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The Colt and the Poster2,689 words
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The Colt and the Poster

Chapter 1

The Colt and the Poster

To some, the Everfree forest was a foreboding and dangerous environment. Obviously, Twilight Sparkle was not one of the some. For a young and powerful unicorn such as herself, the otherworldly creatures and magical substances were enough to spark her interest.

Tonight, the purple unicorn was seeking an ingredient for a potion she wanted to try. Spike, her assistant, had taken ill and while it would go away sooner or later, the potion would speed up the healing process immensely.

It would have been relatively easy to make a healing potion for a pony, but a dragon, particularly a baby dragon, was a different story. The potion requires a very specific amount of assorted gems and other ingredients one can’t find over the counter. The last ingredient was a single red mushroom with white spots; the amanita muscaria. It’s often found inside old bricks or dark environments. The Everfree forest was a heavily shaded forest, perfect for the mushroom she was after.

“This place has really grown on me,” Twilight said to herself. “It seems like yesterday that Pinkie Pie was singing that silly song. How did it go? Hm hm hmm hm hmmhmm…” her humming was the only thing that could be heard. “It’s good that the storm finally cleared up. Spike really needs this-” then, a strange sight caught Twilight’s eye. Scraps of blue cloth littered the forest floor. They were elegantly embroidered with patterns of the moon and stars. “Rarity would have a fit if she saw cloth of this caliber all torn up like this.” Upon closer inspection, Twilight could see the scraps of cloth created a path. Curiosity overcame her cautious nature, and she followed the path without hesitation. What lay at the end of the path…

“Oh my goddesses...” Twilight gaped. A midnight blue colored colt with unkempt hair and a slightly larger than average body, was laying on the ground, covered in grass, twigs and… blood. Lots and lots of blood. She crept closer, to see if he was still breathing. That’s when she noticed his wings. He’s a Pegasus, she thought. But there was something wrong… The wings weren’t feathered. They were leathery. Like… "Dragon wings? His tail, it’s got scales!"

"How is that-”

The colt coughed, making Twilight lose her thought. He was spitting up more blood. He stirred a little. He was still conscious.

“Augh…” He groaned in intense pain. He slowly opened his eyes to reveal his irises. They were green slits, also like a dragon’s. He looked at Twilight. “Who are you?”

She managed to swallow her surprise and respond. “I’m Twilight.”

“Hi, Twilight. My name is Cerberus.” The dragon colt named Cerberus continued to hack and cough.

“You’re hurt really bad, Cerberus. You need help. I’ll be right back. Stay here.”

“I don’t have many other options,” he rasped.

Cerberus continued to ebb in and out of consciousness. He remembered a bright pink filly shouting something about cupcakes, and a zebra, of all things, chanting in a cryptic language. He also recalled being fed something incredibly coarse in texture, but he felt better after he swallowed it, so he greedily gulped it down.

“The remedy worked like a charm. In a matter of days, there will be no marks of harm.”

Cerberus’ vision slowly came back into focus, and the first feeling to strike him was confusion. He was lying on a bed of hay with a fur blanket. How had he gotten there? Why was he in a wooden hut, instead of a cement cell, or dead? He groaned in pain as he looked around at all the strange masks. Why was he so sore? Then, everything came back to him. Cerberus remembered encountering the one he feared the most, seeing it beat down his sister as if she were nothing more than a mosquito, and summoning the courage to confront it. Then he remembered the feeling of weightlessness as he was tossed aside, falling from a great height, seeing his companions, and all of hope of achieving his goal, disappear. Now he was struck by sheer panic. He survived the fall, but what happened to the others? He catapulted himself from his bed, only to see the face of a purple unicorn frozen in shock.

“You’re awake!” she said.

Cerberus was terrified at this moment. He realized that he was totally exposed. This unicorn could see Cerberus’ dragon wings and tail. This did not bode well. He locked his eyes with the Unicorn’s. “What the hell happened?! Where am I?!”

“Calm down. I’m not going to harm you.”

“Get away from me!” Cerberus spread his wings, creating a shockwave. Paintings, ornaments and other decorations fell to the ground. He got a running start and launched himself toward the open door. It slammed shut, resulting in a loud crashing noise, and a much unwanted headache.

Twilight was responsible for that headache, having closed the door with her horn. “Sorry for that, Cerberus.”

“Urgh… wait, how- y-you know my n-name?” asked Cerberus as he recovered from his crash, fearfully looking at the strange unicorn.

“Don’t you remember? I found you in the woods. You were pretty beat up…. Okay, you were on the verge of death, but I said I’d find help, and I did!”

“Would a ‘thank you’ be enough for you to let me leave? I have important matters to attend to.”

Twilight shook her head. “No can do. You’re not fully healed yet.”

Cerberus groaned in frustration “Well, can you at least tell me what time it is?”

“Why do you- um, it’s high noon, I think.”

Another groan. “Okay. I’m stuck.” Cerberus took a long breath. He forced a smile, knowing that at least he was alive, and this unicorn didn’t seem offset by his unusual wings and tail. “So, Miss…”

“Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle.” The unicorn returned Cerberus’ smile.

“Yes, I think I remember you now. Are you responsible for healing me?”

“Actually, no. It was my zebra friend Zecora. She made a stew that heals mortal wounds. She just left, actually. You can thank her when she gets back. Oh, there were also Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy - they’re Pegasai - they carried you here. Then there’s Pinky Pie-”

Twilight would have finished that sentence if a pink Earthwalker didn’t barge through the closed door with a tray of pastries on her back. “WHO WANTS CUPCAKES!?”

Cerberus and four other ponies were sitting in a circle, enjoying the festivities that Pinkie Pie had brought. Twilight sat to Cerberus’ right. To his left, Pinkie Pie and the colorful Pegasus called Rainbow Dash sat together. They seemed to be sharing a slice of cake, but Rainbow Dash kept looking at Cerberus oddly, for obvious reasons. Cerberus’ attention was drawn to the yellow Pegasus sitting at the opposite end of the circle from him. Twilight had called her Fluttershy.

Cerberus had to give Pinkamena Diane Pie credit; he felt loads better after eating those frosted treats. His panic had completely ebbed and he found the strength to make idle chit-chat. “Lovely cupcakes, Miss Diane. How did you mix medicine into them?”

“I didn’t, silly! But cupcakes make everything better, don’t you think?”

Cerberus tried to think of a logical response to that question, but all he could say was “Umm… yes. Of course they do.”

“Okay, that’s it. I can’t take this anymore! Cerberus, what the hay’s up with the wings?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Twilight was outraged and embarrassed. She shouted, “Rainbow Dash! Don’t be rude!”

Cerberus intervened, shaking his wings with a flap. “It’s okay. Don’t pretend you’re not curious about my… unusual features.”

“Was it poison joke?” asked Pinkie Pie. “It totally was, wasn’t it?! OH! Oh, wait! I love guessing games! Was it maybe-” She was silenced by a light cyan hoof shoving a slice of cake in her mouth. “Shh!”

Cerberus blinked, still processing what she had asked. “I don’t know what ‘poison joke’ is, so no. I was born with the wings and tail of a dragon.” A few oohs and aahs were interspersed with a “That’s awesome!”

“Well… that’s unusual,” said Cerberus, munching on a slice of cornbread. Not bad. “This is supposed to be the part where you run me out of town.”

All of the ponies looked confused. “Why would we do that?” said Twilight. “Being a half-dragon isn’t a bad thing, even though it violates everything I’ve ever learned about biology, anatomy and basic genetics.”

“Yeah, it’s freaking awesome! Have I said that yet? I think I did. But who cares?!” Rainbow Dash said through a mouthful of cake. “I bet you could make clouds bleed with those wings.”

Fluttershy spoke for the first time since Cerberus first saw her. “They’re lovely.” That comment caught Cerberus by surprise.

Pinkie Pie stood on her hind legs. “A toast to Cerberus and his awesome mutant wings and tail!” she said, much to the group’s confusion.

“Pinks, we’re not drinking anything,” said Rainbow Dash. “You really need to lay off the grape juice.”

“But it’s so-” Pinkie Pie fell over backwards before she could finish pouting. “…tasty.” She then started giggling madly. Then Rainbow Dash laughed, followed by Fluttershy’s soft chuckles, and then Twilight’s. Cerberus somehow found himself laughing too. He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed like this.

He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed at all.

After the delicious dining of doughy delights in Zecora's hut had come to an end, the time had come to discuss where the young half-dragon known as Cerberus would be staying until his injuries had fully recovered. Cerberus insisted that this wasn't necessary.

"This isn't necessary. I can sleep on the grass outside, or in a cave. Honestly, the latter is a luxury for me." Cerberus continued to refuse hospitality, but Twilight's continued protests eventually led him to succumbing.

"We will NOT sleep in our beds knowing that you're not doing the same. Besides, what if whatever hurt you comes back for more?"

Cerberus glared at Twilight. "You have a really sick sense of humor, Miss Sparkle." He shook his head and dropped the negative attitude. "So, where do you live?"

Twilight seemed surprised at that question. "Oh. I wasn't offering; I just wanted to present the idea..."

“It's alright."

Twilight perked up right away. "Wait, you can fly... hey Rainbow Dash, would you be willing to-"

"No can do, Twi," said Rainbow Dash. She was still standing next to Pinkie Pie. Cerberus just now realized that those two were never more than a foot apart from each other. Perhaps... "Pinkie Pie and I were going to... um..."

Pinkie Pie interrupted, probably for the better. "Have a sleepover!" Cerberus' theory about her and Rainbow Dash were officially confirmed, not that he had a problem with that.

"Another sleepover, great," said Twilight in a rather sarcastic tone. "I guess that leaves..."

"Squeak!"

Cerberus looked back and forth for whatever small animal made that sound. His eyes landed on the yellow Pegasus, who had her hoof up to her face and red in her cheeks. Well, she IS called Fluttershy for a reason, he thought. He didn't want to stay at her place if it meant she would keep blushing and squeaking like this, so he reassured her, "You don't have to if you don't want to, Miss." Fluttershy somehow managed to swallow her embarrassment.

"No no no. I'd love to." She spoke quietly and elegantly. Cerberus couldn't help finding her disposition charming. If he had to spend the night, and just the night, at her abode, it wouldn't be so bad. "The animals would just love him." Wait, animals?

"It's settled then," said Twilight. "Cerberus will be staying with Fluttershy until he gets back on his feet."

"What animals?"

Another bucket of apples filled and the new shipment was ready to head off into town.

"Be back in an hour, Mac!"

Applejack threw on her favorite cowboy hat, harnessed herself to a cartful of ripe red apples and waltzed away from the farm. Another back breaking day at Sweet Apple Acres, and frankly, that's the way Applejack liked it. She was heading into town in response to a letter from Mrs. Cake that claimed the bakery was short on apples, and Applejack had no shortage of those. Any excuse to get off the farm for a while and see the smiles of all the colts and mares of Ponyville was a good one.

Today, however, everypony seemed uneasy. Not many folks were outside their homes, and even then, most of them were antisocial.

"Can't talk now, kid. I'm going home."

"You really shouldn't be outside on a day like this."

"You'd best go back inside."

No birds were chirping, either. Ominous. Applejack noticed that the majority of the civilians kept looking up towards the mountain on which Canterlot was set. Applejack eventually saw why. While the mid afternoon sky above Ponyville was completely cloudless, Canterlot was still shrouded by the dark clouds of last week's storm. Very ominous.

Applejack eventually came to Sugarcube Corner, and the mere sight of the luminous and colorful bakery lifted all those ominous thoughts from her mind. The smell of every kind of cake, cookie and cornbread filled her nostrils, and it was simply wonderful.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Cake!" said Applejack as she strolled into the bakery. Mrs. Cake was behind the counter, and she looked delighted to see a friendly face, especially with the disposition of everypony outside. Applejack unhitched herself from the cart. "Ya placed an order for my finest apples?"

"I most certainly did," said Mrs. Cake. She trotted from behind the counter and pushed the cart into the back room. "Thanks for arriving so fast, Applejack."

"By the by, where's Pinkie Pie? I thought she was workin' today."

"She left about five minutes ago, with about half of my baked goods! Apple pies, applesauce, pretty much everything with apples in it."

"What's up with her?"

"I have no idea. She mentioned something about a three headed dog, then she yelled 'Medicupcakes go!' and ran off."

"That girl ain't right."

As Applejack walked through the park on her way back from Sugarcube Corner, she saw Lyra and Bon Bon resting at their usual bench. Applejack noticed they were in hysterics. She just had to know what was going on.

"Howdy girls! Somethin' the matter?" Lyra and Bon Bon stopped their chatter immediately to look at Applejack with surprised faces.

Lyra spoke first, "Of course something is the matter, Applejack! You haven't heard?"

Bon Bon then said, "You must have heard!"

"But she didn't. We have to tell her!"

"YOU tell her. It's too horrible."

"Of course it's horrible, and she has to know."

"Know about Celestia?"

"Obviously!"

Applejack's head was spinning. She couldn't comprehend basic algebra, must less a conversation going at the speed of light. "Hold on a damn minute, what happened to the Princess?"

"Nothing happened!" said Bon Bon.

"Something did SO happen!"

"It almost happened!"

"Almost is still something."

Applejack had to intervene again. "Stop! What is this somethin' ya speak of?"

Lyra was about to start babbling for the third time, but Bon Bon covered her mouth and simply said,

"Look." She pointed to a poster secured to a nearby tree.

Applejack couldn't stomach what she saw. Every bad thing that ever happened in Ponyville; Nightmare Moon, the Parasprites, Discord... all of them combined had nothing on what was she saw just now. Four figures were sketched onto the poster. One was a very tall and rivaled Big Mac in size and muscle, a scrawny earthwalker sporting half moon spectacles, a Pegasus with tribal marks, and a hooded figure without a visible face. What was so shocking about the poster? Not the mysterious figures, but the text written underneath their sketches.