This isn't at all what I had in mind!

View Online

Wringing his hands Ahuizotl gazed upon the Sapphire Stone in his palm, a menacing chuckle passing through his salivating maw. For so long Ahuizotl had sought this power and now with this ancient relic in his grasp, he would be able to achieve his goal. The artifact was itself a statue carved from sapphire into the shape of two jackals sitting back to back.

Torches lined the walls, illuminating the dark gloomy room. Though they were more for his servants then for Ahuizotl, who could see the darkest corners of the room as if they were in broad daylight. The room was composed of stone bricks, this included Ahuizotl's throne and a pedestal at the center of the chamber. It was the true resting place for the Sapphire Stone.

His throne was fairly simplistic for a warlord of his stature, but that didn’t matter to Ahuizotl. Soon such concerns would be trivial when compared to the power he would harness.

"Yes. YES!" Ahuizotl chuckled as he stood up from his throne and walked over to the pedestal, "Soon I will have the power that is rightfully mine."

The Fortress of Hezragon was secured by Ahuizotl's followers, Dr. Caballeron's henchmen as well as a few stray changelings he had hired. There was nothing that could possibly interfere with Ahuizotl's plan. There was no chance this temple was going to topple to the ground like the Fortress of Talicon had.

As Ahuizotl gloated over his prize, the sound of hoofsteps ascending the steps grew louder.

"Ahuizotl!" Dr. Caballeron called out, warranting an annoyed growl from the blue creature.

Dr. Caballeron was an earth pony stallion with a light gray coat and a charcoal gray mane. His cutie mark was that of a golden skull with a single ruby in its left eye socket. He wore a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up along with a handkerchief that was orange with white polka dots.

"What is it?" Ahuizotl barked.

"It is Daring Do," the doctor answered in a panic, sweat dripping down the sides of his face, "she is here!"

"Then keep her away from here," Ahuizotl instructed harshly, "until I have obtained the stone's power."

"First I insist that you double my payment!" Caballeron spoke his voice raised.

"Fine!" Ahuizotl growled, "I'll do it, just make sure Daring Do doesn't stop me!"

Following his orders, Dr. Caballeron left the throne room, descending the stairway to the lower chambers.

After watching the doctor leave, Ahuizotl let out a sigh of annoyance, he had hoped to relish his victory for much longer, but it would seem his arch nemesis had other plans. Still, it was too late.

Of course, when Ahuizotl regained his power, he had no intentions of paying Dr. Caballeron. The stallion had proved to be as helpful as a broken tooth. There had been more than a few occasions that Ahuizotl had learned that the artifact he had hired Dr. Caballeron to hold for him, had been sold to another pony with more gold. Once he had ascended to godhood, Ahuizotl would crush the untrustworthy doctor along with Daring Do and any others who stood in his way. The land of Tenochtitlan would pay for all it had done to him.

Showing a toothy grin, Ahuizotl set the statue on the pedestal. The room began to take on a blue glow as magic energy flowed from the stone into the chamber. Then in a flash, a swirling blue portal appeared. According to the hieroglyphs this portal would lead him to a new world filled with power, power that he would most assuredly be able to take for his own.

Ahuizotl shielded his eyes with his arm as they adjusted to the light radiated by the whirling vortex, his grin growing wider. Victory was so close he could taste it.

Beyond this gateway would be untold treasures. Relics and trinkets so powerful that he would be transformed, achieving metamorphosis from a mere being into a god. His power would rival that of the celestial alicorns that ruled Equestria. Nothing could stop him! Power so great that the Tenochtitlan Basin would tremble before his wrath.

The fact that he was so close to accomplishing his goal of vengeance almost made Ahuizotl’s heart waver, but his resolve endured as a maniacal laugh roared throughout the temple chamber.

As Ahuizotl stepped closer to the portal the sound of fighting could be heard in the stairway below, however, he decided to ignore it as he drew closer to the gateway. He couldn’t be stopped now.

"Stop!"

Daring Do stood in the stairway, an unconscious Dr. Caballeron lying on the floor with a black eye. The adventurer was a pegasus mare with a light gold coat and mane that consisted of colors varying from black, gray and white. On her flank was the cutie mark of a compass rose. She wore a light green shirt as well as a pith hat.

Ahuizotl frowned at the fallen doctor, how pathetic. Even if the warlord had considered the thought of truly paying Caballeron, he wasn’t going to get paid now.

Ahuizotl snapped the fingers of his tail-hand, summoning forth a few tigers and one white cat to fend off the intruder. The three tigers were of varying shades of orange and yellow with elegant stripes, while the white cat looked like just a regular run of the mill house cat. Still, the warlord really enjoyed Fluffy’s company as well as the damage her claws could dish out.

"You can't stop me, Daring Do," Ahuizotl grinned menacingly, "it is too late!"

The tigers lunged toward the heroine, but she managed to dodge them all. One went head first into the wall, knocking itself unconscious. Pulling some rope out of her bag, Daring Do was able to tangle up two of the tigers. Fluffy charged forward trying to claw at the pesky adventurer, but with a carefully timed sidestep, Daring Do tripped the cat, which tumbled down the stairs, scratching a few of Dr. Caballeron’s henchmen along the way, causing the minions to yelp and groan in response.

Not that it mattered, the felines had served their purpose.

Before Daring Do could do anything to stop him, Ahuizotl stepped through the portal. Flapping her wings as fast as she could, Daring Do rushed over to the Sapphire Statue as the vortex faded away.

Pulling the relic from the pedestal, the mare stored it in her satchel. However, somehow it felt as if the relic had lost any magical energy it had previously contained. The blue crystal now completely dim.

"I need to get this to a magical relic specialist immediately," Daring Do said, "There is no telling where that portal went."

The universe seemed to swirl around Ahuizotl as he moved through dimensional space to his destination. Streams of blue light spiraling through the black void that separated dimensions. This went on for what felt like hours.

Admittedly he had been entertained by it at first but now it had become rather boring. With his arms crossed, Ahuizotl tapped his fingers impatiently.

"Oh, why is this taking so long?" Ahuizotl growled.

Almost as if the universe was trying to answer him, a sickening sensation flowed over him. Pain swam over his body as bones snapped and shifted. Slowly it became very apparent to Ahuizotl that his body was changing. Yes, at long last he was turning into a god!

Or so he thought until he noticed that the magic he had stored up from various magical artifacts and rituals began to leak from his body. That was why he was changing, it wasn't because he was ascending to godhood, no, he was being drained of all his power.

"No.No! NO!"

Despite his outbursts, his body continued to be racked with pain as his magic was sapped from his body. His vision blurred as his brain screamed in agony.

Ahuizotl could feel his body being regressed to a lesser form. His eyes had moved from above his nostrils and was repositioned to have the appearance of a normal canine. His gorilla hands had been regressed from their massive physique and were morphed into thinner, frailer paws. His bones cracked violently as Ahuizotl's body and stature had been reduced to that of a small purple jackal.

Bled dry of the magical energy he had absorbed over the years, mystical power that had robbed from their sacred relics so that one day he could achieve his wish, now had been stolen by some unseen force. It wasn't long before the powerful Ahuizotl lost consciousness in the void.

The First Breath of Fresh Air

View Online

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.

A Day at the Museum

View Online

Three Days Later...

Mable Mane walked around the museum, her purse hanging over her shoulder. The was a small hole in the side that allowed Ahuizotl to peek through at the exhibits. It was the museum's policy to not allow pets on the premise and while the little jackal didn't technically count as a pet, there was no way Mable could show that without Ahuizotl talking, which could problematic considering that he had literally fallen from the sky three days prior.

"I hate this," Ahuizotl growled just loud enough for Mable to hear.

"You're the one who wanted to come here and see the exhibits." the mare whispered back.

She wore black stockings that covered her legs along with an elegant purple dress that covered the rest of her body. Mable had her green mane tied back into a ponytail and a pair of sunglasses hung over her brow. Judging by a few wayward glances from some of the stallions walking about, some found both her garb and her figure to be enticing.

Most of the ponies at this event seemed to be from the higher class. Mable guessed that most of them were there more for the purpose of socializing with other wealthy individuals instead of surveying the numerous relics and historical documents. Mable had once been like them, thinking that the world revolved around her and that her money would keep her safe. However, it would seem that the corruption in this city had other plans.

The walls of the museum were painted white with the floor being made of a white marble. Each of the exhibits was encased in a glass display with a golden plaque to describe it. Lights hung from the ceilings, illuminating the exhibits from all necessary angles.

"I didn't think I would be stuck in a bag!" Ahuizotl growled.

Mable was at the back of a group that was taking a tour of the exhibits. The exhibitor was a unicorn mare with a pale white coat and a light pink mane.

"Over here we the Stone of Taligron," the exhibitor said motioning to a pedestal, on which sat a circular stone covered in ancient hieroglyphs. In the center was a red gem.

Admittedly, Mable was curious how Ahuizotl could detect any magic in these relics. Was it some sort of sixth sense or did magic perhaps have a scent that he could smell?

"It is said that under the right conditions the Stone could grant power to its user," the exhibitor continued, "of course it required an equine sacrifice to do so."

Regarding the object, Mable made a mental note to avoid any situation s around Ahuizotl that might encourage him to sacrifice her if he ever got his paws on this artifact.

The jackal chuckled a bit, warranting a painful nudge from Mable.

"Keep it down!" Mable whispered, "Your noises will make others suspicious!"

The tour groups next stop was a large stone slab mounted on the wall, covered in various hieroglyphics showing a blue dog-like creature. One of the hieroglyphs showed a massive creature with four arms, four eyes, and quill-like spikes covering its back, its tail-hand reaching up and gripping the sun.

"Here we have some hieroglyphs showing the origins of the Ahuizotl," the exhibitor said pointing at the large stone slab, "a powerful creature that disappeared long ago. It would emerge from lakes and streams and drag nearby ponies into the depths. Many believed that the Ahuizotl would then eat the eyes, teeth, and hooves of its victims. Because of this activity, many heroes were hired my Mareztec priests to hunt and kill any Ahuizotl that appeared."

Mable's heart sort of jumped at the statement. The mare had been surprised that beings similar to Ahuizotl had once existed in her world, which was rather surprising by itself, but the fact that they had all been hunted to extinction was also shocking. Mable felt some pity for the little creature.

Ahuizotl moved within the bag, incited another nudge from Mable.

"Stop moving!" Mable whispered.

"Hello miss Mane!" the voice caught Mable off guard. Turning the mare saw that the one that had spoken was none other than Trot Summers.

"Uh hello miss Summers," Mable said graciously, "it is a pleasure to meet you."

Trot Summers glanced over Mable Mane. The mare had once been a model and the owner of a shampoo company. While Mable continued to manage her company, the earth pony had since given up her modeling career. Her working in modeling ended around the time she took on the alias of Mane-iac.

Prior to her life in crime, Mable had served as a beacon of hope, donating funds to aid orphanages and schools. She had spoken up, demanding that corrupt police ponies and politicians be dealt with more harshly. Then something had changed and the mare became rash and paranoid.

"May I assume you are here to look at the exhibits," Summers spoke a hint of distrust in her voice, "and not to cause any sort of trouble."

Mable's eyes turned into slits, now she knew why Trot Summers was aware of her name. No doubt she was aware of Mable being the Mane-iac, due to her position as the manager of the AzurEnergy Company. Considering her status it wouldn't surprise Mable if miss Summers had a special remote that could summon all the Power Ponies in a heartbeat. There were other emotions that Mable felt in the moment, betrayal being among them, however, despite her efforts, Mable couldn't remember why.

"For your information," Mable did her best to cover up the annoyance in her voice, "I am reformed. So no, you have nothing to worry about from me."

"Oh, really," Summers glared, "then may I ask you what is in your bag?"

Nervous, the mare swallowed hard trying to think of a way to hide Ahuizotl.

"I-it's nothing," Mable lied, "nothing you need to worry about."

"Really?" Summers stepped forward causing Mable to step backward, "If that is the case then you won't mind me taking a look inside."

Sweat dripped down Mable's neck. There was nothing she could do, she was trapped whether she allowed Summers to look inside the bag. Perhaps it would be better if she let it happen now instead of waiting for Summers to call some security guards over.

"Fine!" the mare harrumphed.

Trot Summers stepped forward and opened the bag to see an annoyed looking blue dog glaring up at her.

"You have a dog in your bag," Summers said.

"Y-yeah," Mable scratched the back of her neck, "my therapist told me that it might help to have a little companion to help me. However, I only obtained him recently so I didn't feel comfortable leaving him at home."

Mable hoped that Summers feel for the lie, that she didn't ask further questions. After looking at the dog for a while, the unicorn let out a deep sigh.

"Just make sure he doesn't make a mess okay." Trot Summers said before walking away.

Once Summers was a safe distance away, Mable was able to let out her pent-up breath.

"Well, can we proceed?" Ahuizotl asked in annoyance.

Back in Equestria...

"Have you been able to figure anything out?" Daring Do asked Moon Dancer as she examined the Sapphire Stone.

As soon as Daring Do had acquired the used artifact from Ahuizotl's fortress, the adventurer had immediately proceeded to take it to a specialist to figure out where Ahuizotl had gone. At first, she had proceeded to pay Rainbow Dash's friend Twilight a visit. However the princess was busy preparing for a meeting with the Dragon Lord, so she suggested that Daring Do go to Canterlot and meet a friend of hers by the name of Moon Dancer.

Now Daring Do and Moon Dancer were sitting in research room that apparently had once belonged to the princess of friendship herself. The unicorn was currently looking at the Sapphire Stone with a magnifying glass.

"Well, there is definitely an inter-dimensional spell imbued on this artifact," Moon Dancer answered as she set the magnifying glass down on the table, "and a very potent one too."

"But can we determine where Ahuizotl went to?" Daring Do inquired.

"It is difficult to say," Moon Dancer replied, "While I've heard rumors that Starswirl and Discord have been working on document numerous dimensional destinations. However, those are just rumors. All I can do is document the runes the creator used to imbue the enchantment."

"Is it possible for Ahuizotl to return?" Daring Do asked.

There was no telling what sort of power was beyond that portal. If Ahuizotl's claims were true, the Tenochtitlan Basin if not Equestria itself would be in great danger.

"Certainly," Moon Dancer said as started looking through a book, "He would simply need to use an enchanted object with a link to this world or know somepony who can perform a Gateway spell, who knew the correct rune coordinates to our dimension."

That wasn't a very comforting thought.

"If you let me do some research," Moon Dancer continued, "I might be able to find a means of opening another gateway to where Ahuizotl went as well as a safe means of returning. That way you or somepony else might be able to chase him down before he causes any more trouble."

"Now the crowning achievement of this Mareztec exhibition," the exhibitor smiled, "allow me to show you the crown of the Ketztwctl Empress!"

On a stand surrounded by glass, was a crown, made of black obsidian. In the center of the dark shards was a bright purple gem. As the crowd drew closer, Ahuizotl could smell the dark energy flowing through it. Just the idea of drawing power from it made the jackal salivate. This was indeed one of the relics that Ahuizotl was looking for, now if only there was a way he could obtain it.

Mable had to admit that the crown looked surprisingly beautiful.

'Who knows what sort of power it could give us,' Mane-iac's voice spoke in the recesses of her mind, 'All we need to do is reach out and take it.'

Worry gripped Mable's heart. Had she forgotten to take her medication for the day? Her breathing increased as she tried to remember if she had swallowed the pills earlier.

Suddenly a gunshot roared through the air causing all of the ponies in the room to instinctively fall to their knees, except for Mable, who was preoccupied trying to recall if she had taken her medication like she was supposed to, as well as those who had fired the gun, to begin with.

A group of six stallions in black suits and wearing various clown masks, filled the room, their weapons being either shoulder mounted or held aloft by magic. At the head of the group was a single unicorn stallion with a white suit, sporting a mask that had a wide toothy grin, the teeth looking almost like daggers.

"Everypony just remain calm," the lead stallion called out, "just do what you are told and no pony gets hurt!"

"Mable, what's going on?" Ahuizotl whispered.

Turning his attention to Mable, the lead gangster let out an annoyed sigh.

"Why do these super-powered mumbo jumbos always beat me to the punch?" the gangster growled, "How about you just leave so my gang and I can have all these lovely relics to ourselves!"

"Wait you're just letting me leave?" Mable asked.

"Yes, goofy mane freak," the lead stallion yelled, "you are free to go!"

While the offer was tempting to just leave and not have to deal with the annoyance of having the cops interview her after the robbery was over, to see if she had some sort connection to the crime, Mable would have to decline. Even if they were really willing to let her out of the museum, there were enough witnesses who could say that Mable was here, causing her potentially more trouble. Also, it was very likely that one of these relics would be something of interest to Ahuizotl, and it could be useful if Mable was aware of what it was.

"Thanks, but I'm afraid I have to decline your offer."

"Suit yourself," the gangster said as he raised a gun at her with his magic.

Mable closed her eyes listening as the clown gangsters focused their guns on her. She could feel her pupils changing. Mane-iac was coming out to play.

Hearing the triggers being pulled Mane-iac's mane tendrils slammed into the ground before launching herself into the air. Maniacal laughter escaped the supervillain's lips. That laughter was the only warning the gangsters received as another tendril swept their legs out from under them.

Her giggling grew louder as she picked up one of the stallions by the leg before tossing him across the room. After flinging the gangster aside, Mane-iac grabbed another two before ramming their heads against one another.

"Well looks like you're all talk," Mane-iac chuckled, "what a shame."

Using a tendril, Mane-iac grabbed the main gangster by the neck and lifted him to her face.

"I was hoping your little gang would be more entertaining."

"T-this isn't... The whole... Gang!" the gangster snickered.

There was a loud roar was something crashed in through the wall and punched Mane-iac in the side, launching her into the Ketztwctl Empress's crown display. The crown fell to the ground, breaking into numerous shards.

Looking up at her assailant, Mane-iac saw a large diamond dog. Its face was painted like a clown and multiple devices were attached to his back with wires reaching up to the brass knuckles on his fists. The monster's massive chest heaved as it breathed.

The gangster in the white suit picked himself off the ground, half of his clown mask broken, revealing his yellow eye.

"Meet Brutus," the leader said, "he is a little gift to us from Professor Wolfgang. A little insurance for troublemakers like you!"

Brutus let out another roar as he lunged at Mane-iac. The crazed mare sent forth a couple tendrils out to grab the diamond dog's fist.

A scream broke from Mane-iac's lungs as several volts of electricity flowed from Brutus's fist through her mane back to her body. As she watched the fist continuing its course, Mable realized it would hit her purse and potentially injuring Ahuizotl.

Mable subconsciously forced her body to shift. Another jolt of electricity hit her as the diamond dog's fist slammed into her chest.

While the Mane-iac wanted to stay and fight, Mable's voice rang through.

'We need to lure this diamond dog to an unoccupied area of the museum,' Mable spoke in the recesses of Mane-iac's brain, 'otherwise, innocents could be harmed!'

Two of Mane-iac's tendrils reached out and grabbed one of the museum pillars, using it to pull herself away from Brutus. Her body sliding along the floor. Mane-iac jumped to her hooves.

"So your this gang’s MANE attraction," Mane-iac taunted, "but I don't think you're so tough!"

Brutus roared before charging at Mane-iac, who dodged to the left. Using her many tendrils the mare ran deeper into the museum.

"Go after her!" Mane-iac heard the lead gangster called out, followed by another savage roar.

The sound of heavy footsteps vibrated through the corridor as Brutus charged after Mane-iac. Looking down at her bag, Mane-iac knew she would have to dispose of it and its precious cargo, if she wished to fight this fierce diamond dog.

'Sorry about this,' Mable thought as she took her purse and threw it behind one of the exhibits. Sure, Ahuizotl might have a few cuts and bruises, but at least he would be safe.

Before turning the corner, Mane-iac looked over her shoulder and Mable was pleased to see that Brutus has ignored her purse and was coming right towards her. The corner led to a room with two paintings per side and three displays holding a few artifacts. An explosion of concrete and white paint erupted as the diamond dog ran through the obstruction for his target.

Mane-iac tried to swing a tendril around to grab one of the diamond dog's rear legs, but Brutus saw it coming and grabbed a hold of the mane before sending a few more volts of electricity into it causing the mare to scream.

'Okay,' Mable tried to instruct the Mane-iac, 'it is bad if it can touch our mane! So you need to think of something else!'

However, Brutus wasn't letting go, instead, he sent another wave of electricity through Mane-iac's mane. As the super-villain screamed, the diamond dog drew closer. With a large hand, Brutus grabbed Mane-iac by the neck and lifted her off the floor, shoving her against the wall.

In an attempt to retaliate the Mane-iac grabbed one of the painting off the wall to hit the diamond dog with it. All this warranted was an annoyed Brutus zapping her again. Mane-iac's vision began to grow blurry, both from the lack of oxygen and the continued shock treatment. Slowly the Mane-iac began to return to the deep recesses of her mind, causing Mable to shift forward the red in her eyes no completely gone.

A cough escaped Mable's throat as another jolt rippled through her body. She was going to die. What a shame, her fate would be decided by a dumb inbred dog.

'Well, at least Ahuizotl is safe,' Mable thought, 'perhaps he will find the power he wanted...'

Gradually her vision began to blacken. It was as if she were looking through a long tunnel. As the world began to darken, Mable saw a strange blue creature behind her attacker. If this was supposed to be Death, then those old stories got it all wrong. He didn't look anything like a mare in a black cloak with a scythe at all.

Apparently, Death looked like a large blue dog.

Ahuizotl moaned as he pulled himself out of Mable's bag. Why did she have to throw him against a wall? Growling, Ahuizotl lifted his paws and revealed the gem he had taken from the Ketztwctl Empress crown when Mable had been flung into it.

He could feel the magic flowing inside the purple gem, it would be perfect for helping him regain his glorious form.

A loud scream resonated down the hall and Ahuizotl recognized it as belonging to Mable. While a part of him just wanted to leave with his prize and part deep in his heart told him he needed to stay. While Mable could be annoying at times, the mare had been gracious by assisting him. Who knows what could have happened to Ahuizotl if she hadn't found him. Perhaps he would have become some pony's science project like on one of those tv shows he had seen on Mable's television.

With an annoyed growl, Ahuizotl proceeded to absorb the energy from the gem he had stolen. His body changing on the spot.

Ahuizotl's body grew larger and his arms changed to the muscular limbs of a gorilla. His eyes shifted moving down his face until they were just above his nostrils. A hiss escaped Ahuizotl's lips. Going off his experience in the portal it would seem that any sudden changes caused by him gaining or losing power would result in pain, how irritating.

After his body had completely changed, Ahuizotl placed the gem in his tail-hand before following Mable's screams. As he moved through the corridor Ahuizotl noticed that the corner leading to the next room was damaged as if a hydra had plowed through it. Turning the damaged corner, Ahuizotl saw Mable being held against the wall by a massive diamond dog, its back covered in strange machinery, with sparks of electricity flowing from the wires attached to its claws.

While Ahuizotl wanted to help the mare, it was very obvious that coming into physical combat with the brute was out of the question. Ahuizotl would have to find another way to confront this monstrosity. Fortunately, the diamond dog seemed preoccupied with trying to kill Mable, that it was completely oblivious to Ahuizotl's presence.

Looking around the room, Ahuizotl saw a few exhibit cases containing ancient artifacts. Sniffing the air, Ahuizotl was able to pinpoint that one of them still had some magical energy inside it. It was a long staff with bands of gold and sapphire along its length, at the top of the staff was the head of a sphinx with a spherical sapphire in its jaws. Ahuizotl could smell the energy flowing through the stone as well as the power it was meant to contain. A bronze plaque on the bottom of the display referred to the artifact as the Scepter of Cleopatramare.

Raising his fist, Ahuizotl shattered the glass of the exhibit. The warlord could see that this actions hadn't gone unnoticed, as a reflection showed that the diamond dog was now looking over its shoulder toward him.

Aware of the new threat, the diamond dog let go of Mable and turned to face Ahuizotl who had taken the scepter. Letting out a terrifying roar the augmented monster charged toward Ahuizotl.

"Halt beast!" Ahuizotl called out as he channeled the staff's power. A spectral sphinx claw made of blue energy reached forward from the staff, enveloping the advancing diamond dog.

The poor diamond dog let out a squeak like a rubber ducky as the spectral claw squeezed. Then with a powerful yank of the scepter, Ahuizotl threw the creature at the wall. Admittedly he may have moved it a bit too hard as the diamond dog was thrown with enough force that the museum wall gave way allowing him to fly into the distance.

Ahuizotl grinned as he examined the Scepter of Cleopatramare, it was such a shame he would have to remove the sapphire from its ornate staff if he wished to keep it. After removing the gem, Ahuizotl made his way over to his injured friend.

Her dress was damaged, revealing the scars that tarnished her Cutie Mark. The movement of her chest indicated that she was breathing.

A few more gunshots could be heard from the other room along with the yelling from numerous ponies. It would seem that perhaps help had arrived and they would deal with the hooligans.

If Ahuizotl wanted to keep the two treasures he had found, he would have to sneak away.

"Damn it!"

Ahuizotl turned to see the gangster in the white suit, half his clown mask damaged and judging by the way his eye looked, he wasn't too happy.

"That diamond dog cost me a lot of bits!" The gangster pointed the gun at Ahuizotl with his magic, "So I guess you'll be paying with your life."

There was a clicking sound, indicating that the firearm was out of ammunition. A look of horror appeared in the gangster's eye as Ahuizotl lunged at him. With a powerful hand, he lifted the gangster off the ground by his suit collar. The mask fell from his face revealing the frightened face of a unicorn with an orange coat and a dark brown mane, with frosted orange tips. Terror gripped the stallion's heart as he started to piss himself.

"I-I'm s-sorry," the lead gangster stuttered, "I-I made a m-mistake!"

Ahuizotl's nostrils curled at the stench this coward exuded. If any of his henchmen had shown such cowardice, Ahuizotl would have left them in the jungle to die. A growl reverberated through the warlord's throat.

"L-look, let's talk about this," the gangster swallowed, "y-you could be our new boss. Yeah! Yeah! Ho-how would you like that?"

"Where's your boss!" A feminine voice could be heard from the other side of the building. It would seem that some pony had come to the rescue. The lead gangster almost seemed to give a sigh of relief before Ahuizotl growled again, reminding him that he wasn't out of the woods just yet.

Annoyed at being cut short by whoever this sudden rescuer was, Ahuizotl pulled his arm back before flinging the gangster down the hallway he had just come from. With that out of the way, Ahuizotl made his way to the makeshift exit he had made earlier with the diamond dog. As he was about to leave, Ahuizotl turned on last time to gaze at the unconscious Mable.

"Maybe we'll see each other again." Ahuizotl nodded to the unconscious Mable, before pulling himself through the hole in the wall.

Mable found herself surrounded by fog. Her body ached, her legs too weak to move, but that didn't stop her from trying.

Then a familiar feminine voice called out from the mist, seemingly bouncing around the inside of a cave. The voice making Mable's blood run cold.

"Mable..."

Slowly another shape began to form from out of the fog. It was a mare with a grayish orchid coat and an arctic blue mane. Mable gasped as the mare looked just like she had before the accident.

"What are you?" Mable asked, "Why do you look like I did before the accident?"

"Oh, but it wasn't an accident was it?" the shape grinned, "we were pushed."

A sharp pain shot through Mable's mind forcing her to close her eyes. When she opened them again she found herself running through some sort of facility. Panic filled Mable as she realized she was in control of her body, that it was moving on its own.

Looking over her shoulder, Mable could see that some pony was chasing her. It was a stallion in a mechanical suit, with a single robotic arm attached to the back, covered in red paint. It wasn't hard to guess that this was the supervillain, the Crimson Fist.

As she ran, Mable realized this was actually her shampoo facility. Turning a corner, Mable opened the door to find herself in one of the chemical rooms. Crimson Fist wasn't too far behind.

While she tried to open the only other door in the room, the supervillain stepped inside, the fist brandishing some sort of automatic weapon.

"I'm sorry that I have to do this," the Crimson Fist spoke with a mechanical voice changer, "No hard feelings."

As Mable managed to open the door, a bullet flew from the Crimson Fist's weapon, hitting a canister filled with chemicals. The heat from the gunshot caused the container to explode filling the room with flame.

The explosion threw Mable through the door. As the memories returned Mable found herself laying on the observation platform, the skin on her legs completely burned. As the mare tried to pick herself off the ground, while the Crimson Fist walked through the burning doorway. The only damage to the power armor being the paint job.

Looking up at her pursuer, Mable lost her breathe as a robotic hand gripped her by the throat. Mable coughed and choked as the Crimson Fist lifted her into the air.

"I hate to do this," the Crimson Fist said, "like I said no hard feelings."

"W-why?" Mable coughed.

"My employer can't have you stepping onto their hooves," the mercenary answered, "which is why I'm going to make you disappear."

Next thing Mable noticed she was falling. She didn't even have time to scream before she fell into the vat of acid.

As the chemicals enveloped her body, Mable found herself back in the fog.

"They did this to you," Mane-iac said, "and they want you to forget."

Mable was dumbfounded by the explanation, as a bottle of pills appeared in Mane-iac's hoof.

"You stood up to their corruption and they tried to kill you," Mane-iac grinned, "then when they failed they tried to drown me out with these pills. To remove all these precious memories."

"T-those pills," Mable stuttered, "they're supposed to suppress you!"

"By suppressing me, you suppress all the evidence of their deeds against you," Mane-iac chuckled, "and that is exactly what they want."

"So you're proposing that I just give you the wheel!"

"No," Mane-iac grinned, "I'm merely suggesting that you refrain from taking these."

The pill bottle shattered and the world around Mable dissolved into darkness.

"What did I tell you?" Zapp said pretending to wipe the sweat from her brow, "Easy as pie!"

Maretropolis police ponies were rounding up the gangsters and putting them in the back of a van. About a mile away another group of police ponies was rounding up the diamond dog, Brutus. Nearby were a few ambulances tending to the hostages.

During the robbery, Summers had pushed a button on her watch that had alerted the other Power Ponies of her plight as well as her location. It wasn't long before four of the five other Power Ponies arrived. Today Saddle Rager had an appointment with her psychiatrist and wasn't able to come, not that her presence was truly necessary. This time all the other Power Ponies were able to deal with the gangsters on their own without giving away Summers true identity.

The gang who referred to themselves as the Mad Clown Gang had been working hard to be recruited by a larger crime syndicate and this robbery was supposed to serve as their initiation. Naturally, it would appear that despite their best efforts as well as the recruitment of one of Professor Wolfgang's diamond dog, the gang had failed.

Trot Summers watched as a few medics tended to Mable. They had various devices attached to the young mare to examine her vital signs. The mare looked weary and in need of some rest. It would also seem that her dog had gone missing, and Mable was a little distressed by the events.

Summer's ears twitched as she heard Mistress Mare-velous walk up.

"Do you have any intentions of having her arrested?" Mare-velous inquired.

"No," Summers answered as she continued watching, "today she was just another victim."

The heroine remained silent as the sound of a vehicle driving up, drew Summer's attention. Turning around, Summers began to walk away toward her limousine, one of her butler, Winters opened the door for her.

Winters was the griffin butler who took care of the Summers estate ever since Trot Summers was a foal. Despite being old and his feathers turning gray the griffin was still in good health.

"You know one of these days she is going to turn back to crime right?" the Mistress said as she followed her friend, "This isn't the first time she has been left unchecked."

Summers took a deep breath before turning back to her friend, "When that time comes then we shall take her in. Until then she has the same rights as any other citizen in this city."

Once Trot Summers had stepped in and sat down in her seat, the servant closed the door. Hum Drum sat in the seat across from the Masked Matter-Horn, a folder in his hands.

"I have those results you wanted," Hum Drum passed the folder to Summers who opened the folder. Apparently, the contents showed that the green hair had indeed belonged to the Mane-iac. However, there were some discrepancies with the blue fur found nearby.

"So she was there."

Hum Drum nodded, "Indeed, however, that isn't the most interesting part."

Summers raised an eyebrow, "You mean in regards to the stray fur?"

"Yes," Hum Drum answered, "the computer couldn't find anything in the database that matched it. Furthermore, when I had the fur taken to a geneticist to examine, she said that there was nothing on this planet with the same genetic sequence."

The mare chuckled, "Are you trying to tell me that it belonged to an alien?"

Extraterrestrial contact was extremely rare and often unpredictable. One encounter was who Radiance received her own abilities, with the second resulting in an entire section of Maretropolis being quarantined.

"Why not?" Hum Drum spoke up, "A hole opened in the sky and something fell through. Surely that counts as extraterrestrial."

The mare let out a deep sigh, "I'm just not excited about dealing with an alien right now. I already have enough on my plate with the villains in this city."

"But it would seem we have a lead," Hum Drum said, "After all, Mane-iac was there, perhaps she knows something about it."

"I'll think about it."

Sharing Secrets and Ice Cream

View Online

The Next Day...

She was falling. Falling into a vat of experimental shampoo. As Mable fell into the vat's contents, she could feel her burns hissing as the heated flesh made contact with the cold substance. The shampoo seeped into her mouth, nostrils, and ears. Coughing, Mable struggled to reach the surface but the oil fluid pulled her deeper into the vat. The world around her went black as she lost consciousness.

'They did this to us!' a voice chuckled in the back of their mind, 'Let's make them pay!'

The next thing Mable noticed was her coughing, expelling the shampoo from her lungs, allowing oxygen-rich air into her body. However, it soon became very clear that something was wrong. How had she escaped the vat and what was this feeling? It felt as if there were thousands of other limbs moving on their own, yet her mind was fully aware of them.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Mable could see green tendrils moving. Panicking the mare turned to face the tendrils only to realize that they were her mane. Lifting a burnt hoof to her eyes, Mable soon realized that somehow she had changed. Her coat was no longer its usual grayish orchid nor was her mane a grayish arctic blue. Now her coat was more of a pale purple and her mane was made up of various shades of green.

She wanted to scream but instead, only laughter emerged.

'This city is corrupt,' a voice laughed in the back of her mind, 'It is time, we cleanse it!'

Mable awoke from her slumber, her body covered in sweat. As she tried to move Mable could feel her muscles ache from the treatment, that diamond dog, Brutus, had given her the day before. Fortunately, the medics had told Mable that her heart would be fine so long as she rested.

Using her tendrils, Mable moved the sheets aside and pulled herself out of the bed. It was then that she noticed that Ahuizotl wasn't in his usual spot in the corner of the room. That's right, he had disappeared sometime during the incident.

Mable had been relieved to learn after the whole incident that there had been no sign of the jackal, that he hadn't been harmed or worse. Mable wondered if Ahuizotl had found what he was looking for. At the same time, she was also a bit worried about him, after all, he was an alien in this world and who knew what could happen if one of the other villains got their grubby hooves on him. Much of her sleep had been lost because of her worrying.

Stepping over to the window, Mable's mane pulled the curtains aside to reveal a nice warm sun outside. Perhaps it would be a good day for a sunbath.

Sunbathing was a habit that Mable had picked up during her modeling career. While she still enjoyed relaxing and feeling the sun’s rays on her body, due to her scarred flesh, it was something the mare could only do in the privacy of her home.

Looking down at the swimming pool, Mable spotted Ahuizotl moving through the water. Both happiness and annoyance filled her. At the very least he could have told her, he was okay instead of leaving Mable awake most of the night worrying about him.

After grabbing a blue blanket and some sunglasses, Mable made her way down the stairs to the ground floor. Taking the door to her left, Mable stepped through it out onto the back patio.

While Ahuizotl swam, Mable sat her blanket down on a lawn chair. As she lay down on the blanket, the mare remembered how the jackal had apparently came to her aid in the museum. Not only that but he...

"Ahuizotl we need to talk," Mable said still lying down.

He stopped moving in the water, turning his attention to the mare that had graciously provided him with a place to stay while he was trapped in this world.

"What is it?" Ahuizotl inquired.

Mable shifted her sunglasses to get a better view of the swimming jackal, "Yesterday you found something at the museum, didn't you?"

Ahuizotl lips twitched, no doubt he was trying to think of a way to dance around the subject.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Don't play dumb," Mable growled, "I used to have a legion of henchmen under my control so I know when I'm being lied to. Not only that but I saw you before I went out. You're the one who dealt with that diamond dog!"

Now that Mable thought about it, it would be so much easier to hire villains if there was a Henchmen R Us, in town. Sadly no such thing existed.

With a deep sigh, Ahuizotl pulled himself from the pool, "I suppose I did find something. I managed to find a relic with enough power to help me temporarily return to my true form."

"You did, huh,"

"Yes, but it wasn't enough to maintain my form." Ahuizotl lied. The artifact still possessed enough for a full transformation, however in a world full of potential enemies it would be unwise to expose his hand.

There was a pregnant pause as both of the villains watched one another. A slight chuckle from Mable's lips broke the silence.

"Well, thanks anyway," Mable said, "for what you did for me yesterday."

"I was just protecting an investment," Ahuizotl replied. This warranted a laugh from the mare.

"An investment huh," Mable grinned, "for what?"

There was another pause as the jackal looked down at his paws.

"Revenge," Ahuizotl growled, "against the ponies of the Tenochtitlan Basin."

"Sounds like a pretty big grudge," Mable said, guessing that this basin was someplace in Ahuizotl's world.

There was another pause until Ahuizotl spoke up. Mable could tell by his body language that it pained him greatly.

"I have no knowledge of my true parents," Ahuizotl said, "however my adopted parents found me crying on the river bed. All the local villages spoke of my kind as creatures that lurked in the water, dragging ponies under to take their eyes and teeth. Because of that, it was common practice to hunt down and kill any of my kind that appeared."

"But they didn't."

"No, apparently the couple that took me from the waters were incapable of having children of their own," Ahuizotl continued, "Ultimately that end up costing them their lives. When their village discovered what had happened several years later, they had my parents executed and started hunting me. From that day forward I swore the ponies of the Tenochtitlan Basin would pay!"

"And that's why you came here," Mable interjected, "to gain the power so you could do so."

"I suppose so," Ahuizotl turned to look into Mable's eyes, "Now it's your turn. What's up with your legs and your whole tentacle hair thing?"

Another pause filled the air. Mable twitched nervously.

"I wasn't always this way," Mable said, "I used to be an upstanding citizen trying to fight the corruption in this city. Apparently, I rubbed somepony the wrong way, they sent a mercenary after me, resulting in the skin of my legs being burned and my body falling into a vat of chemicals, granting me, well... This."

Mable moved her mane tendrils and formed the shape of a cat's face, for emphasis.

"That's all?" Ahuizotl spoke in an only slightly impressed manner.

Mable let out a maniacal laugh, "Oh there are other things. Also, my mind is broken as well. Now I'm stuck with two voices inside my head."

Almost as if it was listening in the Mane-iac began to talk, 'Do you think it is a good idea to mention this to him?'

The wide grin on Mable's face made Ahuizotl feel slightly comfortable.

"But in all seriousness," Mable continued her expression becoming less maniacal, "the corruption in this city has taken away so much. Not just from me but from every creature that breathes its foul air. And I going to uproot that corruption, one way or another."

"It would seem we have similar goals," Ahuizotl said.

"Yes, I guess we do."

The two of them remained in silence, while Mable continued to sunbathe. It would seem that she had a lot in common with the jackal. They both had been harmed by the world, they both sought to deliver their own brand of justice upon that world and both were viewed as monsters because of it. They were cockatrice of a feather, sorta speak.

"So... What do we do now?" Ahuizotl inquired.

Mable contemplated the question, before smiling.

"Well, today is a nice day," Mable said, "so why don't we give the Power Ponies a break and just relax. You want to know something villainous that no pony can arrest you for it?"

"What?" Ahuizotl asked.

Mable jumped off the lawn chair and stretched her back like a cat.

"Having ice cream before dinner!" Mable giggled.

The jackal gave the mare a confused look, "What is this... Ice cream you speak of?"

Unbeknownst to Ahuizotl, the dessert known as ice cream was very common in Equestria, however, since most of the relics he searched for involved the warm region of Tenochtitlan Basin, so he never had the opportunity to learn of or eat any.

"Wow, your world must be truly depressing if they don't have ice cream," Mable laughed, "Look's like we'll have to address that!"

Trot Summers was tending to the garden inside the greenhouse built into the side of her manor. Plants of various shapes and sizes were blooming as she tended to them.

Here it was quiet and serene, a great place for the mare to relax with her thoughts. So much in fact, that she was able to discern when Hummer entered the small sanctuary without looking up from her work.

"Hello Hummer," Summers said, "what news do you bring?"

"I have the report from the museum incident," Hummer replied.

"What about it?"

"All items were accounted for," Hummer answered pulling out a notepad, "except two. During the robbery, it would seem that both the crown of the Ketztwctl Empress and the Scepter of Cleopatramare were damaged. All the pieces were recovered except for the crowning jewel and a gem belonging to the staff. I will be keeping an eye out for them with my sources in the black market to see if anything comes up."

"I see," Summers said as she patted the soil around a yellow flower, "was there anything else?"

"Yes," Hum Drum flipped a page on his pad, "the leader of the attempted robbery was a stallion by the name of Dripping Tongue. Apparently, he is wanted for drug trafficking, pony trafficking, assault, murder and selling stolen merchandise on the black market. With any luck, he will remain behind bars for the rest of his life."

Summers groaned at hearing that. The law system in Maretropolis was too forgiving, no doubt he would somehow weasel his way into a small time prison sentence only to get out early for "good behavior."

"I do have some more information on that fur you found," Hummer smiled, "the computer was able to identify several genes belonging to canines in its DNA."

This perked the Masked Matter-Horn's ears. Mable had a dog with her during the attack on the museum and they had established that Mable had been in the area that the fur had been found. Could the dog be the creature that fell from the portal?

"Is that all?" Summers asked.

"Actually that's the intriguing part," Hummer answered, "In Dripping Tongue's statement he mentioned being victimized by a large blue dog with gorilla arms. I thought that might interest you. Is there anything else you would like me to do?"

Summers wiped the sweat from her brow, "Just keep an eye on Mane-iac. I think she might be at the center of this."

Having finished delivering his information, Hum Drum stepped out of the greenhouse to leave Summers to her thoughts.

Perhaps Mane-iac had originally intended on stealing these gems for some nefarious scheme. Then when the robbers appeared she took advantage of the situation.

Summers frowned, "That doesn't seem likely."

The diamond dog had done a lot of harm to Mane-iac and no gems were found on her person or in her bag.

Then an idea occurred to the Masked Matter-Horn. She scratched chin as she pondered the thought.

"What if her dog took them?"

"I'm dying," Ahuizotl moaned as he lay back in his chair, rubbing his belly with a paw.

The two of them were sitting outside an ice cream parlor, titled Silver's Icey Creamery. There was a section set up so that customers could enjoy the outdoors while eating their yummy treats. Mable had a bowl of chocolate chip mint, while Ahuizotl had a bowl of vanilla.

"Then you probably shouldn't have eaten so much ice cream," Mable said.

Ahuizotl glared at the mare, "I had as much as you did!"

"Yes, but I also don't have the body of a small dog," Mable chuckled. The jackal was clearly unamused.

It was a shame, Mable had hoped she would be able to show the small creature the other flavors of ice cream. Maybe next time.

While Ahuizotl's stomach groaned, Mable proceeded to read the newspaper. Judging from the headline the Rose Killer had struck again, murdering another stallion and leaving the body abandoned in an alleyway. As per usual, the stallion's face was mutilated beyond recognition and a single red rose on the victim's chest.

"By Celestia!" a familiar voice nearly making Mable choke on her ice cream, "Is that you Mable!"

A pegasus mare with a blonde mane and an aquatic blue came skipping down the street. Around her neck was a bronze necklace with an emerald in the center. Mable groaned as she recognized the mare.

"Hey Soy Bean," Mable sighed.

Soy Bean was a model that Mable had previously worked with. The cheery mare was as dumb as a cloud. Nothing in this dreary city could diminish Soy Bean’s ever happy mood and it annoyed Mable greatly.

"It has been so long since I've seen you," Soy Bean said, "did you dye your mane? It's a little vibrant but it's not too bad."

Mable's eye twitched, "Something like that."

It took all of Mable's mental strength not to unleash her mane upon the pegasus and strangle her to death.

"And who's this little guy?" Soy Bean focused her attention on Ahuizotl, "He's so CUTE!"

The jackal's eyes went wide as Soy Bean started rubbing him behind the ears. Seeing the hair on the back of Ahuizotl's neck rise, caused a smile to stretch across Mable's face.

"That's my dog, Ahuizotl," Mable grinned, "I found him recently and took him in."

The jackal gave Mable a very angry expression. That emotion changed to horror when Soy Bean picked him up, hugging Ahuizotl while standing on her back legs.

"That's SO sweet." Soy Bean cheered.

The look on Ahuizotl's face made it clear that he wasn't enjoying the treatment. In fact, it appeared that she might be strangling him in her loving embrace.

As Mable watched, a few images appeared in her mind's eye. It would seem that the Mane-iac was at work, trying to hatch up a design for another of her inventions. While the pictures weren't currently coherent, Mable knew she would be able to jot them down once she returned home.

"Soy Bean, would you mind letting him go?" Mable asked, "I do believe you are killing him."

Ahuizotl gave Mable a look, which seemed to say, 'you think?'

Soy Bean giggled, "Oh, I'm so sorry."

She set Ahuizotl down who wheezed as fresh air returned to his lungs.

"Well, I best be going," Soy Bean grinned, "it was nice to see you again Mable. We should talk again sometime!"

"Yes, we should." Mable put on a fake smile. She really didn't want to meet Soy Bean again.

Both Mable and Ahuizotl watched as Soy Bean skipped down the street. With any luck, they would never meet again for a very long time.

"Ahuizotl I think it is time we head back."

Ahuizotl coughed as he vomited the last of the ice cream from his overly stuffed stomach. While he was in this inferior form he would need to remind himself that his belly was much smaller than usual.

After flushing the toilet, he proceeded to step out into the bedroom and try to see if he could find Mable. Judging from her urgency to return home, Mable was up to something and Ahuizotl wanted to know what it was. Taped to a chair just across from the door was a note, which read, 'Come to the library. There is a book I would like for you to see. Look for the book, The Science of Super-powered Ponies. Gently take it if you can.'

After reading the note, Ahuizotl stepped out of the bedroom and proceeded to look for the library. All the walls were made of a dark oak wood, with various landscape paintings mounted on the walls or the occasional pedestal with an elegant vase or small ornate statue resting upon it.

Eventually, Ahuizotl discovered a door that was ajar, that after peering in revealed that the room was, in fact, a library. Admittedly there were a lot more books here than he would have expected Mable to own. After what felt like hours of searching, Ahuizotl managed to find the book mentioned in the note.

"What a pain!" Ahuizotl growled as he reached up with his tail-hand to take the book. He managed to pull the book out only halfway when there was a clicking sound and the bookshelf began to move, revealing a secret passage.

Moving quietly, Ahuizotl stepped into the passageway. Beyond the entryway a long hallway consisting of concrete and lights tinted with green glass.

Any other pony might find the atmosphere to be unsettling or eerie, however to Ahuizotl it reminded him of the many temples he had explored. Passing through the entryway, Ahuizotl made his way down the dusty corridor, instinctively looking out for any traps. The way the hallway was set up, it was very surprising that there weren't any, considering that Mable was an actual supervillain.

At the end of the corridor was a steel metal door. Pushing open the door, Ahuizotl could see Mable sitting at a metal desk, sketching out some blueprints.

The room was made of concrete, with numerous boxes filled with scrap metal and broken electronics placed around the room. On Mable's desk, there was a lamp as well as two small television sets.

"I know you're there!" Mable said, catching Ahuizotl by surprise.

"How?"

"Motion sensor," Mable answered, not looking up from her work, "that way I can tell if someone is trying to sneak in."

Using a few of the boxes as stepping blocks, Ahuizotl made his way onto the desk, so he could see what Mable was working on. He was also able to determine by the visuals on the television sets that she had seen him coming.

"So how many of these..." Ahuizotl waved a paw, "secret rooms do you have in your sanctuary?"

"At least three," Mable replied, still focused on her blueprint, "sometimes I forget where they are."

That elicited a slight chuckle from Ahuizotl, "What are you working on?"

"Just a device Mane-iac showed me," Mable answered, still focused on her work.

"That's the other voice, you were talking about?" Ahuizotl inquired raising an eyebrow.

"Sometimes she shows me things. Mechanical contraptions that could be helpful."

"Okay, so what does it do?"

"I don't know," Mable replied, "I usually don't understand what they are until after I finish the blueprints. Although these designs do remind me of another device I made a while back."

"So why am I here?"

"Because I think we can work together," Mable answered, "I want to make this device and you want your power back. If we work together we can achieve both our goals."

"Okay," Ahuizotl said, "so we get along and no backstabbing?"

"Yeah, something like that," Mable said turning to Ahuizotl and holding out a hoof.

"What's this?"

"Have you never heard of a hoofshake before?" Mable inquired, "It's a sign of trust between business partners."

That might explain why Dr. Caballeron had been such a tricky scumbag, selling away prized relics behind Ahuizotl's back to "rich investors" who were no doubt, either Daring Do in disguise or somepony else working with her.

Very slowly Ahuizotl reached forward with a paw and touched Mable's hoof.

"Okay, we have a deal."

Does this count as... A Crossover?

by Robipony

This isn't at all what I had in mind!

The First Breath of Fresh Air

A Day at the Museum

Sharing Secrets and Ice Cream