Consciousness came back to Lore slowly. He sat in a plush red couch that curled around a black marble table. He was in some kind of underground bar. His memory of how he got there was nonexistent. Last he recalled he was walking out of the library with… someone. Who had he walked out of the library with? He couldn’t remember what she—it was a she he was sure—even looked like. Though her voice had been so beautiful. The Pegasus shook his head. Now was not the time for that. He got a better bearing of the bar. 

It had a gothic feel to it, the tables had a sickly looking gray duckling—at least he thought it was a duckling—decorated the marble table tops. A lone Griffin sat eyeing him from under a derby behind the counter. He held a mug in his talons, sipping form it every now and then. Lore shivered as the Griffin’s eyes scanned his form not unlike a lion does in sizing up a gazelle. 

A thousand questions raced through Lore’s mind. Why was he here? Who had nabbed him without his remembering it? This was looking like those shady mystery crime novels his mother fancied, after all this place screamed criminal headquarters. He was about to get wacked, or at the very least ransomed off! Yep he was dead. A Scholar wasn’t worth much. Lore’s teeth chattered at the idea. At the very least

“Ah look who’s awake!”

Lore looked to the staircase that acted as the bar’s entrance. A large teal Pegasus walked in flanked by a gaunt Earth Pony. The Pegasus had a cheery grin on his muzzle, and there was a bounce to his step. He gave off a jovial demeanor.  He wore a sleek black suit that hugged his body just enough to let his muscle tone show through. His black mane was combed over to the side sharply. Lore found himself disarmed by this pony’s disposition.

As for the Earth Pony, just looking at him sent shivers down Lore’s spine, and he’d spent many a dark night deep in crypt’s, tombs, and graves. The stallion was a dark yellow, a pair of eyes a few shades lighter than the Earth Pony’s coat stared out from under a wild mass of crimson hair. His eyes were unblinking and seemed to stare into Lore’s mind. He wore nothing save black band holding a dagger to his right fore-hoof. His cutie mark further unnerved the perplexed Lore. It was a cloud of smoke the same color as his mane with a manic grinning face peering out menacingly. 

“How’s the head?” the other Pegasus inquired as he sat down across from Lore. “Manipulation via voice magic mixed with a cocktail of sedatives can be rather intense I’m told. “   

Voice magic? Lore pushed yet another question to the back of his mind, deciding to go with the most obvious of the bunch. “Where am I?”
“My place of business and pleasure,” the jovial stallion said with a wink. “The Ugly Duckling.” His eyes widened. “Oh where are my manners. My name is M. The quiet fellow to my right is Spook.” M laughed as Lore’s eyes gravitated warily to the stallion. “Don’t mind him my good lad. Spook’s bark is far worse than his bite.” He turned to his friend. “No pun intended my friend.” The Earth Pony shrugged. 

Lore saw the exchange as peculiar. M seemed to notice. “He can’t talk if it isn’t obvious.” That caught Lore off guard. Spook opened his mouth. He had no tongue! “Used to be part of the Inquisition. Then he got captured for asking too many questions in dark tunnels.” M shuddered. “Never get involved with the Cult of Laughter my good lad. Dark things creep behind those bright smiles.” 

Lore looked over at the Earth Pony once more, this time feeling pity toward the stallion. The feeling quickly faded as Spook’s pale yellow eyes fixed on him, cold malice resided there. 

“Pity,” M said his tone losing all of its chipper timbre. “Is not something he likes being the foci of. A feeling I share. Before you is a weapon pure and simple. Granted there is no one I trust more than he, but then every warrior puts their absolute trust in their blade don’t they?”

“Why am I here?” Lore chanced to steer the conversation toward a subject that didn’t make him wonder if they would kill him on spot or not. 

To Lore’s great relief, or absolute terror—couldn’t quite pick which—M’s jovial demeanor returned as he laughed. “Finally the question that needed to be asked,” he said. “We are waiting for your friend. I’m afraid you are a means to an end.” Lore blanched. M laughed, again. “Oh nothing so gruesome. Once Glory arrives I shall invite her to join me to a soirée my associate is hosting you will be free to go, I’ll even give you a life time pass past my front door. In the mean time we shall have a drink. Ignatius, a bottle of merlot any year beyond eight hundred will do. “ 

The Griffin nodded and hurried into the backroom, behind the bar. 

“What does your associate want with Glory?”

“Revenge I gather,” M said in a bored tone. “A fruitless venture. No profit whatsoever but my associate is prickly about his honor.” The Griffin—Ignatius—set down two glasses of a rich scarlet liquid. It smelled faintly of rose and raspberry. Lore looked at the glass then back at M, his eyes narrowing slightly. 

“Why would someone be after Glory?” Lore asked 

“That is the question,” M took a sip of his drink. He pulled the glass back with a satisfied sigh.  “Mmmm. Damn good year. You know wine is scarce where I’m from. Dare say there’s a bit of an inhibition going on. Drink my boy the wine won’t kill you. Scouts honor.”

“Somehow I doubt you were a scout.” 

“Oh but I was.” M shrugged. “For three years. Now then. Onto more important business. What is a scholar from the Freelands doing in Equestria?”

“Sightseeing,” Lore snorted. His mood had soured as the wine once had. 

“Oh yes,” M said, playing along. “We have a wonderful array of sights. War, bigotry, famine. Yes quite the plethora of depraved beauty. Sick is what it is. No I believe you’re here to see for yourself if these Alicorns that have been floating around in fact exist.” Lore made to speak but M cut him off. “And don’t dare deny it. I’ve my set of spies in the Freelands. How else would I track down Ms. Glory?” 

“Fine. Yes I’m here to discover if the rumors are true. What’s it to you?” 

“My, such a tongue, sharp for a noble.”

“What can I say? I never took to matters of etiquette. Now why is your associate after Glory?” 

“That I can see.” M drained his glass. “As to why I care, I am simply curious. These Alicorns are of no consequence to myself of my dealings. Unless they wish to have a hoof in it then I say have at. I would enjoy having some long term partners.” He laughed at that for reasons Lore couldn’t understand. “Forgive me, sometimes I just can’t help myself.” M’s eyes flashed a subtle green. Lore didn’t notice. “How about I tell you a little story?”