Chapter 4. The Chaos Pact
Chapter 4. The Chaos Pact
This actually could have been a story about a lonely guy and his faithful dog, who would be living in a wooden cottage by the lake with no cares or worries. Every day would be packed with good old peace and quiet. Just the way I like it.
Unfortunately, thanks to my canine companion, all of this is just a fairy tale now. In just one night my peaceful and quiet life has turned upside down.
Perhaps I’ll live to see the day when everything goes back to the way it was.
But enough of this wishful thinking. Let’s get back to our story.
* * *
Wooden cottage by the lake, 25th of December
It was already night time when me and Max have finally reached our domestic stronghold. Sitting by the fireplace with an ice pack on my sore forehead, I watched the worried and unhappy faces of my new companions. Once I explained to them what happened in the forest the silence have filled the room.
Of course not for long as there was this one specific little rainbow pegasus who didn’t feel like giving me a break.
“How could you let him get away? You had him right under your nose.” The cyan toddler had no mercy for me. Although I felt a little guilty I wasn’t going to hang myself because of that.
“I told you, he had a car. If I didn’t jump aside, he would have killed me for sure and you wouldn’t even know what have happened to your precious tiara … oh, my head.” I felt a strong pain piercing my skull so I pressed the icepack even harder.
Rainbow Dash was about to continue her judgment upon me, but she was interrupted just in time by Celestia who was resting on the mattress. “I believe Alex did his best, dear Rainbow Dash. He took a huge risk by going back there so we all should be glad that nothing happened to him.”
That seemed to cool down Rainbow Dash a bit.
“Except for that big bump on his forehead, dear sister,” said Luna who was sitting right next to her. “But the question is, how will we get the tiara back now?”
The atmosphere around was rather gloomy. Although Celestia stood in my defense, I didn’t feel justified one bit. I had him and allowed him to escape.
I felt a sudden touch as I noticed Applejack’s hoof on my knee.
“Don’t sweat it partner, no one is blaming you.” She looked at me with apprehension. “What’s done is done. Instead of worrying we should pull ourselves together and focus on what's in front of us.”
Celestia seemed to share that opinion.
“Those are wise words, dear Applejack. We should focus now on regaining our strength. As for the tiara …” She gazed at her younger sister. “… I have a hunch that we haven’t seen the last of it.”
They all nodded as being a little lifted on their spirits. I, on the other hand, wasn’t so convinced. Sometimes finding a thief in this world is a wishful thinking. Of course, we could track him down by the car registration numbers … but first we would need to know them. Unfortunately, I was too busy caring for my own life to even give a damn.
I patted Max head who was sitting by my side the whole time. I tried to remember everything that happened in the forest. Red pickup truck, old one, brand … Toyota I believe. Pick-up truck isn’t a popular car model on our country roads, so the chances of finding it are a little bit higher. Standing against the driver face to face wouldn’t give me any clue. But maybe there’s still a chance that Max has remembered his smell while we were chasing him in the forest. Who knows? Maybe we will get lucky … somehow. Unfortunately, walking around the nearest towns and looking for him all day doesn’t seem to make any sense at all. Not to mention that I have now about eight more reasons to remain at home.
That’s when I realized that it would be good to have someone out there who would keep an eye out instead. Someone who has connections in the local police. Someone trusted who knows how to track thief’s. Someone like ... *Ring, Ring*.
A sudden ringtone has ripped me out of my thoughts. Everyone looked surprised in my direction from where the signal was coming from.
I took out my cell phone from my pocket, gazed at the name of the incoming call and smiled. Speaking of the devil.
I looked at everyone and with a clear gesture, I asked them to be quiet. Although confused they all nodded that they got the idea. I picked up the call.
“Hi Gregory, thanks again for sparing my home,” I said with a slight sneer.
“Heyah, Alex. Well, there’s always a next time, right?” Gregory asked happily.
“Yeah, I can’t wait. You’re last time made my house reek of alcohol for three days. You would not believe how many bottles of beer I needed to clean up after both of us. That was some party.” Those last words seemed to make Pinkie’s ears perk a little.
“Well, I wouldn’t call it a party, but yeah, I have to admit that we took this a little too far then. Don’t worry, I’ll spare you the empty bottle store next time. Anyway, my boss told me that even on my vacations I still represent the law, so I should be sober most of the time. And if I don’t like it, I can always try my luck with an unemployment office. What a prick!” I smirked from amusement.
Unlike me, Gregory is a smooth talker and he always seems to have the right words for every occasion. Though his profession doesn't give him many occasions to get drunk, he can make up for it during his vacation time. He sometimes likes to come over and empty a few bottles of beer. Of course, heavier drinks are also his specialty.
I noticed that little Pinkie was smiling as if she won in the lottery, while all the others were now looking at me, like I was a madman. Little Rainbow on the other hand was exchanging glances with the rest of her friends while squinting her eyes and swirling her hoof near her head, thus making my suspicions correct.
“Hey, Alex, are you there?” asked Gregory.
“What? ... oh, sorry, something distracted me for a moment,” I said with a mixed-up voice.
“Distracted you say,” he said with a suspicious tone. “Do I know her perhaps?”
I raised an eyebrow at that one.
“Yeah, and she’s so gorgeous that she doesn’t even bother to show up,” I retorted. “I’m a stag, Gregory. Does it ring a bell?”
This time the smirk came from his side.
“Ha, oh man, you definitely should try it sometime. Woman are our best natural medicine you know.” I have nothing to say to this. “Anyway, as I was saying, a few people made a report about a mysterious flashes of light that happened somewhere around your lake yesterday. Now, normally I wouldn’t give a shit about stuff like that. But since it’s your neighborhood, I was wondering if you might fill me in on that matter. So, Alex … seen any “aliens” recently?”
There it is, the moment of truth. I have to immediately decide whether I should include another person in our little secret.
“Flashes of light ... um, no, I don’t recall any stuff like that. Me and Max got home at about ten pm, and we had a peaceful night since then.” I didn’t like to lie to people, because usually I suck at it. Still, I was hoping that he won’t decide to dig any further.
“Yeah, I thought as much. I guess since you haven’t seen anything then there’s nothing to be excited about,” stated Gregory. Thank God, he bought it.
“Of course not. Maybe some brats were just shooting fireworks into the sky. It’s almost the end of the year after all. I guess they cannot wait for a New Year’s Party.”
Pinkie Pie again reacted as if someone called her name during the main prize event.
“Yeah, me either … OH SHIT!” he screamed.
I could hear a sudden screech of brakes, as Gregory’s swears came soon after. Man, does that guy has a rich vocabulary or what.
“Gregory? Hello, are you there?” I asked.
“Damn it,” he finally spoke again. “Oh dude, you’re not gonna believe this, but I almost run over a bear. The fur ball has run right in front of my car, making me hit the brakes at the last moment. He has gone into the forest.”
“A bear you say?” Every pony responded to that with a little dose of interest. My face ended up with a slight smile.
“Yup. Oh man, I would reconsider walking into the woods if I were you,” said Gregory. Unfortunately, I made that mistake twice already.
“Then it’s a good thing that me and Max didn’t run into him during our today’s walk in the woods.”
“Consider yourselves lucky then. But I’m serious, refrain from any further walks until we find out what’s it doing here, and what to do with it.”
“Well, sometime ago a bear has escaped the zoo in Bialystok. Maybe that’s a good place to start?”
“Oh yeah, I heard about that. Its second better half was so old and ugly that being stricken with fear and disgust it broke right through the fence, and ran away like mad. Poor guy, can’t blame him for that.” I smirked at his comment cause we were thinking alike. “Ok then, I’ll make a few calls and let the appropriate crew take care of it.”
This was my chance to make him help our cause.
“You know, although I didn’t meet any bears, or aliens, I did encounter something else.”
“Interesting,” he said in an intrigue manor. “Well then, shoot.”
“Well, imagine that I almost got run over by some lunatic, who was driving like crazy through the forest road.”
“You’re kidding, right? Why didn’t you tell me this right away?” by Gregory's voice I could tell he seemed rather agitated.
“Somehow … I wasn’t sure if I should bother you with such a small thing.”
Gregory made a loud smirk.
“Small thing he says. Dude, an attempt to run over my most favorite hermit isn’t a small thing, okay?” At that moment I started to wonder how many hermits beside me live in these parts. “Not to mention that road pirates tick me in a wrong way. What kind of a car was it? Brand, registration number, driver's mug, tell me all you know.”
Somehow everything seems to move smoothly for now.
“Right, well ... unfortunately I haven’t seen the drivers face and he was driving too fast to notice the registration numbers. I only noticed that it was an old red Toyota pickup truck, I’m sorry,” I said, hoping that this won't make him give up immediately.
Gregory remained silent for a second.
“You do realize that’s not enough to strike him down, right?” he asked with a sign of resignation.
“Yeah, but those types of cars are not popular on our country roads so we might have a shot,” I pressed on.
Gregory made a loud sigh and seemed to be thinking about something for a second.
“Still not much in the case of proving the guilt … but I’ll try to sniff around a little,” said Gregory.
“Thanks a lot, I’ll own you one,” I said with relief.
I was relieved that he didn’t drill on the topic. Somehow it would be hard for me to quickly come up with a more concrete reason.
“You bet, of course we’re friends, so that will cost you a few boxes of beer … and a bottle of wine or two.” Typical unselfish play on his part.
“Well, nothing’s for free I see?” My words made Gregory snort in amusement.
“Huh, you got that right," said Gregory in a cheeky way. "Oh yeah, just in case if you have forgotten, my invitation for the Christmas Eve is still open, so ..."
"I appreciate your offer Gregory, really, but that's something for each family to enjoy on their own. But thanks anyway," I said.
"*Sigh* fine, there's always an extra plate for the unannounced guest prepared in case you change your mind," said Gregory. "Ok, we'll be in touch. I'll let you know once I’ll be on to something. See you soon, Steel Wing, and merry Christmas.”
“Thanks a lot, Party King, merry Christmas to you too,” I said with a smile.
As I ended the call, I turned my gaze back to my roommates who were still giving me the same puzzled looks.
“Why were you talking to a piece of ... um, actually, what is that thing?” asked Twilight while looking at the mysterious object.
“Cell phone. We use it to communicate on close and further distances. Quite useful and helpful device,” I said while hiding my phone into my pant's pocket.
Twilight's pupils grew big all of a sudden, while her snout ended up with a smile. Now she looked just like Pinkie Pie, although their points of fascination were rather different I believe.
“Fascinating, you must tell me how this works,” said Twilight in almost a begging tone.
“Maybe some other time. By the way, since you don’t use a phone, how do you contact at all?” I asked with curiosity.
“Easy, just a piece of parchment, a few words, and a bit of magic. In a few seconds the message reaches the correct receiver anywhere in the kingdom.” Twilight's answer made me whistle in amazement.
“Who was that, Mister Alex?” princess Luna decided to break into our conversation.
“My friend from the local police. He will keep an eye out for our little thief, and also he’ll send a note to the right people, who will deal with our little hairy problem.”
“So, we can still have hope.” I nodded at Celestia’s words causing them all to smile.
“Yes, although there might be some crowd working on a bear chase in the forest soon, so I believe it will be better to stay low for now,” I said as I began to massage my stiff neck with my other hand.
“*Sigh*, guess there is no other way around,” said dissatisfied Luna.
They all looked a little down at the moment … all, but one.
“Wow, so your friend also likes parties, groovy,” said overjoyed Pinkie. “I'm a world party expert. Oh, I can’t wait to meet him. This is gonna be so awesome.”
“…” yup, I was speechless. It would seem that besides Gregory I was having now another party freak to worry about .
“Cool, we’re gonna have a party. I can’t remember when was the last one,” said excited Pinkie Pie.
Rainbow Dash seemed to have an answer to that one.
“How about the day before the gala, when you decided to celebrate the fact that we got the invitation by a miracle? And then, during the gala event, where if it wasn’t for the changelings creed, we would have surely ruined it again, just like last year,” she explained it while making a bored and stoic expression.
“Oh, silly Dashi," said Pinkie with a giggle. "What’s the point of a party, if you don’t party at all? I bet our snobbish ponies couldn’t wait to see what we have in stock for them this year.”
“Yup, and they got it. We did a little magic trick, and poof, buck, shazam …” she said while swinging her front hooves, “… we magically vanished, taking our princesses with us. I’m still waiting for their applause.” There was a lot of sarcasm in the little Rainbow’s voice.
“I see you have already done it before, right?” I asked feeling worried. As they all nodded, I suddenly got goose bumps, realizing how big of a hurricane I let into my house.
“Aha, just one more to go and we might consider this a habit.” Rainbow’s words made them all burst out in laughter. It made me somehow smile as well.
Yet, I noticed that not everyone was in a good mood. Celestia seemed kind of absent minded.
“Are you alright, dear sister?” Luna asked worried.
Celestia looked at her with a little puzzled stare.
“What? ... oh yes, I’m fine, I’m just feeling a little dizzy. Don’t worry about it Lulu, it will go away soon enough.” Celestia gave her a weak smile and then turned her head away, lying it on the mattress. I could only guess that as the rulers, they both were worried about things that were happening now in their kingdom. One thing is certain, they have it tough on both sides.
“Hey, what’s that?” I turned back to little Pinkie who was now holding a TV remote.
I put the ice pack away, took the device from her, and switched on the TV which was hanging above the fireplace. There was a commercial of a shampoo running now.
“Cool,” said Pinkie Pie. “But what is that anyway?”
“Television,” I said. The fillies gasped at the monitor, then synchronously back again at me with puzzled looks. Man, I didn’t have time for this. “We use it for entertainment and information. You can watch news, weather forecasts, all kinds of movies and almost anything that happens around our world.”
Just when the overjoyed Twilight was about to ask me again for the details, I made my escape. “Maybe later, my dear.” Much, much later. She was a little disappointed, but decided not to press on.
“What’s a movie?” I decided that instead of answering Pinkie’s question, it will be better to show them.
While switching the channels I was looking for anything that might be considered interesting and time consuming for them. It was then I noticed the beginning credits of each year’s traditional Christmas movie classic, Home alone. It seemed like the perfect option to take all their attention from me. I gave them the remote back.
“Ok, you guys sit down and watch, while I’ll make you some popcorn,” I said as I quickly walked towards the kitchen, and didn’t even react when Pinkie asked “what’s a popcorn?” I really wasn’t in a mood for another world explaining episode.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Equestria
Ever since Discord stated his offer the entire palace has become one big heck of a storm. His demands came up to be rather hard to swallow for an interregnum country. Not being able to give a direct answer, the councilors decided on arranging a separate meeting that would help them make the kingdoms final stand in this matter.
For some reason the royal couple found themselves at the center of those events. But for them the conditions they needed to agree to seemed to vary much from their idea of a new kingdom order. While resting in their private chambers they were awaiting until the royal advisers summon them. In the meantime, they were trying to embrace all that they have seen today.
Shining Armor gave a lot of thoughts to everything that has happened recently. Unfortunately, instead of conclusions, there were many questions he needed answers to. Where were the rulers and defenders of Equestria? What does the Magician’s Guild got to do with this? What is Discord up to? Why is he and Cadence drawn into this? And that was just a tip of an iceberg.
But what bothered him the most was what Discord said to him just before the meeting in the throne room. At first he tried not to think about it. But now that he finally got a chance to think about it, he came to a surprising conclusion which made him consider his true role in their kingdom. Convinced of their rightness he decided to share them with his wife, although he felt that what he was about to tell her might appear rather shocking to her.
“You're kidding, right?” His stoic face gave her the right answer. “No ... NO SHINY, I WON’T AGREE TO THIS!!!”
The prince listened to his wife blames and didn’t seem surprised. His words couldn’t bring any other reaction.
“Cadence, calm down,” he said.
They were alone in their private chambers, but with his wife's loud voice they could easily be heard through the exit door.
Cadence is usually a calm and peaceful pony. But her husband's words seemed to sweep her completely off balance.
“How can I calm down? First, I lose my aunts, then Twilight and her friends, and now you want to ... no, that’s too much, even for me Shiny.” Tears started to flow down her cheeks, but she still looked angrily at him.
But Shining Armor, was already convinced at this point. He knew that it was his hot temper and quarrels with Discord that dragged them both into his scheme. Otherwise, they would probably be watching everything from the audience’s seat. Then again, since it was their loved ones that disappeared was there any other choice?
“I believe it’s for the best, Cadi.”
He approached her and reached her with his hoof, so he could hug her, but she pushed him away making him a little shocked.
“Best? Best for who, Shiny? For you? For us? For the kingdom?” She was definitely not going to give way. Her voice was now a mix of sadness and anger. She could not understand why her husband was so stubbornly insisting on his solution.
“For every pony, Cadi. With this move we can at least eliminate one potential threat to our country.” She just frowned at him.
“There you go again. You shouldn’t listen to him, Shiny. Spreading confusion in the minds of others is his specialty. Besides, what do we do about the Crystal Empire? We can’t just leave it like that.”
“We can rule the Crystal Empire from here. This is the whole kingdom we’re talking about, Cadi.”
“And you really believe that he will just agree to your terms?” she asked with doubt.
Shining Armor remained silent and thought about it for a moment.
“I don’t … but I’m willing to give it a try. We cannot let him have his way.” Seeing his wife’s worried expression he smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Cadi. I’ll make sure that he doesn’t get this kingdom, no matter what. I promise.”
“It’s not him, or the kingdom I’m worried about, Shiny. It’s us. In times like this we should stick together. That’s the only way to outcome this madness.” Cadence looked away while closing her eyes. “I feel like we are going to get separated as well … and it makes my heart hurt.”
Shining Armor gently moved his hoof and drew her face in his direction.
“Honey, look at me.” She slowly opened her still wet eyes as they were no longer filled with anger … only sadness. “We are, and we’ll always be together. We're married, and nothing can change that. Nobody and nothing is going to separate us.”
As Cadence slightly turned her head, she pressed her cheek against his hoof while holding it with her own.
“Shiny, I ...” she didn’t finish what she was going to say.
“I believe in you, Cadi. You and Twilight are the main reasons why I’m doing this. I’m sure that together we can make this happen. Together, no matter what.”
Cadence eyes were still moist from tears, but her face was slowly drawing the outline of a smile which gave Shining Armor some hope. She suddenly jumped and hugged him with all her strength making him surprised.
“Our kingdom, and my life, are worth nothing without you by my side, Shiny.” Her words made him smile as he hugged her back.
“You are my kingdom, and my life, Cadi,” he said while pressing his head against her beautiful mane. They remained like that for a moment, hoping it would last forever.
The sudden extensive knock on the door interrupted their little moment of happiness. They both sighed deeply.
“Enter!” shouted Shining Armor.
The door opened, and Lieutenant Strong Heart walked in. As he noticed them releasing their romantic embrace, he cleared his throat feeling slightly abashed.
“Forgive me this sudden intrusion, but the high council asks for your presence at the private quarters of Count Marvel Star,” he said, bowed, and left the room.
They looked at each other, as their faces ended up with a smile.
“Ready?” he asked with a smile.
“Together, no matter what,” she said with a confident look.
They both made their agreement, sealing it with a kiss, then slowly began to move to the exit while walking by each other’s side.
* * *
Meanwhile, in other part of the castle
“THIS IS MADNESS!!!” The loud Canterlot voice was spreading throughout the corridors of the palace causing a stupor to all who could hear it.
The source of those screams was coming from Marvel Star's private chambers. The room wasn't perhaps as big as those of the alicorn sisters, but it was still enough to maintain a meeting of all the representatives.
Among the group of ponies who have gathered by a thick wooden table were four members of the council and two representatives of the monarchy and high merchant groups. Some chairs were still empty.
“HE SERIOUSLY LOST HIS MIND IF HE BELIVES THAT WE WILL ACCEPT HIS OFFER!!!”
Count Marvel Star was still feeling weak, but as his friend’s Canterlot voice caused his ears to ache he decided to act quickly before every pony would go completely deaf.
“You do not have to raise your voice like that, dear Miracle. We can hear you, loud and clear,” he said while sitting contrary to her and smoking his favorite long pipe. As she quickly realized her mistake, she sighed deeply, and slowly sat back in her chair. “Although, I have to admit that he has played his part quite well. Ever since the orbs of the sun and moon have gone missing there was no one else, besides the princesses, who could control the night and day circle. Now the situation seems to be in a deadlock.”
“You're not helping, Marvel,” said Miracle Blaze. “No matter what his powers are, we cannot even think about negotiating with him.”
“That’s what we’re here to discuss, dear Miracle. Until there’s no other way around, we will take that as an option. Unfortunately, time is not our ally here, so we should make this quick,” he retorted briefly.
“Perhaps, we should conclude our royal pair in this discussion?” implied the light brown pegasus with dark brown mane, who was sitting next to Marvel Star. “After all, they are the main stars of this chaotic comedy.”
“They will be here soon enough, Rough Edge,” said a dark beige mare with crème mane, who was sitting opposite to him. “In the mean time, we should determine our own standing in this issue. The fact that Discord has made them a part of his plan, gives us more questions than answers.”
“You got that right, sweetie,” said Miracle Blaze. “This vile lizard has always been two-faced, and I never did trust him one bit. His every action, gesture, and word always has some purpose. I still remember the day when Celestia decided to reform him. I nearly jumped out of my skin and together with Luna we tried to dissuade her from this ridiculous idea. But in the end, she maintained her stand. Not to mention she gave the job of changing him to a common pony.” She sigh deeply. “I guess whatever was going on through that head of hers back then will always remain a mystery to me.”
“Well …” began Ruby Comet “… her highness Celestia always had belonged ...”
“Ekhm, “belongs”, my dear,” Miracle Blaze corrected her. “Until we are conducting the search I would prefer that you address them all that way.”
After a brief exchange of glances Ruby Comet decided to speak once more.
“Of course, my dear Miracle. So, as I was saying, her highness Celestia belongs to those who like to see good where it can be least expected.”
“Well, and she sure found some, bless bloody skies," retorted Miracle Blaze. "She's probably spitting on her feathers right now and regretting the day she didn’t break his damned monument into a million tiny pieces. I’m still looking forward to it once they come back.”
One of the representatives of the monarchy decided to join in to the conversation.
“I wouldn’t like to deprive you of your hope, Miss Miracle Blaze, but there is a possibility that our rulers may be gone for good. The question is what do we do when our efforts come to nothing and we will have to accept the worst case scenario?”
The representative of the monarchy with his lack of tact made Miracle’s face twist into a menacing grimace.
“They have barely gone missing, yet everyone are talking like there’re already dead. Until I get to see their cold and motionless bodies no one shall dare to speak about them in this manner. Do I make myself clear?”
Sending a cold glance at the stallion made him swallow hard.
“Ekhm ... of course, my dear lady.” He mingled a little while saying it in a peaceful tone.
“Good. Now that we got that settled, perhaps the time has come for you to state your stand?”
Miracle’s piercing look made the representative of the monarchy, the gray unicorn stallion, and the representative of the high merchant groups, the pegasus olive mare, flinch while swallowing nervously.
“We ... I mean, what I wanted to say is ...” He paused, unable to find the right words. As he turned his head slightly, he gazed at his companion while looking for support, but she seemed speechless just as much as he was.
“Well … we’re listening. We’re eager to hear what you rich chappies have decided behind our backs. You stubbornly insisted on participating in this meeting. With threats and blackmails you demanded the rights for deciding on a fate of this kingdom. So, let’s hear it. What is your stand in all this mess. What kind of price will satisfy your ever bottomless bags?”
“I resent that, Miss Blaze,” said the offended stallion “we came here in good faith and ...”
Miracle Blaze smiled evilly as she quickly jumped in his word.
“In good faith?” She injected and started to laugh. “Oh my, and I thought that Discord’s jokes were bad. Oh, I know your intentions so don’t bother. You will do anything to maintain your little profits. But perhaps I’m overreacting so let’s hear it. What sincere intentions brought you here?”
Although the representatives got their chance to speak countess Miracle has already made them feel like an undesired element in this discussion. As they both noticed the piercing stares of the other members of the council, they realized that they were all thinking alike.
“Ekhm ... like I was saying, as representatives of the middle and upper classes we decided to accept the offer of Mister Discord. We do realize his flawed reputation, but it seems at the moment to be the best solution that can ensure the stability of our kingdom.”
Countess Miracle closed her eyes and rested her muzzle on her joined hooves while leaning her elbows on the table. Just when the representative finished his monologue she smirked in response and then made a gloomy face.
“Well … what else can we expect from the ponies that convert their value into bits. You obviously believe that those pathetic companies of yours are now the most important part of the agenda, right? Dear sun, just thinking about it makes me feel sick.”
“Calm down, Miracle,” said Marvel Star feeling that his friend is slowly losing her grip. But his words seemed to have the opposite effect.
“No, Marvel, I won’t calm down. I was calm when this kingdom had a future. I was calm when Celestia and Luna kept it all in one piece. I was calm when you could count on the elements of harmony and the royal guards. Now that it’s all gone, tell me, how can I be calm. What will we say to our confused subjects once they hear the truth? You think I will look in their eyes and admit that we made a deal with one of the worst creatures that has ever walked these lands. I’d rather be dead or disappear myself.”
“ENOUGH!!!” shouted Marvel Star using his last ounce of strength to restore Miracle Blaze back to order.
Every pony in the room jumped from his sudden outburst. Marvel usually was one of those quiet and wised types who could encounter anything with peace and calmness. When Princess Luna got freed from the dark forces Celestia appointed him as her closest personal adviser. It soon turned out that he has a good influence on her sister. Luna has praised his advice and support in implementing her in the current political mechanisms of the kingdom. Under his patronage she soon took over her responsibilities associated with the night councils.
Marvel Star sighed deeply as his anger was slowly starting to fade.
“I know how you feel, my dear,” he said calmly. “We also lost someone who made this kingdom a special place. But we can’t forget about our vocation. Our kingdom is now in crisis and we need to solve it, and fast. Right now our options are limited, so until we find a better solution we have to play the cards that we have.”
“Maybe what you say is right Marvel, but ...” he quickly jumped into her word and raised his hoof.
“I know, negotiating with him is a slippery thing. Our subjects might even accuse us of a treason.”
“That's what I'm talking about, Marvel,” Miracle Blaze continued her stand. “The fact that we are even considering his proposal is already a sign of a betrayal.”
“Yet, our kingdom is in need of his skills no matter if we like it or not, Miracle Blaze,” said Rough Edge. “The overextending night is already causing panic. Perhaps, right at this moment, the rumors about the disappearance of the princesses and the elements of harmony are spreading like a plague. Fear and panic will soon be knocking at the gates of our kingdom.”
“Besides, Discord is not our biggest worry, my dear,” said Ruby Comet. “Consider the fact that without the sun we won’t be able to feed our subjects which will make all our industrial branches suffer. Not to mention that our enemies are just waiting for the moment when we will lose strength and hope. We can’t allow this to happen. Furthermore, we do not know any other way at the moment for the sun and the moon to reach the sky.”
“Yes, we know,” retorted Miracle Blaze making everyone confused for a moment. “They're called Celestia and Luna and they should be our main focus of the search. They would never forgive us for turning our ways into chaos.” She paused for a moment. “Damn it, if only those stupid orbs haven’t gone missing.”
“Have you made any progress on their disappearance matter?” asked Ruby Comet.
“The search is still in progress, but after interrogating the captured changelings we were able to learn one important thing.” Everyone in the room waited patiently for her to continue. “It seems there was some kind of a magical duel between our princesses, the elements of harmony, and the queen of changelings which caused some kind of a massive implosion.”
“How big exactly?” asked curious Rough Edge.
“Big enough to cover more than a half of the room,” said Miracle Blaze.
“So, in other words, everyone who came in contact with it, got annihilated, right?” asked Rough Edge.
“Perhaps. But if that really was the case the royal hall would surely suffer much higher damage. I would say that they were rather … absorbed by it.” Miracle Blaze's words made them all confused.
“Can you specify that? What do you mean by, absorbed?” asked puzzled Rough Edge.
“What I mean is that they might be alive somewhere out there and the royal hall might be the best place to start looking,” said Miracle Blaze.
“And how long you believe this might take?” asked Ruby Comet.
“Blame the sun if I know,” retorted irritated Miracle Blaze. “I’m just telling you where to look.”
Count Marvel Star sighed deeply from disappointment. He honestly believed for a moment that they might find a better solution to their problems. But sadly all they have are assumptions. He thought long until he finally made his decision.
“In the current situation we have no other choice, dear Miracle. The risk is too big and we have too much to lose. Our kingdom cannot live in eternal darkness.”
Those words made Countess Blaze worried.
“You do realize that this decision is too hasty and ill-considered.”
“Like most rushed decisions, my dear. But ...” He didn’t get a chance to finish, as irritated Miracle Blaze jumped in his word.
“Rush is usually the worst counselor, Marvel. You probably didn’t even consider the fact that Discord may have something to do with their disappearance. He might even have information about their current location.”
Marvel Star remained unmoved.
“Yes, such a scenario is possible. Unfortunately, in Discord’s case we don’t have any evidence. Our troops are searching the entire kingdom right now. However, the final results of these searches will take long to come. And time is a luxury that we don’t have. Discord gave us a few hours to make a decision and the deadline is at midnight. At the moment we do not have anything that could overtrump his offer. If we don’t find them by that time, we will have to take that risk.”
The Countess Miracle based her head on the back of her chair, breathing deeply. She could not believe what she just heard. In the end, they will have to make an alliance with someone they don’t even understand. However, she was having other plans.
“Well, not me.” Everyone gave her surprised stares. “I'm going to devote all my energy on finding the missing ones. That hall will give us the answers we’re looking for. I’m sorry Marvel Star but until Discord remains as a part of your plan I will not take any part in it,” said Miracle Blaze.
Marvel sighed deeply as his gaze became absent for a moment. Certainly, he didn’t see that one coming. He hoped that in spite of all this she would support their initiative. After all, the fate of their kingdom was at stake here. But when he has noticed her gaze, which was full of confidence and determination, he didn’t feel like arguing. He understood how she felt.
“Is there really a reason why you are so stubbornly remaining at your stand?” asked Marvel Star.
Miracle Blaze made a quick peek at the two representatives that were still present by the table, then looked back at him.
“I believe there is, and I’m going to follow it unless I’m proved wrong.”
As he noticed her gaze, he suddenly asked Ruby Comet and Rough Edge to come closer and whispered something into each ones ear’s. Finally, they all nodded together as they made an agreement.
“Very well then,” spoke Marvel Star calmly. “We will give you a complete control over the further investigation and provide you with access to all the necessary resources to make your search successful. Know also that you will have our full support at all time.”
His words left Miracle Blaze surprised. The other members seemed to share Marvel’s opinion.
“I sincerely have some doubts, dear Miracle. But if Marvel Star believes you than I’m in as well. We need to bring back those mares so we can all give Discord what he deserves. I’ll be happy to see him being turned to stone, only this time for good,” said Ruby Comet.
“Yeah, and don’t worry about the kingdom. This country has suffered worst and that little dose of chaos won’t make any difference,” said Rough Edge.
Rough Edge’s words made Miracle hesitate for a moment. This might be one of the biggest crisis of their time. Despite that, she felt relieved hearing the words of support from her closest friends.
“I assure you, we will bring back that stubborn mare, her sister, and the elements of harmony. Even if we’ll have to look for them in the deepest parts of Tartarus,” said Miracle Blaze. As she struck the table with full force the mugs filled with wine jumped a little making their contents spill on the table. "Oh ... um ... excuse me," said abashed Miracle.
Suddenly, the door of the chamber opened and the royal couple together with Lieutenant Strong Heart walked in. In one moment a dead silence has filled the room as everyone were looking at their direction.
“Oh, good to see you here,” said Marvel Star. “Please, sit down. We have a lot to discuss.” He pointed at the two empty chairs by the table.
As soon as they took their places Shining Armor decided to go straight to the point.
“Dear councilors, representatives of the nobility and merchants, Lieutenant Strong Heart ... me and my wife Cadence have an offer which we hope might be worthy of your consideration.”
* * *
A few hours later
It was almost midnight when the royal dining room got filled again to the last seat. As the royal couple and three members of the council took their seats Discord has materialized himself above them. While smiling viciously he looked at all the gathered ponies.
Chairman Marvel Star spoke to the audience without using his Canterlot's voice.
“I, Count Marvel Star, hereby announce the resumption of this meeting. We have gathered here to consider the offer of Mister Discord. Now, please be so kind and repeat it one more time sir so that there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings.”
The room remained silent. No one dared to interfere in this dispute, because everything was already settled.
Discord stretched lazily and smiled.
“Dear members of the royal council, monarchy, and other less important stuff of this fine but subdued kingdom. In exchange for a ray of sunshine and a little dose of moonlight I wish to leave the crown in the hooves of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Our lovely couple will have supreme authority in the kingdom and they will yield only to me.” Shining Armor felt a shiver running down his spine. Ruling the kingdom and having some royalty puppets to toy with as well. This evidently wouldn’t end well. His hoof got caught in a strong grip by Cadence. She was shivering a little, but kept her stare away from him. “As an extra I would like to keep the private chambers of Princesses Celestia and Luna and have a few minor things delivered there as well.”
Discord snapped his fingers and a long list showed up which started unrolling until it reached the members of the council.
“What’s this?” asked puzzled Marvel Star while reaching for the piece of paper.
“Just a few simple things that will make me fill more pleasant around here,” said Discord with a sneer.
All ponies who were sitting by the table grabbed a small piece of the list and started reading while twisting their heads in disbelief. Breakfast in bed, massage sessions, parties, establishing a chaos day and stuff like that were just some of the points mentioned.
“Those are my terms, my dear friends. Are you in, or are you out?” he asked in an amused matter. There were many murmurs throughout the room.
“Very well then,” said Marvel Star after exchanging gazes with the rest of the council. “Now that everything is clear we would like our potential rulers to take their stand in this matter.”
All the ponies have directed their gazes at the royal couple. The fate of the entire kingdom rested now on their shoulders, but none of them felt any pride because of that.
Shining Armor stood up and leaned his front hooves against the table while looking directly at Discord.
“Before I’ll answer I want to say something.” They all began to watch him carefully. “Ever since I have joined the royal guard I felt pride and joy that I could serve both princesses and their subjects. As long as I was fulfilling my duty as a soldier my ambitions didn’t reach any higher and nothing has changed since then. Being the ruler of this kingdom is an honor … but also a responsibility. I believe there are many ponies in this room who would be more suitable for the crown. Therefore being aware of the consequences, I, Prince Shining Armor, hereby am declining the rights to the crown and the duties and honors that come along with it.” At that moment the loud whispers of shock and disbelief spread across the room.”
Shining Armor was now exchanging gazes with Discord. He knew that he was walking over a thin ice, but he wasn’t going to let him have his way.
“Am I to understand, my dear Shiny, that you are rejecting my offer?” asked Discord while slowly emphasizing each word.
“Not really,” said Shining Armor. “I’m only suggesting someone more competent than me.” Discord has narrowed his eyes menacingly. “You said it yourself, remember? If there’s chaos there must be harmony for balance to exist. However, if we want that to happen, we need someone who has a better understanding of our kingdom. Princess Celestia was our ruler for such a long time because she didn’t allow the negative emotions to take the best of her judgment. And that is just what we need right now. That's why I would like to recommend my wife, Princess Cadence, as the only ruler of Equestria and the honorable members of the royal council as her personal advisers.”
Discord became surprised just like most of the gathered ponies. The look on his face showed clearly that prince Shining Armor was putting his patience to the test.
“So, you think that you can just change the terms of the agreement as if nothing happened? You’re cheeky, Shiny. I made you an offer which wasn’t supposed to be a subject of any negotiations. Judging by how big of a crisis is coming the price you would pay would be rather small. You’re just trying to throw the responsibility on others … I’m really disappointed. It seems that I may have been a little too hasty with my offer. Perhaps if you all spend a few days with subdued light bulb your attitude will change as well. Oh, believe me Shiny, when hunger will hit your bowels you will quickly turn my way again. However, for each day of delay, I will make the days too short to satisfy even your smallest needs.” They were now both looking at each other with dangerously narrowed eyes.
Shining Armor knew that it was a short shot, but there was no turning back now. He needed to be firm to the end.
“You didn’t let me finish. Yes, I want to hand over the power into the hooves of a more competent pony than me … but I'm not going to stand by and just watch.” Everybody waited patiently for him to continue. “I'm going to take charge of reconstructing the royal guards and army. Lieutenant Strong Heart will become the new captain of the royal guards, but he and the rest of the soldiers will have to adjust to any changes that I'm about to make. At the same time I will also serve my wife as her fourth personal adviser while Countess Miracle Blaze will focus on the search for our missing ponies.”
Shining Armor could feel that the atmosphere around was getting thicker. Every pony was probably wondering now what will be the result of this mental fight. Everybody waited patiently for him to continue.
“Finally ...” Shining Armor continued.
“Are you done yet, Shiny?” Discord interrupted him as he was starting to get a little tired. But the prince was not going to stop there.
“... finally, you will allow the new appointed authority to decide alone on the fate of this kingdom.” As Shining Armor looked at his wife who was smiling at him a sudden idea came to his mind. “And … you will present Princess Cadence with one of the royal sisters chambers.” Seeing Cadence surprised look he has sent her a smile and looked back at Discord. “Here are our conditions, Discord. The rest is up to you.”
“I think you are forgetting the fact that I have all the best cards, Shiny. How about I’ll simply just leave you all to think about it for a millennium or two and come back later to see how you’re doing?” asked amused Discord.
“I doubt you will do that, Discord,” said Shining Armor with a calm face.
Discord became amazed for a moment.
“Oh, and why is that, my dear prince?”
“Because, like you said before, you need harmony which will be a counterweight to your chaos. No matter who will be our ruler, without the sun, chaos in our country will spread anyway. You won’t have anything to do here once that happens,” said Shining Armor.
“Don’t get so cocky, Shiny. Equestria isn’t the only kingdom where I can cause chaos,” said annoyed Discord.
“Then go, and let us suffer in a total darkness,” said Shining Armor with a cold stare. “The chaos will spread here on its own and without your help. Just the thought that it’s not caused by you will help us die in peace.”
Discord was observing him while trying to determine if he wasn’t bluffing. In the meantime the dining room was already filled with many frightened whispers of the gathered ponies. They could not believe what was going on any more.
“You know, usually the agreement is made to satisfy both sides. So I’ll ask you this? What’s in this for me?” asked Discord with an anticipating tone.
“That’s for you to decide. Ask for anything you want, except the kingdom,” Shining Armor answered firmly. “That’s something you will never have.”
For a while Discord was buried deep in his thoughts while caressing his goatee beard. Suddenly, he has erupted into a loud laugh.
“You’re an interesting guy, Shiny. You sure have guts and I like it. Well, I'm willing to agree to those amusing terms of yours ... under one itty-bitty condition.” Everyone in the room froze in anticipation. “You … will make me … the fifth member of the royal council.” Screams of disagreement have spread across the room. “Consider this as my final offer. Take it or crawl into the darkness.”
“Never,” shouted Shining Armor along with some ponies from the audience.
“Have it your way then,” said Discord. “Let us meet again my friends when the night finally consumes your precious light of hope.”
Discord began to slowly disappear while looking at their desperate and scared faces.
“WAIT!!!” came the scream from the royal council table.
Every pony gazed at the council Marvel Star who kept his hoof pointed out at Discord making him appear once more. No pony wanted Discord to have any influence on this kingdom. But there was nothing more that they could do. Discord’s cold and solid stare gave the exact impression that any chances for negotiations are over.
All ponies who were sitting by the table suddenly began to deliberate. Each of them were expressing their own doubts about the chaotic fifth member of the royal council. Still, a new proposal seems much more convenient for them, although it has a big chaotic scar in the background.
“Well?” asked Discord impatiently. “What will it be?”
After a moment Count Marvel Star rose up to speak.
“We the royal council together with our newly appointed member Shining Armor, and newly elected ruler, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, agree to your terms … um, council Discord.” Those last words became really hard for Marvel Star to swallow.
“Splendid,” said the god of chaos while smiling evilly. “Doing business with your race is a pleasure.”
Choking from an ominous laughter he has snapped his fingers and disappeared into thin air.
As Count Marvel Star sigh deeply he began to wipe his sweaty forehead with a silk handkerchief. Shaking his head in disbelief, he expressed his thoughts aloud.
“So, it’s done,” he said in a gloomy tone. “Let our princesses forgive us for what we were forced to do today.” Everyone seemed to share his concerns. No one from among the gathered ponies felt any pride from what just happened.
Shining Armor and Cadence were now leaning their heads against each other. They have done everything they could, and yet, they all felt defeated. But there was no turning back now. They could only live and have hope that the princesses and the elements of harmony will come back before this whole pact with Discord will slowly start to fall apart.
* * *
Ponyville, a few hours later
The night was still ruling over the town. Dressed in clocks the royal pair were sneaking throughout the streets of Ponyville while trying not to attract any attention. They knew that the confused residents will want to interrogate them about all the strange things that have occurred so far. By the will of the other members of the royal council, they needed to remain silent until the official speech. But they came to an agreement that the families of the missing ones needed to know what have happened to them. That was also the main reason the royal pair has decided to come here.
“I hate those moments, Shiny,” said Cadence with a sadness in her voice.
“Me to Cadi, but they have a right to know.”
“Yes, but ...”
“Would you rather have some complete strangers telling them the bad news and then go on pretending that he or she knows how they feel?”
“No my dear, I know that we are doing the right thing. But the looks on their faces have made me almost … brake,” she said while looking at the ground.
“We all are floating in the same boat now, Cadi. We have a job to do, so let's do what we can. During their absence the kingdom will support their families, because it’s the least we can do for them right now.”
As they finally managed to inform all the families about their missing members there was only one more person left on the list. After a few minutes of marching they have come to a stop by the big oak tree called Golden Oak Library. All the lights in the library seemed to be lit, which meant that its only resident was still awake.
They have walked to the door and knocked on it several times. They could hear some footsteps coming from inside accompanied by the sound of collapsing stacks of books.
“Are you going to tell him everything, Shiny? Even what we have agreed to remain silent about?” asked Cadence.
“I'd rather spare him that,” said Shining Armor. “In the end, he’s still a child and there are some things that he wouldn’t understand. He and Twilight share a special bond so telling him even half the truth won’t be easy.”
“I think you’re right.”
The door of the library suddenly burst open.
“TWILIGHT?” shouted a small purple dragon who was now standing in the doorway. Realizing it was not her he was now gazing suspiciously at the two hooded figures who were standing at the entrance. “SHINY, CADENCE!” He recognized them, ran over, and hugged both of them at once. As he released his grip he took a step back. “What are you doing here?”
“Spike, can we come inside?” asked Shining Armor.
“What? Oh sure, come in,” said Spike as he stepped aside.
As they finally went inside, he has closed the door behind them and followed them into the living room. They were both exchanging gazes while trying to find the right words. It was time for him to know the sad truth.
“Spike …” Shining Armor began calmly. “… we have to tell you something.”
Little dragon gave them a puzzled look.
“What is it? You’re acting weird. Not to mention that Twilight has still not returned from the Grand Galloping Gala. It's not like her to be gone for so long.”
“That’s what we came in here for, Spike,” said Cadence.
“Is she okay?” the dragon asked a little worried.
“The thing is ... we don’t know,” said Cadence.
“I don’t understand,” said confused Spike.
Trying to spare him some of the details they have revealed to him what has really happened. Spike was listening to everything they have to say and he was getting nervous by each passing second.
“And ... and Twilight?” Spike felt like he was losing the ground.
“Unfortunately, we cannot find her, or her friends, or princesses,” said Shining Armor.” Every pony is doing what they can Spike, but ...”
“If that was true then they would have found them already,” retorted Spike.
Seeing that Spike was slowly becoming more hysterical Shining Armor decided to appease him somehow.
“Calm down Spike, you have to understand that ...”
“DON’T TALK TO ME LIKE I’M A CHILD!!!” Spike sadly wasn’t taking the truth well.
Cadence decided to support her husband.
“Spike, please calm down and listen to us. Me and Shiny have decided that together with Owlicious you will be living with his parents in Canterlot.”
Although she said it in a calm way his reaction indicated that he was having other plans.
“No, I'm not going anywhere. As Twilight’s first assistant it is my duty to watch over this place until she returns,” stated Spike.
“Spike, you know well that we cannot leave you here,” said Cadence with a caring voice. “You two are a part of our family and family always takes care of each other.”
“I’M … NOT … GOING!!!” shouted Spike.
“ENOUGH!!!” Shining Armor shouted back. “You will and that’s final. This is no time for your assistant nonsense.” He felt really upset that even Spike wasn’t making things easy for them.
“NO!!!” Spike cried, quickly ran up the winding stairs, and hid himself under Twilight’s bed.
Shining Armor was about to use magic to force Spike out of his hiding place when Cadence stood in his way.
“Shiny, let me handle this, please,” she said with a calm voice.
He was really in no mood to negotiate, but her soft gaze has made him withdraw in defeat.
“Uh ... fine. You have better ways with words so I leave it to you.”
He quickly left the library while slamming the door on the way out.
For a long time he was walking in circles around the library and hitting the ground with his hoof while trying to calm down. He could not understand why nothing seemed to go his way.
For a moment he looked at the royal chariot with two pegasus guards who have suddenly appeared in front of the library. Everything was ready. They just needed to wait for Cadence and Spike to come out.
He saw how the sky was getting brighter each passing minute. The sunrise was starting over the horizon; the first one ever since their alliance with Discord. It looked like Discord was fulfilling his side of the deal, which helped him to ease his mind somewhat.
Suddenly he heard the wooden door opening behind him. As he turned around, he saw his wife carrying Owlicious on her back, and Spike dressed in a cloak with a big bundle on his shoulder. He couldn’t believe that his wife has once again accomplished something that he couldn’t.
“Cadence told me everything,” said Spike. “She has even revealed to me what you were supposed to keep a secret.” Shining Armor looked at her wife who only shrugged her shoulders. “I have promised that I’ll keep it to myself.” Spike suddenly looked at the rising sun on the horizon. “But I have one question.” They both looked at him. “If our princesses are gone, then who is rising the sun now?” Apparently Cadence hasn’t decided to tell him that yet which was probably for the best.
“It's a long story,” said Shining Armor. “We will tell you that once we get to the Canterlot. Let's go.”
They were walking now towards the chariot when suddenly they have noticed that the sun begun to behave strangely. It was starting to vibrate vigorously until it blasted into the other side of the horizon. Then it bounced from the ground and came back to its original position just to repeat the process once again. It looked like two ponies were playing beach ball.
Shining Armor sighed deeply cursing himself for being too hasty in giving Discord some credit.
This phenomenon caused the residents of Ponyville to leave their houses with confusion.
“Quickly, to the chariot!” said Shining Armor.
They both followed his lead, and as soon as they took their places in the chariot, they took off . They had no desire right now to explain everything to the disoriented ponies as not to cause anymore unnecessary panic.
The sun suddenly returned to its place on the eastern horizon and began to rise normally again. Only this time something strange began to happen to its surface. Like by the touch of magic it was suddenly covered with a fresco which no doubt proved to be the face of Discord. His sunny face was now glaring down at all the Equestria.
“Please, tell me that's not what I think it is,” Spike asked with a begging tone.
The silence and their evading stares seemed to be enough for an answer.
To be continued …
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... I have a feeling Dash and Pinkie are going have some ideas from that movie... and test them on him... :P
Dear God, why. Her name is APPLEJACK, not apple jack. Please, do search and replace on all chapters to fix this mishap.
got home at about tan pm
there might be some crowed working on a bear chase
Might post more when I finish the chapter
P.S. the car number thingy has been sort of explained, so I guess it's almost fine now =P
Edit:
There were many murmurs threw out the room. (again)
Very well than,
The sudden voice of Canterlot I know that this is probably intentional but it looks really creepy :<
crisis is coming, the prize you would pay not sure if prize or price =\
you’re attitude
Than go, and let (again)
He couldn’t belief that
Heheh, I wonder who could have stolen the stones without anyone noticing it and asking any questions\trying to retrieve them... Power hungry much aren't we, Celestia? Or maybe it was Luna during the NM crisis. But then why didn't she return them afterwards... Anyway, I'm glad to see that you've managed to come up with a decent (though not perfect) solution to that major plot hole you had. It will probably make reading it easier.
Though I can't help but wonder if chapter proportions will stay like this or if we will be getting more Earth stuff in the future chapters. Personally I came here mostly for ponies on Earth and not for shadowy government authority elections and Discord having fun...
Seriously though, we didn't get anything from the Earth side in this chapter, so the next one is better be Earth-centered. I guess I'll see if that's the case in the morning.
BTW congrats on making my favorite pony (RD) act like a total jerk... Even if most of it is kinda-sorta realistic =P
I hope that her attitude will change in the future when she starts to trust him more.
Also, could you explain why they were keeping quiet at first? I thought that it will come up later on, but seeing as you skipped the pony viewpoint of the forest accident and the detailed exchange of explanations on both worlds, I can't help but wonder why they pretended to be stupid in a deadly forest with a predator on their heels while someone has been offering to help them.
5463379
Something tells me that my shame has just reached a new level
mlpforums.com/uploads/monthly_08_2014/post-28548-0-77633000-1406913649.jpeg
5464093
Yeah, that one was unique and kinda fun... after I finished face-palming that is XD
I can't recall seeing this done before... maybe only once in a crappy Russian fanfic where all names were changed on purpose... And maybe a couple times as a typo on the Internet, but I can't be sure about the last one since I don't clearly remember it.
BTW, it makes me wonder what was that "famous" error with the bed sheets? I don't think that it will be more surprising than re-reading that one sentence 3 times trying to understand what's wrong with it just to realize at the end that the name is wrong.
P.S. I've updated my previous comment with errors from the second part of the story and some extra stuff, so you might wanna check it. Tell me if you want these comments removed later on when I'm done and the errors are fixed.
Pinkie asked “what’s a popcorn?” head against surface and forgot he about his head injury. world be fun if that happen.
5463379
Actually, the story of their disappearance is yet to be told.
So I see. But I bet that there are readers who are interested in the Equestria's part as well. I'll do my best to deliver the story on both sides.
Who knows? :]
Well, those were actually princess Luna's safety measures, although I realize now that not mentioning that in the story was a really poor move on my part
Edit:
No, they are quite helpful so I don't see the reason to delete them
Let's just reduce the possible story spoilers to a minimum and everything should be fine.
5469241
I bet
But after making him go through so much in the forest, I decided to give Alex some slack this time 
Pick-up tracks aren’t a very popular car models.
You’re last time made my house rick of alcohol.
will cost you a few boxes of bear.
I really wasn’t in a move for another world explaining episode.
I sense errors in here. Good story still.
5579938
I made the necessary corrections. Thanks for the advice and praise. Hope you'll enjoy what's yet to come
5733162 I have found many more errors and can hardly understand some of this... Dear, do consider a panel of proof readers
5733162 Why did pinkie asked what popcorn was? We have seen popcorn many times in equestria like when Discord firt appeared, or when the main six and spike went appleloosa, or how about in the bad seed episode while the cmc were singing and entered the movie theater. Popcorn is very present in equestria, so why did pinkie asked what popcorn was?
6389855
Well … um … whoops