A hooded figure galloped through the streets of Canterlot in the dead of night. Although the two feet of winter snow made his legs sting from its icy chill, he kept going, or else he'd risk getting caught. He could hear the heavy hoofsteps from the guards behind him, encouraging him to keep fleeing.
Wrapped around his neck was a rope with a small purple glass bottle attached to it. He quickly grabbed onto it with his mouth and yanked it off before throwing it onto the ground, shattering it and releasing smoke, hiding the runaway. The three guards galloped into the smoke without hesitation, knowing that if they hesitated, it would spell certain doom for all of Equestria.
One of them, a sky-blue unicorn with green eyes, shined a light from his horn so that he could better see, but it was useless. The smoke was too thick.
A deep voice from behind the unicorn made him freeze for a moment. "You just couldn't let me be, now you are the ones who will flee."
Before the unicorn could turn around, he was knocked unconcious from a heavy blow to the head from some unseen object. The hooded figure looked across the unicorn's body before taking two short knives from the guard's satchel. "Thank you for the gift, I'll make sure their deaths are swift."
"Clay? Where are ya, Clay?!" a voice cried out. It was a young female earth pony with magenta fur. She held her spear tightly, ready for anything. Well... almost anything. Before she even saw it, a knife flew from out of the smoke and landed straight in her left eye, making her scream in pain. Blood rushed down her cheeks as she sobbed. "OH CELESTIA!!! SOMEPONY PLEASE HELP M--"
Before she could finish, somepony had grabbed her from behind and slid a blade across her throat. She went quiet, and dropped to the ground.
"Surrender now and we'll go easy on you!" the lone red pegasus warned. He was lying, of course. He had heard his partner's cry for help. He wasn't about to let her death be in vain. "Just come into view and we'll end this quietly!" That's it... quiet. No one would know what happened in this smoke. All he had to do was say the thief commited suicide out of fear of being caught.
A deep chuckle came from within the smoke. The pegasus readied his spear and dashed forward, letting out a battle cry that echoed through the streets. "FOR THE ROYAL SISTERS!" He jabbed his spear in random directions until he felt his spear hit flesh, making him smile smugly. "HA! You're no match for the Royal Guard!"
He pulled his spear back and gasped when he saw what was on the other end: his dead partner. The tip was lodged deep into her side. The figure had used her as a shield! Before the pegasus could pull out his spear, a foreleg wrapped itself around his head and twisted hard, breaking the pegasus' neck.
Everything was now silent... The smoke eventually cleared to reveal two dead ponies and one knocked-out guard, the hooded figure nowhere to be seen.
A distracted grey pony looked up from his book, pushing his red square glasses back into place. He had almost forgotten he was at a meeting with the High Council Of Unicorns. "S-Sorry, Mister Starswirl. I was just looking over these plans for the portals. They're fascinating!"
Sitting at a round table in a dark room were six unicorns, one of them being the famed Starswirl who had recently come back from his thousand-year absence. It was a difficult week, seeing how there was a recent string of murders, something that had not been done in almost a hundred years.
Starswirl stroked his beard as he looked out among his fellow magic users. "Our reports say it was a zebra, but we have no record of recent immigration from their homeland."
One unicorn, Starlight Glimmer, spoke up. "They rarely move away from family, so I have reason to believe the zebra used either a potion, or a unicorn's spell for temporary travel."
"Then we can't rule out the possibility that one of our own citizens betrayed us," Starswirl commented.
"How do we approach this? Surely we can handle this without panicking the population?" Scissorwhip implied.
"It will be difficult," replied Starswirl in a serious tone.
"What if," a green pony with an orange mane named Jumper Cable spoke up, "we block off immigration. If we can keep the zebra trapped here, we can find him in time."
"Were you not listening just a moment ago?" questioned an albino pony with red eyes. No one ever knew her real name, but she preferred to be called Bloodshade. "I swear, you're so scatterbrained sometimes, it's like talking to a brick wall. If he's working with someone who teleported him here, he can just as easily get back out."
"I think we should put up a magical barrier around all of Equestria and declare war on the Zebras! It's obvious they've always been jealous of our magic!" a gruff voice shouted. Warhoof, a light brown pony with a scar across his left eye, was itching for some action, and this was the perfect opportunity to get it.
Unfortunately, Starswirl wasn't having any of it. "Warhoof! This is the fifth time this week you've wanted to declare war on a foreign land! Why are you even in the council?!"
"Because my tactics are second to none in times of war!" Warhoof argued.
"But this is not a time of war!" Starswirl argued back.
While the two elderly ponies argued, Scissorwhip looked at his book, enamoured with the plans for interdimensional travel. It was a dream come true for him to be working with the legendary Starswirl on the future project.
Before the argument could continue on even longer, Bloodshade pounded the table with her hooves. "Enough! This is foalish! I did not come here to listen to two old ponies behave like foals!"
Starswirl and Warhoof both became silent. Then Scissorwhip spoke. "What if we hired a professional bounty hunter?"
"Celestia made her stance on pony hunters very clear. It would make us look bad if he or she were caught, and it could encourage other ponies to take up the profession," Starlight intervened.
"Well... what if it wasn't a pony doing the hunting?" asked Scissorwhip. "That way we wouldn't have to look bad. No one would even have to know we hired him."
Starswirl scoffed at this. "Who else could we hire? Our allies aren't going to help us at their own risk. If word gets out that our allies sent their own bounty hunter to catch someone in our nation, it could create controversy, straining the trustful bond between our citizens and theirs."
"And if it were to be someone not from our world?" Scissorwhip asked, regretting his question immediately.
"I know where you're going with this, Scissorwhip!" scolded Starswirl. "I'm not going to let it slide!"
"Let what slide, Starswirl?" asked Bloodshade. They had her full attention.
"It's none of your business, and it's none of his, either!" argued Starswirl.
Bloodshade's face turned serious. "If I find out you knew of a way that could protect our nation and didn't mention it to us, I will speak with the royal sisters personally to have you removed from the council. I told them before that your age was reason enough, but they said I needed a better reason than that. I'll make sure they have their reason... Just imagine the headlines: 'Starswirl fails Equestria.'"
Starswirl stared back at Bloodshade with determination on his face. "You think you can threaten me? This could kill all of us. I won't take such a chance with it. It's happened before, but it won't happen again."
The meeting ended right then and there as Starswirl stormed out of the room.
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Scissorwhip sat alone in the Canterlot library in the middle of the night, his nose buried in a book on quantum mechanics. Although he wasn't allowed to carry out his experiment, he could at least continue fantasizing while he read his books.
A voice, however, decided to interrupt him. "I want to know what Starswirl was talking about."
Scissorwhip turned his head to see Bloodshade. He quickly shushed her before she could say anything else. "We're not supposed to speak in the library. Follow me."
Scissorwhip led Bloodshade into a private reading room where no one could hear them. It was very small, but it could still fit two ponies.
"I'm not really sure I should be talking to you," confessed Scissorwhip. "I only led you back here to keep the library quiet."
"Is this really what you do all day, just read?" Bloodshade trotted over to a small table and picked up a book from it. "'How to Quantumize Your Magic?' What is this supposed to be?"
The nerdy pony Scissorwhip pushed his loose glasses into place. "Well, it's about making magic happen, even when you're not casting a spell. It's the Schroneigher Effect. Schroneigher gave a very famous example with his cat in the box experiment. See, he'd put a cat in a box with poison in it. No one knows if the cat is dead or not, and so the universe becomes unpredictable. An observed universe is different from an unobserved universe, and if we were to apply this to magic, we co--"
Bloodshade threw the book at Scissorwhip. "Shut the buck up, please. I didn't come here for smart talk. I came here for information."
"Throwing precious vessels of knowledge is not the way to get information from me!" Scissorwhip scolded. He picked up the book that had been thrown at him, looking over it to make sure no damage was done.
"I don't understand why you even listen to that old fool. Starswirl is no longer in his era. He's in OUR era now." Bloodshade sat down in a leather chair and stared into Scissorwhip's eyes. "We are the future, and I'll be damned to Tartaus if I let another pony get killed because of his old thinking. Now tell me what you know."
Scissorwhip looked at one of his books, the name Starswirl on the binder. "He's taught us so much, though..."
"Think of what YOU could teach HIM, Scissorwhip," replied Bloodshade. "If we pull off whatever this thing is, Starswirl will have to admit he was wrong, and he'll have to look up to YOU."
"T-To me?" Scissorwhip's head began to fill up with visions of Starswirl praising him for his actions. "I..." He shook his head, making those thoughts flee. "It's a p-portal!"
Bloodshade grinned at Scissorwhip's answer. "Now I get what you were saying back there. If we had someone from another realm, we wouldn't have to claim him as our responsibility, and we'd save ponies in the process. Perhaps you're not a waste of space in the council after all..."
Michael awoke in his crudely made shelter. A few branches taken from trees and bent over to keep the structure in place, and some palm leaves placed over said branches for a roof, and it was done. He poked his head out to see the familiar beach littered with bones. As he walked out, he kicked his boot against a horned skull, smashing it. "Fuckin' bugga... Not so lively now, are ya?"
He remembered last night, when the skull used to be attached to a body. He had to kill several dozen skeletal soldiers before he could settle down for the night. It was easy though with his new holy claymore. One swing and they'd go down, never to get back up again.
"You're up early," a female voice commented from behind.
Michael turned to look at a light grey cat with red stripes running down its back. Her yellow eyes gazed back at him.
"Was that sarcasm?" Michael walked over and picked up the feline by the nape of her neck.
"No way. Whatever gave you that idea?" The smartass cat batted her paw at him. "Put me down, please."
Michael simply dropped her, allowing the feline to land on her feet. "You're very annoying sometimes," he commented as he began to stretch his arms.
"I'm the reason you're still alive, you know. Only I can tell you an enemy's weakness. I know almost everything about monsters." The cat made her way to the crude shelter and poked her head inside. "Nope, no monsters. You're safe."
"Cut the crap, Flora," he commanded. "I took out them skellies without your 'wisdom and knowledge.'"
"If I knew about danger, I'd tell ya. You have that fancy new sword though, so there wasn't any," the feline named Flora replied.
"You're lazy," Michael began walking along the beach, exploring more of the area. The sun shined down on his black hair and hurt his green eyes a bit. He was always a healthy guy, measuring at 6'5", but he could never really stand anything bright. It was his main weakness. It was why he always did his missions at night.
Flora climbed up Michael's back, perching herself on his shoulder. "Where ya goin, big guy? Can't leave just yet. I see something."
"Fuck yer future sight. I'm bored, and I'll take a walk whenever I want," Michael argued. He continued walking, despite his companion's advice.
"I'm serious. Yer not gonna like it," she warned. The feline's hair began to stand on end.
"Shut up already," Michael began to run, making it hard for Flora to stay on his shoulder.
"I'll scratch you! I mean it! I don't want ya bitchin' when ya see what's ahead!" Flora wrapped her tail around Michael's neck to anchor herself.
Before Michael could reply, the spot in front of him began to shimmer and flash. "Shit!" He tried to stop, but it was too late. He fell into the shimmering mass, and everything went black.
Michael held his hands to his head and screamed in agony. "It's like a fucking rock bashed against my skull! Flora! Healing magic!"
No response...
"Flora, I'm sorry okay? Please make with the healing!"
Michael was met with nothing but silence. He opened his eyes. It was dark, so his eyes adjusted quickly, allowing him to see that he was in some sort of small prison cell. Grabbing onto the bars, he peered outside to see two equine creatures with spears.
"Hey," he called out. "What'd I do, huh? Whatcha do to my fuckin' cat? She gets cranky when I don't feed her, and trust me, she'll be on you like ugly on an orc if she's cranky."
"You're being held by orders of High Mage Scissorwhip," one of the creatures replied.
"That's a really ridiculous name," Michael commented, rubbing the smooth bars of prison cell.
"Hold your tongue," the other equine demanded.
"Whaaaaaaat? I'm just tellin' the truth," Michael replied. "Anyways, where is this Whizzer Snip?"
"I believe you're talking about me?" a grey pony asked as he trotted into the dungeon.
"Snot Whip!" Michael cried out. "About time! Can you please get me out of here, get me my cat, and I'll be on my way?"
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Scissorwhip replied.
"Why's that?" Michael asked.
Scissorwhip looked Michael in the eyes. "Because we need your help."
Michael sat upon a beanbag chair in a small room. In front of him was an office desk with the grey pony behind it. Other than the beanbag chair and the desk, there was nothing to decorate the bare room.
"So you're tellin' me," Michael queried, "that you brought me here to hunt down a zebra?"
"We need a bounty hunter, and you fit the qualifications," Scissorwhip stated. The apelike creature in front of him made him nervous just by appearance alone. It was one thing for it to be from another realm, but it was an entirely different thing for it to look so bizarre. Not a single bit of fur on it save for its head, and it was much bigger than him.
"You can't do this yourself?" Michael questioned.
"We can't use other ponies as bounty hunters." Scissorwhip pushed his loose glasses into place as he spoke. "Princess Celestia would be angry..."
"I don't work for free, ya know." Michael had a big grin on his face as he stared into the pony's eyes. If he had to work in another dimension, he wanted to be paid handsomely. "I want some coin."
"C-Coin?" stuttered Scissorwhip.
"Moolah, dinero, profit, cash, bread, cheddar, dough, bank, all that," Michael replied.
"You mean bits? We certainly have those." Scissorwhip took a few gold coins from nowhere, which surprised Michael a little, and placed the bits on the table.
Michael picked one of the bits up and examined it. "Holy fuck. Is this gold?"
"Y-Yes?" Scissorwhip didn't want to offend the creature by accident. He felt like he was caged in with a lion.
"If I brought these back with me, I'd be rich!" Michael stood up and reached out towards Scissorwhip with one arm, scaring the pony out of his wits. "You got yerself a bounty hunter! Where do I start?"
"We need you to talk to one of the guards who saw the murderer last night. His name is Clay Bricks. He said he would meet you at The Galloping Filly. He'll be there at night." Scissorwhip just wanted the creature gone as soon as possible.
"You guys have the dumbest names," Michael commented as he waltzed out the room. Before he closed the door behind him, he peered at Scissorwhip, intimidating him. "Where the fuck's my cat?"
"C-Cat?" Scissorwhip stuttered, frozen in fear.
"Right here, big guy." Out from under Scissorwhip's desk came Flora, stretching her legs.
"How long were you under there?" Michael picked up the cat and placed her on his shoulder.
"Since last night," Flora replied. "These jokers kept trying to call me over to 'em like I was some common stray."
"You do kinda look like one," teased Michael, getting a hiss from Flora in return.
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The Galloping Filly, a popular place with ponies of all colors coming and going. During the day, it wasn't as busy, but at night, guards would pack the place, chatting amongst themselves and having a good old time.
William walked through the double doors, eyeing the barcounter. "Finally, some place to eat!" He sauntered over to the barstools and sat down, making the furniture squeak in protest. "Gimme beeeeeer please!"
"Beer?" The bartender, a dark gray pony, stared at the newcomer with confusion. "We don't sell nuthin' called 'beer.'"
"Then lemme put it in more words for you. Alcohol, booze, the good stuff," Michael spelled out.
"Sounds like you got hit on the noggin one too many times, buddy. Alcohol is medicine here. To use that for a drink is just crazy," the bartender explained. "But we DO have Horseshoe Bay pineapple juice. I bet that'll give ya a buzz."
Michael stared at the bartender, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "You mean to tell me... that beer doesn't exist here?!"
The bartender stared back into Michael's eyes with an intent of his own. "You got a problem with that, buddy?"
Everypony in the bar looked upon the scene with excitement. It looked like it would be a good old fashioned bar fight until...
"Wooooaaaaaah, Big Guy!" Flora hopped up on the counter to cut through their line of sight. "We got a job, remember? I don't think gettin' thrown in jail is part of the plan."
"But Flora, you KNOW I need something to drink. I need my buzz! It's my baby! My lover!" argued Michael. He wanted nothing more than a nice cold beverage to make him feel alive again. Alcohol was the driving force in his life. Whether it was on the road or in a bar, he carried a bottle with him.
But now, without his brew, he was feeling anxious. He needed to find a way to get his buzz. "Gotta focus," he whispered to himself. "I'll find some later..."
Flora looked at her partner with concern. "Hey, big guy. C'mon. I can see our target." She waved a paw in the direction of a small table in the corner of the room. Sitting at that table was a sky-blue unicorn with green eyes in Equestrian armor.
"How do you know it's him?" Michael asked, looking at the guard.
"Because he's been taking glances at us since we've walked in," the cat replied. "Honestly, do I have to be the one to be aware of what's going on in our surroundings?"
"Shut up," replied Michael. He walked over to the corner table, squeezing past several other guards. "Fuck, this place is cramped."
He eventually managed to make his way over and sat down in a free chair. "Hey, you. I heard you could gimme info."
The unicorn looked up from the table at Michael. "Y-Yeah... I do."
"Alrighty!" Michael clapped his hands together once and kept them their, pointing both index fingers at the pony. "Let's start from the beginning!"
Looking at Michael with a somber look in his eyes, the guard began his story.
"My name is Clay Wall. I was on guard with two other ponies to protect the Royal Laboratory in the basements of the castle. It was a pretty quiet night until we heard a noise coming from inside the lab. When we went inside, the whole thing was a mess, beakers and vials everywheres, potions spilled onto the floor.
"That's when we found the criminal. He wore this cloak, so I couldn't get a good look at him. His movements weren't natural... He would twitch constantly, and when we attacked, he was able to dodge with such great speed, it would've made the wonderbolts jealous."
"Eventually, we were able to chase him outside, but after he threw this bottle, everything was covered with smoke, and I couldn't see a thing! That's when I was knocked unconscious. When I came to... my companions were... w-were..."
The guard looked down at the table. "I could've ordered us to pull back, but I didn't! It's my fault they're dead! I was in charge!"
Flora hopped up on the table and rested a paw on the guard's hoof. "There there. You didn't know what was gonna happen.
Michael just sat there, staring at Clay. "Do you know what he took?" He was obviously in there to take something. Otherwise, he wouldn't be there."
"I don't know," the sniffling guard replied. "But if it came from the Royal Laboratory, it would probably be something dangerous. I would know, because I've seen some things that just aren't normal."
"Things like what, hon?" Flora asked.
"Like... Like ponies being able to levitate things without their magic," Clay answered, "or being able to punch through diamond! It's crazy!"
"As crazy as talking horses?" Michael whispered under his breath.
Flora hissed at her human companion. "Shush!"
"Make me," Michael challenged before standing up and walking away.
Flora turned to Clay and smiled. "Would you excuse us for a moment? My friend and I need to discuss some things."
Getting a nod from Clay, Flora jumped off the table and into the air before turning and kicking her hindlegs into Michael's back, sending him flying across the bar and through a wall, dust and splinters of wood flying everywhere. Ponies stared in awe of the feline's strength. For a small creature, she could definitely pack a punch.
"You idiot! You need to learn some manners!" Flora scolded, her fur raised.
Michael could barely move from the heavy blow that was dealt to him. As he coughed from the dust particles flying in the air, he slowly got up and turned to face his partner.
Running down his face were streams of blood, showing that it was his head that struck the wood first. The rest of his body was covered in fresh scratches, and his white t-shirt and blue jeans were covered in dust. He didn't speak. All he could do was stare with murder in his eyes.
The bartender looked at Michael, then at Flora, idly cleaning out a glass cup. "So... Which of you are gonna pay for that wall?"