//------------------------------// // The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back // Story: Silver Gaze: the Pony Who Would be King // by FireOfTheNorth //------------------------------// Chapter One: The Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back “Take a tuft of storm cloud, a bright rainbow’s glow, stir with a pegasus feather, nice and slow, serve to two ponies who wish for love’s glow,” Silver Gaze recited the instructions to make the potion he’d just created. “And you’re certain this will work?” asked Prince Emerald Wave, leader of the Crystal Empire. “Without a doubt,” Silver Gaze replied, sliding his spectacles back up his nose as he looked up at the sovereign in his crystal throne, “I formulated it to have the same effect as the rare ‘love spell’ that some unicorns are able to cast.” “So, when I meet with Princess Timely Blossom of the Western Wilds in a few days, if some of this potion were to find its way into our drinks . . .” the Prince trailed off. “The two of you would instantly fall in love,” Silver Gaze finished. “Excellent,” Emerald Wave replied, clapping his hooves together, and causing waves of light to cascade through his shimmering green coat, “Silver Gaze, you have outdone yourself.” “Thanks you, my liege,” the diminutive earth pony said, giving a bow. “Could I see that potion?” the Prince asked, and Silver Gaze let him take it with his magic, “Fascinating. Love in a bottle.” “That’s the least I can do,” Silver Gaze said, “Just wait and see what else I can create. I can’t wait to be of further use to you as part of your court.” “I beg your pardon?” Emerald Wave said, passing the love potion and its instructions over to one of his guards. “I was just saying that as a part of the Crystal Court I’ll be able to create much more impressive potions than just a brew that causes attraction between two ponies,” Silver Gaze answered. “And what gave you the idea that you would ever become part of the Crystal Court?” Emerald asked. “Well, after creating this potion for you-” Silver started to explain himself. “Why would I even consider making you part of my court?” the Prince cut him off, “You’re not a unicorn or a pegasus; in fact, you’re not even a crystal pony. If I were to allow a common earth pony to mingle with the nobility of the greatest empire in the world, why, I’d become a laughingstock.” “But we had a deal,” Silver Gaze said, gritting his teeth. “I don’t recall any deal,” the Prince said nonchalantly. “You promised me that if I created a potion that would let you win the heart of Princess Timely Blossom, then you would grant me a place in your court,” Silver Gaze said, barely controlling his anger. “That’s preposterous,” Emerald Wave laughed, “But let’s suppose I did make such a bargain with you. You still would not have a place in my court because you didn’t create that potion, I did.” “That’s a lie!” Silver Gaze exclaimed. “Who’s going to take an earth pony peasant’s word over that of the Prince of the Crystal Empire?” Emerald Wave asked, leaning forward on his throne, “Now be gone from my palace at once, while I’m still feeling merciful and don’t banish you for your insolence.” Silver Gaze glared daggers at the Crystal Prince, and his guards began to lower their spears and point them in the earth pony’s direction. But he’d lost and he knew it, so he turned and left the throne room. * * * “Silver!” a very familiar voice caught Silver Gaze’s attention as he grumpily stalked the streets of the Crystal City. The mare that galloped up to him had a coat of shimmering sapphire so dazzling that it made his grey coat seem even duller than usual. His slump decreased only a little upon seeing her, the only pony in this city that really seemed to care about him. Silver tried to push the events in the throne room out of his mind and cheer up, for her sake. “Hello Shimmer,” he replied, trying not to sound as dejected as he really was. “What’s the matter?” she asked, seeing right through his weak disguise, “Things not go well today?” “Hardly,” Silver snorted, and then waited until after they passed the last of the market stands and their crowds of ponies to elaborate, “You know the secret potion I was working on for Prince Emerald Wave?” “It didn’t work?” Shimmer asked. “That’s not it; it should work just fine,” Silver Gaze answered, unlocking the door to his flat when they reached it, “The Prince took my potion to claim for himself, and he’s broken his promise, refusing me a place in the Crystal Court.” “That’s terrible!” the mare replied, following Silver up the stairs to his apartment. “Apartment” was perhaps a loose description of the room that greeted them. It was really more of a laboratory, filled with the equipment Silver needed to perfect his art. A small bedroll tucked in the corner was really the only sign that anypony lived here. A few years earlier, after being used and rejected by the nobles of Fillydelphia, Silver Gaze had left Equestria entirely, moving to the Crystal Empire in search of ponies who would appreciate and reward his talents. After a troubling experience in the town of Onyx to the east, he made his way to the Crystal City, capital of the Empire. Shortly after arriving, he began to rent the small apartment from Shimmer, who lived on the floor below. As he became known throughout the city for his alchemical prowess, he and Shimmer also became very close. She would often pop up to his laboratory to see what he was working on, or he would head downstairs for a friendly chat with her. For a while, the desire to become more than friends had been gnawing at Silver, but through unspoken signals he knew that Shimmer wasn’t yet ready, and he let the matter be for the time being. “There’s got to be something you can do,” the crystal mare said, sitting down on one of the many stools scattered around the room. “There’s nothing I can do,” Silver said, shaking his head and pulling up a stool of his own, “It’s my word against his, and nopony would dare speak out against the leader of the Crystal Empire.” “Well then, forget about him. Cheer up,” Shimmer said, placing her hoof on Silver’s, “You don’t need him to become famous. Keep up your work around here, and soon everypony will know your name.” “They’ll know I’m just a poor earth pony who knows how to mix ingredients up better than most,” Silver said, standing up, “I was meant for so much more, but so long as I’m a commoner, it seems nopony will take me seriously. This isn’t the first time a noble’s taken advantage of me and then claimed my success as their own.” “You’re not going to leave, are you, like all those other times?” Shimmer asked. “No, I’m tired of running,” Silver said, “This time I’m going to stand up to the Prince. I’m not going to let him walk all over me.” “Oh no,” Shimmer said as he turned around, “I know that look. What you’re planning is far too dangerous.” “You don’t even know what it is yet,” Silver objected. “No, but I know that that’s your insanely bad idea look,” Shimmer said, “Whatever you’re planning, reconsider. Is this really worth it?” Silver Gaze nearly relented. Here was the mare he loved, pleading with him not to undertake the foolish venture he had in his mind. Also, his conversation with her seemed to be replaying inside of his head. She’d been worried he would leave; did that mean she had feelings for him as well, or just that she was concerned about him wandering? He wanted to ask her what it was that had motivated her to ask, but the words caught in his throat. “Yes, it is,” he said instead, answering her question. “All right,” she said, giving a sigh, “But whatever you do, be careful.” She turned and trotted out of Silver’s laboratory, returning to her own home. Silver searched for some parchment and set to work on his plan to get revenge on the Prince for his treachery. * * * That night, Silver Gaze returned to the Crystal Palace stealthily. Dark robes were wrapped around him, and he had drunk several potions that would not only make him invisible, but would silence his hoofsteps. He waited in an alleyway near the palace until the changing of the guard and quickly snuck through the door before it was shut. He carried nothing on him except for a few potions and a small piece of parchment concealed within his cloak. On it, he had skillfully written the instructions on how to make the love potion, but with a few minor changes that would have devastating consequences. Love Potion Take a tuft of cloud, A bright rainbow’s glow, Stir with a pegasus feather, Fast, not slow, Serve to two ponies who aren’t in the know If things worked out as he expected they would, this new concoction would turned out to be a love poison instead of a potion. Now, all that was left to do was to replace the instructions the Prince already had with this fraudulent copy. He had no idea where Emerald Wave would store the potion, but he suspected it would be in the royal treasure room, wherever it was. Keeping to the shadows, Silver Gaze snuck through the passages of the Crystal Palace, keeping out of sight of the guards and their sweeping beams of magical light. Hours passed as he cautiously made his way through the hallways, searching for the Empire’s storehouse of wealth. At last, he found something promising, a large set of doors at the end of a hallway deep beneath the palace. Two guards were posted in front of the door, one standing on either side, their magic probing the hallway in front of them. Silver Gaze drank down one of the potions he’d brought with him and blinked his eyes repeatedly as flashing lights passed across his vision. Peeking back down the hallway, he could now see the various magical traps protecting the room, marked out by floating runes. Pulling the vials with the matching runes off his belt, Silver drank down a drop of each of the potions, making himself invisible to the traps. Making himself invisible again, he trotted down the hall until he was between the two guards. Drinking a drop from another vial, he uncorked the phial attached to it, the fumes knocking the guards unconscious but leaving Silver unaffected. The lock on the door looked complex, but Silver poured another potion down it, and the tumblers fell into place in instants. The doors unlocked with a very satisfying click. Silver Gaze pushed the doors open and stepped into the room beyond before shutting them carefully. He became visible again as he trotted to the table in the center of the treasure room, upon which sat the love potion and recipe he’d given the Prince earlier that day. The small parchment he took from the phial and tucked in his cloak before pulling out the false copy. “Halt!” a voice suddenly ordered, as he was about to place the instructions by the bottle, and he froze in place. Silver Gaze turned around to face the door, and his short, black tail knocked the potion from the table. He grimaced at the sound of shattering glass, and the potion he’d worked on tirelessly for the past few weeks ran across the floor. But it was a loss necessary for his plan to work. There was still a chance, however slim, that he’d get away with this. “You thought you could steal from me?” Prince Emerald Wave asked as he stepped between the guards standing within the treasure room’s doorway, “Give me that!” With his magic, the Prince pulled the fake instructions from between Silver’s teeth. As the crystal unicorn paced around the alchemist, the palace guards formed a circle, their spears pointed inward. “When will you learn your place?” Emerald asked, stopping in front of Silver and using his magic to force the earth pony to look him in the eye, “You’re a peasant, a low-class earth pony, and that’s all you’ll ever be. Stop trying to be something you’re not.” The Prince released Silver’s head and trotted around behind him, placing the instructions on the table where the potion had been. “You’ve found the limit of my patience. You tried to steal from me, and now you have to be punished,” Emerald said, “You are henceforth banished from my city. Throw him out.” The crystal guards roughly grabbed Silver Gaze and dragged him through the palace hallways. Past the gently glowing Crystal Heart and through the empty streets of the Crystal City the guards shoved him, until he was on the outskirts of the city. Lifting him with their magic, they threw the alchemist out of the town and sent him sliding through the bare earth. “And stay out!” one of them yelled at Silver as he stood and began to dust himself off. Thunder cracked overhead, and rain began to pour down as he turned away from the lights of the city and headed out into the wilderness.