The Power of Ponies

by Masterweaver

Mistress Mare-velous and Humdrum issue 39: Prophecy of the Pendant

"Are you sure she'll be alright?" Humdrum glanced from peered fretfully at Mistress Mare-velous's unconscious form.

"Be at peace, my scaly com....patriot." The elderly ram smiled at his worrying, adjusting the odd chain of bones and claws round his neck. "It is clear that you and... this mare share a bond deeper than most." He took a deep breath. "We are used to purg...ing poisons in this town." His milky white eyes drifted toward the bed as the pony took a deep breath. "Ah, see? She is wake...ing."

Mare-velous shook her head as she blinked awake, glancing around the humble cabin. "Uuuugh. Where am I? Humdrum?"

"You're okay! Oh thank the fates.... I had to carry you down the mountain and fight off the Birdy Bludgers!(1)" The blue dragon rushed over, hugging the heroine tightly.

"Heh, thanks. That's... what, the ninth time you saved my life?" She nuzzled her companion with a smile. "I owe you, buddy."

"Eh, all I did was get you down here so that this fellow could help out." Humdrum stood aside, waving toward the elderly ram. "I mean, at first I thought he was just some old kook but, well, after some of the other locals pointed me back to him--"

The heroine's eyes widened when she saw the ram, and she jumped off the cot only to land in a defensive position. "You! I thought I'd seen the last of---gah!" Her breath hitched as she slumped down on one knee.

"Careful, young miss." The ram smiled, meandering over to a dresser, searching for something inn its drawers. "The poi...son in your body is not yet fully purged. Such ener...getic actions will only spread it again."

Humdrum raised an eyecrest. "Uh.... do you two know each other?"

"He was the ram with the Plated Portent!(2) The one that helped him steal the--"

"Pendant of Peril?" The ram smiled, producing a small amulet on a golden chain. "As though I would... let such a fool handle a dangerous art...ifact, let alone keep it." He sighed, placing the mystic totem upon the dresser. "I could not stop him from steal...ing it; an old ram has little chance against... animate armor. But I knew to wait until the opportune... moment. While you fought Portent, I gave it to a friend... and the armor thought I, being old, had dropped it somewhere and forgotten. By the time he real...ized our ploy, my friend had returned home, and the Pendant has been here ever since."

Mare-velous narrowed her eyes. "And you haven't returned it to the museum... why?"

The elderly ram sighed. "The pendant can summon peril, but... it can also sense it. Though I intended to... return it immediately, it granted me a horr...ible vision. Disparate evils uniting for a... terrible cause. I had thought that keeping it secret could... prevent such catasrophe."

"Yeah, that's probably not going to work out. Seeing as Ifrit is in the employ of that weird scorpion spider... thing.(3)" She snorted derisively. Brilliant description there. "What kind of demon was that anyway?"

"No demon, my child, but a beast... from the stars." The ram turned toward the fireplace, watching the cackling flames as his face was wreathed in shadow. "Long ago, another such creature came here... to fight something even worse. Though it won, it cared not... for the glory or thanks of us primitives. It left without a care. Only a few... know that now, and fewer still..."

"...Fewer still... what?"

"It is nothing, I hope." The ram turned around with a grim smile. "But in any case, you could do far more without that particular worry. I am... certain you have other things you will need to do."

Humdrum crossed his arms. "You know, the mysterious old guy schtick isn't really helping us trust you. I mean, we're grateful and all that you saved her life, but--"

"You may take the pendant."

"...what?"

"What's with the change of tune?" Mare-velous asked, cautiously edging toward the amulet.

"Simply a gesture of trust. To show that I... will not use it." The ram turned back to his fireplace. "There is a train station in the town. It connects to Gruffington City. Can you... make your way from there?"

"...I suppose." The heroine carefully took the amulet and slipped it into her saddlebags, keeping her eyes on the ram. Something is definitely wrong with that guy. "Did your vision mention anything about a Vengeful Union?"

"...a beneficiary, but not the cause. Still, if you can seek out any...pony that knows of them, perhaps you might prevent such a disaster. The train leaves in... fifteen minutes, and the poison will be purged from your system in... half an hour. You may want to find an outhouse."

Ugh. "Thanks for the tip..." Mistress Mare-velous gave him a lingering look. Then she turned and walked out the door.

Humdrum walked quickly after her, quickly matching her pace and taking a position by her side. "So, uh... are we going to turn that guy in to the cops?"

"For what, stealing the pendant?" Mare-velous sighed. "You heard him, he was an unwilling accomplice, and he certainly understood the danger of the thing. If the Plated Portent can't find him here, neither can any other big-time crook looking for an old mystic's help. Maybe later, when whatever this mysterious vision he had is about has passed."

She took a breath and stepped up to the ticket booth. "For now, let's just get to Gruffington. Maybe we can figure out what the heck Ifrit's new master is in one of their libraries."

Author's Note:

(1) Mistress Mare-Velous and Humdrum issue 38
(2) Mistress Mare-Velous and Humdrum issue 25
(3) Mistress Mare-Velous and Humdrum issue 37

Comments

[Masterweaver]

Between issues 38 and 39 of the Mistress Mare-velous series, Dark Horse comics' primary publishing house was subject to a fire. Thankfully, nopony was hurt, but it took a month to restore supplies and transcripts for the next issue. The delay between our publications has been carefully timed to simulate the wait that fans originally had to suffer.

[Peachy Moon]

3865643 -coughs- Horseapples -coughs-

[Frankie2]

Before I continue reading, do any of these comics actually exist? If so, why isn't this tagged as a crossover? If not, why do you keep bringing up stuff that we will never know about?

[FancyFan]

4174923
It's being done in the style of real-world comics, which will commonly provide a notation informing the readers which issues the characters are referring to when they reference past events.