The Journalist

by redspark

Dark Plottings

Serena walked around her room uncomfortable, a worried look on her face. She stopped and looked out of the window, not sure what she was searching for. She saw the dark Canterlot streets in the night, wondering what her boss had thought of now. He surely didn´t… Serena wasn´t sure anymore.

She returned to pacing her room. She had the lights very dim, which allowed her to concentrate, though concentrating for what? She had no idea. She just felt like concentrating. She sighed and sat down on her bed. After a couple of minutes of restless thoughts skimming her mind, she stood up again, then sat down. Why couldn´t she remain on the same place!? It wasn´t like if her boss was going to make her suddenly make a betrayal or something… would it?

Yes, she was her most loyal follower. He had said himself more than once, though not directly to her. She had done things… things she regretted, but still, if her boss asked her, she did it. In turn, she lived in peace when she wasn´t working for him.

She stopped walking again and stared into her mirror. She used her magic to make the light stronger, seeing herself in the reflection. She saw her usual self, ready for anything, prepared to do anything… But why did she felt wrong now of all she had done. She had assured that her boss got everything he wanted, from good to bad things. Mostly bad things. Now that she thought of it, her boss was pretty bad, in some sense.

She was still staring at herself when the café´s bell sounded. She ran downstairs and into the café. She saw her boss outside, along with three ponies covered in a black cloak. What was her boss planning now?

She hurried to the door and opened it. Her boss stepped inside without a word. Serena didn´t cared, he was like that. Words were a waste of time to him, at least when spoken to her without any professional matter.

Right after her boss, the three ponies entered, leaded by a taller looking one. For some strange reason, their faces where covered in a shadow. She wondered why. One of the ponies looked at her, it´s featureless face scanning her. She felt a shiver go through her body, but she didn´t said anything. Finally, the pony walked forward, followed by the other two towards a table where Time Keeper had sat down. He stood in front of the table, not sitting down with the other two ponies standing at his sides.

Serena walked slowly beside her boss, the uncomfortable silence not breaking. Minutes passed, and still nopony said a word.

Finally, the leader of the newcomers spoke.

“Well, you told me to come, I came. You have my ears, but my patience is running thin!” He said, his shadow cloak disappearing revealing a young-looking, dark brown unicorn. Serena wondered who he was.

Her boss smiled slightly. “I like your attitude. Yes, wasting time is not worth it.” He breathed deeply. “I have heard a lot of you, Shadow. I have a proposition to you which I think you´ll like.”

“I´m all ears.” The one called shadow said.

“I know you´re an enemy of the ponyhood of a certain Hightip, am I not wrong?” Time Keeper said. Shadow twitched at the mention of that name.

“Do not!” He exclaimed “Do not use that name in front of me.” He finished. Anger showed on his face. Serena was beginning to get slightly worried about that pony.

Time Keeper smiled. “Good. If you don´t want, I won´t use it.” He stood up. “As I said, I have a proposition to you. I recently heard you were, eh… expelled from you ponyhood. I can give you something which I guess you desire, which is revenge and a new ponyhood, or… To put it in a better word, a group of ponies ready to do anything you tell them.”

Shadow looked at him suspiciously. “How do you know that?” He asked.

Time Keeper walked around him, Shadow not moving an inch, only following with his eyes. “Let´s say that I have my contacts down below.” He stopped in Shadow´s ear. “I know something about that Silent Mane and Nimble Hoof which I think you´d like to hear.”

Shadow stopped breathing. “What?” He said, more in a demanding tone than a question.

Time Keeper began to talk but Shadow stood up. “And how do you know all this?!” The two others seemed to suddenly turn menacing. Time remained normal.

“You shouldn´t do such a stupidity, Shadow.” Time said. The dark brown unicorn didn´t cared. He brightened his horn.

“Tell me this instant!” He demanded.

Time smiled. “I would, but you seem undisposed to help me. Why should I tell you now?”

Shadow shouted and threw a light with his horn at Time. Serena squealed, but she saw that Time easily stopped it.

“Is that all you have?” Time asked mockingly.

Shadow nodded at his two companions. Both retrieved their hoods and attacked with magic. Blasts begun to fly around Serena´s café. Serena took cover behind the counter and peeked outside.

Time seemed to be handling all the attacks pretty easily, stopping all the blasts directed to him. He then made is first attack. Instead of using magic, however, he didn´t needed his magic for that. He threw a small sphere out of nowhere, which caused a blinding light. Before the three attacker unicorns could recover, Time was over them, and with two swift hits he knocked out the two ponies helping Shadow.

Shadow stopped Time´s kick and quickly threw a strange spell that enveloped all in darkness. Serena had never seen anything like it before. She shivered at the lack of light, even though it was night outside.

“You think I can be defeated by some cheap toys!” sounded Shadow´s voice.

Time ducked as a blast of light almost hit him. He then threw another orb. This one didn´t threw a light, but rather vibrated and then let out a buzzing sound. Immediately, the darkness faded away, leaving an uncovered and surprised Shadow in the back of the café.

“You think of these as toys…” He said, retrieving a strange looking tube from a cloak he was wearing. He used his magic to hold it towards Shadow. Serena wondered what it was. He boss always appeared with new things, but this one was different. It was a metal tube, with a part going down with what had like a trigger mechanism. Serena had gotten used to those after working so long with Time.

Time clicked the trigger mechanism and a sudden bang erupted. Shadow covered himself with a magic shield as immediately it shattered. A sound of a small piece of metal falling happened afterwards.

Both Shadow and Serena stared at the tube in Time´s magical grasp.

“What is that?” Serena asked. Time smiled at their expressions.

“This, Shadow, is with which we will conquer Canterlot. I call it a gun. It is powered by something I call black powder. By pulling this small trigger mechanism I cause a small explosion causing that bullet beside your feet to go out at immense speeds. Fast enough to shatter your powerful magical shield easily, and if I was to shot you again, you´d be dead by now.” Time said, showing off the “gun” on his magical grasp.

“That is… What sort of technology is that?” He asked.

“I began designing it not long ago, but the princesses stopped me from keeping on my research for them. I´m afraid they won me as an enemy, because they closed down more than half my factories, and also took all my investigations, even if they were not related to the same thing. They won me as an enemy since then. That is why I want Canterlot. Imagine it, the capital of Equestria, on our hoofs; No one could stop us.” Shadow looked down, thinking.

“And if I accept, will you help me get revenge?”

Time smiled. “I will let you have your revenge, and I will let you use my own network of spies on Canterlot. I think you´d be glad of them.” He pulled the gun back to his cloak. “I heard some news that the one called Silent Mane is in a… love affair with Nimble.”

Shadow turned pale in rage. He seemed to suddenly lose all his shadow, which was strange. The pony realized he was like that and immediately recovered his expression and the paleness stopped. “I want him. Silent Mane is mine.” Time nodded.

“Sure. Now, we need to make plans for this plot of ours. I have much planned, but with you on our side it will be much better.” He gestured for Serena to come forward. She did.

“Right here my dear Serena had infiltrated that ponyhood, and is trusted by them. She is my main source of information, as also where they are hidden right now.”

Shadow nodded. “And where is that?”

Time shook his head. “I will tell you, but you cannot attack them now. It must be according to our plan.”

Shadow also shook his head. “No, I will take revenge first, and then I´ll help you on this scheme of yours with everything I can. I will not take it any other way.”

Time sighed. “You can´t do it, that would change all the plans.”

Shadow seemed angered at that. “I am not told what to do, less by some rich Canterlotian.” He spat.

Time nodded expressionless. “Do whatever you desire then. As promised, I will help you with anything you require, just don´t forget your part of the deal.” Shadow nodded.

“I´ll need more for those guns.” He said flatly. Time nodded.

“Of those I have tons. I´ve been building a small private army with it. I can even borrow you soldiers.”

“Then do”. He said. “I´ll end this small quarrel of ours once and for all. Lower Canterlot will be mine, and no pony will stop me!” He shouted, walking out of the café. “Tell those two when they wake up that I´m on our hideout.” He said. “Send your guns and you ponies there also. A dozen, if possible.” He closed the door and immediately seemed to banish as a shadow enveloped him.

Time sat down. He seemed slightly distressed, but otherwise also pleased.

“We have him now. He will join the council, and after that it will all be ready…”

Just then, a knock sounded and a yellow Pegasus entered the café.

“Serena, I came to ask you for…” Sun Seeker begun. She stopped as she realized who was with them. Time also seemed shocked. Both stood there, motionless for a minute. Time Keeper´s watch fell out of his pockets, crashing hard against the ground as the sound of shattering glass filled the café with an echo.

“Sun… Seeker.” Time Keeper said flatly finally.

Sun Seeker opened her mouth a couple of times before finally managing a word.

“Uncle…”