Chapter 1: Pranks and Problems
Authors note: for every pony that I introduce I will be giving a pony code for you to get a better picture as to what they look like because frankly… I suck at explaining myself sometimes. This can be seen in the advanced setting here
Pony code 1.
(372S005020FEFEFEFFC49D0020000962BUN3A16400000000V1FE0000FEFCA107107F3FCC004CB2)
Pony code 2.
(472J0G42A02B2B2B9EA9FE020006A00FEUN1A32003000001D11100CCA1DEFE1B107F3FCC004CB2)
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In the small town of Phillydelfia, there is a mansion where an Alicorn duchess lives. It is located on the outskirts of town with rolling fields of green grassland as far as the eye can see in its back yard. There are rooms of granite and the floors are lined in short red carpet that didn’t provide much cushion but wasn’t overly uncomfortable. The floors where lined with polished marble a foot from the walls themselves and at times the carpet would end at the end of a hall to open into a larger mane hall. This mansion has many rooms and guards inside and outside the grounds. One evening down a specific second story corridor with arched windows on one side and doors to various different rooms on the other. Two guard ponies where doing their usual rounds. One a seasoned veteran and one of the longest guards to be the butt of the constant pranks of the duchess’ son, the other a guard having his first day at the mansion and as most of the guards would think the position as, “Fresh Meat.”
The new young guard locked over to the well seasoned guards pony to say “The duchess’ son can’t possibly be that bad. I mean come on.”
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“No really!” the veteran replied “you need to have a really good sense of humor round here. After all, we do have a good poke at each other, with the different traps we fall for. He’s not that bad of a pony really, once you talk to the colt. Just never get on his bad side and laugh and shrug when you fall for his pranks. Usually if you get mad it just gets worse.”
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“I’ll try my best.” Replied the “fresh meat” with a confused look on his face. “I still don’t see the fun you guys seem to have with it though. I don’t know if I would be as cheery about it as you.”
“I like to think of it as a game now. I’m one of the most seasoned guards here. So he tends to keep me on my toes to avoid his traps and I avoid them from time to time. It gets hard though because he can get really creative.” The guard chuckled to himself as he thought of all the different traps he has looked out for and even fallen for. Learning through his stay what to look for. However the Duchess’ son had been doing this for a few hundred years now and has gotten quite good at it.
Just then the younger guard looked ahead to see a rope stretched across the hallway, just before the carpet ended and opened up to the main hall. When the two guards got to the awfully laid trap. They followed the rope. One end was tied to a pillar to a window. The other led to a pulley system that led up to the ceiling where it meet with a rather large bucket, which looked like, held some kind of liquid. If triggered whether pulled or tripped on would cause the bucket to pour over and drench the pore pony to fall for the trap. However the trap was easily seen and made the older soldier pony to think why the duchess’ son would lay such and obvious trap. The young guard chuckled and said, “Really, this is all that you ponies are worried about? I could dodge these traps in my sleep.”
The new guards pony went to step over the rope while the veteran pony was in thought. When the veteran finally noticed what was wrong with the seen he called out, saying “NO WAIT!” but it was too late. The pony stepped on the other side only to slip and fall on the very rope he was trying to avoid. Causing a waterfall of the same red paint that the guard had slipped on (for this is what the veteran guard had noticed to be off before the “fresh meat” had foolishly stepped on thinking it was carpet from the badly lit hallway) easily with the combination of the well-polished marble, to land on top of him. Giving him a new shinny new red coat to enjoy. The red painted pony got up from where he laid, annoyance evident on his face. Immediately they heard laughing in the room closest to them.
The guard was full of fury as he ran for the room to confront the prankster yelling “WHY YOU! ILL TEACH YOU A LESS-!” and the young guard was cut off from the rest of his sentence as he was met with a face full of feathers and even more fathers felling from above. Making him, a paint and feathered pony.
The red paint covered pony got even redder from the laphter that was heard ouside the room from the older guard “don’t worry” the veteran said between laughs and tears “you’ll get the hang of it rookie.” The guard’s face grew even hotter from both embarrassment and anger as he raised his hooves and yelled all kinds of profanities. If there had not been so much noise in that hallway the two guards might have heard a fathered thump come from the window.
* * * * * *
That was what sent me further into laughing hysteria. My ribs hurt viciously as I curled closer into a ball as it became difficult to breath. Though that could be from the fall I experienced, because I lost all concentration on flying after the guard got feathered and fell from my viewing point at the window. This was one of my best pranks yet on the guards.
“Can’t. Stop. Laughing. hahaHAHA!” I laughed in-between words. I then heard hoofsteps coming up behind me. I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to sober up as I got up from the ground.
I saw another guard walking over to me. “Lightning, don’t you have better things to do other then give us a hard time?” said a rather young guard with a smirk. After the guard had come closer and I had composed myself more, I noticed the guard was Firelight. He was one of the guards that would enjoy and even help out with my little antics sometimes. He was a pure white Pegasus pony, and he had a red mane and tail with strips of bright yellow in it. He also had deep green eyes that made him irresistible to some mares. (1)
He was pretty young for the guard but he distinguished himself as worthy I guess. Maybe he was there just to baby sit me but I didn’t care. He always had a way of cheering me up. Being who I am can be a bit stressful and dull sometimes. I do consider the other gaurds to be friendly and even consider them to be family. They talk to me when I’m board or lonely and even though I pull fast ones on them they just take it in stride. Now that I really think about it I’m really lucky to have them all. But firelight was different. He was my best friend.
“Well I guess I should get ready for the night huh. You can really ruin a mood when you want to you know that Fires?” he really never did but he seemed to be more responsible then me sometimes which is what probably got him the job in the first place.
“Yah well do your job and maybe between guard duty all hit you up and talk with ya’ ok?” that was an answer I loved to hear. He gave me a half grin and said “Also be nice to the new guy! You don’t want to over do it and make him hate you on his first night.” Wait what!?
“How did you know I was pranking the new guy?” I gave him an extremely confused stare to which he closed his eyes shook his head and shrugged.
“I wasn’t sure but I knew you wouldn’t resist.” This guy knows me way too well for my own good. “Tell ya’ what ill help you on your next prank if you can give us a rest for the rest of the night.” Ok WAY to well.
“Ok sure thing” I replied. I looked too notices that the sun was half set and the moon was starting to rise. “Oh horse feathers gotta’ go Fires.” He just chuckled as I took off into the twilight.
My name is Lightning Moon and as you have guessed I am the duchess’ son. I am what you would call a rare site to see. I am an Alicorn, And a male one at that which is even more so rare. My life however, can be summarized up into a few sentences. I live in this mansion with my mother and my father passed away some time ago. He was VERY old but I do miss him. I’ve always been pretty sheltered and don’t go to the party’s that my mom holds because they are such a drag! All we ever do is just stand there and greet people and talk which can be entertaining, but with the snooty and up tight upper class ponies its never is. So all I really do is my job and two hobbies. Which is first shading the moon for the cycles and the later is flying tricks and pranking the guards. It’s a pretty dull life but I manage. Heck I’ve managed for hundreds of years. I guess that I should describe what I look like too. Letts see. I have a dark charcoal coat with blue collared mane and tail with electric blue in the center of it all. I have purple eyes, amethyst hooves, and wings that are normal for a male Alicorn. Good news for all you ladies out there! I’m single! (2) Hah, yah right like I can get a date to save my life! Any and all the girls I meet are in it for the fame or glory. What a crock of crap! I wish I could find a girl that would like me for me. But it’s so rare for me to find a NORMAL girl that I think, that wont ever happen.
Well that’s depressing to think about. I fly up to the roof of the mansion to shade the moon (which is barley done on time I might add) and I decide that ill fly and do some tricks to get my mind off it. There are never any ponies out in the rolling fields after dark so naturally it was the best place for me to practice. I’ve always loved flying and doing tricks, so my mother got us this mansion in Phillydelphia for me to have my own peace and quiet while I do it. I don’t really know why but I don’t like the thought of others crowding me and being the center of attention. I’ve always liked my peace and showing off tricks that are at the Wonderbolts level would somewhat disturb that on top of being a male Alicorn. I can’t help it. Whenever I see a new trick I just have to try and learn it. I’ve seen this one pony do a… what was is called… sonic rain… BOOM! That’s it! Well after having seen it at the young fliers competition a while ago (which was one of the few things that I am actually interested in going to!) I’ve tried replicating it, but it always ends up in failure. I know that it was only done in the heat of the moment but I find it frustrating that I can’t do it! I’ve been able to pull off tons of tricks like the Colt Crusher, the Shocking Silver Lining, and even the Buckaneer Blaze! But this is the one trick I can’t pull off! And it bugs the BUCK OUT OF ME! After a couple of good tricks to get my self-esteem up and feel up for it. I try for it one more time.
I fly high into the sky to get ready for the extremely difficult trick. After gaining a good amount of altitude I take in a deep breath of thin air and plummet toward the ground. I feel myself picking up speed as I get closer and closer to the ground at break neck speeds. I notice the bending of the air as I started to reach the sound barrier. I am so close I can taste it. Then as the bending starts to stretch and thin out I feel myself about to slip through and then… I get flung in the opposite direction as if I had stretched a rubber band and the end result was me, soring like a stone across the sky. “Ohnoohnoohnoohnoohnooo!” I try my best to recover but it seems futile. The only thing that I can do is watch the ground get closer and closer and prep myself for a crash landing of a lifetime. I keep trying my futile efforts though but to no avail. I close my eyes to prepare for the sure to be painful landing to come. When I crash land I receive a softer landing then I expected. The crash seemed to be a lot easier to take then I thought. My eyes snaped open and I quickly realized I was still falling then with a mighty slam I hit the ground. Closing my eyes again from the impact. Getting up after a fall like that would actually be really difficult but seemed easier then it should. I was in a dazed stupor from shock and the adrenalin that was going through me so I didn’t realized the heap behind me at first. I turned to see Firelight crashed in the exact spot I had been, but in worse shape. He had to have caught me and help slow my crash landing. That foal!! Why would he cause worse injury to himself to save my sorry flank!
“FIRELIGHT YOU OK!” I knelt down next to him and looked to see how he was… he didn’t look good.
He looked up from his own stupor to se me with lazy eyes and a smile. “Hay Lighting *cough* see you still cant pull off that move.”
“Common you dumb flank. We need to get you to the infirmary.” I slid under him and got him on my back. I’m only just a bit bigger then him, but still can balance him well enough as I fly. So I took off to get the foal healed. He looked pretty badly beat up so I did a magic health scan on him. The spell is designed to see any and all problems with the body. From it I gathered that he was worse then I originally thought. He had two cracked ribs a broken leg and extensive internal bleeding not to mention two completely messed up wings! If I didn’t get him to a hospital soon then he may die. UUUUHHH why’ed he have to go and catch me I would have been alright! Maybe a broken bone or something but nothing that cant be fixed. He on the other hand has crushing wounds from me landing on him, on top of the broken bones! I can’t take him back to the infirmary in the mansion! I’ve got to go straight to the hospital! “Why’ed you do that! Now I have to make sure you don’t die on me!” as I fly I try my best at healing magic but I never really got great grades in it. And I can only do so much! Even as an Alicorn I have my limits. He moans before answering.
“Its my duty to protect you from harm. If I die then I am glad I did it in your service. Lightning I hope…”
…
“Fires?”
He had passed out on me, which made me push even harder to get to the hospital. It felt like I could have done a sonic rainboom right then. That would be my luck to. Fly half way there just to end up being whiplashed again. You and your stupid duties and morals Firelight! Why did you have to do that!
After rushing into the hospital two ponies took Firelight strapped him down on a stretcher and rolled into the emergency room to get him stitched up. I told them all the things that I gathered from the spell I cast, as well as what had happened, and then left them to do their jobs.
As I sit in the waiting room I realize every pony starring. Every time I’ve ever been hurt by a stunt I’ve always either fixed it myself or they called a doctor to the mansion. Like I said I am extremely reserved and don’t hardly ever go out during the day. Both my mom and me have a silent agreement on this and reason why is because I am not what the high-class ponies would call… refined. All my actions are seen as out of line and outlandish. Whatever. But because of this I don’t see a lot of daylight; me because I don’t like those ponies and the attention, and her because I could potentially ruin our good name. So with the mixture of being a male Alicorn, me never coming out of the mansion except at night to fly, and then having a few cuts and bruises on me that looked pretty serious, its safe to say I got a lot of stares from a lot of ponies. After an eternity of long and awkward moments the doctor came out. He was a brown pony with an injection needle for a cutie mark and light brown mane. He waves me over to tell me the news. ”How is he doctor?”
“Well he was really beat up from catching you but we have been able to stop the internal bleeding. Baring infection he will survive. He was very lucky. You should go home and get some rest. You look pretty beaten up yourself.”
I give the doctor a large hug from my relief. He was taken back by it but returned it. As I pulled away I must have had the goofiest grin on my face for he had a smile on his. I replied with a “thank you doc. Will do.”
I walked out of the hospital and flew home. That was a little more drama then I would have liked. But at least I know Firelight will be all right. When that derped up pony gets out of the hospital Ill beet his flank all over again for acting so stupid! Ill need to visit him again after I get some sleep.
I got home with less urgency then I had leaving. The guards noticed me and started walking over to me. By now the sun was getting ready to rise and I was dead tired. So I guess that explained why they started running to me after getting a little closer. I probably looked like hell.
“What happened? Did you mess up a trick again?” these guards really are my family. I felt so bad about what happened but they deserved the truth. It doesn’t change the fact that it was had to tell them what happened.
“Guys I’m sorry I botched up big time.” I told them the whole story as they brought me inside. I was holding back tears the whole way. I never used any healing magic on myself yet because I felt so down right guilty for what happened. Yah Fires hurt himself by his own choice to catch me and break my fall but I was the one that tried doing that stupid stunt in the first place.
“Sorry guys but I can be a royal piece of horse apples sometimes. I just wish I could be a better pony and not cause others as much pain as I do.” The guards looked at each other with sad expressions and back at me with concern evident in there eyes.
“Now don’t worry to much about that. We are happy to be here guarding you. Its why Firelight did what he did.”
I smiled and nodded. They where trying to cheer me up but really it just made me feel worse in a way. Sure teasing the guards is funny at the time and most take it in stride but I hate myself so much sometimes for making them work so hard as they do all the time just to watch over me. I don’t deserve their kindness most of the time. We reached my room and I bid them farewell as I dropped to my bed and started to cry. Why am I so bad sometimes? Why am I so different from other Alicorns? All I ever wanted was to be a regular pony. To live and die in a hundred years of life and not need to watch all my friends and family get hurt and die! I have seen many of my guard family come and live their lives and die right before my eyes. Living as long as I do can be a real curse. My mother loves me I know, but I feel she is ashamed of me sometimes. Then it hit me and I stopped crying. As my head shot up from my pillow with eyes the size of pins, from the sudden realization “Mom is going to kill me!”