Once Luck Turns Into Habit

by Sinister Voice

Chapter 1: Chance Meeting

When Luck Becomes A Habit

by Sinister Voice

Chapter 1

Chance Meeting

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Part I

Luck

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A scream pierced through the calm of a forest.

"Gah! I can't believe it! How come we always get lost when you have the map, eh? While following the road! Just how?"

Skael Kataphrakt, a tall and bulky, brown Earth-Pony stallion just shrugged while his companion, Lightning Strike, a light blue Pegasus stallion with frizzy yellow mane and tail, shouted at him. Both wore dull and battered armor, grey like the steel it was made from, no fancy gold plating, no silver and purple, no color of one of the noble houses that kept their own guard forces – just plain metal.

Still ignoring the loud Pegasus, Skael Kataphrakt turned his head and began rummaging through his saddlebags, pulling a folded map out shortly after that.

"Now let's see...," he mused to himself as he spread the map on the dirt road they had followed all day. "Where are we?"

Still breathing strongly, the Pegasus seemed to have – at least partially – calmed down and now looked towards the brown Earth-Pony stallion. "So... Where are we?"

"I have no idea," Skael shrugged while still looking at the map... or maybe the bug that was crawling on it.

And again a scream pierced through the calm of the forest.

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"Did you hear that?" A small dark grey mare with a short mane of different shades of purple and violet asked while turning to the stallion she had led into the woods, the dark cloak she wore rustling slightly as she moved.

"Ah ... I guess not," she snickered as she saw the passed out Unicorn.

"Well thank you for business," she grinned as she bent down to relieve the poor guy of his heavy burden – namely his purse – stashing it under her cloak before she happily skipped along the road deeper into the forest.

This really seems to be my lucky day.

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Another place, another road, a mare walked deeper into the forest, silently mumbling to herself. Starlight was a tall white Unicorn, her mane and tail of silvery blue were braided and grown long, ending just short before the hair touched the ground and on her flank was the blue outline of a five-pointed star, none of the star's tips pointing directly up or down.

"Oh I can't believe it. Who does he think he is? Sending me on this nonsensical errand just to get me to leave the Academy. Just because he is the Grandmaster he thinks he is a second Starswirl the Bearded, or Clover the Clever. Gosh, he probably thinks he is better than the princess. This prepos..."

Then suddenly she stopped in her tirade as something hit her muzzle, something small and cold and wet. "Rain. Great, as if this day has not been bad enough already."

Her horn sparked to life, forming a pale blue bubble around her and she continued to stomp along. "I just hope it will stop soon."

It did not.

"Just my luck," she sighed, following the road deeper into the forest.

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"Seriously?" The purple maned mare looked into the sky that had been clear and sunny an hour ago. Now it looked grey and uninviting.

"Stupid featherbrains. And the day had begun sooo well. Cursed luck."

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The storm was still growing; pelting the two stallions and soaking their coats and armor. The only upside for Skael Kataphrakt was, that as heavy as the rain was falling he couldn't make out the undoubtedly still shouting Pegasus that ran at his side. He didn't even understand why his companion was so enraged.

Weren't Pegasuses...Pegasus....Pegasus-Ponies supposed to like rain and storm, especially those like Lightning?

Lightning Strike did not agree, he preferred to be above a storm, not underneath while getting soaked. All because this dumb mudbrain he called his best friend hadn't been able to find the way. He could feel the water drenching every hair and feather on his body, even those covered by the armor. Especially those covered by the armor.

Just my luck. They both thought, one earnestly, the other sarcastically.

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Four ponies running on three roads leading through one forest all while being plagued by one storm.

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Part II

Shelter

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Annoyed the grey mare shook her head, forcing the wet bangs of violet and purple out of her eyes. Maybe I shouldn't've cut them? She pondered as some of the hair fell down in her eyes again, slightly slapping her.

At first she had enjoyed the falling rain, happily trotting on the forest path, but then the wind had picked up, the rain grown stronger until it had turned into a full blown storm. Totally drenching her, making her cloak and every hair on her body uncomfortably stick to her, not to mention the things she hid under the cloak.

Now she was running, barely able to see through the masses of water pouring down, looking for shelter. There was a nice little shower... and then there was just too much water... worse yet, cold water.

She sneezed. I want to be someplace warm... and dry. How long has it been since I wasn't wet and cold?

Probably about five minutes. She frowned slightly as the rational part of her brain kicked in, the part that always made her not do every fun idea that came to her. The part that let her sometimes sit down and think, so she wouldn't rush head-first into trouble.

Luckily, most of the time it was silent.

Then the mare spotted something and stopped – she couldn't after all possibly become even wetter.

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Frowning Starlight looked at her once white hooves.

"Mud. Of course, the rain had to turn this Discord damned road into mud," sighing the mare looked up. She couldn't even discern the raindrops anymore that battered the blue glowing shield, she had conjured. A shield that protected her from the rain itself, but not from the effects it had on her surroundings.

"Star Swirl's beard this is beginning to strain my horn," she complained again, talking even though she walked alone through the forest.

"Maybe I can find some shelter, a nice little inn," she cringed as the tugging on her horn became slightly worse. "I would even settle for a cave..."

"What is that?" She asked herself, as suddenly something caught her eyes, carefully trotting closer.

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Lightning Strike had stopped shouting, shouting and running for a long time was too exhausting even for him.

His mane hung down wetly, covering half his face. Rain pelted him and his feathers and fur would probably still drop water in a week, yet he didn't care anymore.

He wanted to fly but that storm would knock him out of the air in a wing beat. He also somehow didn't want to leave his earthbound companion alone. Not that that brick wall even seems to feel the storm.

He had to think of something else, anything else so he wouldn't lose his sanity in this rain.

Maybe he would look for the genius who had planned this storm that would have kept even a dragon from taking wing and give him a piece of his mind.

With his spear.

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Skael Kataphrakt warily glanced to his companion. The Pegasus had stopped shouting and instead had begun to laugh.

Or rather cackle ominously and Skael could swear that he could see little sparks flitting in between the Pegasus' wild mane.

"Lightning? You alright?"

For a moment the Earth-Pony thought the other stallion hadn't heard him, breathing in to gather his voice and overpower the rampaging storm.

Then he stopped, almost losing his footing because of the mud and rain and barreling into a tree. Just before him stood a hooded pony and seemed to watch him, him and Lightning Strike.

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The pony, its features hidden by the long woolen cloak, stood, seemingly undisturbed by the rain, just next to the road and waved. Waved and then pointed to its side. There a small path began, leading away from the main road, winding its way almost naturally between the trees. Surely, in this weather the path would have been invisible if not for the cloaked pony.

"If it's shelter you seek, there you'll find it," the figure spoke.

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Slowly, Skael, the gargantuan Earth-Pony, nodded to their helper and made his first step on the path. Lightning Strike right next to him. Then he turned looking again to the hooded pony – only to no longer see it. Strange.

"We should be careful, Lightning."

"Oh, I hope it's a trap and somepony tries to spring us," the Pegasus cackled darkly.

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"Thanks...," shrugging, why the stranger stood there the grey mare with the violet mane began to gallop, along the path to promised shelter.

She did not see how her guide vanished, dispersing like mist.

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Slowly, Starlight extended a hoof in order to poke the strange hooded pony in front of her. Her hoof going right through its form.

"Thought so," she chuckled. "Impressive feat this spell but you can see the rain passing right through it. Nor is it looking to be wet. But well, if somepony bothered to conjure this thing here I guess I could investigate… And it probably beats walking through the rain," her gaze wandered down to her mudcaked hooves and a small shudder went through her body,” and the mud.”

Then the Unicorn began to trot down the path the spell had shown her, still protected from the rain by her barrier.

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Four ponies running down a small, hidden path, following the promise of shelter, all while being plagued by one storm.

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Part III

Chance Meeting

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At the end of the path, on a small clearing, stood a house. Not just any kind of house but a small inn. Over its door – resisting the elements – hung a shield, a donkey looking out of a barrel. Light shimmered through the cracks in the wood barred windows, promising a roof and warmth, food and a bed for the night to wait out the storm.

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One after another the weary travelers arrived at the clearing and entered the inn.

First was the violet maned mare, storming inside without a second thought. As she stood there and began to shake herself, trying to lose some of the water in her coat and cloak, the door opened again and the two entering stallions – the first brown, the second blue – were showered again.

“Well, that was a different kind of trap than I thought it would be…,” Skael started, but was then directly cut off.

“What in Tartarus are you doing, you…,” Lightning began to shout as the flying droplets hit him. Then he caught sight of their ‘attacker’ and his eyes began to wander over the mare’s lithe form, hugged tightly by her wet cloak and a small grin formed on his lips.

“Oh, guess I don’t mind a bit of water from a beautiful filly after that storm,” he grinned cheerfully, taking off his helmet to free his wild and pronged mane with practiced ease, even the rain unable to wreck his wild, lightning-like hair.

The grey and violet mare only stared at him for a moment before she snickered silently and turned to him.

“Oh, I bet you don’t,” she spoke, almost whispered as she glided over to him, bringing her muzzle close to his ear and, abruptly, turned around – swishing her tail up from underneath her cloak to flick his nose.

She then sashayed to the inn’s counter and the donkey standing behind it, who – until now – hadn’t even really bothered with the drenched group, and demanded a room for the night.

With a last wink over her shoulder to the two, seemingly frozen, stallions she then disappeared upstairs.

As soon as the mare had left, Lightning turned to Skael, his head coocked. “What just happened?”

“I have no…”

The door burst open again, letting in a Unicorn mare with a pristine white coat – as long as one didn’t look at her hooves – protected by a blue shimmering magical shield that she only dispelled as the door safely closed behind her.

And the smile returned to Lightning Strike’s face. And the next beauty enters.

Meanwhile, Skael Kataphrakt suppressed the urge to hit his – or the Pegasus’ head – against the wall. He knew that look on Lightning's face.

“Well, hello… “

“Gods, finally I’m out of that weather,” Starlight’s eyes scanned the small inn for a moment, completely ignoring the two ponies in front of her. Her horn sparked to life again and a spell passed over her body like a wave, beginning at her horn and traveling towards her hooves, cleaning her of any dirt and mud. “Now that’s better.”

“Hey maybe you could help me clean up later too. And I would make sure you haven’t missed a place,” Lightning tried again to catch the mare’s attention.

“Oh, sure, sure,” Lightning’s and Skael’s eyes widened at Starlight’s words – the Earth pony utterly confused that the bad phrase actually worked. The white Unicorn’s horn sparked again sending the same cleaning wave over the two of them and Lightning’s smile vanished while Skael began to laugh.

“Oh and don’t you worry, I mastered that spell years ago.”

“Thanks miss.”

“Yeah… Thanks.”

For a moment Starlight smiled at the two, or rather at the good deed she had done and then continued on, approaching the donkey. “Excuse me. Are you the proprietor of this inn?”

“Guess we should look for a room too.”

“Yeah sure… Mares,” the Pegasus sighed as he and his companion trotted to the counter, where the pristine Unicorn just received her keys.

“Well, It should certainly beat the rain… If not much more,” the two – and probably the donkey too – heard her mutter as she went to look for her room.

On a table in the corner of the main room one pony had watched the whole scene and now sighed in her mug of no longer warm cider.

“Stupid, stupid dreams.”

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With a yawn she discarded her soaked cloak, hanging it next to the window. Finally, she could stretch all of her limbs, freeing them from the chill that seeped through them

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Lightning Strike was having the time of his life. He had slain monster after monster, wielding a true lightning bolt as his weapon. After the fight dozens of beautiful mares would attend to him, reading his every wish before he could open his mouth. Suddenly, most of them retreated into the background, making way for the most beautiful mare he could think of. She smiled as she approached him in a slow sinuous walk. Then she opened her mouth, her muzzle nearly touching his, and spoke.

“Lightning. It’s morning get up,” with a deep and male voice.

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The end of the storm came with dawn, the first rays of Celestia’s orb shining through the windows of the small inn – and directly in the face of one sleeping brown Earth Stallion.

Skael Kataphrakt woke with a groan, rising from the heap of straw he had slept on and yawned.

At least we will be able to continue travelling today.

His ears flicked as another sound caught his attention. In another heap a blue Pegasus with wild and pronged yellow mane and tail slept mumbling in his dreams.

“Lightning. It’s morning get up.”

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Similar to the day before, the travelers arrived one after the other, looking forward to a nice breakfast and eager to be on the road again.

Last to arrive was a tall but lithe white Unicorn mare, not a trace of yesterdays storm on her coat, fetlocks or hooves.

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Starlight smiled slightly, as she entered the big room and scanned it for an empty table.

“Let’s see… no, no, no… ah the two from yesterday,” she nodded slightly towards the pair sitting at the far end of the room and then continued her search, “no… ahh finally.” It was the last unoccupied table in the room – not that there hadn’t been any other free seats.

As soon as she sat down on the thin seat cushion she grimaced.

“Well I should have expected this but this is like sitting directly on the floor.”

“Mighty sorry, but a’ least it keeps your rump clean M’Lady,” the donkey innkeeper suddenly spoke, having followed her to the table after she entered. “Not often one of you Canterlot types loses their way in these regions.”

After a moment of shock because of his sudden appearance, Starlight looked at him quizzically: “Where did you come from? Are there more hiding?” Slowly she looked to the sides, checking if not maybe another one had snuck up to her to surprise her suddenly.

“I? Oh I come from Jacksonville, it’s a small don…,”

“What? No, no, no. Why did you suddenly appear next to me?

At that the donkey only blinked and stared up at her, after all he had followed her since she had entered the room. “Well, to ask what to get you for breakfast.”

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Finished with their breakfast the four unfortunate travelers found themselves next to the door – and each other. Joining them was another pony, a mare, her green coat mostly obstructed by a traveling cloak. Eyeing each other – more or less subtle.

“Sooo… One of you guys know the way to the next village?” The purple maned filly asked.

“Not the slightest idea.”

“As the big one says, though we wouldn’t mind looking for it together with you … or you,” Lightning said then turned to Starlight.

The white Unicorn, however, was not even listening but concentrating with shimmering horn. Slim layers of blue fog wafting around her hooves while she mumbled to herself. “This should keep the mud from sinking in …”

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Willow groaned, they were even worse than they feared. The brown Earth stallion seemed not to have a care in the world, his Pegasus friend’s only concern seemed to be mares, he had probably only ignored her until now because of the cloak’s hood, she kept down deep into her face. The Unicorn mare was constantly talking to herself and apparently more than just obsessed with her, even Willow had to admit, good looks. The only one that she couldn’t quite place yet was the grey mare with the purple mane. Sure she seemed a bit playful but at least not downright crazy, or in the case of the brown stallion apathetic.

And now they were all walking together through the forest to the next village. This had been easy, far, far too easy. How? Why had they just formed this little travelling group? She sighed and shook her head as she felt the growing ache in the back of her head.

Best. Not. Think. About. It.

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“Soooo … any of you got names?” The grey mare asked after a while of silent wandering. “I mean, if we are already walking together we could try to talk, couldn’t we?”

Lightning laughed and sauntered closer to her. “Looking to get a little bit more friendly, I see. Name’s Lightning Strike. The big guy’s Skael Kataphrakt. Hope you didn’t get too wet yesterday,” he grinned at her.

With a snort she suppressed a laugh and shook her head, then she turned to the other two mares.

“Willow,” the smaller one answered, “just Willow.”

“Should not the asker give their name first? Oh well, what do I expect out here in the wilds. My name is Dazzling Starlight.”

“Starlight, eh? Guess that name’s has been a bit of a problem lately,” the blue Pegasus, Lightning, stated, his eyebrows arched upwards.

“My loyalties have not been questioned, thank you. The Long Night has not been kind to many of us with such names … Even though most of these names are older than the Princesses themselves,” the white Unicorn mumbled at the end.

“So what is your name?” Willow lifted her head slightly to look at the grey pony.

“Unseen. You can call me Unseen.”