Echo & Jules' Tales: The Beginning of the End

by Echo Montana Juliet

An Intro to Madness

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Chapter One: The Beginning

It's a clear day in Ponyville. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and the weather schedule indicates no clouds in the skies this day. It is here we begin our story. Just on the outskirts of town, near the bridge leading towards the Everfree Forest is a house. Not a soul in town realizes it exists. It is a subtle blue color, made of waddle & daub with a thatched roof. Here we can see a couple stallions sweeping the road & bridge, wearing what appears to be sanitation department suits, with caps covering their eyes from clear view.

"So, Jules, you think we're gonna get a real job soon?"

"Doubt it. It's been a few weeks since command needed something. Better not start stirring up trouble."

Echo looks at his brother with a smug grin. Leaning on his brush, he starts to talk.

"Who? Me? Why would I start trouble? I don't want to get into trouble with-"

He cuts off as some locals pass by, completely unaware of these two ponies sweeping the roads. Chatting away they continue towards another house. Another local, by the name of Fluttershy. The two going towards the house appear to be known as Twilight Sparkle, and the owner of the house, Fluttershy.

"I can't wait to show you the baby bunnies. They're just so precious and adorable."

Twilight giggles, almost as if Fluttershy has been talking non-stop about the wide variety of new born animals she has.

"I'm sure they are going to look quite cute Fluttershy."

Fluttershy & Twilight pass out of earshot. Echo sighs in relief, however his brother isn't quite as happy, giving him a scold that could seriously injure a normal ponies feelings.

"What? We didn't get caught, isn't that enough?"

"No, no it's not. Three more steps and they could have heard you! We can't just go around, flaunting what we are in the face of every being around here."

Jules gives Echo the scold for a few more seconds, then goes back to work, sweeping the road, picking up trash. Echo looks down, his brown fur starts looking as if it caught fire, at least his face.

"Sorry, I may have better hearing than most, but I don't have eyes in the back of my head. A heads-up would have been nice."

"Just get to work. We'll get a job soon enough, just you wait."

Echo, leaning on the broom the entire time, begins to start sweeping again. No ponies to be seen, lest you looked into a house. Echo looks up as he works.

"You think the bunnies are cute?"

"Probably, Echo. You should go ask."

Being the joker he is, Echo begins to walk off towards Fluttershy's house. Not caring for his jokes, Jules trips Echo. Echo being a master of counters, brings Jules down with him. Now a large ball of brown and black fur, they pick themselves up and brush off the dirt from their clothes.

"This never happened."

"Agreed."

The day passes by, slowly. After cleaning the bridge the duo work their way closer towards the center of the town. Finally reaching the center of town, the day nearly over, the day being very empty of ponies, they head off home. Back to their abode near the edge of the town. As they enter, they see the endless luminescence shining from everywhere, yet nowhere. The room was a single room with no definable shape or texture. The only definable thing was a few dials on the wall, from a distance you could see numbers on the dials, and above the dials you could see a few words.

"Check your H.U.D., Echo, we might have gotten something from Command."

"Doing it as we speak."

A device comes from a pocket in the right side of his head. It comes out and adjusts itself over his right eye, it's made of glass, and some details come up on the screen. using his mind to send neural signals through to the device, he brings up his inbox. In it can be seen a notification.

"Command sent something."

"What's it say Echo? Is it a job?

Echo whistles, high pitched and long.

"What does it say?"

"Command suspects an event to occur over Equestrian skies. Time rift, class S+, tomorrow."

"Class S+? That's some high-level stuff right there. Our job?"

"You know it."

Echo puts away the H.U.D. and high fives his brother.

"Finally! A job, been awhile since we last had a job like this."

"Yeah, it's been awhile since we got a time rift job. You ready Echo?"

"You know it, brother."

Jules stop celebrating for a second. He begins to think about the events of tomorrow.

"What is it Jules?"

"It's about tomorrow."

"What's the concern about?

"We're going to have a problem keeping covered after tomorrow. An event like this, every high-ranking Plumber is going to be here."

"Well, it's been awhile since we saw the General. You think he'll remember us?"

"Doubt it. Last time he saw us was 40 years ago as living adult male humans, not exactly like we are still human or anything."

"Well I could make us human, for the General."

Jules gives Echo the same stare that had occurred just this morning by the bridge.

"I told you already! No flaunting of powers, not even to our friends."

"Geez, and I thought command was strict. We die one time and suddenly the fate of the universe depends on us not being show-offs."

Echo sighs, then walks into some of the empty space, he begins to sit down in the empty space when suddenly, out of the darkness, appears a couch.

"You and I both know that because we died in public that it is vital that no being realizes that we still exist accept-"

"Accept the Commander and Chief. I remember. Makes me regret saving that drunkard of a Time Lord."

"We didn't have a choice and you know it!"

Jules, now furious, storms out of the house. Echo, master of sighs, blows out a long breath of air. Now a large flat screen television has appeared in the empty space in front of the couch.

"That's just great. I can't transform, but he can storm out of the house like a mad man. That's just perfect."

The rest of the night passed by, Jules never came home. Echo used the television the rest of the night, not needing sleep, like his brother. Due to their curious powers that even they barely comprehend.

Comments

[Regina Wright]

I really liked the first chapter! The brothers' back and forth chat was pretty good too. Can't wait to see the story take off. Keep up the good work!