My Little Pony: The Brothers of Discord

by mr.myxsiple

Into Ponyville

CHAPTER 2
INTO PONYVILLE

"Everything packed?" Equinox asked about an hour after he first heard the scales tip. Ironhead and Scar stood before him carrying saddle bags filled with food, toiletries, a few bits, and a bunch of other things needed when you needed to move away for a while.

"Yeah yeah, we got it." Scar answered his dad.

Equinox nodded. "Good. Remember, the last thing we want is mass panic so you need to lay low. No drawing attention to yourselves and no speaking about this to anypony."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it dad." Scar answered his dad. "What happens if someone asks us who we are?"

"Oh, I'm sure Ironhead can think something up." Equinox said.

That made the brown stallion smile and laugh. "Yeah, if anypony can come up with a good cover story on the fly, it's me."

"Good. It was a good thing I managed to detect it early this time. You two need to investigate Ponyville and find anything that could be causing all this." Equinox continued.

"How 'bout you guys?" Ironhead asked.

Solstice stepped forward. "Blues and I will assist father as he works from here." The beige unicorn nodded, and Solstice sighed. "Also...we'll try to convince Ash and Psych to cooperate."

The brothers were silent for a while after that; they knew that both their tasks would be difficult, but it had to be done or Ponyville would suffer. "I won't keep you two any longer." Equinox told his sons. "Now hurry; the fate of every living being in Ponyville rests in your hooves."

Both Ironhead and Scar nodded in full understanding of how important their mission was. They turned and left the house, galloping and flying into the Everfree Forest. Equinox saw them disappear into the trees and sighed hoping that they'd all be able to fix this before it was too late.

---

"Aw yeah! I always wanted the fate of something resting in my hooves!" Ironhead yelled excitedly as he galloped through the forest.

"Hey Ironhead! Wanna race there?" Scar asked flying above.

"Sure; no powers 'k?"

"Fine! Like I need them!"

The brothers both sped up they trip through the forest. Ironhead kept looking up from time to time to make sure Scar wasn't using his powers to cheat. Their dad said that it would take an hour of walking through the forest to get to Ponyville, and this race managed to cut that time down. Eventually, the two of them finally emerged from the forest and wound up on a path that led to Ponyville, with Ironhead the winner of the race. About three seconds later, Scar landed behind him.

"Hah! That's...532 to 534 to me!" Ironhead told his defeated brother.

The pegasus panted a bit and smiled. "Next...next time...It'll be 533 to 534..." He then collapsed out of exhaustion. "Then 533...then 534..."

Ironhead just laughed and helped his brother stand. The two brothers then took a deep breath and followed the path; Ponyville was in sight after just a few minutes.

"Alright. Let's do this." Scar said, his eyes determined.

And so they began their stroll through Ponyville. It was the middle of the afternoon, and ponies were busy with work. The road they were on was lined with stalls that sold food and other goods. The two of them walked through it headS low, trying not to attract attention to themselves.

"See anything wierd?" Scar asked.

Ironhead shook his head. He then noticed a group of ponies look at them as they passed. "We gotta find a place to stay first. They're looking at us..."

"OK. Wait." Scar suddenly realized something. "We can't use our powers in public."

"Celestia dammit." Ironhead cursed realizing the same thing. He and Scar loved their powers even though nopony outside their family knew about them. "Whatever, guess that would get us noticed."

Unbeknownst to them, a certain pink pony was happily bouncing her way in their direction.

"Hey look, we've got a job to do." Scar said. "We just gotta do what dad said y'know? All we have to do is keep cool, lay low and not attract any attention to ourselves."

"GYAAAAHHH!" The two of them jumped back at the sudden yell. Before either of them could figure out what happened, they both got a face-full of pink.

"Oh my gosh! You two are new here aren't you? You have to be 'cause I know just about everypony here in Ponyville, and since I don't know you two, that means you're new and since your new I wanna be the first to say hi and welcome to Ponyville!"

Her actions drew a lot of attention from the surrounding ponies. Ironhead and Scar looked at each other seeing their own shocked, confused and totally freaked-out expressions on the other. They hastily looked around searching for a way out when the mare suddenly gasped.

"Oh my gosh! I didn't even tell you who I am. I'm such a silly-filly; anyway, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I love parties! Birthday parties, 'Thank you' parties, anniversary parties, beach parties, pool parties, slumber parties, bachelor parties, surprise parties, good-bye parties which are really really sad, but I still make 'em lots of fun!"

"I...uh..." Ironhead stuttered still looking for a way out.

"And welcoming parties! *gasp!* That gives me an idea!" Pinkie inhaled deeply and shouted out loud to the surrounding ponies making the brothers cover their ears. "HEY EVERYPONY! WELCOMING PARTY AT SUGAR CUBE CORNER IN 10 MINUTES, AND YOU'RE ALL INVITED!"

There were cries and excited talk about the party. Soon a few ponies were heading to Sugar Cube Corner chatting about the sudden party along the way. Ironhead was the first to get over the shock of what just happened and found his voice.

"Yeah uh...Pinkie right?" he asked.

"Yup, that's me!" the mare answered cheerfully.

"Yeah look, we'd uh...we'd love to go but we got stuff to do." he told her. "So...yeah. Thanks for the invite, but we can't go..."

They both turned and tried to leave, but Pinkie had suddenly appeared before them. "But you guys must be all sad and lonely having no friends here, and this party'll give you tons of friends." Pinkie told them not dropping her cheery attitude.

"And that's good and all, but we really don't wanna go." Scar told her.

"Nonsense; everypony love my parties." Pinkie then ran up and put a hoof on each of their back. "Lemme show you. TO THE PARTY!"

---

"WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!" A large, excited crowd of ponies yelled out. Ironhead and Scar blinked and looked around noticing that they were in some sort of shop. Aside from the crowd of ponies already there dancing to some music, the shop seemed to sell cakes, cupcakes, pastries and other sweets. There store was also decorated with balloons streamers, a big banner that read "WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!".

So much for not drawing attention to themselves.

"Wha-but-I-we-but-" The two of them stammered as they looked around wondering how they got there. "But-But we were outside! How'd we end up here?!"

"Don't you remember?" Pinkie said seemingly popping out of nowhere and catching the two brothers by surprise. "I invited you and you didn't wanna go, so I grabbed you guys and yelled 'TO THE PARTY!' and then we had a scene change and now we're here." She pointed her hoof upwards. "What do you think that line up there was for?"

"Wha-" Scar looked upwards seeing only the ceiling. "W-What line?! What the hay are you talking about?!"

"Ah don' you mind her. That's jus' Pinkie bein' Pinkie." a new, southern voice said. The brothers watched as an orange earth pony wearing a Stetson emerged from the crowd.

"Applejack!" Pinkie cried out and hugged her friend. "You showed up!"

"Well o' course I did. Now what're we celebratin' here?" Applejack asked.

"Oh, these two here are new to Ponyville." Pinkie answered gesturing to the two brothers. Applejack trotted over to them.

"Really? Well, good to meet some new faces." Applejack extended her hoof. "Names Applejack. An' I see ya'll met Pinkie."

Ironhead gingerly took her hoof and shook it. "Yeah, I'm uh...Ironhead, and this's my brother Scarlet Blur."

"Scar for short." the latter said shaking Applejack's hoof.

"Nice to meet cha'. So, what brings you fellers here to Ponyville?" Applejack asked.

Scar hesitated a little, but Ironhead cleared his throat. Scar decided to let him do the talking. "We're looking for a job." Ironhead said calmly, totally making it up as he went along. "We're from Manehatten, but we hated the place." He put on a fake but convincing look of annoyance. "All those stuck-up ponies always doing their jobs and nothing else-ugh!"

"It was so boring there. Even our parents were just boring old accountants. My sister-" He froze for a split second there before continuing. "My sister wanted us to stay, but Scar and I wanted to get out. So we told our mom and dad that we wanted to leave and work out of town."

"They got really sad about it, but they let us go. So we ditched Manehatten and tried finding a job somewhere. We tried everywhere, Fillydelphia, Los Pegasus, Baltimare, Scar almost set the weather factory on fire-"

"That was an accident!" Scar lied.

"Whatever." Ironhead rolled his eyes. "You get the picture. So we're here now, looking for work."

Scar blinked amazed by Ironhead ability to come up with such a detailed lie. He just smiled and nodded. "Yeah, what he said."

"Need a job huh?" Applejack did some thinking. "Hmm, we could use some help at the farm. What're ya good at?"

Ironhead shrugged. "Well...I'm strong." He flexed a muscle. "Look at that" He nodded at the bulge. "You're looking at the strongest, toughest pony in Manehatten."

"Strongest one eh?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "We could use a feller like you at the farm that it, if ya think you can handle it."

Ironhead gave her a funny look, a look Scar instantly recognized as a look of damaged pride. He just sighed and let the two of them have their bout. "What're you saying? Of course I can handle it. You calling me weak?"

"Now now, I didn't mean that." Applejack said raising her hooves up. "I was just...curious 'bout how tough ya are."

"I am tough What do I gotta do to prove it?" the stallion challenged.

Applejacks moved sideways. "Oh I think I know how."

Ironhead followed her gaze and spotted an empty table. She raised a single hoof to show him what she meant, and he understood. "If you think I'll back down just 'cause you're a girl, you're wrong."

He gave the farm pony a challenging glare which was returned with a look of determination. Followed by Scar, the two of them rushed over to the empty table and looked hooves with the other. all the while, they didn't take their eyes off the other.

The match attracted the attention of most of the other ponies who gathered to watch the hoof wrestling match. There were many cheers for Applejack and a few for Ironhead. As they were about to begin, Pinkie suddenly popped up between then wearing a cap, a stripped shirt of a referee and a whistle around her neck, making the brothers give her a funny look.

"Alright fellas, I wanna nice, clean fight." she told the two competitors. "No mean words, no bellow the belt, and go to your corners when I tell you."

"Uh, Pinkie? This isn't boxing." Scar pointed out. That didn't seem to bother the two competitors though.

"No holdin' back now ya here?" Applejack said tightening her grips.

Ironhead blinked twice before breaking out into a wide, mischievous grin. "OK. You asked for it."

Uh oh...Scar thought.

Pinkie placed her hooves on Applejack's and Ironhead's interlocked one. "OK you two; on three. One..."

Ironhead and Applejack tensed themselves, playful grins on both of their faces.

"Two..."

The crowd watched in anticipation.

"Three!"

Exactly one second later, there was a loud thud. Applejack blinked and looked down seeing her own hoof on the table pinned down by Ironhead's. Her jaw dropped.

"Wha-but-I-"

"And the winner is Ironhead!" Pinkie shouted raising victor's hoof. Scar and a few other ponies cheered for him, while several others continued to watch in shock and awe. "Oooh! It's too early to celebrate guys. You got more competition Ironhead."

The latter saw a group of stallions. Ironhead sighed and grabbed the hoof of his next opponent.

"This'll be quick."

Meanwhile outside the shop, a group of three mares met up, two unicorns, one purple and one white with a purple mane, and a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. The three of them had heard about Pinkie's welcoming party and wanted to meet these newcomers.

"I sure hope they're nice ponies and all." Fluttershy said as they approached the shop.

"As do I dear, and I certainly hope they're dashing." Rarity responded with a sly smile.

"Speaking of dashing, it's too bad Rainbow couldn't go." Twilight said looking up at the sky.

"I tried asking her, but she was too busy with work." Fluttershy said. "Of course, that's no reason for to be upset with her...I hope the newcomers will understand..."

As they neared Sugar Cube corner, they hear a loud cheer and a loud groan at the same time. "What the-" Twilight said as they galloped inside where they were met with a surprising sight-a large crowd of ponies watching a hoof wrestling match and another group of defeated colts lying around in defeat.

"Girls, glad you could come." Applejack said walking up to them while resting her defeated hoof. "That's the two new comers over there."

At that point, Ironhead just beat another pony who walked away bowing in defeat while he celebrated with his brother. "Well they certainly are... feisty..." Rarity said hesitantly.

Applejack chuckled a bit. "C'mon, I'll introduce ya." Applejack brought the three of them to the brothers. "Howdy fellas, I want ya both to meet my friends. This here's Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy."

"'Sup. Name's Scarlet Blur, but you can call me Scar." the red pegasus said with a salute. "And this's my brother Ironhead."

"Nice to meet ya." Ironhead said turning to them as he slammed another colt's hoof onto the table.

The girls watched as the line of challengers shortened. "He sure is strong." Twilight commented.

"Yer tellin' me." Applejack replied. "At this rate, he'll be the strongest Pony in all o' Ponyville too!"

"Don't worry Applejack." Pinkie said suddenly popping in their midst. "I called...the big guns."

"The what?"

The question was answered when the door suddenly opened with a loud bang. It caught everypony's attention and they looked to see a big red stallion standing there. "Big Macintosh! Yer here!" Applejack exclaimed to which her brother replied with a simple: "Eeyup."

With a raised eyebrow, Ironhead watched Big Macintosh walk towards the table while the remaining challengers made way from him. He heard talk among the spectators, something about that if anypony could beat him, it was Big Mac, and grinned. To him, Big Mac did look like a strong pony. Too bad he was going to beat him.

"Alright, let's see what ya got Mac." Ironhead said as he propped his hoof on the table. Bic Mac glared at him intensely before grabbing his hoof.

Pinkie appeared between the two as everypony else watched closely. "Final match time!" she shouted as Ironhead and Big Mac braced themselves. "Three...Two...One...Go!"

For a change, the match lasted longer than a second. As soon as it began, the muscles on both colts bulged out so much, their veins could be seen. The crowd saw the interlocked hooves shake as the two of them duked it out in a battle of strength.

The whole time, they never kept their eyes off the other. Ironhead was impressed; Big Mac was just as strong as he looked. No wonder everypony thought he would beat him. Ironhead admired that kind of strength, but he knew Big Mac was about to lose.

"Ironhead, what the hell!? Beat him already; he's just a bumpkin!" Scar exclaimed, alarmed that his brother hadn't won yet.

"Yeah well, yer brother's 'bout to lose to a 'bumpkin'!" Applejack countered. Neither Big Mac nor Ironhead said a word since the fight began and just continued to stare at each other determined.

Then all of a sudden, Ironhead hoof tilted slightly to the side. At that sight, the cheering for Big Mac increased dramatically. The pony himself remained as calm as ever and continued to push against Ironhead's hoof. As the latter's hoof approached the table, Scar's cries of despair increased in volume.

"D...dammit! You're suppose to be tougher than that!" he screamed.

His brothers hoof was now inching towards the surface of the table. "I...I..." Just an inch left before total defeat. "I...I..." Half an inch. A quarter of an inch.

Suddenly, Ironhead broke into a wide grin. "JUST KIDDING!"

A second later, there was a loud thud that silenced the room. Several eyes wide with shock stared at the sight-Big Mac's hoof on the table with Ironhead's on top of it. A few more seconds of stunned silence later, Pinkie spoke up albeit rather quietly.

"Th-the winner is...Ironhead?"

There was then the sound of cheering coming from a small groups of supporters. The loudest cheers came from the two brothers who did a hoof bump and bumped each others chest. Applejack, as well as her friends, continued to stare dumbfounded before them, still unable to believe that Big Mac had lost.

"Hey." said pony looked up said saw Ironhead off a hoof to him. "Y'know, you were tougher than I thought. No hard feelings?"

Big Mac looked from the hoof to the pony offering it. He broke into a wide grin and replied "Eeyup." before shaking it.

"Yay! Everypony's a winner here!" Pinkie said grabbing the two of them and pulled them close. "Don't worry; the party and the fun's not over yet!"

While the other ponies cheered and went back to enjoying the party, Scar approached Pinkie."Hey Pinkie, that's really nice and all and we're really having fun, but uh...we really have to go, don't we?" he said turning to his brother.

"Aww, really?" Pinkie pouted, her bottom lip trembling. "But-but you're having so much fun here. Can't you stay for just a teensy bit more? You haven't even tried my cupcakes yet."

"Yeah but-" At that moment, their stomachs grumbled. Causing them to grin embarrassingly. They never did exactly eat anything during lunch. Pinkie vanished for a while and returned with a tray full of cupcakes. Scar sighed. "Fine; we'll eat for a while, and then, we're outta here." he said grabbing a cupcake and taking a bite out of it.

---

"I can't believe we wasted the whole afternoon!"

It was sunset and, the two of them were unpacking their things in the apartment they were staying in. "You cheated didn't you?" Scar asked. "You used your powers to win all those matches."

"I...Hey, Applejack told me not to hold back, so I didn't." Ironhead argued putting his hooves up. Scar just sighed and shook his head. "But you gotta admit, that party was awesome."

"I...yeah it was, wasn't it?" Scar said with a smile. He honestly never had that much before.

"I know right? I mean, we can lay low and all that, but if Pinkie throws another party, I'm going."

"Hey!" Scar yelled out. "Don't forget to invite me too."

With that, the two brothers starter laughing and remembered the good time they had at the party. After about a minute, they stopped. "But seriously Ironhead, we can't get sidetracked here; we have a mission to do. Did you get that soil sample like dad said?"

Ironhead reached into his bag and pulled out a corked test tube filled with soil. He threw it at Scar who caught it. "They're all in danger." the earth pony said worriedly. "We...we gotta do this Scar. They'll all die if we don't..."

"Well then maybe you shouldn't've said we were looking jobs." Scar pointed out. "Isn't Applejack expecting you at her farm tomorrow?"

"Oh uh...yeah. Sorry about that." Ironhead nervously scratched the back of his hoof.

"You had to talk about a job..."

"Hey, it was the first thing I could think off! I'm a good liar, but I don't always think what's gonna happen next!"

Scar groaned and face-hoofed. "I'll check out the town while you're at the farm." He headed for the door. "I'm just gonna get this to dad."

"OK. Make sure nopony see you." Ironhead said as his brother left. Now alone, he sighed and went over to his bed and jumped on it. Staring at the ceiling, he remembered all those happy faces he saw at the party, all those ponies who had no idea of the danger they were in.

He-No. They had to save them.

He was sure Scar wouldn't mind if he slept early, so he did just that. Their mission to save Ponyville would begin the next day.