//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Luck is in the eye of... // Story: The Everfree Chronicles // by Novel Idea //------------------------------// Chapter 2: Luck is in the eye of… The Beholder, an ancient and massive tyrant which had long ago ruled deep within the mountains of the Everfree forest. Feared by Demons and Alicorns alike, this monster had been nothing but a shadow of his former self, eye-stalks swirling madly, heavily fanged mouth gaped wide as the time lost beast roared for his prey at the edge of this small, rural town. It’s many long and spindly eye stalks coiling and coalescing along its body over new scars and missing flesh, the direct cause of its most hated prey. The beast gnashed his teeth violently roaring louder to the town of ponies. His bane had returned to a place where he would be able to pounce. How long? A year, two… time had meant very little to the demi-god beast till he had been bested by that… little pony… that Lucky Roll. It was unable to understand how something so weak, frail and small could contend with him a monster not short of the divine. His “luck” had bested the beast time and time again, his magic and torture of other monsters within the massive dark forest had revealed to him bits and piece’s of the pony’s almost magic luck. First hand the Beholder had learned all too well that Lucky Roll was a monster in his own right. They had manage to wound and scare each other on a level of equals… and the thought filled the monster with rage froth forming at its mouth as it roared again. “EQUALS WITH ME!?! THAT LITTLE COLT THINKS HE CAN RIVAL ME!?!?! I, ONE OF THE GREATEST MONSTERS ACROSS THIS WORLD. BESTED BY A PONY!?!?! EQUAL TO THAT PONY!?!?” the beast roared in his mind enraging himself more and more. He could hear the tell-tale clop of a single pony approaching. It would be Lucky, it would always be him. Though the Beholder hated it, hated to admit it more then he hated to draw another breath with his prey alive there was a brotherhood between them, when one called the other would rise to battle time and time again till. In the end, the Beholder feasted it’s massive jaws on the pony’s flesh, the very through making the floating eye sphere roar in delight. Lucky Roll coming into view at the edge of town, down the street from a massive tree building, sitting on his haunches and calmly and slowly as if there was no monster hovering at the edge of the forest before him. XXXXXXX “Now list’n here, ev’rypony.” Lucky said calmly, but his voice tore across the panicked welcome home party. To Twilight Sparkle’s surprise everypony was immediately quiet and attentive, even the CMC sat quietly in front of him, shivering in fear though they were. “I’ll take care of this righ’ business lik’.” His rich, chocolate voice said the words flowing deep with his accent. “Not aone of yall is to come out an’ interfere with m’… y’hear?” To the lavender unicorn’s surprise everyone nodded and spoke words of encouragement to him. Maybe she was the only one close enough to the caramel coated pony to see the shivering in his knees or the bead of sweat on his forehead. “What do you mean? You can't think you’re going out there alone do you?” She said turning to face Lucky, she felt a hoof touch her back and there was AJ, shaking her head. “Not now Sugarcube, you don’t quite know how things work with Lucky…” the apple farmer said carefully pulling Twilight closer away from Lucky though she protested. “How do you feel?” Fluttershy whispered over the slight mumbles, her head low to the ground. Little yellow body shaking more then any one else’s in the room but she found the courage to talk. The chocolate maned Stallion smiled and walked forward reaching a hoof up he ruffled Fluttershy’s mane playfully. “Lucky as ever.” his voice rang out with nothing but confidence and passion. He turned and walked to the door, Twilight tried her best to follow but Applejack held her back eyes watching Lucky closely, as she noticed the whole room was. Everypony in Ponyville was watching this Stallion who had returned to them war torn and ravaged and they were about to send him into the fray again, Twilight realized. No one there felt good about what was happening but this was something out of their power. They were untrained to deal with anything like this and the best they could do is run from whatever was there. Lucky’s voice cut out across the thoughts raging within the unicorn’s mind, pulling her back to the present situation. He pulled his hat low and gave them a formal, business like nod. “Time to earn mah keep.” XXXXXXX Lucky Roll made his way slowly down the main street of Ponyville, directly in line from the Library was the Beholder, the enemy calling for him. It was there, a tug inside of his body, he could never explain it. It was a calm stride... though his heart was racing more and more, beating rapidly against his chest. He couldn’t fight the fear, this “Luck” inside of him had always given him the best possible result. Still he felt every scar burnt into his flesh when the best outcome was something that he could not begin to recall without breaking into a cold sweat. Lucky moved at ease though, staring down the dark grey monster as if he was merely an inconvenience, the luck was there with him, he was sure in the end he’d survive… well he hoped. The worse case scenario he dies and sates the monster’s hunger who intern leaves the other ponies of Ponyville alone. At least they'd be safe then. Stop. The luck inside him told him to stop and sit, right there where he was and so he did, lowering his haunches to the ground. There was no urge to arm himself, no urge to take a pre-emptive strike. Only to sit, maybe make conversation. Yes conversation would be ok, Lucky thought at least, sweat dripping down his face a little, he could feel it wetting his fedora hat . He hated this fear, it took all of his strength not to show it, or weakness to the monster before him. An opening must never be shown, the walls can’t come down. “Nice t’ see ya again.” He said as calmly as he could, hoping the beast would be enraged beyond the point to see the signs of his nervousness, his fear. That small quiver in his voice. “You dare talk to me like that…” the Beholder growled floating closer to the apparently cocky pony, its rage beaming from every eye. “Do you even comprehend how quickly I could kill you this very second.” It growled some eyes twirling and focusing on their pray. Lucky did the best he could to laugh, a hollow and sarcastic laugh. Pulling his hat over the hair which covered half his face he gifted the monster with a cocky half grin. “Well you’d need to ask yourself. Do ye feel "Lucky"? Well… do you?” those words cut the Beholder deeper and wider then any weapon. Lucky couldn’t help but smile genuinely at the fear which momentarily crossed the monster’s form. It was uncertain. They had both learned to fear each other after battle and battle they had seen the powers both wielded to the fullest extent. Hesitation was the side of the coin in the battle between these two which determined the fate each and every time. If Lucky could ignore his fear and follow his gut instinctively he would always turn up on top, whereas if the Beholder had never learned more, and became aware of a power that the pony before him now that he did not know anything about it would be easy for him to destroy Lucky Roll at his whim. “Grrr you and your luck…” The beholder grumbled in his bestial tongue near enough to Lucky that the pony could smell it’s rancid odour. “You are always so sure, so ready to die for this luck of yours…” it growled so close now Lucky could almost feel the eye stalks on his flesh, sure that his shivering would give him away, his heart felt like it was fighting to rip open his chest and flee. It was at that moment when there was a change in luck, a tug to look behind and a powerful gallop which echoed across the ghostly town. XXXXXXX Twilight and the group looked out the window at the large, almost house sized monster which was hovering closer and closer to Lucky. “We can’t just leave him there like this…” The young magic user said looking to her friends, Spike was nodding furiously back to her but his tail was shivering a little in his arms. Rarity looked at a loss as to what to do. Applejack was struggling inwardly, the Apple Family gene in her demanding she go help a pony in need but her consciousness telling her they couldn’t be much help. Fluttershy had turned her head away from the scene and was muttering to herself in that tiny pitchy voice of hers seeming lost. Rainbow Dash was hovering about them, she had the urge to fly out and kick that flying eye ball in the face, or whatever she could hit. There was fear though, it had sunk it’s fangs even into the brave Pegasus’s powerful hide. Pinkie Pie was sitting there looking out the window eyes stuck on Lucky no one could read her face for it was almost as emotionless as Gummy’s, her beautiful pink coat seeming to have lost some of its sheen. “Sugarcube I know that this is a lot different… but Lucky out there is the best pony we have when it comes to dealing with badies…like that one...” Applejack said looking out the window to their caramel defender. “But we could use the elements of Harmony….” Twilight whined, the hatred and jealousy had moved on to concern. Whether she liked the pony or otherwise a citizen of Equestria was there staring down a monster like there was no other option. For a town he hadn’t seen in years simply out of duty. “Darling we don’t know how that thing will react to us being there.” Rarity said calmly looking sad that she could not help in anyway, her fears at the foremost of her mind. Twilight looked at her friends hopelessly, they were all scared but beyond that, they all knew that Lucky would be able to handle it without them getting in the way. Half their fears stemmed from causing something to go wrong in the Stallion’s plan. The unicorn looked back out the window, she didn’t need to use her magic to see the slight shiver in Lucky’s legs as he sat there, the monstrous Beholder hovering inches from his body. “Well I’m going.” XXXXXXXX Lucky looked forward the shivering had stopped, was it luck or had he known what was approaching behind him. The Beholder would never know as the Caramel Coated colt stood up and tipped his hat to the monster, the lavender coat of Twilight Sparkle coming into his peripheral. The brave stallion turned his head to see all of Ponyville behind him, everyone of them. Fluttershy hiding behind Rainbow Dash who looked ready to barrel down into the floating eye-beast, Rarity was standing tall, head held high, Applejack flanked by her big brother Big Macintosh looked ready to start bucking. Lucky couldn’t contain the emotion washing over him as he smiled genuinely and tilted his hat to everypony in Ponyville looking for all his worth their brave defender. His one visible mahogany eye turned back to focus on the beast looking for all its worth like a dagger ready to strike. “What’ll ye do now?” The Stallion asked standing up from his sitting position, the sick euphoria of “Luck” poured over his body viciously elating him to a level of recklessness beyond his fear. “Even if you take me out, I’m sure you can’t handle all this pony.” Cheers from the crowd filled his breast with confidence, Applejack loud ‘Darn right ye can’t handle dis pony.’ her deep southern drawl ringing out over the cheers. The massive floating beast winced back eyes dancing on their stalks changing focus rapidly as it pulled further and further back away from the group. “Lucky….” the beast growled, the word rolling on it’s tongue violently. It’s eye was focused now only on the Caramel nuisance. Every stalked looked ready to fire their magic and obliterate the pony where he stood, but the Beholder was a slow beast. It’s magic could only move its slow body so quickly and a pony would be able to catch him easily, a Pegasus much quicker. The racial pool of ponies before him provided more of a threat then their raw numbers, a Pegasus could rain down attacks from above and disable his eyes, the Unicorns with their magic could in theory repel his magic attacks and the Earth Ponies could rain attacks upon his body. It was a large group that could use its versatile nature to its advantage and adapt to any attack he delivered quickly. The Beholder, though furious and powerful knew that in order to survive long enough to enjoy the taste of the kill it wished to find in the annoying, Lucky Roll, he would not find it there today. “We will finish this later…mark my words.” It hissed, acidly pulling away and turning its back on the horde of angry equines. Rainbow Dash moved to charge, as did Pinkie Pie, who showed up wearing a pan over her head with a wooden spoon in her muzzle having taken the time to armour up before following the rest of the herd. But Lucky stalled them raising his hood and shaking his head slowly. “That’s not how we roll.” Lucky said loudly enough for the beast to hear him as it entered the forest the floating ball pausing for a moment it’s ears trained on that venomous voice. “A scar on the back among equals is a sign of dishon’r, don’cha know.” he said smiling at the girls as the beast roared, trees around it being up rooted and scarred beyond belief as magical beams of light flickered wildly from eye stalks. Lucky laughed, softly, a quiver in his throat that only a few of the cheering ponies would have noticed as they celebrated the retreat of the monster. There was however one pony that was far from cheering. A positively furious Twilight Sparkle, her purple cheeks flushed a blood black raised a hoof and smacked Lucky on the top of his head. “What in the wide world of Equestria did you think you were doing?!” she shrilled wide purple eyes drilling wholes into the Stallion before him, her five friends giving him very similar looks all grouped together around him. “Well I don’t know wh’t I was thinking, rightly at leas’.” he drawled on teasingly tilting his hat to them. “But right now I’m thinking’ I’m ver’ lucky to have yall for friends who’ll show up when I need them.” His lips were drawn in a teasing cocky smile as he turned from the six mares to head back to the library. “Now, weren’ we still having a parteh, where we not!?” he echoed loud enough to shake the crowd. XXXXXXX The party continued long into the night, Twilight found that she couldn’t get close to Lucky to question him about earlier. After stumbling back into the Library the stallion had pardoned himself to what was now her room to rest for a while, everypony understanding that he would be spent from the encounter with the monster allowed it and continued to rave long into the night. Shortly after the clock hit 2 a.m. the majority of ponies began to file out of the Library, though Vinyl Scratch was still moving her head to the beat coming from her tables, and Pinkie Pie was still dancing like she had just started ( Twilight would later suspect that Pinkie had been dipping her Pie into more then just the punch). Fluttershy looked completely wobbly and tired, Applejack offered to take her home and walked out the door with the yellow Pegasus leaning heavily on her flank. Rarity had left earlier with Sweetie Belle and Spike was passed out in the corner his tail wrapped in his arms and legs. After what seemed like forever but was only a few more minutes Rainbow Dash dragged out Pinkie and the rest of the ponies, without their dancing idol to worship fled to their homes for what would most likely be a long night of hard sleep. In due time the tables stopped their spinning and Vinyl made her way down from the makeshift stage seeming shaky and unstable, flanked by her protégé Trance who was keeping her up against his back. They exchanged a few words about getting their equipment the following afternoon and they too disappeared into the night leaving the purple Unicorn alone. Shaking her horned head exhausted the spent Twilight began to make her way to the door leading to her room, she would sleep in Spike’s bed after levitating down some blankets to help keep the baby dragon warm. Well that was what Twilight would have loved to do had a sickening gurgle not erupted deep from within Spike’s chest and followed by the ensuing burp of green flames which coalesced slowly into a sealed scroll from the Princess. “What the…?” she said out loud her horn lighting up violet to lift the scroll to her eyes in the dim light of the after party. She read it once, her slightly blood shot eyes sore from the strain. Then re-read it a few times. “Spike! Spike, get up!” she said nudging the Dragon roughly with her hoof, sure his scales would absorb any actual impact. “Huh, wha, mommy?” his brilliant green eyes opened looking at Twilight tiredly. “You’re not mommy…” he growled disappointed rolling over when a sharp kick forced him awake. “Whaaaaaaa” he whined getting to his knees. “Start packing our things Spike, there’s trouble and the Princess needs us and the girls to go help.” Twilight said going to open the door. “And where are you going? Spike whined fumbling in the dark room for the Unicorn’s rucksack. “To sleep, you can sleep while we travel, promise.” Twilight said going into the room. “I’ll get up early and go get the girls, while I’m out you give the letter to Lucky.” she ordered levitating it his way. In the dark the Dragon could barely read the letter but he made out enough to increase his speed, the opening paragraph forcing the little dragon to hustle his tail. “My most Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle Disaster has stricken KnottingHoove and I’m afraid you and your friends Are the only ones I can rely on to help them in their time of need.”