//------------------------------// // It begins // Story: When Worlds Collapse // by MoonShine //------------------------------// Chapter 3: It begins Last chapter: “What do you think I should do?” he says out loud. She looks at him as she puts some glasses away under the bar. “Do what?” she asks as she pops her head up over the edge to look at his head on the table, he moves his head to look up at her, she puts her head on the bar on top of her hooves and stares into his eyes seductively. “Nothing, I’m thinking out loud again.” He replies whilst looking away then back into her eyes. The two stare at each other whilst he thinks hard about it. Kieron and the mare stare at each other without even blinking, he then lifts his head and looks away whilst putting a hand to his chin, he pulls out an earpiece from his pocket and puts it on his ear, “Mathis, get me the GM.” He orders as the mare watches him from the bar top. He gets up off his stool and stands in the middle of the club. “The Grand Master has been contacted, the relay point is set up, he is returning to us.” Mathis replies, Kieron stands and waits as a faint glow is seen in front of him, a light wind blows past him and the mare as the glowing gets brighter, paper and beer-mats flying away from the glow as the wind picks up speed, the glow soon reaches its peak and a figure steps out of it. The figure is human and has a black cloak and a golden mask over his face, in his right hand is a long, thin object, as the glowing dies down the mare can see the object and quietly calls out, “It’s the cane.” As she sees the cane’s cobra head come out from the glowing light. Kieron puts a hand to his forehead as he salutes, the figure then bows his head slightly allowing him to stop, “Welcome back Grand Master, I hope that you aren’t too eager to take this planet, we still have some major recruiting to do.” He says to the masked figure who reaches up to grab the mask and takes it off, the mare doesn’t even feel any fear from the current events as she still has her head resting on her hooves on the bar top. The GM looks around the bar to get his bearings and then back at Kieron. “Why here, why did you come here for me to arrive?” the GM asks, Kieron looks about. “Well, because it is quiet and there’s nopony about to see your arrival.” He replies, the GM knods to the side as he gets his point, he looks about to see the mare staring at the two of them, he walks up to her, she lifts her head to his attention. “What can I get you?” she asks calmly, he looks at her, eyes narrow but then lifts his head slightly and smirks as he admires her calmness and charms, he looks behind her at the many bottles of alcohols and points at a particular bottle. A vintage bottle of scotch, she looks at it, picks it up and blows at it to get the dust off, it has obviously never been used before, this pleased the GM knowing that it will be even nicer from never being opened, she walks over to the bar top and twists the lid off, she then puts it on the top before placing a small whiskey glass on the top. She pours the drink into the glass and pushes it towards him, he sits on the stool, places his cane against the bar and picks up the glass, swirls it round a little before raising it to his nose to take a whiff, then takes a small sip and exclaiming as the taste satisfies him, Kieron walks up beside him and sits on the next stool. “I like this mare, she’s nice, calm and sweet...” the GM says as he looks a t Kieron then to the mare as he takes another sip. Kieron looks at the mare and back at the GM. “Sir?” he replies as he can’t understand why the GM said that, he hates everyone but himself, so why does he like this mare? “What are you trying to say, sir?” he asks as the mare turns and starts to wipe the tops down and clean the place up. “I’m saying...” he comments as he puts the glass down and watches as the mare walks out into the middle of the club to pick up many glass off the tables, “I want to recruit her, to be my personal bartender.” He adds quietly, Kieron looks at him as he watches the mare, picking up the glass and taking another sip, “This scotch is very nice, you should try it.” He claims as Kieron gets off the stool and walks over to the mare. He tips her on the back causing her to jump slightly, she turns round to be almost face to face with him, and he steps back slightly to that he isn’t too close to her. “What would you say if I told you that you are now officially a member of SKULL?” he asks her as she looks into his eyes, seeing the red in then trying to fade over the grey colour that they normally are. “I would say ‘Do I get paid?’” she questions, he shakes his head, she then knods as she comments, “Then I will join anyway.” Kieron looks at her then back at the GM. “That was easy.” He says as he shrugs his shoulders only to be shocked as the mare tightly puts her legs round him and hugs, “Umm....what are you doing?” he asks as he looks behind trying to see what she’s doing. “Hugging you of course, silly.” She replies as she hugs more tightly, almost squeezing the life out of him. She stops and he gasps as she lets go trying to get his breath back. “Damn you’re strong.” He comments as he grabs at his sides. She then continues with gathering the glasses before making her way back to the bar and cleaning them up. The GM taking his last sip before the glass is empty; he puts the glass down and points at the bottle. “I must get myself some of that one day.” He comments before standing up and looking at the mare, “Do you have a name?” he asks. She looks back at him and knods, “Yes, my name is Claire. Nice to meet you, Grand Master.” She says as she looks at him for a while then continues with the washing up. Kieron gets up off the floor after getting over the pain, he walks up to the bar and says to both of them, “I think he should keep you here, undercover. To allow us to recruit more without anypony knowing.” He says, the GM knods in approval and Claire thinks about it before knodding to go with the idea. The GM then stands up and walks to the middles of the club and lifts his cane causing the glow to come back and he steps into it only to disappear, it then dies down quickly just as Lyra and Bon-Bon enter the club. Kieron looks at them as they walk up towards the bar, “Hay Kieron, what you up to?” Lyra asks as she sits on a stool with Bon-Bon next to her. “Not much, just about to go.” He replies as Claire quickly picks up the scotch and puts it away just as Lyra looks. “Oh thank you, I would love a drink.” Lyra asks but Claire looks back at her and shakes her head before pointing at the clock. “I’m afraid you’ve come too late today, I’m closing up now.” She replies. Lyra looks at her disappointedly, “I’m sorry but I get tired like everypony else...bye Kieron.” She says as she neatens the bar top and gets herself ready to leave as Kieron exits the club. Lyra and Bon-Bon slowly make their way out with Claire right behind them. Claire then pushes then out the door before exiting herself and locking the door; Kieron stood blocking the top door as Claire turns to face the couple, “Now, time to recruit two more, come here you two.” Kieron says as he pulls out a needle like object and walks towards them, “It’s time to make you one of us.” He adds as he grabs Bon-Bon by the head, Lyra goes to help her but Claire grabs her and pins her to the ground so she can’t move and forces her to watch as Kieron stabs the needle into Bon-Bon’s head, some liquid is forced in as a microchip flows into her head and imbeds itself onto her brain. “There, that should do it, now for the other.” He says as Bon-Bon stops struggling, he crawls over to Lyra, pulls out a new needle and strokes her mane a little as he looks into her eyes, Claire watching as she gets a strange feeling, as if she was enjoying this, Kieron slowly forces the needle into her head causing her to scream slightly from the pain, soon dying down as the chip imbeds into her brain. Kieron stands up and tells Claire to let go, “Right, that should do it. Now to activate them.” He says before pulling out a devise and pressing a button, a small beep emits from it as the chips start up and the two ponies get up normally as if nothing happened, “You now belong to us, you will live your lives normally but you will take orders from us.” He says to them, they both acknowledge him before he steps to the side and allows them to leave. Kieron puts a finger to the earpiece and starts to talk, “Grand Master, recruiting is going along quicker than expected, two more are ours now.” He says before lowering his hand and walking out the club with Claire close behind him, “I will see you tomorrow, sleep well.” He says to her before they part ways, he heads for him room in Canterlot since he hasn’t been there for a while; she heads for her house which is next to Treacle’s. Kieron wakes up as the sun shines through his window onto his face, he pushes the covers back and pulls himself out of bed, he walks over to the window and opens the curtains, he stands and looks out the window to see ponies walking about, he rubs his eyes before looking at the clock to see it saying that the time is later than he expected, 11:30AM. “What to do today?” he asks himself, he then goes and gets himself dressed, as he does his earpiece beeps on the table, he picks it up and he puts it on his ear, “What is it Mathis?” he asks as he continues to put on his clothing. “I have found and captured two ponies, they were snooping around, and I think they were looking for the generator room. I have put them in the prison area for you to deal with it.” He replies before cutting him off. Kieron takes off the earpiece and walks through the teleporter to get to the mech facility. When he gets there he immediately goes to the prison section. Once there he looks through the bars to see the ponies, he looks to see one of them is Moonshine and the other is Colgate. “Why are you two snooping around here? Moonshine, I thought more of you. Now, you know I have turned to be with the Grand Master so you have no choice but to be with him too. I leave this choice to you, you will either ‘punish’ Colgate or you can be left here with her.” He says before walking away to the main room. ----- Author's notes: Again guys, it's up to you. Shall Moonshine 'punish' Colgate or shall she not do anything and let Kieron come back later to do something?