//------------------------------//
// On the Run 
// Story: Up to Fate 
// by Onomonopia 
//------------------------------//

It was as beautiful a day as Pinkie could ask for. The sun was bright and shining. The birds were singing. A soft breeze blew through the air, causing the grass to lightly sway. It was all perfect.

Something Tirek never let happen.

'So why would he do this now?' Pinkie thought.

'He is most likely using his magic to look for me, thus lessening his grip on the world,' Nabu replied with scorn in his voice. 'If he cannot even keep his grip on the weather while using his powers, then I made an error in believing that he was ever a threat.'

'Then why-?'

'Again, there is something else going on. Something that even I cannot sense,' Nabu replied. 'And until I know what it is, I will not expose myself and allow our foes to gain an advantage. For now, let us go to Stalliongrad. There you will find someone who will aid you. Now leave me be. I will be searching.'

Pinkie huffed at Nabu's rude words, but she quickly forgot about him as she looked up and saw Lil' Cheese racing around the grass, jumping at butterflies and drinking in the beauty of the world. A warm smile crossed her face and a look to her side showed her that her husband wore the same smile.

"I haven't seen him that happy in a long time," Cheese Sandwich said. "Not since you gave him his first jawbreaker."

"Really? He always seemed so happy whenever I was around him," Pinkie noted.

"He was, but it was also a bit of an act. Being the only foal in our village was hard on him. No friends his age, nopony to play with...he tried to pretend that he was doing fine, but there were times when I could tell," Cheese said with a small frown. "He only perked up around you so that you wouldn't worry about him. I guess he felt that you had enough to worry about."

"I had no idea," Pinkie muttered. How could she had never seen it? The pain that her son hid behind his smile? All her life she had tried her best to help others smile. But if she couldn't even help her son to smile... "Well then I guess it's a good thing that we went on this journey together. It was getting stuff in that old village anyway. Now we're going on a grand adventure!"

"I'm glad to be out of that place as well, but a part of me has to ask...why now?" Cheese asked. "We've talked about leaving for years, but why now? Was it the cave in? Or was it the idea of that god that lives in your helmet?"

"...Nabu. That's the gods name," Pinkie said. The helmet glowed brightly for a moment, telling Pinkie he wasn't happy, but she didn't care. Cheese had stood by her all of these years, being a bright spot in a dark life. He deserved to know. "And yeah, it was his idea. He said that we should go to Stalliongrad. There's something I need to find there. Or rather, somepony."

"Alright. And this Nabu, do you think we can trust him?"

"I don't think we have a choice," Pinkie smirked. "He's...powerful isn't the right word. He's beyond power. Beyond anything our minds could fathom. If he wanted to, I bet he could wipe out Tirek...and maybe our entire reality."

"Really? Geez, then why hasn't he?"

"He says that it's because there's something else out there that he needs to plan for first. Something that unnerves even him," Pinkie said. She then cast a sly glance at the helmet before bringing her husband in close. "But I wager that he's incredibly lonely and wants to stretch out this journey a little longer. Being trapped in a temple for millennia must have starved him for interaction."

'You are a fool.'

"Whatever you say," Pinkie giggled.

"Mommy! What's that?!"

Pinkie lifted her head to see what Lil' Cheese was pointing at. Above the three of them was a massive rainbow, one that stretched all the way from one end of the horizon to the other. Pinkie's eyes lit up as she gazed upon the sight, the rainbow bringing back memories of when she had been a filly. When she saw her first rainbow. And when it had given her a purpose.

"That's a rainbow, my little Cheese," Pinkie said. "From what I've heard it's created by light reflecting through moisture or something like that, but I prefer to think of it a symbol of light at fun! I mean look at all of those colors! How could something like that not symbolize fun?"

'It is neither. It is created by small fairies that use light to communicate with one another. The number of colors indicate the severity of the message. This particular one says that Tirek is on the lookout for something of great magical power. Be on your guard, for you may be attacked by one of his minions at any time.'

'May be? Can't you sense if somepony is coming for us?' Pinkie asked.

'With how pathetic the magical might of the beings in this world is? I can barely register Tirek, let alone the rest of you. You, Pinkie, are the only one who I can clearly sense. Everything else is beneath me.'

'Interesting. Here's another question. What's greater: your ego or your power? Because both seem massive?' Pinkie asked.

'My power. While I may seem arrogant to you, I am simply stating facts. Nothing in this world is of a concern to me. It is what might have changed this world that I consider worthy of my time.'

'Then why are you here? Why aren't you chasing that thing?'

'I am a Lord of Order. I keep Order. And this world is out of order. So I will restore order.'

'You're big on order, huh?'

'It is what I live for.'

'So you like order! Alright, I finally learned something about your likes!' Pinkie thought. 'So does that mean you like basic flavors like chocolate and vanilla or are your tastes more of a chip mint? Or would those being mixed together go against the order of ice cream? Do you protect the order of worlds only or does everything have to be orderly for you? Like, would having a chocolate vanilla mix cause you to rain fire from the sky?'

Nabu didn't answer.

'A hard decision. I understand. Ice cream is a serious business. I'll get back to you later,' Pinkie thought. 

Her son was racing through the grass, laughing with delight whenever a grasshopper leapt away or a small creature raced out from beneath a bush. Next to her Cheese Sandwich was looking at a map, muttering to himself as he planned out their course. With the two of them occupied, Pinkie took a moment to check her Pinkie sense, just to make sure that nopony was-

'Pinkie sense? You have a Pinkie sense?' Nabu asked.

'Yeah! What happens is my body will start to do something, like my tail will twitch, and that tells me that something is going to happen,' Pinkie explained. 'The more extreme the reaction, the crazier the event coming. Sometimes I can even kinda predict danger!'

'So you have an ability similar to the Spider Sense. Intriguing,' Nabu mused.

'Spider Sense?'

'Nothing you need to worry about. However, what lies ahead is something that you will need to be concerned with.'

Pinkie focused her eyes forward to see what Nabu was talking about. Up ahead was a small town, with a train station being the only building of importance. Even from how far out, they were, Pinkie could still see the numerous satyrs that were policing the station, with workers being moved on and off the train along with a few passengers. She figured there was a factor around her somewhere if she guessed their outfits right. 

"So we have to sneak onto that, huh?" Cheese asked, reading his wife's mind. "That will be tricky. Those guards look pretty alert and there isn't really anything we can use for cover. Maybe I can make a distraction and then you and Lil' Cheese can sneak on."

"And risk us getting separated? Not happening," Pinkie said. She motioned for her son to not go any further as she stared at the train, trying to think of something. Then the helmet in her bag glowed and she instantly knew what to do. Pinkie didn't like that Nabu could put thoughts into her head. But even she had to admit, she had no better ideas. "Hang on, I'm going to try something."

Cheese turned to look at her, only for his eyes to widen slightly when he saw his wife put on the helmet. The helmet shifted so that it could fit her face, but a moment later he forgot all about that. For the moment the helmet went on, Pinkie's body exploded with power. A magical might the likes of which Cheese had never felt before washed over him, a might that shook him to his core. But what truly scared Cheese was when Pinkie turned to look at him and he gazed into his wife's eyes, only to find she wasn't there.

And something beyond his comprehension was.

Then Pinkie waved a hoof and the whole family vanished into the air.

†

"I sensed it."

Tirek leaned over the balcony of his castle, closing his eyes and focusing with all of his might on the unfathomable magical might that he had just felt. It had only been for a moment before it had vanished once more, but he had felt it. And he knew Equestria front and back well enough to know where the magic had been. He slammed a hoof into the ground, waiting a moment before he turned to look behind him.

Standing in the shadows of his balcony was a creature. The creature stood on it's hind legs, with a tattered cloak made of rags wrapped around it's body. On its head was a hat that Tirek could only assume wizards wore, but it was the creatures head that drew Tirek's full attention. For he couldn't see the creatures head, because of the Jack'o Lantern it wore, complete with black eyes and a creepy smile.

"Jack. I am  glad that you are here," Tirek said.

"Of course, my master of disaster. My Lord of Terror. My-"

"Enough. Something has arisen in Equestria. A being of magical might that could threaten my rule and the safety of our world. Go find this being. Kill it if you can. But if you cannot, learn what you can and flee. But above all else, do not pull one of your usual stunts."

"Of course, my master. But may this humble servant ask why him? There are others in your service who would be much better choices than this humble puppet master?"

"Because you are the most crafty of all my minions. And if this beings power is as great as I believe it is...then trying to match it's might would be pointless," Tirek grumbled. "Find the creature. Study it and, if you can, kill it. And do it quietly."

"Consider it done." 

Tirek didn't bother to turn around. He knew that Jack was gone. But even though he had every faith in his loyal warriors, Tirek knew Jack would fail. He needed information. He needed to know what this thing was and why it was in his land. And, above all else, he needed to deal with it, before it's power caught the attention of him.

"Because if he gets involved, then this was all worth nothing," Tirek muttered, gripping the railing with enough force to bend the metal. He then gazed out over the land beneath him and his gaze set like flint. "Do not worry. I am your ruler. And I will protect you all from this threat."