A Pony Chooses...

by FancierPants

Prologue

Prologue

November 1,2012

Late. Again. This is how Fancypants Industries Chief of Security, Colonel Warspite, found himself on the express elevator in the Solar Empire Building. He tapped a hoof nervously. He was sure he would be in for a verbal tongue lashing from his boss. Fancypants, known to Warspite as "The Great Stallion" didn't like to be kept waiting. Warspite smirked to himself at the nickname he had given his boss. Fancypants came from a poor family in Trottingham, worked his way up from nothing to having the most powerful business conglomerates in all of Equestria. The Colonel had great respect and admiration for him, especially since he had picked him up and given him a second chance after he had been dishonorably discharged from the Equestrian Royal Guard.

Just as he thought about this, the elevator came to a stop and the elevator doors slide open. The Fancypants Industries lobby was long and spacious, made entirely of dark marble with potted plants, leather couches and a large water fountain adorning the center of the room. On either side of the large room, the walls where lined with expensive pieces of artwork and as Warspite trotted across the room toward the reception desk, he looked up to the high huge skylight pouring in sunlight the length of the room.
Warspite heard Fancypants' secretary before he saw her; she was click clacking away on type writer, the sound echoing loudly around the massive room. She didn't notice him as he approached, focused intently on whatever she was typing. After standing there for a brief moment, Warspite cleared his throat to try and get her attention. She nearly jumped out of her hide and looked genuinely surprised that someone had gotten that close to her and that she hadn't noticed. "Forgive me sir, I didn't realize- You see I was- I-"

Warspite cut her off by raising a hoof and smiling. "No I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you like that, but I do believe I am expected."

"Oh yes sir, one moment please."

She sat back down in her chair and pushed the intercom button on her desk, "Mr. Fancypants, your twelve o'clock is here. Shall I send him in?"

After a brief pause a commanding voice spoke back, "Thank you Rosalyn. Yes, please send him in."

The secretary then pushed another button on her desk and a faint click was heard from Fancypants' office door. "Go right ahead in sir."

Warspite smiled and tipped his fedora at her. "Thank you ma'am."

As he was just about to enter the large double doors to the office, he stopped a brief moment outside the door, took off his hat, buttoned his jacket, straightened his tie, and then took a deep breath before finally opening the door. Fancypants' office was large and spacious, with the same black marble, expensive furniture, and artwork that decorated the lobby furnishing the room along with a massive window that went along the length of the room that offered a breath taking view of virtually all of Manehattan. Warspite trotted toward the large dark oak desk. He could see the back of Fancypants' chair facing towards him, as Fancypants looked out upon the spectacular view. He then sat down in a comfortable chair opposite the desk. Almost as if on cue, the same commanding voice seemed to come from nowhere. "You’re late Colonel."

"Sorry Mr. Fancypants, you know how lunch hour traffic can be in this city."
Fancypants then turned his chair around. His face was buried in a copy of the Manehattan Times which he had been apparently reading. He then folded the newspaper in half and threw it down on the desk. Fancypants was a handsome stallion in his early forties by now, with a thin mustache, slicked back mane, and brand new two piece suit, which made him look like the successful business pony he was. "Never mind then, have you read today's headline, Colonel?"

Warspite got up and reached across the top of the highly polished desk and grabbed the newspaper, the headline read: "EQUESTRIA DESCENDS INTO CHAOS!"

Warspite went on to read aloud: "The monarchy comes to a standstill as quarreling over the throne between the royal sisters Princesses Celestia and Luna threatens to tear the country apart."

"Those two idiots are power hungry, Colonel. They’ll fight each other and drag the whole of Equestria down with them."

Colonel Warspite was skeptical, "Do you really think it will come that sir? I mean these two have quarreled before and their situations have always resolved themselves."

"Yes, but never like this. Even now ponies are taking up sides. There have even been riots between their supporters. Fools! Every last one of them! It's even begun to affect the economy and stock market."

"And I suppose since you've called me here sir you have an idea on what we should do about this?"

"Yes Colonel, as a matter of fact I do. A way to save ponykind from complete annihilation in a stupid civil war, and serve as an example on how to live, to the rest of the world, but I'll fill you in on the fine details later. At the moment, I have a task for you and your security teams."

At this moment, Fancypants levitated a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket. The golden aura levitated into Colonel Warspite's hoof. "That, Colonel, is a list of a few hundred of Equestria's best and brightest. Scientists, artists, authors, actors, business ponies, etcetera. I need you and your stallions to track them down and personally invite them to a little social event I'll be hosting at the Hapton Hooves Hotel this upcoming Saturday. Do you understand?"

Colonel Warspite unfolded the piece of paper and read the first name on the list to himself:

NAME: Promontory

GENDER: Male

PROFESSION: Locomotive Engineer

HOME: Appleloosa

Warspite stood back up and put his hat back on. "Don't worry Mr. Fancypants. I'll get my stallions right on this."

Fancypants smiled widely, picked up his newspaper, and turned back around in his chair. "Thank you, Colonel."

And with that, Colonel Warspite headed out of Fancypants' office. He was off, on his way for the Grand Hoofton Terminal to book a train to pay Mr. Promontory a visit.