//------------------------------//
// Chapter 17: Stallion of Steel - Act 1 
// Story: Lights, Camera... 
// by Smoking Gun 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 17: Stallion of Steel - Act 1








Deep in the vacuum of space, a solitary planet floated. The planet appeared to be completely covered in clouds, the few gaps showing nothing by an ocean beneath it. Behind the cloudy planet was a giant red sun that grew brighter with each passing second.

"You will travel far, you will see wonders, you will perform wonders," said a single solitary voice. "You're going to insipre others to succeed where we failed. You will save lives. You will give them a reason to keep going. You will represent the best that sentient species can be." The red sun reached its breaking point. "Take flight, my little Pon-E."

Suddenly, the sun collapsed in on itself before exploding outwards, taking the cloudy planet with it. Leaving nothing but an empty void of black.







Celestial Entertainment Presents

In Association with Sweet Apple Acres

A Final Cut Film









"Mild! Earth to Mild Mannered! Wake up!" In his bedroom, a teenage pegasus, named Mild Mannered slowly opened his eyes, rolling them with frustration. He rolled himself out of bed, landing on the floor like a bag of sand, his wings clutched firmly to his side. His mane was rough at best, with a single curl hanging over his face. "Get your butt down here!"

Mild slowly stepped down the stares to find his father, 'Honest Labor', an earth pony, toiling away in the kitchen. "Somebody call me?"

"Don't sass me," spat his father as he finished cooking. He laid out a grass and hay breakfast in front of his son. "Eat. We've got a lot of chores to do." Next to his plate, Honest laid out a piece of paper with chores on it. The list was almost longer than the table. "You'll need to get started on the fence before the school bus get's here-" as his father trailed off, Mild got of his seat and casually walked off, leaving the house. "And when you get back, you'll need to paint the barn- Mild?" Honest searched the room for his son, only to hear a faint 'whoosh' from outside. He ran out to find his son casually walking towards the farm and behind him, all of the chores that were on the list had been done (even chores that weren't on the list). "You forgot to have breakfast first."

"You know I don't need to eat," retorted Mild as he headed back to the farm he was raised in. It wasn't large by farm standards, but was still decent. Honest stood in front of his son.

"Mild, you still need to eat."

"Since...?"

"Since everypony has always needed to eat."

Mild scoffed at his dad, walking past him. "We both know I'm not everypony." Honest ran in front of him again.

"Son, we need to talk." 

Mild bent down and leaped straight over his father, landing behind him like it was nothing. "Talk about what?" he asked as he headed back to the house.

"You seem... off," Honest said walking besides his son. "I know you haven't been talkative since your mother passed, but not talking only makes your problems worse."

"I don't have any problems. I'm above that and you know it," Mild said as he shot a small glare back at his father.

"Nopony is above having problems, Mild. Especially you and me." Mild just rolled his eyes. "Just because you can do things that others can't, that doesn't mean you're better than them."

Mild stopped and turned to his dad. "You're right, I can do things that other ponies can't. For example, I could fly. But you won't let me."

Honest looked weary. "Son, you know how fast you could fly if you pushed yourself. If somepony found out, they could take you from me. Your mother was worried about the same thing." He laid a hoof on his son.

"Please, dad, just let me go to flight academy. We both know they could train me. Even if I am faster then all of them already."

"You know I don't like Cloudsdale, son. Your place is down here, with me and the farms problems for now."

"What have you got against Cloudsdale anyway?"

"There's a problem with having your head in the clouds, Mild. When you're too busy looking up, you forget about the problems down below."

"It's not so bad when there's something to look up to," returned his son. "Dad, one of these days, I'll have to leave and you'll know I'll just fly away."

"You might change your mind before then." The school bus pulled up at the front of the farm. Honest slicked back his sons hair neatly, much to his dismay. "Now go on, you're friends will miss you if you're late."

"I don't think anypony cares about me that much."

Honest smiled. "I do."

Feeling more then a little guilty, Mild hugged his dad. "Th- thanks dad. I'll see you when I get back." He started trotter towards the bus.

"Mild! Same-"

"Same deal as everyday! No showing off. I've only been doing if for 15 years!" shouted back Mild with an eye roll. "I think I get it by now." With a worried expression, Honest turned his back and entered the house. Mild turned only to find the bus driving off without him. He ran, at normal speed, trying to catch up, only to reach the gate in time to see it disappear from site. Mild took a deep breath, checked to make sure nopony was looking, smiled and started running through the corn field next to the road. 

"At least I won't be late." With a 'whoosh' Mild took off at high speed through the field, passing the bus in a few seconds, reaching Ponyville high in a matter of seconds. Standing on the lawn outside, he smiled bigger then he had in a while. He checked to make sure nopony was looking as he started laughing, feeling proud of his incredible speed.






In a dark, dank place, a sonar screen lit up. A pony drapped in dark clothes examined it. "It's about time..."






"Mild Mannered wasn't late! Prepare for the return on Nightmare Moon! The end is upon us!" shouted Sweetie Pie as she strolled down the busy hallways of Ponyville high with Mild.

"Let her come, I'll take her down easy," scoffed the ground-bound pegasus.

"Nah! You'd never hit a lady, would you know," she teased Mild. The pagasus just looked around awkwardly. "I didn't think so, you've got too much of that 'country boy' in ya to do something ungentlecolt like," she added, doing her best-worst country accent.

"Please, keep talking like that, I'm sure to be the coolest stallion here with an image like that." Mild searched the hallways, looking out for any unwanted attention.

Sweetie blushed. "I don't know... a couple more nice stallions around here wouldn't be so bad. Besides, my name's Sweetie Pie. That's about as country-bumpkin of a name as you can get."

Mild dropped whatever smile he had. "Speaking of which..."

"Hey! Country Bumpkin!" yelled a deep voice from behind

"3... 2... 1..." Mild was picked up and thrown against his locker by a muscular earth pony, wearing a football jacket.

"Mild Mannered."

"Horse Power, I see... or smell rather that you forgot to brush your teeth... again." 

The bully shoved him against the lockers, even harder then before. "Really funny, punk. Listen I was hoping to get your opinion on something."

"You call me a punk and then ask for my opinion? You may want to think before you speak. Or would that be too much for you?" Mild retorted with a smirk.

"You see, I was thinking I would call you 'book worm' form now on, considering how much time you spend in the library. But you see, that kind of conflicts with the other view of you everypony here has... an inbred, backwards-plot, country hick!"

Mild smiled. "I'm actually adopted."

...

Horse Power punched Mild in the gut as hard as he could, winding him. Over the years, Mild had learned how to take a punch (in other words, turn off his powers when necessary). Other school ponies gathered around, watching Mild get kicked as he was down. Sweetie ran up and tackled Horse into the lockers.

"Back off, you meat head!" Horse Power laughed with bemusement as she looked at the other ponies, who just watched Mild struggle to his feet. "Somepony! Help him!"

"Nah. They know better," said Power. "They know a lost cause when they see one." He crept up on Sweetie with a very 'hostile work environment' level smile on his face. "Much like yourself, Sweetie plot."

"POWER!" Everypony turned to find the principle glaring down the school bully. "My office, now!" Before walking off, Power gave Mile one last kick for good measure. "NOW!" Power left Mild to be picked up by Sweetie.

"Mild, did he hurt you?"

"Well... he threw me against the metal lockers and kicked me several times... so no, I'm good," he replied with a smile, letting blood run down his lips.

"Look at you! You're bleeding."

Mild pushed her away. "It's OK... I'll go the nurses office. But thanks." Mild, still smiling, ran off in the other direction. Sweetie turned to find the lockers that he was thrown up against were damaged with a Mild Mannered shaped dent. Something she hadn't seen before. Looking around, Mild ran outside into the rays of the sun, soaking them up, which cause his lip cut to heal. "Thank Celestia for... well, Celestia!"







"Isolate point of origin," commanded the darkly dressed pony, sitting in her dark lair. The computer monitor in front of pin pointed a location on the map; Honest Farms. "At last... we'll be together."







It was 3 o'clock and everypony was running out of class as fast they could, some of them cheering in the process. Mild waiting until everypony had left so he could dash home. He didn't normally use his super speed to get around, but today called for it, he supposed. Checking one last time, he stepped out onto the field, preparing to run. "Hey, blank flank!"

Mild rolled his eyes and turned. Thankfully, it was just Sweetie Pie, teasing him. "Keep your voice down. You might give Horse Power some ideas."

She giggled. "I doubt it. One: he's not smart enough to develop ideas. Second, if the principle keeps to his guns, you'll probably be in the clear till we graduate in a few months.

"Yeah..." his voice trailed off in thought. "Hey, Sweetie?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever felt like that you're... I don't know. Better?"

"That we can do better things?"

"No. I mean that feeling when you look at everypony around you and you can say 'I'm better than you'."

Sweetie looked shocked. "Mild... I'm gonna be honest. I don't like hearing that kind of stuff from you." He rolled his eyes in return. "Just because you have a bully - and guess what: so does everypony ever - you can't walk around, thinking you're better then everypony else."

"But it's true," he said with a smile. "I can do these incredible things and I'm stuck here."

"Of course you can do incredible things. And with the right education, you can do those things."

"No, not like that. Tomorrow, there's something I want to show you, but right now, I've got to get home. Chores and stuff."

"Mild, wait!" Mild turned to Sweetie, who was looking deeply hurt. "When you say that you're better then everypony... does that include me?"

...

"Sweetie- oomph!" Mild was tackled to the ground by Horse Power, who then kicked him further down the field.

"Ready for the second and last round, you hick!" Mild struggled to his feet, doing his best not to turn his powers back on. "I got expelled because of you!" Mild couldn't help but smile as the bully made his approach. "Guess what that means; nothing to lose!" Horse Power kicked him again, sending all the air out of the pegasus... but Mild was still laughing.

"You have nothing to lose?"

"Yeah!"

"Good... neither do I."

Horse Power approached the pegasus. "You're probably right about that. You're a worthless pegasus who can't even fly. Although I bet that's what you can expect from a couple of inbred, dumb-plot parents like yours!"

...

Horse Power grabbed him by his mane. "Come on, big blue! Stand up!"

Mild looked up at him with an evil glare. "Sit down!"

THWACK! With one punch, Mild sent Power flying back, just bearly missing Sweetie on the way. He landed on the ground with a large 'thump'. Sweetie looked horrified.

"Mild... how did you-"

"GGGGYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Power stuggled back to his feet, clutching his left foreleg. "You broke my foreleg!"

"Foreleg... wow. That's a big word for you," he said as he slowly trotted towards his would-be bully.

"What the hay are you? Made of steel?"

"That's one way to put it." Mild raised his hoof, ready to punch again, only for Sweetie to run between them.

"Mild! What are you doing?!"

"I- I'm giving him what he desrvse! They way he treats us-"

"Mild, you're better than this." Power nodded in agreement. "You don't need to do this." Mild took a few steps back, looked around and ran straigt into the corn field near the school, Sweetie chasing him. "Mild! Please don't-" It was too late. Mild had dissapeared into the field, leaving nothing but a 'whoosh' behind.







Mild ran up to the front door of the farm. "Dad! I think I need to hide out here for a little while." Cut opened the door to find his father right there, glaring straight at his adoptive son. "Actually, I think I'm gonna head back to school." He turned and started to walk away. Honest followed him out.

"I saw you run to school today."

"I missed the bus, I had to," said Mild as he started to pick up speed.

"MILD MANNERED! Don't you dare run away from me!" Mild came to a stop and faced his father. "No less then ten seconds after I tell you not to use your powers - something that you've been doing for 15 years - you go ahead and do it! What's wrong with you?" Mild had a response, but didn't use it. "Honestly son, ever since your mother passed away, you've turned into a completely different stallion." Mild mumbled something under his breath. "What did you say?"

"I said she wasn't my mother! And you're not my father."

"Mild..."

"You haven't told me where my real parents are. How you found me. Where I came from. How I can do all these things. Do you know what that's like for me?"

"Mild..."

"Normal pegasi can't lift trucks over their heads. They can't run faster then a bus. They can't shoot fire from their noses!"

...

"Since when could you shoot fire from your nose?"

Mild eye's shrank when he remember he hadn't told his old stallion that part. "It... just recently. Not that it's your business."

"Mild, you're better than this!"

"You're right." He stomped on the ground as hard as he could. It shacked so hard that honest fell on his back. "I am better than this. I'm better then Horse Power! I'm better then Sweetie Pie! And I'm sure as hay better than you!"

Tears began to run down Honest's face. "Son... you're mother and I... we were afraid."

"Of what? These?" asked Mild as he extended his large, blue wings.

"Mild, put those away before you do something you'll regret."

"Or... what?" Mild kept his wings open. "Are you gonna shoot me with your shotgun, dad? You know they'll just bounce right off me and hit you.. if I'm lucky."

Honest was openly weeping. "Mild... please stop..." His son raised his wings. "I love you."

"Look up in the sky and you might see me one last time!"

"MILD-"

WHOOSH! 

At an astonishing speed, Mild rocketed off into the air, penetrating the clouds with ease. His father watched on as his son broke the sound barrier, disappearing into space. Mild eventually reached an alltitue where it seemed like he could see all of Equestria, he leaned back and absorbed the peace and quiet. He smiled as the rays of the sun beamed over him. "Now  this is who I am."







A dark portal appeared before Honest Labor. Out of the portal stepped the darkly dressed unicorn. She examined the area around her. "Where is he?"

Honestly climbed back to his feet. "Who?"

"I know it's easy for you Equestrian's to play dumb, but I'm no fool." He walked up till she was right in his face. Honest could make out a white face with a leather domino mask over her eyes. "Where is Pon-E?"

Honest shrugged her off. "Sorry, ma'am. I don't know who your talking about. And for future reference, you might want to rethink your taste in fashion." Deep beneath her cloak, rage was boiling. "Celestia guide you."

THWIP! A leather whip wrapped around one of Honest's hooves. "I will not ask you again, where is he?" Honest glared in return. "Very well." With a blast of magical energy, she sent him flying into his house, knocking the door down. Honest staggered up, Only for the mysterious mare to grab hold of him and throw him against the wall. 

"You... really need to work on your manners, missy."

She tightened her grip. "Don't even consider pointing out flaws, you Equestrian filth."

Honest started to smile. 'Ma'am. You have entered my house, uninvited, and demanded to know the location of a stallion I don't know. Now please leave. We can walk away from this like civil ponies."

She leaned into him. "I'm above that." She dropped him on the ground, taking a few steps back. Using her whips razor tip, she slashed his gut, causing blood to come pouring out. Honest cried out in agony. "I will have to track him again. Farwell, cretin." She opened another portal, stepping through it and vanishing.

Honest stepped out of the house, clutching his gut, trying to keep the blood from leaking. He looked up into the sky. "MILD!" No response. "MILD!" his cry echoing throughout the valley.







Mild enjoyed his time in the upper limits of the atmosphere. Suddenly, he heard the cries of his father, all the way down below. Mild had never heard something from that far away before. "Pa?" Without a seconds hesitation, he soared back towards Equestria just as quickly as he took off earlier. He looked in horror as he touched down, seeing his father in pain. "Dad! We've got to get you to the hospital!"

"No... not until you see this..." Honest trotted as best he could to the barn, Mild helping him along the way.

"Dad, we need to get you patched up."

"Son... I've held this away from you for too long, before I go, you need to see this." He went to the work bench and pulled a metal box out of one of the draws. He opened the box to reveal a metal cylinder. Over the cylinder were several unfamiliar symbols. "Your mother and I... we found you in a patch of clouds... clouds in the shape of a ship." It hurt to talk. "The only things that weren't made of cloud were you... and this," he said as he shoved it into his sons hooves. "Son, don't blame yourself for this. I know you're angry-"

"Dad-"

"But I forgive you... I love you so much... I'll never stop loving you." He kissed his son on the forehead. Both of them were crying. "You're going to be a very important pony... I know you'll make the right choices. Just remember... be the best pony... you can be." With one last breath, Honest faded away, joining his beloved wife in the next life.

"Dad? Dad, wake up! WAKE UP!"







The next morning, Mild sat on the edge of the veranda of his house. A doctor stepped out the door. "Son... I'm afraid I couldn't save him. He really should have come to the hospital. I've called the city morgue and they'll be here to pick him up. I'm sorry."

"No where near as much as I am..."

The doctor reached into his coat and pulled out a card. "I have the number for a grieving counselor. She can help you, Mild." As he laid the card in Mild's hoof, the young pegasus cried.

"Nopony can. Could you please leave?" Without another word, the doctor left, Mild making sure to wait until he disappeared from sight. Mild pulled out the cylinder that his father gave him before. At a much slower speed, he levitated into the air, taking off into the clouds above. Once he reached the altitudes of the clouds, he examined the cylinder closely, noticing that on the top, there was a symbol that looked like a horse shoe, with the letter 's' in the negative space. Mild started to break down. "Dad... Mom... I failed you." He dropped the cylinder, letting it fade into the distance.

SHOOM! The cylinder flew back up to Mild's eye level. Hovering in front of him, Mild tried to touch it, only for it to fly away. Now at a considerable distance from Mild, the cylinder started to spin around and around, sucking the nearby clouds into it. Mild wasn't sure if he was in wonder or if he was horrified. Once all the clouds were sucked into the cylinder, it stopped for a brief second before shooting the clouds back out. The clouds took the form of a giant fortress in the sky, with a door that had the 'S' symbol at the front. The door opened, and Mild slowly entered.

He examined his new surrounding closely. There were statues of pegasi he didn't recognize. There were pools of rainbows as well as several terminals that looked like science labs. He saw that one hall led to what looked like a library. He found glowing 'S' symbol at the end of one hallway. He pressed down on it and the jumped back, afraid of what would happen. A holographic display of a pegasus appeared. He looked like Mild, except much older and his coat was whiter. "My son... welcome home."

Mild was slack jawed. "What?"

"Be at ease, my son, for you will not remember me. I am Kon-E. You're father. You're true name is Pon-E, you're mother was... is Raya-Zon-E. She is spending her last moments with you as I record this message. You are the last son of Cloudtopia. A planet at the farthest end of the galaxy. We were a race of pegasi that lived in peace... only for our self-absorbed nature to blind us from the fact that our sun is going to explode and take our planet with it." Mild couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I sent you in a ship of my own design to the one other planet with sentient equine life; Equestria. They are young, but brave. Once exposed to their magical Sun, you will be granted powers that they will not have. You will be stronger and faster then anypony else." Mild dropped to his knees, overwhelmed with all this new information. "Son... you're going to have to decide what kind of stallion you are going to be, but I know you'll do the right thing."

Behind the hologram, a compartment opened. Mild walked around the hologram to find a blank, suit that could cover his whole body if he had put it on. "This fortress is all that is left of our home world. You will find digitized copies of all of our literature, scientific discoveries and culture. That suit is DNA ready. Meaning it will change color once you wear it. It was the last piece of clothing I had left to give you. Consider this a father's last gift to the love and joy of his life."

Mild took the suit, letting his tears run over the alien piece of clothing. "My son, listen well, for this is the reason you are here. Our world may have no hope, but Equestria does. The planet is populated by those who wish to be better. To be greater. You will be their example. You will give them something to strive towards. You are not perfect my son, but nopony truly is. Your powers will make you a beacon of hope for the future. You will lead by example. You will make them the best ponies they can be." The young pegasus remembered another stallion who spent his life trying to impart that lesson to him before. "I love you my son." Kon-E shed tears while smiling. "Take flight, my little Pon-E." With a flicker, the hologram disappeared, leaving Mild alone in his new fortress.

He checked out the fortress again, this time he found a statue of his mother and father, both of them together and smiling. Mild brushed his mane away from his face, leaving a single curl over his face. "Dad... I won't let you down again."







	Five years later.

The outside of Canterlot was very different from the inside. Every entrance was blocked and protected by armed guards. Near the gates were several ponies, crying because the guards wouldn't let them in. But there was a new pony approaching the gate. He was wearing thick specs, a button up shirt and a tie. One of the guards stepped in his path. "Halt! Who goes there?"

Mild jumped back in fear, whelping a little as he landed back on the ground. "I'm- I'm... M- Mi-"

"Speak peasent!"

"Mild Mannered... I'm a reporter- I just received a job offer from the Daily Sunshine... please see my credentials." His hoof shaking like a drink mixer, he handed the guard a press pass with is picture on it. The guard couldn't help but shake his head as he saw the pegasus shake in fear.

"Whatever... I'll open the gate for you."

"Gee, thank you sir. That would be grand," he said with a goofy smile. The guard gave him a 'WTF' face before signaling the guards controlling the gate.

The gates creeked open like they hadn't been open in years. Mild turned back to all the poor ponies who didn't get the same pass he did. They looked at the gate like it was a gateway to heaven. "Enjoy your life in Canterlot, weirdo."

"Actually, my name's Mild- oomph!" The brute guard shoved Mild towards the gate, trying to get him to pick up the pace. The second he was inside the city walls, everything was different. The streets were clean, the ponies were prim and proper and everything seemed to be in order. With a happy-go-lucky smile, the adjusted his glasses and happily skipped down the street, several ponies giving him the 'WTF' look in the process. While looking up int the sky, he knocked into a very well-to-do looking mare unicorn. "Oh my... I'm so sorry ma'am," apologized Mild as he extended a hoof to her, only for it to be slapped away.

"What the hay is wrong with you, freak?"

"I'm sorry- I'm not sure-"

"You come into Canterlot - a rare pleasure for anypony - and you just skip down the street, looking up in the sky for... what reason exactly?"

Mild kept his smile as he searched for an answer. "I- I just like looking up."

"Well you might want to stop." The mare picked up her bags and walked away. "There's never been a reason for anypony in this town to look up." The pleasant unicorn disappeared into the crowd.

"Have a great day!" Mild continued on his journey, but opted to stop skipping. He eventually found the Daily Daylight, a tall building with a sun rotating on the roof. "Wow, that's high," he spoke aloud, making some of the other ponies around him wonder if he got lost on his way to the short bus.

He made his way to the top floor, finding himself in the bullpin. Journalists and photographers ran frantically around the room, trying to keep up with their deadlines and making sure everything was spell-checked. Mild made his way past everypony as best he could without bumping into them (not that it worked) and arrived at a receptionist desk. The receptionist in question was a pink earth pony, who started blankly ahead like nothing was there. "Excuse me, Miss? My... my name is Mild Mannered and- and I'm here- I'm here for the-"

"Huh? Sorry, I didn't notice you there," she said, clearly not interested in a single word this dork had to say.

"That's quite alright. You look very busy today."

"That's the Daily Daylight," she said with a forced smile. 

"I'm sorry, I forgot to ask for your name."

"Call Waiting."

"That's a lovely name," he said with a warm smile. "My name's Mild Mannered." He extended a hoof towards Call, only for her to just stare at him. "I'm here for the job offer I received."

"You got a job offer?" In case it wasn't clear, Call didn't think much of Mild Mannered.

"Oh yes! I know I have the documents in here somewhere..." he frantically searched his shirt pockets for the papers. "Oh goodness... I seem to have forgotten them. I'm so sorry! I'll have to-"

"Stop," she said with a raised hoof. "I trust ya. Go on in. The chief will be expecting you."

Mild breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank you so much. Celestia bless you. I'd love to chat more later."

"I bet." Call returned to her previous state of 'deep thought'. Mild creeked the door to the chief's office open.

"DAMN IT! WHERE'S MY COFFEE?!" Mild winced as the shouting, still keeping his smile up.

"Good morning, sir. My name's-"

"Mild Mannered. I know. AND WHERE'S MY COFFEE?!" Angry Chief was a brown earth pony, who clearly had been at this job for a while, letting some of his grey hairs shine through is brown mane.

"Then you must be Angry Chief. It's a pleasure to meet you sir-"

"WHATEVER! LOOK, MANNERED, YOU WERE LUCKY TO GET THIS JOB IN THE FIRST PLACE. IF YOU DON'T WORK HARD AND KEEP MOVING, I'M GONNA-"

"E- Excuse me?" The two stallions turned to find a sweet, little mare poke her head in the door. She was a purple unicorn in a white shirt, red tie and glasses. She was clearly scared, but that didn't stop her from sharing her beautiful smile. Mild's heart stopped for a brief second, only to resume what Chief starting yelling again.

"MEEKLY! DO YOU HAVE THE REPORT READY FOR THE PRESSES?!"

The sweet mare searched her saddle bags with her magic. "I'm so sorry- I mean- I- I- I do. It's in here somewhere... I think."

Chief rolled his eyes. "GREAT! NOW THERE'S TWO OF THEM! MILD MANNERED, MEET OUR OFF-SITE INVESTIGATOR; MEEKLY!"

"Must you shou-"

"YES!"

Meekly turned to the new stallion, blushing when she realized how handsome he was. "I- I'm sorry- Cheif is..." her voice trailed off as she blushed and turned away, still smiling.

"Oh... that's alright ma'am... I'm sure- I'm sure he's..." Mild mimicked Meekly sweet gesture as they struggled to maintain eye contact. Chief looked like he was about to vomit.

"YOU MAKE ME SICK! GET OUT OF MY OFFICE AND GET BACK TO WORK! WELCOME TO THE TEAM, MANNERED!"

"It's a pleasure to-"

"OUT!"

Meekly and Mild ran to the door, only to awkwardly bump into each, giggling like school children as they left. "I'm sorry about Chief," said Meekly. He's a really sweet guy when you get to know him." Her blush grew brighter.

"I'm... I'm sure. Miss-"

"Meekly. Just Meekly." The two awkwardly giggled and blushed like teenagers with Call Waiting looking disgusted.

"There's two of them now..."

"EVERYPONY! LISTEN UP!" yelled Chief as he charged out of his office. The shout frightened Meekly to the point of jumping into the air, only to land in Mild's hooves. "I JUST GOT WORD OVER THE WIRE! THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THE GRAND UNVEILING OF A NEW EXHIBIT AT THE MUSEUM, LATER TODAY. MANNERED! I WANT YOU DOWN THERE FOR YOUR FIRST STORY!"

"Why are you shouting at everypony?"

"TO REMIND THEM I WANT MY COFFEE!" Chief slammed his door and the employees returned to work. Mild gently lowered Meekly to the ground. 

"Thank you.. such a gentlecolt," she said while batting her eye lashes.

Mild turned a bright red. "Oh it's-"

CRRRRRKT! Mild's super-hearing picked up the sound of something crumbling. He searched the nearby area for other sounds. He picked up the sounds of unsuspecting ponies near the sound. He looked out the window, using his X-Ray and super-vision to see the source of the sound. He found a large, stone pillar about to crumble on top of a group of ponies. Suddenly, all the blood left his face, almost like he could control it. "You'll have to excuse me, ma'am."

"What?" Mild ran into the crowd of reporters, vanishing from sight. Meekly looked back at Call. "Who was that?"

"Who cares?"







Mild ran into the abandoned alley next to the Daily Daylight, throwing away his glasses and ripping his shirt off, revealing a red and blue uniform underneath. It only covered the same part of his torso that his shirt was covering, but the alien technology extended the uniform over the rest of his body, leaving his wings free. Over the flank and chest, the 'S' symbol from the cylinder was christened. As the uniform created a mask over Mild's face, he extended his wings and took off.

A stallion looked up to find the giant stone pillar tumbling over. "RUN!" The ponies around galloped away from the pillar as fast as they could. When they turned back, they noticed a young filly looking up, motionless. "What are you waiting for? Run!" The filly did nothing, she just looked up and waited...

WHOOSH! A red and blue blur appeared out of nowhere, catching the pillar above his head. Mild hovered triumphantly over the crowd. All the ponies looked up in amazement. Mild took the opportunity to look around, giving friendly smiles to everypony. He finally looked down at the little girl he just saved. "Ma'am..."

"AAH!" screamed the filly. He parents ran over, picked her up and bolted out of sight. Everypony else ran away as well, screaming at the top of their lungs. Mild looked in confusion as everypony seemed terrified of him.

"No... please... I'm here to help." It was too late. He was alone. Mild dropped the pillar on the ground like it was nothing. He took to a higher altitude to see where everypony ran. When he flew high enough, he could see everypony in Canterlot running away in fear. He hung his head in shame.

"I think I've made a mistake."






Next: Act 2!