Does this count as... A Crossover?

by Robipony

The First Breath of Fresh Air

The interior of the interrogation room was cold and uninviting. Not that it was meant to feel like anything else. It was often easier to make criminals cooperate when they weren’t comfortable.

Mable Mane sighed in irritation as the parole officer slowly looked over her papers. She knew all too well that the officer was examining the paperwork slowly both to be accurate as well as to intentionally annoy her. Mable then began to wonder if perhaps there was some sort of secret rule that said that if you became a police officer you had to be a pain in the plot for others.

After her fall into a vat of experimental shampoo, Mable’s appearance had drastically changed. Once she was a beautiful earth pony mare with a grayish orchid coat and a beautiful arctic blue mane, but after the incident, her body had changed drastically. Now her coat was a dark violet and her mane consisted of various shades of green, however, the changes weren’t just cosmetic.

Now Mable’s mane seemed to be alive, like additional limbs at her command. A few of her senses also seemed to be enhanced, however, Mable wasn’t sure if it that her sensory organs had truly been enhanced or if she merely received additional information from her mane.

Framing Mable Mane's body was an orange jumpsuit, designed to show every pony around her that she was a criminal. On the shoulder of the jumpsuit the words, XV-03, was imprinted on the fabric in black ink, indicating her super-villain status.

The officer was an earth pony stallion with a light gray coat and an orange mane with a matching orange mustache. His blue eyes flicked from side to side as he read the document, while also keeping an eye on her with his peripherals. As she looked over the officer's attire, Mable noticed that his bronze name badge, had the name, Beacon.

"Um... very well," the police officer said as he pushed the papers toward Mable, "it looks like everything is in order. Just make sure you don't do anything stupid with your mane, otherwise, you'll be right back here again!"

Mable Mane nodded as she took the folder containing the documents. She was very tempted to make some sarcastic retort like, 'Yes, mom!' or something like that, however, the officers around her were so serious that her humor would be wasted on them.

It wasn't like she could do anything with her mane, at least not yet. Not while these iron chains held bound her mane together. A few of the chains clanged as her green hair strained against the bonds.

"Then I’m free to go?" Mable asked.

"That’s correct," Beacon stood up from the metal table and walked over to the door, before pushing it open, "Remember to grab your things before you leave."

Mable smiled as she rose up preparing to leave, "Thank you very much officer Beacon!"

Officer Beacon was startled for a moment, not having given Mable his actual name. This made Mable's smile grow a little wider. With a cough, the officer recomposed himself.

"Just remember to stay out of trouble and continue taking your meds, Mane-iac," Beacon growled, "Nopony is going to be able to bail you out next time."

As Mable stepped out of the room, two guards took up positions following her, keeping an eye on her as she gathered her things.

A few envious glances turned her way as other supervillains watched her leave from behind glass windows and iron bars. It would seem that High Heels herself must have been caught by the police, as Mable watched the hoof cuffed supervillain being dragged to her cell by four police stallions, all of which gave Mable a wary glance as she passed by. Mable let out a deep sigh as she went to the storage office to gather her things, she could only imagine the reception she would receive from the outside world.

---

Cold air filled Mable's lungs as she stepped out of the Maretropolis prison complex into freedom. Slowly the metal gates closed behind her, ensuring that no pony else left and that no unwanted guests broke in. Large metal locks clunked into place. She knew that it would take a lot to make them move again. Even an explosives specialist would have difficulty breaking the door down.

Her mane rustled, pleased to no longer be bound by such strong chains. While she was free now, Mable chose to keep her mane under control. After all, the last thing she wanted was to be thrown into prison again or to stir up trouble with the citizens.

On Mable's back was a backpack containing the items she had when she was arrested last. The mare hummed as she walked across the concrete bridge connecting the prison to the city.

She wore a close-fitting outfit that covered her body and legs, consisting of black and purple fabrics. While most ponies didn't feel the need to wear clothes the scars covering much of Mable's body, gave her reason.

As Mable Mane reached the other side of the bridge, she caught glimpses from a few of Maretropolis's citizens. Some stared at her with fear or concern, while a few others gave her stern looks, not that it surprised her. Mable had grown used to it after her third release.

Suddenly Mable almost tripped as the ground began to shake. Was this being caused by an earthquake or was it the work of a fancy new super villain in town. One time Mane-iac had created a powerful drilling machine that had a similar effect, though the quake she was feeling right now was ten times as violent.

A few car alarms when off and many of the windows in the area shattered. Gradually the earthquake murmured to a stop.

Seeing something out of the corner of her eye, Mable looked up to see a large black hole in the sky, the clouds around the spot becoming distorted.

"What is that?" Mable heard a nearby mare ask. From what she could tell it was a portal of some sort.

"Maybe aliens are invading!" a frightened stallion exclaimed.

As Mable continued to watch she thought she saw something small falling from the gateway. Looking around it would seem that very few of the onlookers had noticed it.

While all the other ponies watched the portal while filled with dread, Mable began to trot toward the estimated location of where the object had fallen. No doubt the authorities or one of the Power Ponies would try to reach it, so Mable would have to find it before they did.

It wasn't long before the mare found the abandoned alleyway where the object should have landed. Looking around, it wasn't long before her enhanced vision noticed a crumpled shape on the ground. Closer inspection showed that it was, in fact, some sort of canine, perhaps even a jackal.

The creature was no bigger than a house cat, with blue fur and a tail that had what appeared to be... A hand? Such an unusual mutation. Could it perhaps be one of Wolfgang's experiment?

Professor Wolfgang was a diamond dog who also enjoyed plaguing the city of Maretropolis with his villainous deeds. Often he would experiment with his henchmen and stray dogs with various mutagenic chemicals in the hopes of creating a powerful super-soldier who could defeat the Power Ponies.

However, Mable deemed that it was very unlikely that this creature was one of Wolfgang's minions. In fact, considering that it had fallen from a hole in the sky it was most likely some form of alien life. Also, it was unlikely that any of Wolfgang's soldiers would wear such a beautiful golden necklace instead of a collar.

While she examined the creature, Mable was surprised to see that it was still breathing. Somehow it had managed to survive the fall. A wide grin spread across Mable's face, perhaps this creature could be useful.

Picking up the injured creature, Mable slipped it into her bag and stepped out of the alley. Her ears twitching as sirens began to sound in the distance. Looking up at the sky, Mable could see the Power Pony signal lighting up the clouds.

As she walked through the alley, Mable could hear a commotion.

“Hey, I think it landed over here!” A stallion’s voice called out.

Mable dashed behind some trash cans just in the nick of time, as three police officers ran down the street, toward the creature’s original landing spot. She stayed perfectly still, waiting until the officers were out of sight, before making her move.

As she prepared to leave, Mable stopped, holding her breath as two more figures walked by. Mable recognized them as the Masked Matter-horn and Hum Drum. Patiently, Mable waited for the two heroes to pass. Once they were gone, she emerged from the shadows.

Carefully Mable looked around the streets moving cautiously toward her manor, not wanting to be seen by any of the authorities. Everything would be safe once she and her guest were inside.

---

Mable watched her guest from the shadows, her right hind leg crossed over her left hind leg, putting her in a seductively disarming pose. Much of Mable's body was covered in a dark purple bathrobe, which felt warm and comfortable. All the while her green mane reached up to the ceiling, the many tendrils ready in case of an attack.

The mansion belonged to Mable, while a few of the possessions within were items she had stolen as the Mane-iac, the house itself was truly hers. Mable had purchased it back when she was merely a mare who worked as the employer for the shampoo manufacturing company, Marvelous Manes.

Marvelous Manes was a company that Mable had worked hard to build. The concept was that any mare whether rich or poor had the right to look fabulous. That shampoo shouldn't just condition hair but enhance it. The company had even donated money to various charities at one point in time.

A few landscape paintings were mounted on the wall along with a few vases in the corners holding flowers in desperate need of watering. Out of the four paintings, Mable knew that at least two of them were stolen.

The mare watched as the small creature stirred in the small little bed she had made up for him or at least she assumed it was male. Eventually, the canine eyes opened, seeming to adjust to the room. After blinking a few times before the creature caught its own reflection in a mirror that was hanging from the wall. A look of anguish and frustration at the sight the glass showed.

"It seems you're awake," Mable called out, drawing the creature's attention.

"Who are you," the creature growled, "and what have you done with me?"

Admittedly she was somewhat surprised that the creature was able to speak fluently, despite having traveled from a new world. Perhaps the world this strange being had come from shared the same language as hers. Then again it was never wise to look a gift mule in the mouth, so Mable decided to just go along with it.

"All I did was provide you with some sanctuary after you fell out of the sky," Mable answered the creature's inquiry. He didn't look at all satisfied.

"What did you do with my power!" the creature barked. It was indeed similar to a dog.

The mare didn't flinch in response to the creature's outburst. While a part of her was tempted to knock him out with one of the stun guns hidden in her mane, Mable remained calm. She reminded herself that she was in complete control, that if need be she could easily squash this pathetic little creature.

"I assure you I did nothing with your power," Mable replied.

There was a moment of silence as the two of them just scrutinized each other in the darkness.

"My name is Mable Mane," the mare swapped her legs, so now the left was crossed over the right one, "what is your name?"

The creature chuckled at the pleasantries, "I am Ahuizotl, the thorn in the water, the beast with the crooked tail, the horror of the jungle, I have enslaved thous..."

He was about to continue when Mable covered her mouth with a foreleg to stifle a bored yawn, causing Ahuizotl’s ears to move backwards as he frowned. Judging from his reactions, Mable concluded that it might be easy for her to manipulate him. As the two of them proceeded with their discussion, one of Mable's tendrils poured some wine into a glass, from a table positioned to her left.

"Those are some mighty boasts," Mable said, "for such a small critter like you."

Frowning, Ahuizotl glared at Mable, "That is only because my power was stolen from me. If I had my magic, I would have a more fearsome appearance and you would be groveling at my feet!"

The statement about magic grabbed Mable's attention. Aside from unicorns, she had never met any other creatures that could practice or even use magic, how curious.

"You don't say."

"I do say!" Ahuizotl barked, "I just said it!"

A roar of laughter filled the room as Mable Mane grew delighted by Ahuizotl's response. Despite being a small creature, he spoke as if he could conquer the world.

The Mane-iac inside of her wanted to put the little jackal in his place, to punish him for thinking he was so high and mighty, however, Mable managed to push it back.

‘Such a punny creature shouldn’t regard us this way!’ the Mane-iac hissed in the back of Mable’s mind.

It would be unwise to make an enemy with a creature from another world, especially one that could be a great ally.

"What's so funny?" Ahuizotl growled, it was clear that he felt like he was being mocked.

"Oh it's nothing," Mable calmed herself, "Now you were saying something about having magic?"

"I did," Ahuizotl replied. "However, I lost it all when I went through the portal."

"Such a shame," the mare spoke as one of her tendrils brought over the glass of wine, "if only there was someway you could regain your power."

Mable watched as Ahuizotl seemed to be contemplating something, then his eyes seemed to wander around the room before fixating on her scarred legs.

"What are you looking at?" Mable growled, she could feel the jackal's eyes on her burn marks. Her insides churned with a desire to strangle him.

"My apologies," Ahuizotl said bowing his head, "it would seem I am in your debt for saving me."

Judging from his body language, it would seem that Ahuizotl wasn't used to this posture. In fact, Mable guessed that the jackal despised lowering himself to such a stature. Perhaps he was trying to flatter her, to distract her from his true intentions. Mable could spot such deception easily, it was just a shame that the Mane-iac couldn't.

"I suppose you are," Mable spoke a smile returning to her face, "however I have no need for flattery or servants. Please raise your head."

Ahuizotl did as he was told. Raising his head to look into Mable's eyes. As Mable kept a close eye on Ahuizotl she noticed that his tail was moving, the hand seemingly tapping on the carpeted floor.

"So, would you mind telling me what happened to your tail," Mable inquired, "I have never seen such a mutation before."

Hearing that Ahuizotl grabbed at his tail with his paws, fear in his eyes. After looking at his tail, Ahuizotl let out a relieved sigh. Apparently, Mable's question regarding the hand at the end of the appendage had worried the poor creature. That information could be useful.

"This isn't a mutation," Ahuizotl answered in annoyance, "my tail is perfectly normal among my kind."

"Your kind?" Mable took another sip of wine, "You mean there are more of you?"

Ahuizotl frowned at the question, "I don't want to talk about it."

It would seem the topic of his people was a very touchy subject for the jackal. Mable noticed a change in Ahuizotl's body language and guessed that she had struck a nerve. Perhaps it would be wise to change the subject, Mable could pick and prod later when she knew more about Ahuizotl and if he was truly a threat.

"How did you get here?" Mable asked, hoping to distract the jackal. It seemed to work as Ahuizotl's chest swelled with pride.

"I used the Sapphire Stone to open a gateway to what was supposed to be the heavens," Ahuizotl replied, his voice starting with laughter before turning to annoyance, "I was supposed to ascend, becoming a god! Instead, I lost all my power and now I'm stuck here."

As Ahuizotl finished describing his plan, Mable watched as the creature's face turned bright red, ashamed of a loss tongue.

Mable noticed Ahuizotl's slip up, it was something the Mane-iac part of her did all too often, bragging about her plans to her captives, thinking they could do nothing to stop her. However, this discussion of rising to become a deity did worry Mable a bit. She had no idea what such power could entail.

"That sounds impressive," Mable interjected, "I am curious as to your reason for wanting to become a god."

Once more Ahuizotl narrowed his eyes, "It's none of your concern!"

---

Trot Summers otherwise known as the Masked Matter-Horn, sat in her chair looking over the document containing information regarding the Vortex Incident as the news was calling it, in downtown Maretropolis. She was a unicorn mare with a lavender coat and a light purple mane.

According to eyewitnesses as well as a few video records a large hole had opened up and according to some, something small had fallen through.

Using her supercomputer Summers had managed to calculate the trajectory of the falling object. However, when she and Hum Drum had arrived at the crash site they couldn't find anything matching the description of the object. They had however found a few suspicious items in the area. Among one of them was a green hair. A hair that was currently being cross-checked with a criminal database.

While the hair could have belonged to any pony with a green mane or tail, Summers couldn't be too careful. After all one of Maretropolis's most sinister villains was known for such mane.

There had also been some blue fur found at the site, which was also being checked by the supercomputer's secondary mainframe.

Miss Summers was known for her wealthy family company known for their work of creating new forms of green energy, called AzurEnergy. The fact that Trot Summers had managed to maintain the building despite the loss of her parents when she was younger. Her mother had died from medical complications in the hospital and her father had been shot in a bank robbery.

The sound of somepony knocking on the door, drew the Masked Matter-Horn's attention away from the documents.

"Come in!"

The door opened and Hummer, also known as the sidekick, Hum Drum stepped into the room. He was a gray colt with a brown mane and tail. While he lacked super powers, Hum Drum had proven to be helpful to the Power Ponies, once he learned his role.

"Good evening madam," Hummer said then smiled.

Trot Summers bowed her head, "And to you as well. What news did you bring me in regards to Mane-iac?"

"It would seem she was released today on parole," Hummer answered, "Most likely someone high up paid her bail but I'm not sure why."

A deep sigh escaped Summer's throat, it would seem that someone within Maretropolis's governing body had paid to set Mane-iac free. However, it was very unclear as to why.

"I believe it's meant to be a distraction," Summers stated loudly.

"A distraction?"

"Yes," Summers stood up from her desk, "I believe there is somepony in the Maretropolis Leadership Committee, who might be up to no good. They might be wishing for Mane-iac to go about her villainous ways as a means of distracting me from their true intentions."

Now that she was standing up, Trot Summers turned and looked out the window. The city looked so peaceful from this vantage point, it was a shame that the concrete jungle below seemed to lure the worst individuals into its darkest recesses. Some of those crevices were among the high and mighty.

"So you believe one of the politicians is corrupt?" Hum Drum inquired.

"It is highly probable," Summers answered, "however, there is no way for me to prove it at this time."

Indeed, it would be difficult for the Masked Matter-Horn to prove that the one who paid off Mane-iac's bail was actually a corrupt politician. Even if she was allowed to see the records concerning the bail, the benefactor could very well claim that they were doing it out of the kindness of their heart, or in the hopes that Mane-iac could prove herself. It might not even be a politician, it could be the owner of some powerful corporation that funded one of the other villains residing in Maretropolis.

"Would you like for me to keep an eye on Mane-iac for you?" Hum Drum asked.

Trot Summers pondered the idea before shaking her head.

"No, I would prefer to keep on eye on her personally."

---

As Mable Mane prepared for bed, her new pet was walking about the bedroom. The mare was able to keep on eye on him in the reflection of her mirror. The way he moved kind of reminded Mable of when she was younger and had a pet dog. The bedroom itself consisted of a bed, a nightstand, a counter in front of the bed with a television positioned on top, as well as bathroom and a walk-in closet. There was only one window, which was covered with green curtains.

"What is this... thing?" Ahuizotl asked pointed a paw at her television.

"It's a television!" Mable responded as she examined the pill bottle, the psychologist at the prison had given it to her before she left the prison. Apparently, it would help her with the voices, to lessen the Mane-iac's influence upon her mind. The medication was in a pale turquoise capsule.

After filling a glass with water, Mable put one of the pills on her tongue and took a gulp of the clear liquid, enabling her to swallow the pill easily. While Mable had known ponies who could swallow their medications with just their saliva, the mare wasn't as gifted. If she didn't swallow her pills with water, Mable would feel like she was choking, even if she managed to gulp it down, she would feel as if it were stuck in her throat.

"What does it do?"

The jackal looked at the television with suspicion. Mable rolled her eyes.

Stretching a tendril out of the bathroom, Mable directed it over to the nightstand and grabbed the remote. As the screen flickered to life, Ahuizotl jumped in the air, startled by the sudden action and flashing images. Frightened, Ahuizotl scurried over to a corner of the room.

"It is a device designed for both entertainment and communication purposes," Mable explained as she brushed her teeth, "Don't they have stuff like that in your world?"

"Not that I know of," Ahuizotl answered from the corner of the room.

After she had finished preparing herself for bed, Mable walked into the bedroom and pulled herself onto the bed, laying down so she could watch the news.

For a few minutes Ahuizotl huddled in the corner, however, once it was clear that the contraption meant no harm, he stepped closer to see what Mable was looking at. She watched Ahuizotl out of the corner of her eye, while also paying attention to what the news was talking about. There was some discussion about the weather, which would be cloudy tomorrow, like usual. The Jackal sat on the floor almost entranced by the images on the screen.

"You might find it more comfortable up here," Mable said as she patted a portion of the sheets the was open. Eyeing Mable with caution, Ahuizotl soon decided to take her up on her offer and pulled himself up onto the bed. Once he had found a comfortable spot, he sat down next to Mable and watched the news.

A few of the news segments discussed a few crimes that had been intercepted by the Power Ponies. Apparently, High Heel had tried to steal a precious diamond before being captured by Radiance, also some of Wolfgang's diamond dog minions were apprehended by Mistress Mare-velous and Fili-Second. According to the reporter, one of the dogs had been mutated to be the size of a tank.

Ahuizotl's pointy ears perked up as the next segment grabbed his attention.

'For a limited time, the Maretropolis Museum of Art and History will be featuring artifacts from ancient Mareztec ruins, including items pertaining to the Ketztwctl Empress and the ancient mythical creature known as the Ahuizotl. The exhibit will be around for the next three weeks.

And next up, news on the upcoming World Culture Parade...'

"I-I need to go see that!" Ahuizotl interjected, jumping so he was standing on all four legs.

"What the parade?" Mable asked.

"No," Ahuizotl answered, "that thing with the artifacts."

"You mean the exhibit," the mare inquired playfully, "why do you want to go see it?"

"Because one of those relics could have the power to return me to my true form!" Ahuizotl began to laugh maniacally.

Mable raised an eyebrow at the gesture. Something told her it might be a bad idea for her to aid this jackal in regaining his lost power, there was no telling if he could potentially cause trouble for her or the Mane-iac. Then again if Ahuizotl were to regain his power, then he could potentially aid her with her ultimate goal.

"I will think about it," Mable said, "Preparations would have to be made."

Fortunately, it was the Maretropolis Museum of Art and History as opposed to the Museum of Science and Technology. After Mane-iac's theft of the Electro-Orb, Mable doubted that they would allow her back inside.

"Fine," Ahuizotl gave her an annoyed snort, "by the way what's with your legs?"

The mare's scared legs jerked at the comment. The scars on her hind legs crawl up her flank, damaging the Cutie Mark that once resembled a Shampoo Bottle surrounding by bubbly foam.

"To coin the words of an annoying dog," Mable growled, "it isn't your concern!"

After turning off the television, Mable pulled the sheets over her form with a couple tendrils while another tended to the light switch, before going to sleep.