• Published 24th Apr 2012
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic -- Off The Record - The King of Hearts



A new pony is introduced to Equestria just before the fight with Nightmare Moon in Episode 1. Changing the entire story.

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Unwanted Questioning

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Unwanted Questioning
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Pinkie bounced down the street, taking care not to mess up the cupcakes she was storing in her saddlebag. Her destination was the barracks, where she was going to surprise Rainbow Dash with a party to celebrate her promotion to the rank of Captain of the Royal Guard.

Of course, Pinkie was about two and a half years late to this party, so she needed to get on with it, before any more time passed them by, and they couldn’t truly appreciate the promotion.

Arriving at the entrance, she took a moment to explore the outside of the new building.

The barracks was surprisingly contemporary in its architecture, being nothing more than a sleek red box, that was slightly taller on one side than the other, as if the entire left side of the building had sunk in to the ground, causing it to slant.

The front was filled with several windows, and a single double door, built to accommodate several ponies coming in or out at the same time. But, since Ponyville had a grand total of five guards, there was little use of those doors for right now.

Venturing to the back, Pinkie found several training areas, with a large race track, several nets for volleyball, and a fenced off pitch that was equipped for both Hoof Ball, and the similarly named sport, Hoof Ball. One being the game where you kick a ball around, and the other being a game where you catch a ball and get tackled by other ponies.

Pinkie may not look it, but she was good at tackling ponies.

Making a mental note of this area, she headed back to the front of the building, and let herself inside.

Passing a desk that was obviously intended for some kind of receptionist, she walked past the large training gym, and headed up the staircase toward Dash’s office. However, once she reached the top, she was surprised to see her own reflection standing next to her. She hadn’t expected the walls to be so shiny! She would have to remember this place for parties! Lights can reflect all sorts of fun ways off walls like these!

Taking a few more steps toward her destination, she was once again stooped, as she heard the muffled voices of two ponies in Dash’s office.

Deciding that eavesdropping was the most prudent thing to do, she snuck up to the door, and pressed her ear against it, listening intently to the conversation going on inside.

“How much more does Rarity really need to know?” Dash asked, huffing, as the sound of her chair squeaking told Pinkie that she had just sat down, “I mean, she turned you into that horribly pony from the Wonderbolts Academy.”

“There’s almost nothing you need to know,” Alex answered, only pausing for a brief moment, “Chaos is surprisingly easy to control.”

“Well, from what I read about it, it’s easy because you don’t have to harmonize the spell before casting it,” Dash filled in.

“That makes a lot of sense,” Alex agreed, “I bet you can’t wait until you can use it, huh?”

Dash mumbled something to herself, before speaking up, “I don’t have a horn though.”

“Don’t need it,” Alex shook his head, “You can focus it anywhere.”

Pinkie stuck her head up to the window on the door to see Alex extend his arm, and start to cast the first spell that came to his mind.

For some unknown reason to both Pinkie and Dash, spaghetti noodles started spraying out his hoof, covering her desk in delicious al dente pasta.

“Was that necessary?” Dash exhaled, not impressed with his trick.

“Well, I think pasta is always necessary,” Alex laughed, casting another spell that removed the pasta from existence, “But yeah! Just imagine the fight tricks you can do with magic on your side!”

Dash thought to herself about the perks of this magic, but at the same time, knew what she had to endure to get it. And that led to her expression changing to ‘incredibly downcast.’

“What’s wrong?” Alex asked, tilting his head, before she instantly snapped back to her original look.

“Oh! Nothing,” She laughed nervously, “Hey, why don’t you go out and get us something to eat? I have some paperwork to finish here.”

“Oh, well, sure!” Alex smiled, standing up from his chair, “What do you feel like?”

“Hay fries,” She said instantly, as Alex frowned.

“Anything else…?” Alex asked hopefully.

“You’ll eat them for me… right?” She asked, giving him her best ‘puppy dog’ expression.

Alex hated hay. He hated it more than he hated having to wake up before noon. And as long as he was the man in this relationship, there would be no hay!

“And!” Dash cut in instantly, “Before you go telling me how you’re the man, remember who’s in control of all this

Dash kicked her back left leg on to her desk, and leaned back in her chair, giving a pretty good view of her figure to him, as she gestured from her chest down to her knees.

Alex bit his lip.

Of course. He had forgotten again. He was for sure the lady in this relationship.

“Hay it is,” Alex sighed, turning around and opening the door, as Dash put her legs back on the floor, and looked to the paperwork on her desk in front of her.

Luckily, Pinkie had the good sense to duck behind a fern to conceal herself, as Alex headed in the opposite direction down the hall, past the awesome reflective wall, and down the stairs.

Once he was for sure out of sight, she decided to go in and grill Dashie on some things she had just dodged in her conversation with Alex.

“Heya Dash!” Pinkie said suddenly, shocking the cyan mare up from her work.

“Oh, hey Pinkie Pie,” She smiled, her eyes telling a different story, “What’s up?”

“I, well, I came to see what was wrong!” Pinkie announced, sitting down in the still-warm chair Alex had just been in, “You seemed sad while you were talking to Alex!”

Dash instantly frowned. She didn’t need anypony prying into this.

“It’s nothing, Pinkie,” Dash said, shaking her head and returning to her paper, “Just leave it alone.”

Pinkie bit her lip in frustration. When it came to stubborn ponies, Dash took the cake. She would have to really work at her!

“Come on Dashie!” Pinkie asked again, “Talking about it will make you feel better!”

“Pinkie,” Dash said again, not looking up from her work, “Drop it.”

She wasn’t getting away with this one! No sir! Pinkie would have to pull out the… guilt trip!

“Don’t you trust me?” She asked quietly, as her ears slowly fell back, “Nopony ever trusts me…”

Dash sighed, looking up and giving the pink mare an apologetic look.

“I wish I could talk about it Pinkie, I really do,” Dash sighed, showing more of this sad emotion, caused by whatever the mysterious source was, “But… Nopony can know.”

“Why not?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head to the side, “I’d never think of judging you!”

“It’s not just my fear of being judged,” Dash shook her head, “It’s my fear of hating myself. It’s my fear of… losing myself.”

Pinkie was truly shocked to hear this kind of explanation from Dash. In fact, it made her worry for just what she might hear. What could be so bad, that it put Dash in such a horrible state? What had she done?

Scanning though her recent memory, one thing popped up in her mind.

“Is this about… That night you spent with that other guy?” Pinkie asked slowly, trying to gauge Dash’s reaction. But, nothing could have prepared her for the outburst.

“No!” Dash shouted, smashing a hoof down on her desk, “Y- You need to go!”

“I’m sorry!” Pinkie said immediately, trying to back away from her question, “I won’t—“

“Pinkie Pie, get out!” Dash screamed, as Pinkie scrambled to get out of her chair, as she backed out the door, “This conversation is done! Do not bring it back up!”

Pinkie whimpered and bit her lip as the door was slammed in her face.

Pinkie felt like her stomach was doing backflips. What was this horrible secret? How could it be so bad, that she would fly in to this mood?

Well, the answer to that question was obvious. It had something to do with that stallion Dash had spent that night with a while back. What could it be?

It wasn’t that she secretly loved him or anything. Pinkie was completely confident in that. But there was something else there. Something else must have happened, and she needed to find out what.

Pinkie was gravely worried for both Dash and Alex now. Something that would prompt a reaction like this, could obviously end what the two of them had.

The only problem was, was that Pinkie really had no place butting in on this… but, if Alex was ignorant to this, wasn’t it her job to tell him? Dash couldn’t just scream at him to leave, like she did with her.

Yes—wait, no?

She didn’t know!

“I know!” Pinkie announced, “I’ll ask somepony who knows all about this stuff!”

Bad idea, Pinkie.

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Alex arrived back in the barracks with his large container of hay fries he intended to share with Dash, but instantly noticed something strange in the air. Since his ability to use chaotic magic had become so strong, he could feel certain emotions, should they be powerful enough. And whatever dread he was sensing right now, was the worst he had ever felt.

Heading upstairs as quickly as possible, he ran down the hall and swung open the door to Dash’s office, expecting to see her in some kind of state that would fit with what this barracks was filled with. But, instead, she was smiling and working.

“Oh! Lunch!” She smiled, closing her book and leaning back in her chair, “Gimmie gimmie gimmie!”

Alex narrowed his eyes as he levitated the food out of his saddlebag toward her.

“Are… you okay?” Alex asked carefully, as she gave him a confused look.

“I’m fine,” She answered calmly, eating a few fries, “Do I look weird or something?”

“Huh.” Alex shrugged, figuring it simply must have been his imagination, “Never mind.”

Dash just smiled, as she gave a massive mental sigh of relief. She had to keep herself together from now on.

And she was also going to have to lie to Pinkie…

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