> Strange Tales of the Multiverse > by HiddenBrony > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > And so it ends, And so it begins. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- CRASH! BOOOOM! Lights and sounds exploded throughout the facility as a lone mare worked in a mad rush around the smatterings of a lab. Rust and decay clung to every surface as the pony galloped between loose wires and spare parts, steam engines whirring and whistling about her. The die had been cast, her plans were finally being pushed forward. A decade of rule under the Tyrant Queen after the Lunar Rebellion was cast aside would be undone. Indeed, the entirety of her world would be. But it was worthwhile. It was the last defense. She was on the right track - she had seen her. Just barely crossing over, a ghost of a friend long gone. It was on her lowest settings, but she had broken through, if only a for a moment. She had seen her. Solid. Happy. Deliriously Pink. The scientist levitated her goggles unto her forehead and turned to a collection of materials upon six golden saucers. She had spent years tracking some of this down, but she had followed the directions of her friend's dying words to the T. The mare laughed hollowly, her voice producing much less than a whisper. She hadn't drank water for days. It was needed for the engine. She never gave her friend enough credit - only when the Tyrant had deemed it fit to punish her.... assistant, for even hoping to formulate a friendship with someone on the outside. Well, she would show her. She would end her. End it all. Nopony should have to suffer anymore. This dank, humid world that was Corona's vision. War machines, the power of steam - none of this had existed just over a decade ago. Ponies were mostly excited for the move, as it provided new ideas, and protection for the masses, but then... the sun never set. Ponies were soon forced into labor for the protection of Equestria. The moon rebuked the move, but had been burned away in a blaze of searing heat. Nopony could stand under the rays of the sun and not be burned, and the Moon, the Sun's very sister, could not have even begun to match that power. But she, she could, if only for a moment. With the help of her machine, which burned and coughed at it's full potential. It wouldn't be more than a minute before she'd be noticed, now. Corona would be upon her, and she hadn't long to prepare her final offering. Turning to the golden saucers, the mare quickly checked each one. Apples, gems, a thundercloud, confetti and balloons, living butterflies... only one saucer remained. Underneath it was a vast complex of magical sigils and redirectional gold inlays. While the others simply had strange copper wires under them, the last saucer was huge, enough for any three ponies. Or in this case, one large imposing goddess of the Sun. The mare looked on at her work. Only seconds remained. Corona had been tracking her for years now. She had hid out in the one place she'd never look - the castle's boiler works. In what few times she could get out, she had stolen things that would be missed - copper wiring, books and magical notes. But they had been deliberate, not some desperate thief looking for things to sell for food - no, each and every thing had come together to make this. If Corona hadn't needed her as a trusted student for so many years, Twilight might have been worried about her being smart enough to connect the dots. The pony paused, looking back toward her frayed tail, her pale purple coat. Adorned on her flank was her first real memory of when she became Twilight Sparkle, the Princess' most loyal and prodigious student. That was back when... she had dreams. When the sky was blue. When Corona was still Celestia. CRACKA-THOOM! There she was herself. Just being in her gaze, the scientist mare could feel the very strands of her hair start to burn away, the long pipes along the walls starting to rattle as every last bit of water in the facility started to boil at once. Her own protective wards could barely stand against the presence of Corona. The mare didn't look at the Princess. Not that she was afraid, but to look upon her now, her eyes filling with what little water she could produce, would threaten to remove the memory of Princess Celestia from her mind. The burning monarch stared down at the elusive purple mare, her eyes glowing bright as the sun. "So this... is where you've been, my most faithful student!" she spat, her horn sparking to life as she bent her head slightly. "Ten years in my lifetime was only a blink of an eye." Twilight heaved a sorrowful breath, wiping away the tears that had fallen from her eyes. "Like the setting of the sun," she challenged, her head spinning from the heat. However, it never stopped her from picking herself up and finally facing Corona. "Hello, Princess." "Cute," the Princess snarled, paying no mind to her surroundings as a number of pipes rattled and broke off the walls. "How unlike you to be so bold, Twilight. Where is the mare that would cower at the slightest inclination of my wrath?" "Dead. Has been for a long time. I'm sure everypony can say the same." Twilight opened her eyes, her tears beginning anew as she looked upon the impressive figure. Gone was the flowing rainbow mane from her fevered dreams. It had been replaced by fire, rampant and burning, how very unlike the sun. Twilight recalled the sun she knew. It had been glowing. Warming. "And soon, everypony will." Corona smiled. A wicked smile. There was no Celestia to save from this beast. No harmony could bring this devil to it's knees. "Why would I ever harm my subjects? The ponies live in peace. Protection. Harmony." "No Princess. They leave in fear and discomfort. You've burned away the crops, forced many ponies... to developed habits that are unforgivable just to survive! Every day they live in danger of dehydration, exhaustion! But you don't care about that. You're a monster, a beast!" Twilight was shouting now, buying herself some time as the alicorn summoned her magic to end her. "You're something Celestia could never stand! You're chaos!" Corona's pupils shrunk as she released a powerful blast of fire. Twilight could feel her wards snap like twigs under the burning fireball that collided against her, blasting her through a solid metal pipe. She hit the wall like a ragdoll, a scream and a whimper were the only evidence that she was alive. "Don't ever call me that name, Sparkle! That weak creature couldn't protect a thing!" Corona blazed, her voice raised, carrying an otherworldly nature to it. The form of the unicorn twitched. A hoof was outstretched as she tried and failed to pick herself up after the attack. Corona's fury was sedated by the view of her former protege's struggles to stay alive. Twilight pushed herself against the wall, her ribs cracked and a punctured hole in her side bleeding freely. Shaking her head, another pipe exploded with steam as it covered the area in a hot mist. She raised her head slowly, wiping a tear made by the mist from her eye. "I-...I'm sorry, Princess." "Apologies, Sparkle?" Corona laughed, a sadistic merriment in her voice. "I think you'll find it far too late for that. You will die, Twilight. Like your friends before you. Like your parents. Like Luna. Like Discord." Twilight shuddered as she felt the life start to leave her, but a smile, soft and sad, hung on her lips. "That's what I'm sorry for, Princess. I'm sorry I couldn't save you from him. That my friends... failed to stop his chaos. He changed you, Celestia. But even he couldn't see what he was starting. I guess it was his nature. It never made sense." The large alicorn made to charge and end the life of the upstart, but quickly found her legs stopped fast in the ground beneath her. "Wha-What is this?" "Magic, Princess," Twilight coughed, shaking her head. "Scientifically produced magic, even. It's a fake!" Twilight reached a hoof up, the entire building beginning to shake and shuffle. "As with all of the rest. Fake echoes of the Elements of Harmony." Looking about, she could see it now. Representations of the Elements prior holders, her students faithful friends. It was a trap. She could see it now. The missing notes from the labs, the wires, steam... they were all put together for... no! "Twilight! You don't know what you're doing! This is more than suicide or murder, it's genocide!" Twilight's head lolled to one side, her eyes sparkling with tears. Her own salty tears. The mare thought it strange; she hadn't had salt in a very long time. "Familiar, isn't it? It's only right for the student of a monster to be a monster herself. This is the end, Corona. Of you, of me, of all of Equestria. All of it will be torn asunder. Hopefully, it can all start anew." There was a pregnant pause after her words, Corona only gaping at what her former student was saying. As she welled up the last vestiges of strength, Twilight smiled, closing her eyes as she remembered her friend. "I've seen her, Celestia..! I saw Pinkie Pie today. She was still young, still happy. She was bouncing around like she used to." "She is dead, Sparkle! You're going to kill everypony! End this, now!" "Oh, Celestia..." Twilight's eyes opened. Taking in the dank surroundings, the mare swore she could hear playful laughing echoing around her. "I plan to." Horn sparkling, Twilight Sparkle grabbed hold of a nearby lever, and pulled it down. With her final deed done, the mare closed her eyes, welcoming the cool darkness that awaited her. Corona tugged and pulled at her feet, her horn glowing as it attempted to remove herself from the impending destruction. She could see it now, the sigils on the floor, the wiring, the vast power created by her steam engine. It was all too much, nopony could have ever put this together. It was impossible. A loud whirring sound issued from beneath her, the saucers starting to fall into the floor, Corona with them. It was her magic that fueled this, and the markings on the floor would let her do nothing to prevent it. She had to save herself. However, the floor below opened, and a fearsome sight greeted her. The remains of the being known as Discord. Rolled into a circle, his body had been connected to an unholy machine, which spun and accelerated as it fed off the latent power the amalgam of creatures once held. Within the space made by his body, a glowing blue energy appeared, shaking with anticipation. It would end this world. It would bring chaos. It fed off the fake elements, and lapped greedily at the cruel magic Corona held. The alicorn could only scream as she was pushed downward into the gaping maw. Above, Twilight Sparkle stood on three hooves, having just the energy to view the horror of her handiwork. She withstood the sweet embrace of death to see her work through. "Ten years. And now I bring this world to it's end. May whatever take it's place be better than this." Her eyes fell upon the corpse of Discord and the ball of energy that was welling up in the center of the space his body made. Despite his very existence being the key that caused the end of her world, her heart went out to the being. "Perhaps it, too, can be a world made of parts." "Twilight! Twiliiiight~!" Twilight smiled as she heard the voice of her friend. "I can hear you, Pinkie Pie! Luna knows I've missed you. I'm coming, girls! Tell them all I'm coming..." Her front legs gave away as she tumbled over the edge. Corona could see the purple pony fall limply into the center of Discord's circle, Twilight's eyes glowing fiercely as Corona started to feel herself burn. As Twilight fell into and became one with the chaotic energies her machine had created, the unicorn entered an awakened state, her raw ability increasing the magic bomb tenfold as her body burst and became one with the energy. The ball of power erupted forth, consuming all that it could, erasing the boilerworks from reality. It expanded, consuming the castle, Canterlot, Equestria, the sun, the stars, anything and everything it touched, leaving only a blank slate. The universe depleted, the loss of it's existence called out into Void, and from it the resonating of dimensions. Everywhere across all of time and space and dimension could feel itself tugged, pushing together to fill the gap left from the ghostly universe. They shared in kindness, leaving their own impressions upon the space. And thus it grew, a new universe upon the old. It shared many qualities of it's own, itself an echo of what was, but it was different. Fresh, and anew. And in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle awoke from a dream at the sound of knocking at her door. She tiredly opened the door, and found herself staring at a pink mess of fur and mane with a party invitation in her hand. For some reason she couldn't begin to know, Twilight found herself felt compelled to embrace her friend. Rushing forward, the unicorn gave her friend a giant hug just at the mere sight of Pinkie. "Oof! Hey Twilight, good to see you too! What's the big gesture for?" Pinkie asked, returning the hug with equal gusto. The purple mare removed herself slowly from her friend, wiping a tear from her eye as she smiled. "I'm not sure, Pinkie. I just... it's so good to see you today." Pinkie Pie smiled, as if knowing the reason for her friend's odd behavior. "Well, yeah! It's always a good day to see your friends! And what better reason than to throw a party about it!" Pinkie cheered, prompting a happy smile from the lavender unicorn. "Sure thing, Pinkie Pie," she playfully rolled her eyes at the fellow mare, but she found herself completely in agreement with the party pony's logic. A new thought crossed her mind as she looked into Pinkie's sapphire eyes, and she smiled. "Listen, Pinkie, do you mind if I go get the girls myself, today? I... really want to see them, for some reason. Want to come with me?" "Oh sure! Oh hey, maybe we can get the Princesses to come! And Spike!" Pinkie bounced alongside Twilight, the mare shaking her head as the pony kept coming up with more ponies to invite. "Well, I'll ask Spike to send a letter," Twilight mused, deciding, what they hay, might as well give it a try. Pinkie smiled and hopped in place a few times before catching up with Twilight. "Yippee! Oh Twilight, this is gonna be the best party ever, I just know it!" Twilight couldn't figure out why she was in such a good mood, but found herself uncaring as she could only nod at her hyperactive friend. "You know what Pinkie? I think... you're right." And that's how Equestria was made. > The Equestrian Monthly > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A rustling of leaves, a cracking branch, and a slight huff of prudent breath was all that issued from the deep undergrowth along the edge of the Everfree Forest. Delicately, a white hoof pushed aside an imposingly large bush so that her pride and joy couldn't be caught or ruined by a stray stick with a penchant for mischief. The beautiful purple mane bounced wonderfully as the white unicorn peered out into an open expanse, making sure that nopony, not even one of her very best friends, could have followed her. She was wonderfully alone. Turning back towards the forest, the pony trotted gracefully down a lightly beaten path, hidden away from the prying eyes of the public as her tail bounced in tandem with her mane, giving the illusion that the marshmallow white pony simply glided across the ground in one fluid motion. To any creature watching, they might have been confused as to why such a privileged looking pony would be out in the Everfree at night, and hold such an air of confidence about her. Such a creature obviously didn't know Rarity at all. Nor could anypony guess her final destination. Happening upon a decrepit old shack, hidden away and covered in vines which grasped at the wooden frame. The unicorn paused briefly, pursing her looks disapprovingly at the building, making no effort to hide her disdain. "Really now, months have passed and she can't go out of her way to at least make the decor a little better!" "That!" a boastful shout came from within the building, catching the mare off guard. The door suddenly burst open with an indignant kick, and framed in the doorway, lit by a golden light inside, stood a beautiful cerulean coated mare. A purple cap and hat accentuating her silver-blue mane which sparkled ever so slightly in the scattered moonlight. Rarity quickly recovered from her shock as the resident began her haughty rant. "...Is because the Great and Powerful Trixie requires secrecy!" she eyed her fellow unicorn, showing her distaste at the mere thought that anypony could question of her vast talents. Rarity made no move to take back her statement. "All I'm saying, dear, is that you could serve to lighten the place up a bit. Some landscaping would do wonders for your lawn," Rarity chided, walking past the blue mare, lightly touching horns with the magician as she passed. Her suave smile served to quiet the boasting pony, and a passing wink granted an anticipating smirk from the clothed unicorn. Trixie soon found herself staring at the white pony's flank longer than she would admit to, and tore her eyes suddenly as if something else required her immediate attention. Looking about the forest, Trixie made a futile show of looking about for anypony before she ducked her head back inside the enclosure. Turning to face the white unicorn, she had to stomach the very self-satisfied smirk pressed on Rarity's face. "Am I distracting you dear?" "The Great and Powerful Trixie is never distracted by mere physical shapes!" Trixie defended, refusing to match the fashion designer's gaze. Rarity smiled, raising an eyebrow as she sniffed the air. "I never said you did, darling, you brought that up." Rarity decided to grant the showmare clemency for her mistake by diverting her attention to the internal decor that made up Trixie's abode. Unlike the dilapidated outside, the inside of the wooden shack had been obviously enhanced by magic. The walls were of a pale pink, with solid white trim against the unvarnished surfaces. The small shed had been expanded on the inside, leaving room for all the necessities in life that one could expect from the most prideful pony in Equestria - which was no less than the largest bed she could find, with rolls upon rolls of blankets that depicted the very stars themselves. Rarity always felt a little impressed walking into this secret location, not that she would ever admit it. Turning toward the cerulean unicorn, the dressmaker gave her a little smile. "Mmm... At least you keep the inside looking perfect, as usual." "Well, The Great and Powerful Trixie could hardly be considered Great and Powerful if she wasn't able to make a home for herself wherever she went." Passing a hoof in disregard for the white unicorn's compliment, Trixie levitated her hat off her head and placed it on a hook near the doorway. "She only had the training of the most perceptive and creative pony in the business..." she teased, stepping towards the white unicorn. Rarity looked away from the other unicorn as if disinterested, giving the showpony pause. However, the well-trimmed pony slowly turned her head gracefully back towards Trixie, a simmered smile crossing her features as she leaned closer to the Great and Powerful mare before her. "Ooh, the best pony in the business of dresses, perhaps... among other things, dear," she owned, gratefully taking in the compliment. Trixie's face reddened as Rarity grew ever closer, her horn lowering slightly, gracefully pressing against Trixie's. "I do agree that my fashion sense can extend to homes as well. I like to think of it as a new kind of body to get my hooves on." "Well, if you're looking to get your hooves on a body, I know where you can look," Trixie suggested, her tail brushing against the dressmaker's cutie mark. Rarity shuddered at the touch, but made no other movements nor denials toward the magician. "It might not be all that new to you, though." Rarity felt her hoof slowly raise off the ground against her will, bringing itself close to the blue mare's face and turning the showpony's face more toward her own. "I've always held an appreciation for classics, darling." There was a sharp spark from her horn, which caused Trixie's hindlimbs to give away for a split second, a high gasp escaping her. "Because with those, you always know exactly what you can enjoy from them..." Without another word the mare's moved toward each other, noses touching as Rarity's sapphire eyes met with the amethyst orbs of the other unicorn, finding herself forevermore lost in them. The was a lingering moment, each mare's eyes highlighting every spot of the room to where and how they might continue. Horns touched and grazed each other, magic sparking as the two ponies started to circle each other. "Hm hm! The Great and Powerful Trixie should warn you, she has learned much more since our last visit!" Rarity smirked, sliding her horn up and off her opposite's and giving them just the slightest amount of room to breathe. "And the visit before last?" "And the visit before last," Trixie leaned close. "And the visit before last," Rarity echoed, their lips almost touching. "And the visit where I came into this equation," a lyrical voice chimed in. Both ponies present jumped away from each other as they quickly and fearfully stared at the door. A solitary mint green unicorn stood with a maliciously playful smirk on her features, a white strip of color soared through her mane as her horn lit up, silently closing the door behind her. Approaching the two mares, Lyra looked between them as the red refused to leave their cheeks. "Gee girls, starting without me?" Stepping closer to the blushing girls, Lyra set her trademark lyre on a small nightstand. Rarity started to regain her composure after being torn from such an intimate moment as the mint pony continued her greeting. "Oh, it's been so long since I've been out here," she began, her eyes dancing about the room. As her eyes came to rest upon the showmare, her smile was almost smoldering, "I hope you girls aren't too familiar with each other." "Oh Lyra, so good to see you out here again!" Rarity chimed, the pink in her cheeks still refusing to go away. With the door shut behind the third unicorn, Trixie had opted to look out the window to see if anypony else was coming, attempting not to be so quickly dominated by the musician. Rarity took her place quickly, diverting Lyra's attention. "I thought since you moved in with BonBon you weren't... shall we say 'interested' with our little... 'routine'." Rarity added the appropriate air quotes with her words as she spoke. Lyra's tail whipped furiously about, betraying the minty cool demeanor she was presenting. "BonBon still visits with Carrot Cake from time to time, so... I still have you girls," Lyra stated matter-of-factly. By now, Trixie had removed herself from behind the curtain and approached the minty green mare with a smile more befitting her stage presence. "We all love a little familiarity in our lives, hm?" Lyra continued, a spark shining in her eye. Bringing a hoof to her chin, the blue mare thought back on her first visit to Ponyville. Yes, the one she came to know as BonBon did seem inordinately close to an orange coated pony - one that Trixie could have sworn had the most terrible shade of green mane... her stomach dropped slightly at the memory as she turned to Rarity. "The... Great and Powerful Trixie... again apologies profusely for her mistreatment of your mane, Rarity." Rarity waived away the apology, having heard it every time she had come out here. It had been months since stumbling upon the magician's unfortunate position, Trixie's cart having been destroyed in the Ursa attack. "It's really nothing to be worried about, darling. If you hadn't come to apologize personally... why, we wouldn't even have these little events, now would we?" Trixie smiled mischievously at the word event, feeling her showpony facade starting to flare up again. "You wish for an event, then the Great and Powerful Trixie shall give you a night you won't soon forget!" All too quickly her demeanor faded as Lyra came up from behind the blue unicorn and gave her a bit of a prod, surprising the silver-maned mare from her attempt at boastful seduction. "I may be a bit late to the party, but I don't think I'm all that taken to being ignored," Lyra commented dryly, brushing alongside Trixie as her tail whipped about her nose. Trixie couldn't help but take in a long whiff of the scented hair as it passed, titillating the very tips of her hooves as she breathed deep the scent of mint. "So, it's just us girls this time?" Rarity looked over the guests and mentally crossed off the two other ponies who would not be making it to their little get together, and smiled. "Mm, like you said, BonBon is a little busy, being the only honorary non-unicorn to our little society." Trixie nodded in agreement, loving Rarity's constant use of deflecting phrases that described their get-togethers. Despite this, there was a certain dullness to her amethyst eyes, which didn't go without notice. "And for the p-pink striped harlot who dared stand against the G-great and Powerful Trixie?" There was a short silence as Rarity shook her mane, having already accounted for the lack of Twilight Sparkle. The bookish unicorn hadn't ever been a part of their late night excursions. Stepping closer to the blue pony, she brought a soft hoof towards the showpony and lifted her chin up. "Darling, you know that Twilight is neither privy nor experienced in the idea of a mare's touch. And I'd hardly think she'd be open to such an... arrangement, like what we have." Lyra had moved across the room twice during the discussion, and had been playing about with Trixie's hat as Rarity discussed the purple pony in question. "Really? I thought it was the quiet ones who were all pent up and rambunctious like that." Her musically uplifting laugh brought a smile to the other mares' lips as they suddenly found themselves dangerously near the large bed, Lyra in Trixie's hat and the prim and proper Rarity 'trying out' Trixie's cape... while it was still on Trixie. Lyra threw a hoof in mock tragedy as she recounted the faux tale of Twilight Sparkle. "Poor girl must get herself lost in romance novels, calling out for her one true stallion, never knowing her true fate lies in the gentle touch of a mare... or three mares..." Trixie bleated with disinterest to Lyra's tale, but was cut off as she felt a nip at her ear. Rarity was finding herself in a playful mood, and such interaction was making it very hard for the magician to focus - and she didn't mind a bit. "W-well! She should know that there are w-ways of p-p-pleasure that are only known to t-Trixie! Ohpleasedon'tstopnow-" Trixie whined as Rarity fell to her hooves. Smiling, the unicorn quickly hopped up on the bed and stared down at Trixie. "Well, I for one am sick of hearing about these special pleasures," Rarity decided with a defiant air. "And I certainly will not be relating them to our little librarian." Rarity's hoof played with the sheet a little, however her dainty hoof refused to upset them too much, instead merely beckoning the two mares to join her. Trixie's confused stare bored into Rarity, who merely leaned down towards her, sending a wink towards Lyra. "So you'll have to show me." Lyra suddenly pushed up against Trixie's flank, taking to mare by surprise as Trixie splayed out unto the bed in a heap, much to Lrya's delight. Beaming over at Trixie, who was scrambling to get a hoof in traction because her silky bedsheets refused her, the minty mare turned to Rarity. "Good thing I'm no proper lady, or she might be mad at me." she joked. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is furious with you!" Trixie shouted in vain, Lyra climbing up upon the bed regardless of the mare's protest, earning a playful smile from the fashionista. The mare only took a moment to compliment the blue unicorn's flank before pushing up against Rarity's cutiemark, absentmindedly giving it a lick. Rarity illicited a sharp gasp before spinning about, her face a mask of confusion. "O-oops!" Lyra stammered, giving a sheepish smile. "Bonbon loves it when I do that." "Well, I don-" Rarity began, before suddenly finding her reverse mark receiving the same treatment from Trixie, who used her position to an advantage as she started to drag the mare into the cushions below. Blushing profusely, the mare suddenly found herself sandwiched between the other two as Lyra ignored her pleas against the contrary. "I... I-" Lyra quickly got the tip from Trixie and soon started rubbing against the poor unicorn's mark, the white mare's forehooves giving away, her knees weak from the pleasure. "Oh we simply must do this more than once a month!" The night surrendered to screams of pleasure and laughter as the three ponies took full use of the room. ----- A flash of inspiration. "Damn it!" A yellow pony screamed as he slammed his hoof into his nightstand, his lamp shining on in response. Looking groggily about the room, night continued to crawl in behind his curtains, the lamp only casting imposing shadows about his room. Running his hoof through his flaming red hair, he blinked his eyes hard as his horn sparked to life, lifting a gray plastic rectangle to his waiting hooves. Flipping open the laptop, the pony quickly navigated the device. "...Seth...?" a voice called weakly nearby, chanting his name in fixed intervals which the blogpony initially ignored. However, as his name continued to be called, the stallion shifted his attention momentarily. "What is it!?" he demanded, his hoof raised toward the other voice. "I'm busy working here!" There was a long pause from the other end, as if contemplating the important work the blogger must be doing at this hour. "But how could you have gotten something new to write about? You've been sleeping..." Sethisto grumbled, his hooves coming to rest idly upon the device. "I told you, I see things - visions of events that are transpiring. And this one is a doozy, I swear. It needs to be up on my blog like, yesterday." Another pregnant silence hung about the room as Seth slowly got back to writing his post, intent on finishing up before heading straight back to sleep. "What're you writin'?" Seth slammed his head into his keyboard. "Ugh.... you wouldn't understand!" "Is it smut?" "Wuh-what!?" Seth choked on his own saliva, prompting him into a coughing fit as the voice gave a self-gratifying answer for it's own question. "It's smut. Probably of that showmare you're so fancy of." Regaining his breath, Sethisto gave the other pony a steely glare as he put his hoof down. "Her name is Trixie and she is the greatest and more powerful mare in Equestria, and you should be humbled by the very mention of her name, let alone existence in this world, you troglodyte!" Seth seethed. However, the only response he gleaned was a dispassionate bleat. Furious, but thankful for his foil's apparent disinterest, the blogpony continued his work, reporting all he had seen in his dream. Ever last detail. Right down to the gentle wave of her mane. The subtle curve of her figure. The way the moon shined off her eyes... indoors, even. His grunts soon roused his companion from his resumed slumber, the pony reaching out towards the clock. "Sethy... come back to bed, it's late. You can finish it in the morning..." Seth shot another glare, but was met with pleading eyes. The fires of his tenacity faded as he stared, and his hoof slowly reached out, shutting the laptop and his horn sparking to life, sliding the device off the bed as he moved to get comfortable on the bed. "Only for you, Cereal..." "Thank you, Seth," the blue unicorn thanked, a small smile playing on his features. "I know how important the blog is to you, but sleep is too. Don't forget that. I don't like it when you're all cranky..." Hoof beckoning the pony back down, Seth returned to his sleeping position next to Cereal. "I know, Cereal. I'm sorry." Cereal smiled, shaking his head only slightly. "So what were you writing about?" "Oh, um, nothing much. Just this and tha-" "For the love of Celestia!" A mare's head emerged from the other side of the bed, hair pink as Cerise and a white, marshmallow body to compliment it. "Would you two be quiet and get to sleep?" Seth's hoof slammed against the light, darkening the room once more as he quickly magic'd the covers over himself as he and Cereal quickly muttered a frightened, "Yes Phoe!" > And Now for Something Completely Different! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Stitch by stiiiitch, stitching it together~" the sing-song voice rang, a new fabric on her mind as she spun around, tassels and strips of cloth circling about her feminine form as the seamstress worked about her new dress idea. Oh, surely the Hoity Toity fashion company would notice her for sure now! Reaching for a strip of silvermoon fabric, she admired it's light sparkle as she brought it up next to her sewing machine. Placing it next to the pale blue fringe, she was about to start the machine up when a knock on her door broke her concentration. Spinning about, the seamstress removed her 'fashionista' glasses and placed them lazily on the table. Bolstering her appearance for her next customer, she tried not to think about how in the zone she was. "Come iiiiinnnn~!" "Jewel? Are you in here?" a young voice called, giving the seamstress a smile. "In the shop, Belle~!" the woman called, standing up as she quickly walked to the door, excited to see her little sister. Swinging open the door, her smile faltered a little as she saw that her kin had not come alone. "Oh, hello there Blossom." Jewel's smile twitched as she looked over the pair of girls. The one she registered as her sister was wearing a small, puce and white school-girl's uniform, but the other girl was wearing a yellow shirt and blue overalls. Casting a cursory glance about her door, the elder sister shot a quizzical look toward the girls. "What, no third Crusader today?" Blossom shook her head sadly. "Nah, she was all excited 'bout that cool girl at the skatepark, the one with the rainbow helmet." Shrugging, the farm girl's bright red hair bounced about, light and curly enough to even earn an envious stare from Jewel. How a simple farm girl could be blessed with such locks was beyond her, especially since she was related to Jack, the hardworking blonde out at Sweet Apple Acres. Her mortal enemy. Well, not mortal enemy so much as polar opposite. The two seemed to stay civil in conversation, especially considering their mutual friends, but they were two people you could never find who were more different. Even still, Jewel knew that her sister and Belle were friends, so no petty differences would get in the way of her gracious hosting. "Jewel, I was wonderin' if you could help me design some sort of scarf or cape for me 'n the crusaders!" Belle asked, not missing a beat. It wasn't too often her little sweetie came to visit, their parents living on the other side of New York, but when she did she come by she hardly wanted anything other than a place to be for awhile and see her big sister. As such, Jewel was elated that her sister even asked that she help with the design; a fact meaning her little sister was interested in design! She was so elated she didn't see the fine British man right outside, sitting in a chair that was actually on a table, placed oddly in the middle of the road. Looking to no one in particular, the man straightened his tie and murmured, "And now for something completely different!"