Writer's Training Grounds Entries

by Yukito

Prompt #19 - One Step at a Time (OC, Maud Pie, Igneous Rock) [Random, Comedy, Romance]

Prompt: Tirek wasn't the only creature to escape from Tartarus when Cerberus left his post...

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It had taken a long time. Nearly one full year since she had escaped together with Tirek, when that foolish mutt Cerberus had left his post at the gates of Tartarus, and now, her powers were finally recovered to a level where she could begin her plans to take over Equestria. And this time, that foolish Princess Platinum would not stand in her way!

“Princess ‘Celestia’? Who in the hoof is that?” Medusa scratched the back of her head, but then simply shrugged and tossed the poster to the side. “I guess it has been some time. It’s only to be expected that the one in charge has changed. Perhaps I should start small. Build a following and gather some information before I make any big moves.”

Medusa left the small cave that she had been residing in for several months now and proceeded down the road, her image concealed by a dark cloak and a purple mask covering her face. She had separated from Tirek when the two had broken out, and only recently had she heard any news about him. In that he had almost succeeded in conquering Equestria. Some kind of Rainbow stopped him though, which concerned Medusa moreso; Equestria had some kind of defence that could stop someone as powerful as Tirek, meaning that she would have to be very careful.

Medusa stopped as a small house entered her field of vision. Around the house was a wide, rock-filled wasteland, with a few ponies out picking at the rocks on the ground. “Ah, a rock farm. Glad to see that some things just don’t change.” A grin crossed Medusa’s face. This place was quiet, empty, and out of the way. Not a bad place to set up a temporary safe house and a base of operations. “I wonder what the rent for that place is? I guess I’ll just have to ‘negotiate’ with those ponies down there.”

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Maud Pie was busy spending her day as most others: breaking bigger rocks into smaller rocks and loading them into the cart behind them so that they could be shipped off to whomever had a need for twenty tons of crushed rocks. Life sure was bliss.

“Greetings, citizen.” Maud looked up from her demanding workload to find a cloaked figure wearing a mask approaching her. “I seek whomever own this land. Are you she?”

“My father owns this farm,” Maud responded. “He’s busy checking our finances at the moment.”

“Well then, perhaps you could be a good girl and tell him to come out and meet with me?”

“I told you, he’s busy-” A knife sailed past Maud’s head, scratching the side of her face and causing it to bleed lightly. “I’ll go get him for you.” Gently lowering her pick to the ground, Maud Pie turned around and casually walked towards the house. She returned moments later with her father.

“What’s all the commotion out here?” Igneous Rock asked. “My daughter says you threatened her to come fetch me.”

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lady Medusa, and I am here to talk to you about acquiring your property.”

“Now look here, Missy. This here farm’s been in our family for generations, an’ we aren’t about to sell it now, so I’m sorry, but y’all will just have to find some new plot of land to call yer own.”

Medusa simply chuckled at the stallion’s response. “Oh, did I say I was buying it? Oh, no no no. I don’t intend to buy it. I intend to take it, and simply felt like offering you a choice.”

Igneous narrowed his eyes. “A choice?”

“It’s quite simple. Either you can submit yourselves willingly as my slaves…” Medusa reached a hoof up to remove her mask and lower her hood, revealing a purple-coated mare with a mane composed of green snakes, “Or you can perish here and now!”

Igneous’ eyes widened whilst Maud simply bobbed her head upwards slightly. Igneous narrowed his eyes again as he took a strong step forward. “I don’t take kindly to ponies threatenin’ mah family. I suggest you take yer fancy Hollerwood wig and get off of mah land, before I grab mah pitchfork and teach y’all some manners.”

Medusa simply flicked one of the hissing snakes protruding from her head and harrumphed as she turned to the few trees nearby. “Perhaps the time I have spent locked away has made you ignorant to my identity, but I was once feared as Equestria’s greatest ever threat. Ponies have come at me with torches, pitchforks, even spells that would turn an ursa’s coat pale.” Medusa gave the stallion a challenging grin. “Your threats may as well be spitwads for all they’re worth.”

“Ma’am, I’m warnin’ you-”

“No. I’m warning you.” Medusa’s snakes rose into the air as they fell silent. And then, all at once, they squealed a sharp sound wave that resonated through the air, causing Igneous to wince and Maud to blink. When it was over, the snakes fell back into the wriggling, hissing states. “That was just a taste of my power.”

Igneous turned to the trees and gasped. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The trees that were once made of wood and leaves were now perfectly petrified. She had turned something living into stone, right before his eyes! “That’s… That’s…”

“Beautiful.” Igneous and Medusa turned to Maud with equal looks of surprise. Maud’s jaw was hanging open and her eyes were the widest the stallion had ever seen. She even seemed to be expressing an emotion or two, as well! And all this without Pinkie Pie around. “That was… beautiful.”

“I-It was?” Medusa asked, taking a step back as the mare suddenly ran towards her and grabbed a hold of her forehoof.

“You can turn anything into rocks?”

Medusa slowly nodded. “I-It’s kind of my thing. Anything at all, living or not, I can turn into rocks with a mere flick of my mane.”

Maud let out a squeak, confusing Medusa and Igneous more, the latter simply shrugging to the demon mare.

“Marry me,” Maud said.

Medusa blinked. “What?”

“Marry me. You can have the farm, you can have me. Please, make me your wife.”

“N-Now hold on there, Maud dear,” Igneous said. “Let’s not do anything rash.”

“Dad, I’ve decided,” Maud said, turning to her father. “She’s the one for me.”

Igneous sighed and scratched the back of his head. “… How can I say no that face?”

‘It looks the same as all her other facial expressions, to me,’ Medusa thought.

“Very well then! We’ll have the weddin’ this evenin’.”

“Wait.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” Maud said as she hugged her father.

“Don’t I have a say in this?”

“We’ll have to make preparations quickly.” Igneous turned to Medusa. “You, come with me. I’ve gotta take yer measurements so we can get you a tuxedo.”

Igneous turned and began walking, stopping for a moment as he waited for the mare to follow him. Medusa turned to Maud, who was standing beside her with the faintest smile on her face. With a shrug, Medusa began to follow what would soon be her father-in-law. “What the hay. I’m not getting any younger. Just so we’re clear, I intend to remodel this place into my fortress of evil.”

“Now I don’t think that-” Igneous began.

“Dad,” Maud said in a flat tone.

Igneous sighed. “… Fine. But can I at least keep the barn on the other side of the field?”

“I’m going to allow this.” Medusa looked around. Yep. There was definitely plenty of space here to slowly but surely build up an army of dark minions to one day take down this new princess named Celestia and take the throne of Equestria as she should have done many, many years ago.

And now with a queen to rule by her side, too. A cute one, at that.

Medusa grinned. Where Tirek had failed, she would surely succeed! But first, there was one pressing matter to take care of. “Did you say ‘tuxedo’?”

Author's Note:

Check out the other submissions by various authours here: http://www.equestriadaily.com/2014/05/writer-training-ground-20-twilights.html

Comments

[Meridian Prime]

Finally found your one true love, eh? Good for you, Maud.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Okay, I'll get Pinkie for the cake/reception.

[ponyponipon3]

This chapter needs to be its own story! MOAR "Maudusa" plz!!!

[Ultra-the-HedgeToaster]

Is there a sequel?

We gotta see Pinkie planning the after-party, and the Elements of Harmony clashing with Maud's marefriend at said party.

Nothing complicates "saving the world" more than family relations.