'There are things in this world that can't be explained. Sometimes, things just happen because that's the natural order. Sometimes things happen because of coincidence. There are even rarer things that occur when someone messes around with something they shouldn't have touched. Though, in the most rare and unforeseen cases, such as this... Sometimes the universe has a way of changing things forever.'

---

[Canterlot Castle, Currently under siege]

"And here I thought today couldn't get any worse. I can't be right about anything, can I?" A stallion stated worriedly, quickly evading the blasts of some kind of biped soldier, draped in a black and bronze armor as it marched closer.

The stallion hid behind the throne as he frantically tried to activate the strange watch on his wrist, yet it wouldn't function properly. Infuriated, the stallion grabbed a discarded spear and hoped for the best as he stared up at the soldier, who was aiming at the stallion for one more shot. Then, everything froze in place, like time had stopped then and there.

'How did I get wrapped up into this mess? All I did was buy an overpriced tacky watch at an antique shop... now I'm gonna die for it. Well, might as well let my life story flash before my eyes before I meet my end, just to recap.' The stallion thought to himself.

---

[TWO YEARS AGO...]

Let me start with introductions... to whatever afterlife awaits me, as long as it's not Tartarus.

I'm Everchange Spectical, I'm essentially the metaphorical redheaded stepchild of the Canterlot royal family. I don't know who my parents are, nor do I actually give a buck, a hoot or a frickin' holler about who they are. They dumped me at an orphanage in Ponyville, and I didn't make a lot of friends, mainly because some uptight mare, appropriately named Spoiled Milk, kept calling me blank flank.

Needless to say, I was a problem starter kind of boy, and it didn't help that with every time I was called blank flank by Spoiled, I didn't hesitate to buck her in the muzzle. Sure, I felt bad afterwards, but not enough to consider apologizing. She wanted to poke the bull, and she got the horns.

By the time I was old enough to live on my own or support myself, the princess herself, Celestia, comes strolling in like she owned the place... and technically she did, she did contribute to 90% of the fundraisers to keep the orphanage open. When the owners asked what urged her to grace them with her presence, she ended up pointing towards me, with the most sweet, smug, sympathetic and saccharine smile I ever did see, and decreed that I would be adopted and integrated into the Canterlot royal family.

I up and laughed my flank off, even going as far to nearly collapsing due to a lack of oxygen from how hard I was laughing that day, as did the owners and everypony else who was there. I was 19 and about to pack my stuff and leave to be on my own, then the princess comes in to make me a part of her royal family? Sounded way too damn good to be true. My laughter immediately came to a stop when the princess said she was adopting me as her new nephew, and was already filling out the paperwork.

By the time I knew what had happened, I was outside the orphanage with a small bit of luggage, and the princess was keeping me literally under her wing as she escorted me to this luxurious carriage. It was by this time, I didn't have an actual talent yet, no cutie mark to define me or my calling in life. As the carriage moved and brought me to the castle all the way in Canterlot, I already felt out of place.

She told me 'This is where your new life begins, my dear nephew. You'll have plenty of friends to make and you'll have a lot to learn.' It never did occur to me what she meant about me making friends or having a lot to learn right then and there, but by the time I was settled in, like, a couple weeks maybe, she had several curriculums and classes prepared.

I then showed the princess why the orphanage had magically enhanced padlocks on my room when I got into trouble by straight up doing the opposite of what she says. I wasn't someone who liked playing by the rules, because why play by someone else's rules when I can play by my own?

I expected the princess to have her guards do something about my immature actions and blatant disregard of wanting to do things her way, yet she never did a thing. All she did was watch as I let the real me show through, someone who didn't give a damn about the pointlessness of pompous politicians or ridiculous schedules. Life was my schedule, and it was always bound to change, but I could easily make any day what I wanted it to be. I was still young, I was still free, but I was at least grateful of being allowed to be this free.

Well, I'm gonna die because of a point-blank shot to the face, might as well remember my new family for who they were at their best, and not at their worst.

I had to wonder, if Celestia was my aunt, then who was actually gonna be my 'mother'? Well, it was the princess of the moon, Princess Luna, Celestia's long forgotten sister. Supposedly, the elements of harmony had returned weeks ago, prior to my recent adoption into the royal family, to return Luna to normal after being stuck as Lunar Blight for so long. Plus, I guess Luna understood me a little bit, with how I never knew my biological family, and thus had Celestia adopt me as her nephew, with Luna being my new surrogate mother. I'm sure someone will figure out how in Tartarus that's supposed to make sense, cause I know I don't.

Aside from new surrogate mothers and aunts, I technically now had a couple cousins. There was Mi Amore Cadenza, though she prefers to be just called 'Cadence'. A real emotional pegasus who enjoyed solving problems like finding out the true meaning behind the purpose of love or whatever. She's pretty chill, and she seems pretty content with her life and how its going.

Then, there was my least favorite cousin, Prince Blueblood Casa Amore. Poor bastard wanted to live free and be a navigator, but his family crest said to hell with his wishes and he became the most pompous and most self-centered prick I have ever known... Is what I would say if Prince wasn't actually my favorite cousin, and not at all a pompous spoiled twat. Prince was actually pretty reasonable, sharing my passion of being free to do whatever, whenever, however we want. I still didn't have my mark yet, so I had no idea what I'd be doing in the future, but Prince was a real navigations expert.

Now, my least favorite new surrogate cousin, could very well actually count as my cousin. Where Luna was my surrogate mother, Celestia was Sunset's surrogate mother, some nonsense about it being like a 'Teacher-and-Student' kind of bond. Something I didn't have with Luna, cause what the buck is an Alicorn gonna teach an Earth Pony, hmm? Anyway, Sunset Shimmer and I never got along. We had different views on a lot of things, especially when it came down to how certain things should be handled.

Another nation wants to wage war on Equestria? She said let's try to resolve things peacefully, where I already started loading up a cannon. Goes to show, because she's Celestia's faithful student, and the new bearer of the Element of Magic, I didn't exactly have a good hoof to stand on already. I was always the odd one out in my new family, mainly because I'm surrounded by horns and wings, and I don't have an ounce of earth pony magic in my body to even match up, but my life was pretty easy from here on out.

That is, until I went out to get an accessory for myself on my twentieth birthday.

---

[Fast Forward Two years, but rewind to about a week ago...]

It was just a regular day in Canterlot. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the flowers were coming into bloom. I remember that day well, I was writing out a small note for my mother, letting her know it wasn't her fault for the meteor that crashed sometime ago. By the time I had finished, I grabbed a sack full of bits off my nightstand and threw on my best casual wear. A black sleeveless leather jacket with a popped collar, and a white short sleeve shirt with a blue ring on the head collar.

When I had left, a few of the guards were trying to keep me shielded from others. I promptly gave them a firm smack and told them to bugger off. They respected my wishes and returned to their original posts, rubbing their stinging cheeks as I made my way to the antique shop.

For some odd reason, I had a love for old and ancient looking stuff that looked really kick-ass. I had a rusted halberd hung up on my wall, I made an old battleaxe into a battleaxe bass guitar (that Sunset ended up pawning off behind my back...), and I got an old guidebook on how to beat one of the gamecolt games I had. I think it was 'Pockétmon' or something like that.

Needless to say, I found some wickedly good stuff at the antique shop. It's like the old saying goes, 'One mare's trash is another Stallion's treasure!'

"Heyo!! Your regular customer has arrived, Mr. Quantility!" I called out as I swung the front door open.

At the front desk stood a stoic and very old stallion who was polishing some oversized metal ball with black lines and details on it. This stallion, 'Mr. Quantility', was a faded dark teal stallion covered in marine tattoos, with a splintered seashell covered in gold and surrounded in green dollar signs as a cutie mark.

"Aye, if it isn't the pile of royal leftovers, rollin' back into me store like a familiar ocean tide! Is it that time already fer us to haggle for prices again?" Mr. Quantility humored, laughing heartily as Everchange approached the desk.

"Nah, not today ya crazy old codger, heheh, I'm looking for another kick-ass antique to add to my room aesthetic. Got anything new in stock?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Well, I got this 'ere metal pearl fer sale, but so far no one's been wantin' to take it off me hooves, lad. I might just shove off and toss it back in that crater I found it in, if it's not gonna earn me any bits." Quantility remarked, gesturing to the metal ball he was polishing a minute ago. "Saw the bloody thing crash from the heavens above, I did, like it was a sign, or probably a gift, maybe a boon from the mighty Faust! Doubt any of those scattered feather-brained pegasi could make somethin' like this, but it's gotta be worth somethin'! Also came with some small booklet I can't rightly understand."

I eyed the strange metal ball with a sense of curiosity and proceeded to reach out to it, causing it to suddenly open up, blowing out small puffs of steam as it slowly opened up. The stallions looked into the ball and saw a strange watch inside. It didn't seem to have any way of telling time, but it did have quite the mark on it. A glowing green hourglass emblem.

"How much for the metal pearl, and the prize inside it? All my bits for both, whaddya say?" I haggled, sliding my sack full of bits towards Mr. Quantility's direction.

"Hmm... ya drive a hard bargain, lad, but yer gonna have to sweeten the deal if ya want me to give up a gift from Faust so easily--"

"I'll throw in this Prismarine Geode. It's ancient, it's from the darkest depths of the deep blue sea, and you can consider it an early birthday gift for being the best antique shop in Canterlot," In order to make the deal better, I reached into my pocket and placed a dark rock that's been cut open in two, revealing blue-ish green/aquamarine colored crystals within. "Will this sweeten the deal for ya, old timer?"

"I'm sold! Ya always had a way of makin' deals, lad! Surprised ya never found yer mark in hagglin'," Mr. Quantility heaved the metal ball into an empty wooden chest with the store's logo branded onto it. "Enjoy your boon from Faust, me boy!"

"Thanks for doin' business with me, as usual, Mr. Quantility, and happy early birthday! Have a good day!" I got the chest onto my back and walked out with the strange metal ball and the odd watch, making my way back to Canterlot Castle.

TBC

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