//------------------------------// // Utopia Part.3 // Story: The Ringmaster // by HKS //------------------------------// Finally back from his trip, Luz went straight back to his room. "What happened over there honey?, you look terrible!" Said Prodosia with a worried look. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." Luz said as he lays in bed. "I have a request for you babe, can you please ask Jester if he found anything?" "Jester? i haven't seen him since yesterday, do you know where he is?" "He was supposed to be with a group of guards, looking around for anypony suspicious. Were could he possibly be right now....." Luz said while thinking. "Then could you please ask the guards if they've seen Jester around?" "Yes, but when i come back i want to hear what happened with you and the Captain of our guard." "Oh yeah, about that, we have to find another captain." "What!?why!?" "I'll explain everything to you when you come back." Prodosia left the room with a troubled look. (So the traitor is also looking for the chef huh........) Luz thought to himself. The castle was quieter than normal, all of the staff ponies were being interrogated in their rooms, while a few guards roamed around the area. Upon entering the castle's residential area, Prodosia saw nothing but empty streets. The only ponies around were a few guards here and there. She made her into the guard station, upon entering it, everypony bowed down to her... "Attention guards! i have a question, did anypony here know were Jester is?" A blue pegasus with crimson hair approached her and said. "No my Queen, we haven't seen him or our Captain since yesterday." The Queen lets out a sigh. "Listen everypony, i'm not sure of the details myself, but the King asked for me to find a new captain!" Everybody let out a surprised gasp. "I must admit, i'm not capable of choosing a competent Captain, so i'll let the decision to your hooves! decide the new Captain amongst yourselves then inform me who it is. Understood?" Everybody bowed down in silence, as the Queen left the station. (Just were in the world are you Jester?) The Queen thought to herself. Back in their room, Luz was explaining everything to Prodosia. "Wait you were fighting Aurora?" Prodosia asked. "Do you know her?" "Don't you remember her? you exiled her on heartwarming day, a few years ago." "I did?" "Yeah, you really don't remember?" "No...." "I believe you exiled her because she killed a guard that night." "Oh right, i remember now. You're right, i remember i was quite pissed off, that day. Maybe that's why i don't remember her." "I don't blame you, after all it was our first heartwarming day together. We had just started dating...... two weeks i believe." "Yeah... i kinda missed those times. Back then i didn't have nearly as much responsibility as i have now, not mention...the Oracle." Luz said blankly. "Yeah.... we also used to be more like bunnies back then." Prodosia said it while giggling, trying to shift the mood. "What do you mean back then? it's only been five months since the last time we did it." "Oh come on, i'm not that horny." "But you're a unicorn...." "Oh HA HA" Prodosia laughed sarcastically. Luz laughed. *knock* *knock* "Come in." Luz responded. A blue pegasus with crimson hair comes in, he bowed down and said, "New Captain reporting for duty!" "So you're the new Captain huh? what is you name?" The King asked. "Efiáltis, sir." "Well Efiáltis, as your first order in command, i want you to go look for Jester!" The King ordered. "Understood, but i do have a question sir. If you don't mind that is." "Go on." "What happened to the last Captain?" "He died in duty, it was a surprise attack, neither of us saw it coming. I was lucky to survive." Efiáltis nodded and left the room. Just as the guard left, Jester's wife, Perci Cherrytop showed up. "I'm sorry for entering like this, but i have a question to ask, my King." Perci said. "Have you seen Jester around lately?" "Well i just asked a guard to go looking for him, i haven't seen him since yesterday. And with a traitor running around, i'm a little worried myself..." The King answered. "Oh... i hope they find him soon..." Perci said with a sad look, and left the room. "Ok, i think i can continue explaining everything to you now." Luz said. Prodosia was startled for a second, as she heard a giggle outside the room. "Is everything alright babe?" Luz asked. "Yeah, yeah... do continue your story." Luz finished explaining what happened in Equestria, and went back to sleep. Two days passed and Midas was finally back, with no major discoveries. Luz explained everything to him, and how he wanted to go to the building the Oracle mentioned in her note. While the guards were looking for both Jester and the traitor, Luz was convinced that learning more about that "birthmark" or "gift" would be beneficial for them, after all the traitor could also have one. And it would be helpful to know more about that power, Midas agreed. And so they left the kingdom in Prodosia's hooves, while they were about to start their trip... "Aight mate, this is your last chance to change ya mind." Midas said. " According to the map, that building ya talking about is hella far, it will take us bouta month or two to get there." "Yes, i'm positive!" "Aight then, time ta go." And so Midas and Luz start their adventure. A few days later, they stopped by a waterfall at night time, and set up a camp so they could rest. But before sleeping they started having a friendly conversation... "Beer?" Midas asked. "Nah, you know i'm not very good with alcohol right?" "Yeah *laughs* remember your bachelor's party? oh yeah ya was wasted after two lil cups of rum. Ya looked like a totally different pony tha day, is was funny as heck, seeing ya running aroun in a dress *laughs*" "Oh ha ha, very funny." Luz responded annoyed. "Urgh, all i remember from that day was the hangover. It didn't help that i woke up, upside down because my tail was tied to a tree branch!" "Oh ye i remember that *laughs*, man that day was awesome, but looking back on it, we did some not so great stuff too." "Like what?" "Oh, we played a prank on ya butler, and we did a pretty nasty roleplay with the ladis." "Go on, i'm listening." "So ya butler showed up to ya room like "CoUld YoU KeEp iT DoWn SiR? YoUr StAfF iS HaViNg a HaRd TiMe SlEePiNg" and we were all like "sure", but instead we just waited for him to get out. And we stated stomping the shiiz outa that floor, he came back shortly after. And boom, we threw a glass of wine in his face." Midas was laughing uncontrollably, but suddenly stopped. "At the time it was hella funny, but the next day, we learned that it stained the bloody tuxedo. And i was the one who had to clean it*sigh* it was a pain in the arse to get em stains off." Luz was laughing."And what about the nasty stuff you did to the "ladis". "Whacha mean "you", it was US, ya was part of it too. Anyhow, the "gizt" of it, was that le dudes were coyotes and the ladis were hares. And ya know the coyotes were supposed to hunt down the hares, and when we found them we "forced" our way with em, ya kno?" "Good lord, you finally gave me reason to enjoy not having any memories from that day." "Ah, the ladis enjoyed it, so i'm whatever with it. Altho it does sound hella weird." "Weird, is an understatement." "Oh come on, dosia was probably doing as much weird shit as we were." "Probably, but she doesn't remember either. I actually think she had a worse hangover then me that day, we both stayed in our room all day, but with the slightest of noises she screamed in pain, and i screamed because of her screams. Urgh, man i swore to never drink again that day." "Ya don't kno whacha wasting." For a moment, both of them were silent... "What if all of this was just a big coincidence?" Midas asked. "What do you mean?" "Maybe, somepony did try to kill ya'll and sabotage the kingdom, but maybe the baby was already dead you kno?" "Coincidence or not, doesn't change anything. Not only that, i trust the oracle, i always did. Think about it, she said i was going to have a black baby alicorn, and then poof, that foal dies and now i'm going to have a blue one with that birthmark thingy. If i was really fated to have a blue foal, the the oracle would've never predicted that black one right?" "Ya got a point..." "Well... goodnight." Luz said while laying on the ground. By the morning, they continued their journey. Meanwhile at the King's room... "*sigh* i hope they're ok..." Prodosia said to herself. "They will be fine, is Luz that we are talking about." Said a voice behind the door. "Who's there?" And so a jester entered the room. "I didn't know we still has jesters in this castle." "You do now, after all." He approached. "Is my plan to catch the traitor!" the jester said. "How does dressing up as a jester helps? and who are you?" "Oh come on, don't you recognise your brother in law's voice?" "Wait, Jester!?" Prodosia asked surprised. "Of course it is, see my plan is working. No one knows is me in this costume, and it also hides my name you know?" said Jester wearing a jester costume. "Clever." Prodosia said. A month passes. Midas and Luz are finally nearby the building, meanwhile in the castle.... "Perci! Perci!" Prodosia shouted and she entered Jester's house. "Woah, what's wrong? did something happened?" Perci asked. "Yes! something terrible! how can i live with myself after this!?" Prodosia said while freaking out. "Calme down! talk to me, tell me what happened." "I cheated...." Prodosia responded. "YOU WHAT!?" "Shhhhhhhh!" "With all due respect, Prodosia. We've been started to have quite the pleasant friendship this past month, but it is no reason to say jokes like this!" "I'm not joking! i wish i was!" Prodosia was slowly starting to cry. "Oh it really is serious then....?" "*Sigh* tell me what happened." Perci said. "I-i was feeling really lonely without Luz, and my hooves were just not cutting it anymore. So...so... i seduced the captain of the guards*sobs*. First thing in the morning i thought it was just a stupid dream, but then i looked beside me in bed, and the captain was there!" she breaks down crying. "Oh dear...." Perci hugged Prodosia. "W-what do i do now? if i tell him, he will definitely divorce me, or worse! but if i don't tell him, i'll have to live with this guilt for the rest of my life. Or worse, what if i get pregnant?" "Calme down! listen, do you really love Luz?" "More then anything in the world!" "Then live with that guilt, it should be a good punishment for you, and should also serve as a reminder that you have to control your primal urges!" "Ok...." Prodosia said. "Now, if you really turn out to be pregnant, then at the moment Luz comes back, try to mate with him as fast as possible. That way he will think the baby is his." "I will feel so wrong doing this..." "Doesn't look like you were "feeling wrong about it" when you were cheating." Prodosia let out a sad sigh and said "what have i done?" Meanwhile.... "We've been walking for so long, i started to grow a beard." Said Luz while rubbing his chin. "How com your face is still beardless?" "Special anti beard lotion, made it maself." After passing through another wall of bushes, they finally reached the building. "There it is!" Luz shouted. "Finally, ma hooves are killing me." Midas said. "Let's go inside." Luz said while taking the initiative. Upon entering the building, the place was completely abandoned, full of cobwebs and bushes. It was also a surprisingly small place, whit a just a few bookshelf and tables as furnitures, it looked like an old library. "Well shiiiiii, did the oracle said on tha note how did that book looked like?" Midas asked. "Unfortunetly not *sigh*, let's start looking. The quicker we found that book the better." *thumb* Luz looks behind him as somepony threw a book at him. "That one, my King." A pegasus appeared and said. "Who are yo..." The King stopped as he noticed, the sparkle mark on the pegasus's chest. "Let me guess another mercenary, sent by the traitor to kill me?" "Quite the deduction skill you got there king, name is Kira by the way. Although, i don't really feel like killing you." The King stared at him confused. "Yes my boss did sent me here to kill you, but the thing is his payment. All i wanted was a tranquil life, on my own, without the need to pay taxes or work. And he promised me that if i did what he wanted, buuut when i got here i fell in love with the place. Is exactly what i wanted! completely isolated, it sure needs some improvements though..." "So you really won't try to kill us?" The King asked. "I mean, only if you try to force me to pay taxes, even though i live nowhere near the kingdom." "Fair enough, then you stay away from the kingdom!" "Deal!" Kira answered. "Now if you would excuse me, i need to grab some wood." Midas looked at Luz. "Well tha was easy..." "Now let's see what this mark is all about...."