his tail and three bands of them in his mane. A few guards nearby, who had been there a while and already reek of cider and the ever usual loss of balance, had recognized the guest and proceeded to stumble in his direction. “Hey, I know you, you’re that servant, the one who plays with the flowers.” Slurs the drunken guard, the few guards who were behind him started to chuckle at the statement coming from the stallion who was leading them. “Yes, you would be half right, I am a servant but I do not ‘play’ with flowers, I tend to them because I’m the gardener.” retorted the gardener in a most calm and almost quiet tone as he took a few sips of the cider that his friend had ordered for him. “Well then gardener, how about you get your flowery tended arse out of our tavern then?” said a guard from the back of the group who then inspired the rest of the group to laugh at his statement. “I only have two things to say: One, my name is not gardener, its Black Roses, and Two, I bet 300 bits that I am more guard pony then anybody in this tavern.” Black Roses said with a smug grin as he pointed to the group to show he was very serious about this proposed wager. “You think you can take on the best of the guards? I bet you wouldn’t last five minutes against the strongest guard here in this tavern!” shouted an enraged guard pony in the ever growing crowd of muscular stallions that were suddenly circling around Black Roses. All looked at him with anger. "Alright then. Pick your best zealot. I mean royal guard." he said jokingly. Quartz face hoofed at Black Roses' terrible save. One guard was ready to explode and decided to charge at Black roses with the intent of putting him in his place. “How dare you address us in that manner in our own tavern!” the guard exclaimed in anger as he charged at Black Roses. The guard attempted to swing a hoof at Black Roses but only swiped the air. Black roses had successfully avoided the guard's deathly swing. "Darn you flower boy. Stand still and face my hoof like a stallion!" The infuriated guard bellowed as Black Roses continued to dodge his every blow. "And risk breaking a bone? No chance." he took a quick dash back and was out of the guard's hooves range. The stallion charged to Black Roses again, but Black Roses anticipated this and pulled out a vial of concentrated poison joke, which he tossed into the guard's face as he dodged his charge. The guard lost his balance and fell face first onto the floor. "Silly guard. Don't run at an unpredictable opponent. It could end badly for you." He tsked as he waved a disapproving hoof towards him. "Huh? What did you do?! Wait a minute... Where am I?! Why can’t I see?!” The guard said as he attempted to stand up but crashed back down to the floor. "Hmmm... When you charged at me earlier, I tossed a vial of concentrated poison joke to your face. Looks like the substance hit your eyes. You will be blind for a day it seems." Roses replied nonchalantly. "WHAT?!" The guard cried. His pupils had disappeared. He had no way of seeing anything. The crowd had, at first, been ready to explode in Black Roses’ face because of what had just happened. But they refrained from doing that. Quite the opposite actually. They cheered him on for winning. "I didn't hurt him. I just crippled him temporarily. He will be fine. Plus, he’s a guard for Celestia's sake. He will shake it off tomorrow." Black Roses said as he rolled his eyes and dusted off his coat. "Oh when my pupils return I swear I'll-" The guard was interrupted by a smack across his head from another guard. "You will do nothing of the sort. What happens here, stays here" the guard said. The guard approached by Black Roses’ side and pat his shoulder heavily. "You're quite fast... For a flower boy." the guard said as he chuckled lightly by Black Roses' side. “Thank you. If he had landed a hit on me, I’m sure I would've been destroyed in an instant, hence why I had to dodge. You see I ha-” He was cut short by Quartz. "Woah B.R! Hold up!" Quartz hollered towards his friend. "You do realise you just made my job harder right?" He pointed to the blind guard. "I have to cover his shift because of your little stunt" Quartz groaned. Black Roses smiled sheepishly. He was Quartz' friend after all... "Hey, it was either that or a dagger to the throat." He swiftly brought out his hoof dagger. "Hmmm... Fair point. But anyway. You technically won.. Sooooo..." Black Roses perked up. "So where's the bits?" He said slyly. A guard handed him his winnings respectfully. "The fact you are able to disable a noble guard earns my respect easily." The guard said as he saluted Black Roses. "Thanks. I hope you all learn to never underestimate anypony. For we are all unique in many ways." and with that. Quartz escorted Black Roses out of the tavern. But not without getting a few ciders to go. "A few for the road buddy." Quartz said as the pair strolled on outside the tavern. “Yeah. I could use a drink after that little tussle earlier.” He took a sip out of a mug. “Wow. That went empty fast” Black Roses said. He took another drink to toss back. Then another... And Another... And Another... A few drinks later... The pair were making their way to Black Roses’ home. Celestia’s sun was about to descend. Luna’s graceful moon will soon rise and glow amongst the darkness along with the stars. It was also beginning to rain unfortunately for Black Roses and Quartz because they were stuck in the town square. "I luf you dude. Ur the best fwend I ever had." Black Roses slurred under the influence. Unfortunately for Quartz, it seems that Black Roses had a little too much to drink. This forced Quartz to keep an eagle eye on him so he didn’t hurt himself. "Lightweight... You got a long way to go dude. But enough mumbling, we gotta get you home". He said as he assisted Black Roses back on all fours as he slipped on a nearby puddle. Then... Out of nowhere... A bolt of light passed them overhead. Both looked up in awe as the bolt had soared across the sky and eventually leaving their line of sight. "Either I'm too lightning bolt or that was a drunk." Black Roses said as he belched in a hearty manner. "Dude... Go home. You're drunk." Quartz started walking back to the barracks to cover the unlucky guard's shift. Fortunately Quartz is able to walk with ease, thanks to his ability to hide his drink. "Kay bye." Black Roses departed to his home for a well earned rest. Luna’s Shimmering moonlight was now rising into the night sky while being assisted by the light of a thousand stars. Rain had continued to pour down onto the streets of canterlot as both of the pair had reached their destinations. Quartz was forced to cover the crippled guard’s shift, and Black Roses finally made it home to rest till morning. "300 bits for Bucking a stallions sorry arse? Ok then. But seriously What was up with that piece of light?” Black Roses wondered as he let another hearty belch leave his mouth. “Did Celestia drop a piece of the sun? Eh I don’t know... Too tired to think.” He went into his bathroom to wash off all the hard work. He had a quick shower, headed into his room and fell onto his bed for a refreshing sleep. “Hmmm... I should probably consult the princess about that ball of light.” Quartz said as he contemplated the future. “Damnit Roses. Why are you such a genius and be stupid at the same time? I’m stuck here on guard duty while a random ball of light flies past. It will probably hurt somepony. Hmmm then again, chances are the princesses had already seen it so, no worries for now.” He waved a hoof to the air. “Or maybe my mind is just playing tricks on me thanks to the alcohol...” Ironic because, little did they know, the bolt was not their minds playing tricks on them. The bolt was real... And it was heading towards the everfree forest. Author's Note Im so sorry i took so damned long... Im back and im ready to do this story. :) Cheers lads
Chapter 3: The Introduction of the comic relie- I mean an unsung athlete--The Introduction of the comic relie- I mean an unsung athlete.-- “Heh. Like the title says... I’m an Athlete of a high caliber” a cocky voice said proudly. “You see these babies?” He lets his wings point outward. “They are the instrument to my awesome” "I'm the hero of the story so listen up. The name's Matrix and I'm an athlete... An unsung athlete ahah. I fly around like anypony else. But i have a little twist. Everything looks like it moves 2 times slower than me. Ponies tend to think i'm really fast and they don't stand a chance. They are wrong. I am not extremely fast. In fact I'm everything but fast. I'm just a smart flyer. I know the ins and outs. The corners, the routes. The shortcuts. All that technical stuff. And it helps me beat a lot of pegasi in races. It also helps me win chess games with those uptight and so called “mighty” Unicorns in that pansy land known as Canterlot. So I'm not a fast flyer. I'm a fast thinker... Nothing personal". "Excuse me Matrix? Can you please get off that sign?!” A distant voice calls out. Matrix slowly descends from the sign. His look of grim resentment showing. “But unfortunately I gotta deal with ponies who wouldn’t know skill unless their lives depended on it” he muttered to himself as he slowly flew around the small hamlet that is Ponyville. The wind hums quietly as he slowly descends to one of his favorite hot spots in the area. He finally lands outside Sugarcube Corner, his favorite desserts shop and possibly the only desserts shop in PonyVille. “Rumours spread around the hamlet that I get my strong sense of perception from eating a special dessert that gives me a sugar rush, thus giving me a massive burst of energy I will confirm this rumour as it is true. In fact I get a special candy from this fine establishment that only myself and another pink ball of untold energy can handle eating without losing control and going crazy” The door to the entrance of sugarcube corner opens, A familiar pink ball of untold energy is standing in front of Matrix. “Who are you talking to Matty?” She said in her usual squeaky hyperactive tone of voice. “Why I’m of course having a conversation with myself Pinkie and totally not the entities that are currently viewing my life through an electronic device” He smirks. He clearly eats too much of the sweet stuff, his mind winds up all over the place sometimes. “Okie Dokey Lokey Matty! It’s great that you must have a huge amount of fans listening to your story huh?” “Yep, damn straight. It’s good to know some ponies know a good hero when they see one” Matrix smiles as he takes a second to address the small group of ponies passing by his field of vision, nopony was actually taking any notice to him whatsoever. “Geez tough crowd out here huh?” Pinkie snorted and giggled some, Matrix felt a bit annoyed but chuckled alongside Pinkie. “Anyways!” Matrix said to change the topic. “Is the next batch of Turbo Candy ready? I was challenged to a race again by your blue buddy and I need to restock on my aces”. Pinkie nods and tosses a small pouch full of candy towards him. “Here you go! One batch of fresh Turbo Candy that only you and I can eat without going crazy!” Matrix chuckles and shakes his head. “I’ll just stick to Turbo Candy, it’s quicker” he says as he tosses a pouch full of bits towards Pinkie’s direction. “Keep the change, chances are I’m going to get that money back if not more within a week if my workload increases which it probably will knowing me” Pinkie catches the pouch and puts it away in a pocket that can’t be seen by the audience that Pinkie somehow has, she smiles. “Always an AB-SO-LUTE pleasure doing business with you, my good pegasus friend” She salutes and waves Matrix a swift goodbye as she rushes back into the cakery returning to work. “These babies right here, my ace in the hole.” he pulls out a small gumball that is pretty blandly colored as it emits a grayish glow and looking quite unremarkable. “I only use these if I know my natural skill just won’t be enough, usually it is but there are always special situations that call for a Turbo charge you know?” He winks still talking to himself at this point as he goes on a search for the blue pony mentioned in the previous conversation. “As you may already know my non existent audience, Ms Rainbow Dash is the mare who challenged me to a sprint race, she’s challenged me at least three times now and she’s lost because I excel at sprint races but I lack the stamina to fly a proper circuit race. She has the stamina and will always win a prolonged race but it bugs her that her sprint racing is weak compared to mine. I’m pretty sure she’ll be very determined to try to beat me because she said this the last couple times before, But again I’ll win and basically rob her of whatever bits she decides to bet, hell at this point I should just make her my slave if she loses this time” Matrix smirks at the mere thought of making the element of Loyalty his own personal slave, he shakes his head, “but I’m the hero here I wouldn’t do something as low as that haha” He laughs as he finally finds his target stretching out on a large clearing. “Do you really want to do this again Blue?” Matrix says as he moves towards Rainbow. “Of course! It would hurt my reputation as the fastest flyer if I can’t even beat a chump like you!” She says with determination as she continues her stretches. “Well this chump kinda kicked your hind quarters about three times in a row if I recall correctly, not that I was counting or anything huh?” He snickers. “Not good enough! I will be the fastest flyer! I know I can beat you in a circuit race but I need to be fastest at everything! If I can’t beat you at a sprint, it doesn’t count as everything you hear me?!” Rainbow shouted strongly, the fire in her heart blazing aloud. “Yes yes I hear you loud and Clear Blue” Matrix said nonchalantly as he positions himself at the starting line for the sprint. “Come on Blue let’s get this over with. I got my bits ready” The pair put their bits together on the ground next to their starting line and they prepared to race. Three. Two. One. Go! Both racers bolted from their starting positions. Time slows down for Matrix as he notices Rainbow was once again slow on her launch, this meant an easy win for him as he perfectly executes his launch. Matrix passes through the finish line first with Rainbow not too far behind him. “Easy bits Blue, easy bits” Matrix says as he huffs and puffs quietly, recovering from the temporary fatigue he got from the extremely fast sprint. Rainbow slammed a hoof to the ground frustratingly. She is sometimes known for being a sore loser however this time was a little different, she had an angry look on her face but she was smiling also. “You uh, okay there Blue? Not feeling too bad there are you?” Matrix asked, the smile on her face worried him slightly. “I’ll get you next time don’t even worry Doormatt” She declares as she finishes recovering from her fatigue. Suddenly a massive bolt shot through the sky over the duo’s heads followed by rain. “What the hay was that?!” Rainbow yelled, unable to contain her amazement. “Hell if I know Blue, let’s go check it out!” Matrix yells as he darts towards the destination where the bolt struck. Rainbow smirks and follows suit, again slow on the startup but immediately picks up speed as they travel towards the edge of the Everfree forest, presumed to be the destination where the massive bolt struck. --One Race later-- The duo lands, Rainbow Dash smiling triumphantly as she beat Matrix to the finish by a fraction of a second. “Hah! Of course you can’t handle the long haul Matrix, too easy” She said “Not bad, not bad at all. One to one, I’ll settle for a tie for today” He says and chuckles as the two meet up with a duo that they’re very much familiar with. “Hey look! It’s the Egghead Duo!” She shouts as the speedy duo trots towards the “Egghead Duo”. Matrix follows with a smirk and a hearty laugh. “Egghead. Real classy of you both” The Egghead who is revealed to be Articus says as he taps his head with a hoof, indicating the two Athlete’s lack of cranial capacity, all while laughing alongside Twilight Sparkle. “So, Blue Horn, what’s the deal?” Rainbow Dash asks Articus as she bumps him from the rear. Articus frowns “Hmmm. Not too sure about this one Dash.” “Hey, since you guys are here, I think it might be a good idea to gather the rest of the troops, you think you could gather everyone around guys?” Twilight asks the winged duo. Both Pegasi nodded “Roger!” The winged duo smirked. “Final round blue, let’s go!” He bolts off immediately “Hey no fair!” Rainbow Dash follows with speed. Finally those two idiots are gone. Time for actual story progre- I mean as the duo valiantly surveyed the area, looking for the Elements of Harmony, the Unicorn Duo continued to survey the massive crater. -Chapter end- -Next chapter: coming soon- Author's Note Sorry for the massive Hiatus! I've been really busy dealing with Real life. Im sorry everyone. I will continue with a new chapter maybe soon. But just a heads up. I'm alive and well!
