//------------------------------// // A New Life, And Answers To Old Questions. // Story: Phantasm // by Debonair //------------------------------// We stood at the mouth of the cave each in a Pony form. Mari was a beige Pegasus, Manny was a plain Pony with blue fur, Nina was a pink Unicorn. Strewn mining carts laid around covered in dust and dirt. "It looks like these haven't been used in ages." I flapped my wings and the dust scattered into the air. "You're right," Chrys waved her hoof in the air and coughed. "It's been deserted for centuries, many have tried to collect the thousands of gems inside, but their attempts proved fruitless, at the cost of their own lives. The Princess of the Sun, Celestia declared it unsafe and closed it." "What was to stop them from coming back?" Juan found a round pebble and tossed it down a ravine. He listened closely, nothing. He looked disheartened after a full minute of silence. "Well unlike Human society, these ponies actually have respect for one another, but to keep Gryphons, Dragons, and Zebras from disobeying Pony Law, a camouflage spell was placed over it, after so many years the legends of fame and fortune died down and most forgot about the caverns." "Why didn't you?" My head whipped back around as the small pebble made a large thud. Juan looked down into the black and just whistled. "How many you think fell down?" Nina and Manny looked down with him. "I don't know, and I don't want to find out." He shook his head and smiled. "Go'on you got the world to take over, I gotta feeling that Gregory's still down here." "Are you sure, you'll be okay alone?" "I'm the Lone Wolf type, can't travel with the pack all the time." He shrugged his shoulders. "Meet back up here in a few days?" "Wait," Chrys held out a small worm. "Take this," "What's this?" The worm sprang to life as it grew six legs. "Ear-wig, A small creature I bred especially for inception purposes. Place it in your ear and you'll be able to hear whatever I need to tell you." "Inception, huh." He took a moment to ponder if he should put the bug in his ear. "Will it interfere with my senses?" "It shouldn't, it might even help when you see Gregory." He shrugged his shoulders again and let it crawl in his ear. "Feels just like a Bluetooth." "Inception?" Manny asked. "Inception, is a form of hypnotism," Chrys said. "It's like taking an idea you have and putting it in someone else's head." "Like what we do but with ideas rather than emotion." Mari said. "Strong and Stupid type." "Hey take that back." "Fine you're not Strong." "Thanks," "What?" "Wait a minute." Mari held out her hoof. "Hey," Manny had just figured it out. "See what I mean?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Manny," "Thank you," "Now the plan," "Manny and I will sneak into the archives," Nina replied. "Anything we learn will be reported to you." "I tail the two big ones, learn everything I can, it's one thing to fool the beau, but it's hard to fool the family." Mari said with a smile. "I get into the guard, learn the security protocols and become friends with the captain, anything I know you'll know." "Downplay the friend part, wouldn't be wise to fraternize too long with the enemy." "Alright, Just an act, we Spaniards are known for our way with words." "Good, I'll contact each of you for the switch, it should be sometime tomorrow evening." Chrys smiled and we left through the cave mouth to the warm sun. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. I heard birds chirping and the gentle breeze shook the leaves. "The Gala will be sometime this week, a little fuzzy on the details. Stay away at all costs do you understand?" "Why?" "I've heard that there will be hundreds of ponies in attendance, including the Six Element Holders." "And your point is?" "Unless your guise is flawless one of them could spot that small thing that makes you incomplete. Like the Holder of Generosity is very nit picky she can spot a loose thread a mile away. And pay close attention to the Holder of Laughter, if you so much as breath her way she'll be all over you in a second." "I'm sure you're over exaggerating." "No I'm not, beware the Holders of Harmony, those glasses should be able to show you who they are." I had completely forgotten about the glasses, I reach back for them and somehow pull them out of my ear. I slide them over my eyes, through the blue tint I could see the small glowing balls laying in their chests. Grey for Chrys, and White for the rest. "The Holders of Harmony should have a certain energy that differs from others." "Okay what do I need to look for?" "Well you need to stay away from the Holder of Magic, I've heard she lives in a library and is very nosy," "Any names, appearances, even whatever this is?" I point at the image of the scythe on my flank would be the technical term. "My spies have left out some crucial details on the Six as individuals, no names, no family, not even a Cutie Mark, just personalities. They could be anywhere so keep your guard up Twenty Four Seven." "That gives me a lot to go on." I felt gypped. "Why don't I attend the Gala, gather some info on the Holders of Harmony, and get you some well needed intelligence. If it takes a little fraternizing to get the job done so be it." "That could work, but it's invitation only, even for guards." "Come on this is me we're talking about," Saying that made her just shake her head and smile. "Fine, but if I catch you trying anything, with them." She shoved her face in mine, her horn tip hit the scar from the arrow. An intense pain shot through my head. My hoof shot up to push her away. "I'm sorry," She wrapped a foreleg around me and massaged the sore spot. "Feel better?" "Si, I'm fine. no problema," I winced as she lowered her foreleg and ran over the other scar. "So I better get going." "Good Luck," Nina and Manny yelled. "Gracias mi Amigos." "Don't forget, he's not your friend." "Enemigo, no friends just potential enemies." "Right," Chrys nodded. After a few not so heartfelt goodbyes, we parted ways. The city was full of ponies of different kinds, and colors. Many of them too stuck up to notice a commoner like me. I walked by a window washer who looked strangely out of place. A country bumpkin in the big city. The Scaffolding he was on gave way, in a split second I darted forward and the whole two-hundred pounds of him slammed into my back. "Oh god that hurt." "Thanks a million sir," He quickly hopped off of my back and held out his hoof. "No problem." I took it and rose back up. "The Name's Hayseed," Hayseed, weird name but this is a weird place. "What's yours?" "My friends call me Tony," "Well what brings ya here Tony?" "Well I'm looking for a job." "Well a pretty strong stallion like you could have any number of jobs here, anythin' specific?" "I was looking for something along the lines of law enforcement." "Well," He took a moment to think, obviously the gears in his head were a bit rusty. "I'd say you'd find work that way," He motioned to the east. "The Royal Guard is taking in applications, or if you prefer speed over power the Wonderbolts are takin' in new recruits too." "Wonderbolts?" "They're the quick response team, comprised of nothing but Pegsasi, but they're mostly trick flyers, and to boot each one gets a free ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala." Not quite the plan, but I may have to try these Wonderbolts. "And some are even buddy buddy with the Princesses." Up close and personal with the Princesses, a free ticket, quick response. "Either way you'll get a good job and good pay, and new friends." "Thanks Hayseed, I've got a lot to think about." "Why don't we talk some more over lunch, it's the least I could do, I coulda ended up in the hospital." "You don't have to, besides I'm not hungry. Rain-check." "I'll hold ya to it." He shook my hoof and went to clear the rubble, good guy. "What should I do? "While I would prefer you enter the guard, staying with the original plan, this opportunity could prove most beneficial," Wouldn't hurt to try but it's up to you. "Why not Both?" Nina Interrupted. "It says here that the Wonderbolts work closely with the Pegasus Corps. You may have a shot to get in both." "That may work, but in all confidence it's up to you." I found a tree in a park and sat in the shade. "What to do." My stomach rumbled. "Maybe I should have taken him up on that offer." A dog was sniffing around the street. It looked familiar, it was like I met him before. I moved my head a little. and his ears perked up. He stared at me with his head cocked. "Come here little guy." He leaned forward and bared his teeth. His growls grew louder as he lunged for me. My left wing shot up in defense, I felt the thud and fell onto my back. "Calm down perro," "Who are you, and what have you done with him?" A almost dark voice resonated from him. "What are you talking about?" "Don't play dumb with me, you reek of him," He nosed away my wing and jumped onto my chest. "It has to be here," "Get off me!" My left hind leg slammed into his gut sending him sprawling. "I don't know what you're talking about!" "Tell me where he is, or else!" He snapped sending drool into the air. "Or else what, you'll give me mange?" "Tell me where he is!" "Who?" "Fredrico Allegro Cresstopher." In a flash of light he had transformed into a tall man with a jackal head. He picked me up by my neck and slammed me into the tree trunk. "What do you want with him?" "He belongs to me, now where is he!?" "I don't know where my father is." "Your father?" He let go and let me fall to the ground. "I seriously doubt that, Horse boy." He crossed his arms and his beady eyes felt like they were staring into my very soul. "So he re-gifted. I gave your father that ability, but it was gone when I retrieved him." He took a moment to look over my choice of disguise. "What are you?" "I am Anubis," "Egyptian god of Judgement?" "The one and the same, what do you say about a test. If you pass, I let you go." "And if I don't?" "You help me find your father." "What do you have in mind?" "What is the quickest way from point A to B?" "A riddle, and a poor one at that," He stared at me unconvinced I had the answer. "A curved line." He stepped back obviously I had given the correct answer. "On a globe there is no straight lines only curves. Please tell me that wasn't the real test." "You possess, cunning and intellect, very well the true test begins, I will be testing your ability to adapt." "Anubis," Death appeared and placed his hand on his shoulder. "How is you Mother." "The one known only as Death, is he one of yours?" "Yes he is, and I know you're here for him." "Yes I am, I want to find who took him," "You want to judge him." "In a sense," "We agreed that we would not take ownership." "I know but you left him with me, he was my responsibility." "It's alright, he's earning his freedom as we speak." Anubis raised an eyebrow. "You found him." "Yes, and I ask you return, you can trust me." "Of course I can Nameless One, but I do not wish to return, just yet." "This place is quite the paradise, Poseidon would be proud." It was both humbling and confusing to see the most powerful beings act like normal people. "Indeed," "Excuse me for interrupting but ¿Por qué estás aquí?" "I have a gift, from your girlfriend." He rolled he eyes at the word girlfriend. "She wants me to give you this." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a black scarab. "It's your weapon," I took the small artifact and looked over it. "It is inactive at the moment." The Ankh, the earrings, and the Phantasm bands started to glow. "I took precautions, so she wouldn't use it without my permission, and without the proper wielder." "But you said that." "Originally it was going to be used by your father but I found that the lock had been stolen." A lock just like he said. " "All of the pieces must be present to solve the puzzle, you can guess but you'll never know for sure." "Something you taught me old friend." Death patted his back. "Considering you used my key." "I've been keeping it safe looking for the one who could use it." "So it rules that out as a possible explanation." "How does it work?" I found a hole about the size of the Ankh and placed it inside. The eye holes were the shape of the earrings. Each Band split into three and I slipped each piece in a hole at the base. It's eyes glowed blood red.as it sprang to life. It crawled up my arm and perched between my wings. I turned my head and watched as it stretched it's own wings. "What is it?" "It's an Egyptian Armor Beetle, an automaton constructed by myself and reluctantly her." "Do you mean the Insect Queen?" Anubis knelt down to get a closer look at the Beetle. "Yes," "You two left on a sour note if I recall correctly." "Life is a harsh mistress." Death sighed. "The Armor Beetle will obey whoever it deems worthy and it has chosen you." A warm feeling sank into my body. as a cold embrace wrapped around me. "Don't panic, it is an Armor Beetle." I shut my eyes and waited for the process to end.