//------------------------------// // The First Day Ends // Story: Agents of Discord // by Scarlett Haze //------------------------------// "Human?" Applejack flicked her hat up to get a better look of a book that Twilight was setting down on the table, "are they bad?" Twilight shifted the book towards Applejack and Min Tea, letting them look at the diagram of a bipedal creature that stood around six feet high, with hands, feet, and genitalia. "They are Applejack," Twilight nervously responded. "10,000 years ago, Discord had begun ruling over Equestria and used these beasts as slaves to slaughter millions of animals. They destroyed forests, blocked rivers, and even created a large portion of the Canterlot Castle that stands today." "You said they were slaves though," Min Tea pushed in between the two ponies and shoved her snout into the page, reading every word on it. "They may have been a peaceful race before Discord led them to do those things." Min Tea, or rather, Marian at this point, was shocked to see that the book had described humans as the most chaotic creatures, second to the god that was called Discord. The book described incidents of the human race battling against unicorn magic with handmade explosives and physical force, pegasi that were captured and ridden upon into battle with their own kind, earth ponies that were enslaved as well, with their tongues cut out so they could not speak. "Actually, Min Tea," Twilight sadly remarked as Min Tea turned a page to see an illustration of the draconequus shaking hands with a human that had a crowd of other humans and captured ponies behind him. "They were always violent." The picture made Min Tea back off in shock, her head shaking in disbelief. Humans weren't always violent and hateful, they created medicine, they help each other, they grow bonds of friendship like what these ponies have, they did more than what the book told them all, and Min Tea knew if she argued, then it would cause more problems and even a panic if she told them she was a human as well. "That's why Celestia needs him sent back as soon as possible," Twilight had went back to her project and popped open the bottom of the teleportation cap and magically floated a magnifying monocle and a tiny welders torch, "If he gets out of that castle..." She paused, not wanting to think about what kind of consequences could happen before she started working again on the device. "What's worse, is that he's a mix breed." "Huh? A mix breed?" Applejack flipped over a few more pages in the book with Min Tea and both of them saw pictures of Discord transforming the humans into the ponies that the humans had enslaved, often exact copies of the ones they captured. "D-don't tell me that..." Twilight gave a solemn nod to Applejack, "He's a unicorn, and has a fake name," she put the cap back on the teleportation device and flipped a switch, testing what would happen. "After some interrogation, Celestia got his name, and its a name that definitely fits many of the old names that I was able to find for the Discordian Wars. Richard Fulwood, using a name that he claims he made up called Radiant Radar." Min Tea gave a gasp and hurriedly rushed up the basement steps hearing Applejack call out to her, "Where are you going?" Min Tea didn't want to stop, she had to find Limonade or Quick Fix, she had to tell them that Richard was being held captive in Canterlot Castle and may be in danger. She had to tell them everything she learned, and she needed to do it fast. When she began thinking more clearly, she found herself in a dark alleyway and went to turn around when she heard shuffling from the back. A tall creature stood up, still hidden in the shadows and a pair of yellow eyes and red irises appeared on it. Min Tea screamed as the creature sped towards her and she saw who it was, the god of chaos, Discord. *** I was flying with two mares that looked pretty good in my mind. Some would call this a dream come true, but when you want to stay loyal to the girl of your dreams and you kept imagining how to convince two mares into a three-way in the mile high club, it was hell. Tyrone followed beneath us, making sure he didn't lose me. "Where did you learn to raise animals?" Fluttershy asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence the flight was taking. I snapped from my mantra of focus and looked over at Fluttershy, my face flushed, but thanks to the color of my fur, she probably couldn't tell. "I just took care of a few animals since I was small," I tried calmly saying before having to look away to continue my thought. "Track record is for three cats, two hamsters, a gerbil, and a brief excursion with a snake." I thought back on that day, we got a corn snake and I went to handle it. At first everything was fine, he slithered around me and I made a game to try and keep him in my hands. He fell off into my shirt and snapped down underneath my bellybutton making me scream in pain, and the snake would not let go until my father had to pry it off with his hands. Needless to say, we gave the snake back to the pet store owners and just got the gerbil. "Can't you move faster Fluttershy? I'm tired of listening to this guy talk," Rainbow Dash snapped at Fluttershy, who briefly locked up her wings, but managed to get back up in the air in time. "What's the matter," I angrily turned to Rainbow Dash, "still bitter over the fact that I beat you in the race and proved that I was Tyrone's Beta?" We came to a dead stall as Rainbow Dash rammed her head against mine and stayed there, "I'm not bitter," she screeched, "I just want to get to the party and then never see you again!" Rainbow Dash turned away and continued flying, my mouth couldn't stop what my mind wanted to say. "You know you're beautiful when you get mad!" I screamed, my hooves going up to my mouth as Rainbow Dash stopped where she was. She turned over at me, and with a look of anger and confusion, just gave a grunt of frustration, and continued flying away. Fluttershy came next to me with my hooves still in my mouth and softly encouraged me to move again by patting my back. "Did you really mean what you said?" Fluttershy asked as my stomach wanted me to throw up everything that I had ate. My eyes shot over at Fluttershy, still small in fear and panic of what I had let slip out, and what I didn't want to say to Fluttershy. "It's okay that you're not wanting to say anything until you find the right pony, but don't drive yourself crazy because of it." I gulped before letting down my hooves and shakily giving a sigh, "That's just it, I do know who's the right pony for me, and I really love her, but I'm seeing all of these mares and my head wants me to do... things with them. I just want them to stop!" Fluttershy nuzzled against me as we flew, making me nervous before calming down as she probably wanted to give me a hug, but in the air would probably been difficult. "Who's the lucky mare that has your heart?" She whispered, making my own wings lock up and restart again, I couldn't understand how such a mare like Fluttershy wouldn't court any stallion with a soft voice like hers. "Linda," I absentmindedly said before realizing I had said Limonade's actual name and tried to catch myself. "But her real name is Limonade." I began cursing myself, how was I going to keep quiet about myself and my friends when I could answer any question to a beautiful mare just to have a chance of going to town with her. "Maybe I shouldn't even go to the party," I choked out, my eyes shut as I tried to ignore everything in the conversation we had while going back to Ponyville. "Pinkie worked really hard to make this party for you and your friends," Fluttershy cautiously objected. "It would be a shame if you didn't go and have some other stallion catch your mare's eye." I looked down at Tyrone and swept down to walk alongside him. Fluttershy had agreed that she and Rainbow Dash would make sure the town would know that a friendly Diamond Dog was going to come into town with me. "Fluttershy is a good mare," Tyrone mentioned, making me feel worse that I could barely restrain myself with her or any mare I even looked at. We both stopped outside a bridge into town and waited, seeing the occasional pony that would look at us and then start trotting faster to get away. I laid down in the grass and Tyrone followed suit, both of us breathing deeply and staring off where Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash would lead us in. "I remember you," a familiar bubbly voice called out, my eyes shutting at the prospect of seeing the pony that left me to my own devices and a cloud puff. "Oh, darn, he's sleeping. I wanted to give him something." My eyes wearily opened and I stood up, looking right at Ditzy, a blue hat donned her head and a bag at her side. "Hello again, mister," she said her eyes closing in an innocent way before opening them again to reveal her skewed eyes. "I have a late day letter to give you, guess it was just floating around the office when I first spoke with you." She opened the bag with a bend of her wing and reached a hoof into the bag, the sound of shuffling papers didn't fill me with confidence when she worriedly looked inside. "I know I put it in here, it was right next to 'Q'." She dropped the bag and shoved her face into it, muffling something as she moved around inside it. When she pulled her head out, she pulled a large envelope from it and spat it out to the ground in front of me. "Knew I'd find it!" I looked down at the information on the envelope and got nervous. Quick Fix Outside Ponyville's Main Bridge IMPORTANT I looked over at the sender information and my jaw dropped and then shot back up in a scowl. D. S. Chord Canterlot Castle Gardens "Something wrong?" Ditzy asked, looking over the front of the envelope with me, "Did I pick the wrong mail again?" I picked up the envelope and tore it open with my teeth, opening it to see an elegant letter and a wrist watch. I began reading. From the Desk of Princess Celestia, Dear Bait, how has your first day in Equestria? Did you make friends? Or did you make enemies while I wasn't looking? My day has been exceptional, I have been able to contact two of your friends along with you and I'm missing one, however I know she's in Sugercube Corner right now making the most delicious root beer. Now, I'm not going to tell you anything else about my plans involving each of you, but I am willing to give you a gift that will tell you when my plan will have been completed. (See enclosed watch) Keep an eye on this watch, Bait. I've personally infused it with my magic to countdown the days, hours, minutes, seconds, and firsts left until Equestria falls into my hands again. It also still works under five hundred meters underwater, shatterproof, glows in the dark (my personal favorite) and is indestructible until it meets an immovable object. I'll be keeping in contact with you by letter, but it will NOT be delivered in the hooves of that ridiculous gray pegasus. Rather, I'll be sending out a pony which I consider a daughter to me. Oop! I've not been paying attention to the time on my end,I will need to pick up my pace in order to catch up again. Wishing you luck in your endeavors, God of Chaos, Discord I looked down at the watch on the ground and held it in one hoof while rereading the letter again when I saw the letters vanishing from it, leaving just a clean sheet of paper. I looked back down at the watch and read the time. '4 days, 4 hours, 29 minutes, 37 seconds, 0 firsts.' Slipping it onto my hoof I felt it snap on, looking around the strap I couldn't see a place where it held it on, it was just a tight band that I couldn't push off. "That's weird," Ditzy commented as I dropped the paper to the ground and looked up at her, "I don't think I've sent a blank letter before, but I see you got a present, so that makes this a successful delivery!" She grinned and turned to see Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash approaching, she gave a wave at Rainbow Dash who briefly paused on the bridge before slowly continuing. "Hi, Rainbow Dash!" "Hi, Derpy," Rainbow Dash mumbled, making Derpy smile(please don't be confused, it's Ditzy still, remember? The two name problem?). Rainbow Dash turned her attention to me and Tyrone and turned back in the direction of town, "Come on, let's get to the party and get this day over with." "Have fun, Quick," Derpy cried as we started crossing the bridge, "enjoy your party! I'm going to see The Doctor about seeing somepony called 'Subbermen'!" *** Entering the town during sunset was a completely new place, the marketplace that had multiple stalls spanning the streets were gone and instead replaced by tables, games, and a whole slew of ponies. "It looks like our girls have brought our third new face in Ponyville!" I turned up to see a large stage, with amplifiers, microphones and a DJ Table in the back, Pinkie Pie was holding on to the microphone stand in the front with Limonade and Min Tea behind her waving at me. "Being accompanied by animal lover and caretaker, Fluttershy, and super mega athlete, Rainbow Dash, please put your hooves together for Quick Fix!" The town began cheering for me as I was led towards the stage and went up it with Tyrone behind me, Pinkie Pie pulled the microphone out of it's holster and shot over to me. "Tell me, Quick Fix, who's the big dog with you? Is he your security guard to hold off the mares tonight?" A lot of the mares gave out 'oohs' and wolf whistles at that statement that made me freeze in place, the microphone now pointed at me, I don't know how, but I answered the question. "He's there to hold me off from taking away all the mares from their beloved husbands and coltfriends," that statement got laughter, and more fawning at me. One pony shouted out, "Have my foals!" and I had to trot away from the microphone at that point to laugh. Coming back, I could see Pinkie didn't want me to say anything else as she pulled the microphone back to her. "Well, you've got some of us flustered, get back there with your two friends over there so we can start this off!" Pinkie exclaimed, motioning me to a position right in between Limonade and Min Tea. Pinkie put the microphone back on its stand and leaned back on her rear hooves gripping the microphone, "Hit the lights." The lights went down and left a single spotlight on her, the crowd starting to cheer 'DJ-Pon3, DJ-Pon3, DJ-Pon3!'. "For the thousands in attendance," Pinkie started, her voice low and intense. "And the millions viewing at home," she gave a sly wink out beyond the crowd as if she saw something, but I wasn't sure. "LLLLLLLLLET'S GET READY TO PARTYYYYYYYYY!!!!" The lights kicked back on to show off a colorful display of lasers, behind us a white unicorn wearing purple shades placed a record on the table and music began blasting out of the speakers causing the crowd to go nuts. Pinkie Pie grabbed Limonade and threw her into the crowd were she began fan surfing, she then looked over at Min Tea who started shaking her head about the idea. She then looked over at me, and gave a slight tilt to Min Tea, signaling what her intent was for me to do. Giving a shrug, I picked up Min Tea as she screeched in protest and threw her into the crowd shouting, "Forgive me!" I then turned from the crowd and looked at Pinkie, giving a smile and a salute before back-flipping off the stage and into the waiting hooves of the crowd as well. I should've been worried about Discord, really I should've. However this party, with so many ponies in one area having fun and laughing, I ignored it. I was laughing like a fool as I got dumped at the far end where Pinkie was waiting for us, "Were you surprised? Huh? Huh? Huh?" I gave multiple nods around me, very impressed that Pinkie had managed to create a freaking event over three new faces in a town. "If these are the parties that you make, then I'm sure every one of them I'd be surprised to attend." I then looked down at my suit, it had been through a little trouble, but Rarity had wanted to truly test the fabrics mettle in a Pinkie Pie Party Event, PPPE for short. "Let's find someplace to talk," Limonade shouted over the noise as she motioned all of us to enter Sugercube Corner, the store had become a bar of sorts, many ponies were drinking away mugs of root beer and cider, having a blast as well. In one corner, I could see Applejack playing poker with a group as if she was in an old time saloon. Limonade went behind the counter of the bar and started filling up more mugs of root beer and cider for the guests before leading us into the kitchen, which also managed to be infiltrated by ponies, however, they were a lot smaller. "Did ya reach it yet?" a yellow filly with a red bow at the bottom asked, her legs shaking from the weight. "Flap your wings harder! I can't keep holding you up!" a white unicorn filly with purple and pink mane grunted. "If you could use your magic, we could've gotten the root beer already!" an orange pegasus filly with a purple mane complained. Pinkie leaned down at the yellow filly and started chatting with her, "Whatcha doing Applebloom?" The yellow filly opened an eye and gasped. "Abort the mission! We've been spotted!" She shouted, running out from under the two other fillies above her, making them both fall on the table and get covered in flour. Pinkie locked the door before Applebloom could escape and she blocked the path. "Aww, c'mon Pinkie, I can't go out through the front door, my sister will see me and ground me for staying up after bedtime!" "I'll only let you out if you tell me what you, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were trying to do." Pinkie adamantly stood her ground as the two other fillies got up and shook off the flour that was on them. "Alright, I'll talk." Applebloom dejectedly sighed. "Don't do it, Applebloom! We're supposed to be Cutie Mark Secret Agents, not Cutie Mark Tattlers!" Sweetie Belle cried out, making me smile as she realized that she had just told Pinkie what they were doing. "Way to go, Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo mumbled under her breath. She then looked over at Limonade, Min Tea, and myself as we had been watching the little drama unfold. "Witnesses!" she yelled out, "Use the smoke pellets!" Each of them reached behind them and threw a pebble at the ground, each of them giving a tiny puff and fading out. "So far, I'm not thinking you're the greatest of secret agents, or ninjas if that was your next effort on the smoke pellets," Limonade lightly chuckled, making each of the fillies dejectedly hang their heads. "We just wanted to get some root beer," Applebloom said sadly. "The secret agent stuff was to try and earn our cutie marks, and I guess we failed." They all sighed, and then Applebloom glanced over at us and then gasped. "Wait a minute, girls!" She zoomed to Limonade, and the rest followed Applebloom as they looked at her flank, "She doesn't have a cutie mark at all, and she's a full grown mare!" Limonade shook her rump a little and leaned over the fillies, "I don't need one to know that I'm the best at being me." The fillies let those words fly over their heads as they looked at her with confused eyes. "But, everypony has a cutie mark that tells them what they're best at." Sweetie Belle protested. "Besides it's the worst when you're the last to not have your cutie mark in school and everypony else has theirs!" Applebloom dejectedly whined. I figured I'd cut these kids a break and I took off my suit, showing my own flank to them, "She's not the only one." The fillies gave a gasp as they now surrounded the both of us as if we were mysterious creatures. "Even the pony with the glasses doesn't have one, if you want to check." Each of the fillies went up to us and remarked at our flanks before they all huddled together away from us. They all turned back to us after a little time and each of them gave us a big grin. "Would you like to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Applebloom asked, her smile unwavering. I looked over at Limonade who already stepped forward with an answer. "To join a group to find our talent? That's very thoughtful of you, however, I think we all can find it on our own in time. After all, there is plenty of it left for us." Limonade looked over at Min Tea and myself for an agreement nod and I gave her mine. The Cutie Mark Crusaders all went 'Aww!' before they began filing out the back door that Pinkie had now unlocked. "I won't tell your parents that you were still awake, but you'd better head back home and go to sleep before they find out you're gone." Pinkie cautioned the group before shutting the back door and locking it again. "I've forgotten why we came here." Limonade went over to Pinkie and started guiding her to the door leading out to the main room. "My friends and I need a little time to talk with each other, catch up on things, talk about boring stuff, the usual. So would you think it's fine if we talked in here for about twenty minutes?" Limonade began trying to push Pinkie out the flap doors as she tried to get her last words out to us. "Sure, don't take too long, we've got a karaoke contest coming up and you don't want to miss it!" After those words, she shot out of the room and we all gave a sigh of peace. We went around the kitchen table and tried to pick spots were we could all talk with each other. "They have Richard." Marian blatantly started, causing Linda and myself to jump back a little from the sudden forwardness from the socially awkward girl. "He's in Canterlot Castle, and he's in trouble with the law since they found out that he is human." I looked over at Linda with worry and then back to Marian. "How is he in trouble with the law?" I asked, watching Marian stare at the flour covered table with intensity. "There were humans here 10,000 years ago, when Discord led them to destroying a large chunk of Equestria." Marian flatly answered, her eyes moving side to side as if she was reading a book. "Discord, as god of chaos, looked at humans as his equal that functioned without magic. They were a problem for Equestrians and other creatures as well, not just by sheer numbers, but due to their, OUR, ingenuity, whatever defenses were put up against them, they managed to take it down with little effort." "Richard wouldn't hurt these ponies," Linda argued, putting a hoof down on the table in protest. "They've been so kind to us, complete strangers, and they think that we're a threat?" Marian closed her eyes, "That's how racism works." Her eyes looking at both of us as she finished her thought, "Get a majority of the same group to do something and that's what the group is known for, whether of not it is related to a single one of that group." We all stood there, hooves on the table in silence. "This is his fault," my focus regained on the real problem. "Discord wants us to do something and he won't open up his stupid grin in order to tell me anything!" My hoof slammed down on the table, causing a few objects to fall off from the force. I stretched out the hoof with the watch on it to show it to Linda and Marian. "This is what he gave me recently, a timer." We all looked at the time now that it read '4 days, 3 hours, 19 minutes, 17 seconds, 1 firsts.' "What's it a timer of?" Linda asked, a look of concern as she looked at each passing second go. "End of the world." I began pacing in frustration, if I charged the castle, I'd be caught for sure, but I needed to get Richard out of there. "That timer may work in our favor," Marian got down and started pacing with me, trying to look in my eye to get my attention. "One of the unicorn's in town is making a teleportation device right now to send him back, if she can get it finished before that timer ends, then we're home free." I shook my head, "It can't be that easy, he wouldn't toy with us unless he wanted to do specific things. For example he calls me Bait." "Bait for what?" Linda asked, now also joined in the pacing around the table. "I don't know what," I frustratingly barked, making Linda jump back and for me to stop. I had to calm down, we needed a plan. "Are they going to get Richard down to help make the teleporter?" I asked Marian, who had also stopped her own pacing with me. Marian shook her head, "From what I found out, Richard's not going to be moving from that castle, maybe shoved in a cell until its time for him to get out." Marian then looked down at the floor, "From what I've seen of the progress however, they may not be able to make it time." We all let those words sink in for a moment, before I said what we all were thinking. "With the machine unfinished, we can't get home, and when this timer reads zero," I gave a tap to the watch, "then we'll be too late." I tried to think of what to do, a jailbreak? We'd risk getting caught and if we came into town then we'd be spotted for sure. None of us had knowledge in how Richard made his machine, so we couldn't try to push progress further. Which left the last option that we could try, make Discord send us home before he could complete his plan. "We need to start thinking of ways of contacting Discord, but we also need to learn how to protect ourselves because there is no telling what kind of power that... thing even has." After trying to rally the troops we all went quiet, each of us worried about the mess that we were all facing. "We have a party to attend though, we can't be bad guests after all that the town has done for us already." We all gathered together in a circle, and Linda started saying a prayer. "Dear Celestia, keep us strong during this trial. Let us have fun tonight and fight tomorrow against a foe we have never faced. Bless us with clear hearts and conscious as we go out in your name, amen." I never really believed in the whole religion thing, but with all the problems we now faced, I hoped that there was a higher being that could help us. We all broke away and I put my blue suit back on, snapping the buttons on as Pinkie came back in. "Karaoke time! Come on!" With the force and speed of a lion, I was yanked back outside and was placed on stage where a TV screen with a list of songs were displayed on it. "Let's see what the random button gives our first contestant, Quick Fix of Fillinois!" Pinkie pulled out a device with a red button and pressed it, making the list of songs scroll quickly through. All kinds of songs that looked familiar crossed my eyes, 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' by The Beat-L's, 'Dreams' by Van Hooven, 'Don't Stop Believin'' by Journey, and the song it landed on was... My hooves shot up to the microphone stand and looked as if I was standing up, the machine had picked one of my most favorite songs 'Smooth Criminal' by Mic L. Jackson. (Give it a listen if you'd like, I mean if that's okay with you. Here it is. ) The song started up and I knew that I was in hot water, I knew I had to put on a dance number as I sang. Ow! I tried to do a small two-step in order to get the beat down as the audience started coming up to the front of the stage to see what I was doing. No doubt confused as to why a pony was going to dance on two legs. As He Came Into The Window It Was The Sound Of A Crescendo He Came Into Her Apartment He Left The Blue Stains On The Carpet She Ran Underneath The Table He Could See She Was Unable So She Ran Into The Bedroom She Was Struck Down, It Was Her Doom I gave a kick with one of my rear legs and began moonwalking on stage, making the onlookers clop their hooves and cheer. Getting to the chorus, I spun in place and my fore hooves shot out to my sides, now seeing I was accompanied by a small dragon in a white suit, red jacket, and a white fedora with a red stripe and feather in it that was mimicking my movements as well. You've Been Hit By You've Been Hit By- A Smooth Criminal So They Came Into The Outway It Was Sunday-What A Black Day Mouth To Mouth Resus- Citation Sounding Heartbeats- Intimidations A blue fedora hat came flying in above me, and with a jump, I had nabbed it and placed it on my head as the song continued, and the dancing became more complicated as I tilted my hat down in front of my eyes and began tossing the microphone stand in place before continuing to sing and got to the breakdown. Okay, I Want Everypony To Clear The Area Right Now! I regret not having the ability to explain all of the motions that I was able to do on stage, but I did that thing were you tilted at a fourty-five degree angle and came back up, and even did the infamous crotch grab. The song hit it's last piece and the dragon was helping sing background as I sung out the chorus. As the song neared its end, fireworks were being shot out into the sky and the crowds had gone insane by that point. Dad Gone It! (Left Blue Stains On The Carpet) Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! (Then You Ran Into The Bedroom) Doggone It! (You Were Struck Down) (It Was Your Doom-Annie!) Aaow!!!