A Story Told

by Lil Penpusher

The Dawn of Evil

The streets of Baltimare were shrouded in darkness, only for the occasional oil lamp to light the way. On the streets walked only a few ponies; some walking, most running as they seeked shelter from the rain.

Just as it hit 10 pm, a stallion entered the ‘Red Dragon’, a popular pub in town. The owner of the pub, an old, weak-looking stallion, looked across the room to see the new customer, having heard the little bell that had rung as the door opened.

The new customer slowly walked forward into the room, his gray raincoat covering his face with a shadow. Some of the other ponies present looked over to him, though most looked away after just a second or two. The mysterious stallion then arrived at the bar counter, standing in front of the owner who was cleaning a dirty glass with a cloth.

“I’m looking for a certain ‘Fernand Monspark’,” the stallion asked the owner, revealing his face as he pulled down his coat’s hood.

The owner, not bothering to even look at him, simply pointed over to a corner of the room, where, indeed, the purple alicorn sat.

“Heh,” Danglarjack gave out with a smirk, spotting his newly found ally, “cheers.”

And so the sailor pony, dressed in his wet, gray raincoat, made his way across the room. There were ponies he walked past that played cards; others sat on a round table, smoking cigars. Though Danglarjack paid no attention to any of those other ponies, for he had only one thing in mind: revenge, and the only way for him to get it now sat before him.

“Well,” Fernand spoke up as Danglarjack approached his table, “you certainly are punctual; not too late nor too early.”

Danglarjack remained silent, pulling back a chair and sitting down, a brief sight of exhaustion escaping his mouth.

“Where is your companion?” Fernand asked as he realised Berry Puncherousse was still missing. “Is he not with you?”

“Nah. I still had some work to do down at the docks, so we split up. He did tell me would be on time, however.” Danglarjack turned his head towards the entrance for a brief moment as the bell rang once again. Disappointed to see that it was a stranger, however, he turned his attention back to Fernand.

“Are you certain he can be relied on?” Fernand asked the sailor with slight distrust in his friend.

“Aye, he’s a good friend, and has never let me down,” Danglarjack replied, “and I’m sure he would want to be involved in this matter. He does not seem too content of the young Edmond himself.”

Unnoticed by the two stallions, a stranger from another table stood up and looked towards them. After a mere second or two he began slowly approaching Danglarjack from behind.

“If there is one thing I despise, then it would be waiting for ponies that cannot be asked to be on time,” Fernand said, briefly pulling out a clock to check the time before putting it back inside his pocket.

“I’m sure Berry will be here in a second,” Danglarjack promised him.

“Quite!” the strange pony said to Danglarjack from behind. Turning towards the pony, both Fernand and Danglarjack noticed just who it was.

“Berry! Finally!” Danglarjack said at spotting his friend.

“At long last you honour us with your presence,” Fernand said mockingly.

“Apologies for the delay. I still had some...business to take care of.” Puncherousse now pulled back a chair at the two ponies’ table and seated himself as well.

“Business?” Fernand asked with surprise. “What business could a pony like you have here?”

“Well,” Puncherousse said, “a drunkard owed me 50 bits and missed the deadline. I knew he would spend all his evening in here, his favourite pub, and so I effectively killed two birds with one stone.”

Fernand and Danglarjack looked at each other for a brief moment, both of them surprised and speechless at what he calls ‘business’.

“Right,” Fernand said, “let’s return to the matter why he have found ourselves here today, shall we?”

“Aye,” Danglarjack agreed, Berry silently nodding in agreement.

“As you all know, we’re here to discuss what to do with our dear friend Edmond Dash,” Fernand began, “and as such, I have begun drawing up a plan on how to dispose of him before leaving home to meet with you.”

Fernand’s allies simply nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“Danglarjack,” Fernand addressed the orange earth pony, “I have read in some documents that you work with Edmond?”

Danglarjack nodded once more. “Aye, on board a merchant ship. And I’m afraid that if we don’t get rid of him now, I’ll be working for him instead,” he said, grumbling in anger.

“And I’ve read that your captain has unfortunately seen the end of days during your last journey?” Fernand continued to ask.

“So he did,” the sailor replied, “died of a horrible, sudden fever.”

“Or did he?” Fernand asked him, a malicious smirk appearing on his face.

Needless to say, it didn’t take Danglarjack long to realise what Fernand was implying. “Perhaps he didn’t catch a fever, after all,” he said, a smirk appearing on his face as well which equaled Fernand’s. “Perhaps he was, let’s say, assassinated?”

“Strange that Edmond was the only one to witness the captain’s death, don’t you think?” Fernand asked, his smirk still keeping strong. “Gentlecolts, I do believe we have just found our way on how to get rid of our hated foe.”

“We’ll frame him of murder! Brute, hateful murder! We will make it seem as if he took the life of another so that he could rise in rank himself!” Danglarjack said to Fernand.

“I’ll visit his father when Edmond isn’t home and hide a dagger in his room, splattered with what everypony will believe of as blood!” Puncherousse joined in.

“And I’ll use my authority to legalize a search of his home, finding the tool of the murder and arresting him!” Fernand said loudly and with joy. “Yes. Yes, this is the way, my friends. This is how it will be done!” the unicorn exclaimed triumphantly. “We still lack an important part, however.”

Berry and Danglarjack looked at him in confusion. “What would that be?” Berry asked.

“While we may be successful at framing Edmond of murder, we cannot leave his trial in court to fate, as he may be declared innocent, or worse even; they could uncover our plot!” Fernand said to them. “What we lack, friends, is judicial power. Hence, why I have also invited to our meeting an old...friend of mine.”

As by command, a white stallion entered the building, ringing the doorbell as he did so. His clean, white fur, together with his elegant, purple mane sticked out of the crowd as nothing else could, and he was headed straight towards the table of the three friends.

“Noble allies, may I introduce to you: Rarifort,” Fernand said to the two others as the named stallion arrived at their table, “an old ‘friend’ of mine who has helped me achieve some major success.”

Rarifort smirked at him as he sat down at their table. “Some major success? I helped you become captain of your regiment by having the previous captain arrested and sent to the prison island of Hoofatraz. He was never heard of again.” Rarifort smiled with pride at his seemingly great accomplishment and skill.

“While I kindly donated a few bags of money to support your cause and ‘speed up the trial’ a bit, of course,” Fernand added, both him and Rarifort laughing.

“So why are you here, exactly?” Danglarjack asked the gracefully clothed unicorn.

“My question exactly, friend,” Rarifort said to Danglarjack before turning back towards Fernand. “Why am I here, Fernand?”

“We need your help getting rid of a young pegasus called Edmond Dash,” the alicorn replied.

“The young Edmond, you say? The son of Louis Dash?” Rarifort asked to make sure he was thinking of the right pony.

“Aye, that one,” Danglarjack replied before Fernand could.

“Very well, continue.”

“He has become more than just a mere nuisance over the time, and we believe that he needs to be stopped before he can conduct any more wrong in this town,” Fernand explained.

Rarifort nodded silently. “And knowing you, you’ve already drawn up a perfect plan to frame him of a terrible crime that he has never conducted.”

Fernand smirked. “You know me too well.”

“And now you need me, the corrupt, bribable judge, to complete your master plan and dispose of this terrible evil that is Edmond Dash,” Rarifort continued, almost as if he were mocking them.

“Quite right,” Fernand replied.

“You know I will do anything, Fernand,” the unicorn said, stroking his mane, “so long as you can deliver the money.”

“You know I always have enough.”

“Indeed I do, hence why you are one of my most favourite customers,” Rarifort cackled loudly.

“Here.” Rarifort smirked greedily as Fernand dropped a small bag of bits on the table. “Have this for now, but be assured that it is merely your prepayment, and that you shall receive the rest when Edmond is on his way to Hoofatraz.”

Rarifort leaned forward, taking the bag and storing it inside his pocket after checking the inside, to make sure the content really was money. “Suits me,” he said at last. “So, what do you want me to do?”

“Your job begins after I deliver Edmond to you. He will be in chains, arrested for supposed murder of the captain of the Venturer so that he could eventually become the new captain.”

“I see...go on.”

“Your task is to shrug off any resistance and defence he might mount, declaring him guilty as charged and sending him off to rot in a cell, far off in Hoofatraz, from which he shall never return!”

“Your plans certainly are of the more ‘simple’ sort, old friend,” Rarifort said, thinking about what has been said and how he could accomplish his part of the plan.

“I assume ‘simple’ means that you can do it?” Danglarjack asked the overly fancy unicorn.

“I could do anything, my friend; it all depends on the funding I get.” Danglarjack crossed his hooves and grumbled quietly at the stuck-up stallion.

“Are you certain you will be successful?” Fernand asked Rarifort.

“I could be asking you three the same question,” Rarifort replied half-serious, “but yes, I am. A young colt like him should pose no challenge. Expect the trial to be over with quick.”

“Very well, then,” Fernand said, nodding affirmatively.

Fernand then rose from his chair, as Rarifort and then the two other conspirators. “Honest and noble gentlecolts,” Fernand said to his allies, “the stage is set. Let us now go forth with haste and precious, without mercy and pity. Let us stomp out the evil that is Edmond Dash, and free us from his cursed existence!”

The others celebrated Fernand’s speech, eager to do their part in the scheme that was to be the downfall of Edmond.