Chapter 5: Meet the Cutie Mark-less & The Order
Several days have passed since training started, every day was harder than the last but Jacob didn't give up. He did have the opportunity to spend time with the girls, Nyx included, so things were going well. "So, you guys would be talking to a completely different pony. Butterfly effect." Jacob said. He, Nyx, Koda, Kenai, Nita, and the CMC, were walking to Twilight's castle, talking about the butterfly effect. And they were amazed. Don't worry, he told the CMC about the bears.
"That is so cool," Scootaloo said. "I can't imagine what it'd like if we never met." Soon enough, they arrived. They waltzed in through the castle's doors and later entered the main throne room, to find Spike.
"Sup's Spikespear."
"Hey, Jacob," Spike said, "How're those lessons from Frost?"
"Past 'em and aced 'em. He even gave me..." He reached back to get something out of his saddlebags, only to find... "Darn it, I forgot my bags. I'll be right back." He turns and starts to leave, then Frost was right in front of him, which scared Jacob a bit. "Geez, you're quiet."
"Brought your saddlebags, and your tablet is in there," Frost said, he levitated the bag to Jacob and he took it. "Out of all the items in the multiverse, why that?" Jacob opened them and took out his tablet.
"Being here, I got to do something to pass the time." He turns to face the others and shows them his tablet. He places his tablet on the table, then he motioned Spike to jump on his back. He did. Jacob pulled out a stylist to use to touch the screen. He pulled up a video.
Jacob explained to the group what they, the things on the video, were and what the video was about. They laughed at it until the video was over. "I always liked that one." Everyone then settled down from their laughter fest.
"That was the most hilarious thing I've ever seen!" Spike said.
"I thought the time when Twilight and her friends got into poison joke was hilarious."
"It was, but this was funny."
"Yeah, so where are The Friendly Bunch? I haven't seen them in a few days. I had to look out for Nyx, which was cool, but they've been gone forever and... where did this table come from?"
"It showed up before they left. You didn't know?"
"No, I've been doing a routine. Take Nyx to school, Train, pick up Nyx and repeat. She didn't bother to tell me." Spike hopped off of Jacob's and back onto the table.
"Where have they gone?" Frost asked.
"I don't know," Spike replied. As they were talking, Jacob looked around in his bags and found a letter. He took it out, opened it, and all there was within it was a symbol of a pink butterfly.
Fluttershy's memory
If this is Ponyville, why are our Cutie marks over there?
"I know where they are," Jacob said. The group faced him.
"How do you know?" Scootaloo asked.
"I just did, suddenly. They're going to some town, located somewhere in the north-eastern part of Equestria, right in the middle of the desert."
"But how do you know that?" Frost asked.
"All I did was look at this symbol here and then a was looking through Flutter's eyes." Jacob shows them the letter. "She was pointing to where their cutie marks were on the table, but that's no ordinary table, that's a map of Equestria. The way I had that vision reminds me of the totems from the game 'Until Dawn.' If a player gets a certain colored totem, they get a vision of a possible future."
"Perhaps this will be an alternative for Foresight. We have to leave for that village." Jacob puts the letter back in his saddlebags and leaves with Frost but was stopped by the others.
"Take us with ya." Applebloom said, "We want to help."
"Out of the question, you're not coming."
"We're not asking," Sweetie Belle spoke up, "My sister is out there, and we want to help."
"Girls," Jacob began, "I don't want to risk getting you all hurt."
"Jacob," Nita said, "We've been cooped up inside this town. I think it's time for adventure." A groan escaped from Frost, and he allowed them to come.
Later, after a long train ride and hike, they arrived. They stood on the top of the hill, overlooking the town, and they noticed that one of the buildings was being guarded. "There," Jacob spoke up, points to the structure. "I think that's where they are. But we need a plan." They all stood around thinking of a way to save them, then Jacob got an idea. "I got something, huddle." They gathered around, to listen to Jacob discuss the plan.
Later that night, while the town slumbers, Jacob snuck around to the back of the building his friends were kept in. He found a window, a bit broken, and looked in. He saw that they were all asleep. The only one near the window was Rarity. "Rares, hey Rares." Jacob whispered, "Rares, wake up." She slowly stirred awake and looked up at the window to see Jacob standing there, on the other side of the glass.
"Jacob, darling!" She said loudly, then Jacob quickly shushed her. "What are you doing here?"
"We came to help. We have a plan."
"Who are you talking to, Rarity?" A new, male voice spoke up. Rarity stood aside to allow the speaker into Jacob's view. It was a male unicorn with various shades of blue with an equal sign for a cutie mark.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Party Favor, who are you?" He said.
"Names Jacob, and I was about to tell Rarity about our plan."
"Well, what is it? Even if you do it, you'll end up like us. With no cutie marks." Speaking of which, Jacob didn't have one since day one.
"It will work and it will ruin... whoever runs this town"
"Starlight Glimmer."
"Yeah her, now listen-" he tells them about the plan and to tell the others about the plan, too. "Now, I'll see you all later and what did you mean 'no cutie marks?'" Party Favor explains about Starlight's special staff, the Staff of Sameness, that it's one of Meadowbrook's nine magical items. It has the power to remove cutie marks and replace them with equal signs. Won't be a problem. "I read a book, in the castle library, about that pony. She has only eight items, not nine. And none of them was a staff."
"That's what Twilight said, darling." Rarity whispered.
"Something fishy is going on around here. See you tomorrow." Then he left to regroup with his mentor and the others, but he noticed something on the back of the building, another pink butterfly.
Fluttershy's memory
Starlight, you clumsy fool.
Well, done, my dear.
'Her cutie mark is a fake?' Jacob thought to himself and continued back to the others. 'That explains a lot, but who's the guy in the hood? That wasn't Wrath, his right arm was still there. Thoughts continued to circle in his head as he pressed on. It seems there's more about Starlight than just a mark.
The next morning, the townsfolk gathered around the building, where the prisoners were kept. Starlight and Fluttershy stood in front of the crowd as Flutter's friends were brought out, looking dead tired. "I have a good feeling about today." Starlight said, she then waited for them to accept their ways, but none did. "Aw, a pity."
Unknown to the entire town, Jacob and his group snuck into the town from behind the crowd. They hid behind a house, where they saw everything. Fluttershy locking her friends back up, and Party running to Starlight. "I'm sorry Starlight." He said, "I'm sorry everypony. I've learned the error of my ways. I'll never look at my cutie mark again."
"That backstabber." Jacob whispered, "Wait for my signal. I'll be right back." Then he left by jumping up high to land on the roof of the house.
"Well done, Party Favor." Starlight said, "We welcome you back with open hooves."
"But we have to be careful." Party said, "There's this unicorn named Jacob. He's running around outside our town." Party said.
"You talking about me!?" Jacob shouted everyone turned to the building behind them, to see who spoke. They saw Jacob, standing on the roof, but jumped off with incredible height and landed a few feet in front of Starlight and the rest of the town. "Isn't that nice." Starlight was blown away by his amazing skill but snapped out of her trance.
"So, you must be Jacob?" She asked.
"Yeah, and you must be Starlight Glimmer. I would say it's nice to meet you, but it's not nice to lie."
"Starlight?" Fluttershy spoke up, "I think we might have one more friend joining us today." She opens the door and Twilight stepped out, making the crowd gasp. Starlight walked around Jacob, towards her.
"Is this true?" Starlight asked.
"I... I think so." Twilight replied, "But I just want to be sure. If I agree to leave my Cutie Mark in the vault, I'll really be happier?" Starlight was about to answer but Jacob interrupted.
"That depends if that will be the key to happiness." He spoke. Starlight then turns to him.
"Of course it's the key to happiness. Can't you see how happy we are?" She spoke.
"Oh yeah, I see you all have false smiles like you have a fake cutie mark." Starlight's eyes widened in shock; how did he know? Fluttershy did the same thing, then, murmurs came from the townsfolk.
"I uh... I don't know what you're talking about." Jacob smirked about the way she's talking.
"How come you're the only one here, the only pony with the ability to remove cutie marks?"
"Oh, it's not me, it the Staff of Sameness."
"The staff is just a hunk of wood you found in the desert, isn't it?" Jacob could tell she was getting nervous. The way she's trying to come up with an excuse.
"You're lying!"
"If I were lying, I would think it's funny, and try to contain a laugh. That I'm not. Fluttershy!" Starlight quickly turned to see Fluttershy holding a washing barrel and dumping the water, but Starlight dodged it.
"I knew you couldn't be trusted." Starlight said to Fluttershy, but what she didn't know was that a little water had got on her flank, washing away the makeup she had on. Party Favor saw it and used his cloak to wipe it away. She flinched at him quickly. "No, get away!" But it was too late. Her secret is revealed. Everyone gasped at the revelation. She looked at her flank and noticed that the makeup was gone. She did her best to cover it up, but there was no escape from the truth. "What are you looking at? They're the problem, not me."
"How could you?" Party Favor asked.
"You said cutie marks were evil. You said they lead to pain and heartache" Asked a snow-white earth pony.
"They do, don't you see? Look at them." Starlight said, she points to Jacob and his friends. The others were waiting for his signal.
"Then why? Why take ours and not give up your own?" asked a magenta unicorn.
"I... I had to, you fools. How can I collect your cutie marks without my magic?"
"But the staff has all the magic we need." Said black Pegasi. Starlight was getting very antsy.
"The staff is a piece of wood I found in the desert."
"I told you! I told you!" Jacob said.
"Shut it!" He did, but he wasn't afraid of her. "As I was saying." she continued, "It's my magic that made all this possible, you'd all still be living your miserable lives thinking you're better than everypony else if it weren't for my magical abilities! I gave you friendship! I gave you equality! I CREATED HARMONY!!!!!!!!!"
"You've lied to them for far too long, Starlight," Jacob said.
"So what? Everything else I said is true. The only way to be happy is if we're all equal!"
"Except for you." Party Favor said. Starlight threatened to blast them but was stopped by Twilight speech.
"Everypony has unique talents and gifts." She said, "And when we share them with each other, that's how-"
"QUIET!" Starlight growled, interrupting Twilight's sentence. She looks at Jacob. "You weren't supposed to be here. They told me your friends would come here, but they never said anything about you!"
"They? They who?" Jacob asked.
"You can't have that cutie mark, Starlight." The earth pony said, "Either we're all equal or none of us are." Everyone started to surround her, but she made a shield with her magic and pushed everyone away. Then she ran off towards her house, at the end of the rows of houses.
"Now!" Jacob shouted, and his bear friends cut her off. Growling at her, making her back up into Frost, and then he grabbed her.
"Come on!" The white earth pony shouted, "Let's get our cutie marks back!" Everyone charged to where the marks are kept.
"Let's go get ours!" Rainbow said but was stopped by Fluttershy.
"Our cutie marks aren't in the vault." She said, "They're in there." She then points to Starlight's house.
Unknown to everybody, Wrathiantan and Gluttonous saw the whole thing from the second-floor window of Starlight's house. "That's the prince?" Glutton asked. Gluttonous was a unicorn mare with a mint green coat, light green mane, and slightly chubby.
"Yes." Wrath replied, "That's the brat who took my hoof." He lit his horn and levitated six jars, each containing the Elements' cutie marks, into a box. The Glutton levitated the bed to the side, to reveal a hidden set of stairs, leading down. Wrath looked back out the window and saw Starlight being held captive.
Back outside, the vault shattered and all the cutie marks were released and they zipped back to their respective owners. The CMCs were near their respective relatives and Spike was hugging Twilight. "Even without my cutie mark, I can tell this is beautiful." Rarity said, then seven masked ponies burst from the ground, with blades instead of hooves on each of their right forelegs. They eyed Starlight, who was still in the grasp of the frozen pony and trotted, more like limping, towards her. Jacob and Twilight saw these ponies and recognized them as the Corrupted.
"Those things again?" Twilight said.
"Looks like it." Jacob said, "Check this out, Twi." He then lit his horn and his ring floated out of his saddlebags then onto his horn. A ribbon of magic wrapped around him, encasing him with a cocoon. Jacob burst out of it and he was in his human form, clothes and all. Twilight and the others were surprised to see this sudden turn of events. "Pretty cool right? Frost told me that my ring has magic. It never did before, but it does now. That's how I was able to summon the sword from before." He snapped his right fingers and the sword manifested in his hand. The Corrupted then looked to him and three of them went for him. They leaped at him and swung his sword, turning them to dust. The other two attack Frost, well one distracted him the other went for Starlight. It spoke in a native tongue, but she understood it.
(Come with us, dear lady.) It said, (Master Wrath sent us to take you to safety.) She accepted its offer and she teleported it into her house. And who was waiting for them? Wrath.
Back outside again, Applejack tried to knock the door down but failed. Rarity started clawing at the door like a cat wanting in. "Where's Starlight?" Jacob asked Frost, but he shrugged his shoulders. "Great." Someone then whistled, they all turned to see who blew it. It was Party Favor and the other ponies from before, now their normal self.
"Stand back, everypony!" The black Pegasi shouted, flew up, and charged at the door, breaking it down. Everypony went inside, Jacob changed back to his pony form and joined them.
"Party Favor, I didn't catch your friends' names." Party then points to the white earth pony, the magenta unicorn, and the black Pegasi.
"That's Double Diamond, Sugar Belle, And Night Glider." He spoke.
"Pleasure to meet you guys. The names Jacob."
"Hey," Rainbow shouted from the top of the stairs, "Fluttershy may have found something." Jacob and the others went upstairs and entered the bedroom. They looked to where the bed was and found the stairs.
They entered the passage and it led them outside of the town, near a cliff, with a great view of the mountains. They saw Starlight, pulling a wagon with cutie marks, along with Wrath and Glutton on the mountain roads, at a far distance. Party Favor used his special talent and made balloon field glasses (or binoculars) that actually work. He looked through them and saw where they were going. "They're headed for the pass." He said, "If they make it to those mountains, we'll never find them." Pinkie then looks through them.
"These are amazing." She spoke.
"Alright, plan time." Jacob announced and shifted in pony form, "Twi, you and your friends stay behind and keep an eye and the Crusaders and Spike. Kenia and his family will protect you. Me, Frost, and the others will chase them down. By the time you get your marks back, come to find us."
"OK," Twilight said. "Good luck." Jacob was about to lead the charge but was stopped by Rainbow.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." She said, "You're going to rely on these ponies to help get our Cutie Marks?"
"He has to if we hadn't been here to help, they still be living under her rules." Twilight said, "Now it's their turn to help us." Then Jacob stood aside and led the charge.
"I know they can do it," Fluttershy said. About a mile later, they've caught up with Starlight. She noticed.
"Are you all willing to give up everything because of these... strangers!?" She shouted, then shot a beam and knocked some snow to cover Night Glider, but Frost absorbed the snow.
"We gave up everything for you!" Sugar Belle shouted, "Because we thought you were our friend!" They've chased them over a stone arch, which was a deadly long drop to the ground. Jacob noticed Sugar's Cutie mark and he had to ask.
"Belle," He said, "is your talent baking?"
"Yes," She replied, "Why?"
"Make something!" She quickly had to think, then an idea came to mind when she looked at the snow. She lit her horn, took a clump of snow, and molded it into what looked like a pastry.
"My newest recipe! Snow pie!" She then threw it, a good throw too, and that hit Starlight. She crashed the cart, and the marks fell over the edge. They were about to be free, then Wrath grabbed them with his magic. Glutton then stomped on the arch and it fell to pieces, allowing the trio to escape. The group was cut off by the gap, then Party used his talent to make a balloon bridge. Night Glider helped put it into place. They crossed it with ease and the chase was back on, but Diamond stopped because he found something that's his.
"Whoa!" He said, "These are my old skies. This was where I first met Starlight."
"Hey," Jacob said, "We can walk down Memory Lane later."
"Yeah," Glider said above them, "They're almost to the caves!" Then Diamond got an idea.
"Feel like an airdrop?" Starlight, Wrath, and Glutton Were nearing the cave, then Night Glider flew over them while carrying Double Diamonds with his skies on. She dropped him on the snow pile above the trio and it blanketed them. Wrath lost his magic grip on the jars and they fell and broke. The marks then zoomed back to their owners. And meanwhile, with the Mane Six and the remaining friends, the cutie marks zipped back onto their rightful owners.
"Yee-haw!" Applejack shouted while bucking free air. "Finally, I can buck like a five-bit snake herder in an Appleossa ranch house again!"
"And you got your countriesm back, too!" Fluttershy said. Everyone then went off to regroup with the others at the entrance to the cave. Back with Jacob and his team, they regrouped in front of the snow pile.
"Wow," Jacob said, "Talk about deep frost." The pile then melted away by Wrath's hot temper. His face says it all, that he was indeed... tricked. Wrath unleashed a heat blast at them, but Frost made a huge ice cap to protect them. Starlight walked up and stood beside Wrath, Glutton did the same. The ice melted away.
"I've studied that spell for years." Starlight said, "How can your princess-" her sentence was cut by Jacob.
"Twilight has studied magic as well, but that only took her so far." He said, and the others arrived just in time. "Each of her friends has taught her something different about herself."
"Exactly," Twilight spoke up and stood next to Jacob. "It was their unique gifts and passions and personalities that helped me bring out the magic inside me. I never would have learned that I represent the Element of Magic without these five. And I certainly wouldn't be here to stop you now."
"You think words are going to change our minds?" A new voice spoke up. Everyone, minus Wrath and Glutton, looked around for the source of the voice. A blue portal opened behind the trio and three hooded stallions came through it. They stood side by side, next to Wrath and Glutton to form a line.
"The Order of Sin!" Frost said aloud.
"Ah, Frostbite." Spoke the first hooded stallion. "What a pleasant surprise."
"Lustius." The hooded stallion removed his hood to reveal he was wearing a leather and lace outfit with short blond hair.
"You remember me. I'm touched." He chuckled a bit, "I'm sure you remember Greedus." He gestures to the next hooded stallion, who removed his hood upon introduction. He looks like Filthy Rich, except his coat was white and his mane was literally golden. "Unfortunately, Pride couldn't make it. Time claimed him." Lust lit his horn and took a necklace from his cloak, like the one he was wearing. The necklace had an amulet that looked like a symbol for something. He gave it to Starlight. She was confused. "Take it, it's yours." He put the necklace on her and robes appeared on her. She was surprised to see what she was wearing.
"Alright," Jacob spoke up, "What the heck is going on here?"
"If you must know, very well. Long ago, our master was killed by the hooves of one of our species, but he was prepared. He made a resurrection spell, he gave us, he told us to gather magic for it to work. We've entrusted four villains, the first three were the Sirens. Starlight's the fourth. If you're also curious, the Corrupted are the pieces of our master's soul. He created them when our world was banished from this reality. And that's the end, big boy."
"You guys call yourself the order of sin? Doesn't look like you're working with a full crew."
"Yes, good eye, Nebula. That won't be the case for long. You can't keep her from us forever." Lust chuckles as they all dropped in through a portal in the ground, leaving the heroes behind.
"They're getting away!" Rainbow shouted.
"Don't follow them!" Jacob said as the portal closes. "I think we better regroup at the village."
Back at the village, everyone had their cutie marks back, but things weren't so happy about this ending. The group was in Sugar Belle's home. "This is bad, really bad," Frost said while pacing. "They have what they came for, now we're in a tussle."
"Why?" Twilight spoke up, "Why did they want our magic?"
"You heard them, to bring back their master, Kronus."
"With the way he's named, I think this guy is bad news?" Jacob said.
"He is."
"The name Kronus sounds like the greek titan who ate his children. So, he is bad."
"We gotta do something to stop them," Rainbow said and everyone started to agree.
"But how can we defeat someone who's immortal?" Then the sounds of agreement went silent.
"We turn him mortal." Jacob suggested, "We burn his resurrection spell and find a way to make him mortal."
"Even if we try, we don't know where they are. And you're not ready."
"I understand, but I have one question. Why did he call me Nebula? Case of mistaken identity?"
"Don't know?" Frost acted like he didn't know.
"Jacob," Twilight spoke up, "We need to talk. Did you know this would happen? Did you know we'd be here? Did you?"
"No." Silence for a few moments. "That's a first. But I have a question for you. Do you know why I want to help?"
"You want to protect us. Why?"
"I want to because I like you guys." Those words. This sentence was one nice thing he said. "Reasons why, because in my world we have these people who like your world. We call them bronies. I'm one of those bronies. Over time, I watched you do what you do best. I've come to like you. I was thinking of what happens if you met me, would you accept me as a friend?" A few seconds of silence came between them, then Applejack broke it with her honest words.
"'Course we would, sugar cube."
"Yeah," Rainbow said, "You may be a hui-men--"
"Human, H, U, M, A, N." Jacob corrected.
"Whatever. You're still cool in my book."
"To be honest with you guys, my life was Tutarus before I met you all. You six turned my world upside down. And I want to keep it that way. I will work as hard as I can to make sure that this threat is defeated and keeps you safe from harm's way." Clapping of hooves was given for this hero. "And by the way, Twi. I've had a fantasy of being your personal knight. Is there an opening?"
"We'll see," Twilight said.
"Hey," Pinkie said, "Is this the end, it can't be. Can it?"
"Let's get some sweets on the go." Jacob said, "Sugar Belle?"
"How about a baker's dozen?" She suggested.
In a tomb, location unknown. The Mystics and Starlight gathered around a stone coffin. "Give." Lust ordered, and they levitated containers filled with magic, magic from the Elements from over the years, and poured them into the coffin. "Awaken, Master. Your kingdom awaits." The coffin was pitch black, but suddenly two eyes started to glow from within it.
"Thank you, my servants. Your master is reborn."
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Other than a few typos, this was really enjoyable!
wonder what's gonna happen next?