My Little Pony Monthly Issue 79 (October 1, 2003)
My Little Pony Monthly
A publication of Nematode (Electronic) Publishing
Established June 1997
This Newsletter is Safe for All Ages
To Unsubscribe: mlpmonthly-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
To View Back Issues: http://mlpmonthly.tripod.com/Monthly.htm
To Contact Authors: http://mlpmonthly.tripod.com/Contact.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Issue 79
October 2003
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Index
1. Contest!
2. Survey!
3. Dark Army Rising (by Clever Clover)
4. Crossing the Rubicon (by Sugarberry)
5. The Story in Which Dietrich and Caprice are Rescued, and Thomas Proves his Worth (by Tabby)
6. Silent Are the Bells (by Sugarberry)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contest!
I was pleased to see a number of new participants enter this contest!! But remember, no one will be penalized for entering multiple contests. So keep on entering!!!
*garej* (garej@mylittlepony.fsnet.co.uk)
Baby Dibbles (Amsofct@aol.com)
BJ (nazgrrl@hotmail.com)
C. A. Loewen (cloewen@superpa.net)
Chandra Forshey (ChandraMic@aol.com)
Ellen (glo-wirm@yahoo.com)
FRAGGLEM@peoplepc.com
Helen (hdkiker@shentel.net)
Jaye (eightiestoyboy@yahoo.ca)
Nikki (suni-210@hotmail.com)
Pika-Chan (mnjiricek@earthlink.net)
Violet Star Shine (violet_star_shine@yahoo.com)
What clever collectors we have subscribed to MLP Monthly! I was hoping to catch someone on last month’s question, but... no luck! Everyone knew that Peachy was NOT one of the original six ponies, despite similarity in pose and symbol style. Peachy was, of course, the pony that came with the Pretty Parlor play-set.
And now, EXCITING NEWS concerning October’s contest! All contestants will receive a prize graphic as usual, but one lucky randomly drawn winner will receive a REAL PHYSICAL PRIZE! Wow! This month, for female MLP fans, we are offering an AVON Nailwear nail enamel Cherries Jubilee absolutely adores! It’s called, of course, Cherry Jubilee, and it’s a lovely deep, rich red color, perfect for autumn.
More on this nail enamel: “Super-Strong Nailwear Nail Enamel, now formulated with flexi-shield technology, wears better than before. This breakthrough formula “bends” with the nails to help resist cracks, breaks, and chips. Beautiful color also provides a shimmer finish. Contains keravite, AVON’s exclusive nourishing complex, with vitamin E, calcium, and panthenol. Free of formaldehyde and formulated without toluene.”
OOPS!!! Sorry for the commercial. It’s just that I’m selling AVON and mark products now to make some money for college next fall; go to http://members.aol.com/Sugrbery/Nova.htm if interested in learning more about those products.
And don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten you guys out there! If one of you should win, we have a lovely container of AVON Wild Country body talc for you. The longhorn steer head on the packaging could be construed to look sort of pony-like if you stretch your imagination. Wow!
Now, ON TO THE QUESTION! Answer correctly and you will have a chance to win one of our two great prizes this month!
In the Escape from Catrina special, who were Catrina’s original slaves?
Tell me the answer by e-mailing TabbyMLP@aol.com or entering through the form at
http://mlpmonthly.tripod.com/Contact.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Survey!
Yes!! The survey section is still going!! I think this must be a record!! You told us how selective you were in collecting ponies...
Jaye (eightiestoyboy@yahoo.ca) says...
The answer is yes and no. I'll buy pretty much any pony I see. If they are in nice shape, they get added to the collection proper; others are set aside for future custom work, trading, etc.
However, there are several little subsets of ponies I am more selective about. For a long time it was my mission to get all the adult ponies featured in the cartoon series (for the record, I'm missing a decent Lickety-Split, and I think that's all.)
Also, there are some ponies I like more than others. For example, I like pretty much all the TAF ponies, and don't care much for the Dance n' Twirl ponies, so I'm more likely to buy the ones I like. But when all is said and done, eventually I want to get them all. :-)
*garej* (garej@mylittlepony.fsnet.co.uk) says...
I used to be, but now I focus on all variants of Peachy (and as many Peachys as I can get - I have 28 Peachys and 21 of them are the standard Hong Kong version) and yellow ponies! I love Peachy! I even have an handmade "I love Peachy" badge :)
Pika-Chan (mnjiricek@earthlink.net) says...
I do want them all, but since that's kinda hard to do all at once, I start with the ones I want most and work my way through them. I'm still looking for Scribbles and Dabbles and SS Angel, amongst others *hint hint to anyone out there!* ;)
But remember, we can’t keep it going without your support. Don’t be shy, everyone can share his or her thoughts!
Would you like to see MLP Monthly start including want/sale/trade ads in the newsletter?
The URL is:
http://mlpmonthly.tripod.com/Contact.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dark Army Rising
by Clever Clover (Swordrat@aol.com)
Nightshade paced the study of the castle of the Dark Isle while her brother, Hemlock, poured over an ancient tome. “This is so frustrating, brother! Our plans are flawless and yet our enemies overcome us by sheer weight of numbers!”
“If you would not keep interrupting me, then maybe I could discover the secret to our eventual success.”
“It’s not my interruptions that are the problem, I think. It’s that little filly Enchantment that will be your downfall. I thought you’d said you had that under control.”
“I thought I had. But…”
“But what?”
Hemlock waved her away with his hoof. “Leave me, Nightshade. I have important work to do.”
Nightshade drew her sword and leveled it at Hemlock’s face. “Who are you?” she demanded of her brother.
“Sister, have you forgotten me?”
Nightshade shook her head. “When you dismissed me you called me by name. You never call me by name; but on the Isle you did it also, when Enchantment had incapacitated you. One time I am willing to overlook, particularly considering the stress you were under at the time. But now I know you are not who you appear to be.”
Hemlock grinned. “Very good. I am called Zotikos, of Atlantis.”
“Atlantis! You will leave my brother at once, vile ghost!”
“I will leave him, but not until you have secured an adequate new host for me. Even Jack O Lantern will do. He was easier to control than Hemlock has been.”
“What! I though we were through with him! And even if we weren’t, he’s been moved to the Sea Patrol headquarters on Kuramitsu Island. Even I would have trouble getting into that fortress.”
“I have faith in your abilities, which is why I would ask you to also bring out as many of the other prisoners as you can.”
“You want me to stage a jailbreak of that magnitude? You are ambitious.”
“Yes, and I have had centuries to dream of my ambitions of conquest, but I am growing impatient. The time has come to act, before our enemies can become even more numerous. Now, are you going to do as I ask, or is your brother going to join me on the other side?”
Nightshade sheathed her sword. “Very well, Zotikos. But as soon as I return, you will release my brother; or I will see to it that you never haunt another soul.” And then she disappeared into the shadows.
* * *
Pony Sea Patrol cruiser Yagamo cut through the waves toward Kuramitsu Island. It glided between the massive guard towers into the harbor. As it pulled up to the dock, a lone pony stood waiting, a large brown stallion with golden mane and tail. He wore a more ornate sash than Key or Belle Star wore, for he was the Grand Admiral of the Pony Sea Patrol, supreme commander of the largest fleet in Ponyland, and Belle Star’s grandfather.
The dock Bushwoolies rushed to tie off the Yagamo. When the gangplank was lowered, two ponies debarked, Key and Belle Star. At the bottom of the plank they both stood at attention and saluted the admiral. A broad grin crossed his face.
“Belle Star, there’s no need for that. For the next week you are a granddaughter visiting her grandfather, not an officer of the Pony Sea Patrol. And considering the casual nature of this event, I suppose you can be excused from formality as well, Key.”
Key stood at ease. “Thank you, Admiral.”
But Belle Star held her salute. Seeing this, the admiral returned it. Belle Star lowered her hoof and threw her forelegs around her grandfather. “Oh, Grandpa! I’m so happy to see you!”
“And I’m glad to see you, too, Belle Star. It’s been too long for a grandfather to not see his granddaughter. Come on, let’s get caught up over some tea. Officer Key, you are dismissed. Thank you for bringing Belle Star here.”
“Thank you, sir. It was no problem. See you next week, Belle Star.”
“Uh-huh. See you later, Key!”
While Key went about preparing her ship for the return trip to Port Scurvy, Belle Star and her grandfather strolled across the dockyards toward the town of Kuramitsu, a fortress city surrounded by massive walls, and at its heart was the imposing citadel where the most feared criminals in the world were imprisoned. Despite its martial design, the city was quite pleasant, with wide streets, numerous parks and lawns, and a wide array of shops and restaurants.
“Belle Star, I know you don’t want any special treatment for being my granddaughter, but you are not even on active duty. There is no need to salute.”
“I know, but…oh oh! There’s my favorite noodle stand! Can we stop for noodles, Grandpa?”
“Of course.”
They sat down at the counter and ordered their noodles, which arrived shortly. Grandfather blew on his noodles to cool them. “So, Belle Star, this prince you’re always writing about, Clever Clover; the two of you are very close.”
Belle Star nodded as she slurped her hot noodles.
“Is he more than just a friend?”
Belle Star gasped in pain, grabbed a glass of water, and drank it to cool her mouth. Once she regained her composure, she answered her grandfather’s question. “Uh-huh. He is my very best friend! Well, him and Key…and Minoko, and Morning Glory, and Enchantment, and Foxglove…”
Grandfather chuckled. “You’re very fortunate to have so many best friends. I’m glad that you’re getting along so well. I wish your mother could be here to see you now.”
Belle Star slurped some more noodles. “Where is Mom, anyway?”
“She’s leading the research team at Isla Soja. It seems the fortress was not created by Jack O Lantern, but by some ancient civilization. She believes it could have been an outpost of Atlantis, possibly a refuge for those fleeing its destruction.”
“Oooh. Clever Clover was telling me about Atlantis. He said they were mean and evil and they enslaved his people, but now he’s friends with their queen.”
“Yes, times can change. Remember the stories of the Sea Clan? They were enemies of Atlantis, but when it began to sink they came to the aid of the Atlanteans and took them to safety.”
“Oh yeah! Clever Clover said something about the Sea Clan, too. Oh! But I can’t remember.”
“That’s all right. You’re not here for a history lesson, you’re here to spend quality time with your grandfather.”
They finished their noodles and walked across town to the admiral’s townhouse. “If you’d like to rest up after your trip, your room is just about the way you left it. I did have the maid tidy up a bit.”
Belle Star yawned. “Thank you, Grandpa. I think I will take a nap.” She went upstairs to her old room and flopped down on the bed. In a moment she was asleep.
* * *
The next morning Belle Star awoke with a stretch and a yawn. She sat on the edge of her bed and looked around the room. “Hm, I wonder where all my stuff is?” She walked over to the dresser, opened a drawer, and started tossing items onto the bed. A dark red ribbon caught her eye. “Oh! This used to be my favorite ribbon!” She tied the ribbon in her tail in a big bow. As she admired it in the mirror she noticed, hanging around her neck, the arrowhead pendant that Clever Clover had made for her shortly after they had met. “I miss Clever Clover. I wish he could have come along. He and Grandpa would probably get along great.” Her stomach growled. “I need to get some breakfast.”
She went downstairs to the kitchen. On the table, she found a note from her grandfather.
Granddaughter,
I have some business to take care of at the Citadel. Meet me at my office and we can go out for lunch…or maybe supper. See you later.
Love,
Grandpa
* * *
A group of five of prisoners, four ponies and a lioness, were being processed by Draco, an officer Belle Star had worked with when she had been assigned to Zodiac Island. One of the prisoners, a pony with bright red mane and tail, protested loudly. “We are not pirates! We’re OUTLAWS! Come on, can’t you guys back me up on this?”
Another prisoner, a pale pony with midnight blue mane and tail, shrugged. “I’m not really even with them. I was just a passenger.”
“How can you say that, Twilight?”
The youngest prisoner spoke up next. “I don’t think your yelling is helping matters any, Starwind. Maybe you should just calm down and I’m sure everything will get worked out in the end.”
“You too, Hawk? My entire crew is turning on me!”
The lioness huffed. “If I was the captain, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
The last pony put her hoof on Starwind’s shoulder. “I’m not turning on you.”
“Thanks, Sextant.”
Belle Star, distracted by the commotion, tripped over a snow-white Bushwoolie. “Oh! I’m so sorry…Yuki! I haven’t seen you in years!”
“Belle Belle!” cried the Bushwoolie. “You’re back!”
Draco turned his attention to Belle Star and Yuki. “Oh, great. You are back. Well, I don’t care who your grandfather is; I am not covering for you anymore.”
“Oh, hi Draco! I’m glad to see you again, too! Hey Yuki, I’m having lunch with Grandpa later in the cafeteria; would you like to join us?”
“Yeah yeah, sure!”
“Good! See you there. Good-bye Draco!” Belle Star pranced off toward her grandfather’s office.
“Good riddance,” Draco mumbled under his breath.
* * *
Grandfather was examining a file when Belle Star arrived at his office. “Good morning, Grandpa!”
“Ah, good morning, Belle Star. I’m sorry I had to come in to work today; Draco brought in a shipload of suspected pirates who may be responsible for a major crime wave recently. But after reviewing the crime scene reports, I’m beginning to have my doubts.”
“I saw them downstairs. I don’t think they’re pirates.”
“Oh, why do you say that?”
“Well, the only pirate I know is Minoko, and they were nothing like her. Well, the red haired one does yell a lot, but Minoko’s scary when she yells; he’s just silly.”
“Yes, he is rather silly, the way he keeps insisting that he is an outlaw instead of a pirate, as if one is any better than the other. But we don’t have any criminal files on any of them. They’re probably just some hippies out for a pleasure cruse. I’m inclined to believe their story; they were just investigating a derelict ship which the real pirates had just plundered and set adrift. Now, are you ready for lunch?”
“Uh-huh. And I invited Yuki to join us. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course.”
They went to the cafeteria and were joined by Yuki, who had been the chief Bushwoolie on Belle Star’s ship back before it had sunk. Luckily all hands escaped without harm because the ship sank in shallow water. The cause of the sinking couldn’t be determined, but Belle Star volunteered to take a leave of absence from the Pony Sea Patrol after that, and ended up doing archaeology in Friendship Gardens.
After lunch, Grandfather had Starwind and company released; then he and Belle Star returned to their vacation.
* * *
After several uneventful days, Starwind and company showed up at the sea gate, towing a pirate ship. Though they denied being bounty hunters, they did accept payment for apprehending the bandits, claiming they had only done it to prove their innocence. But with the pirates in custody, Grandfather had to return to the office while the prisoners were processed. Belle Star came to have lunch with him again, but managed to get lost on the way to the cafeteria. She wandered the halls of the Citadel, searching for the cafeteria or anyone to ask directions. Eventually she bumped into another pony, literally. As she helped the pony up, she asked, “Pardon me, but do you know how to get to the cafeteria from here?”
The eyes of the dark pony she had bumped into went wide. “You!” Before she knew what was happening, Belle Star found herself facing Nightshade’s blade. The dark swordpony lunged at Belle Star, who managed to dodge it despite her confusion.
“I only want to get to the cafeteria! Why are you attacking me?”
“You fool! Don’t you know who I am?!”
Belle Star paused and looked Nightshade in the eyes. “Oh! It’s you! What are you doing here, villain?” Belle Star reached for her sword, but unfortunately she hadn’t worn it today. She backed cautiously away from Nightshade.
Nightshade grinned evilly. “Well, well, well. It seems your luck has finally run out.”
Belle Star suddenly found her retreat cut off. Whatever she had run into, it was as solid as a brick wall, but it had a furry coat. She sensed something looming over her and craned her neck to look behind her and found a giant stallion glaring down at her. He snarled, baring lupin denture. Belle Star leapt aside as he slammed his massive hoof down where she had been standing, cracking the floor stones and rattling the entire hallway. The shock from the impact knocked Belle Star off balance; and as she reeled, Nightshade’s blade narrowly missed her.
Regaining her footing, Belle Star dashed off down a side passage. “After her!” bellowed Nightshade. The massive stallion, who was wearing the hide of a wolf about his shoulders, pulled himself up to his full height, his ears brushing the ceiling, and glared down at Nightshade. She glared back. “Are you forgetting who got you out of your cell? Now go!”
The wolf-stallion growled and took off after Belle Star with surprising swiftness, considering his size. Nightshade then turned to a quartet of shadowy figures in the hallway behind her. “You, too! I don’t want her getting in my way again! Except for you, Jack O Lantern. You stay close to me. I need you to get my brother back.”
Two of the figures disappeared into the darkness. Jack O Lantern stepped into the light. “I have no idea what you are talking about; but I’m in no position to argue, for the time being anyway.”
“And what about you?” Nightshade pointed her sword at the remaining figure.
“I am not cut out for such pursuits. Besides, I have more important things to take care of, namely reclaiming what is rightfully mine.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Sea Patrol took something of mine; they have it locked away somewhere in this fortress. I need to get it back!”
“I came here to get as many of you out of here as I could. I’m not going to waste any time searching the entire fortress for whatever it is you think is so important.”
“Ah, but we don’t need to search. I can sense it. Now that I am out of my cell, I know exactly where it is!”
Jack O Lantern nodded. “It might be a good idea to humor him. Only the most feared criminals are held here. If he feels this item of his is that important, there must be a good reason. And if he can lead us to it, it shouldn’t be too much trouble. Besides, with those three chasing that officer, I doubt anyone will notice the three of us.”
“Very well. Lead the way.”
* * *
Meanwhile, Belle Star tried frantically to escape the giant wolf-stallion, but it seemed every hallway simply led to another, and they all looked the same. As far as she knew, she had been running around in circles ever since the chase began. Then, as she turned yet another corner, Belle Star found herself confronted by yet another mysterious pony. He was no larger that she, red with a black mane and tail in long braids. He struck a pose, standing on one hind hoof with his forelegs crossed in front of him. “Kuroi-juuji!” he cried out and shot forward, his crossed forelegs catching Belle Star and throwing her against the wall.
Belle Star shook her head and stood up an wobbly knees. “I am impressed,” said the red pony. “Very few can survive a direct hit from my ‘Kuroi-juuji’ technique. But you will not survive a second hit.” Belle Star turned to run but found her escape blocked by the wolf-stallion. The red pony struck his pose and launched again. But this time Belle Star was ready for him. She countered with a roundhouse kick that sent him crashing into the wall. The wolf-stallion laughed and raised his mighty hoof. Belle Star didn’t have time to get out of the way. The hoof fell and met a massive curved sword.
“Are you all right, granddaughter?”
Belle Star looked up at her grandfather, who had blocked the wolf-stallion’s attack. “Oh, thank you, Grandpa!” She scrambled away from the wolf-stallion and her grandfather withdrew his sword, letting the steel-clad hoof crash to the ground.
The red pony climbed from the hole he had knocked in the wall. “It seems that I have underestimated you. I shall have to resort to more drastic techniques.” He struck another pose and began to chant.
“Granddaughter, go! I’ll deal with these two!”
“But Grandpa…”
“That is an order, Belle Star! Don’t worry about me; reenforcements are on their way.”
Belle Star hesitantly turned and retreated down the hallway. Before long she encountered the reenforcements led by Draco.
“I should have known you’d be involved in this,” said Draco. “Where is the admiral?”
Belle Star pointed down the hall. “He’s down there fighting two mean ponies! He needs your help! Please hurry!”
“Come on, men!” Draco led the Sea Patrol ponies into the fray.
At the end of the line was Yuki the Bushwoolie, who carried a large white pom-pom. “Belle Belle! Here!” He tossed the pom-pom to Belle Star. She caught it between her forehooves and it transformed into a transparent red cube.
Belle Star gazed in confusion at the strange device in her hooves. “What the…oh! I remember! She twisted and rotated the cube until a book appeared out of thin air in front of her. “No, that’s not what I want.” She continued to manipulate the cube, conjuring up all manner of items, pots and pans, clothing, tools, and toys, before finally materializing her sash and sword. “That’s it! Come on Yuki, let’s go help Grandpa!”
By the time Belle Star and Yuki arrived at the scene of the fight, it was all over. The hallway was in ruins, as well as several adjacent rooms. Grandfather was winded, but unhurt. The villains were nowhere to be seen. “Oh! Grandfather, you’re all right!”
“Yes, Belle Star, but those two got away. We’ll have to split up to find them. Draco, divide your troops into two parties. Belle Star, you and Yuki will come with me.”
Draco stepped forward. “With all due respect, Admiral, wouldn’t it be best to leave her out of this? I mean, as far as we know, she’s responsible for letting the prisoners out, though I’m sure she didn’t mean to.”
“It wasn’t me! It was Nightshade! I saw her. She sent those two after me.”
“Nightshade? Draco, send two ponies to check on Jack O Lantern and see how many other prisoners have been released. The rest of us will proceed with the search. Now let’s go!”
* * *
The gray stallion led Nightshade and Jack O Lantern into the depths of the Citadel. The vault where he led them was heavily guarded, but Nightshade was able to slip past the defenders with ease. She quickly located the ornately carved chest the stallion had described to her. It didn’t look all that impressive to her, just a dusty old box. But the stallion insisted that it was important and Jack O Lantern thought it was worth the trouble of recovering. With the box in her possession, she slipped out of the vault to rejoin Jack O Lantern and the gray stallion.
“Did you get it? Give it to me!” The old stallion lunged for the box as soon as Nightshade arrived.
“Not so fast, old timer. What is so important about this box?”
“Give it to me!”
“Just give him the box,” advised Jack O Lantern. “We can discuss the box after we get out of here.”
“Very well.” Nightshade tossed the box to the old stallion who clenched it tightly. The three of them then made their way to the pre-arranged rendezvous point to meet the three who had been sent in pursuit of Belle Star. They found the wolf-stallion and the red pony waiting for them.
“Where is the other one?” asked Nightshade.
The red pony shrugged. “I don’t know. She didn’t show up for the fight.”
“Did the two of you finish off that Sea Patrol pony?”
“No.”
“No? Then what are you doing standing around here?”
“Before we could finish her off, our fight attracted some attention. Even the two of us couldn’t hold off the entire garrison of Kuramitsu Citadel.”
“Well, if the alarm has been raised, we’d better get out of here.”
Just then a sea-green pony stepped onto the scene. “You’re not leaving without me, are you?”
“You! Why didn’t you help the others? The three of you together could have gotten rid of that pony once and for all!”
“That’s not my style. Not that I’m not grateful for the chance to get out of here, but I’m not into violence.”
Nightshade shook her head. “Very well. Let’s just get out of here.”
* * *
The ponies of the Sea Patrol searched the Citadel from top to bottom and found no sign of Nightshade or the escapees. Draco reported his findings to the Admiral. “Besides Jack O Lantern, four prisoners were released. Also, one item is missing from the vault. Here are the relevant files.” He set a stack of papers on the Admiral’s desk.
The Admiral flipped through the papers. “Hm. Thank you, Draco. Send in Belle Star on your way out.”
Draco left and a moment later, Belle Star entered. “Grandpa…”
“Belle Star, I have a favor to ask of you.”
* * *
“What are we doing here?” complained the red pony at the sight of Hemlock’s study.
Jack O Lantern looked about in disgust. “He has really let this place go. I’ll have to have a word with that former apprentice of mine.”
“Oh really, old master? Remember that if it weren’t for me, you’d still be rotting away in prison.” All heads turned to face Hemlock. “But then, I was never your apprentice. He is simply a convenient host.”
“Host? What are you talking about?”
“I am Zotikos, of Atlantis. You were my host too, for a while. But I never had to exert full control over you. Our goals, for the time, were the same. I simply provided a simple nudge in the right direction from time to time. But now that I have introduced myself, why don’t the rest of you?”
The red pony bowed. “I am called Akujitsu.”
“I have been called many things,” said the wolf-stallion. “You can call me Wolfgang.”
The sea-green lady pony was the next to introduce herself. “I am Lady Sea-Snake.”
Finally, the gray stallion, still clenching his box, spoke up. “My name is Darius.”
Hemlock/Zotikos nodded. “Akujitsu, Wolfgang, your talents will be most useful. As for the other two, I do not think I will be in need of your services. Really, Nightshade, I expected better of you. There were twenty seven inmates in Kuramitsu Citadel and you bring me five, two of which were hardly worth the effort.”
Lady Sea-Snake stepped forward. “Lord Zotikos, I beg of you, give me a chance to prove myself.”
“You seem awfully eager to serve,” said Akujitsu. “I have no interest in serving anyone. Zotikos, I am afraid I must decline your offer.”
“I have made no offer. I have given you your freedom; in exchange you will serve me. You have no choice. But once I have conquered the world, you will be rewarded, with power and dominion.”
“I like the sound of that,” said Wolfgang. “Power and dominion. Ya, I like the sound of that.”
“What about you, Darius?” asked Jack O Lantern.
The gray old pony shrugged. “I have no preference.”
“I suppose it cannot hurt to serve you for the time being,” said Akujitsu. “But when it no longer serves my purpose, I will take my leave.”
Hemlock turned to his sister. “What do you have to say on the matter, dear sister?”
“Don’t call me that, Zotikos. But since I went to the trouble of bringing Darius and Sea-Snake, it seems a shame to waste whatever talents they might have.”
“Very well then. Lady Sea-Snake, Darius, step forward. One of you will be my new host. The other will have the honor of serving me.”
Lady Sea-Snake bowed. “I am but a humble servant, not worthy to be your host. Leave me free and I will serve you well as I am.”
Darius was silent. Hemlock stepped forward and grabbed Darius’ head and looked into his eyes. A moment later Hemlock faltered and almost fell over. Nightshade rushed to his side. “Brother! Are you alright?”
“Sister,” Hemlock replied weakly. “Where am I?”
“Come, brother, you need to rest.” Nightshade led her brother away.
Jack O Lantern turned to Darius. “So, Darius, or is it Zotikos? Strange, I’ve studied Atlantean history and I never heard of any Zotikos.”
The gray stallion grinned. “Either will do. Darius or Zotikos, we have found this partnership to be more beneficial that either of us had imagined. And I don’t suppose you would have heard of Zotikos; I was but a petty governor of a lowly subject people of the Empire. But I recognized in those people, in the Night Clan, the power that I would need to make myself emperor! I secreted them away to this Dark Isle so that I could work my schemes in secrecy, but before my plan could be recognized the Empire fell. Though I fought to hold the hand of time, I eventually passed away, but my ambition lived on, as did my spirit. I spent the centuries gathering the pieces that would eventually bring me the power that I have always longed for. That is when I met you, Jack O Lantern, and I led you to the Night Clan and I made you my host. Then I moved to conquer the Isle ponies and unite the seven clans under my rule. And then, in an ironic twist of fate, my enemy, Clever Clover, found the key and re-opened the gates of Atlantis to me. And together we will storm those gates! The Empire, the world, will finally be mine! But our first step will be the conquest of the Isle. Then, with the Power of the Regents, we will be unstoppable.”
Jack O Lantern shook his head. “Atlantis is your goal? Then I don’t see what is in this for me anymore.”
“My dear Jack O Lantern, once I rule Atlantis, I will need a governor to rule the Isle. If you join my cause, that position can be yours. Otherwise…”
“Very well. We are allies, for the time being.”
* * *
Key’s Yagamo returned to Kuramitsu Island to pick up Belle Star. As she pulled into the dock, Key noticed a brand new cruiser docked in the next berth. Belle Star stood on the dock wearing her sash and sword. She carried a stack of files. “Hello Belle Star. How was your vacation?”
Belle Star seemed less cheerful than usual. She greeted her old friend with a salute. Key returned the salute. “What’s going on?”
Belle Star pulled a file from the stack and handed it to Key, and the rest of her files fell to the planks of the dock. “Oh! Why does that always happen to me?”
While Belle Star gathered the fallen files, Key looked through her file. “You’ve been returned to active duty? That would explain the new ship. And a jailbreak? That’s bad news. WHAT! A full pardon!? I know Minoko has made some progress, but a full pardon?”
Belle Star had finished regathering the files. “Uh-huh. King Oak put in a good word for her. And I’ve been assigned to be Clever Clover’s bodyguard!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crossing the Rubicon
by Sugarberry (Sugarberry@NematodeMail.com)
The orange stallion had second thoughts about visiting Native Dreams on this, the grand opening day for the shop that was now affiliated with his casino by proximity and financial support, when he stood in the doorway and realized just how much interest had been generated in the store through the vigorous advertising campaign he had sponsored. With barely room to walk, the stallion found it difficult to even move deeper into the shop, the displays a virtual cornucopia of items crafted by Native Ponies.
Before Wigwam could quietly turn around and slip away to await a more propitious time to extend his personal congratulations to the shop’s proprietor, Dreamcatcher, and her sister and manager, Bittersweet, the latter mare caught sight of him and squealed over the chatter of the customers, “Wigwam! Welcome to Native Dreams!”
With all heads in the shop swiveling to observe him, Wigwam would have gratefully dropped through the floor in that instant; but, in deference to Bittersweet, he smiled warmly and waited while the mocha unicorn made her way to him. Dodging the last several customers that stood between the two of them, Bittersweet finally found herself in front of the stallion; and, with a broad grin, she hugged him exuberantly.
“Wigwam, how can we ever thank you enough?”
“Keep up your rent payments on time,” drawled Wigwam.
Bittersweet ignored the comment. “You’ve made our dream a reality; and the flowers you sent are gorgeous,” she beamed.
“May I add my thanks to those of my sister?” queried Dreamcatcher, who had also taken advantage of Wigwam’s arrival to convey her appreciation to the stallion who had supported her desire to expand her business from a mall kiosk to a full-blown store, even though it had been Bittersweet’s constant harping that had swung the stallion over to the idea.
Looking to the pale orange unicorn, Wigwam smiled. He and Dreamcatcher had not
always been on the best of terms, but any differences had been put behind them in this effort to orchestrate a congenial business environment for the diffusion of all things Native Pony. Wigwam was pleased that their animosity had been overcome.
“Dreamcatcher, I wish you great success... and not only because of the investment I’ve put into this place. Native Ponies couldn’t have better representatives than you and Bittersweet to put their skills and achievements before the rest of Ponyland.”
“Thank you, Wigwam; we’ll do out best to live up to those noble expectations,” Dreamcatcher smiled, “... which means that at least one of us better meet our customers’ demands.” She sent a speaking glance at her sister before turning to help Princess Dawn with a purchase.
“Are you looking for anything special?” Bittersweet asked of Wigwam, incorporating her most efficient manner to make it appear that her time was being well spent on business affairs.
“Nice try, Bittersweet, but I think I’ll wait and do my shopping when the circus-like atmosphere has died down a bit.” The stallion tweaked her ear. “Go help a serious customer.”
* * *
It was evening before Sugarberry arrived at Native Dreams to check out the new store. To allow Dreamcatcher to put all her energy into the grand opening, Sugarberry had taken the seventeen-month old Tamarack under her care for the day and was only now returning him to his parents’ custody. Accompanying her and Tamarack were Vanguard and Banderol, of course; but they had stopped at Tabby’s mansion to include her and Thomas and Faline as well, making the outing a good opportunity for Sugarberry and Tabby to get caught up on local gossip and family happenings. The mares were busily doing just that as Faline and Tamarack pranced from them to the stallions behind, Vanguard carrying the already dozing Banderol.
“I hear you gained a new employee from your trip to New Pony,” Vanguard said, glancing at Thomas.
“Don’t ask me how that happened,” grinned Thomas, “but Tabby took a liking to Marina, and Marina was in need of a new direction in her career. Before I knew what was happening, she was hired on at the clinic.”
“Tabby told Sugarberry that she thoroughly enjoyed meeting some of the ponies who helped you out in your own career.”
“Steuben and Spindrift were a big help to me when I was in vet school; we’d been out of touch for years, but it didn’t take long to get back on congenial terms. I’m sure you must have had some close associations when you were in school as well.”
“Some were not worth continuing,” stated Vanguard, “although it was Decagon, my math teacher, whose influence propelled me into my teaching experience in Vulcanopolis.”
As the group was nearing Native Dreams, the conversation shifted to general impressions of the exterior of the store which was now brightly lighted to greet any ponies who had not yet experienced the Native Pony artistry now available at this exclusive establishment. The design of the building mimicked the construction of the casino itself, having the stylized shape of a tipi; large torch-like luminaries directed visitors to the front entrance which was still admitting curious ponies.
Once inside Native Dreams, Tamarack propelled himself straight for his mother, hugging her right foreleg as if he had been out of her company for ages. Dreamcatcher, helping one of the late customers, gave her son a quick hug and kiss before sending him to join his father who was hanging out near the refreshment table that had tempted many a pony in the course of the day. After commenting appropriately on the apparent success of the grand opening, Vanguard, Banderol, and Thomas joined Fetish and Tamarack, leaving Sugarberry, Tabby, and Faline to peruse the wide variety of items on display and share highlights of the day with the nearly exhausted– but proud– entrepreneurs.
Tabby and Sugarberry were once again joined by their spouses when they had made their selections, becoming the last customers of the day as closing time had already passed and Dreamcatcher was now rounding up the final sales. Bittersweet continued to chatter constantly about the highlights of this important opening.
“... and you could have knocked me over with a feather when Queen Serena herself came through the doorway; she seemed very impressed by everything we had to offer and made a substantial purchase. Everyone who was here at the time was quick to follow her lead. And the stallion who has been hired as director of the new art center came in and simply praised the paintings by Rozene; he had us set back this one...” She reached behind the counter to reveal a vibrant landscape. “...that he’ll pick up Wednesday. He’ll be in his apartment by then.”
“Who is this guy?” asked Tabby. She had, after all, promised Marina there would be plenty of eligible stallions in Dream Valley. She might as well start finding them so Marina would have a good selection– and also so she would stop enthusing over Thomas quite so much!
“He had his own art gallery in Golden City, but he was looking for a change and liked what he saw of Dream Valley. His name’s Rubicon, and he’s quite handsome.” Bittersweet winked at Tabby and Sugarberry. “He has the most ravishing blue-green eyes and he’s very attentive.”
“And has Teepee met this paragon?” asked an amused Sugarberry.
“Actually, no,” said Bittersweet with a grin. “But he has nothing to fear; Rubicon is too smooth, if you know what I mean.”
Amidst the comments that followed Bittersweet’s assessment of the new stallion in town, no one heard Vanguard’s softly-stated but indignant utterance. “Too smooth by half.”
* * *
Having parted with Tabby, Thomas, and Faline on the walk to their respective homes, Sugarberry noted her husband’s singular silence with misgivings. What had happened at Native Dreams to throw him into this pensive mood that seemed to shut her out? Her conversation once they were alone had either been ignored or met with unintelligible grunts. Of course, maybe he was quiet for Banderol’s sake, the little colt having had a hard day trying to keep up with the older and exuberant Tamarack. Sugarberry touched the stallion’s foreleg gently, an anxious look on her face. “Is something bothering you?”
Jolted from his reverie by the troubled tone in his wife’s voice, Vanguard turned his full attention to her and observed in some dismay that she was truly concerned about him. He flashed her a reassuring smile before launching into his explanation for his doldrums.
“It was the mention of this Rubicon; it set me to thinking about a past incident I had with a stallion by that name.”
“I’ve never known a Rubicon,” Sugarberry admitted. “Where did you meet yours?”
“We roomed together in college– Rubicon, Discus, and I. Rubicon and I became very good friends.”
“Could your Rubicon and the art director be one and the same?”
“He’s not my Rubicon, Sugarberry,” sharply retorted Vanguard. Immediately regretting the biteof his response, he apologized. “I’m sorry. I have no reason to be short with you; it’s Rubicon who has me irked.”
“So you do think the art director is the same stallion you knew in college?”
“He was a business major with an art minor, and I heard more than a few fillies comment on his eyes and his manner. And as you pointed out, there aren’t that many stallions with the name Rubicon.”
“If he was a friend, why are you... annoyed with him?”
“Well,” Vanguard sighed and shifted the sleeping Banderol to a more comfortable position, “Rubicon was always short of funds, so I often loaned him jangles to see him through. By the time graduation rolled around, he’d borrowed a substantial amount, plus I had made good on his last portion of the rent payment. Rubicon said he’d have the money on graduation day as his favorite aunt had promised him a monetary gift.”
“But he didn’t pay you back?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Maybe there were extenuating circumstances.”
“All I know is that Mom and Dad came for the graduation ceremony and had taken me out for lunch. Discus had opted not to go through the formal ceremony, so he had already left town several days earlier; Rubicon had told me that morning that he’d settle his account later as we were both going to be at the apartment yet that night, checking-out the following morning.
“My parents and I ran into Decagon, the head of the Mathematics Department, at the restaurant; and he and his family got along well with Mom and Dad, so we were all invited to Decagon and Paisley Pinafore’s house for a post-graduation get-together. It was evening when I got back to the apartment and discovered that Rubicon had packed-up his belongings and left. As he and I had shared over two years of college life, I was disappointed that he left without so much as a goodbye. Needless to say, I never saw my jangles again, either.”
“Did you ever try to get in touch with him?”
“He had always said that the jangles from his aunt would finance a tour of art museums; a call to his parents confirmed that he had done just that, but they were unsure as to his exact itinerary. I went directly into my masters work, writing off my loss to stupidity and experience.”
“This Rubicon must have been a decent sort of fellow to have earned your friendship.”
“At least we were both serious in our studies, unlike Discus who only put in his time. But Rubicon was a very gregarious sort of guy who was always the center of attention– the fillies flocked to him– so he had to be brought back to earth from time-to-time. Then he was capable of deep thinking. He used to say that I kept him tethered to reality so that he didn’t completely lose track of his reason for being in college.”
“I’ll bet you missed his company.”
“I was busy enough; but, yeah, life was a lot quieter.”
Both ponies fell into silence as they thought over events of the past that now returned to affect the present. Sugarberry was the first to speak.
“You’re bound to meet Rubicon here in Dream Valley at some point, and there’s no benefit in harboring old grudges. And besides,” she grinned, her voice teasing, “you needn’t loan him any more jangles.”
“That’s a given,” Vanguard grinned in return.
* * *
Looking forward to his luncheon date with Sugarberry, Vanguard found himself at the food court at the mall earlier than expected. Ordering himself a cup of coffee, he claimed a table with a good view of the mall corridors and settled in to wait for his wife.
His mind busily assessing the problems of one of his students who was having a difficult time adjusting to college life at Pony Pride, Vanguard was taken completely by surprise when a male voice interrupted those thoughts.
“Van! Who’d have thought I’d run into you here?”
Vanguard looked up to see a lime green stallion smiling broadly at him. “Rubicon. I’d heard you’d taken the position at the new art center.” He leaned back in his chair, determined not to show any emotion– good or bad– toward the stallion.
Rubicon seemed not to notice the rather cool reception. He drew up a chair across from Vanguard and sat down. “Yes. I was hoping to come into town without my reputation preceding me, however.” He leaned forward confidingly. “Promise me that you won’t reveal my darkest secrets.” He grinned. “Life has been good since college... two years in New Pony taught me more than twenty years studying out of books could have. Opened up my own gallery in Golden City, then sold out to my trusted assistant so I could get back to the heartland of Ponyland. And here I am in Dream Valley. What’s your story?”
Rubicon’s rambling dissertation took the edge off Vanguard’s smouldering indignation over seeing his old friend again, and he was able to smile, albeit stiffly. “I’m teaching at Pony Pride.”
“Ahh. So that explains your presence here. Small world. I know I said in my farewell note that I’d keep in touch, but New Pony just had too many... diversions.” He grinned. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
Puzzled by this reference to farewell correspondence, Vanguard asked, “What note?”
“The one with the pile of jangles I left for you,” Rubicon replied. “Looking back, I wonder how I could have spent so many jangles on a mare that I’ve never once seen since graduation day.” He chuckled. “It seemed worth it at the time. Do you know where Goldstar ended up?”
Ignoring that last question, Van stated flatly, “There was no note and no jangles.”
“Yeah. Sure. That many jangles would have been impossible to miss.”
“There were no jangles.”
“Sure there were... in an envelope on your backpack. I knew you wouldn’t leave without that thing. The note and the jangles, plus interest, nearly eclipsed your threadbare tote.” He looked smug. “I’m sure you were surprised to find that I really did keep track of every transaction made between us.”
“If you left the jangles for me, I never found them.”
“You couldn’t have missed them, Van.” Rubicon reiterated, leaning forward over the table, Vanguard’s words finally beginning to take on some meaning. “I left full payment for my loans.”
“Why didn’t you give it to me directly?”
“Because I didn’t have it to give until my aunt gave me her gift; you weren’t anywhere to be found by then, so I left it with your things.”
“You weren’t supposed to leave until the next day, like me.”
“That was the plan, but my dad had to hurry home because of some business crises, so I packed up quick so my family could help get my stuff moved out. Dad was impatient to get on the road; I couldn’t wait around for you any longer.”
“Did you lock up when you left?”
“Yes; it was the last thing I did before giving Ralph my key.”
“It was late when I left Mom and Dad at the motel; when I got to the apartment, there was nothing of yours to be seen... no note... no jangles.”