Alchemist's Law

by LucidTech

Chapter Seven

Though his face was indifferent and his eyes still looked on apathetically Monochrome was actually quite happy at that moment. He sat in a small restaurant that was positioned in the middle of Ponyville. The air of the restaurant was filled with the scent of cooked greens and Monochrome couldn’t help but sigh as he reminisced about the last time he had eaten cooked food. After he had screwed up his taste buds he found no real point in eating pricey food but now he was in the mood for some kind of normality in his messed up life that seemed to be heading toward a brighter future.

When his order arrived Monochrome gave an appreciative nod and thanked the waiter before clumsily digging into his meal. After a few bites Monochrome leaned back in his chair and did something he hadn’t done in a long time, he smiled. It wasn’t that he was happy it was mostly because new hope had been restored to his self, a thought that perhaps the world could be better.

As Monochrome relaxed in his seat with a content grin on his face a voice from behind him made his blood suddenly drop severely in temperature. “Hello my alchemical friend, how have things been going for you lately?”

Monochrome remained completely still with his gaze fixed on the opposite wall, “Things have been going ok, how’s the bounty hunter business been treating you Merc?”

“It’s been going pretty good, I’ve had to track down this evasive nomad recently. The town that he escaped from a while back upped the bounty of his head for some reason. That caught my attention, as you can imagine, so I set out after him.”

“I see.”

“So I was tracking him down and my path led me through this little hamlet; feeling slightly exhausted I decided to take a short break in this town and try to collect some info on where I could find my target. Wouldn’t you know it I found him delivering gift baskets, I guess he’s made some friends in this town and has decided to settle down.” Merc paused to take a short sip of the steaming coffee in front of him. “Shame if something were to happen to those friends though wouldn’t it?”

Monochrome quickly stood from his seat and spun around to face the stallion. He was just as the alchemist remembered, a dull green coated earth pony who looked to have been fighting serrated blades for the entirety of his life. Faded scars covered his coat from his vast combat experience to match the mottled appearance of his grass green coat and brown mane. In complete rebellion to his camouflage colors his yellow eyes shone brightly with a sinister gleam.

“You lay a finger on their coats and I will personally end you.” Monochrome hissed under his breath.

“Ohohoho, will you now? I remember the last time you tried to ‘end me’.” Merc stopped again as he took another drink of his coffee before continuing. “You know what? Come to think of it, I’m certain you do as well.” At Merc’s words a subconscious shiver shot through the alchemist’s body, in recollection of the event a phantom pain shot through his skull in a wave of searing.

“Alright, what do you want me to do?” Monochrome growled in submission, realizing there was nothing he could do about it.

“Oh nothing much, I’d just like you to meet me outside the forest to the north of here tonight. Alone.” Merc smiled as he finished his drink with a large gulp before continuing, “Oh, and if you don’t show up I will take great pleasure in hurting these ‘friends’ of yours. I think I’ll start with that cream colored mare, you two seem to be close and her face could probably do with a few scars don’t you think? All these weaklings walking around unharmed almost makes me sick.” At his words Monochrome froze stiff.

Merc slowly stood from his seat and placed a few bits on the table before leaving the restaurant. Even with the earth pony no longer in the restaurant the alchemist couldn’t bring himself to move from his position at the table, his eyes wide as he stared at the table in front of him. Lost to the hours that stirred around him the ex-unicorn didn’t raise his gaze from the table until, an unidentifiable amount of time later, a familiar voice stirred him from his shock.

“Hey Doc! What are you doing here? I thought you’d be all cooped up in Twi’s basement again with your chemistry set.” Monochrome slowly raised his gaze from the table to see none other than Rainbow Dash approaching his table with her usual confident swagger.

“Hello Rainbow, just came for some breakfast is all.” Monochrome replied quickly as he stood from his seat and placed the bits owed for his meal on the table.

“Breakfast? Don’t you mean Dinner?” At her words the alchemist turned his gaze to the sky and, much to his shock, saw the sun was getting close to setting behind the horizon in the distance.

“Yes, dinner indeed.” The stallion responded as he silently cursed himself for letting time get away from him as it had. “My mind is a bit preoccupied is all, I must have slipped up on my words.”

“No problem Doc. Oh! Fluttershy loved your gift, she was surprised at first but she tried one of those potions on an injured animal today. I gotta say, I doubted you when you said you were good with potions but that wound practically sealed itself immediately. Fluttershy was really happy after that and asked me if I knew who delivered it. I was so close to telling her too, but I think I’ll let you do that.” Rainbow Dash winked mischievously at Monochrome, which he ignored.

“Good to hear she’s getting some use out of my gifts. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to get going.”

The alchemist left without waiting for a reply and made his way off in the direction of the library. He had some preparing to do and little time to do it in. As he walked through the streets the stallion couldn’t help but let his gaze wander to all of the citizens that wandered through the streets, the vast majority of which had happiness plastered on their faces.

All these weaklings walking around unharmed almost makes me sick.

Monochrome paused in his walk once again and let his gaze wander over the various different colored ponies, not particular searching for anything unique among them. Though he had been to several other towns that looked like this they all had the similarity of being the ones that would attack him or chase him out for fear of what he might do. When Celestia banned alchemy she made the wise and foolish decision of not telling the various inhabitants of Equestria why she had done so.

To tell them why would almost encourage the act of course, but because of this decision for silence fear rampantly sprouted about what dark secrets alchemists utilized in their twisted magic. After all, if the great princess Celestia deemed it wrong then surely it was something horrid that should be disposed of for the betterment of all of Equestria.

Lost in his thoughts as he was Monochrome didn’t notice the approach of yet another pony who knew him. To be more specific it was more of a flying tackle.

“HEY! MONOCHROME!” Before the stallion had time to even look over his shoulder he found himself knocked to the ground with a pegasus apologizing profusely and trying to help him up. After the ringing left his ears he managed to stand himself up and look towards the gray mare.

“Sorry about that, I wasn’t focusing and so my depth perception wasn’t that good. I didn’t realize you were so close or else I would have stopped. Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. What did you want to say to me.”

“I just wanted to thank you for those potions you put outside my door. I crashed into a box of sandpaper today and messed up my hide really bad, but after I drank one of those potions I felt peachy keen and fit as a fiddle!”

“Glad I could help, now if you’ll excuse me...”

“Nope! Not gonna let you get away like that again! This time I brought the muffins to you!” The gray mare said with a grin as she reached into her mailbags and pulled out two packages filled to the brim with muffins.

“Thank you Derpy they look delicious, but I really must be going.” The stallion responded as he placed the muffins in his currently empty saddlebags.

“Alright then! See ya later Monochrome!” The gray mare shouted happily as the alchemist walked away, bidding him a farewell with a parting wave and a smile on her face as he went. After she was done she took to the sky, did an odd loop, and headed back home.

With his mind abuzz about how much had happened that day Monochrome returned to the library, though he knew it wasn’t going to be for too long. Upon arrival he found Twilight and Spike both missing and a note detailing a short trip to a pen and parchment shop. After carefully reading the note the alchemist set about gathering what he deemed to be essentials. As he started to head into the basement he realized that he shouldn’t bring the equipment for his trade with him and instead settled on a few separate potions that could prove vital, these potions were placed next to the packages of muffins in his saddlebags.

After double checking his saddlebags to make sure the weight was as balanced as he could get it Monochrome proceeded up the stairs to the library main room once again. Upon entering the room he found Twilight pouring over a few books in the corner and the stallion was briefly faced with the idea of trying to sneak out of the building. After a moment of thought he decided against it and let out a very audible cough.

“Hmm?” Twilight mused as she turned to face the source of the sound. “Oh, hi Monochrome. How did the day go? Did you get your ‘reparations’ fixed?”

“Yes,” Monochrome paused for a minute as he debated inwardly over his next words. “In fact.... one of them has invited me over to a dinner party, I just thought I should let you know that I probably won’t be back until late tonight.” A moral ache made itself known as the lie left his lips but the alchemist shoved it off, having become quite used to the feeling in his travels.

“Oh? Someone invited you to a party? That’s wonderful! I can come with you if you’d like. I know you aren’t exactly used to social gatherings.”

“No!” Monochrome shouted, “I mean... no thank you. I think I need to see how this goes by myself.”

“Alright, if you say so. Just remember that you can count on me if you find yourself unable to handle a burden.”

“Ok Twilight, I’ll keep that in mind.” Having finished speaking, Monochrome turned to the door of the building and opened it. He paused for a moment at the threshold before stepping over the wooden boundary and exiting into the approaching dusk. After closing the door behind him Monochrome took a moment to breath in what was mostly likely his last deep breath of Ponyvillian air. After a length exhale of what was left of that air Monochrome looked towards the Everfree with determined eyes and set off through the approaching darkness towards the forest.

As he passed Fluttershy’s house he stopped for a moment and looked in through the window. Asleep on the couch Fluttershy lay, completely exhausted. Next to her on the ground was a fox, also asleep, with a bandaged leg. Slowly Monochrome backed away from the window and looked around to make sure he wasn’t being observed. Having confirmed he was unobserved the stallion left the illumination that poured out of the glass window and finished his trip to the forest edge.

After arriving Monochrome let his gaze wander across the edge of the forest for a moment before stopping and squinting. A moment of silence later and a pair of yellow eyes flicked fully open from the spot where the stallion watched and Monochrome returned to his regular standing position. “You’re getting sloppy Merc, you were far too easy to spot.”

“I prefer to blame it on that ‘5 senses’ potion you swallowed a while back, it’s been a pain to sneak up on you since you did that. I still have no idea how you didn’t realize when I came into that restaurant.”

“Whatever. Where is the rest of your outfit Merc? Stable Eye and Illusion seem to be missing.”

“They’re over in Las Pegasus, waiting for further orders. They sure will be surprised when I show up with you in chains. I’ll owe so much to that lucky Illusion, she was the only one who bet we would catch you in a town.”

“Great, let’s get going then.”

“If you say so, rushing to your grave are we?”

“If it means getting you as far away from this town as possible? Sure.”

“Your funeral.” The stallion said with a shrug as he stepped aside so that Monochrome could lead the way into the forest. “I’d tell you not to get lost, but well, I’m pretty sure you know this place like the back of your hoof from when you hid in here.”

“Not going to do anything to ensure that I don’t lead you astray and leave you to die?”

“I’ve been following you for the last year and for a few years before that as well, you may be an alchemist but I know you couldn’t harm a fly.”

“Alright then, Let’s go.” Monochrome said with finality as he marched into the forest.

When Monochrome had gone a significant distance Merc lowered his neck and whispered to himself under the sounds of the awakening forest before heading into the forest after the telltale, stark white mane that danced against the dark green. “Too bad your head is worth so much, otherwise I would be letting you go free.”

Comments

[Deathpony]

oh come on dont let him just be captured like that make him fight back

[StapleCactus]

I like the idea of him going willingly. It's nice to see a protagonist that doesn't fight. Granted, he could be doing something crazy later, but meh.

[Midnight Blues]

Wow this guy has it bad. He is a really nice guy but has gotten the worst lot in life. He deserves more then this. As creator of his story I expect some good things to come.

[LucidTech]

915545

Don't worry, he gets his good karma in the end.

[Midnight Blues]

915806
welp I do understand it is a Tragedy/sad after all. Do you think you'll add any tags later on? Also you might want ditsy doo in the tags as well.

[LucidTech]

959889

I don't know what your talking about. *looks to the top right*

[Feurisson]

Huh, and here I thought a story about alchemy would be a more or less original idea. Although you have an entirely different concept, it still seems pretty interesting. I will read it when I find the time to.

[LucidTech]

1662944

If you do end out reading I only ask that you don't judge my other stories by it. This is old and decrepit. With that in mind though, I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading it, despite it's errors.

[Feurisson]

1663196 You aren't going to finish it anyway, are you?

[LucidTech]

1663218

Most likely not, no. I haven't had inspiration for it in ages and it isn't very high on my list priorities.

[CommanderBigMac]

I like Monochrome, he's weird. That being said: moar plz