//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: To Infinity // by PaisleyPerson //------------------------------// Chapter 1 Canterlot Times Canterlot Archives Undermined! The Tunneling Thief has struck again, this time digging his way under the Canterlot Archives. Efforts to track the thief failed when his tunnel caved in. Only one item appears to be missing: the Alicorn Amulet. It is an incredibly dangerous and powerful artifact said to grant its wearer unimaginable might. It is so powerful, however, that it will corrupt its user. Police are currently following up other leads as to its whereabouts. “Hmph. What other leads?” The paper complained as I crinkled it up into the worthless scrap it was. “When I read the newspaper, I expect to glean some useful information, not some foal’s wishful thinking. The police have no leads, and they never will.” “Those are some pretty hefty words, coming from a filly your age.” The sappy old stallion from the ice cream parlor passed by. “A little girl like you shouldn’t be concerning herself with the troubles of the world. Why don’t you leave that to the grown-ups and come inside, talk to some other young colts and fillies your age? We have a special on ice cream, two scoops and toppings for one bit.” My eyes blazed. “Oh, I see. Because I’m a little girl I must love ice cream, right?” “Well, one would assume- ACK!” He stumbled backwards, peeling the crumpled newsprint from his eye. “Then I’ll assume that all old stallions love newspapers.” “Why, you little brat!” But I was already gone. One benefit to my small stature was the ability to disappear with the crowd. Did I like this small size? No. Of course not. But at least the other colts and fillies grew out of it. I was stuck staring at everypony’s hocks. I had been for the last thousand years. I am cursed. Cursed with immortality. And the infinity symbol staining my flank reminds me of it every day. I stopped growing when I was a child. I never aged. I watched my parents grow old and die. And my siblings. And their children. I was helpless to stop the last of my family tree from withering away. They were all gone, except for me. I was timeless. And I’ve spent the last thousand years trying to figure out why. Was it merely the prolonged exposure to all of Father’s magical artifacts? Was there something amiss in the zebra potion my brother dared me to drink all those years ago? I didn’t know. I would never know. All I knew was that I was still here. But why? Everything else came and went, so why couldn’t I? After years of watching and learning, I finally reached a conclusion. Death brought pain and distress to the ponies who still lived. The only other immortal beings, Celestia and Luna, didn’t seem to see this. But I did. I was the one who couldn’t die. The one who understood. So I would be their salvation. I would end their pain. I would end life as we know it. I hatched this plan a few hundred years ago. But to actually enact it took time. Up to this very day, I have been patiently, if not diligently working to realize my vision. I threw myself deep into the curriculum, scouring my tomes for any and all of Equestria’s weaknesses. I dabbled in every subject, but became particularly fluent in psychology, mythology, and government. Admittedly, I found botany intriguing as well, but was reluctant to pursue it, lest it distract me from my goal. I had no idea at the time how valuable such knowledge would prove to be. I got my inspiration from one of the greats: none other than Discord himself. His plunderseeds were an invention of sheer genius. They took out the high princesses, the two most powerful ponies in Equestria, fed off the Tree of Harmony, the most powerful source of magic in the world, and caused chaos and disorder everywhere else. They overtook entire towns slowly but efficiently, and they were the most resilient plants I had ever encountered. With the princesses and Tree out of the way, no spell, no weed whacker, no plant killer was enough to get rid of them. Despite all of this, Discord failed, and his plunderseeds were destroyed. I wasn’t going to give up that easily. I would recreate the plunderseeds, and keep that Twilight Sparkle out of the way. This time, they would succeed. I finally pursued botany, seeking a means of which to cultivate the plunderseeds safely. While I was at it, I might as well create an even more powerful strand. I would not stand to watch these ponies suffer another thousand years. My plunderseeds would work far more quickly and efficiently than Discord’s. After years of work, I had finally done it. They were ready to be planted. And to sweeten the deal, the fiend known as Lord Tirek had escaped Tartarus and was now wreaking even more havoc in Equestria. No doubt he was hunting down the alicorn princesses to steal their magic. Once he had obtained that, even Twilight Sparkle would be defenseless. The plunderseeds would have no opposition whatsoever. So I planted them, all along the edge of Canterlot. What I had originally believed to be a time for celebration promptly evolved into a period of mourning. The cursed Princess Twilight, whom I had pegged for nothing more than a thorn in my side, actually turned out to be a spear. She and the other Spirits of Harmony defeated Tirek, not only saving Equestria but also unlocking the full power of the Tree and obliterating all trace of my darling plunderseeds. My life’s work- my legacy- was destroyed before my very eyes. I would be sure to return the favor. “Mistress! Mistress is home!” The deep, gravelly voice which always felt the need to announce my arrival belonged to Buster. I glanced up at the giant, drooling lump of a diamond dog. The little curly-Q he called a tail wagged pitifully as I neared. His worn, pale denim jacket was too small, but I didn’t want to invest the bits to purchase a new one. The black, spike-studded collar I made him wear was the only intimidating thing about him. Without it, Buster was just an oversized pug who would be perfectly content to dig in the dirt all day. Tail still thumping, Buster held the door to our home ajar. The house was ancient; when the last of my family had died, I took up residence in our old cottage, and had remained here since. It had been falling apart, at least until I took Buster in. He had taken it upon himself to make minor repairs here and there. He even tried to clean me up- fixing my long, emerald mane and tail in braids while I worked and sometimes brushing the dirt from my pale green coat until it almost appeared white. I didn’t see the point, given how I was about to destroy the world anyway. “Is there news from Canterlot?” “None.” I coldly shoved past him. His tail finally stopped flapping about, and after squeezing through the entrance after me, softly shut the door. “Have you got my package?” “Here, Mistress! It’s here!” His enthusiasm was renewed as though I’d paid him some grand compliment, and the grating *THUMP* *THUMP* of his tail resumed. I gritted my teeth while I waited for him to dig the parcel from his coat pocket. “At last.” I could feel the sheer power seeping through the brown paper before I even laid eyes on it. I set it on the table, and, hooves trembling, loosened the twine. The metal winked in greeting, and a gemstone as red as blood sparkled with enthusiasm. “The Alicorn Amulet. I have waited so long for this moment.” I wasn’t sure if I was caressing it, or if it was embracing me. I suppose both were true once I clasped it around my neck. “You look beautiful, Infinity.” “How many times must I tell you, Buster, I am your Mistress, not your friend!” He hunkered down, and I turned back to my prize. “Besides. This is no ordinary accessory. This amulet will give me access to unparalleled magic.” “But you’re an earth pony. You have no magic.” “That’s the beauty of it, Buster. This amulet contains all the magic we’ll ever need. And the best part is, no one can ever take it from me! Hm!” I happily hummed to myself. “With this amulet, no one will be able to stop me. Not even Twilight Sparkle.” Though, I would have to use it sparingly. I knew as well as anyone that the more I used it, the more it would corrupt my heart and distract me from my true purpose. I couldn’t afford to risk losing sight of my goal now, not when I was so close. “But what about the plunderseeds, Mistress?” “Don’t worry, Buster. I haven’t forgotten about our little lovelies. With this amulet, I can finally perfect my formula and complete my research. I shall make them more powerful than Discord could have dreamed.” “Very good, Mistress.” I led the way down to my “greenhouse.” The plunderseeds required a dank, dark environment to sustain them. The half-collapsed basement had proved suitable thus far. Without a powerful magic source from which they could feed, the plunderseeds were unable to grow any larger than the average houseplant. Their tentacles leaned in to tickle my sides as I walked down the aisle. They sensed the power of my amulet- a food source. “Be patient, my darlings. Mama’s brought you food, don’t be greedy.” The amulet glinted as I tapped into its power. A weak light sparked in the gem. “Go on, my children. Feed.” The plants grew in spurts. At first it was barely noticeable, but as the pulses of red light emitted by the amulet grew stronger, so did my lovelies. The effect eventually left such an impact that they were nearly doubling in size and began to glow red, oversaturated with the amulet’s power. “Yes, yes. Isn’t that better?” I reached out to coddle one of the vines, but recoiled in delight upon noticing that they were absolutely covered in thorns. “You are ready. Our time has come, lovelies. Buster?” There was another *CLUNK* when he knocked his head on the ceiling; he had been hunched on the stairs and jolted when I called him, previously stiff with fear. “I need you to dig a tunnel to the Tree of Harmony,” I instructed. “Then come back for the plunderseeds.” “The plunderseeds?!” I never allowed him in the basement without supervision, so allowing him to touch the plants was a big leap forward, let alone transport them. “Yes...” Admittedly, I was reluctant to entrust my darlings to that clumsy oaf, but I had to finish my work here. When we struck, we would have to strike quickly, and preparations on this end were not yet complete. “But I expect you to use extreme care while handling them, just as you’ve seen me do.” “Yes, Mistress!” The *THUMP* *THUMP* of his tail resumed. “They won’t be interested in you so long as you don’t possess any magical artifacts, or at least, not until they’re planted. They aren’t powerful enough for that, yet. Once they are, get out of there, and don’t let them catch you, or you will be killed.” “Of course, Mistress.” “You’ll have to dig a hole for the plunderseeds. Dig out a space just big enough to fit what’s in the pot. Give them a firm hold, but don’t completely bury them.” “Yes, Mistress.” “And whatever you do, DON’T plant them until you’ve removed the Element of Magic from the Tree. Otherwise the Tree will destroy them on the spot. And only remove Magic, not all of the Elements.” “Yes, Mistress.” “And don’t cave in the tunnel as usual. Come back one last time to fetch me and our supplies. We’ll be moving closer to the Tree until my plan is complete.” “I know, Mistress. I won’t let you down.” I sighed. “Very well.” I was supposed to be preparing the plants for transport while Buster drilled his tunnel. I didn’t pack the plunderseeds up right away. This was the last time I would get to spend with my darlings, and I wanted to make the most of it. For a while, I just sat with them, enjoying our last few moments. I knew they were fulfilling their purpose, and I felt as proud as any mother would. “I raised you up to become ponykind’s salvation,” my eyes became clouded with mist. I looked directly at one of the plants, whose vine was raised and pointed as though we had locked gazes. It slithered slowly near, and consolingly brushed my chin. A tear dribbled from my eye, and the vine made its way even further down my neck. “Do Mama proud.” “Mistress!” I barely had time to turn before a huge paw with claws like daggers came down on the vine. It shrieked in distress before retreating back to its pot. “BUSTER!” In outrage, I slapped him. He, too, shrank away like the vine he had just so viciously attacked. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!” “It was going to choke you, Mistress!” He pitifully pleaded. “YOU IDIOTIC, CLUMSY FOOL! THEY WOULD NEVER HURT ME! I’M THEIR MOTHER, AS I AM YOURS. HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN YOUR PLACE, YOU USELESS MUTT?” “O-Of course not, Mistress.” “When I found you, you were an abandoned mutt who had nothing- no family, no food, no home. I gave you everything you have, taught you everything you know. I gave you a purpose. I MADE you! And this is how you repay me?!” “I was just trying to protect you, Mistress.” “What, from my own salvation?” “But Mistress-” “But NOTHING!” He shut up. Diamond dogs were incredibly dumb creatures, which made them easy to manipulate. Buster was particularly dull, and since I had raised him from a pup, he knew nothing but me. It was for the best that I had stolen him from his litter when he was a pup. Now, at least, he could serve a higher cause than digging for sparkly rocks. I growled with agitation. “Is the tunnel ready?” “Yes, Mistress. I dug all the way to the Tree of Harmony, just like you said.” “Perhaps I should deliver the plunderseeds myself. You are obviously incapable of following simple instructions.” “No, please, Mistress!” He flung himself at my hooves, tail tucked between his legs. “I want to help. I can take the plants. I can! I can!” “I told you to be gentle with them. Does this look gentle to you?” I held up the vine of the plant he had attacked, which had an incredible gash through it now. I was amazed the plant was still in one piece. “I’m sorry, Mistress. I was afraid for you. I won’t do it again, I promise.” I poured some more of the amulet’s energy into the plunderseed’s wound, and the vine was mended in no time. “Everything we’ve worked for hangs on this moment. There is no room for error.” “I won’t let you down, Mistress. I promise. I even took out the Element of Magic already. See?” He held up a pink, six-pointed gem. “YOU FOOL!” He almost dropped the Element. “You weren’t supposed to take it yet! Twilight’s castle is connected to the Tree- she’ll know something is wrong! Go! Quickly! Take the plunderseeds!” He scrambled to collect the pots. I still hadn’t packed them up for proper transport, so he awkwardly fit as many into his arms as he could. The carelessness with which he handled them made me want to pull my mane out, but there was no time to correct him. We had to move. NOW.