//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Hexes and Consequences // Story: The Pony With The Forbidden Magic // by Hekkar //------------------------------// The inevitable day came as he had prayed it would not. Oh to the celestial goddesses Celestia and Luna had he prayed for it not to arrive, but it did without stopping. He had gotten up as always before the sun even began to rise over the town. It was something he was good at and learned to help avoid some ponies back in New Foaleans. Call it a trick, but it helped in more ways then one. He tossed the covers as he got up and went to his bathroom to get ready for the day, and possible barrage of questions, for his actions yesterday and not to mention meeting that mare again. Spectre knew she meant well, but if only she wasn't so... giddy or hyper or whatever the buck her malfunction was. It didn't take him long for the shower to end as he really only needed twelve minutes thanks to magic as he got out, dried off and got dressed in his usual ensemble, minus the vanilla stained cloak from yesterday. He really only faced one problem when it came to waking up this early and that was not much to do besides inspect his place. He had done this as a sort of routine of sorts now, all to ensure he didn't get robbed in the night by some creature or pony that was brave enough to come down here. The routine was quite simple for him to follow. First stop was the pantries for food and he had quite some supplies to last perhaps a month or two, granted he never had guests here to begin with. Most of the supplies were simple stuff from juice to cereal to even some sandwiches all of different creations. He had to check the pantries often since he found raccoons somehow getting past his magic forcefield and stealing his food. Nasty vermin. The next stop were of his large dresser cabinets, each one for specific reasons. All of them were about seven feet tall and full of different items for reasons he would not give. The first one, a dresser closest to the shower, was a simple oak wood dresser and full of clothes for him to have. Shirts, pants, shoes, etcetera lined the place as if organized by color more then size or season. After checking it out, he went to a darker dresser near the cauldron. It had the same height as the other one, but it was full of voodoo dolls made of straw and hay. The thing was, one part of the dresser was filled with rolls of fabric, all arranged in a total of twelve colors. Each doll had a small different to it, like miniature wings or horn on it made of bird feathers or stone. Each little doll was color coated with some kind of little cloth or simply wrapped in fabric for color. In the back of the dresser were some premade dolls for later use. The final wardrobe though was a light blue color and was glowing of weird lights from the cracks under and around the doors. As he opened it to inspect it, the whole thing was littered with potions of odd colors and assortments, some even had mix colors. These were potions that he made to sell to ponies who needed help. He held up a weird pink and white potion as he chuckles at his memory of it. He remembered a nerdy pegasi who wanted a Love Potion to get a popular mare to fall for him. It worked a little too well and he got any mare he wanted.... problem was it made him, what doctors call, impotent. Only after finding one mare who was unaffected and some lovey-dovey stuff that made the voodoo stallion sick to his stomach did the potion wear off. Every pony had to pay a price for his services, no matter what it was from potion to curse. After his inspection, the sun started to rise as he got his cloak on and made his way to the market. He figured if he got there early enough he would be able to avoid most of the ponies before they got up to find him. Before he even walked out the door, he looked down and found a bag of bits and a note. He opened it up as he reads it 'Thank you for the spice, I believe this covers the price -Zecora' as he shakes his head. He explained to her before she didn't need to pay him since they are neighbors, but despite it all she still did. Either way it all helps him in the long way. Not to mention it was nice to help a neighbor.... even if they are just neighbors. He made his way through the forest as he walks out and sees the sunrise over the town as before the knew it, just about every pony was up and moving about. He stands at the hill overlooking Ponyville to Everfree as he seems a bit... surprised at the outcome. He had not seen so many busy ponies in the morning in other towns he visited like Manehattan or Stalliongrad. Either way, it made no difference of his own job to do. As he walked through town, every pony seemed very busy with some kind of celebration going on. Balloons, banners, even a large sign was getting put together as he stops to look at it. It took him a bit for his view to adjust a bit from the light on the glitter words as it reads 'Welcome to Ponyville' and everyone was putting a lot of work into this, but it didn't matter to him. He was not a member of Ponyville, but a resident of Everfree. He started to make his way to the market as it seemed less busy then usual as he found the cherry stand with ease. He sees a pony rummaging around in the stand as he walks up and whistles to get their attention. The pony turns around as it was Pinkie Pie.... but with one of those fake novelty moustaches and in a deep voice, obviously fake, asks "Hello sir, how may I help you?" she asks. He keeps the hood down to keep his eyes from being seen as he speaks "I wish to purchase three bags of Cherry seeds" he says. The bags each held about ten seeds each, enough for about a dozen of Beauty potions. After the exchange is made, Spectre turns to find a pegasi blocking his path. She floated before him and with a rather displeased look says "What the hay was that?! Just ditching us yesterday when we tried to be nice to you?" she asks. Spectre didn't feel like answering as he simply tried to walk around the mare, but each attempt was met with her blocking him and growling. Before he could even speak, a loud sound of a stampede is heard as ponies were shouting "They're coming!" as he tries to avoid getting trampled. He is instead getting spun around for the second time in his visit to this town. Last thing he saw was Pinkie's tail somehow wrapping around Dash and dragging her as he falls to the ground. He closes his eyes as he starts to think of nothing to help ease the spinning. It did not last long though as before he knew it a obnoxious voice woke him "Out of my way peasant! You are in the way of royalty!" the voice says. The voice and that word just makes Spectre really... cringe. If their is one type of pony he hates, it's nobles. So spoiled, so obnoxious, so... annoying! Before his mind could even continue the voice came back "I said move!" as it was being directed at him. As his eyes opened, he saw a stallion, about five foot seven with combed back, slick blonde hair, blue eyes, coat so white it had to be magically made. His clothing spoke of him as definitely nobility. Three piece suit, coat pocket with a handkerchief in it, white pants and white shoes, all of that just made Spectre incredibly annoyed. He stands as he looks at him as he was a unicorn as well. He seems smug and annoyed as he says "Make way for me to walk" he says. Spectre simply shrugs as this noble seem to draw a crowd "Hey... how about go around?" Spectre says. That alone made the unicorn recoil "Go around a low class pony? How dare you!" he says. This guy was certainly a piece of work, being stuck up and all as the noble got a weird smirk. He walked over and got a shake as he looks at Spectre. Spectre raises a eyebrow as the noble smirks "Tell me peasant, do you know who I am? Probably not from your awful attire" he says. All Spectre had on, in view, was a large cloak and hood hiding his form. Before he could retort, the noble just dumped the shake on Spectre's head as he says "I am Prince Blueblood, knave. Learn your place before royalty" he says. That little act just broke the final straw as Spectre glared at Blueblood. For once, the noble thought he saw the pupils go slit-like like a dragon as Spectre looks at him. Spectre's horn glows and a bright flash is seen as he holds a picture of Blueblood as he speaks "You made a grave mistake" he says. He turns and walks away as he drips shake down his cloak as he seems to block out everything around him without music. One thing any reasonable pony would know is do not mess with a stallion who no pony knows anything about. As he crossed Pinkie and Dash, the two stepped out of his way as if something felt... off about him. The stallion walks down the road as his mind goes cloudy a bit. He was plotting to claim his name again and so every pony remembers his name. Hell he might make a few allies who also hated this stallion prick! Just as the sun had come, night soon came as well as the young stallion got ready to invoke one of his hexes. He made his way to the bookshelf he had as he pulled out one book that just emitted a aura of... evil. As he cracked it open, the air had gotten colder as the pages flipped to one spell, written in what looked like red ink... or was it ink? Either way, this was the hex, the very hex that Spectre would cast upon that noble so that he may learn his actions have consequences. He didn't care who his father or mother or any parent was as he went over to a different cabinet closer to one of his unused beds. It was marked with a large image of a black skull as he opened it and pulled out a black candle. He carried the candle, book and picture out near the river as it glowed brightly. As he set the supplies down, he took out a small case of white paint as he applied it to his face to look like a skull, followed by black paint to make it more apparent. He was in his normal attire as he left the cloak to hang dry from the incident in town. He looks over the book before closing it as the gem on his belt started to glow green, yet released a weird, eerie fog of red and black as it surrounded the area, casting a aura to keep ponies and creatures away. He lights the candle with his magic as he keeps the picture in front of him. His magic lifts the candle and tilts it for wax to drip onto the picture as he breathes and soon magic incorporated him, the candle and the pic as he speaks. His voice now as deeper then usual as he starts to speak his spell. "As I do this candle spell Bring thine enemy three nights of hell Candle black, black as night Bring him pains of flesh tonight!" At the castle, as Blueblood slept in his bed, he started to whimper as he body started to burn and feel... warm, but in pain. "Lesions on his skin will grow Afflict him with a painful blow Sores and pain afflict him now For three nights he'll wonder how" Blueblood started to wake as he saw on his body a red splotch on his hand. He rubbed it as it send nerves of pain through his body and it burned like Tartarus itself. As he tossed the covers off he saw more litter his body from his chest to his hooves as he is covered in these... these... lesions. They all burned like fire, but he is in shock of how more just keep appearing as he hyperventilates. "Dukes of Darkness, Kings of Tartarus Smite thine enemy, bring him hell When three nights of pain have past Make him well, well at last" After those words are said, Spectre recites the phrase two more times as he thinks about the pain the noble would feel. He then tilts the candle back up and put the flame out as the night sky is filled with screams of pain from Canterlot of Prince Blueblood. As morning came, medical ponies came in to find Blueblood covered in lesions, all around his body with a few on his face, all of varying sizes and locations. He was shivering on the bed as they were still burning, but not pain excruciating to where he had to bite on a pillow, which is shown on the many pillows with said marks. The doctor looks at Blueblood as they are doing all they can to help calm the lesions. In his years as a doctor, these lesions were not fading from medical means and every time they try to use magic it's like something is blocking the healing magic and for some reason, the lesions were pulsating as if alive. For the next three nights, the town could hear Blueblood screaming in pain as the lesions dug into him and forced him to feel pain. Pain. A word he had not even had in his dictionary. Within the small town, some mares were cringing at the thought of a stallion in pain and others were reveling in it of it being Blueblood in pain for what he did to them. Before long, the third night came to an end as it was the forth day. The night was still out as Spectre walked out with the picture coated in wax as he holds it. He starts to tear it to shreds as he says "When three nights of pain endured, I lift the curse rest assured Darkness leave him, go away, the curse if lifted now, today!" He tosses the shreds to the sky as they blow away into the sky and out of reach of any pony. At his room, the lesions left him as he got better, but the memory of said pain would not leave him, that stallion made sure. As Spectre went to return to bed, he did so as a few hours later a loud knocking is heard. The stallion groans as he rolls in bed, ignoring the sound. The knocking came again, louder then before as he groans. He lifts his head "We are close! Come back when the sun is actually out!" he yells. He was not one for rude ponies or mornings as the knocking kept coming. He lifts his head again "Are you deaf?! I said WHEN THE SUN IS OUT!" he yells now. Silence was there as he goes back to sleep and smiles. The knocking returned more as he gets out of bed. He was in a red shirt and black boxers as he walks over "I am going to turn you into a damn to-" he stops as he opens his door and sees a tall figure there. His door was over six feet tall and this being was taller then that. All he could see are white heels, very long and rather plump white legs like they were made of clouds. He walks out a bit, to see a long, white and gold two strap dress that lead to a chest that could suffocate any stallion. He looks up to see a large white horn, a pair of purple eyes, a darker purple color then his own that seem kind, but also.... annoyed. On top of this mare's head was a golden crown and her back unfurled two white wings, all on a figure over eight feet tall. It took him a few for his mind to register such a beauty.... but also the problem. White wings, horn, crown, goddess of a body that made him feel small as his pupils went to pinpricks. Before him was a alicorn.... that alicorn was Celestia.... she is here and he threaten to morph her into a toad. Snapping him out of his wandered mind was a voice of silk that said "May I enter? We have much to discuss of what happened in Ponyville" she says. His mind snapped back to the incident with Blueblood as literally, his blood ran cold. He had just hexed and released the nephew of a alicorn as one thought entered his head "Oh horseapples."