Joe rubbed his aching head as he threw off the bed sheets and sat up on the mattress. At some point during the time in which Joe was knocked out, somepony had moved him to the bed and tucked him in. The thought disturbed Joe and he forced the imagery out of his head. The room was once again spotless. All the broken china and coffee stains had been completely cleaned up. Sea Swirl was nowhere to be seen so Joe called out to her. The foggy glass window that divided the rooms slid open and Sea Swirl stepped out wearing a simple green dress.
“I’m right here, Con. I just woke up. Is it morning already?”
“In all honesty I have no idea what time it is, or how long we've been out for. It’s impossible to tell down here. How’re you feeling?”
Sea Swirl rubbed her eyes. “Sleepy. What made us pass out like that?”
“The coffee was drugged.” he answered. “By the way, where did you get the dress?”
“It was hung up on the wall with a note telling me to wear it.”
Joe glanced over to the far wall of his room. Sure enough there was a Hoity Toity hung up on a hook. The white dress shirt was professionally pressed and the black dinner jacket was devoid of any traces of dust or lint. Hanging loosely on the collar was a bright red bowtie and pinned to the lapel was a note reading ‘wear this for dinner.’
“It’s perfectly tailored…” Joe noted as he put on the clothes. The mechanical door suddenly slid open and Sister Lilly entered the room.
“It is almost time for dinner.” she announced with her usual excessive jubilation, “We wouldn't want to keep the doctor waiting.”
“Oh well we can’t have that can we?” Joe said with dry sarcasm. “Are you ready Sea Swirl?”
“I suppose so…” Her eyes were completely devoid of life. Her head hung low.
Joe turned to Lilly. “How do I look?”
“Most appropriate!” She smiled.
“Yeah but appropriate for what?”
She didn’t answer. She lead Joe and Sea Swirl out into the hall and towards an elevator at the end of the corridor. The carriage was large and made from polished bronze. Lilly did not join them in their ride down. Instead she smiled and waved politely as the large bronze doors closed ominously. The two were left alone in the ride down. Neither spoke a word. When the humming stopped, the doors opened to a room more opulent than any Joe had ever seen. A fire pit the size of a round dinner table made the room feel cozy, but not humid or stuffy as one would expect. A small flight of nearby stairs led to an upper viewing platform complete with a polished wood banister. A long dining table which could easily sit twelve ponies was set for only three complete with a beautiful white tablecloth, silverware made from real silver, plates of delicious smelling food covered with tins and chilled bottles of apple cider.
The most eye catching attraction in the hall, however, was the wall that sat opposite of the dining area. The entire wall was made out of glass. An expansive blue realm sprawled out in front of them.
“Is this a fish tank?” Sea Swirl asked.
Joe inspected the wall closer. Beyond the glass he saw not only schools of fish swimming about their business, but he also saw the sandy sea floor. Exotic aquatic plants and coral rose from the rocky floor. Some of the plant stalks rose high above the view of the glass.
“No.” Joe responded, “It’s a window. We must be hundreds of feet deep.”
“But look at that! Sea Tulips! They do not grow over a hundred feet.”
Another school of fish swam by the glass. They were the most massive fish Joe had ever seen. They were far bigger than any pony and many rivaled sharks he had seen. The problem rested in the fact that Joe recognized what the fish were.
“These minnow are larger than we are. How is that possible?”
“Magic, Mr. Mane.” Echoed an ominous voice from behind. The deathly rasp slithered into Joe’s ears and prickled the back of his neck. He heard hoofsteps, but they were unnatural. These hoofsteps were heavy and metallic. He could feel each stomp vibrate in his throat. Joe turned around to face the owner of the chilling voice. A large shadowy pony waltzed down the flight of stairs. His coat was blacker than ebony and he was draped in a royal purple cowl that hid his flank. He was a Unicorn as much as Joe could tell. But his horn was demented. The blood red horn was long and curved into a deadly point. The most shocking feature of the Unicorn, however, were his eyes. His irises were red and rest of his eyes glowed an eerie green. A deep purple mist emanated from his eyes. Joe realized he had seen this disfiguration before, when Sea Swirl was being decontaminated. Sea Swirl quivered in absolute terror at the demonic sight.
“Look, Sea Swirl.” Joe warned her, “These are the lasting effects of Shadow Corruption I told you about.”
The shadowy Unicorn approached them with a sadistically suave smile. “You will forgive me if I don’t hoof bump.” He raised a foreleg. At first Joe thought he was wearing leg armor. Upon closer inspection, however, he saw that both of his front legs were amputated at the joint and had been replaced with metal prosthetics. “It becomes awkward for me at times. You see I unfortunately lost both of my front hooves in an accident that occurred while practicing my dark arts. You were admiring my aquarium?”
The stallion’s velvety voice was hypnotic. It reminded Joe of a viper, dancing to mesmerize its prey before biting it. “Yeah, very impressive.” Joe decided to amuse him.
The Unicorn stepped forward and gazed upon the glass in reverence. “A most admirable spell if I do say so myself, after all I created it. Anything seen through this glass is magically magnified.
“Minnows pretending they’re whales.” Joe tutted, “Just like you and this island, Doctor Ironhoof.”
The doctor merely smiled at the jest. “That depends, Mr. Mane, on which side of the glass you’re on.” He tapped one of his metallic hooves twice on the ground. On command, a Diamond Dog that was wearing a uniform far too fancy than any Diamond Dog had business wearing, approached Joe with a platter. “I've brought this for you. Coffee, extra black, with marshmallows and a jelly donut.”
“Extra sprinkles?” Joe asked dubiously.
“Of course.” Ironhoof slithered. “Now come, Mr. Mane, we have so much to discuss but so little time.” With a flick of his cloak, Doctor Ironhoof led Joe and Sea Swirl up the small flight of stairs to the dining table.
“Well you haven’t done too badly for yourself, considering.” Joe said for the sake of attempting to keep up the appearance of polite conversation.
Ironhoof’s metal hoofsteps echoed up the through the hall. Joe pulled back a chair for Sea Swirl to sit in. She feigned an almost smile as she sat down. Her mental distance had not been lost on Joe. Joe sat himself down across from his gracious host. “That depends on what you make of it.” said Ironhoof, “I was born under peculiar circumstances. The son of a well off Unicorn family from the outskirts of Equestria, or so I thought. Turns out my mother was a Changeling. I unfortunately was born pony and did not inherit her magic. Yet even still I became treasurer of an undercover brood within Canterlot.” Ironhoof used his shadowy magic to fill everypony’s plates with iceberg lettuce and apple slices wrapped in moist seaweed. His conversation stayed calm and sociable.
“Rather rare for the Changelings to trust a pony.” Joe remarked while politely tasting the seaweed apples. They were very delicious.
“I doubt they will do so again.” Ironhoof chuckled, “I escaped Equestria with half a million bits in jewels.”
Joe glanced to the side. He wasn't sure if Sea Swirl had even noticed there was now food on her plate. “So that’s how you financed this operation. It was a good idea to utilize Shadow Magic. It’s also good to know that you can control it properly. I’d hate to think you’re decontamination chamber wasn't effective.”
Ironhoof’s faced beamed with pride. “I am the greatest and most powerful practitioner of Black Magic in all of Equestria. But without cost…” He allowed one of his metal hooves to fall heavily onto the table. The tableware rang in protest and Sea Swirl nearly jumped out of her seat. The doctor was amused by the reaction and chuckled silently to himself “...as you can see.”
Joe enjoyed some lettuce. “I see… The source of your power had our Princess puzzled for some time.”
“She’s still puzzled, Mr. Mane.” Ironhoof reacted quickly.
“Not for long.” Joe gloated. He allowed himself to appear cocky. He knew Ironhoof’s hubris wouldn't be able to handle it. “I've submitted by complete report.”
Ironhoof didn't budge. Using a fork and knife he calmly cut his own piece of lettuce and indulged in the treat. “That is a lie.” He calmly stated, “You have not contacted Canterlot since you requested permission for that Trace Magic Detector.”
Joe’s spine chilled. No doubt he was being fed information by agents such as Desire, but having his own action repeated to him made Joe feel vulnerable and uneasy. Ironhoof smirked and basked in his confidence. Joe was not ready to relent. “But there are so many files open on you already, Doctor Ironhoof. Our own, the LIA’s, the one from the Changeling brood you robbed… When trouble comes you’ll find that this is a small and vulnerable little island.”
“This island is expendable. When my mission here at Cockatrice Key is done, I will destroy it and move on. The only reason I humor your curiosity and keep you alive is because you are the one pony who can appreciate what I've done!”
“Wait a minute!” Joe could feel the tension boiling the air. “There is no point in involving the filly at this stage. She’s got nothing to do with us! Let her go free. I promise she won’t talk.”
Sea Swirl’s eyes bulged in reaction. She grabbed Joe’s arm and tugged childishly. However, Joe’s gaze remained resolutely locked on Ironhoof. “No I won’t! I’m staying with you!”
Joe turned to her and glowered. “I don’t want you here!” He said harshly. Sea Swirl slinked back like a guilty puppy. Joe could see that her heart was shattered but it was for her own good.
“I agree.” said Ironhoof, “this is no place for the filly. Take her away!” The Diamond Dogs guarding the nearby door rushed forward and greedily grabbed her hooves. She violently fought the aggressors but they were still able to effortlessly drag her away.
“Let me go! Let me go!” she screamed as the Diamond Dogs chuckled with glee.
Ironhoof smiled dryly. “I’m sure the Diamond Dogs will amuse her.”
Joe snapped at the comment. He rose from his chair and without thinking grabbed a nearby glass jar and raised it above his head. Joe couldn't move his body. He was completely paralyzed by Ironhoof’s magic. The Diamond Dogs had taken Sea Swirl out the door.
“Hold it right there, Mr. Mane! That’s a jar of premium Zap Apple Jam. It’s be a pity to break it.” He released Joe from his hold and Joe pulled his seat back in. He looked down at the jar he grabbed and appreciated the perfect spectrum of color inside.
“I prefer the cider myself.”
“A clumsy effort, Mr. Mane. I am not a foal so please don’t treat me as one. And please return my table knife.”
Joe smiled sheepishly and brought out the knife he stole in the confusion from underneath the table and returned it. “Well we can’t all be geniuses.” he chuckled in defeat. “Tell me: Does destroying the shield surrounding the New Lunar Republic really compensate for having no hooves?”
Joe was back on the attack. Ironhoof’s eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. Joe finally found his edge. “The NLR is only the first step to proving our power!” Ironhoof said in a dark growl.
“OUR power?” Joe asked, “With your disregard for the lives of your fellow ponies you must be working with the Griffons.”
“Griffons, ponies, Changelings, just forms of life each as stupid as the other. I am a member of DISCORD.”
“DISCORD?”
“DISCORD!” Ironhoof proclaimed with pride. “Degenerates Interested in Spreading Chaos, Oppression, Ruin and Disharmony. The ultimate freedom from destiny, lead by the greatest brains in the world.”
“Correction. Evil brain.”
“The evil brain is always superior. It has to be.”
“But why become evil? I’m sure Princess Luna would welcome a sorcerer of your… caliber.”
Ironhoof’s expression turned dour and vengeful. “The NLR are fools! I offered them my knowledge of the dark arts and they refused. So did all the other nations. Now they will all pay for their mistake!”
Joe had him. He had reached a mental advantage and now he needed to make the final blow. “World domination…” he mused, “same old dream. Our asylums are full of ponies who think they are Starswirl the Bearded or deserve to be ascended into Alicorns.”
You are persistent in trying to provoke me, Mr. Mane.” He breathed calmly. Joe feared that he perhaps jumped too soon. “I could have killed you in the swamp.”
“Then why didn't you?”
“I thought you less stupid. Usually when a pony gets in my way…” Ironhoof levitated a small statuette from a shelf across the hall to the table. He pressed his mechanical hoof down on the solid metal object and flattened it effortlessly. “But you are different. You cost me time, money and effort. You've damaged my organization and my pride. I was interested in what kind of pony you were. I thought there might even have been a place for you in DISCORD.”
“Well I’m flattered.” Joe responded with disdain, “I am especially interested in the ‘Ruin’ department. Of course my first order of business would be to ruin the lives of those who killed Strange Ways and Anavua!”
Ironhoof remained calm. “Unfortunately I misjudged you. You are just another stupid soldier in the Royal Guard… Whose luck has run out.”
a mechanical door behind Joe slid open and a Diamond Dog emerged. “The crystal is ready, Master.” he squealed.
Ironhoof looked pleased. “There’s no hurry. The NLR shields wouldn't have fully recovered yet.”
“You won’t get away with it this time you know!” Joe barked, “The Lunar Guard are prepared for any trouble.”
Doctor Ironhoof sneered. The darkness that emanated from his eyes flickered more ghastly than before. “I never fail, Mr. Mane.”
“What is to be done with him, Master?” asked the Diamond Dog servant.
“Roughen him up,” Ironhoof answered, “I haven’t finished with him yet.”
Before Joe could react, the Dog violently bashed him in the back of his head. Joe tried to crawl away but more Diamond Dogs appeared and wrestled him to the ground. They scratched and clawed and bit at Joe’s skin. Joe tried desperately to fight back but he was quickly overpower. As he lost his vision to blood and fur, Joe heard the shadowy laughter of Doctor Ironhoof haunting him in the distance.