“Well it all happened when I was a little colt.” Kidd began as he leaned back in his chair to regale them with his story. “ I was a very avid reader, I still am on my spare time. Well when I'm not being dragged to another town with two possessed ponies.”
“More like overshadowed, - Evan saw the look that Kidd gave him - but you got your point across.” He tried with a weak smile. He coughed nervously, “Uh, please continue.”
“Right, well where was I?” Kidd asked scratching his head with a hoof.
“Oh! In that chair!” Lunar guessed.
“Oh right! When I was a colt.” Kidd said ignoring Lunar's goofiness. “ I remember I would spend hours of the day buried muzzle first in a book. I was inspired by them. I wanted to make something as great as all of these other ponies. There was Edgar Allen Pony, Johann Timberwolf Von Goethe, Émile Zebra, oh there are just so many!”
“Shhh!” A librarian shushed from behind her desk, clearly annoyed with the little colt.
“Sorry...” Kidd whispered back. She turned back to her own book still bearing an annoyed look. Kidd let out a deep breath before closing the book he had picked out. The title bore in bold text 'How to write with the best of them!' He collected the book and others he had for examples and brought them to the librarian. “Um... excuse me miss?” He asked quietly, still feeling sorry for yelling in a library.
She glanced up from over the edge of her book with a raised eyebrow. “Yes?” She asked with an irritated tone.
“I um... wanted to check out these books please...”
She gave an exasperated sigh before grabbing a stamp with a haze of yellow magic and brought it down on the books. After they were all stamped she floated the stack of books back to Kidd's outstretched forelegs. He wobbled slightly as he balanced them on top of each other and gave his thanks before (wobbly) flying home.
“Now its time to make a masterpiece!” Kidd said eagerly as he let the stack of books fall out onto his desk. He then grabbed a notepad with his hooves and a pencil with his mouth and started to try and think up a riveting tale...
A few hours later...
“So lets see what I've got so far!” Kidd said after he spat out his pencil and looked at the notepad. “Oh right! How could I forget!? Nothing...” Kidd finished sadly as he let his notepad fall from his hooves and his head fall to his chest. “I have the desire to create but there isn't a way for me to let it out... I cant think of a good story! How am I gonna live up to all of these amazing authors if I cant even think up the first sentence?...” Kidd couldn't stay in the room any longer, not with all of these great literature masterpieces around him, mocking him.
So he left to go somewhere, anywhere that wasn't here. Away from the failure... So he walked until it was nearing nightfall. He was tired and exhausted, his legs felt like they were ice melting in the rays of the sun. But he didn't care, but he stopped by a blueberry bush he found near an wide clearing. He grabbed a hoof full of the berries and slowly ate them. He let himself fall onto his haunches while he ate. He looked around him to take up some time. Not far from the bush as a short cliff that was mostly rock and not taller than six feet. To the other side was the clearing where many a flower was in bloom which mingled with the color of the grass to create a beautiful scene that stretched out far and wide. Past the clearing was a river that flowed past with fish that would breach its surface now and again. Kidd cast his glance skyward and to complete the scenery was a huge bright sunset.
Kidd could only stare dumbfounded at the expanse of beauty before him. His eyes began to water as he was overcome with it, it flowed through him to wipe away the sorrow he felt at his recent failure, leaving only the feeling this awe inspiring sight brought with it. “I have to capture this...” He said to no one in particular, almost as if he was lost in a trance. He looked at the river, then to the berries in his hoof and smiled. He got up from his place and galloped to the cliff face.
He grabbed a few berries and placed them near the rock, he thought for a moment and ran back to a tree near the bush. He grabbed a piece of bark on it with his hooves and used his wings to pull off a decent sized chunk. Satisfied with it he flew back to the rock wall and crushed some berries in one spot of the bark he brought. Using the paste he wiped a bit on the wall using his right foreleg, glancing back now and again to make sure he got it right. Once he felt comfortable with the way the river appeared on the wall he looked at the rest of the scene.
“I need more colors...” He said to himself again, still under the area's hypnotic trance. He looked around and saw an abandoned birds nest nearby. Getting an idea he grabbed it and flew up to get some leaves from the tree it was under. Using the leaves to line it he flew over some of the flowers to gather their petals. He also mixed in some water from the stream with the petals. He mixed them till they made a colored paste to match the flowers colors. Using that he put them in their rightful place on the rock wall under the river.
He emptied it when done and repeated the process with some grass to capture them on the wall as well. For the brown of the tree trunks he used a light amount of mud, for the leaves he used a mixture of leaves and water like he did with the flowers and grass. And finally all that was left was the sunset. He gazed at its orange glow and looked around. “I don't see anything that I could use as coloring here... Hmmm...” He saw an orange tree that bore fruit on it's branches and thought. I wont be able to just crush that to get color like everything else... It'll just be runny juice.
Once an idea hit him he grew a wide smile, but once he realized what he had to do he sighed. Well this is gonna suck... He flew up to the branches that held fruit and plucked a few. Bringing them back to the nest he modified he placed the fruit down and held a disgusted look on his face. He sighed again and began regardless. Using his teeth he scraped off the outer lining of a few of the oranges and chewed them. Trying his best to keep at the task, once he had enough of their foul taste and texture he spat them out into the nest. Mixing with water like the others he was able to get a decent looking orange paste from the orange rinds.
Once he was satisfied that the portrait he just completed was a good enough look alike he allowed himself a content sigh. That felt... great. Even better then great! I feel amazing! He thought as he smiled brightly at the stone wall now depicting the beautiful clearing he discovered.
“Wow... so that's when you discovered your talent for painting?” Evan asked.
“Yeah, since then I started to delve into it will all my heart and soul.” Kidd said with a bright smile. “ The inventions I do is more of a hobby really, but when I see something as beautiful as that sunset... - He sighed happily - I just cant help myself.”
“Well guess I'm next then hu?” Hocus asked.
“Sure if you want to go next go for it.” Evan said as he adjusted himself to shift his attention to Hocus. Everyone following his example shortly afterwords.
“Well don't expect this to be a happy go lucky everyone's happy! Kind of story.” He pointed out. “Well as some of you may know I'm from the family of famous magicians the Legerdemains. Everypony in my family is a unicorn with a gift in magic of some sort. Excluding me, obviously. - He looked at his wings by his side sadly – My parents wanted me to follow in their hoofsteps and do magic but that's not possible as long as I have these.” He said as he extended his wings to emphasize his point.
“My family in their free time had spent a long time searching for a way to give me a horn, even if it were temporary. There are spells to give non-pegasi wings, and even ways to hide wings and horns but... not a single spell to give a non-unicorn a horn. During my family's performances at the circus that we traveled with I would spend that time in my room. I would try and find ways to pass the time and to block out the sounds of the circus that I couldn't join. Of course there were still pegasi in the circus with us but my father refused to let me join their acts.”
“He would say 'Your a Legerdemain and we do magic! Not acrobatics! Now be quite and eat your cotton candy.' But no matter how hard I try I cant be what I'm not... what I wasn't born as...”
“Ugh...” Hocus frowned as he covered his ears with his pillow to block out the noise. “ Every night it's the same thing. They go out on stage and the crowd wont shut up!” He yelled as he threw the pillow at his window out of anger. He sighed and fell onto his bed in a huff. “I need a break from this...” He said as he got up and walked outside into the night. He walked aimlessly for awhile till he stopped near an arcade area the circus had just set up the other night.
“Hmm... haven't been in there yet. Maybe I can find something interesting to kill some time.” He suggested to himself. Once he was inside he saw all the flashing lights and heard all the beeps and buttons clacking furiously. He walked up to one machine nervously and read it's title. “ Pony Kombat two?” He said, sounding more like a question than a statement.
He saw the screen flashing a message, 'Insert one bit please'. Seeing no reason why he shouldn't at least give it a try he looked around and saw a bit that had rolled between this machine and the one next to it. So he tried to get his hoof in the space between them but couldn't manage it, so he used his wing to squeeze inside and rolled it out. Picking it up and dusting it off he soon found the coin slot and slide the bit into its niche. He heard it clang around into the machine's inner workings for a second of two before the screen changed. 'Choose your fighter!' It proclaimed in bold font, showcasing a variety of different choices for him. Going over them quickly he didn't really know the difference between them, only that they looked different.
He saw that there was a gryphon that had blades coming out of his front legs and vicious teeth, one pony that had glowing white eyes and wide brim hat, and a zebra that had metal forelegs, among others. Shrugging from indecision he decided on one pony that had on a yellow and black ninja outfit, mostly because he looked cool.
Once his character was selected he was put against a line up of all of the other characters for him to beat. At first he was rather clumsy with his character's movement and attacks, the computer easily beating him without much damage being done to him. When his character (who's name he noticed at the top of the screen was 'Scorpiony') got back to his hooves they started their brawl yet again. This time he was able to put up a decent fight, first of all because he learned to block.
But nevertheless he was defeated yet again. This time the screen read 'Game Over' and in smaller letters it stated 'Please Insert Another Bit To Continue'. He was surprised to find that he was rather panicked to find another bit before the countdown that appeared on screen reached zero. He looked around frantically in the hopes of finding one, then as the countdown past the ten second mark he started to sweat as he feared he wouldn't be able to play again.
As he lowered his head in defeat he heard two pairs of hoofsteps from behind him slowly approach. “Man I wonder if that magic show is gonna be on tonight.” An earth pony said to his companion who was a unicorn. “Well if we hurry we could probably make it, see?” He asked as he levitated a pamphlet to his friend as they walked to the exit for the arcade. “Sweet! Well then what do we do with these?” The earth pony wondered aloud as he gestured to the tokens they had exchanged for bits to play some of the other machines.
“Hmm...” The unicorn looked around for a moment and saw Hocus hunched over the machine as he slowly watched to countdown continue in sadness. The unicorn shrugged and floated over the tokens and put one in the coin slot. “Here you go kid.” He said before the pair made their exit and headed towards the main tent of the circus.
Hocus couldn't believe his luck! The machine had accepted the token and the countdown had ceased and the game continued. He was so engrossed in it he hadn't even given a second thought to chase down those two to give them a proper thank you. I'll make it up to them. He thought to himself as he begun to master the skills that would take him farther then anypony could think.
Two months later...
“Ok Hocus we're on, so you can stay and watch or if you prefer you can go and try again with your magic.” Hocus's father Galdr told him as he placed his stage costume on with his magic.
“But dad you know I'm a pegasus. No matter how hard I try I cant change that. Not even Celestia herself could change that about me!” Hocus said as he started getting irritated with his fathers constant attitude towards him. “I cant be what you want me to be dad! I'm sorry to say so but I cant ok!?” He was surprised by his own outburst and why his vision was now swimming. He blinked and felt water go down his face. Wiping it away angrily he stormed away from his fathers pleas for him to stop. He went on his way to go and vent his angers in privacy in his room. Until he heard a familiar sound coming from one of the tents near him.
He stopped mid step when he heard the electronic beeps and rapid button mashing. He turned to see that there was a competition happening that day and he decided it would be a perfect way to test out his new skill set (and a good way to vent this anger he had just built up). So he strode over and signed up last minute. Luckily for him he had been practicing frequently when he was supposed to be “performing magic” in his room. While most of the players were playing for the fun of it, Hocus had a goal in his mind.
I will show them and my family that I can be my own colt. That I can succeed even if its not what they want me to be. I cant make them happy but at least I can be happy and proud of what and who I am! I am Hocus! A pegasus! And I'm gonna show these... these... Filthy Casuals who is The King around here! He thought as he gathered up his courage as he stepped up to go against his opponents. He fumbled a little at first as he got used to so many ponies looking at him play but once he got comfortable he started to breeze through all who dared oppose him. Their wasn't much of a turnout to the competition as it was held in a carnival and not much buzz had been made about it, but that didn't stop Hocus from giving it his all.
The final match was as challenging as he imagined it would be, meaning he blew through it within two minutes tops. Once he was dubbed the champion of the arcade he was awarded with unlimited tokens for a year, and a trophy that he had seen at one of the game booths around the carnival just painted gold. But that didn't matter to him, he had accomplished something and he was proud of himself for it. When he made it back to the trailer/carriage that served as the performer's home his parents were quick to apologize to him.
Saying that they didn't realize what they had been putting him through and that they would forever be ashamed of themselves if he was upset at them for something so foolish. Seeing them so upset at their own actions he decided to forgive them, but the feelings that they had put him through would be with him for a long time. They would take longer then any physical wound he could acquire. But it served as a reminder that sometimes its only what you think of yourself that matters. That he didn't need the approval of others to make him feel good about himself.
“Oh my! Hocus!” Galdr said excitedly. “Your... Your!...” He stammered out pointing to his flank.
“What did I sit on something? I told them to start cleaning those floors more often...” He stopped mid thought as his gaze feel where his father's had. “ I... I got my mark?” He asked in a quiet voice, not really willing to believe his eyes. Maybe its just my eyes playing tricks on me from looking at a screen for so long. He tried to reason, so he rubbed his eyes and looked again. Yet right where it was before, was his mark. A black box with two red buttons and a red joystick protruding from the middle.
“And that mares... is how a Stallion does it.” He said with a proud and confident smile on his muzzle.
“Your very modest today aren't you?” Kidd said sarcastically.
“Hey when you've got it don't hide it. That's what I always say.”
“You've said that?” Kristoph asked.
Before He could retort the room was silenced by a bang and a howl of pain emanating from the train cart behind the one they occupied. They all glanced nervously to the door leading into the room the brothers were detained in. Evan glanced out his window and saw the ever approaching town of Ponyville and sighed in relief.
Soon they will be in better health and we can worry that much less about all of this. But will this be enough? Will they actually be healed by the Elements? Break the connection that she has over them? And whats stopping her from doing it again? From infecting more and more ponies until we cant stop her? Then he stopped this train of thought. There is no point in worrying about it, keeping a positive attitude would benefit us more then freaking out and getting all stressed. Saner heads prevail as they say right? Evan thought.
Back in Mareland...
“I can't believe him!” The muted green colored unicorn said angrily to a pond she had run to. She brushed away some of her light blue mane out of her face and wiped some tears that had started to form. “ He doesn't understand me and he never will!” She yelled before she smacked the water with a hoof out of resentment.
“No he doesn't and no other pony ever will...” Came a voice that sounded as if it was directly in her ears, from every direction.
“Who's there!?” She whipped around and saw no one near her or even within sight, a quick glance at the sky dismissed the possibility of it being a pegasus.
“It's only you here... the real you...” The voice said sounding like she herself had said it, only deeper. “Just look at yourself... distressed over such a pathetic excuse for a stallion, for a father!” The voice said letting anger drip like venom.
“What are you talking about! Where are you!?” The unicorn said.
“You know what I'm talking about. How can he call himself a stallion let alone a father if he could put you into such distress? You cant take this! You have to show him and everypony that what you say goes! That anything else doesn't deserve to even exist!” The more the voice talked to the more alluring it sounded... the more she sided with it...
She turned her gaze back to the pond and simmered in the anger building up in her like an over filled balloon ready to explode. They she saw her reflection... It was her no doubt but her golden eyes had been changed to ones of pure white which glowed brightly. There was a grin that adorned her face and the reflection moved of its own accord regardless if it's owner did or not. It brought up a hoof and reached out to her, the bracelets the reflection wore instead of blue that matched her mane glowed just like its eyes.
“Come with me and we can make him pay for what he put you through...” The voice said now completely transfixed by it she reached out as well...