In a town know as Hoofendale, there lived a unicorn known as Double Tail. A rather alliterate pony with cream skin and a dark blue mane in two ponytails with light green stripes who was quite gifted in magic. She also was a special kind of pony. As her name suggested, she had not one, but two tails; each one done in a ponytail, made more evident in her cutie mark which bare resemblance to her tails. Not only that, but she seemed to be able to use them to cast magic just as well as she did her own horn.
Currently, she was in the midst of practicing an important spell, focusing her energy towards a medium sized rock. She pointed her horn as well as her two tails towards the rock and fired a triple blast of light green energy at it, eventually turning it into a brown baby bunny.
"Yes! Another perfectly practiced spell done to the precise pinnacle of pleasurable perfection!" Double Tail exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Now if I could just learn how to turn rock into bits, I'd be golden."
After about an hour of practicing magic, Double Tail decided to take a break and take a walk out around town.
Hoofendale was a quaint little town that was nestled in the shadow of a large mountain and sat next to an equally large lake with rivers cutting through the grey cobblestone streets.
Double Tail had been born and raised here and couldn't think of any other place in Equestria to call home. After taking a drink out of the river, she casually strolled down the street, using one of her tails to magically pick an apple from a tree and take a bite.
"Delectable, delicious, and darn good too," she said.
After she was finished, she used one of her tails to throw the apple in a nearby trash can before happily whistling on her way. Seeing that it was a nice and sunny day, she felt the urge to take a nap underneath the warm sun and did so with her hind legs crossed.
As she got comfortable, she began to feel a small tremor. Just then, for no reason explained, she began to move, but not of her own free will. Something from underneath the ground moved her around, back and forth, until finally, it stopped and from out the ground, underneath her, popped a pony's head; a brown pony with a flat and spiky light brown mane and a shovel cutie mark.
"Hey," the pony said to Double Tail.
"Um...hi. Why are you digging in the dirt?" asked Double Tail.
"Gravel's the name and dirt is my game!" the brown pony said, digging around her, popping her head out from place to place. "And these are my pet earthworms; Slimy, Crawler, Mineral, Slither, Tape, Parasite, Slimy Jr.; he's still having trouble dealing with his parents' divorce; Blinder, Apple Core; who I think is making googly eyes at you; and Jim."
"Nice...to meet you...all of you. I'm Double Tail," Double Tail said sheepishly.
"Same to you. Well, I better get going. It's almost time for me to feet my pets. Between you and me...Slither gets ornery when he's hungry. Trust me...you don't wanna run into him in a dark alley," Gravel whispered to Double Tail before she dug back into the ground.
Double Tail was certainly intrigued upon meeting such an 'interesting' pony and was soon to meet another one as she heard a sigh coming from her left.
The sigh came from a turquoise colored pony with a light blue mane in a bob style, a short tail, and wearing brown taped glasses, laying on a bench.
The pony let out another sigh as Double Tail approached her.
"Hey. What ya doin?" Double Tail asked.
"Oh nothing, just wallowing in my pathetic existence," the pony said.
"Why such a Gloomy Gallop, girl?" asked Double Tail.
The depressed pony showed Double tail her flank, revealing nothing. This pony was a blank flank.
"Ohhhh, blank in the flank, huh?" Double Tail said, going to sit with the pony. "So I'm Double Tail, what's your name?"
"Normal," said the pony.
"Well, yeah, you're a normal pony, but what's your name?" asked Double Tail.
"Normal," said the pony.
"I know you're normal, but what's your name?!" said Double Tail.
"No, my name is Normal. That's my name," said the pony.
"Oh, well, I'm sure you'll find your cutie mark someday. You just have find your purpose in life and you'll ascend to achieve the attainable achievement," said Double Tail.
"Or I'll forever stay a blank flank and fade into obscurity, watching my fellow ponies find their special talents while I wither away into a endless puddle of nothingness. Well, nice meeting you, Double Tail. I'm gonna go drown my sorrows in some vanilla oat ice cream," Normal said as she walked away.
Normal certainly wasn't the most positive pony that Double Tail had met today, so she decided to press on with her walk to get her positive feeling back. Using her tails to levitate her, she walked on her two front hoofs, coming past a rather gothic looking house. The sight of its tall spires, gargoyles, and dark colors sent a chill down her spine.
"I bet this place would be a killer at Nightmare Night parties," Double Tail said with a shudder.
Suddenly, the door from the house burst open and from out of it emerged a black pony with a light purple mane, a skull cutie mark, and carrying a large black umbrella. The pony stepped in front of Double Tail, lifting the umbrella and revealing herself to her, staring at her with cold stoic eyes.
Double Tail stood there, trembling, not knowing what the mysterious pony was thinking or what she was gonna do, until the pony finally spoke.
"Who are you?" the pony asked coldy.
"I-I-I'm D-d-d-double T-t-t-t-tail," Double Tail answered.
For a moment, the pony remained silent again, her stare cutting a hole straight through Double Tail, piercing her more than the sharpest knife ever could. At that moment, Double Tail braced herself, for she could sense the worst was about to come. And then...
"Hi! I'm Necro! Nice to meet you!" the pony said exuberantly, much to Double Tail's relief and surprise.
"Whew! You gave the old mare a scare there," said Double Tail.
"Yeah, that happens a lot with the whole Goth pony thing and the skull cutie mark, not to mention the whole 'powers over the undead' thing," said Necro.
"The undead?" Double Tail asked curiously.
Using her horn, Necro summoned two skeleton ponies from out of the ground. Double Tail was left speechless, but there was more to come as Necro grabbed a top hat and a cane and began tap dancing with the skeleton ponies.
"Yeah, it's kinda my dream to perform, preferably in Las Pegasus. I wanna be a big star! I'm sorry, was that too frightening for you? Guess so," said Necro.
"That...was...AWESOME! That was undeniably, unmistakably, unequivocally, unintentionally, the best thing I've ever seen!" Double Tail exclaimed.
Necro and the skeleton ponies bowed as Double Tail applauded them.
"I've been trying to get an audition for weeks, but you know, undead skeletons aren't really the most comfortable company," said Necro.
"You've got a terrific, tantalizing, talent for tap dancing; I'm sure you'll find something eventually. Ponies today just have no taste," said Double Tail before she bid Necro a farewell and headed off.
Necro then turned to the two skeletons. "Not a bad performance, now let's try Theatre," she said.
Necro took the first skeleton's head and began reciting Hooflet.
After walking for a while, Double Tail spotted a nearby tree. She used her two tails to levitate up to the tree and relax on a long branch, only to get knocked to the ground by a grey hoof.
"What the hay?!" Double Tail said.
"Get your own tree, missy! I was up here first!" said a voice coming from the tree.
Double Tail looked up to a see a grey Pegasus with a black, spiky mane, and a cutie mark of a dark grey cloud with lightning bolts coming out of it.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you there. I'm Double Tail, and you are?" Double Tail asked.
"Zero," said the pony.
"Zero?" asked Double Tail.
"As in it's zero business of yours what my name is," said the pony.
"Is it Greycloud?" Double Tail asked.
"How did you figure that out?" asked Greycloud.
"Lucky guess...plus your cutie mark kinda gave it away," said Double Tail.
As Double Tail began to walk off, she tripped over something in front of her, but when she looked back to see what it was, she found nothing. She looked to her sides and up in the sky, but found absolutely nothing. However, when she looked back to her front, a Pegasus appeared in front of her, a rather unusual Pegasus; white with polka dots of different colors and a light red mane.
Double Tail was blown away by the appearance of this pony. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," she said.
This comment made the pony run to a nearby bush and camouflage herself. Double Tail meant nothing offensive by what she said and walked over to apologize, however, the pony gave no response. Double Tail tried to figure out what the deal was with this pony until Greycloud intervened.
"Don't waste your breath. That's Speckle. She doesn't talk," Greycloud said.
"Speckle huh? Well that's a nice, nifty, neat trick you have there. You can camouflage yourself?" Double Tail asked.
Speckle smiled and nodded before Double Tail's stomach growled.
"Well it was nice meeting ya both, both I gotta grab me some grub and gorge myself," Double Tail said before she ran off.
Double Tail's favorite place to eat was a little place called the Hefty Hay. There, she ordered a double hayburger with a side of hay fries and a large hay shake and proceeded to gorge hard on her food, getting some of it all over her face. Just then, she spotted Normal heading into the restaurant.
"Hey, Normal! Over here!" she shouted with her mouth full.
"Oh, hey Double Tail," Normal said drearily.
"I thought you were drowning your depression in some delicious dairy," Double Tail said.
"I was, but then I ran out. 35 jugs gone way too fast. So I decided to come here. Figured since I don't have a purpose in life, no use in worrying about my figure," said Normal.
"Normal, has anyone ever told you, you bring as much light into a room as a dim lightbulb.
"...yes..." Normal answered with a pause.
Suddenly, Gravel popped out of the floor. "Heya, Double Tail, long time, no see," she said.
"Hey, Gravel, what are you doing here?" asked Double Tail.
"My earthworms wanted take-out," Gravel answered before noticing Normal. "Who are you?"
"Normal..." Normal answered.
"I know you're a normal pony, but what's you're name?" Gravel asked.
"Normal," Normal answered again.
"My name is Normal!" Normal said.
Gravel finally realized what her name was as Greycloud walked by them up to the counter. "Do you mind?! Some of us are trying to order here!" she said.
"Ms. Sunshine over there is Greycloud," said Double Tail, introducing her to the others.
From behind, Speckle entered and gave Double Tail a hug, causing her to nearly choke out her food, but instead she let out a big burp as Necro entered the restaurant, causing Necro to fall back.
"Wow! The food here must be extra good today. I always say, if you burp, that means the food is real good," said Necro.
"Aren't you that creepy Goth pony?" asked Normal.
"Guilty as charged. Name's Necro; undead magic user and aspiring star!" Necro said.
Using her magic, Necro summoned three skeleton ponies, took their heads, and juggled them with her front and hind hoofs. Double Tail, Gravel, and Speckle were highly impressed.
Normal gave a tiny clap and then a sigh. "Yet another pony with a great purpose in life that I'll never have," she said.
"Hey! Keep it down! Your goofing off is making me lose my appetite!" Greycloud said.
"Geez! Who spit in her oats?" said Gravel.
Suddenly, a random pony walking by where Greycloud was sneezed directly onto her food.
"Well nobody spit, but somebody certainly sneezed in them," said Gravel.
Just then, another pony entered into the restaurant.
He was a dark green mare with short dirty blond hair, wearing a light red dress shirt, and a half brain cutie mark. Another pony bumped into him, knocking the both of them down. She was a magenta unicorn with a long wavy black mane with white lines, dark purple eye shadow, a beauty mark, was wearing a gold crop top with black stripes, and also had a half brain cutie mark.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, sis," said the mare.
"Why don't you watch where you're standing, bro?!" said the pony before she reached into her top and pulled out a small mirror to check on her makeup.
The mare took a look around the restaurant to make sure no one was looking at them and directed his sister towards some seats nearby. But try as he might, he couldn't walk over to them. Turned out his sister had one of her hoofs on his tail. It wasn't until she stopped checking on her makeup that she finally let go which sent her brother flying into the wall.
"Bro, stop fooling around," said the pony.
After coming to, the mare took a seat with his sister.
After a while, another pony came into the restaurant; a yellow unicorn with a black mane that covered her right eye, red eye shadow, wearing a black fur coat, red and gold circular earrings, and a cutie mark a knife going through red lipstick. The pony approached the two at their table, addressing them by their names; the mare as Nitman, and the pony as Witman.
The two in turn addressed her by her name; Femme Fatale.
"Now, you two know why you are here," Femme Fatale said.
"To get something to eat?" suggested Nitman.
"I am rather famished," said Whitman.
"No, you morons!" Femme Fatale said, pulling out a book.
The book contained a picture of a small, silver statue shaped like a unicorn's head. The statue was known as the Head of Malevolence as it turned out, an explorer by the name of Trench Digger had recently uncovered the artifact less than a week ago and was presenting it to the Hoofendale Museum tomorrow night.
As Double Tail and the others were eating their food, Normal overheard Femme Fatale talking about the statue quite secretively and began to grow suspicious.
"And that's when you two will strike. Do I make myself clear?" Femme Fatale said.
"Yes," said Nitman.
"Absolutely," said Whitman.
"Good. We will commence with the plan tomorrow afternoon," said Femme Fatale.
"Oh, but I have one important question, boss," said Whitman.
"Yes, what is it?" asked Femme Fatale.
"Could we get some lunch before we go?" asked Whitman.
Nitman nodded in agreement.
Femme Fatale just facehoofed herself in annoyance.