“Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”Evan yawned loudly as he got up from his bed. He smacked his lips as he rubbed his right eye with a foreleg while he glanced round with the other. Well I better get up now. It looks like its getting to be around noon now. Evan thought as he groggily got out of bed and slowly made his way to the bathroom to prepare for what was left of the day.
Some time later...
Evan made his way though the town wondering how to best start the afternoon that didn't end in possible fires. Nothing interesting... Evan concluded in disappointment. Then he heard a loud sound of grinding gears and wheels rolling and perked up and faced the direction of the commotion. What he saw was astonishing and Evan couldn't resist investigating. So he trotted up with a look of pure excitement at the mechanism before him.
“So brother of mine what plan do think will get us the recognition we deserve? Those apples in Ponyville not only blemished our name, but now I don't think that town will be easy pickings any more.” Somepony dressed as a barber said while laying on a couch. Evan cantered up to them and could barely contain his excitement as he spoke. “Hey did you guys make this? And what does it do? I heard it coming over and I just couldn't help myself! I had to meet the creators!” Evan said as quickly as his lips would allow.
“Well look at this dear brother of mine we have a pony that knows true genius when he sees it! That's quite the refreshing experience.” One of the ponies said as he got off of the couch and made his way to Evan. The first thing Evan thought of him was, Nice mustache.
“All we need is some investments and we can begin to make another Flim & Flam specialty!” Said the stallion with the mustache putting a hoof around Evan's shoulders. Flim and Flam? I've heard of these two in the paper! I heard they terrorized Ponyville not to long ago... I cant trust these ponies.
“Uh I think I need to think something like this out... I need to uh... go to the...” Evan started to look around frantically hoping to find an excuse to get away without looking to rude. He then saw Kidd painting a scene in the park and decided to go with that. “Uh the park! Yeah I cant make a decision without a quick walk through the park!” Evan said nervously as he wriggled out from under the mustachioed pony's hoof.
As he galloped off to the park Flam put his hoof down and sighed heavily. “I don't think he'll be coming back Flim... I think our bad reputation from Ponyville proceeds us...” Flim came over and put a hoof on his brother's shoulder and tried to comfort him. “Come now brother we cant give up. We've poured everything we can into this business, If we give up we lose it all.” Flam merely held his head low and let his ears droop.
“I think I can procure an appropriate amount of financial support for you both.” The brothers both looked up to see a mare in a shaded alleyway looking at the pair. “As long as you do what I desire I can give you whatever it is that you wish.” She put her hoof out to the brothers. “So do you agree to join me?”
Flim had a bad feeling from the mare before them, but Flam feeling desperate decided to take the offer. So he stood up and walked up to the mysterious mare and shook her hoof. Flim simply stood and reluctantly followed his brother to the alleyway.
So serene... so pristine... its almost like I can lose myself in the beauty of this sight forever... Kidd thought as he sighed. He brought his brush through a small pool of green paint from his palette that he held with his left hoof. He sent his the brush with his other hoof to the canvas he had been working on since he had woken up earlier that morning. He just had to get this small patch of grass then allow it to dry.
“Kidd! Hey whats up Kidd!” Evan yelled in greeting as he galloped to his friend. Kidd barely pulled back his hoof so he didn't mess it up.
Kidd sighed and calmed himself before facing the unicorn. “Yes Evan? I'm kind of in the middle of something.” He said while gestured to the canvas with the palette holding hoof.
“Oh nice painting! But hey just wanted to say hi and get away from those two barber shop ponies.” He said with a smile.
Kidd barely restrained a face hoof. Does he ever just, I don't know... Make sense!? “What barbershop ponies?” He said putting down his painting tools to give Evan his full attention.
“Well - Evan sat to tell his story - I was just walking through town...”
One story later...
“And so I saw you and thought I should go see what you were up to.” Evan finished with a bright grin.
Kidd was laying on the ground with his eyes covered with his hooves. He could have given me the short story... “Well now that the sun has changed position in the sky and the scene is ruined I might as well go back home...” Kidd said in a forced calm voice.
“I'll go with you! Oh and we can visit Kristoph and Lunar! I got a letter that Lunar sent saying they got a house just out of town!” Evan got up to follow Kidd as he gathered his things and started to fly back to his home.
“Fine just let me put my things away. I didn't have anything else planned for today.”
After they dropped off the almost finished painting and other things they made their way to the edge of town. When they arrived at the train tracks that ran by the city, Evan consulted a map he had been levitating in front of his face. “Alright just cross the tracks and follow this path. And we should get there in a minute or so.”
“And why did they both decide to live in the same house? And so far from town? This is just next to the bog of the EverFree forest... I'm pretty sure that two famous musicians can both afford a much better location by themselves, but the two of them should be able to buy half the town!” Kidd said following Evan's directions.
“I don't know the letter didn't say, just the directions. But any how, here we are!” Evan said happily looking up from the map and gasped at the sight.
“Alright... got to admit. That. - Kidd gestured at the house before the pair with his front right hoof - Is awesome.” They gazed at the house and marveled in the design. Hocus's house was an arcade machine, but these two had a house that was a giant speaker! It was easily three stories in height, it had all the controls for it on a covered panel on the outside by the door. Evan pondered something for a moment and rushed to their doorbell wondering if he was right. On the doorbell was a small coat of arms that had an electric guitar and microphone across it, resembling their cutie marks. Evan growing excited in anticipation depressed it with his front left hoof and waited a moment. Then a speaker popped out and blared out the sound of a guitar screeching.
Evan clapped his front hooves together in joy while Kidd caught up to him. “You are way to excited about the doorbell.” Kidd said with a raised eyebrow.
Without breaking his smile Evan replied. “Come on we're about to meet our friends! Why aren't you more excited!?”
Before Kidd could answer the door opened to reveal Lunar with some cardboard boxes on his back. When he saw his guest he grew a grin to match Evan's and opened the door wide. “Hey guys whats up? Come on in! We're just getting all of our stuff unpacked so we can be officially moved in!” Lunar said excitedly.
“Who is it Lunar? Is it the pizza delivery pony?” Kristoph said from the balcony upstairs. He turned around and saw Kidd and Evan and waved to them. “Oh hey! How have you guys been?”
“Fine, Evan ran from some barber ponies but other then that fine.” Kidd said with a smirk.
“Oh were they the singing kind of barber ponies!?” Lunar asked facing Evan with a huge grin.
“I didn't run from them! I just left in a hurry away from them...” Evan said trying to defend himself while putting a hoof to his chest.
“That's not the impression I got from your story. But anyways we have nothing to do today so we came over to say hi and welcome you guys to town.” Kidd said still smirking at Evan's reaction to the earlier comment.
“Well I think we kinda deserve a break after dealing with all of this. So why not? You comin' Lunar?” Kristoph said descending a stair case to join the others.
“Sure!” Lunar replied eagerly While putting down the boxes he was carrying. So the four of them left the home and headed towards town.
“So these are to be the next underlings in our plan?” Said a dark colored stallion as he approached his accomplice from behind.
“Yes, I've just now put the Seeds of Nightmare inside them.” The mare replied as she withdrew her blue magical cloud from the now unconscious Flim Flam brothers. “Now all of their emotions will be in utter turmoil. The slightest thing can set them off on a rampage.” She said growing a wicked smirk.
“The Enchantments I've placed on the building should shield your magic from the princesses so they shouldn't have felt the spell.” The stallion informed as he watched the brothers murmur in their magical sleep.
“Good. I'm still unsure if they felt my magic when I took over this pathetic mare. But she had a slight jealousy brewing from her sister falling in love with the stallion she had her eyes on. So it didn't take much of my waning power.” She said gazing at her own hooves or rather her host's hooves in disgust. Her actual hooves were a deep purple while her coat was mint green. Her mane was short and puffed up a bit and striped black and the same purple as her hooves. Her tail was short and spiky and matched her mane only without the stripe of black. She glanced at her side and opened and closed her wings.
She sighed in annoyance, When I had taken over that pathetic Luna I had the benefit of wings and a horn. This body only has the former of the two. Of course I still have some magic thanks to the abilities that Luna had with her pure magic mane. I can still use that to some degree but I don't have the raw power and control I had before.
“So what is the next faze of this plan? And when does it give me back control of my empire and slaves?” The dark stallion said.
“Soon enough Sombra... These things take time and patience. You of all ponies should now the value of waiting.”
Sombra grunted in pain as his form wavered and his body started to lose its shape. His horn glowed bright and crystals started to form around his hooves once again and he slowly returned to normal. He glanced at the mare in front of him and panted heavily.
“I cant continue to wait Nightmare Moon! The longer I'm away from my empire the closer I am to fading into nothing!” Sombra said stamping his hoof in frustration.
Nightmare smirked, even if he is an ally its still fun to watch somepony else in obvious distress and pain. “All in due time, I'm sure the king of the Crystal Empire can last a few more measly days now can't he?” She said in a mocking tone as she walked by running her borrowed tail across his face. He only growled in return trying to keep his calm.
Whether I like it or not I need some assistance to get back my rightfully deserved throne! That will be the the first and last time I get my throne taken away from my grasp! Sombra thought to himself angrily.
Nightmare guessed what he was thinking and said. “Oh don't worry there will be nothing to stop you retaking the throne. Once you help me retake my throne of course. First the Elements of Harmony must be disposed of then the princesses, then there will be nothing to stand in our way.”
Sombra let a smirk play across his muzzle at the thought of what his first action would be once he again ascends the throne.
“Uhhh... apples... ignorant...” murmured Flam in his still unconscious state.
“Well perfect timing, they're beginning to stir.” Sombra said as he moved closer to the brothers as they struggled to get to their hooves.
“Perfect, now all I need to do is direct their fury in the proper way. Then we can bend them to our will. Now please take notes because I will not be repeating myself.” Nightmare said getting a malicious grin as she made her way over.
“Farewell sister I shall protect Canterlot and await news of your progress.” Luna said as she gave her sister a hug.
Celestia returned the embrace and replied. “Of course Luna, I have faith you will do what is necessary in my absence. - She turned to face Kebert at Luna's side - And I trust you to assist my sister in her duties.” She said with a warm assuring smile.
“Why of course Princess! I couldn't be happier doing anything less!” Kebert said in a confident tone while puffing out his chest a little.
Celestia turned and took her place upon the carriage awaiting her. “Well lets be on our way gentlecolts.” She said to the royal guard members who began to pull the carriage towards Ponyville. Celestia turned and waved one last time to her sister and her student.
Once she was out of sight Luna got to her hooves and made her way back to the throne room Kebert following close behind. “If you don't mind me saying princess maybe you should take a short rest. At least until the sunsets, these are not your usual working hours after all.” Kebert growing some concern that Luna would get fatigued in this stressful time.
“Thank you for the concern Kebert but I cannot leave the kingdom without a leader in such a dangerous time. I shall just have to apply myself.” Luna said in a confident tone.
“Of course Luna, so what shall be the first order of business?”
“Well we shall have to make a plan to deal with an invasion before its necessary. Disaster prevention if you will.”
“How do you plan to do that?” Kebert asked with a raised eyebrow cast in Luna's direction.
“Well the magic energy came from somewhere in the EverFree Forest so we should put up monitoring teams in any neighboring towns and places of importance.”
“And how do we do that? Since we are supposed to remain her and all.”
“Well that shall be your task Kebert.” Luna said with a twang of regret she barely keep from entering her voice. I need to be strong.
“What do you mean 'my task'? I thought I was to assi- “Assist me in anyway possible.” Luna interrupted. “And you will by doing this for me, and once you have these teams set up you can return and I can rest much easier knowing the towns will be safe.” Luna finished.
“But why cant you get one of the royal guard to do it princess? Or even Celestia? And who will I even get to head up these teams and who will I get to make up the teams?”Kebert tried hoping to not leave his princess behind.
“The royal guard are already too busy fortifying the towns as it is, they cant afford the stallion power. And Celestia cant spend enough time in each city to both look over the fortification and form these teams. And you and I shall be in charge of these teams, and as for who shall be the team members... I have a good feeling you shall find the help you will need once you arrive.” Luna explained. Seeing Kebert open his mouth to retort and soon close it in defeat hurt her deeply. She has only had the benefit to know him a short while and she was already sending him away. But it has to be done, for the good of the kingdom.
So putting on a brave face she lifted up Kebert's chin with a hoof and looked at him. “I am expecting great things from you my student. And I cant do this without you, I'm sure you will not let me down.” She said soothingly to a frowning Kebert.
“Alright Luna... I'll do it for you.” He said wiping the frown and replacing it with a determined look.
“Now that's the Kebert I know.” She said with an encouraging smile.