Chapter 5: Quiet Preludes Chaos
“What is the meaning of this?”
Everypony present thought the same, yet only Luna spoke her mind. The former princesses were confused; one moment they laid on the beach, enjoying their retirement with fine literature and finer drink. The next, they felt the familiar tug of a teleportation spell dragging them all the way to Canterlot Castle. On the plus side, at least their drinks didn't spill in the process. In spite of the interruption, Celestia and Luna remained calm.
Twilight Sparkle did not.
“Princesses! I'm so sorry! I tried to get him to stop but he wouldn't and if I knew he would do this I would've tried harder and-”
“Twilight, it's fine.” Celestia turned towards Discord “I'm certain he has good reason for breaking his punishment.”
“Should they prove insufficient, his punishment shall be extended threefold!” Luna added, taking a sip from her glass. “He knows this, making our summoning all the more worrisome. Also, while I appreciate the formality and I know Celestia would never hold it against you, we are princesses no longer.” Predicting what Twilight would say next, she added “Do not apologize, there isn't a need.”
“Right. Sor-” Twilight caught herself. “Yes, there is a potential issue involving an heirloom of the Apple family I received yesterday. I analyzed it for any magic, but detected none. It did contain traces of a non-contagious pathogen, but protocol was established for the potential infectees.”
“Interesting.” Celestia's attention was stuck on Discord. “That still doesn't explain your actions, Discord. Care to enlighten us?”
“Truth be told, I brought you here only to verify what I had to say. Our dear Twilight is a very skeptical mare, and right now I sit somewhere between 'loony street preacher' and 'sign reading not a trap' on the list of trustworthiness.” When she heard such accusations, Twilight looked away sheepishly. “You actually have one,” Discord deadpanned.
“In fairness, you aren't that far down.”
“Damned with faint praise, I see. Anyways!” His paw and claw clapped together. “To make a long story short, Twilight found a Stand Arrow, it pierced three fillies in Ponyville, and given her earlier comment on a late night of passionate research it's somewhere here in Canterlot. Given her ignorance of what it is, it's probably sitting under-supervised somewhere.”
“Nah, she gave it to the Canterlot Institute of Societal Research's virology department this morning,” Spike interjected.
“Still not enough protection~.”
“Stand arrow. Stand arrow,” Twilight repeated. “I'm sorry Discord, but I've never heard the term. Does it go by some other name? Or maybe you have the correct name, but it's in another language? Celestia, what does he mea-.” She never finished that sentence, for one glance at her former mentor derailed Twilight's train of thought.
Normally Celestia wore a calm, optimistic smile that said to the world 'fret not, all is well.' Twilight had seen her angry, sad, sometimes smug, but rarely worried. Her firm maternal smile was gone, replaced with lips that quietly muttered. The eyes that usually held the warmth of the sun were cold and wide like lakes of ice. Twilight dared not look at Luna, for the younger of the two sisters wore her emotions on her sleeve, and both Celestia and Discord's reactions told the tale well enough.
The arrow was dangerous enough to concern them, so Twilight reacted accordingly.
“Celestia. What did I bring upon us?” Try as she might, she couldn't keep the panic out of her sentence.
“Nothing yet, Princess Twilight.” The way Celestia collected herself so quickly never ceased to amaze Twilight. “I'm sure the Canterlot Institute is keeping a close watch on it, ensuring nothing happens.”
“Good, then there's no emergency,” Twilight said cautiously. “Discord. We have a lot to discuss.”
“While I appreciate your vigilance on the matter, punishment is unnecessary. Truth is I requested him to let me know of any news on the arrow.” At this, Celestia turned towards the draconequues. “I'm amazed he followed through; regretting your creations already?”
“I didn't create them and I regret no-.”
“Wait, what?” Luna interrupted.
As the three not quite friends argued, Twilight did what she was wont to do; worries swirled about like a whirlpool in her mind, drowning all rational thought under a tide of improbabilities and possibilities. At the eye of this storm laid a single, immutable fact. 'Celestia made Discord inform her on the arrow, ergo it is important and dangerous.'
“We need to make sure it's alright!” she blurted out.
“Twilight, that's not-” After Luna gave it some more thought, she continued. “Actually, that is the most prudent course of action. Lead the way.”
“Didn't you want to know-” Discord started.
“We'll walk and talk,” Twilight interrupted. “Spike, you know what to do?”
“Tell the guards court is canceled for the rest of today.”
Twilight nodded and in a flash of violet light they jumped from one office to another, a juvenile dragon exchanged for a senior stallion, bright yellow in coat and white of mane.
“P-Princesses! We weren't expecting your return so soon.”
Though it eased her to know she wasn't the only one getting used to the shift in regal power, now wasn't the time to dwell on such details. “Professor Cream. Apologies for my sudden visit, but I just received pertinent data on the artifact I left in your care. May we please see it?”
“Certainly, Princess Twilight! Right this way!” The nervous stallion nearly tripped over himself as he showed the way. The royal entourage followed him and continued their conversation in hushed voices. It was best the information was kept to themselves for the time being, lest the ambitious learn of and seek to exploit the arrow's potential.
“Celestia, Luna, Discord.” Twilight couldn't keep the irritation from her voice at the last word, though not for lack of trying. “This arrow, how dangerous is it? What does it do? I don't doubt your involvement is necessary, but-”
“You wish to be kept in the loop, correct?” Twilight answered Celestia with a nod, which in turn was answered with a smile. “Before I answer, I should clarify the Golden Arrows do not possess any dark magic, nor was their creation tainted with evil itself.” At once, her smile evaporated. “They are still some of the most dangerous artifacts in Equestria, rivaling even the Alicorn Amulet.”
Now it was Twilight's turn to trip over herself. The Alicorn Amulet made even the weakest foal a mighty warlock, a trained wizard the strongest in the land. Anything comparable was to be treated with utmost caution, anything superior shouldn't exist. Something didn't add up. “Wait; I scanned the arrow and it was magically inert, how can it be dangerous unless... unless the virus is the danger.”
“You're correct about the virus, yet misled about the absence of magic.” Celestia would've elaborated why, but she was cut short by the unexpected feeling of wet carpet. A glance downwards calmed whatever fears she had; it was just water. A lot of water given how saturated the carpet felt, and as she looked up the wet carpet continued all the way to the door.
Fear renewed, Celestia burst through without a word. The devastation inside was tragic, though not unexpected. 'No, Twilight said she just found it yesterday. How could anypony-'
“Tia! What's wron-” Luna's interruption was interrupted when her eyes answered her. Everything and everyone was wet, as though a mad Pegasus waltzed in with a hundred storm clouds. Books shoved off of shelves, both warped and ruined by water. Few researchers and students weren't out cold, fewer still were in any state to answer questions, but Luna would not, could not be dissuaded.
“You!” Luna pointed her hoof at the nearest conscious pony, a teal mare who shook even now; whether from cold, fear, or cold fear was irrelevant. Either way, Luna realized her tone was not helping matters and softened her inquiry. “What happened here?”
“H-He just walked through the d-d-door. We didn't – couldn't do anything before he grabbed the – g-grabbed t-the...” What little composure remained soon left the mare, as only panicked sobs left her mouth. What was taken went unsaid, yet there was only one real answer, the one Luna dreaded most. Was it too much to ask, just this once, for the ancient relic of power to be ignored in favor of something mundane like bits or research notes?
“Sister. Did you hear that?”
“I did, and Professor Cream verified our fears.” Celestia replied.
“Wait, you mean...” Twilight began.
“Oh, this will be fun,” Discord snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. His arcane restraints were still in place, and the realization soured his attitude. 'Really wish I could conjure some popcorn.'
“The stand arrow has been stolen!”
“What's a stand?”
Zecora smiled at Scootaloo's curiosity, the filly's confusion mirrored her own when she first learned of this power. While a delve deep into nostalgia was nice, there was currently one confused filly to answer and two worried guardians to pacify.
“One's spirit and will projected, a stand is a part of you. This claim it's a possession, that simply isn't true.”
“A part of – What are you saying?” Holiday asked. “That Scootaloo was the one who pecked me in the head?” While it brought relief to know where the bandages came from, Zecora knew such misunderstandings are best cleared up quickly.
“I doubt her action was intentional. Learning to use a stand can be unconventional. If a unicorn's horn grew on any of us today, would we master telekinesis by the end of the day?”
Scootaloo looked like she wanted to say something, yet she held her tongue. While Zecora may never know exactly what was on the tip of the filly's tongue, she could guess what the filly was going through. Such an experience wasn't alien at all to the Zebra. Yes, as she looked back at the figure behind her she thought back to her own 'awakening.'
The being behind her, dubbed [IRON-WOOD KID] was small and bipedal, like a chimp or tailless monkey. It's body was coated in dark brown tree bark, an arboreal armor that gave way around the knees and elbows, exposing intricately carved bare wood. Upon it's face was a simple mask of bark, two holes bored in to let a pair of green orbs gaze upon the world. Zecora had never seen behind the mask in her youth, and now that she was wise she knew it was best she never found out.
She first learned of stands from a wandering stallion back in Zebrica, and wasn't much older than Scootaloo at the time. Zecora was curious at their potential and relieved to know something about the phantom that stood by her since before her earliest memory. She expected Scootaloo to react in much the same way, but her face told a different story.
Where her eyes should've been open wide and radiating curiosity, instead her brow was scrunched in confusion and worry. With her tense shoulders and the way her hooves moved on the floor, Zecora knew Scootaloo's mind raced with a thousand thoughts going off every minute. Perhaps Zecora was presumptuous when she assumed others would react the same way. Perhaps the stand did something that colored Scootaloo's view. Or perhaps it was a cultural difference Zecora never thought she would run into. She did just receive her stand, so maybe-.
Her thought cut off, the pieces fell into place. Zecora joined the worrying.
“I'm going to ask a question, Scootaloo. No matter what, answer it true.” Zecora didn't mean to sound so harsh, so firm, and seeing the already nervous wreck flinch made her wish she kept her mouth shut. Nevertheless, she pressed on. “Legends speak of arrows of gold, where they came from no pony was told.”
“We found one,” Scootaloo blurted out. “At least, I think we found one. It looked old, I accidentally stabbed my tongue with it, and not even Twilight could figure out where it came from.” To emphasize her second point, the filly opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. The wound had almost fully healed at this point, but there was still a faint discoloration, a monument to her recklessness and a reminder to remain cautious. It explained so much, yet made Zecora's visit more vital. The answers only enlightened the zebra on a single, fact; the arrows were no mere legend. Few things made Zecora's stomach cold and heavy.
“-The arrow gave me the stand-thing, didn't it?” Zecora answered with a nod.
“Oh dear! I thought Twilight told you the arrow didn't have any magic on it.” Lofty interrupted.
“Stands are mysterious, and look a lot like magic. That there's little connecting the two is tragic. Remember Tirek's rampage, the magic he consumed? I was affected, but my stand wasn't subsumed.”
“Okay. I know you're busy, but the other crusaders were also hit by the arrow. Accidentally. We were poking around in Goldie Delicious's house clearing it out for her and, yeah.” As much as she wanted to, Scootaloo couldn't find the space in her mind to formulate a conclusion, what with all the revelations she needed to process. “Could you please tell them about stands as well?”
Standing erect, Zecora replied. “I shall endeavor to enlighten you three. Now, where is the arrow? Please tell me!” The last sentence tumbled from her mouth at an uncharacteristically quick pace, reminding Scootaloo of Pinkie Pie for a moment.
“You'll have to bring that up with Twilight. Sorry, but we kind of gave it to her to study. Sorry.” As if it repetition of the word would make the situation any better: Zecora's face was aghast, her eyes wide with shock, a far cry from the epitome of collected calm at her entry. Scootaloo didn't know what the big deal is; Zecora had a stand herself and she said it wasn't possessing her, so why did she worry. 'I'm probably out of the loop here,' she thought.
As soon as the tension came it left Zecora, her body loosened, her posture relaxed. Taking a step back and a deep breathe, she collected herself. “Worry not, you didn't bring forth my ire, and I may be exaggerating when I say the situation is dire. But the arrow and stands are linked, intertwined, and it was something I never thought I would find. I trust Twilight, so there's nothing to fear, though I would like to see the arrow someday, dear.” She walked closer to the other mares in the room. “Mrs. Lofty and Mrs. Holiday, shall the four of us be on our way?”
“I hope you don't mind, but we'll stay here. As unexciting as it is, chores don't do themselves.” Some would say a good guardian would follow their charge and ensure they aren't hurt, but this wasn't even the fifth most dangerous situation Scootaloo and her pals had gotten into. Though their maternal instincts screamed otherwise, the couple knew their niece would be fine.
“Thanks, Zecora.” Scootaloo glanced back at the ghost – no, the stand behind her. “So, if this stand is a part of me, why is it a bird?”
“Why does mine look like wood?” Said stand moved closer to Scootaloo, as if it were showing off. “I would tell you if I could.” The two would've conversed further, discussing the nature of stands and their uses, were they not interrupted by the knocking of the door.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Who could it be now?” Lofty asked before opening the door. There stood a big red stallion and a smaller, familiar filly. “Applebloom? Big Macintosh? What are the two of you doing here?”
“Mrs. Lofty, is Scoots here? Ah need to talk to her 'bout somethin'.”
“Does it have anything to do with spirits, ghosts or other fantastic phantasms?”
Lofty had to smirk at Applebloom's reaction, her shock that the mare knew such a thing. It had been too long since she had an opportunity to surprise a foal like that, and with the stress and confusion of the day upon her, you better believe she would indulge in the opportunity.
“H-how?” Applebloom started.
“Hey Applebloom! I was just about to look for you.” Scootaloo skidded to a stop at the door frame, her eyes drawn to the tiny bipeds besides her friend. “Well, that answer's my question; you have a stand too!”
“A wha?” Big mac and Applebloom exclaimed in unison.
“The ghost thingies following you. Zecora was just explaining them.”
“Indeed I was, but for now I must stop. We must find Sweetie Belle; she too must be taught.”
Rushing towards her aunts, Scootaloo embraced Lofty in a hug, followed by Holiday. “When I see you two again, I'll have the answers to this problem, I promise.” With that vow Scootaloo and the others left to find the final member of the Crusaders.
“Alright, that should just 'bout do it.”
It took a few tries to get the wording just right, and Applejack figured she'd still need to explain some things when Twilight arrived, but the letter conveyed the situation well enough. Any more time spent on it would've been a waste. Either way, so long as Twilight understood something had gone down, the letter's purpose was fulfilled.
'Assumin' she doesn't think Ah'm crazy. Heck, this whole situation has me thinkin' the same.' Refusing to dwell on it further, Applejack went outside to continue bucking trees and carting apples. If nothing else, the familiarity of work served as a beacon of stability in the turbulent sea of this morning's events. With each well placed buck on the trees, she felt her stress and worry melt away. Every bucket put on the cart was a weight she was grateful to have removed. Applejack was in the zone now, her mind at last put at ease.
“Applejack!” The farm mare was jostled out of her trance, not expecting the eloquent voice of her dear friend so early. “Oh dear, I didn't mean to startle you.”
“R-Rarity! Give a gal some warnin' before sneakin' up on her like that.”
“I did, but you didn't respond. Apologies.” She took another step towards the farm mare. “You must be very focused on your work today.”
“Ah always am, Rarity.”
“Is Applebloom here?” Looking down Applejack saw it was Sweetie Belle who anxiously posed the question. “I need to ask her something important.”
'Oh dear Celestia, please not again!' It was best to not tempt fate any further than she had, so Applejack held her tounge. “ 'Fraid not, Sweetie; she scampered off the farm this mornin'. Ah asked Big Mac to chase her down, but haven't heard from him since. May Ah ask what's on your mind?”
The anxiousness of Sweetie Belle transmuted to nervousness as she crossed her legs and looked away from Applejack. “You know about the arrow earlier, right?”
“Of course.” Why wouldn't it be the arrow? Why wouldn't the small, otherwise insignificant heirloom be the catalyst for Sweetie's arrival? Why did she even bring the fillies to Goldie's house yesterday? 'Right. I needed the help.' she reminded herself.
“Well, it might've done something to Applebloom, as it had done the same to me.” Sweetie was oblivious to Applejack's tone, but Applejack could see where this was going. As if to further cement her feelings on the matter, Rarity clarified her sister's statement.
“What my sister is trying to say is she believes she is possessed by some kind of ghost, thinks the arrow is the cause, and wants to make sure Applebloom is alright.”
“Ghost.” Applejack's eyes widened; either her and Rarity's sisters both went crazy in the exact same way, or Applebloom spoke the truth earlier. Applejack could usually sense a pony's lies and knew more about her little sister than most anypony, so she was inclined to believe the filly, much as she wanted otherwise. “Yeah, she was screamin' somthin' 'bout ghosts as she ran. Just finished the letter to Twi explainin' everythin'.”Applejack placed a hoof to her forehead. “And Ah just realized Ah forgot to send it. Consarnit!”
All was silent at the revelation. Rarity's hoof moved to cover her mouth her mouth, eyes widened in shock. In the darkest recesses of her mind, where the most dramatic terrors were born, A storm of worry brewed. 'How did this happen? What attached itself to my sister? Is Scootaloo affected as well?' Thus was but a fraction of a fraction of her mental mayhem.
Sweetie Belle arguably took the news worse. Her mouth opened wide enough that an insect could fly in. Eyes so wide with fear they almost popped out of their sockets. Yet opposed to her sister her thoughts were still, singular, and straightforward. 'Ghosts. Applebloom said ghosts. Applebloom is possessed by a ghost like me,' to which one response alone was appropriate.
“We have to find Applebloom and Scootaloo before something bad happens!”
“Now hold on there a minute! We don't know if she's in trouble. Do we?” Applejack asked.
“Sweetie's ghost nearly caused a violent outburst in the town square earlier today through song.” Absurd as it sounded, Rarity said it with a worried frown and a haunted stare. “I would rather air on the side of caution.”
“Wait. This ghost nearly caused a riot by singin'?” Maybe today was the day Applejack broke out the cider early.
“I named her Quiet Riot!” Sweetie replied innocently.
No, Applejack needed something harder.
Her thoughts on a developing drinking problem were halted when she spotted Sweetie sprinting off with surprising speed. It was fortuitous that this time Applejack's reflexes stopped the filly before she got too far. “Now hold on a sec, sugarcube! Runnin' off isn't gonna solve anything! Big Mac's dealin' with Applebloom, so the best option is to just stay put.” Something clicked in Applejack's mind, and when she she couldn't help but chuckle. “Tell you what, you and Rarity can tell me what y'all know 'bout these here ghosts, Ah'll add it to the letter, and we send it to Twi, alright?”
“I guess,” Sweetie said solemnly. “But it doesn't feel right dumping everything on Twilight. Doesn't she have royal duties to attend to?”
“Ah appreciate you're concern, but Twilight did say to keep her informed if anything went wrong. If two or three fillies bein' haunted by ghosts and Ponyville nearly getting a new red paint job doesn't count, Ah don't want to know what does.”
Sweetie wanted to help Applebloom, so clearly was it written on her face that a blind pony could see it a mile away. For Rarity, a mare whose occupation required an eye for detail, it was glaringly obvious. “Sweetie, darling. I know you're worried, but Applejack is right. Besides, you and your friends have gotten out of countless hairy situations before. Are you suggesting Applebloom cannot deal with this on her own?”
Sweetie wanted to say something, anything to refute her sister, yet nothing came. With a dejected sigh she relaxed her muscles, lowered her head, and conceded the argument. The trio trotted into the Apple household, and each pony holding within their hearts both hope and fear.
“Okay Twilight, don't panic. Deep breathes, deep breathes. Yes the arrow is missing, likely stolen by the looks of things. Yes, it is also some kind of dangerous magical artifact despite not having a trace of magic on it, but that's no reason to panic right! Right?”
“Sounds like your old student needed some anxiety training before taking the throne, eh Celly?” Discord's snide comment was ignored by all in the room; by the former royal sisters out of habit, and by the current princess because of her imminent breakdown. Realizing where this would lead if allowed to continue, Celestia put a hoof on her former student's shoulder. Glancing at the sudden unexpected weight upon her, Twilight realized she was being hysterical and broke out of the ramping cycle of over-analysis and mounting terror.
“Apologies Celestia. I just – Well, it's just so – I've been princess for only a month or so, and to make such a massive error so soon, I -”
“You were working with incomplete knowledge. Knowledge I should have provided before abdicating. If anypony deserves blame, it would be me.” Celestia didn't mention Discord being responsible for the arrows' presence in the first place, for while accurate it was inappropriate to point hooves right now. She also didn't mention her own fear, nor how Twilight's reaction, while certainly exaggerated, was more appropriate than she realized. Blind terror paralyzes action, and the sooner the issue was fixed the better.
It appeared Twilight understood as well, for a fierce determination welled up where there was once fear. She turned to address a pair of guards. “Tell the rest of the royal guard to keep an eye out for a golden tipped arrow with runic inscriptions. As a matter of fact,” In a pop of magic a piece of parchment appeared before the guards, marked with an image of the very arrow. “Tell them to look for an arrow with this exact design. When found, attempt to retrieve it. If you cannot, report to Celestia, Luna, or I immediately.” After giving it some thought, she added “If we aren't available, tell Discord instead. From what I was told in the past hour he has intimate knowledge on the target. Do you understand your orders?”
“Yes, your highness!”
“Good. Dismissed.” The guards walked away, and Twilight now faced the three who would shed some light on the situation, including how screwed Equestria was. Especially how screwed Equestria was. However, much as she needed that information, it could wait a moment longer.
“While I'm dying to learn of this 'stand arrow', I need to ask a few questions. Celestia!” Her mentor perked up at hearing her name. “If the arrow pierces a pony would that pony at some point have a ghost like apparition following them around.”
“Assuming they don't die, yes.” Twilight chose to ignore the potential of death as Celestia continued. “In fact, these ghosts are the stands that give the arrow its title.” A frown grew on her face when she realized where Twilight was going. “Discord did mention three fillies were pierced.”
“That letter I received? I gave it to Applejack in case something went wrong. Two of the three fillies had spoken seeing ghosts, and the rest of the letter provides additional evidence for their existence.” Twilight's horn began to glow. “If these are the stands you speak of and if the arrow is a danger to Equestria, then I'm not the only one who needs to be informed. So, are you available for one more lesson, Celestia?”
Celestia, Matron of the Sun for over a millennium, considered the proposition. Sure, she hadn't much else to do today, a stand arrow running amok was a headache just waiting to happen, and their were few in Equestria who could provide the information, none Celestia could immediately think of. On the other hoof – She had nothing. No reason, moral or practical, to not fulfill Twilight's request. “Of course, Twilight. Lead the way.”
“I will stay here for the time being, sister.” Luna's face was hard and determined. “I can help more here than in Ponyville.”
“Well, I'm not staying here, thank you kindly.” Discord slithered over to Twilight, apparently seeing the spell formed of her horn. “Are you really going to have a lesson on stands without he who found the arrows?” Before anypony could answer, Discord added another point. “Besides, I still need this taken care of.” Discord pointed to one of the cuffs, runes now glowing red.
“When this is over Discord, I might just lift your punishment entirely, should you behave.” Twilight received only a thumbs up in response, and a thumbs up was all she needed. And so the chaos avatar chained, the solar regent retired, and the mage student ascendant left the flooded laboratory in a flash of magenta, leaving only Luna and the remaining staff.
“Bit bright, isn't it.” Luna turned to find the stallion Twilight spoke to earlier, Professor Creme, Twilight called him.
“I suppose. Any casualties?”
“That'll be ten bits.” Almost all areas of Canterlot could be considered iconic in one way or another, yet if someone were to say Donut Joe's shop were one of them, those who had never been there would've given that individual dubious, confused looks. Yet those who had tasted the confections knew it made the best doughnuts in Canterlot, in all of Equestria perhaps. Some say they have just the right amount of sweetness, not too overpowering but not to subtle. Others say it's from years of Donut Joe's passion for the art, that the insane quality comes from being insane dedication. Yet still others care less about dissecting the matter and simply enjoy the taste.
It was between the breakfast and lunch rush, where the staff focused less on serving each customer and more on preparing for the customers to come. While there was still some business during this time, it was nowhere near as crowded as it was an hour ago or as it will be an hour from now. For the teal stallion at the register, it was the perfect time for celebration.
“Thank you very much.” He tipped the cashier, grabbed his order - one medium coffee and a single glazed doughnut – and walked to the corner table of the shop. The one right by the window where anypony could watch the citizens of Canterlot scurry about. As he sat and enjoyed his snack, he couldn't help but think about his recent 'acquisition', especially how it was going to make him a whole heap of bits.
'If I play this right, I'll never have to work for the rest of my life.' He thought to himself. 'Especially if I find somepony who knows his stuff. Sad I can't hold onto it for a little longer, but that's just how it is in-.' His thought process was interrupted by some movement he caught out of the corner of his eye. The gleam was familiar, the purple color less so, yet the meaning rang the same.
The guards were out, and the stallion knew what they were after.
As tempting as it was to enjoy his treat, and as much as he wanted to just sit there, experience screamed to get out of town; the risk was too high. Releasing a sigh, he finished his doughnut, grabbed his coffee and was calmly walked towards the door.
“Hey!” Oh, how he hated that word spoken loud. The exclamation always paralyzed his stride, whether directed at him positively, negatively, or not at all. When he mustered the will to turn around, he felt relieved to see it was just the mare at the register.
“There's something slipping out of you're saddlebags, sir!” Realizing what it was he quickly moved to put it away. “Is it an antique or something? It looks beautiful.”
The stallion looked down upon the golden tipped arrow, slipped it back into his bag, and replied “Yes, yes it is.” And so he opened the door and walked far away.
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awesome chapter dude, keep up the good work!!!!!
Well this was a surprise to be sure, but a welcomed one. Another great chapter! Maybe you could have the Stand Arrows be native to the Human Mirror World, would be nice to have something from there causing trouble in equestria instead of the other way around like it usually is.
I really like the stands you have created so far very unique it’s weirdly rare to find a good jojo fic with original stands especially crossover wise your fic is a breath of fresh air and I hope to see more down the road
when is this story having a new chapter?