CHAPTER 9
[Ponyville Town Hall]
A large group consisting of Team Valkyrie, Darkrai, Princesses Celestia and Luna, the Elements of Harmony, the Royal Guards, and the Mayor all gathered around in the Town Hall as Celestia began her story.
"So Princess," Twilight spoke up, "What is this that Ponies and Pokémon have met before?"
Celestia sighed and began her tale.
...
Celestia: "Ponies and Pokémon have long been embroiled in a fierce rivalry for superiority that goes back several thousand years, a short while before even I was born. Pokémon were far more brutal and uncivilised back then than they are now, a change that the world will be most grateful for. Initially, the Pokémon quickly became the dominant group of the time. Their abilities to control the elements such as fire, lightning, water and the like made them a fierce group to try and compare with, and the ponies of old simply didn't have the means to compete with that. That is, until we discovered how to bring the physics-defying miracle that is magic under control. In our jealousy of these supernatural creatures, we made it our goal to rise up to their level with our newly-acquired talents, something we felt we were able to do simply by being more refined and civilised than them. Pioneers such as Star Swirl the Bearded were able to create and master some two hundred spells, and to this day there are new ones popping up all the time.
"Although Ponies could now stand up to the Pokémon on even-footing, there were still numerous distinct differences between the two groups. Ponies found that their magic was oriented towards broad variety and adaptability; oriented around creation, construction, defence, and telekinesis. In short, to create things and make them last as long as possible.
"It didn't take long to establish how Magic affected the three races. The most obvious was that only Unicorns could wield it in the typical sense of spellcasters and mages, through their horns. Pegasi were able to use their newfound powers of flight and weather control in order to give them an edge in agility and versatility. The effect on Earth Ponies meanwhile was far more subtle. It took them a while, but eventually they learned how to draw magic from the earth itself, and use it to not only increase their agriculture boon tenfold, but to bolster their strength and stamina as well.
"Pokémon on the other hand, are solely concentrated on destruction and combat, and the best of them became unparalleled in either regard. That doesn't mean Pokémon aren't capable of construction as well, but whatever they make simply won't have the same high quality that Ponies can achieve, nor are Pokémon as technologically-savvy".
"Of course, numerous spells were conjured solely to replicate Pokémon techniques such as the 'Thunderbolt', the 'Flamethrower', and the like. And indeed, a mage who trained herself sufficiently enough in the art of battle magic could fight toe-to-toe with any Pokemon equal-to or beneath her in power. A Pegasus who was quick with her wits as well as her hoofs could run circles around her opponent, blasting them with lightning at her leisure. An Earth Pony, with enough practice, could very easily knock an opponent out with a single kick.
"The Ponies quickly realised however that there were several slight differences between their replicas and the real thing. For example, let's compare Twilight Sparkle to our new friend Zappo over here. While Twilight is fully capable of learning and using the spell equivalent to 'Thunderbolt' with competent efficiency, weight for weight, it simply never will quite have as much power or the same quality as the real thing".
...
"What do you mean?" Twilight inquired.
"When it comes to casting electric bolts," Celestia clarified, "Anything you can do, he can do better".
"Oh," Twilight looked slightly deflated.
"You do possess an advantage over him, however," Celestia continued, "The Ponies of Old were impatient for results, so they figured that if Pony-kind couldn't reach the level of the Pokémon, then the level of the Pokémon had to be brought down to them. To do that, the ponies were able to combine their magic into a single, then-ultimate spell, and placed a sort of limiter on all of Pokémon-kind".
CJ spoke up, "So, do you mean that Pokémon were originally more powerful than they were now?"
"Not quite," Darkrai answered for her, continuing the story.
...
Darkrai: "What the Ponies had done, much to our eternal frustration, was not limit our power, but instead placed a seal on our memory cortex. Every Pokémon is now stuck with the curse that they can only learn and remember four moves at a given time. We have them to blame for that.
"We used to have no such problem regarding moves. We could learn as many as our respective species was capable of learning. This meant that each individual had an answer for pretty much everything, and some Pokémon became pretty much unstoppable if they were allowed to train to a high enough degree.
Celestia: "Ponies naturally have no such limiter. You can learn as many magical spells as you see fit, and this gives you a vital edge in regards to your options in a pinch".
Darkrai: "Naturally, this little trick didn't go down well with us, and to be frank, that's where things started going downhill very rapidly. The two rival groups were on edge and highly wary of each other, constantly trying to outdo the other in one way or another in the dash to ultimate perfection, leaving many other of Equestria's species, such as the Griffons, behind. Over time, the suspicion and tense hostility continued to build, ultimately culminating into a full-scale conflict to prove who was dominant once and for all.
"The next few years were a period of time that no-one wanted to remember. The scale of sheer destruction to this day has never been equalled. Unfathomable numbers of lives were wasted in the name of vanity, and the two groups very nearly drove each other to extinction. That is why there are only around eight hundred species of Pokémon left, as well as why some species of Pokémon are so rare, even to this day. Many species were wiped out entirely. Not to mention it gave me some ripper nightmare material... but that's beside the point.
"This conflict also saw the first appearance of the Alicorns, Princesses Celestia and Luna included. Each of these magical powerhouses were the closest thing the Ponies had to a Legendary Pokémon, and to this day, it is a complete mystery to me as to how they first came about. They're a marvel to witness in battle, incredibly intelligent and crafty, and are tough bastards to bring down. It's no wonder they're considered Royalty. Naturally, they were almost always targeted first in any engagement, which explains why Alicorns are incredibly rare. I think there were only about twenty of them at a given time, compared to the several million Pokemon against them. They all kind-of died fighting against us.
"Before a complete genocide of either group could be completed however, we finally mutually agreed to peace, if just to conserve our futures, and we went our separate ways. The Ponies created boats for us, and we set sail across the oceans, to never return to this place again. After only two days of travelling, Pokémon sighted, landed and inhabited the land mass we currently live on".
Celestia: "Both groups wanted nothing more than for the violence to end, and everyone agreed to just forget it ever happened and never speak of each other again. Because no self-respecting pony ever wrote down what they did for each day, all official records of what had happened during those brief and bloody times, as well as any other record of Pokémon in general for that matter, are in the possession of other species, such as the Griffons or the Diamond Dogs. To us, the events are forever lost in history, good riddance.
"Shortly after the Pokémon left, we were left scattered and agitated, and to make things worse, the Windegos swooped in and very nearly finished us off, but we all know what happens after that, and the rest is history".
...
Everyone listening were silent, trying to comprehend what they were told.
"If this is a bit much for you to digest, we understand," Celestia said solemnly, "Not a single pony in Equestria other than Luna and myself are aware of our true and terrible past. While we fought, bickered and bled, the other races of Equestria and beyond could do little but standby and watch, knowing full well to not get themselves involved. Even the mighty Dragons were wary of their distant Pokémon-variety cousins".
She turned to face Darkrai, "The past is the past, and nothing we do will change that. Now that we have all had time to grow and develop as civilisations, we now are far wiser than we were nine thousand years ago". She held out her hoof towards the Dark Type Pokémon, "Here, we have the opportunity for forgiveness and redemption. Now we have rediscovered each other, and hopefully we can start afresh on a new page".
Darkrai shook her hoof with a nod. "I, for one, am happy to accept your offer".
"While this is all very well," Zappo looked confused, "How is it that you three are still alive after several thousand years?"
"Well, I don't know about them, but as the Legendary Pokémon of Nightmares, I'm pretty much immortal," Darkrai shrugged.
"Alicorns are naturally long-lived as it is, at least four or five times the lifespan of any other race of Pony." Celestia answered, "However because I raise the Sun in the morning, the large amounts of magic I wield have extended my lifespan indefinitely. Likewise, Luna obtains her power from the magic she uses to raise the moon for the night".
"Basically, if she croaks anytime soon, it won't be from old age," Darkrai chuckled, earning him a dark glare from both Royal Princesses.
"We see thou still has thy morbid sense of humour," Luna muttered, "That much has certainly not changed about thee".
"I'm the Legendary of Nightmares, remember?" Darkrai smirked, "You can't exactly expect me to be roses and sunshine".
"Indeed," Celestia turned towards the Elements of Harmony, "Obviously, you girls haven't met Darkrai yet. Consider him to be a Pokemon version of the spirit that took over Princess Luna just a few months ago, if you will".
"Except without the bent-on-world-destruction part," Darkrai added, "Seriously, that bitch has issues."
"I don't like the look of him already," Twilight murmured, "Is he dangerous?"
"He's a pest on the level of Discord, but otherwise, he won't actually bring any mortal harm," Celestia assured them, "He says that he does what he does because that's just how his species is programmed, not out of any actual malice".
"'Discord'... I haven't heard that name in a while either," Darkrai murmured, "How is that old bastard holding up?"
"He's now a statue in the Royal Garden," Celestia muttered, "Where he won't cause any problems".
"Ah".
"And what does Darkrai do, exactly?" asked Applejack.
Celestia regarded her addressor for a moment, trying to put her words together. Luna answered for her, however. "He enters thy dreams while thou art asleep, and plants horrible nightmares of unspeakable monstrosity".
"Luna, please. You're flattering me," said Darkrai with a cheeky tone, "We're not trying to scare them already. I've only just met them!"
"If we wanted to flatter you, we would dare say that thou belongs in the depths of Tartarus," Luna scowled.
"Okay, now that's a bit much," he murmured.
"Otherwise, Darkrai is a fairly harmless Pokémon," Celestia finished, "The worst he'll do to you is give you a fright, laugh at how scared you were and then leave you alone to scare somepony else".
"So you'll just let a brute like that wander around Equestria?!" Rarity cried aghast, "That's not what we'd consider a 'useful' ally at all!"
"I understand your concern," Celestia assured them, and turned to Darkrai with a glare, "But he's going to be on his best behaviour, isn't he?"
"Well, I can't make any promises..." Darkrai shrugged.
"Isn't he?" Celestia frowned forcefully.
"Alright, alright," He grumbled, raising his hands defensively, "I'll leave them alone".
"Good, I'll hold you to that," Celestia returned her gaze to the Elements of Harmony, "So, do you have any other questions?"
"I have one," Mayor Mare spoke up, "How long will these... 'Pokémon' be staying with us?"
"That is unknown," Celestia shook her head, "We're going to try improve our relationships with this group of creatures and if possible, they'll be here to stay. Fear not, however. I intend to let them build their own settlements away from any current towns and cities, far enough that it can allow some breathing space between us, but not so far that if anything goes wrong, help is never too far away".
"Would it be wise to have all of these potentially dangerous and destructive creatures running around? We've seen firsthand what they can do when angered," said Twilight worriedly.
"I'm aware of that," Celestia nodded, "But consider this. In all honesty, what difference would there be between them and a Pony using Magic for destructive purposes? Ponies can create just as much of a mess if they really wanted to. Capability-wise, they aren't that much different from us. They are just more experienced and welcoming of their destructive side than we are.
"At the end of the day, if we are to have a stable friendship here, we are going to just have to trust them and try to stay on good terms with them. I have also witnessed the power of Pokémon firsthand, and when push comes to shove, there is no other species I would rather have on my side in the unlikely event of a major conflict. Luna and I were lucky enough to walk away from that terrible conflict ourselves, but very few ponies of old walked away unscathed from a battle with them. Remember, even many Alicorns lost their lives fighting them".
"So, what would you say is the best key to get along with these creatures, then?" asked Applejack.
"It actually varies from species to species," Darkrai answered for her, "But generally speaking, Pokémon are quite restless and require something to do at all times, whether that be simply helping someone out or beating down a monster three times their size. Most of us usually just enjoy adventures, sight-seeing, treasure hunts, or simply looking out for their family. As long as you respect us, your respect will be returned likewise. That, I can promise you".
"But beware," He warned, "Not all Pokémon are nice and friendly, and really are quite malicious at heart. They are a shrinking minority as of recent times, but they're still out there, and you will run into one eventually. When that happens, the best solution is to simply bash them. They'll leave you alone after that".
"Do we really have to?" asked Twilight, "There isn't any other way to deal with trouble makers?"
"They don't speak any other language," Darkrai shook his head, "Every Pokémon knows that from tried-and-tested experience. The bad ones simply don't play any other game".
"Erm, I have a question," Fluttershy squeaked, almost barely audible, "W-What is it that makes them nasty in the first place?"
"I guess the best answer for that would be that their parents were incompetent," He shrugged, "Some of them are either just naturally hot-headed or proud and narcissistic. We really don't know what makes those morons tick, and we live with the useless muckabouts. But you don't need to worry too much about them. They're a dying breed".
"Is there anything else that anyone else is unsure of?" Celestia asked.
No-one said anything.
"If you have any other inquiries, don't hesitate to see Twilight about sending me a letter for you. Team Valkyrie, and Darkrai, you four are coming back to Canterlot with us. There are a few things I want to discuss with you all in private," Celestia turned and walked out, followed by Luna, the guards and finally the Pokémon.
[Canterlot Castle]
The long journey back to Canterlot was spent in relative silence.
Once they arrived, Luna excused herself to rest up for her next night shift, and Celestia directed the Pokémon to follow her to the throne room, where she addressed them.
"You remember how I mentioned the Griffon Civil war across our border?" she began, "Recent reports have indicated that the Rebel forces are beginning to completely overrun their nation. For a long time, the Griffon King was able to suppress the Rebels and keep them relatively down to size, however as of recent, the Rebels are suddenly dominating the king's army in every encounter, which then has a domino effect from there. Nopony is sure as to what the Rebels have obtained to cause such a shift in the balance of power, but whatever it is, it's swaying many Griffons to their cause. Most of the information we have on this new secret weapon is based on speculation and hear-say, but what we do know is that this... thing is capable of incredible power and destruction, on a scale beyond anything we've seen before.
"Numerous refugees are trying to escape the carnage and take up political asylum here in Equestria, among them the King and Queen themselves, who the Rebels want dead. If we allow the Griffon royalty to set up in exile in Equestria, the Rebels will doubtlessly invade us if it means getting to them. Should they invade, countless ponies will be caught in the crossfire, and they will be forced from their homes or even killed for harbouring 'traitors'. Not to mention, if even the Griffons cannot find an answer to the Rebel secret weapon, we won't be able to find one in time either, short of the Elements of Harmony".
"So, I take it the Rebels are the bad guys?" asked Archie.
"Correct," Celestia replied, "Relations with the Griffons so far have been reasonably good, better than they ever have been, actually. However these Rebels do not support their collaboration with us, wanting to isolate and want little more than to exclude themselves from the rest of the world and rise up as a formidable global power. At the end of the day, they're terrorists, and have made it clear that they have no issues in attacking Equestria in order to get their desired results. Now, in my experience, Pokémon-kind has produced some of the finest warriors to ever live, and that is why I'm willing to put our past behind us to potentially save our future. In return for letting you set up your exploration bases here in Equestria, would you be willing to help protect the safety of our citizens, in the event of a Griffon invasion?"
"Certainly," CJ nodded, "You have our word, Secret Weapon of Mass Destruction or not".
"There is one other, most pressing issue," said Celestia, "Every now and then, Royal Reconnaissance Teams return with vital information for our Intelligence Network, regarding how the war is coming along. Would you also be willing to serve missions abroad into the Griffon Kingdom and beyond for the sake of Equestria's safety? Parliament has no intention of sending Royal Guards across to intervene, but there is nothing that says I can't send a Pokémon Team instead. For each mission you accept, you will receive a handsome reward".
Zappo shrugged, "I don't have a problem with that".
"Each of these missions must be carried out in the highest of secrecy," Celestia warned, "If word gets out that you are operating from an Equestrian base, there will be an uproar, and the Griffons will have their excuse to invade in retaliation".
"We understand," Zappo replied, "We won't disappoint".
Celestia sighed in relief, "You don't realise how much this means to me. Even if the Griffons don't attack at all, at least I'll be able to live with the knowledge that we now have a stable friendship with a once-mortal enemy".
"I'm just glad we have something new to do," said Zappo, "Hunting criminals and tracking down lost items was becoming a bore anyway. Nothing like intervening in a civil war to spice things up a bit, eh?"
"I will inform you of any new assignments via Twilight's assistant Spike," said Celestia, "In the meantime, you three, as well as any other Pokémon Teams that venture across, are free to explore all that Equestria has to offer as you see fit. Equestrian history is a very rich one indeed, and I'm sure you'll find something that satisfies your taste for adventure".
"What about me?" asked Darkrai.
"You are staying here with me," Celestia frowned, "I already know what your favourite pastime is, and frankly I'm going to have to keep an eye on you at all times".
"That's a funny way of exercising trust in a new ally," Darkrai murmured.
"Firstly, you specifically have to prove to me that you are trustworthy," said Celestia, "Don't think I haven't forgotten a thing or two about what you do when you think no one is looking".
"I suppose that's fair enough," Darkrai admitted.
"Did you ever meet on regular occasion back all those years ago?" asked Archie.
"My job was to simply demoralise the Ponies by giving them all nightmares," replied Darkrai, "In the process, I developed a bit of a personal rivalry with Princess Luna. Her ability of clearing up nightmares was able to counter my efforts, and it became a race for her to try and keep up with me. I rarely took part in any actual fighting, simply because, well fighting an immortal god is just unfair".
"We seemed to have no issues taking you down," Zappo shrugged.
"That idiotic bitch of a spirit probably didn't quite fully understand how my abilities could be used to the fullest," Darkrai countered, "If that were actually me you were fighting, you certainly wouldn't have lasted very long".
"Changing topics," CJ interjected quickly, "I heard someone mention a character named 'Discord'. Who's he?"
"That crazy son of a bitch is the physical embodiment of Chaos, the antithesis to Harmony," answered Darkrai, "He and I got along quite well for a while, believe it or not. He had some of the best nightmare ideas even I couldn't possibly had thought of. When one mixes insanity with horror, then you open up a whole other, and not to mention quite ugly, can of worms. Poor Luna was taxed to the limit trying to clear up those sanity-smashing gems. I think she even had a few nightmares herself for a while. It's not really surprising that she doesn't like me very much, and I'm sure her sister Celestia shares the same sentiment".
Both Princesses stared at Darkrai with a cold glare.
"... But you know what? I think I'm gonna stop all that stuff and leave it all behind," he added quickly, "By the way, who's up for something to eat? I'm starving..."
"Hmm," Celestia sighed, sensing that there was little else to be discussed, "As I said before, your teams will have free liberty to explore all that Equestria has to offer, within reason of course. I hope that as more Pokémon arrive, we will be able to further develop our budding friendship long into the future. If there is nothing else, I wish a good afternoon to you all".
Team Valkyrie all bowed slightly and turned for the throne room exit, followed by Darkrai.
"Remember Darkrai," Celestia called out with an unflinching stare, "Your best behaviour".
Darkrai briefly paused to meet her stare, before exiting through the door.
[Several days later, somewhere along the Equestrian foreshore]
Connor stood wide-eyed as he slowly paced around the beach, getting a feel for his new surroundings.
"So this is Equestria..." He breathed softly, "I must admit, I like this place already". He turned about to face Marco, who was watching the Zorua's reactions with interest. "Thank you for the lift. I should be fine from now on".
"Think nothing of it," Marco smiled, "You're on your own from here on in, so be careful". The Lapras waved a fore flipper before turning and swimming off.
Connor quickly thought back to everything his father taught him about exploring.
First: establish an understanding of your surroundings. Second: locate sources of food, water and if possible, shelter. Third: Stealth is a Zoroark's most useful tool, so use it to your advantage, and attract as little attention to yourself as possible.
Connor took a deep breath as he activated his Illusion ability, disappearing completely from view in a matter of seconds. Not even the sounds of his breathing nor his footsteps crunching in the sand could be heard.
With a confidant breath of fresh air, he started walking into the dense undergrowth of trees, tense with excitement about what lay before him.
He trudged his way through several miles of trees before finding a gravel pathway. Out of curiosity, he started following this pathway, assuming that if there were roads, there must be some sort of civilisation that created them.
The road was long and probably hadn't seen any maintenance since its construction. After what seemed like an eternity, as the sun was starting to disappear behind the horizon, he happened to wander across a sign. Unfortunately, his literacy levels weren't as good as he liked them to be, and he struggled to make out what it was saying.
"Man... Mane... hat... an." He frowned as he tried to decipher the sign, "Manehattan. Huh, what a weird name for a city".
"Well, where there are signposts," He murmured under his breath, "There's civilisation. This 'Manehattan' must be further along the road".
Continuing his journey, he was able to spot the silhouette of high-rise skyscrapers over the horizon. He quickly dashed across and clambered up a nearby tree to get a better view. From up here, the city stretched across the horizon in the distance.
"Would you get a load of that..." He stared in wide-eyed amazement, "I've never known a Pokémon town to grow as big as this... We must be stumbling upon a species far more advanced than ourselves, so it would seem..."
His excitement dragged him down the tree and towards the city. The buildings never seemed to stop growing in size as he approached. Upon reaching the city outskirts, he was able to see what sort of creatures this new civilisation was composed of.
What he saw, almost floored him with surprise.
"What in Arceus' name are these things?!" He stared at the crowds of Ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns going about their lives. With his Illusion ability still active, they were all blissfully unaware as the lone Zorua brazenly walked within several feet of them for close inspection, and almost lost himself in the crowd, staring in wonder and awe at the sheer variety and individualism amongst them.
"Oh, I have to copy this," Connor sprinted off into a dark alley. He disengaged his ability and started concentrating on a Unicorn sitting and talking with some of her friends in a cafe across the street. It took him several seconds to mentally imprint the basic physiology of these creatures into his memory banks, and starting fiddling around and experimenting from there.
The first Illusion he cast didn't turn out very well. Upon inspection in a reflective window, he looked more like a mutant Rapidash, rather than a Pony. Frowning, he shook off the Illusion and started again.
Several failures later, he finally settled on something he was satisfied to blend in with.
His new appearance was that of an Earth Pony, something he figured would be the easiest and most practical of the three races to work with if he ever had to create a back story on the spot.
His new Illusion looked almost exactly like himself, except in a pony form. Its dark-grey coat almost gleamed, despite the poor lighting conditions. With some difficulty, he successfully replicated the scruff of thick red fur on his head as well as a black bushy tail. The large blue eyes staring back in the reflection sparkled with excitement as He twirled about to check for imperfections.
Satisfied that there were none, he turned to step back into the busy streets as something new caught his attention. Every pony that walked past had a strange emblem on their flank, and each one was unique.
Connor back-stepped to the window and noticed that he didn't have such a picture. That will not do, He thought. After a bit of thought, he settled on a picture of his Explorer Badge. With a bit of concentration, the picture appeared on either side of his back legs.
"That's more like it," His new appearance broke into a wide grin, "Equestria, come at me!"
Confidently, Connor stepped in amongst the busy streets in his new appearance, determined to field-test his new look. In the vast crowd every conceivable colour, the new black stallion almost stuck out like a sore thumb, and several ponies glanced at him with strange expressions.
"Haters gonna hate," Connor smirked, indifferent to the stares, "Now, let's get to tracking down Team Valkyrie. The first thing I should probably do is obtain a map of this area, and work my way from there..."
The busy streets made navigating them difficult, and it took him longer than he wanted to locate what he was looking for: an information centre, namely the Manehattan Library. For several minutes, he just stood there, staring up and down the height of this building, trying to fathom how they were able to construct such a work of art, as well as how to get inside without have to smash a hole in the wall. A Unicorn gave him a brief look of puzzlement, before opening the door and stepping inside.
"Oh, so that's how that works," Connor murmured in surprise, "They don't have anything like this back home..."
He followed the Unicorn inside, and swung the door back and forth several times to get a gist of how this device worked.
"You learn something new every day," He shrugged and looked about the interior of the Library.
"Can I help you, sir?" the Pegasus behind the counter asked hesitantly.
"I don't suppose you know where I can find a map anywhere in this place, do you?" He asked, glancing about.
"All atlases and maps are in Aisle Ten on Floor Two," the clerk replied.
"Thanks," He nodded in appreciation and walked off.
"Floor Two," He murmured, "That sounds like it's on another level. There must be a ladder or something we can use to get up there..."
In the middle of the foyer were two escalators, one which went up to the next floor, the other coming back down. He stared at the contraptions with curiosity.
"And they call my ability sorcery" He mumbled as numerous passengers were brought up and down with ease.
Hesitantly, he stepped on board. The sudden movement startled him, and it took some adjustment to get used to the experience.
Before he knew it, he was up on the next floor. "Well, that wasn't too bad," he stepped forward, looking around, "Now, where's Aisle Ten...?"
The strange texts on the sides of the shelves were almost illegible to him, so he had to count the aisles manually.
Starting at the left he began counting, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. There we are". He pulled out a large book at random and tried to make out the title, before flipping through the pages in a rush. He settled on a page that looked vaguely like a map.
"Map... of... Ek... west.. ri-a..." He frowned, "Map of Equestria. Perfect".
He closely scrutinised the details of the map, first trying to locate where Manehattan was.
"Ah, there we are," He recognised the word in the northwest corner of the map next to a small picture of a skyscraper. "What other major cities have we got here?" He murmured, "K... Kan... ter... lot. Canterlot. That looks pretty important. Must be the capital or something. What else is there... Stall... i-on.. grad. Stalliongrad. What's this one... Filly... delf...ia. Fillydelphia". He smirked in amusement, "What were these people smoking when they came up with half of these names?"
"Alright, now where would Team Valkyrie go in a place like this..." He looked about the map, "If they followed their feet, going straight inland..." He followed an invisible trail with the tip of his Illusion's hoof, "it leads to there". He checked his new destination's relative position to Manehattan, "So if I follow this highway, and if my guess is correct, I should find them in this little plot of space called... Ponyville".
He frowned, "Another highly uninspired name if I ever saw one. No prizes for guessing what I'll find there..."
He placed the book back on the shelf and headed for the exit.
As he walked back past the front desk, the Pegasus pressed a small button, and a small ding resounded throughout the Library. The Pegasus spoke into a microphone, "Attention all patrons, the Library is closing in the next five minutes. So if you'd please-"
The speaker system suddenly shorted out with a burst of static, cutting the Pegasus off mid-sentence.
"Oh, come on!" the clerk muttered under her breath and planted her face into the desk, "What the hay is wrong with this thing? That's the third time it's done that this week! It's like it has a mind of its own..."
"Someone's having a bad day," Connor murmured in amusement as he walked out the door.
The sun was starting to disappear now, and visibility was reducing rapidly. To his surprise, the flow of pedestrians and business didn't seem to slow down a bit, despite the waning light conditions.
"Do these creatures have no concept of 'sleep'?" He murmured, wandering around.
A particularly beautifully-lit building caught his attention, with all assortments of neon lights. The resounding beat of loud music was audible from outside.
"C.. Club... Si.. eh.. ra," He read aloud, "Club Sierra. Special Guest... DJ PON-3".
He shrugged, "It can't hurt to see what these guys do when they're supposed to be sleeping".
There was a queue formed at the entrance, being held up by a particularly burly pony asking for 'I.D.'
"I don't have time for that," Connor huffed, changing his Illusion back to complete invisibility.
Not even bothering to mask his footsteps, which were drowned out by the booming music anyway, he simply cut the entire cue and walked straight in, changing his Illusion back to his Pony persona.
If the music was loud outside, then it was borderline-deafening inside. His sensitive ears almost burst from the level of decibels assaulting them each second.
There were hundreds of ponies everywhere, either hanging around the numerous tables on the sidelines, up at a bar ordering drinks, or in the centre of the room, dancing to the music.
No wonder they can't get to sleep, He thought, This music is too bloody loud.
As the other patrons all danced away, seemingly unaffected by the noise level, Connor walked around, watching closely what sort of things normally occurred in a venue like this.
Near the back of the room, illuminated by bright neon lights, was a white pony with a blue mane and magenta-tinted sunglasses standing behind some sort of contraption, which he figured to be the source of the music. The enormous speakers on either side of the pony, which he assumed was 'DJ PON-3', were almost the size of the pony herself.
"How's it going, Manehattan?" DJ PON-3 spoke over the loudspeaker, while reducing the blaring music down to the bass beat, "Gimmie a shout if you're having fun!"
Every single patron in the venue seemed to all roar at once, raising quite a cacophony of noise.
"What?!" the DJ smirked, "Is that all you've got? Please, I got more enthusiasm out of a group of a group of politicians! I said gimmie a shout if you're having fun!"
A second roar of approval met her inquiry, even louder than the previous.
"That's more like it!" the DJ broke into a wide grin, cranking the music back up into full swing, "Strap yourselves in, my friends, 'cause this party is just getting started!"
"Well then, I might as well get settled in," Connor shrugged, "It'll be too dark to travel anywhere at a time like this anyway. I guess I'll stand over here then and watch the fun..."
Taking a stool up near the bar, he silently observed the goings-on around him.
"Can I help you, sir?" a voice broke his concentration.
He turned about to face the pony who addressed him, instantly identifying the silver-coated stallion as the barkeep, "No, I'm fine, thanks".
"I haven't seen you around before," the barkeep noted, "Are you from around here?"
"No, I'm not actually," Connor replied, "I just arrived here this afternoon".
"I haven't seen a cutie mark like that before," the barkeep mused, "What's it supposed to be?"
"What's what supposed to be?" Connor frowned, having never heard the term before.
"Your cutie mark," the barkeep repeated, pointing at the picture of Connor's Exploration Badge, "What is it?"
"Oh, that," Connor's mind kicked into overdrive to think of a valid answer, before he broke into a grin, "It's a badge of my awesomeness!"
"I see," the barkeep raised an eyebrow, "That's an intriguing definition of 'awesome' then. Usually, cutie marks are a representation of ponies' talents and abilities, but whatever. How long are you in Manehattan for?"
"I'll only be here for the night. Tomorrow, I'm going to Ponyville," Connor answered.
"I see. May I offer you a drink then? First one is always on the house," the barkeep offered, "Any after that is fifteen bits".
After some consideration, Connor shrugged, "Sure, why not?"
"What can I get ya?" the barkeep gestured to the beverage menu behind him, "We've got appletinis, apple cider, good ol' fashioned punch..."
"Uh..." Connor didn't really know what any of those drinks were, "I don't know. Surprise me".
"With pleasure," the barkeep smirked, turned about and got to work. After a few minutes, he returned with a multi-coloured drink with a slice of lemon, "This'll spice up your night a bit. I call it the 'Sonic Rainbow Surprise', or SRS for short".
"What's in it?" Connor looked at it hesitantly.
"That's a surprise," the barkeep had a wide grin, "It's a different mixture every time".
Connor had to use a bit of multitasking as his pony illusion apparently drank the entire concoction in one go before putting the glass back on the bench.
Meanwhile, in reality, his forelimbs were too short to even pick the glass up, so he had to jump onto the counter, grip the glass in his paws and carefully tilt it back over in his direction as he sipped it down. No-one even thought twice of it, since no one could actually see it behind the well-veiled illusion.
Instantly, he scrunched up his face in disgust at the drink's shockingly strong flavour, unlike anything he had ever tasted before, which reflected on the face of his Illusion. And just for the slightest second, the Illusion briefly distorted with static, come and gone in an instant. Fortunately, the barkeep didn't seem to notice.
"Has a bit of a kick to it, doesn't it?" the barkeep smirked at his patron's response, "Especially if you drink it too quickly".
"Feels more like a Snorlax went and stood on my head..." Connor muttered.
"A what, now?" the barkeep tilted his head in confusion.
"Oh, nothing," Connor frowned at his slip-up.
"Baarrkeeep!" a violet-blue unicorn mare wearing a magician's hat and cape sitting at the other end of the bench angrily called out in a droning, slurred voice, "Can't the Great an' Powerful Trikshie get anovver drink over 'ere?"
"SRS number seven, coming right up," the barkeep sighed and went to work.
"So, what's your story?" Connor made his way across to the dishevelled magician. He noticed that there was a strong smell in the air about her, possibly from the alcohol. Apparently too much of this stuff fucks you over. I think one is plenty enough for me then, he thought.
"That's none o' ya business," Trixie snapped irritably with a glare as she held a hoof to her forehead.
"Well, there's obviously a reason why you're insane enough to have six of these mind-screwing concoctions, let alone a seventh," Connor reasoned.
"Trikshie says that's none o' ya business!" Trixie huffed, "Now buck off! Trikshie has had a rough week as it is! She doesn't need some idiot thinking they can just... take advantage of her in her deplorable state! "
"Do you always talk in third-person like that?" Connor frowned.
"Did'n ya hear me?" Trixie snarled, "I said buck off!"
"Settle down Trixie," the barkeep interjected, "Your drink is here".
"Finally!" Trixie practically breathed the drink down in the blink of an eye, "Anovver one, please!"
"This is going to add up on your tab, you know that, right?" the barkeep warned.
"Right now, Trikshie does not care," she plopped her head on the bench, "Right now, She needs to deshtroy her liver in lament".
"What's happened this time?" the barkeep asked sympathetically, lowering his head behind the counter to meet her gaze.
"Just a few weeks ago, Trikshie was rudely assaulted during a performance in Ponyville!" Trixie sighed, almost spitting the word 'Ponyville', "She can't even recollect what happened, or who it was who assaulted her!"
Just a few weeks ago... Connor thought, Team Valkyrie would've been in town by then. Zappo always did have a reputation for hot-headedness, and when combined with this pony's delusions of grandeur...
"Did anyone ever provide an eyewitness account of what happened?" Connor asked politely.
"Trikshie does recollect waking up in a hoshpital the next day," she replied, "The nurse said something about 'Pokeymon', or something preposterous like that..."
"Hmm," He furrowed his brow in thought.
"Do yooou happen to know anything about such a ridiculous name?" Trixie looked at him.
"... No," Connor lied and shook his head.
"By the way..." Trixie pointed down at Connor's cutie mark, "Trikshie couldn't help but notice the strange... picture... of your cutie mark. What is it? Trikshie thinks she's seen it somewhere before..."
"As I told the barkeep, it's a representation of my awesomeness," Connor smirked smugly.
After several seconds of alcohol-hazed thought, Trixie shrugged and thought nothing more of it, before suddenly standing up abruptly, "Baaarkeep! Gimmie another drink! My senshes are still intact!"
"No, I think seven drinks is enough for one night," the barkeep shook his head, "I'm sure that at this rate, by this time tomorrow they'll still be finding blood in your alcohol..."
She leaned threateningly over the counter and into the barkeep's face, "Naaaaoooow!"
The barkeep shook his head firmly.
"Fine! Trikshie will jusht go to anovver bar then! Maybe they'll appreshiate my... talents be'er over there!"
"What, a smashed pony with a superiority complex and a talent for consuming their alcohol supply?" Connor raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah, they're going to love you over there..."
"You think yer pre'y funny, eh hot stuff?" Trixie scowled, looking about lazily in his direction, "Well you can just take your... smart remarks and shove them up your-"
"Oi! I think you can start heading home now Trixie," the barkeep interrupted.
"Trikshie doesn't have a home, thank you very much," Trixie glared back at the barkeep, "Her caravan was pinched by buckin' thieves, leaving 'er with nothing but the clothes on 'er back!"
"So... where do you sleep?" the barkeep asked gently.
"In the alley like a buckin' hobo!" Trixie suddenly broke out into sobs, ramming her head into the counter, "With nothing but rats for company... while the only bits Trikshie has get wasted on her getting wasted..."
"... What happened in between your Ponyville adventure and your arrival here, in order for you to be so... hopeless and forlorn?" asked Connor in confusion. By all means, being hospitalised shouldn't be that much of a setback.
"Trikshie told you, she was attacked by thieves on the highway!" Trixie retorted, "She has nothing left..."
"What about your family? Surely they'd help you out in a pinch?" Connor raised an eyebrow.
"Trikshie's 'family', if you dare to call it as such... was the reason she became a travelling performer in the first place!" Trixie moaned, "Tartarus will freeze over before they accept me back..."
"Alright, we get it. Your life has gone further down the shitter than it already was, but that's still no reason to just give up and become an alcoholic," Connor frowned.
"Oh pleeease!" Trixie huffed, "Trikshie is NOT and alcolollic. They go sit in circles and seek... professional help. She is a drunk... they go to parties and get smashed!"
"I see," Connor shrugged, giving up on her case, "Well, if you want to plunge your own life into ruin, then by all means, be my guest".
Trixie looked at him, perplexed, "... What? That's it? You're not going to be a gentlecolt and help a mare out in dire distress?"
"Nope," Connor turned away, "You just admitted yourself that you want nothing more for your life than to blow it all away as it comes to an Arceusforsaken end from liver failure".
"Heh heh heh," Trixie started chuckling hysterically, "You said 'blow'!"
"What...?" Connor initially looked confused, before frowning in disgust, "Oh for fuck's sake, get your mind out of the gutter, woman!"
Trixie fell on her back laughing like a madmare, obviously having had a little too much to drink for her own mental safety, "You're a funny 'un, you are!"
With some difficulty, she unsteadily hauled herself back up, staring at Connor with a sly grin, "What's your name, han'some?"
"Erm," He frowned, "I'm Connor".
Trixie broke out into more laughter, "What the buck sort of a name is that?! Your parents really must'a hated you... It's like they just slap letters togevver an' see what they could come up wiv'!"
"Yes, it's hilarious," He sighed in agitation.
"*Hic* You know what," Trixie leaned against the counter, "Why don't you get anovver drink, an' we can hang out at my place for a bit?"
"You said you don't have a place," Connor tilted his head.
"Nonsense! We can pool our money an' get a hotel for the night," She leaned cheekily into his face, "Whatta ya say? I need to blow off some steam anyway, if you know what I mean..."
"Okay, now that's definitely the alcohol talking," Connor took a step back in concern, "No".
"Daww, you're no fun!" Trixie pouted, looking away.
"No, I'd just prefer to make good memories of this place before I leave," Connor defended, "Getting embroiled in one-night stands is not on my to-do list".
"Have you no sense of adventure?!" Trixie leaned in to his face with a grin. The overwhelming scent of alcohol on her breath almost caused him to gag.
"My sense of 'adventure' is a bit different from yours, I'm afraid," Connor reeled back.
Trixie glared at the barkeep, "Barkeep! More vodka for this colt 'ere! He's still talking in comprehendible sentences!"
"Ugh," Connor groaned. This was going to be a long night.
[END CHAPTER 9]