Prologue – More than Meets the Eyes

As I stood on the edge of the building, I contemplated what was ahead of me. The plain concrete ground on alley separating the two buildings on either side was the first thing that met my eyes. What would normally be filled with a few bums enjoying an old and rotten garbage meal or some kids coming home from school was simply empty, without a single soul rushing by or past my field of vision. The same could be said about the little view I had of the road; No cars, no groups of friends talking, not even a giant truck doing publicity of some sort of market that’s been around for too long. It was devoid of life. I smiled at the sight.

It was the perfect condition for what I was about to do, and I wanted to attract as less attention as I possibly could.

I turned towards the sky, closing my eyes to enjoy the soft, chilly afternoon breeze that swooned past my face, cancelling the effects of the heat from the sun, making my black hoodie slightly flap against my white T-shirt, with the same effect grey sport pants. This peaceful scene always carried me through everything in my life, both good and bad, and made me see what’s worth remembering, and my closed eyes served to complement that fact even more.

I outstretched my arms to let the air do its work on me. It was like the world slowed to a crawl around me. Images of my loved ones and our adventures flashed through the darkness of my closed eyes as plummeted to my inevitable doom, if I kept at it.

To be honest, while I was happy that I was reliving my experiences, it was sort of sad that I thought about this before jumping. Though it seemed like forever, a good minute passed before I leaned forward, eyes cracked open as I started to sense the wind change around me.

I was falling to the ground below.

My smile was still plastered on upon face as I plummeted to the hard concrete. The wind was now strong to the point that it dared to rip off the jacket that was clinging to my chest. Through my eyes, I saw the ground getting ever so close to colliding with me. Before it was too late, I inhaled deeply and moved into action.

Putting both of my arms over the back of my head I pushed, curving my upper body upwards and bending my knees to allow me to flip in midair until I was no longer in danger of landing headfirst. Instead, I took an upright position where my feet would land first on the ground. Once I made contact, my body instinctively rolled on the floor so my legs wouldn’t be crushed by the moment of the fall. After doing so, I used the momentum of the fall to stand back up on my feet.

After finishing my little performance, I dusted off the imaginary dirt off my clothes and inspected the damage – if there was any – to my body. Noting only that my legs were slightly numb, I decided that I could just walk this off. Other than that, I was perfectly normal - I mean, if you can call trying to kill myself in the name of parkour normal.

I heard raspy gasp coming from behind me. I turned towards the sound to see an old homeless man standing inside the dumpster, wearing torn up jackets and jeans covered with mud polka dots everywhere. The look of shock on his face and the shaking of his entire body was proof that he witnessed everything that I had done. Plus, the fact that my hood was on my head served as a booster for nightmares.

I threw the hood backwards to reveal my gleeful grin, along with my bald head reflecting the sunlight. Grey eyes gazed into the grizzled man’s brown pupils as he shifted in the trash.

As his feet touched the surface of the floor, I decided to initiate our conversation with a pleasantry. “Nice afternoon we're having.” I finally commented, my British accent clearly evident in my voice.

Unfortunately, this only got him to speed up his process as he fell from the dumpster and scurried to his feet before running to the street screaming ‘The end is nigh’ and ‘Lord help me’ over and over again. I’m pretty sure I made him mental or something. Once he turned the corner and got out of sight, I was left there, dumbstruck by the scene. I stared at the spot he was before, wondering what I'm done wrong. "Must've been in a hurry."

Shaking my head, I focused back to the task at hand; finding my way back up. It didn’t take me long to do so, however, as just above my head I saw an emergency escape ladder. “That’s convenient,”

<------------------------------->

“Hmm, interesting,” Announced a figure sitting in his stone throne, looking through the crystal ball in his hands, admiring the traits the human presented, as he watched it with careful detail and interest, just like he did for the past half hour. Mentally, he was passing the figure’s trial. He turned to the silhouette in the middle of the room. “What else can this creature do?”

This question got a laugh from the cloaked silhouette, which irritated the figure. “Oh, Ahuizotl, you have yet to learn that I cannot control or know about what these beings can and can’t do.” His dark blue and sickly green eyes blinked through the darkness as he motioned towards the ball. “You’ll have to see it for yourself.”

The one named Ahuizotl huffed in positioned, scrunching his face in irritation at the equine silhouette. Even though he was growing impatient of its antics and remarks he cooperated nonetheless. He gazed at the crystal ball just in time to see the human bouncing off another building.

<------------------------------->

I grabbed a hold of the ledge, my hands hanging on for dear life while my legs flexed against the building wall. Using my upper body strength, combined with the extension of the legs to ease the process, I lifted myself off the side and on to the top. With that, I pushed myself back on my feet and repeated the same thing for the upcoming apartments ahead of me.

This seemed to be turning into my routine; wake up, eat, run, run, run, hospital, rest, repeat. It was practically the same thing each day, with the only difference being the people that notice me. There was one time where a bunch of conspiracy theorists thought I was some kind of human surveillance camera. Another time where I was considered to be a paranormal entity possessed by the devil, which might have been the reason that old man ran away. Probably the funniest one was when someone took a blurred and low-quality photo of me and told everyone that bigfoot was now living in their town.

Thinking about the memories I’ve had – the confusion, the property damage, the broken bones - made me go back to why I was freerunning in the first place; the adrenaline. Ever since I had first tasted the rush I went past my limits to try and recreate that experience at every chance I got.

It was sort of like a drug in every aspect, except in parkour you get some exercise when doing it. It was the second best feeling I have ever felt, and since I didn’t have a girlfriend nor was I a rapist, I was going to have to enjoy myself with this.

My train of thought was interrupted by me colliding with an air duct I failed to see coming. The force of the impact took the air out of my lungs as gravity threw my body onto the stone floor causing a crack to sound from behind me.

With both the impacts from the front and back, I forced my eyes shut and inhaled a sharp breath, throwing my head back. “Fucking shit!”

<------------------------------->

Ahuizotl cringed at the scene that had transpired in the crystal ball. “That was absolutely unprofessional and moronic.”

“That tends to happen even to the best of us, though it isn’t as embarrassing as what he did.” Ahuizotl’s feature took upon a shape of disgust as he stared incredulously into the pony’s heterochromic eyes. “I’m just saying-”

“ENOUGH!” Ahuizotl slammed a fist on the armrest of the throne, causing small rubble to fall to the ground. “Is that your reasoning?” He looked at the cloaked figure with rage written in his eyes. “That is a requirement I need for the human that I’ll purchase – that he not make mistakes in my plans. Do you think that this… this THING-“

He pointed a finger towards the runner, who was currently having a hard time standing up. “Here’s the hospital part of my day, ” He said, coughing out the last part of the sentence, the tiniest bit of blood exiting his mouth. “Fuck, I bit my lip.”

“-is the best thing you could find in this world populated by… by…. how many are there again?”

The pony in drags’ smirk did not fade in the least. “Around 7 billion… give or take a few million. Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Quite,” Ahuizotl acknowledged with a raised brow, looking at the human that was still passed out. He had to admit; a planet entirely populated by this kind of species was intriguing to say the least. He was starting to think that calling this a new species was a complete overstatement. However, this only lit up another question he sought to get solved, rage still expressed fully in his words. “and out of all of those, you got me this embarrassment to everything that is intelligent?”

The pony chuckled at the question. “By the Gods no. Do you think I have time to search and carefully analyze an entirely new species of humans from several different regions with several different traits to pick the right one for you, and still try to accomplish the deadline of two weeks?” He stated in a matter-of-factly.

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I didn’t want to answer your question; I wanted to invalidate your question. These humans are just like the intelligent beings in this world, meaning that they can make mistakes for what they think is right, just like what happened to you.” Ahuizotl was about to make a statement but not before the pony added. “Also, it is impossible for somepony to do such a deed, considering all of that AND the little time I have to work on it.“

“Let me tell you something,” Ahuizotl half-yelled, nearly jumping off his throne. “when I give my subjects a task I expect them to accomplish it successfully - not with great effort, successfully.” Ahuizotl started out, his tone turning to one of commanding. “That is a decree that is set the moment you join me in combat. If you at any time disobey or even forget to obey this rule, I will leave your body in so much of a mess nopony will be able to tell what species you were.”

“Surprisingly, that’s not the first time I’ve heard that.” The pony said mid-speech. “Though it is weaker than most.”

Ignoring the comment, Ahuizotl continued. “Now tell me this, who are you to disobey?”

The pony didn’t take long to think of an answer. “Somepony who is not affiliated with you.”

The hybrid eyes opened wide in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Well, in your little declaration you stated that rule is, and I quote: ‘set the moment you join me’. The flaw in your law is that I didn’t join you and I plan never to do so. I am just a merchant of humans you called over to strike a deal on a human you saw fit your description. I didn’t join you because of that; I accepted the job you put up. By that logic, I could have not done what you asked me to and I would never disobey the norm.”

“Then why did you choose to do this?”

“Because I wouldn’t be doing MY job.” He simply said. “That and I wouldn’t get paid.” He quickly added, though in a whisper.

Ahuizotl thought about answering with another anger-filled comment, but he chose not to. Instead, he rubbed his temples with his free hand-tail. “Let’s try not to change the subject this time.” He whispered mostly to himself. Regaining his composure, he got back to the matter at hand. Turning his attention to the figure in the middle of the room, he sighed. “Look, can we go back to dealing the human?”

“Alright, but remember; if you are dissatisfied with the human I bring you, after you specifically saw his good and bad traits, it’s your fault, not mine, that he doesn’t appeal to you.”

He didn’t even bother fighting him, he knew the pony would someone turn his words against him. Internally admitting defeat, Ahuizotl groaned as he pondering angrily at this. “What if I were to extend the dead line to-“

“Still won’t work.” The stallion interrupted, sending another wave of tired anger into the hybrid. The pony noticed this. “Look, I normally don’t do this because, you know, the customer is always right, but I’m tired of you pointing your unnecessary anger at me for doing my job. Frankly, I myself am getting mad at you, and since I don’t want to start an all-out war between our sides I’ll give you some options and you choose one. Then, I’ll be out of your metaphorical hair and never come back. How about it?”

Ahuizotl’s expression went from one of rage to one of shock– both for the fact that the figure in front of him sounded mature for the first time in a while and the options he was offering. Afterwards, it became one of curiosity as the stallion did not specify the amount of options. “How many?”

“Some.” The stallion informed him. “The first option is to take the deal, right here and now. You give me the bits, I give you the human, you do whatever it is you have planned for him or her and I never speak to you ever again in either of our lives.” Ahuizotl gave an eyebrow raised at that. What does he mean by that last part?

Nevertheless, he motioned for him to continue. “The second option is you don’t take the deal, though I doubt you will take that one. It would just mean that this whole exchange and all the politics involved was nothing but a waste of time. If you do end up choosing so, I will go on as if this never happened and you keep searching for someone else to satisfy your fantasies.”

“The third option is, what I think to be, the one you might pick, also being one I would never advise to any pony I have ever met.” The smile on his face has all but gone by the time he finished explaining, and the emotion in his voice had turned monotonous.

“Which is?” The hybrid questioned, putting the crystal ball that was now turned off in his hand-tail. In the hybrid’s mind, he could have sworn he heard a hint of malice in those words.

"War.” He announced without missing a beat.

Ahuizotl took a second to process what he said… before inadvertently bursting out laughing, threatening to drop the ball. When he saw this, the pony lifted a pure white hoof up, glowing the darkest of blacks. The crystal ball was engulfed in the same aura as the hoof before black flames surrounded the ball. When they dissipated, the ball vanished into thin air, leaving no evidence behind.

Ahuizotl didn’t witness the magic before him as he was still laughing in his throne at the supposed threat. Finally, he wiped a tear off his cheek, facing the veiled stallion. “A war? Do you really want a war with me?”

“If need be.”

“Do you have a death wish?”

“Do you?”

Ahuizotl laughed again. “Boy, let me tell you this; I had a lot of different scenarios for the end this meeting, but I never thought I would actually laugh at anything that comes out of your mouth. For the God’s sake, I thought I would kill myself if this went on. Oh my Gods, I’m laughing just from thinking about this.” As if on cue, the hybrid let out a monstrous cackle, nearly throwing him onto the ground.

Having had enough, Ahuizotl snapped his finger calling for his right-arm. A light brown, messy black and grey maned stallion, with a golden, red-eyed, skull wearing a white shirt, with a scimitar sheathed on his side, appeared beside him, eyes sternly gazing into the mystery stallion. “Dr Caballeron,” Ahuizotl addressed him. “Show our friend here what kind of ‘war’ he’ll start if he keeps this up.”

“Yes, sir.” Caballeron signed off with a salute before jumping into the same circle the pony was in. He pulled out the scimitar out from its resting place, firmly gripping it in his mouth as he stared down the figure.

He didn’t attack him immediately, though. Spitting the sword on his foreleg, he approached the figure. “I know what you’re thinking, and no, I didn’t stop because I sympathize with you,” Caballeron admitted, his thick prench accent making his words sound slightly mispronounced. “Unlike my commander here, I can give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you are right about this human race.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I’m a generous stallion, and as such, I shall give you the option to surrender in this battle. If you choose otherwise, then I shall be forced to attack you.” Caballeron smiled as he said this. “Take your time, I am a patient stallion.”

The pony stayed there, motionless and shocked, processing everything that was said to him. “…wow.”

“I know, I know, you would never expect one of Ahuizotl’s lackeys to-“

“Normally, I’m the one who says all that.” He interrupted, with a contemplating expression. “You even got the part about patience, word for word.” His features slowly turned morbid at the realization. “Oh dear, this can’t be good…”

This got a look of confusion from Caballeron as he scrunched his face. “…I’m sorry, but I am lost.” He took a cautious step forward. “What are you-“

“Are you afraid to fight me? Does something about me scare you? I’m sorry if I came on too strong for you, I just wanted to make a good first impression.”

“Hold on, I’m not-“

“Are you mentally writing your will? I know some ponies I’ve met that sometimes say things that don’t make any sense so they can stall me to write their will.”

“I don’t-“

“Does your family know that I was visiting you at work? Maybe they could have told you something about me, perhaps to be more careful. Maybe you didn’t hear them say anything, most likely because you’re a bad father?”

“Don’t bring my-“

“Wait, do you even have a family?” He asked. The pony leaned towards the victim of the barrage of questions, expecting them to be answered.

Caballeron sighed in hopes of relieving some of the stress building. It didn’t help much as he wanted. ”My family has no business in this matter.” He said informed through clenched teeth.

The pony waved a dismissive hoof, the same unnatural pure white hoof. “Of course, that was so silly of me,” He laughed mischievously, a smirk pursuing his lips. ”It’s impossible that somepony like you could get a mare.”

The doctor stiffened at this. His eyes glared daggers at the abnormality before him, a gaze so intense it threatened to pierce his very soul.

“Unless the mare you got is deaf, dumb or blind. Is she either, Mister Caballeron?”

“I know what you’re trying to do.” Caballeron said, the monotone increasing the seriousness of his mood. “I’m not one to fall easily into anyponies’ little mind games. You can say whatever you want about me-“

“Well, you give me a lot to work with.”

“-but as I’ve told you, I’m a very patient stallion.” Though he didn’t allow it to show, Caballeron anger rose. “But when you bring my loved ones into the problem,” He stepped on the tip of the hilt of the scimitar, causing it to jump off the ground, twirling in mid-air. “I’m no longer your friend.” At the right opportunity, Caballeron whipped his head on the sword, catching the sword, firmly gripping it in his mouth.

The pony gave his trademark chuckle. “You really don’t want this.”

The doctor narrowed his eyes at his target. I’ll make sure your pesky mouth will never utter another sound. He thought before galloping rapidly to his new opponent. Once the brown stallion got to a certain distance he leapt up, twisting his entire to form a spiral directly aiming at the cloaked pony’s neck. With determination in his eyes, Caballeron went in for the kill.

The pony raised his right foreleg in front him to block the attack. When the scimitar made contact, a clash sounded between them. Caballeron was shocked at what he was seeing; not only was the foreleg not dripping with blood, sparks flew out of the hoof itself.

With the force of spiral, the sword started to crack under the pressure. What are you? was the last thing running through the doctor’s mind before the sword broke, causing the stallion to fall onto the hoof of his opponent. The pony’s smirk did not fade during the whole ordeal as he pushed his foreleg forward.

Unbeknown to anypony looking, a black aura formed around the pony’s hoof. Holding Caballeron by the chest, the pony used the black magic to blast the stallion off of his grasp. Caballeron shot past the amazed face of the blue hybrid before crashing onto the other side of the room, creating dust and smoke around the area.

When the dust settled in, Ahuizotl took note of the damage; a crater, roughly around his size, on the wall, with several of the rocks built around it either turned to dust or were misshapen do to the impact. He’d hate to admit it, but the pony might be able to best him in the completion.

Looking beneath it, he saw Caballeron with cuts and bruises all over his backside, ranging from every size and shape, bleeding profusely from the gash on his head onto the hard floor. Two other ponies, one dark green and the other black, turned his body so he was faced up. There wasn’t any damage to the front of his body, except for the black burn mark in his chest. If Ahuizotl had to guess, its origin may have been from the explosion he heard.

“Sir,” The green unicorn, female from the sound of it, turned to her master, worried. “We need to get him some medical attention.”

However, Ahuizotl paid them no mind, as he was more interested in the mystery colt and the handy ability of his. Standing up from his throne, he made his way to the middle of the room. With every step on his way down, the mare got more desperate to receive an answer from her king. Figuring it was useless, she tended to the bleeding mess that was Caballeron as best she could. Until another figure came to help him.

“Sir,” Came another voice from behind, this time male, presumably from the black one, sounding as worried as the other. Ahuizotl recognized him as one of his spies, Silver Secret. “If we don’t do something immediately, he might die.”

Ahuizotl stopped in his tracks to turn to his lackeys, his face bearing no expression. “Caballeron’s health is none of my concern.” He informed, returning his focus to what was most important to him at the moment.

The duo looked at each other, trying to comprehend why their leader suddenly didn’t care about his second in command, but they didn’t have much time to think as the doctor continued to pour onto the floor. “We have to go, Song,” Silver broke the silence, directing to the desperate mare. “Put him on my back.”

With a nod, she placed the doctor carefully on his back with the aid of magic. When that was accomplished, they made their way to the hospital section of the hideout to save the life of their dear friend.

The cloaked pony saw all this and, with a shake of the head, announced the obvious. “You are a heartless beast.” When the duo made a left turn, he pursued his lips, turning to the hybrid in front of him. “I like you.” Ahuizotl simply stared at him through cold and lifeless-like eyes. The pony saw none of this. “So, do we have a deal?”

A hand appeared behind the hybrid, clenching the top of a wool bag, securely wrapping the entrance with a tight knot. The bag rustled slightly with the movement, the content giving itself a chunk sound as it did. This served to widen the smile on the pony’s face.

Swiping the bits off of Ahuizotl’s hand-tail with a rapid motion, the pony made his way to the exit of the cave. “You shall receive your human in approximately 24 hours. After receiving your human, the transaction will be completed and you can live happily with your plans fulfilled. Any and all complaints about your purchase will be thoroughly examined and ignored. Questions about your human’s eating or any other habit you can directly ask him yourself.”

“Anything else?” Ahuizotl tiredly asked after what he considered to be a full day’s work.

“Just one thing;” The pony halted, reaching for his pocket to take out black sand. Throwing it on the ground, the fumes from it enveloped his entire body in black tendrils. “No refunds.” He said through the smoke, his presence no longer there as the shadows faded.

Author's Note

As you can see, this chapter is more focused on equestrian events more than the human itself. I wil fix this in the next chapter.

As with every fanfiction ever written, constructive criticism is advised.