//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: None Of What You Read // Story: My Little Pony: Blackened Hearts and Polished Boots // by Alphony Omaregon //------------------------------// My Little Pony: Blackened Hearts and Polished Boots. By Alphony Omaregon Proof Read by SuperChaosKG This is just chapter one of my Story I plan to write. I hope to make it roughly 6-7 chapters long, each chapter focussing on a new character and their relation to the Mane six. There isn’t any planned routine for when I’ll release more, so bear that in mind. I hope you enjoy my first piece of Fanfiction for MLP! Chapter 1: ...None Of What You Read. “This is the life, don’t you agree, Girls?” Rarity’s said from across the spa, clad In her favorite spa-exclusive house coat. She sat calmly in her chair as her mud mask worked it’s magic. “It taint’ usually my cup ah tea, but yeah, this ain’t half bad, Rarity.” Applejack replied with a contented sigh. She was sprawled over one of the lounge chairs, the knots and kinks in her back freshly unwound by Aloe, the spa sister. Pinkie Pie beamed as Aloe came to her next, bouncing in her seat. “It’s definitely my cup of tea, and I don’t even drink tea!” she exclaimed happily as Aloe tried to get her to roll onto her stomach. “Yeah, I love a glorified bubble bath every now and then.” Called Rainbow dash from the hot tub. “You could always get a hooficure while you’re here. We left our cameras at home.” Replied Twilight with a smile as Lotus unpacked her files and clippers at the foot of Her Chair. “Not Funny.” Rainbow scowled, crossing her forelegs. “That’s okay Rainbow, but I think you might be missing out.” chimed in Fluttershy, who was just inspecting her finished hooficure with a small, but appreciative smile. The door across the room swung open as Spike walked in, carrying a newspaper under his arm. “Hey Spike, are you going to get a hooficure too?” asked Pinkie, who shot up in her chair, almost knocking over Aloe as she prepared to get started. Spike looked up, and waved to Pinkie. “No thanks. I’ll stick with the mud bath.” He said, making his way towards the Baths. He tossed the newspaper onto one of the side tables, and Twilight carried it over to her chair with her Magic. “Earth Pony Strike ends in Riots. Tension in Manehattan peaks. Governor Steel nowhere to be found.” She read out loud. Rarity looked over. “Riots In Manehattan?” “It was going to happen sooner or later.” Said Rainbow Dash. “Ah course it was. Them hard working Stallions ain’t askin for more than they deserve.” Applejack replied, leaning up from her chair. “What’sit say, Twi?” Twilight kept reading. “Earlier today, the Manehattan Police force were called to break the week-long strike in the city’s port district. What began as a simple demand for higher wages and holiday hours for the dock-labour soon escalated into demands for the pegasus and unicorn minorities of Manehattan to be relocated. “This city was founded by earth ponies, and now it’s full of them Bird-manes, and Horn-Dogs!” cited one disgruntled workhorse. “Opposition to Governor Steel’s ‘Earth for the Earth Ponies’ policies have founded a treasure trove of mud to sling at their opponent, following this outbreak of violence along the harbours and streets of the city. “He’s the cause of this! That stallion is a racist and a scoundrel, and we need him out!” said one Franklin Delano Hooveselt, his greatest rival for a second term, and come next fall, possibly Manehattan’s 44th Governor. “The strike breakers summoned by Governor Steel before his disappearance have been beyond brutal in their work, and so far have only invoked greater unrest in the area. There is hope however, that order will be restored to the city by the police. Chief Crown Vic of the MPD has been quoted saying, “The MPD will restore order to Manehattan, and bring trade back to the city. The Strikes came at a very bad time, as we believed we were on the verge of cracking an important case only days before.” When asked what will happen if the MPD fails to restore order, he fluttered his wings. “Then those workhorses are going to have to deal with Royal Equestrian Guards. But it won’t come to that.” “In regards to Governor Steel’s disappearance, there has been no word. Story continues on page 3.” The ponies shared an odd moment of silence as Twilight flipped the paper around. “The Governor was last seen with one Emerald G. Belle, and--” Rarity give a stifled gasp, and her friends’ attention was on her alone, now. “Rarity, you have a brother?” asked Fluttershy as she tucked her legs under herself. “I… Well, half brother, yes. He and I don’t talk. Twilight, please continue, dear.” Twilight looked up from the paper. “I already read the rest. It’s just contact information, and some more angry workhorse quotes.” Rainbow Dash splashed out of the hot tub, shaking her coat dry. “I was talking to Cloudchaser the other day about the strike. Apparently, she knows a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a griffin, who knows a guy who said he knows what the ‘important case’ was: A smuggling ring! He said they were smuggling gold! It’s all a big conspiracy!” Applejack giggled. “Y’all been reading too much a’ them Daring Do books Twilight lents ya.” The others laughed while Rainbow Dash scowled, turning her rear on the farmer as she trotted towards the exit. “Aw, come on, Dashie! It was just a joke! Right?” asked Pinkie Pie. Applejack turned to answer, only for Pinkie to whinney loudly. “Oh! Yeah yeah yeah! A bit more to the right!—No! too far right! More to the left!—Bingo!” as Aloe thundered her hooves across the pink mare’s back in a massage. “That’s not it. I’m just done for the day. I don’t want to get all pruney.” Rainbow said, walking up to the counter as Aloe stepped behind the register. “Your visit has been paid for, Rainbow Dash.” She said with a smile. Rainbow Dash blinked In response. “Yes. A stallion came by earlier. He paid for each of you ahead of time… did he not tell you?” Lotus asked, packing up her massueur kit. The mares shook their heads as one. “What about me?” asked Spike, his head poking out of the mud. “Nope. Sorry.” replied Aloe, and Spike sunk below the surface. Twilight giggled, folding the paper up and putting it on a table. Rarity sat up from her chair and smiled. “Well, It seems chivalry isn’t dead after all. What a Gentlecolt.” “Y’all don’t even know who it was.”Applejack said with a sigh. “Still… that was really nice of him.” Said Fluttershy. “Did he tell you his name? What’d he look like?” asked Twilight, slipping off her chair and trotting over to the counter with Rainbow Dash. “He didn’t give us a name, but he was that new pony, the one Pinkie threw her oh-so-memorable welcome party for last month.” Aloe began to giggle at the memory of it. Twilight remembered. The unfortunate stallion had come off the train fresh into Ponyville. He had made a brief stop by Sugarcube Corner, to use their restroom. The look onhis face when he left the washroom, only to be hailed by streamers, kazoos, cake, and a wall of voices cheering, was still in Twilight’s mind. She giggled too. After the party, the stallion had simply faded into the backdrop of everyday life. Twilight couldn’t even remember where he lived, if he even had a home. By now, the others had made their way to the counter and were talking again. “We ought to do something nice for the feller.” Said Applejack. “Ah Reckon I’ll invite him over for a big Apple family dinner tomorrow. Why don’t y’all bring some sweets, and come too?” Rarity perked up. “Oh! That’s a splendid idea, Applejack. Let’s all bring something for him!” The others agreed. It was a wonderful idea. “Spike? We’re leaving now.” called Twilight. Back in the mudbath, Spike was floating lazily on his back. “Can I stay? A bit longer? Pleeeease?” he asked. Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled, her horn glowing. Bits floated down onto the counter beside Aloe. “Be home by bedtime, alright?” she called, turning and stepping outside. “We’ll watch your cute assistant for you, Twilight.” giggled Lotus as the door shut. Twilight caught up with her friends in a few short paces, and they talked as they walked. “Remember earlier when we were at the Park? And we saw Bon Bon looking around all over? And we asked her what was wrong, and she said she couldn’t find Lyra, and that she had packed her a lunch and everything? I laughed so hard when she got back to her bench, and found Lyra eating both their lunches! Oh, that mare is so crazy!” giggled Pinkie Pie. “Crazy is wanting to kick all the Pegasi out of Manehattan.” Said Rainbow Dash with a joking smile. The conversation died. “Do you guy’s remember Scootaloo’s new trick she showed us earlier? I think she got the idea from watching me.” Rainbow Dash laughed. The others did too. This was their conversation home. It was filled with excited stories from their day out, from the beginning at Sugarcube Corner with six steaming mugs of cocoa, to their last stop before the spa, the park in the center of town. As they giggled and joked, the odd comment would stagnate the air for a moment, be it Applejack, Rainbow Dash, or even Rarity. Like an out-of-place skip in a vinyl record, however, they were forgotten almost as quick as they happened. Something about the story in the newspaper rested in the minds of the six mares as they walked together and it seemed that the day out had ended before they were even home. Twilight peeled off from the others as they passed the library, waving goodnight to them as she pulled out her key, she hummed a tune as she slid it into the door. She closed the door, leaving it unlocked for Spike, and trotted up the stairs. Today had been a lot of fun, and given her a break from her study of Changelings. It had been a week since the wedding, and Twilight had scavenged together a respectable pile of Books on the insect-like invaders. That pile sat waiting for her on her desk as she reached the 2nd floor, and her study. She sat down at her desk and pulled a fresh book from the pile “I’ll just read up to chapter 20, then call it a night.” She smiled to herself. End.