//------------------------------// // Over a Kettle // Story: The Elements of Unity // by Gremlin Grenade //------------------------------// [He who lacks conviction has already failed. It is what drives us to complete our goals, what makes leaders great, and what causes us to blindly wade towards our own doom. A nation driven by a sense of conviction can overcome any obstacle, trample any foe, and successfully ignore its own failings at any cost.] Though Steel Hoof had returned to town to ensure his family would remain safe during his journey, Master Plan had not joined him, instead waiting outside of town; he had no intention of attracting any more attention to himself than he already had. They began their trek southwestward, Steel Hoof pulling a cart carrying the provisions the duo needed for their trip. Within three days of travel, the scenery changed drastically, now resembling a large savannah. Steel Hoof was astonished at the pace that two ponies could achieve if they lived off their own provisions, not stopping for trivial needs. Still, he hardly trusted his new traveling companion, more so with each passing day, as he slowly realized the magnitude of Master Plan’s ambitions. “So, I take it from scar that you were unicorn once?” Steel Hoof had never been good at breaking the ice with other ponies, and his statement garnered a much more negative reaction than he expected. “I am a unicorn. Just because I had my horn taken from me doesn’t make me an earth pony.” Now the shoe was on the other hoof, as Steel Hoof himself was now offended. “What is wrong with being earth pony?” “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it, I am simply proud of my heritage.” “And I of mine. Or do you think filthy earth ponies have nothing to be proud of?” “Don’t put words in my mouth, I simply desire to return to my original power.” “Power? Do you know what I think, comrade? I think you don’t need silly magic to be powerful, I think who took horn from your head was right!” At that, Plan stopped his pace, glaring intensely at Steel Hoof. The earth pony realized he had crossed a sensitive line, but also that this new companion of his had more secrets to hide. He was sure this was not the last time this sort of confrontation would occur between them, and that he may have to overcome his usually brazen nature if he did not want to be left alone in a foreign land. “At least both of us are pony! Not like crazy griffon, or filthy zebra!” He chuckled, trying to ease the mood. It hadn’t worked. Master Plan’s expression remained intense and detached as always, as he gestured his head towards the woods ahead. “I’d get the rest of that out of your system, if I were you. Where we are headed may not be the friendliest territory for ponies as it is, and I hear it’s the ignorant ones that make the tastiest stew.” As the pair neared the tree line, two zebras revealed themselves from the thick of the grass. Though it did not appear to be tall enough to hide a pony, these guardians appeared well practiced in sneak attacks, and it is likely that most ponies did not get the chance to become alerted to their presence at all. One of the zebras whispered something incoherent to the two ponies, and though he did not understand their language, Master Plan decided to speak. “I am here to speak to Kataro.” The zebras’ ears perked up upon hearing that name, and one of the two shouted something to the other. The two zebras started moving towards the rear of the two ponies, spears now raised in their mouths, and two more descended from the woods ahead. The zebras shouted and gestured towards the woods, and one of the first two poked Steel Hoof in the flank, and while the earth pony displayed his discomfort with their invasive behavior, he was conscious of their numerical advantage and complied. Master Plan was much more cooperative, appearing surprisingly at ease with the situation, though Steel Hoof considered that this may be another ruse of his to put the zebras off their guards. As they were led into the forest, the two ponies spotted a variety of structures protruding out of the trees above. Walkways and bridges connected the trees of the forest, while the ground was littered with huts decorated in various masks and totems. Ahead of them waited a herd of zebras, headed by an incredibly old and decorated mare, and a tall and glaring stallion. Before the ponies had the chance to speak, the elder was shrieking in a foreign tongue, hissing and spitting at the new guests. Though he knew nothing of their language, Steel Hoof believed he heard Kataro, the name mentioned by Master Plan earlier, as well as the name Celestia, though he did not know how the princess had anything to do with their arrival. Once the older zebra stopped, the stallion stepped forward. “What type of visit are we paid, by ponies, from a land so far away?” Though he spoke common equestrian, Steel Hoof understood this zebra barely any better than the last. Master Plan, on the other hand, seemed to quickly get the swing of things. “Your name is Kataro, is it not? I’ve heard that you concoct potions unmatched by any other.” “Indeed, I am known for my brew, but there will be none for the likes of you,” the zebra sneered at his inquisitor. “Instead, I think, we will cook you!” Kataro gestured with his hoof, which was met with excited cheers throughout the tribe. Several zebras moved in, spears in their mouths, to tie up the two ponies. Though Master Plan was clearly aggravated by this lack of cooperation, he was not so foolish as to attack a group of angry, armed zebras with no armaments of his own. He quickly received a blunt force to the back of his head, and fell to the ground, unconscious. Steel Hoof, on the other hand, put up a brazen resistance from the start. He turned to one of his assailants and delivered a fierce buck to the head, letting out a loud cracking noise. This caused some of the others to hesitate, reeling back a step, and giving Steel Hoof the chance he needed. He charged forward, head-butting another zebra, and started to turn around for a proper buck when he felt a sharp pain in his side. One of the zebras had sunk its spear deep into his flank, narrowly missing his cutie mark. He yelled out in pain, and started to turn to his attacker, but instead met one of Kataro’s front hooves. The blow caused Steel Hoof to fall to the ground, where the zebra leapt to pin him down. “Please, fight us some more,” he smiled at the downed workpony tauntingly, “so you may see my skill in war.” Despite these taunts, Steel Hoof stubbornly continued to resist. Flailing hooves staved off attackers trying to tie up the furious pony, and it was not until a flying rock struck his head that the workpony finally fell unconscious. ================================================================================ When the duo awoke, they were tied to a log spittle carried by four zebras. Master Plan looked about him, and saw that they were being carried through a large hut, what was probably the zebra equivalent of a town hall. In the center of the expansive room was a large kettle, tended to by Kataro, and surrounded by eager zebras of all shapes and sizes. Foals yelped while their parents glared at the trespassers, many displaying a sinister smirk across their faces. Though he still wore his coat, Plan saw that Kataro was wearing his hat, exposing his secret. More disturbingly, though, was the grey horn tied around his neck. Master Plan’s mind raced as he tried to figure a way to escape his predicament. With his hooves bound, there was little he could do to break free, and even if he did, he was trapped in a room of angry zebras. Behind him, Steel Hoof was already trying to wriggle the ropes around his hooves free. “You’re making a mistake here, Kataro,” Master Plan finally said, “I’m here to help your kind.” “What do you know of our strife, living a simple pony life?” the zebra angrily replied. “You ponies live so happily, while my people live in poverty!” “I know, Kataro. I know of evils the sun goddess has committed, of the neglect she shows all but the chosen few. I can help you, I can return your people to the life they deserve.” “You talk a big talk, my little pony, but I think I know when I smell a phony. You speak words of revolution, but never have such plans come to fruition.” With that, the zebras continued their march to the steaming kettle. They rested the spittle on two large forks. One of the zebras hoisted an axe, ready to plunge the two ponies into the depths. “And now, your fate belongs to me; any last words, before we eat?” A sinister grin stretched across Kataro’s face. Master Plan knew that his words held no weight while he remained in this predicament. No, what he needed now was nothing more than extraordinary willpower. Plan squinted intensely, clearly struggling, but made no noticeable movements or gestures. Kataro’s face went from anticipation to confusion as he wondered what this strange little pony was attempting. Suddenly, the horn resting around his neck began to glow white, and levitated slowly in the air. A similar glow surrounded the large kettle below them, and soon the pot began to shake. As it swayed back and forth, the zebras in the room started to panic. Before any of them knew what to do, the giant kettle tipped, spilling the boiling liquid out and searing the flesh of the axe-wielding zebra. Kataro stared in disbelief; he had believed (no, he knew) that a unicorn had no magical power without their horn. And yet this little pony was apparently accessing what little magical reserves he had left through sheer willpower. Even Steel Hoof was gripped in awe as their hopeless predicament turned to a possible escape. But Master Plan had no intention of escaping at this stage. It was not long before Kataro ordered the ponies’ bonds cut, his eyes still wide in disbelief. “Even when I knew I won, you achieved what could not be done!” “I appreciate your flattery, but my achievement was naught but simple chemistry. Every unicorn has magic flowing through his entire body, and though it mostly centers in the horn, it is possible to access what remains if a unicorn find himself without it. Though it is not usually enough to achieve anything significant, I suppose the dire nature of my situation helped me use what I had in me.. “You, little pony, have true spirit; the tyrant Celestia will come to fear it.” The zebra was now grinning warmly, now respectful these two ponies. “Then, you will aid me in my endeavor?” “I hold no resentment in my heart; today, our time as allies starts.” ============================================================================ After only a few hours, Steel Hoof was already growing restless. He was used to constantly working on his rock farm, and the past few days had kept him busy with the continuous walking. It was the first time in a long while that he genuinely had nothing to do, and it was eating at him. As he paced around the zebra village, he grew more and more anxious, until he felt something hit him in the leg. A white rubber ball that the village foals were playing with flew astray of their game and collided with the large pony. Though he hardly minded the disturbance, the foals that were playing looked to him with wide eyes, dreadful of any wrath they may have incurred. Instead, he responded by playfully bouncing the ball back in their direction. This caused most of the little zebras to feel more at ease as they continued playing, but also gave the pony an idea on how to resolve his restlessness. As the foals continued to play, nearly all of them were surprised to see the large red earth pony run in and scoop the ball away, laughing as he bounced away from the little fillies and colts. He was surprised at their innate speed, but his size made their game of keep-away a sure challenge for the little zebras. At the height of their game, a stray shot launched the ball into the woods. Steel Hoof tried to assure the foals he could retrieve it on his own, but between the youngsters’ enthusiasm, and a lack of any mutual language, several of the young zebras followed the earth pony into the woods. The shiny white ball was not difficult to find, and one of the zebras quickly pointed out the brush it landed in. As Steel Hoof approached the bushes, however, something else caught his eye. From out of his peripherals, Steel Hoof spotted a yellow figure, hiding in the tree, lying in wait. Realizing it had been spotted, the jaguar leapt out of hiding, giving Steel Hoof barely enough time to evade its attack. “Run little ones! Get back to your parents!” The gap in language did not stop the young zebras from understanding Steel Hoof this time, and they darted back towards the zebra village. More interested in pursuing a meal that it could easily catch, the jaguar darted after the foals, Steel Hoof hot in pursuit. Significantly slower than the speedy jaguar and the athletic zebras, Steel Hoof arrived back in the village just in time to witness the jaguar lunge for one of the zebra colts. It had already dispatched one of the village guards, and proceeded to slash the neck of the young. The colt’s mother screamed in agony at the loss of her child, while the anger inside of Steel Hoof reached a boiling point. The jaguar started to turn away from its meal at the sound of galloping hooves, and was facing Steel Hoof’s direction just in time to find his head crashing into its face. Reeling from the blow, the jaguar was thrown off its feet as a buck from the earth pony’s back hooves shattered its ribs. Despite its injuries, the jaguar managed to return to its feet, and lunged at the large pony, sinking it claws deep into his back. Steel Hoof let little more than a grunt escape his lips before he turned the situation on the large cat, leaping off his hooves and crushing the jaguar beneath his back. ============================================================================== A spear from one of the village guards into the cat’s neck finished the beast off, but this did not stop Steel Hoof from furiously stomping on the body, furious not only at his personal failure, but at the violent conditions these creatures lived in. In his personal hut, Kataro had already started on the potion needed to aid his new friend when Master Plan entered, his hat back on his head. “Please, my friend you are welcome in, it is time, now, that we begin.” He presented Plan with a small wooden cup containing the swirling mixture, “please drink this and be steady, this potion will make your body ready.” As the drink passed over his lips, Master Plan felt every inch of his body changing. His muscles loosened, and he felt weak, and very numb. The zebra took the gray horn off one of his shelves and placed it on a diagram in the dirt. He then gestured master plan over to another symbol next to his horn before turning to him “In this spot you must remain, though this process will bring great pain.” It was true. Once Kataro began his chanting, Plan immediately felt as though his insides had been lit on fire. He desperately wanted to flee, every inch of his body crying out to escape this misery, but his muscles wouldn’t budge, as though he was locked in place. The horn levitated off the ground, glowing green, before fitting itself into the crevice on Master Plan’s head. As it fit into place, a loud, suction-like sound rang out, and he felt as though someone had driven a sword through his skull and deep into his brain. Suddenly, memories of his past flashed through his mind, causing the unicorn to let out a piercing scream. As his horn found its way back into Master Plan’s body, all of his achievements, failures, loves and losses flashed before his eyes, and, for a moment, he was certain he was dying. But, with a flash of green light, the horn was re-attached, now surrounded by a hideous x-shaped scar. “There was pain, I did not lie, by my skills will always satisfy.” He scooted a kettle of water toward Master Plan to use as a mirror. Reeling from the initial shock, the pony staggered a moment before looking into the reflective surface. Though he initially smiled at the operation’s success, this was quickly replaced by a cold grimace. “The scar, it’s still there! Why!?” His crimson eyes seethed with anger as he turned to Kataro. “I will not be scolded by my guest, healing that scar was not your request!” Master Plan realized what he said was true, and began to calm himself. His ferocity was soon replaced with a deep sadness, and he slowly turned back to the water kettle, inspecting Kataro’s work once again. “This scar, it has a lot of memories associated with it. Memories I would rather forget.” Kataro walked over to the unicorn, and placed a hoof on his back, “We all carry with us our own pain, but the past, my friend, will never change.” Master Plan looked back at the zebra, “Well, you have paid up on your end of the bargain, and so it seems we will not see one another until this is all over. I bid you farewell, my friend.” “Do not be so hasty, my pony friend, our time together is not at an end.” Kotaro smiled back. “Your words earlier were so enticing, let us together, start this uprising.” ================================================================================== Steel Hoof’s wounds were a much simpler ailment to cure for the witch doctor. After consuming a particularly distasteful concoction, the stab wound on his flank had completely healed, as had the claw marks in his back, and the blow to his head had only done superficial damage. As the trio left the zebra village, the foals ran out to wave goodbye to their new heroes. Steel Hoof looked to Master Plan, “So we are to topple the walls of Canterlot with but three ponies?” He had already returned to his sour demeanor. “For a rock farmer, your certainly can be impatient,” Plan snapped back. “We have just a few more stops left, before revolution begins in full swing.” “Well, where shall we go, that harbors allies you already know?” “For our next stop, we head to Trottingham.”