The Tragic Tale of Gloomy Dusk

by DramakilzU

Chapter 2 - What is AHPA?

I did some investigation on the current whereabouts of the Alicorn Amulet during what was taking place in Gloomy Dusk’s life. I believed it too had a significance worth looking into. Apparently, it was being held up in the Canterlot Holding Facility at that time until two months later it was stolen. There had been a fault in the defense system of the facility’s holding chamber that oversaw the safekeeping of the Alicorn Amulet among other dangerous artifacts. The magical deterrent field spell had expired, its purpose being to prevent any form of magic from being used inside the holding chamber as well a making sure no magic from the outside got in. It would take about a week to muster enough magic to recreate the field which would leave plenty of opportunity for intruders to seize the artifact, so the best logical step to ensure the Amulet’s safety was to escort it to another facility in Trottingham. The problem was, however, the fastest and most effective route without drawing public attention was through the Everfree Forest.

It was deep into the night when the guards entered the forest, pulling the heavy reinforced wagon that contained the artifact. The moonlight provided just enough vision to see the path. The guards also used illumination spells and torches to light their surrounding area.

It was about halfway through the forest when the lights were mysteriously snuffed out. Then, they were suddenly ambushed by a tall hooded figure. The guards could tell it was a pony, but the low light made it difficult to get a look at the intruder’s face. Many of the unicorns tried to use their magic to no avail. For some reason, all their magical energy had been drained from them. Still, the guards tried to apprehend the pony, but the intruder had thrown smoke bombs which clouded their vision. One by one, the pony knocked the guards unconscious with precise blows to the head. Only one guard was smart enough to lay on the floor and pretend to be unconscious.

The hooded pony then produced a magic key that could open any door or lock. The guard lying down saw it and in surprise he whispered, “The Key of Unfettered Entrance? But how?”

The whisper wasn’t quiet enough though, as the intruder turned towards him. This was the first time during the incident the hooded pony actually spoke. “I’ve studied many things in my lifetime, and it’s a little known fact that this Key isn’t destroyed after use. It is merely teleported to somewhere far away. All you need to do is find it.” The guard could tell it was a male voice.

The pony approached the now trembling guard on the ground. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, but I need something from this Amulet. I hope you don’t mind.” He then knocked the guard unconscious with a swift kick to the head.

When the escort team came to, the vault had been opened and the Alicorn Amulet had been stolen. No evidence was left behind by the intruder.

~~~

About three days after the breakup at the cafe, Gloomy Dusk decided to stop coming into work. It had only been a few days of absence before he was eventually fired from his job. At the end of the month, due to spending the last of his savings on a piece of jewelry that he threw away, he was unable to pay his rent and was given 30 days to leave his apartment.

After getting evicted, Gloomy lived on the streets of Detrot which he hated walking on every day. There was no pony to fall back on as most of his close relatives were either dead or had their own struggles. He had very few friends in the city, but even they were unwilling to help him out. All he had on himself was a backpack filled with essentials, food, and a photo of his ex-girlfriend. Gloomy was officially homeless.

His anxiety and depression began to build in the face hardship of living from meal to meal, collecting recyclables just to earn enough to eat. He kept his distance from other homeless ponies because it only reminded him of how pathetic his situation was, but being homeless alone was hard for him. As time went on, Gloomy’s loneliness made him start to talk to himself. He would sometimes rave madly regardless of who was in earshot.

During this time, he came upon a substance called crystalite. For those who are unfamiliar, crystalite is a highly addictive gem based chemical that is illegally manufactured in areas near the Crystal Empire, and then it is smuggled to various places within Equestria. Once Gloomy had gotten a taste of it, it wasn’t long before he was hooked. His priorities quickly shifted to drugs before any other necessity. He even resorted to begging and petty theft when he wasn’t making enough bits to pay for his addiction. Gloomy was on a downward spiral of disparity with no sign of hope in sight.

One night, he was unable to scrounge up enough bits to get his daily fix. He did, however, have enough to spend at a nearby bar. Gloomy didn’t normally drink, but he was willing to try anything to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms of his addiction that had started to set in. He walked into the nearest bar he could find and took a seat at the bar counter. He ordered three shots of bourbon with the remaining bits that he had and slowly savored each shot. When he had finished the last one, he rested his head on the counter for a while.

“Gloomy? Gloomy Dusk? Is that you?” said somepony to Gloomy’s right who was sitting farther down the counter. His coat was light yellow, and he was wearing a purple striped suit jacket and purple spectacles. His cutie mark was of a bright yellow sun with purple flames surrounding it. He got up from his seat and approached the drowsy unicorn. “Well if it isn’t old Gloom and Doom. How you’ve been, buddy? Remember me?”

Gloomy slowly raised his head to look at the well-dressed stallion. It only took him a few seconds to realize who it was. “...Vanilla?”

“Yours truly,” said Vanilla Cream, taking a moment to comb his sleek brown mane back. Vanilla had been close friends with Gloomy since middle school. It was only until Vanilla had moved away from Detrot after high school that they were separated.

“What...are you doing here?” inquired Gloomy.

“Oh, I was just in town for a business meeting and thought I’d grab a drink.” Vanilla seemed to have a haughty aura surrounding him that let others know how sophisticated he was. But when he looked more closely at Gloomy’s downcast appearance, his attitude quickly shifted. “I should ask you the same thing. I never took you as a drinker, Gloomy. Even at those after-school parties, you always preferred to sit by yourself with a glass of punch.”

Gloomy felt too careless to lie. “I’m...I’m not in a good place right now.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I broke up with my girlfriend about three months ago...or was it four months? It’s hard to keep track nowadays,” said Gloomy nonchalantly as if he had said it a thousand times in his head.

“Oh, I am so sorry to hear that. I know how close you two were. She was indeed a very lovely mare.”

“Too lovely for me I guess,” Gloomy said under his breath.

“Gloomy, my friend. Don’t beat yourself up-”

“No, no. It’s fine. You don’t gotta worry about me. I’m just dealing with it my own way.” Gloomy sulked even more.

His friend took a moment to think of what to say. “Look...I can see that you’re still hurting from this. If she’s moved on, then there’s no sense in holding onto what used to be. You need to let her go, Gloomy.”

Those last words triggered a flashback in Gloomy’s mind, of the last thing Evening Star said to him. “...let go…” He felt that familiar sense of anguish flow back over him as he fell face forward on the counter and began to cry uncontrollably.

Vanilla became sympathetic towards him. He could also tell Gloomy was slightly drunk. He sat at the stool next to him and put a comforting hoof on the back of his sobbing friend. It was convenient there weren’t many eyes in the bar at this hour to make either of them feel self-conscious.

When he eventually calmed down, Gloomy spoke with a sore throat, “She’s better off without me.”

“No, no, no. Gloomy, don’t think like that. YOU are the one who’s better off without her,” advised Vanilla. “You can finally start to be your own pony and rediscover who you are! Rather than put all your hopes into somepony else, you can find your true calling.”

Gloomy was surprised by how wisely his friend spoke. Back in the day, Vanilla would just make wisecracks and jokes about other ponies’ moms. “How do you know so much about this?”

“Ehh. I was in a relationship with a filly once. Didn’t work out.”

“How long did it last?”

“About three years. She left me for some hot shot stallion supermodel.”

“But doesn’t it suck, though? Having your heart ripped out after so long?”

“Ya...it did...but then I moved on. I found out how refreshing it was not to be weighed down by a mare.” Vanilla realized the error in his words. “...not to say that you can never find love. You just have to find yourself first, and hope that the one you fall in love with has too.”

Gloomy felt a great sense of companionship from Vanilla as they both sat together. Even though it was only a few minutes, to him it felt like he was reliving the days they both used to hang out.

Then, the moment ceased as reality set back in. “Well...it was nice seeing you, but I gotta go,” said Gloomy.

“Uh uh, I don’t think so,” objected Vanilla. “You’re in no shape to be out at night, especially with how chilly the air is outside. No, I’m getting us a taxi and you’re staying the night at my hotel.”

“That’s nice of you to offer, but I really can’t-”

“I won’t take no for an answer. Besides, it’s the least I can do for a friend.”

Gloomy didn’t want to trouble him, but he eventually conceded. “Oh alright.”

Vanilla was very pleased by his response and, after tipping the bartender, they both headed outside to flag a taxi carriage.

Back at Vanilla Cream’s hotel suite, Gloomy began to open up to him about his previous struggles. He confessed how he planned to propose to Evening Star, how he found out he was being cheated on, and how the resulting divide affected his livelihood. Vanilla just listened attentively, occasionally giving advice.
Even though he planned on renting a room by himself, Vanilla still had an extra bedroom for Gloomy to sleep in. When asked why he got a two bedroom suite, his reply was simply, “It has a great view.”

~~~

The next day, Gloomy got up to eat breakfast that was already prepared by his early bird friend. As they were eating, Vanilla decided to ask something of him.

“Hey Gloomy...I’ve been thinking. I know you’re going through a lot right now, but I was hoping you could come with me to my business meeting. It’s this evening at the Canter Theatre and I was thinking of inviting you.”

Gloomy was confused by his proposal. “Wait, what? Aren’t only employees allowed in the meeting? And why do you want me to come?”

“It’s...not quite a business meeting. That’s just what we call it. It’s more of a...club if you will.”

“You mean like a secret club?”

“Yes, exactly like a secret club. We call it the Ancient History Preservation Association, or AHPA for short. And since I’m well-respected in it, I can probably get you a ticket inside.”

Gloomy became disinterested. “Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t feel like being a part of some club right now.”

“I never said you had to be a part of it.”

Gloomy looked at him with curiosity. “What do you mean?”

“I know some wealthy individuals in AHPA that own financial businesses. My reason for bringing you is to have us meet with those gentleponies, and hopefully I can put in a good word for you so they may consider you for hire.”

“What!? No...I can’t just meet some rich folks and expect them to give me a job. I appreciate it and all, but I can go find a job on my own.”

“You mean like the one you had for years that barely made you enough to live on? The whole reason why I’m doing this for you, Gloomy, is so that you might have a better chance at a new start. If you go back to looking for jobs in Detrot, you’re only going to backslide. I guarantee it. At least this way you might have a shot at happiness.”

Gloomy needed some time to think it over. He went back to his bedroom while Vanilla went out to the balcony of the hotel room to smoke a cigar. After about half an hour had passed, Gloomy joined him outside.

“Okay…” said Gloomy.

“Okay? Okay what?”

“Okay, I’ll go with you to this ‘business meeting’.” There was some reluctance in his voice that Vanilla picked up on.

“Are you sure, Gloomy? I don’t want to pressure you or anything.”

“No...I thought about it and I’ve decided that it’s probably best for me to have a new start. I don’t think I’ll find one in Detrot. Unemployment rates are high, and if word gets around that you’re a drug addict, you’re pretty much done for. Which begs the question. What if they decide to turn me down for being a gem snorter as well?”

“Well, first things first. After this meeting, we need to get you to a rehab center. I know some good places that will have you back on your hooves in no time. And don’t worry about getting turned down. I know quite of few of them have given a handful of addicts a chance and most of them have successful jobs to this day. A lot of these fellows care more about a pony’s character than what it says on their resume. They think hiring based solely on credentials and background checks makes employees too cocky.”

“Just one more thing...” Gloomy pondered for a moment. “...are we going to be watching a play since it’s at a theatre?”

“Oh, heavens no!” laughed Vanilla. “We’re just renting the whole place out. We’re actually hosting an auction there, with some of the proceeds going to charity.”

“An auction? Are you bidding for antiques or something?”

“I...guess you could say they’re antiques.”

“Then what exactly are they?” Gloomy was becoming suspicious.

“Look, I really can’t tell you what they are because I’m under oath. You see, it’s like a game of mystery auction. All the items that are submitted up for bid are by the same members who participate in the auction. Each member does not know who’s item is who’s except their own. We strictly prohibit telling outsiders about what’s being submitted, lest word gets around and the integrity of the auction is besmirched by biased bidding. If any member were to ever get caught cheating, it would mean immediate and permanent exclusion from the club.”

Gloomy was blown back by the amount of information that Vanilla had unleashed upon him. “I guess that makes sense.”

“So...you’ll still go?”

“Ya...I’ll go.”

Vanilla Cream suddenly beamed with optimism. “Great! I’ve got some errands to run today, so I’ll see you this evening at the theatre, 7:00 pm sharp. Oh, and don’t forget to wear something formal.”

“But...I don’t have any clothes with me.”

“Oh yes...well then you can just use one of my suits in the wardrobe. Anyway, I’ve got to go. See you then!”

“Hey wait!” Before the gray unicorn could get his attention once more, the yellow stallion in purple had already exited the front door to the suite. Gloomy was now left to think about what he had gotten himself into. There was still something fishy to him about the situation despite being given a reasonable explanation.

He put the thought aside as he entered Vanilla’s bedroom. It was much nicer looking than the rest of the suite. The bed was king sized with luxury pillows. The sink mirror was large and had two additional side mirrors to cover both sides of the face. The bath had a jacuzzi system with many shampoos, bath salts, and soap sponges on the edges of the tub. He even noticed out of the corner of his eye a book rack by the bed that consisted of several literature books as well as a few Playfilly magazines. The last thing he looked at was the wardrobe which was like a mini hallway. The most surprising thing about the wardrobe was the amount of suits that hanged along the rack.

“There’s got to be at least twenty five of them.” Gloomy started to rifle through the selection with his magic. “But why would anypony bring this many suits to a hotel?”

Most of them were in a consistent shade of purple, but there were a few other colors as well. He stopped when he saw a jet black suit with a scarlet red tie. He levitated it towards him. Gloomy liked its simplistic appearance and how it seemed to fit his personality. “This one looks nice.”

~~~

It was 6:58 pm when Gloomy arrived at the Canter Theatre. He saw his friend waiting by the entrance wearing the same purple suit he wore at the bar last night. When he saw him approach, Vanilla took notice of the suit he was wearing.

“I see you went with black on gray. I like it. It’s so...you,” said Vanilla as he gave Gloomy a pass that allowed him entrance into the theatre.

Before entering the main lobby, they both went through a security checkpoint. Vanilla went first.

“Stand on your hind legs, please,” ordered the security pony. Vanilla easily complied. “Got any magical items on you, sir?” The security pony used a scan spell as he waved his horn along both sides of Vanilla.

“No sir!” he cheerfully replied.

“Okay, you’re all good.”

Allowing him to pass, it was now Gloomy’s turn. He was more nervous than his friend due to having close run-ins with the police on the streets. He went through the same process, standing on his hind legs and having himself scanned. Even though it was brief, he felt as though a lot of dignity was stripped from him.

“Okay, your clean. Next!”

Gloomy gave a sigh of relief as he entered the main lobby. He looked around to see many sophisticated ponies conversing and giving fake haughty laughs every so often. If Gloomy didn’t know any better, he’d think he was at a more pompous version of the Grand Galloping Gala. He could see waiters trotting up to groups and offering hors d'oeuvres. The classical music that played in the lobby added the ambiance not unlike a three hoof restaurant.

He managed to find his friend Vanilla conversing with a middle aged dark gray earth pony with a dark sea green mane and wearing an Olive green suit. He noticed his cutie mark was an orb that was covered by green fire. As Gloomy approached the both of them, his friend took noticed and waved at him.

“Hey, Gloomy! I’d like you to meet my associate, Avarice. He’s one of the founders of AHPA and it’s current leading official.” Vanilla motioned his hoof toward the elder gentlepony. “Avarice, this is a close friend of mine, Gloomy Dusk.”

“It’s a...pleasure to meet you, sir,” said Gloomy in a bashful tone.

Avarice appeared calm and collective before him. “I’ve heard a great deal about you. Vanilla expressed how much dedication you show when it comes to your job.”

“I wouldn’t say...dedicated. I’ve just been used to doing what I’m told.”

Avarice smirked. “So I see. Nevertheless, it is an admirable trait to do what one is told, when it is to be done, and without question by a superior.”

“It’s a sign of good character too,” Vanilla interjected.

“Indeed,” said Avarice.

Gloomy was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable over the sudden attention he was getting. “So...what do you do for a living, Mr. Avarice?”

“I own and run the Ancient Artifacts Museum up in Trottingham.”

“Wow, what kind of things do you put on exhibit there?”

“Mostly just stones with ancient languages carved in them, primitive tools, and illustrations of what the items signified.”

“Sounds like an interesting place to work.”

“Mmmn not really. It’s mostly just general maintenance and checking the authenticity of archaeological findings.” Avarice laughed to himself. “Once, I received glyph that was claimed to have dated back to the Primitive Pony Era. Turns out it was just a modern day stone carved into a glyph, scratched up, and smeared with dirt. I had the pony who submitted it banned from ever visiting my museum.”

“Maybe I should visit your museum some time. My favorite subject in school was mostly history, so it might be cool to browse.”

“And why is that?”

“Why is what?”

“The reason you like history?”

“I don’t know...It’s just the way all the seemingly random events that take place all sort of fit together in the present, you know?”

“Yes...and that it tells a story of the nature of ponykind, shedding light on society and the foundations of today’s culture.” Avarice was suddenly more engaged in the conversation.

“Exactly! It’s like you read my mind!” Gloomy, caught up in his giddiness, accidentally raised his voice. Some heads turned from their social circles to look in the direction of the outburst. Gloomy nervously looked at his surroundings and then back to Avarice. “Umm, sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’d rather let one word be heard out loud than a thousand in silence.” Avarice looked to his friend. “Vanilla, did you tell him what we do here at the Ancient History Preservation Association?”

“I told him we were having an auction for charity,” Vanilla admitted honestly.

“And did you tell him what exactly we would be auctioning off?”

“No, sir. I was afraid I’d break the code.”

“Well now that he’s here, I see no reason why to hide it any longer. Go on…”

“Gloomy, the items in this auction are no ordinary items. They’re artifacts from all over Equestria with certain...‘powers’.”

“Powers?” replied Gloomy. “Do you mean like the Elements of Harmony?”

“Not exactly...They’re powerful, yes, but they can also be very dangerous.”

“What do you mean by dangerous?” Gloomy was becoming increasingly concerned.

“Curses. Each item holds a curse that affects those who use its powers. For instance, last year I submitted an item called the Practitioner’s Medallion. Any pony who wears it will be gifted with the perseverance and will to succeed in any goal they wish to achieve. This medallion may seem like a placebo effect, but it has proven to win many athletic competitions, make lowly interns reach CEO in a matter of weeks, and has cured severe drug addicts in less than a month. The drawback, however, is once a goal is achieved, the pony will seek out new goals more ambitious than the last. Eventually, the goals would become so dangerous that it would inevitably lead to that pony’s demise. It can always be taken off, but once a pony has decided their goal, they will stop at nothing to finish it with or without the medallion.”

Gloomy was surprised and yet felt like his friend was pulling his leg. But before he could speak, Avarice added his own example.

“I too last year submitted the Eye of Arimaspi which when one looks closely into it, they are able to see the location of anypony they desire. This has allowed many criminal cases to be solved, but it comes with a great price. The user and the one the user looks upon can now see what the other sees. Think of it as a second pair of eyes, except your counterpart has control over them. This makes sleep extremely difficult as both ponies would need to synchronize their sleep schedule. The curse, unfortunately, is irreversible. The only way for it to stop would be that one of the two would have to close their eyes and never wake up. This artifact is one of the more dangerous ones as it can reach anypony anywhere.”

Gloomy stared at both of them as he was speechless at first. Then, he gave a short laugh. “Are you two pulling my leg?”

The two of them looked dead serious which slowly wiped away Gloomy’s grin. “You’re both serious? W-well why are these things at an auction and not in some protected facility somewhere?”

Avarice motioned to speak, but was stopped by Vanilla. “I’ll tell him,” he said looking at his friend. “Gloomy, AHPA is just a cover name for a secret organization ran by wealthy individuals. The royal capital knows little of our actual dealings and we try to keep it that way. That’s not to say that we’re not fully cable of keeping these dangerous items locked and protected from the public.”

“Then why put them up for auction? Why not just keep them locked up?”

“It’s called playing with fire without getting burned,” Avarice interjected. “We started this organization because we found there was not enough guard power at the time to protect highly exposed facilities. If you’ve read the newspaper, there was an ambush on a caravan escort from the Canterlot facility about a month ago. But it wasn’t satisfying enough for the members to simply keep these artifacts in hiding, so they made a game out of it, hosting one every year. Call it childish and irresponsible if you will, but it is an integral part of keeping this organization intact. I hope you can understand that.”

“But isn’t this...illegal?” Gloomy sheepishly questioned.

“Yes…” said Vanilla. “But we’re doing what the capital couldn’t do effectively. We have a major hand in keeping Equestria safe, even though the outside world knows little of us.”

Taking some time to realize how deep he already was in this situation, Gloomy decided not to question it any longer. “I see...Thanks for explaining everything.”

“I know it’s a lot to process, but I thought you deserved to know the truth seeing as you’re already here,” said Avarice. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some things to discuss with other members. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dusk. I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening.”

With that, Avarice made his way to a group of ponies on the far side of the lobby.

Vanilla, being a bit embarrassed, leaned in and whispered to Gloomy, “Sorry about that. I was gonna tell you myself privately after we got in, but Avarice was eager to chat with me.”

“Nah, it’s fine. At least I get now why everypony here is so excited about good ol’ history.”

They both enjoyed a short laugh.

“That was a good start. Now, how about we go mingle with some other stuffed shirts?” said Vanilla, pointing to a nearby social gathering.

Gloomy reluctantly agreed and they continued conversing with the other members. Gloomy met bankers, lawyers, theme park owners, business managers, and even a few celebrities. But as time went on, he began to feel more ill and anxious as if an urge inside him was resurfacing. He began to sweat and have occasional tremors. The walls of the lobby felt as though they were closing in, pushing all the occupants closer together. His breathing became more intense, and his mind started turning numb to all the lights and music. He looked to see his friend looking back at him in concern for his well-being.

“Heeeeeey bbbuuuudddyyy...Arrrreee yoooou okaaaaayy?”

Time felt like it was slowing down. He decided he needed to remove himself from the crowds and find a more secluded spot. He went over by the vacant table decorated with various wines and cheeses and sat down, rubbing his hooves on his head.

“It’s the withdrawals, isn’t it?” said Vanilla as he came to check on him.

“I...I think I just need a drink…”

“The only drink you’ll be having tonight is water, I’m afraid.” Vanilla sighed. “I knew this was gonna happen sooner or later. I just wish it would’ve came later.”

Vanilla went over to Gloomy and wrapped his arm around his back, giving him a playful shake. “You’ll get through this. I promise.” The comforting gesture helped ease his stress, but then a thought rose in Gloomy’s mind.

“Vanilla?”

“Ya?”

“Are you...gay?”

“Am I what?”

“Are you gay?”

Vanilla was caught off guard by that question, removing his hoof from Gloomy. “Why would you ask me that?”

“When I was in your room, I saw some magazines...with stallions on them and…”

Vanilla quickly realized what he meant. “Oh...you saw those?”

Gloomy nodded. “So...are you?”

“Well...I...uh…geez.” Vanilla’s face started to blush as his eyes avoided contact. He then relented. “Yes...I’m gay. But...why are you asking me this now?”

Now it was Gloomy’s turn to feel embarrassed. “It’s just that...most of my old friends abandoned me after I lost my job. Then you come along after years of not seeing me and decide to help me? It just feels like you’re being a little...too nice?”

Vanilla started to connect the dots until it hit him. “Wait, wait. Hold on a second. You think that’s the real reason I invited you here? To date you?”

Me and my stupid mouth.

“Gloomy, listen to me. I invited you because you’re my closest friend. I would never try to use you.” The words he spoke were reassuring and empathetic. “Now...can we pretend we never had this conversation, okay? I still want to enjoy the rest of the night.”

Before he got up to get his friend a glass of water, Gloomy stopped him for a second. “Hey, just so you know, I’m not into-”

“Stallions? I know. You don’t seem like the gay type, anyway,” Vanilla said as he walked off.

When the clock struck 8:00 pm, a staff member of the theatre opened the doors to the auditorium to let the members in so they could take their seats. Gloomy and Vanilla took a seat towards the back of the auditorium to spectate the whole auction. Moments shortly after everypony was seated, the curtains opened to reveal a pony standing behind a podium with a gavel. He swung the gavel on its accompanied sound block a few times.

“I’d like to commence the 25th annual AHPA auction event. As same as last year, 10% of the proceeds will go to the Equestrian Foal Care Fund non-profit organization.” As he was speaking, another pony dragged in a large object covered by a curtain. When it reached the center of the stage, he removed the document attached to it and handed it to the auctioneer.

He began to read the document out loud. “Item 1: The Sphinx’s Headpiece, discovered in Southern Equestria.” As he spoke, the other pony removed the sheet to reveal a giant golden headwear, spanning multiple feet in length. It had a pyramid in its center. Many of the ponies in the audience reacted with “oohs” and “aahs”.

“Activating the centerpiece located on the backside will enable the user to send out large amounts of solar energy originating from the top of the pyramid, promoting plant growth and enriching soil for seven days of plenty. Negative side effects include extreme drought and nutrient starvation for seven days of famine following the seven days of plenty. Headpiece can be activated multiple times to increase both durations. Longest recorded: 312 days of plenty followed by 312 days of famine. We shall start the bidding at 5,000 bits. Do I hear 5,500?”

As the auctioneer began speaking in a quick rhythm, some of the members sitting near the stage began waving up cards to raise the bid. Eventually, the cards stopped raising and the auctioneer called the final bid as he struck the gavel.
“Sold for 10,500 to number 35!” As the first mover pony re-draped and pushed the headpiece off to the right side of the stage, another pony entered from the left pushing the next item in. “Item 2…”

The following items proceeded in a similar fashion. Gloomy witnessed several fascinating artifacts ranging in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Some standouts were The Eighth Ring of Scorchero, Lavandar’s Puzzle Box, and the Siamese Mirror. During the bidding, Vanilla would whisper to Gloomy his guess on who might’ve submitted the item currently on display.

The next item got pushed in. The cover was removed to reveal a square glass case with a small object inside. It was a silver sheen triangle with a bright red gem in its center. From both sides of it protruded black wings with red along the tops of them. In between them appeared to be what looked like the head of a unicorn.

“Item 13: The Alicorn Amulet, last reported location in the Everfree Forest within an escort caravan.”

Gloomy perked up upon hearing the words “escort caravan”. He remembered those words from Avarice’s mention of it being in the paper. Gloomy stared with deep interest at the item as the auctioneer read its description.

“Any unicorn wearing the amulet will be blessed with untold powers. Magical potential has been described as rivaling the powers of the Princesses, but maximum potential varies from pony to pony. Negative side…”

It was suddenly difficult for Gloomy to hear the words of the auctioneer as his voice started to fade into a muffled sound. He noticed the auditorium became very silent as he continued staring at the amulet.

What is going on? Why is everything so quiet?

As he looked at it, he started hearing faint unintelligible whispers as if they were being spoken close to his ears. He stared on as the whispers grew louder.

Hey, do you hear that? He tried speaking to Vanilla, but for some reason he could only think the words. He looked to see Vanilla was oblivious to the sounds as well as the other ponies in the auditorium. Gloomy looked back down at the amulet. He felt something calling him, pulling his eyes towards it. The whispers grew louder. Eventually, a voice emerged from the others that he could actually understand.

“Find...Me…”

The voice was strange and at the same time, familiar. To him, it sounded almost like Evening Star’s voice.

“Come find me… I’ll be waiting…”

It was unsettling, yet the beckoning call started to allure Gloomy. He could see the red gem begin to glow and its red aura filling his whole vision. Then, he suddenly shook his head. When he looked again, everything was back to normal. All the whispering and red light had vanished, and he could hear the auctioneer’s voice again.

“Sold for 12,700 to number 73!” The Alicorn Amulet was covered and taken off stage like the rest. Gloomy scratched his head in bewilderment.

Did I just have a hallucination? Maybe it was from the withdrawal symptoms. But there was something about that amulet. Something strange...why did I hear her voice?

He decided to keep these thoughts to himself as he continued to watch the auction near its conclusion.

It was approximately 9:45 pm when the last item had been sold off, prompting the members to make their way back to the lobby to chat about their winnings. Gloomy and Vanilla both took a moment to get up from their seats and stretch.

“Ah, wasn’t that something?” said Vanilla.

Gloomy looked a bit disappointed. “I thought the whole auction was cool, but it was hard to see them from far away. I wish we could’ve gotten a closer view.”

“Oh, really? Well, I do have security clearance with our passes. If you want to, we could browse around where they keep them all.”

“Really!? Where do they keep them?”

“In the basement storage through the stairway leading down. It’s normally where the theatre keeps its props and costumes.”

“So you can get us up close?”

“Sure thing. Even Avarice and I browse around there after the auction sometimes. It feels quite exhilarating yet intimidating at the same time, being around so many potentially catastrophic things. Like he said, ‘It’s like playing with fire without getting burned.’”

Vanilla obligated to show Gloomy to the entrance downstairs to the basement storage room. Guarding the entrance were two staff security. They both recognized Vanilla as a regular who then presented his pass and told them Gloomy was accompanying him inside. As a formality, the guards gave a run down of the rules and regulations.

“When going inside, you are not permitted to touch any items in the room, nor are you allowed to remove their coverings. You are only allowed to look around. I repeat, do NOT touch any of the items inside.”

When they were both cleared to enter, they arrived inside a large dimly lit and dusty room with no windows. The artifacts were all covered with sheets and arranged in columns. As Gloomy approached one of them, he tried to guess which one it was by the shape of the sheet.

“That’s the Sea Jewel of Melusine,” Vanilla said confidently.

“How can you tell?”

“My dad used to run an antique shop when I was young. I liked to play a game of guessing what was under the sheets, and I eventually got good at it.”

Gloomy was impressed as they went from sheet to sheet. Vanilla would give Gloomy the first chance to guess with most of the guesses being wrong, but they both found it to be a fun experience. When they came to a certain sheet, Gloomy could feel something strange about it. He felt something from behind it. He knew what it was.

“The Alicorn Amulet…” he said faintly.

“That’s right! Not bad for a beginner,” Vanilla joked. “Alright, on to the next one.”

As he continued on, he noticed Gloomy didn’t follow but was just staring blankly at the sheet. “Hey, you comin’?”

“I think I’ll just stay here a bit,” he said, not breaking line of sight with the sheet. “I just want to do my own browsing if that’s okay.”

“Yah, sure thing. I’ll be over on this side of the room if you need me.” Vanilla walked down the aisle of artifacts and around the corner to where he could no longer be seen by Gloomy.

Gloomy felt that same feeling as before in the auditorium. A sensation of a presence calling out to him, egging him on. He could hear the whispers slowly come back to him.

What’s going on? Am I crazy? Am I daydreaming?

He felt as though something was moving underneath the sheets, stirring and waiting impatiently. He felt a great urge to grab the corner of the sheet with his magic despite all the warning signals going off in his head. He just had to know what was on the other side. Like ripping off a band-aide of curiosity, he pulled the sheet off with a quick tug. Underneath, he could see it clear as day. The Amulet in all its terrifying beauty. There was nothing else besides it. Nothing moving underneath. Just an amulet in a glass case, but he could still hear the whispers intensify. That same red aura as before began to glow brightly in his eyes.

“How long...How long must I wait for you?”

It sounded even more like her voice than before. Evening? Is that you? Why can’t I see you?

“I’m here...Look…”

He looked closely into the red gem as its glow intensified. He could barely make it out, but he could see some resemblance of her image. Yes! I see you! But how did you-

“There’s no time. I need you to help me…”

But how?

“Put it on and I’ll show you…”

He didn’t know why, but he felt as though he could trust the voice speaking to him. He seemed to forget all logic of the situation and using his magic, he slowly lifted the glass case. He gradually levitated the Alicorn Amulet into his hooves and examined it with such appreciation for its silver shine and crimson glow. With slight hesitation, he fastened it to his neck. The sound of it snapping into place gave a resounding echo.

Then, a sudden burst of energy shot through his whole body. All the whispers and weird sensations were now replaced with a sudden feeling of clarity. He felt great. Greater than he felt in a long time. This sudden feeling of pure joy was shattered at the sound of a voice.

“Gloomy? What are you-”

He turned to see his friend Vanilla, now staring in absolute shock.

“What are you doing!?!

“Now, now. I-I can explain-”

“Have you gone mad!? Take that off this instant!?!”

Gloomy tried to continue, but then they both heard the sound of hoofsteps.

“Is everything okay in there?” said one of the guards approaching.

Vanilla quickly lowered his voice down to the loudest whisper he could muster. “Gloomy, put it back before they spot you. Now.”

Gloomy so desperately wanted to, but he couldn’t get over this feeling he had. “I...I...I don’t think I want to.”

“Are you crazy? Don’t you know what they’ll do to you if they find you with an artifact?”

“I...I don’t care anymore.” Gloomy looked down in rejection of his friend’s plea. It was clear his mind was made up.

“That thing you're wearing...do you know what it does to ponies? It-” Before he could finish, he was interrupted by one of the security entering the aisle where the two were.

“We heard yelling and-” The guard stopped dead in his tracks as he spotted the amulet on Gloomy’s neck. He immediately used his magic to communicate to the other guards. “Intruder in the basement! He has possession of one of the items! I need back-up!”

Now Gloomy knew that there was no going back from this. Taking one more look at each other, Vanilla gave one last word of advice.

“...Run...”

Gloomy immediately turned and ran as fast as he could to the opposite end of the basement room. He could hear the sound of multiple security guards entering the room from the entrance. He began to panic as he reached the wall. Frantically looking both ways, he ran to the right and towards the far corner of the room.

When he arrived at the corner, he realized he was at a dead end. He turned around and looked to see if there were any guards coming for him. Though he couldn’t see any yet, he could hear them closing in on his location. Gloomy was sweating and breathing heavily.

There’s no way out! This can’t be happening!

They were getting closer.

I need some way to escape! Something! Anything! Just some way to escape!

They were even closer.

Gloomy could feel a strange magic take over as it filled his horn with red energy. The magic started to build as one word filled his mind.

ESCAPE!!!

The guards saw a bright flash of red magic coming from around the corner of one of the aisles. They all rushed to its source to find nothing but what appeared to be black ashe stains covering the floors, walls, and ceiling of the area where Gloomy had once stood. All that remained in the center was a jet black suit that had been smoldered and covered in ashe.

One of the guards used his magic to communicate to a higher up. “We have an emergency! The Alicorn Amulet has been stolen!”

Comments

[IDontWatchMLP]

Ooh... Looks dark. *Adds to bookshelf*

[DramakilzU]

This is a four chapter series, so I’ll publish the last two chapters later. I’m still working on them.

[Starlight Nova]

If the main OCs in this story were voiced, what would they sound like?

[DramakilzU]

9629899
Gloomy is a young adult, but has a higher tone of voice than most stallions. He carries a lot of stress and usually talks in a heavy breathing manner. Evening Star’s voice is cheerful but also blabby. Teddy’s is deep like Big Mac’s, but more urban. Vanilla talks like a sophisticate with a slight Bostonian accent. Avarice has a calm gentlemen voice with a bit of old raspyness.