Everypony in Ponyville was sleeping under the rays of the moon, brought by Princess Luna. Everypony felt safe under the light that the Moon Princess brought them.

Two ponies were asleep under the moonlight, experiencing the pure bliss of the moon. One had cotton-candy pink hair, and experienced more energy per second than the whole west side of Sesaddle did a decade. The other was a bit calmer. Though a Pegasus, she was more down to earth than a standard Earth pony.
In a hut, secluded in a massive forest, the lone Zebra was asleep for the first time in days. As she turned over in her bed, the tome she had read flipped some pages from the slight breeze that came in through her open window.

In a cloud home, a grey Pegasus’ mouth was twitching, dreaming of Equestria’s Largest Muffin, being slowly devoured by the wall-eyed Pegasus.
Elsewhere, an orange pony was in her tree house, Stetson hat safely guarded under her left forelock. Her legs twitched, as she was dreaming of chasing a herd of cows away from Ponyville.

At the edge of the Apple farm, there sat a wonderful dress shop, where the pony in charge had fallen asleep at her sewing machine. Her hoof rested on the foot pedal lightly enough to keep the machine from feeding the fabric in too fast, but heavy enough to give a low, reassuring whirrrrrrrrr.

A young Pegasus with a mane in every hue was asleep on a cloud bed, close to the Librarian’s home, and her safety measure mere feet from her.

The librarian’s favorite book was clutched in her hoof, but still was dangling precariously off her bed, as her young assistant was asleep at her feet, exhausted by today’s work.

Down below in the basement was the only sign of life; a red fox was hunched over a piece of parchment, furiously scribbling out a math problem. His son, just a few heads shorter than him, was sleeping as peacefully as one could, face buried in his arms.

The red fox added a small ingredient to a small cauldron, bubbling away a concoction that held the answer. He turned to a machine that was humming and beeping away. Two wires connected the machine to the cauldron, where fiber optic cables transferred information.

It was there, in the basement of Ponyville Library, the red fox tapped a few more grams of a substance into the small cauldron bubbling away, next to the machine whirring and beeping.

He pulled a small syringe from a bag, filled it with the light blue concoction, and then pulled a container towards him with a rat, eyes blood-red from a disease.

It was there the calm night was shattered.

“Skorpeon!” Twilight Sparkle raced down the stairs. A massive yell had woken her from a peaceful sleep. It took her a moment to realize it came from her own basement.
The purple unicorn opened the door, and, without even looking at the stairs, jumped over the hand rail, landing neatly by the silver fox, his goggled slightly askew from the angle of his face.
“Twilight! Skorpeon handed her a rat, “Can you guess what specimen this is?”
Twilight telekinetically took the rat, her purple aura enveloping it so that it hung limply, like a kit in its mother’s mouth.
“It’s obviously not one that’s been injected…” she said, unsure of the silver fox, which had mysteriously arrived.
Skorpeon’s face fell. “Not injected?” He nearly screeched “Not INJECTED?” he picked the syringe from the table, waving it in her face. “It was injected, and then cured with THIS!”
Twilight felt her face stretching into a smile “Then we can help Fluttershy?”
Skorpeon smiled a crazed man’s smile “Fluttershy, Treyville. Hay, we can save the entire United STATES!” He jumped, pumping both fists against his chest. “I HAVE THE CURE FOR THE GREEN FLU!!”
Miles hid his face, even though this unicorn was the only one seeing him like that “Give it a rest dad.” He stood, fixing his goggles so that he could take a square look at his father.”Yeah, we can now save all them back home, but this is no reason to embarrass you like this.”
Skorpeon nudged the silver fox, knocking his goggles off. As he bent down to pick them up, he made eye contact with Twilight.
The purple unicorn gasped. Instead of eyes that were white with a vivid color, Miles’ eyes were pure red.
“Wha— ah-- ” she stammered, backing into a needle. She jumped at it sank into her flesh. Skorpeon dashed forward, pulling it from her flank.
“There’s a… thing, with us.” Skorpeon explained. “It’s called Magyk. Not like yours, where it’s only given to a few, but in Miles or me, it’s the reason that we can walk and talk the way we do.”
Miles adjusted his goggles, “One of the things is called mortification. See something that causes emotional trauma, and we somehow change both mentally and physically.”
Twilight rubbed her sore flank. “What was in that?”
Skorpeon eyed her. “You might feel a little light headed…” He caught the unicorn just as the anesthesia kicked in.
“Whooo!” Twilight’s effects kicked right in “The world is up dide sown!”
Miles picked up the needle labeled Vellum. “Soo… now we have a horny unicorn?”
Skorpeon’s response was a glare, with a quick giggle from Twilight. “These ponies don’t get horny, Miles.” Skorpeon rolled his eyes.
“Ah, right.” Miles grinned his signature mischievous grin, “They get Wing-bo--” His statement was cut off as the Rainbow Dash, followed closely by Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, barged their way in.
“Who are you?!” the rainbow-maned Pegasus stalked right up to Miles, “And what are you doing here?”
Twilight giggled, “Hey Dashie! Hehe, Dashie. Like DASHING!” Twilight swayed, nearly capsizing into Fluttershy.
“What kind of twisted wizard are you?” Rainbow Dash grabbed Skorpeon’s MoonFall sword in her mouth, pointing it directly at Miles. “What did you do to her?!”
“Calm down!” Skorpeon grabbed his sword from Rainbow Dash. Miles didn’t need any more scars.
“One, I am not a wizard.” Miles was glaring right back at Rainbow Dash. “Two, she just had a little accident. And three, he is my dad.” Miles pointed a mechanical glove at Skorpeon, watching Dash’s face fall.
“I’m. I’m sorry.” She hung her head, a small tear forming at the corner of her eye. Her apology, though directed at Miles, was also to Skorpeon.
“Rain.” Skorpeon put a comforting arm around her shoulders. “You didn’t know. Don’t tear yourself up about it. You were just helping.”
Miles twitched at the name. “What did you just call her?”
Skorpeon looked his son in the eye “She reminds me a lot of her, Miles.” Skorpeon stood, sitting at his table. Twilight was leaning against Pinkie Pie, to disoriented to stand right.
“So, what happened to her?” Fluttershy asked “Twilight, I mean.”
“Just a drug.” Skorpeon said, cleaning up the desk. “A powerful one called Valluim. Not only does it make the person not care about what’s going on around them, but it can also get their endorphins to spike.” Twilight fell with a muffled WHUMP!, then tried to scrabble back up. “And remove all control from their motor skills.”
“And what does that mean?” Pinkie Pie was trying to keep Twilight from falling over, yet trying to get the drugged unicorn staying in one place.
“It means,” Miles said, “That she’s falling head over heels for someone a lot faster than normal. Litterally.” He added as Twilight tried to jump over Fluttershy, and instead did a half-pirouette, causing her to land on the yellow Pegasus with a loud squeal.
“Hehehehee” Twilight giggled again, trying to focus on the many Miles’ swimming in front of her view. “Silly Miles. Silly Miles. Your name is. Silly Miles.” She stumbled over to him, and with a moment’s pause, planted a kiss right on his cheek.

Skorpeon’s yell of joy could, in no way, shape, or form, match the volume of Miles’ yell of disgust.

“I’ll see you guys soon.” He told the ponies, “It won’t take long to administer the cure.”

He bent to each of their level and gave them a hug.

“See you soon, Skorpeon”

“See ya man.”

“Goodbye, my friend.”

“After a while, crocodile!”

“Um, see you.”

“Ahbout how long?”

“Three, maybe for months.” Skorpeon told Applejack. “If there aren’t any problems, that is.”

He turned, slinging his medical supplies over his shoulder. He took one last look at his friends, then spun on the spot.

Skorpeon appeared at a small hut by a river. He flung his cloak on, pressing his ear to the door.

“All right. I respect that, Lylat.” A deep voice sounded through the door. Skorpeon dug his knuckle into the door as the voice continued.

“But, if you ever want to reconsider, I’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you Garan, but I’m keeping my ground.”

Skorpeon was thrown back as a tall, mechanical being came out of the hut. He had a bulky cylinder strapped to both arms, each glowing like miniature stars.

Skorpeon had his eyes forced closed. He was going to attack, he knew it. Skorpeon kept his fist balled tightly, eyes starting to glow black.

Garan turned, “Ah, how nice to see you, Brother.”

“Not as nice as it is to kill you.” Skorpeon growled. He pulled his sword from his back.
“Skorpeon RyDer!” A strict female voice called, “Get in. NOW!”
Skorpeon dashed inside, throwing the sword on the bed.
“What was that, I wonder?” his wife asked him, vibrant jade eyes boring right into his soul. He flinched.
“I told you EXACTLY what happened.” Skorpeon said, “Besides, the more yammering we do, the less time we have to get to Treyville before sundown…”
She nodded, picking up a shoulder bag.
“Got everything sorted out?” he asked, grabbing her hand.
“Let’s do it.” She said, grinning happily.

Skorpeon spun, then vanished with a slight pop.

“You absolutely sure?” One red eye met two jade eyes, and Skorpeon nodded.
“Yes,” he whispered in her ear “They need my help.”
Skorpeon’s wife looked at him “There’s not another girl, is there?”
Skorpeon laughed “No vixens like you, you mean.” He kissed her eye when she placed her temple on his shoulder. “I’m just as loyal to you now as I was when we got married.”
She replied by repositioning her head onto his chest, taking in the cologne Skorpeon was
wearing. “That’s all I need to hear.”
Skorpeon moved his hand down her side so that his wrist was resting on her hip.
When her breathing slowed down, Skorpeon gently slid of the bed and began writing a note.

To the Toa of Shadows;
I regret to inform you that I will not be remaining here in Metru Nui. It was good to see you all again—

Skorpeon crumpled the parchment up. In all actuality, he hadn’t seen his team since he left for Ponyville almost a year prior.
Gotta love Dmitri, falsifying people’s hearts and dreams he thought bitterly, the Carnival Incident sideling back into his mind.
Skorpeon tried again, crumpling the paper up and tossing it in the trash. It was good to be back in his home again without the zombies pounding on the doors.
Skorpeon thought for a moment, then tried one last time;

When we got married, I said it would be forever.
I’m still keeping that promise, just in a different city than you.
I’ll be back for you, don’t worry.
I’ll see you soon, Lylat.
Skorpeon

Skorpeon sealed the letter, placed it on the table, and then spun on the spot.

“Skorpeon!” All he saw was a blur of rainbow, then the ground greeting him.
“Hi Rainbow Dash.” He said, muzzle mashed in Equestria’s soil.

Dash threw her hooves around Skorpeon’s neck, pulling him in a massive bear hug, “You’re back!”

He spat some Rainbow-matted fur from his mouth, returning the hug "Hey Dashie."

Rainbow Dash reached behind her, and handed him a gift. "Congratulations on finding it, Skor."

He opened the little package.

Inside was a small, elaborately carved Elephant tusk, carved into an Ankh. It was the same design as the Ankh tattooed onto Skorpeon's chest.

Skorpeon picked the life symbol up, noticing for the first time the wooden chain that it hung on.

"Thanks Rain." he said, placing it around his neck. "Thanks a lot."

The Pegasus smiled, grabbing the hem of his coat. “C’mere. Twilight will be glad to see your back.”

The two talked about the adventure all the way back to the Library. Faintly, he can hear voices, but it’s probably just the fact that Twilight was the librarian and there were often countless ponies coming in and out, whether to talk or to borrow books.

However, when the voices silenced and a drape moved on the top floor, he realized what they were planning.

“After you.” Dash held the door open, and when Skorpeon came within view of the door;

“WELCOME BACK RYDER!” The lights clicked on, revealing all who were attending.

Skorpeon, the sudden noise and change in atmosphere, caused him to clutch his heart and collapse, causing the ponies to silence.

The position he was in hid his face, so when the initial shock wore down and a certain wall-eyed Pegasus prodded her, he couldn’t hold it longer;

“Gah! Fine! You win!” He rolled on his back, jumping right up with a grin on his face.

“RyDer!” he heard someone scold him.

He looked around, seeing everypony that welcomed him back.

There was a group of five, two unicorns, two earth ponies, and a Pegasus. They all had a grin on and were laughing at his little production.

A lone zebra stood next to them, shaking her head in his direction, the Pegasus that nudged him back at her side.

He smiled, seeing all his newfound friends united under the roof of the library.

“Thanks everypony.” He said “Really. You guys are the best.”

A little green dragon, sitting on the white unicorn’s back, rolled his eyes, “C’mon everypony!” he said, “Let’s boogie!”

He threw a switch, the lights went out, and the library filled with green, red, blue, and purple lights and music started playing.

“You guys got a hold of my zSize, didn’t you?” he asked, recognizing the song that they were playing.

The purple unicorn blushed, hiding her face. He placed a paw on her shoulder “It’s alright Twi. Do I look mad?”

Indeed, he was far from it. The nine of them were all the only friends he had now. His deputies from Star Zed, the Toa of Shadows, those he knew in Treyville… he hated them all now.

“Spike?” He called over the music, “Can you turn it off for a moment?”

Surprise appeared on everypony’s face as Spike turned the turntable off, all faces now at Skorpeon.

“Just for a moment,” Skorpeon repeated, “I need to tell you girls something…”

Next Chapter: Chapter 2: Formalities Estimated time remaining: 37 Minutes