The Centaur Conspiracy

by 5u0myn0n4

Chapter 8

Amber and Torre were inside of a large wooden wagon, steaked out in the outskirts of the land. It had been three days of waiting for Grogar.

"I'm bored. We've been on this steakout for days and we've seen nothing." Amber said.

"Tell you what, Kiddo. If we don't find anything by sundown, we'll head back to the castle." Torre said.

"That sounds nice. Like I'm ready for this to be over, but I also don't want to go back empty hoofed." Amber said.

Amber thought about her sister Cozy Glow. She hadn't seen her in a couple of days. Last time they saw, they each had a plan in mind. Cozy was to keep an eye on that Tsourakis character, while Amber followed his lackey, Torre. She'd be lying to herself if she said she wasn't worried for Cozy Glow. Cozy was smart, and clever. She was able to weasel her way out of tight situations, but she didn't know anything about Tsourakis. Seemed too convenient that he found himself in King Vorak's castle, but he claimed the castle was empty, and hadn't a clue where Vorak or any of Tirek's family was. This Torre guy definitely was hiding secrets, but getting him to spill anything would be tricky.

She hadn't found an opening yet to get a jump on this Torre guy yet, and she wasn't sure if she would.

"So, what brought you and Mr. Sourpuss here in the first place? Sightseeing?" Amber asked.

"We came for a reason." Torre replied.

"Okay. So there's a purpose to you and Sourpuss being here." Amber said.

"We're searching for something. Something that would make Lord Tsourakis powerful. Something that would return him to his former glory. A means to conquer Equestria for realzies!" Torre said.

"So you're going to do that by stealing Grogar's power? 'Fraid he doesn't have much of that left. We made sure of it." Amber said.

"It's not necessarily Grogar's magic we're after. It's what Grogar stands for. It's what your sister and her friends represent. Disharmony." Torre said. "Your sister Cozy Glow thinks she's some goody goody four hooves now. But her heart deep inside is still riddled with the dark spirit that led her to a path of great ambition. It is that spirit that is going to lead Lord Tsourakis to greatness!"

"Alright. Sure. Sure. I see what you're about." Amber said.

"Me? You haven't the faintest clue, kid." Torre said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Amber asked.

"Um... Say, you've been asking me all these questions, why don't you start explainin' to me your story?" Torre asked.

"Me? Oh, I never thought you asked. My story is a wild one." Amber said.

"Yes, tell me, what was it like growing up with your sister?" Torre asked.

"That's the funny part. We didn't grow up in the same household. Actually, we did, but we never met. She's much older than me so she was born much earlier. Something happened to Cozy Glow that caused her to be separated from her father. Neither of us met our mother unfortunately. I was born after Cozy Glow was turned to stone, cloned using a piece of hair our Pappy had saved." Amber explained.

Torre was growing tired already of Amber's long story.

"So when did your paths meet?" he asked.

"Oh, so when we met. It was quite something. She looked much different than she does now. See she was sick, and was barely able to live in her own body, so this unicorn named Luster Dawn lent her body for Cozy Glow's soul to inhabit. That led to some interesting results. Cozy basically took over Lusty, and used the opportunity to reunite with her dad, and that's when she learned of me! Cozy had no idea I existed until she saw me for herself, and I didn't know my dad had been up to all these attempted alicorn creation shenanigans." Amber said. "So she proceeded to essentially kidnap me and turn our Pappy to stone and put him in Tartarus, and use me to try to take over Equestria."

"Well, why'd you go along with her plan? How in Equestria did you come to trust her?" Torre asked.

"It all happened so fast. I hardly had any time to take it all in. Looking back I'm sure any reasonable filly faced with such an unreasonable circumstance would've reacted differently, but I don't know. She walked in the door, and complimented me. She said I looked pretty. She explained she was an old friend of my Pappy, which was true. See what she did there? She said she had a surprise to show me, but I needn't detail that. Kinda gross. She said she and I had a special connection, and I believed it. I felt it. I stared at her, and it felt like someone just like me was staring from deep within Lusty's big eyes." Amber explained. "Yeah it was a little freaky that she turned our dad to stone, but then she started yelling at our mom, I think. To me she was just yelling at air, but she seemed really furious, so I hugged her and then she started crying. She said she wanted to protect me, and you know, in spite the fact she was sort of just roping me into another one of her 'take over Equestria' schemes. She was real upset when I got hurt during our battle against Twilight Sparkle. So, really did care. She still cares. That's why I wanted to join them on their adventures. I know I could've gone with Pappy, and Magnolia, and her mom to the village Cozy Glow founded, but I wanted to travel, see what Equestria has to offer, and get to know them more. You know?"

"Mmm. That's quite a history you two have. You're determined to stick together and look after one the other." Torre said.

"Mmmhmm. We've been away from that castle for several days now. I'm beginning to raise an eyebrow." Amber said.

"You ain't thinking of trying to stop us, tuts?" Torre said.

"Me? No. No, of course not. I mean, what can I do? I'm just a filly." Amber said. "I'll just take another look outside the wagon to see if I see ol Grogar. But for the last time, he's locked in Tartarus. Ain't no way he's..." Amber's voice trailed off when she saw something off in the distance.

"You see him?" Torre asked.

"Oh, I see him." Amber said.

"Don't worry. I have plenty of gear that will help us capture the antiquated shepherd." Torre said.

---

Meanwhile, just over the horizon slightly, Grogar continued his trudge through the land.

"There it is, King Vorak's castle." Grogar said. "Lord Tirek and Cozy Glow are sure to be inside."

"Great. Now what do you want us to do?" Mane-iac asked.

"Now is the time for me to be rid of you two." Grogar said.

"Huh?" Sludge and Mane-iac said.

"After all we've been through, it's really gonna end like this, huh?" Sludge said, half heartbroken, but half not really caring.

"Your purposes are fulfilled. You have burnt onto you the map, which we've already reached the destination, so your belly map is no longer needed." Grogar said.

"Belly map is not something I expected to hear today." Sludge said.

"And you! You're absolutely pathetic!" Grogar exclaimed. "That display back at the Kirin village, you hardly put up a fight! You're an absolute weakling, not worthy of being on my team! I was desperate for team mates, but even you two barely meet the bar!"

"You didn't see me at my best. Look, I was caught off guard from the sight of blazing death glaring at me from all directions." Mane-iac said.

"I'll settle things myself. I am plenty strong on my own. And I know Lord Tirek's weakness. Stomping on him will be a piece of cake by myself." Grogar said.

"But I assure you, where I'm from, Maretropilis, I was feared and revered for my insane ambition! The most wanted criminal there is!" Mane-iac said.

"For pete's sake, you're not the real Mane-iac! You're not even a real pony! You're a self conscious spell brought to life in the form of a stupid book I pulled from that dragon's smelly pits!" Grogar said. "You're an illusion!"

"I'm... I-I am not! I"m real!" Mane-iac exclaimed.

"Keep telling yourself that. I'll let you figure the truth out on your own." Grogar said.

Grogar finally left the other two in the dust, leaving them in his dust.

Mane-iac clapped her hooves. They seemed... real enough.

"So, you coming, Mane-head?" Sludge asked.

"After all that, you're still heading to the castle?" Mane-iac asked.

"Forget Grogar, Tirek, or whoever else. There's bound to be some treasure in that castle. Plus it's a nice looking castle as is. And I'm checking it out." Sludge said.

Mane-iac was hesitant.

"Say, Sludge?" Mane-iac asked.

"Yeah?" Sludge asked.

"Would you mind pointing me in the direction of Maretropolis?" Mane-iac asked.

"...I think it's best you stick with me." Sludge said.

She was reluctantly still, but Sludge followed to sneak into the castle.

---

Amber and Torre watched Grogar approach slowly, from the secrecy of their camouflaged wagon.

"Alright, remember the plan." Torre said.

Amber had wrapped around her front hoof, a big metal sock, full of gadgets. Most notably was she was equipped with a flame throwing, and taser darts.

Amber cooed, and her eyes twinkled at seeing such dangerous looking gadgets.

"Ready to make a name for yourself, and your mane?" Torre asked.

"Yes. Yes absolutely!" Amber said.

---

Grogar trudged slowly, when he heard a high pitch squeal.

"Help! Help!" Amber cried.

Grogar looked around, and saw a poor filly on the ground in this dry desert.

"I'm just a poor lost filly in this great big desert! Won't somepony help me!" Amber exclaimed.

Grogar heard her distress cries, and diverted his attention to her.

"I sure hope no big scary monsters appear and gobble up little old me." Amber said.

Grogar approached, and he recognized her pretty quickly.

"It's you. No, you're the little Cozy Glow." Grogar said. "Now I wonder. Is it best I take you as a hostage again? Or best I simply destroy you right here and now?"

Amber gasped internally. She hadn't realized he would be so merciless this time. Grogar took another step, but Amber wasn't taking any chance.

Amber lifted her hoof and shot Grogar with the taser.

"AAH!!!"

The shock of the taser brought Grogar falling onto his side.

"Wish I had this when you kidnapped me before." Amber said.

"Splendid work, kiddo." Torre said, coming up to Amber's side. "This was even easier than I thought it'd be."

Torre threw a sack over Grogar, and started carrying him.

"So... am I just... done?" Amber asked.

"I mean, I can't think of any other purpose you could serve right now. So I suppose so." Torre said.

"You know, you're right. I got you what I promised to get you, so I'll leave you to conduct your business." Amber said.

"I'm happy you understand my situation gi-AHH!!!"

Amber tasered Torre with the weapon he'd given her.

"No, stop! I'm - shorting out!" Torre exclaimed.

Amber pulled on Torre until she ripped part of him off. Revealing that Torre was just a mechanized suit. Inside was one stubby mole... guy.

"Sorry, tuts." Grubber said.

*gasp* "I knew it! The mole people are taking over!" Amber exclaimed.

"What? No. My name is Grubber. I've been assisting the Tsour... I mean, the Storm King this whole time." Grubber said.

"Wha...? What's going on here?" Amber asked.

"See, I kind of felt bad my pal Stormy King was petrified, and then broke upon falling, so I tried to put the guy back together." Grubber explained.

"Oookay? So why exactly are you guys here?" she asked.

"Well, all I was able to reassemble was Storm King' head, so we needed a new body and a way to power it, so we took..." Grubber stopped himself.

"Took what?! What'd you guys do here?!" Amber asked. "What's Mr. Sourpuss Storm King doing to my family?!"

"Buzz off, kid." Grubber said.

"But-" Amber started. "So, I guess all that time together meant nothing? The mane dying? The steakout? Didn't you have a little bit of fun that you'd stick it out for me and-"

"I said, buzz off!" Grubber said.

"Fine." Amber said, pouting.

Amber let Grubber drag Grogar away to the castle.

"Fine. I'll save my family myself." Amber said to herself.

Comments

[the informational dude]

That's a real emotional oof for Amber. Curious to see where this goes. Also, I still wished the six villains represented the Infinity Stones of Equestria, but I guess the Elements of Disharmony will have to do.