Beyond Infinity

by Pen Dragon

Chapter Five- Surprise Party

Author's Note:

And here is chapter five guys :) I hope you all enjoy this chapter as I have big plans for this series going forward.

Chapter Five- Surprise Party

If there was one thing Marcus had learned when he arrived in this town, it was that it wascompletely strange, literally alien to him in almost every way. He’d been treated very kindly by some of the town folks, been given a tour of Ponyville, had a delicious meal, got a brand new coat, and in just a little bit, he’d be given a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party. It was all new to him as he continued to compare his old world to this one and how different it was from his.

Am I really in the right place? This world doesn’t seem like it would have those six stones, it’s too… cutesy-wootsy, fairytale land-ish…right? Could she have made a mistake sending me here? Marcus thought to himself as he stared silently into a mirror inside Fluttershy’s bathroom, only to be met by his own reflection. It was all too strange. True, he was beginning to get a handle of things in this world, but it felt wrong to be there. The funny feeling that permeated his body only served to reinforce that.

“Maybe I’m overthinking things?” he asked himself, only to hear a knock at the door.

“Um… Coal? Are you alright in there?” he heard Fluttershy ask.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just checking something, is all,” he replied, turning on the facet and began to wash his face quickly before making his way out. Once he was done and had opened the door, he was greeted by the yellow pegasus waiting patiently by the door. He couldn’t help but smile at his new friend.

“Something you need, `Shy?”

“Oh, it’s nothing… just wondering if you’re ready for tonight?”

“Yeah, I’m about ready. Honestly I’m just thinking about how weird it is here in Ponyville. Not in a bad way, mind you, just… it’s different from where I’m from. At least you, Pinkie, and Rarity have treated me, a stranger, with such kindness and consideration that I really do not deserve and it’s only been a day. I’d say the one that has the right idea is your other friend Rainbow Dash. I mean the ‘not trusting me right away’ thing, not the whole ‘ramming me into a carrot cart’. Where I’m from people aren’t so quick to trust each other, always expecting there to always be some kind of catch,” he explained, giving a light chuckle, but received no laughter from the yellow pegasus.

Rather he received a look of subdued bafflement, as though what he’d just described was almost crazy talk.

“What, is that- Is that really so strange?” Marcus asked, slightly nervous.

“Well, no…” Fluttershy responded before saying, “It’s understandable not to trust someone you just met, but… almost everypony I know in Ponyville, we welcome others and open ourselves to them to let them know that we want for them to feel welcome and that we are giving them the chance to be our friends and that we would like to be their friends too. Not that we blindly do so, there have been times when one or the other… didn’t… click?”

“Well I guess that makes sense, but where I came from, we aren’t so quick to trust one another,” Marcus replied, sounding just a tad down as he said, “Not saying that there aren’t people who don’t, but for me it was always difficult trusting others so quickly. I had some bad experiences putting trust in those I used to call my friends… One thing led to another and I am pretty much only trusting my folks and one other person I could count on.”

“Do you… trust me Coal?” she asked, looking up to the charcoal stallion with hope in her eyes as he hesitated to respond.

“Well, Shy, I trust you a lot more than I trust my former friends. I mean, you practically saved my life. It’s just difficult for me to put trust in strangers, but I am willing to trust you, Fluttershy. Because I can just feel that you’re a good person,” he replied, smiling as he patted the pegasus on the head. “Anyways, we should get going right? Got a party to attend, right?”

Seeing the pegasus smile in return as she nodded in agreement made Marcus feel a bit more willing to get to know her and the townsfolk just a bit more. However, Marcus knew for a fact that he can’t exactly get used to the peaceful and quiet life here in Ponyville for very long. He still had a bargain to fulfill for Death after all.

I’ll need to be careful when sneaking away tonight, the last thing I need is for Fluttershy to find out about my deal with Death and the stones I need to find. Sorry Shy, but I can’t fully trust you just yet… but I hope someday soon, I will.

---

It hadn’t taken the two very long to make it to Sugarcube Corner, but Marcus did take notice that the lights to the bakery were all out. He couldn’t help but try to hide his snicker as it was very obvious that Pinkie wanted the party to be a surprise party, but it kinda defeats the purpose with her telling him earlier that he was getting a welcome party.

“She does know it’s a Welcome party right? Not a surprise party?” Marcus asked Fluttershy, only receiving a giggle as a response.

“Well, Pinkie tends to take throwing parties very seriously,” Fluttershy answered sheepishly. He could tell that she was being serious about Pinkie and her love for parties.

“Huh, it must be difficult having to plan parties by herself, right?” he asked.

"It’s nothing you really have to worry about Coal, Pinkie loves to throw parties for everypony, and she always loves to go big," Fluttershy explained, leading the stallion to the front entrance of the bakery.

Once the two made it inside, the lights suddenly turned on and a bunch of ponies came out of hiding, with Pinkie appearing in the center of the room, with a large cannon in the center of the room, aimed directly at the large alicorn.

Shit! Is she going to kill me!?!? Marcus thought to himself as he quickly dove to the ground with his hooves over his head as the pink earth pony, fired the cannon of… confetti?

“SURPRISE!!!!” Everypony shouted, as they all looked at the newcomer, who was stunned and confused.

“Huh?!” was all Marcus could utter as he looked at the ponies staring at him. As if he was the odd one in the room, and as he turned to Fluttershy, he was surprised to see her trying to suppress her laughter.

“You okay there, Coala?” Pinkie asked, suddenly appearing next to him as she helped him to his hooves.

“Yeah. Just for a moment I thought you were going to blast me to kingdom come,” Marcus answered as he stood up, only for the ponies around him to start laughing, including the party pony herself.

“That’s just my party cannon! It’s my own personal invention that I use to help set up for parties!” she explained, grinning at the charcoal pony and pulling him to the center of the room suddenly. “Now, LET’S PARTY!!!”

“WOOOHOOOO!!!” Everypony cheered as disco lights came on and what Marcus assumed to be the local DJ began to play music and ponies began to dance. He tried to find Fluttershy so that he could talk with her, but he was quickly pulled further into the crowd by Pinkie.

“Coal! Come on, it’s time for you to let loose and shake your tail!!!” she shouted, shaking her hips back and forth before she started to break dance, surprising the alicorn.

Seeing that everyone was having fun, Marcus couldn't help but join in on the fun. Even if his dancing skills were crap compared to everyone else. However, that didn't stop Pinkie from grabbing his hooves and trying to show him how to dance.

“Come on Coala!!! Follow the leader!~” Pinkie sang as she began to do a simple back and forth with her hooves to help get him started.

“I-I’m trying Pinkie!” Marcus answered as he tried to keep up with the pink earth pony. But, due to how crowded it was, and how big he was, it was very difficult. Afterdancing for what seemed like forever to the stallion, Marcus couldn't help but feel parched and decided to make his way over to where the punch bowl was.

“Coaly, where are you going?!” Pinkie asked.

“Just getting a drink Pinkie, I’ll be right back!”

Marcus reached out for a cup of fruit punch, only for it to be taken quickly by none other than Sombra himself, who gave a smug look to the large stallion as he chugged down the fruity drink that he wanted to quench his thirst. Marcus could already tell that the former King of the Crystal Empire wanted to pick a fight with him.

“Enjoying yourself, fool?”

“I was until you swiped that cup of punch that I was reaching for, but you don’t exactly look like you’re having a good time yourself,” Marcus replied, glaring at the gray unicorn as he grabbed another cup of punch on the table.

“Tch! As if I’d have a good time mingling among these filthy commoners!”

“You do realize that one of those commoners is your friend, right?” he asked, rhetorically of course, but the gray unicorn didn’t stop there and continued to rant on.

“If you are referring to that pink nuisance, then you are mistaken! Like I’d call that annoying menace my friend. She’s merely an obstacle that I’ll get rid of once I regain my full power!” Sombra declared, causing Marcus to stiffen suddenly. His eyes widened as his brows furrowed.

“Is that really what you think of Pinkie?! I may not have known her for very long, but I could tell that she genuinely cares about you,” Marcus explained, but received a grunt in response.

“Please, she’s better off sticking with her own friends, not that any of them are worth a damn. They all deserve to rot in the pits of Tartarus for placing me under the guard of an ignorant Princess, and having an annoying, childish, stupid mare, who believes smiling and laughter can redeem me! She’s by far the worst this town has to offer!”

Once Sombra’s rant was finished, Marcus could feel something bubbling up inside of him. His gut ran hot with fury and he could feel his heart pumping at an accelerated rate.

“Seriously, what’s your fucking problem!? I may not know who you are and I may have only been here for a day, but these ponies, I can already tell that they have done nothing wrong! And Pinkie Pie is by far one of the sweetest girls I’ve met and I feel sorry that she's friends with a jerk like you!” Marcus yelled. Thankfully no one heard him raise his voice at the former tyrant due to the loud music.

“If you really are a King, you were probably a terrible one to begin with!”

“How dare you! You think you have the right to speak to me that way!?” Sombra shouted, gaining everypony’s attention now. Even though this was something that Marcus had hoped to avoid, he felt that putting his hoof down on this arrogant unicorn was more important.

“I do, cause I’m not being a total jackass!!!” he shouted.

Everypony gasped at his language, but that didn’t seem to shock the gray unicorn. No, far from it. Sombra visibly clenched his jaw harder as a vein made itself known on his forehead.

“You certainly have a filthy mouth, peasant! You’d do well to remember your place-”

“Remember my place!? Last I checked, you aren’t the King of anything anymore! Maybe the King of Morons!” Marcus shouted, gritting his teeth as he began to stare down the former tyrant. Before things could escalate any further, however, Pinkie Pie immediately jumped between the two of them, her front hooves bopping the two on their noses.

“That’s enough of that you sillies! We’re here to party, not be all grumpy now! So why don’t we all just-”

“Enough! I’ve tolerated your insufferable existence long enough! It’s bad enough that I have to spend an hour going on walks everyday, but being forced to attend these ridiculous parties that are for foals is too much! I truly hate you!!!” Sombra shouted.

Pinkie’s reaction was something Marcus hadn’t seen since he met her. It was there for only a moment, but clearly visible to him. Pinkie’s smile truly disppeared.

“I-I just-” Pinkie started, but the words wouldn’t come out as tears began to form in her eyes. She tried and failed several times to restore her signature smile to her face, but each time her lips would drop, again and again.

She turned to run out the door.

Marcus turned his gaze towards Fluttershy, who looked as stunned as everypony else. He barely knew the pink pony, but seeing tears in her eyes made him want to go help her. He wasn’t sure why, but he made a promise to his father that he’d help those in need.

And he was going to do just that.

Comments

[UnamusedWaffle]

11466415
He was introduced in chapter two as a sort of like "in the process of being reformed" villain in Pinkie's care. Though, I don't think we've been given an origin on how that happened yet

[Cobalt Hope]

I have the gut feeling Sombra has one of the stones which is why he is around early.