Metroid: A Hunter in Equestria

by Cusi

The Use for a Bounty Hunter

Disclaimer: Samus and Metroid elements belong to Nintendo. My Little Pony belongs to Hasbro/the Hub. I own nothing but the plot (as in story).

Samus Aran's Log, entry 017:

Studies are coming along nicely. Twilight may not be too agreeable, but her knowledge is undeniable. She reminds me of the Chozo, always looking for things to learn about. I hope things continue to go well.

Samus rose from her chair and deactivated her suit. She stretched and flexed a bit, popping her bones back in place (or at least that's what she felt). The study session had been long. Very long. She arrived at midday; it was now dark outside. Samus thanked Twilight and left for her ship. The trip back was uneventful, so she made it in little time.

Once Samus reached her destination, she realized she wasn't as tired as she thought. She climbed on top of her ship, where she lied down on her back and began gazing at the stars. Her mind came to one of Twilight's books. 'Starswirl the Bearded'... That was a funny name.

Her thoughts went from books to society. Samus knew little about ancient human history, but what she did know could be reflected on pony society. Some customs and traditions were simply ponyfied versions of their human counterparts. Hearts and Hooves Day replaced St. Valentine's Day, Hearth Warming's Eve could be called ponies' Christmas; and Nightmare Night was Halloween with ponies.

Nightmare Night.

Nightmare Night made Samus think of Luna. She was a nice mare, someone she could identify herself with; at least somewhat from her little interaction with her. She also thought how she was imprisoned and why. What she read about Nightmare Moon did seem a bit farfetched. But then again, she read it; it means the information on the book was from a panicked or probably misinformed commoner. Samus decided she would ask Luna for her part of the story if she ever saw her again.

She guessed they really were alike, now that she thought about it; they both had their inner (or outer) demons. Dark Samus was one of the few enemies that actually filled Samus with dread; and while it could be considered another being, Samus knew it was born from her own suit and DNA. To fight yourself, your corrupted self... It was horrible. More so for Luna, Samus thought, because Luna and Nightmare Moon were one and the same. She couldn't imagine the struggle she must've fought.

"You seem to really enjoy the stars." Samus turned to see Luna flying toward her. Speak of the devil. "May I join you?"

"Sure." Samus shrugged. She actually kind of wanted to see Luna.

The moon princess landed beside Samus and sat down. There was brief moment of silence, the two looking up to the stars. Luna spoke first. "I heard you saved Ponyville from a Shadow Reaper. I imagine it was a difficult battle?"

"I've faced worse." said Samus while looking at the stars.

"I imagine you've had a difficult life." Luna didn't look at Samus either.

Samus shrugged, then turned to face Luna "What about you? Turning to Nightmare Moon, being banished, trying to adapt again... "

"How do you know this?"

"Twilight. She made me read."

"Oh... Right."

After another moment of silence, Samus decided to ask. "How do you do it?"

Luna sighed and closed her eyes; she knew what Samus meant. "One step at a time. I remember everything being Nightmare Moon, all the horrible things I did. But, you need to forgive yourself before you expect to be forgiven by anypony else. It wasn't easy; guilt made the ordeal even harder. It was thanks to Celestia that I eventually forgave myself. After that, I just tried to come to terms that things had changed, that the way to treat our subjects changed. Equestria was very different a thousand years ago, but I see it changed for the better."

"That's good to hear, I guess."

"Thank you." Luna said gratefully, before her tone changed to apologetic. "By the way, I have to apologize."

Samus raised her eyebrow. "What for?"

"Spying on you. Iron Shield has kept his watchful eye on you under my orders." Luna seemed genuinely ashamed. Samus showed no emotion at all.

"I understand. Why trust a complete stranger, right?" Luna gave a little giggle at her response.

"That's not it. Celestia said she trusted you, and so do I. The reason we were spying on you was to see if you could help us. We... need your assistance."

"Hmm?"

"We have a... mission, if you will. Details will be given in Canterlot, if you choose to accept. Do you?"

Samus considered her response for a few seconds before answering. "Yes. Just don't forget my payment."

"Oh, thank you so much." Luna said happily. She then turned to gaze at the stars again, and so did Samus. Silence reigned yet again.

Luna glanced at Samus briefly, and her smile disappeared when she saw the solemn expression on Samus's face. She considered something to say to cheer her up but ultimately failed, so she decided to ask what was on her mind. "Do you miss your home?"

Samus was a bit taken aback by the question, but she quickly composed herself. "We are sitting on my home." she answered somberly.

"Oh..."

"I'm going to sleep. Good night." without giving a chance for a response, Samus leapt from her perch to the ground and entered her ship; Luna was left alone. Feeling sorry for the hunter, the moon princess returned home.

Home...

Samus woke up early. She wasted no time in equipping her Power Suit and exited the ship. She ordered Adam to inform any visitor that she was going to Canterlot for a mission on the princesses' request. Once outside, she began running, and before long she activated her Speed Booster.

Not fully confident in her knowledge of the geography of the lands, she followed the train tracks. It took her a while, but she eventually neared the capital city. Wanting to avoid the city, Samus reached Canterlot Castle via the city outskirts once the city was on sight.

She was greeted by Iron Shield at the gates. "Samus, I presume. That armor makes you look menacing." He turned and motioned for her to follow. They entered the castle. "I was expecting you to arrive later. Did you not sleep?" Samus didn't answer. "Right... This way please. The princesses weren't expecting you until later, so they don't have the counseling room ready yet." They kept walking through the castle. "I'll go and inform the princesses of your arrival."

"That won't be necessary, Lieutenant." said Princess Celestia, who just entered the hall they were walking on. "Please come, my sister and I are ready to discuss your mission. You should also come, Lieutenant." Iron Shield bowed, and he and Samus followed the princess.

They arrived at the counseling room. The room was brightly lit and it had a big round table, two big cushions for the princesses, and several small chairs surrounding the table. One of the cushions was occupied by Luna, and Celestia quickly took the other one. Sitting on the chair around the table were Shining Armor and Spearhead, who looked unimpressed at the armored woman. Samus and Iron Shield also took a seat to begin the meeting.

"You already know Captain Shining Armor and Lieutenants Iron Shield and Spearhead, I presume. And you met my sister already, if I'm not mistaken" Celestia began, her tone was businesslike. Samus nodded. "We have asked you to come because we have a problem in our hooves. A problem you seem more than qualified to help solve."

"If I may, your majesty, I still don't see why we need her help. My guards and I are more than ready to move out." said Shining Armor with a hint of discomfort in his voice. Spearhead nodded in approval.

"Need I remind you of our last attempt, captain? Your guards simply aren't trained for this kind of situation. Miss Aran, on the other hoof, appears to be more experienced for this mission. And if Iron Shield's report is anything to go by, she will prove to be a valuable asset to your team."

"I... I understand, your highness. I'm sorry for the interruption." Shining Armor bowed.

"Good. Now Samus, since you're here you'll receive your promised payment after your complete this request. Needless to say, it will include your reward for both this mission and your fight in Ponyville." Celestia stopped to look at Samus. Seeing no response, she continued. "There have been numerous pony disappearances; we believe they have been abducted. While we lack any real proof, we suspect it is the Changeling's doing. You will be part of a five-member squad, commanded by Lieutenant Spearhead, and your mission is to bring these ponies back to Canterlot safely if possible. In case you confirm their..." Celestia looked hesitant "...deaths, you will inform me. You will be given a list of the missing ponies. Do you accept this mission?"

Celestia looked expectantly at Samus, who simply nodded her head.

"You shall leave tomorrow before sunrise." Luna spoke this time. "You will be given information regarding changelings and what you may expect. Remember, though, that this is all speculation; we have not confirmed the involvement of changelings, but there have been sightings of them. Your squad will investigate the Everfree Forest. We have sent other teams to search in other places, but we've had nothing so far. I warn you, the Everfree Forest is a very dangerous place."

"Please don't worry about us, princess. We have taken the more than the required precautions." said Spearhead. He looked a bit nervous, but had a strong and brave front.

"I'm sure you have, Lieutenant, but I can't help but worry." She turned to Samus again. "Now, follow me please, Samus. You need to meet your other teammates." Luna rose from her seat. Before exiting the room, she turned to Celestia. "You have done enough, sister. I'll take care of the rest." She exited and Samus followed.

They walked outside, toward the training grounds, where Samus noticed several guards doing some exercises. The guards stopped what they were doing and bowed to the princess, and she responded with a nod; Samus paid them no heed. They kept walking until they reached a small arena. Some guards were fighting there, probably training. When they noticed Luna, they immediately bowed.

"Greetings, royal guards. I have come here to ask you to inform miss Samus here about our current problems. I also need you to start knowing each other, because tomorrow some of you will be accompanying her on her mission." Luna spoke out loud. All guards present responded with a 'Yes, your majesty' and a bow. "Good. I'll leave her in your hooves." Luna left, leaving Samus with the guards.

One of the guards that were fighting approached her, and in a cocky tone, said "We will be going on an important mission tomorrow, so we don't want you slowing us down. Do you have what it takes?"

Samus looked around and spotted a large rock. She shot a missile and blew it to smithereens. Then she looked back at the guard, who was left flabbergasted. "Just make sure you don't slow me down."

The guards began gathering around Samus when they saw her display of power, but before long, a voice caught their attention. "All right, stallions, the gal has power, get over it." Spearhead approached the group of guards and human. He had a saddlebag on his back. "Here. These are the pictures of the missing ponies, as well as all the data we have on changelings." he took some papers from the saddlebag and gave them to Samus. "I suggest you give a look to those. I also suggest you acquaint yourself with the ponies that will accompany us on our mission. Those would be those three over there." He pointed toward another arena, where three armored stallions stood on hold. "They will come with us to the forest. Don't be too cocky or stupid, and they won't have a problem with you. That will be all. We'll arrive at your ship tomorrow at 0600 hours and depart to the forest from there. Be ready."

Samus watched Spearhead leave the grounds and decided to meet the ponies he talked about. As she walked toward the arena, the rest of the guards resumed their training. When she got there, the three armored guards saluted her.

"I've been told you will be my teammates." Samus said flatly.

"Yes, ma'am. Hope to be of service." said one of them, a light gray earth pony. "I am Land Scout".

"Boomer" said the same-colored unicorn.

"Cloud Zapper" the white pegasus introduced himself.

"Samus." said the hunter. "See you tomorrow."

She turned to leave, but was stopped by Cloud Zapper. "That's it? 'I'm Samus. Bye'?"

"I need to prepare. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am..." sarcastically replied the pegasus.

The stallions saluted and trotted away. Samus watched them go while she walked toward the exit. She began scanning the papers Spearhead gave her as she walked. True to his word, the pictures and names of 16 different ponies were on the document, which Samus noticed half were male and half were female. There was also the information regarding the changelings. They could adapt the form of whatever they saw, feed on love, and look like a cross between insect and pony. It was suspected they could inherit the abilities of the form they took, albeit it wasn't confirmed.

Samus kept walking. She decided to return to her ship and see what could be of help; or make some more repairs if nothing else. As she walked, she began wondering how working with the pony guards would be. Would they be good? Bad? Useless? Worthy partners? She would see tomorrow.

Yes, this was definitely an interesting mission.

Some repairs were made yesterday at the afternoon; a few more tweaks here and there and her ship will be able to fly, but as long as the fission reactor was still damaged, the ship wouldn't have enough power to fly past the atmosphere. Still, she would be able to travel between Ponyville and Canterlot soon.

But that was for later. Now, she had a mission to complete. Double checking that missiles and ammo were at full capacity, and that she had all of her prepared equipment on her, Samus deactivated her suit and exited her ship. She did some flexes while she waited for the guards that would become her teammates in this mission. Again, she asked for Adam to inform any visitors of her absence.

Over the distance, Samus could see a flying chariot being pulled by armored pegasi. The chariot was carrying other stallions, which Samus assumed were her teammates. Once it landed, the four stallions got off, each carrying a wooden chest. The pegasi left with the chariot when their passengers were safely on land. However, Samus noticed these ponies were of a different color than the ones she met yesterday; only Spearhead was familiar. The earth pony was dust-colored with darker mane and a compass with a red arrow pointing northeast for a cutie mark, the unicorn had a dark brown coat with dark gray mane and an explosion cutie mark, and the pegasus was an electric yellow with blue mane and his cutie was a thundercloud.

Spearhead approached Samus and introduced the guards. "Greetings, Samus. Good to see you ready. As we told you yesterday, these stallions will be part of our team. This guy is Land Scout, this is Boomer, and this is Cloud Zapper." He pointed to each stallion, and each responded with a salute.

"Mind telling me why they are colored differently?" asked Samus, pointing at the unarmored stallions.

"The royal armor changes a guard's fur color for either white or light gray for the Celestial Guard, or a dark gray for the Lunar Guard. Higher ranking guards are given special armor that keeps the original color." explained Spearhead.

"I don't see the point to that." Samus replied. "It seems stupid."

"Meh. The only ones that see the point are the princesses themselves. Now enough chitchat; these guys are the ones you met earlier, so let's get ready and get going already. We shall introduce ourselves more thoroughly on the way." responded an eager-sounding Spearhead as he placed his chest on the floor. His subordinate did the same with theirs.

They all opened their chest, which were full with miscellaneous gear and tools. The Lieutenant pony took out his armor and clad himself in it; he also took out a pair of spears, which he fastened on his back. Land Scout took out a helmet with binoculars and a saddlebag with papers, books and some other things in them, as well as a small dagger. Boomer just grabbed a heavy-looking metal vest and put it on; the vest had two compartments containing something. Finally, Cloud Zapper took a lighter armor (it wasn't the royal armor) and his own spear, as well as a bag filled with provisions. Samus simply activated her Power Suit.

Once they were all ready, Spearhead commanded his team to follow him. The team began their trek to the haunted forest, determination on their faces, to complete their mission.

On the way to the forest, Spearhead began speaking. True to his word, he talked about himself. "Time to know each other better. I'll begin, if you don't mind. With the exception of Land Scout, you may not know me very well. I am the Royal Guard Lieutenant in charge of the earth pony faction. My cutie mark is that of two crossed spears, meaning I am quite skilled at handling spears and other weapons. That talent, along with being a decent strategist, earned me my rank as lieutenant. In this expedition, I will be serving as the group's leader. I will also contribute with my ability to fight and plan." He turned to Land Scout. "Your turn."

"Yes." began Land Scout "I am an explorer. I'm actually one of the guys that helped graph a fairly decent map of the Everfree Forest. I love to explore and record my findings; that's how I got my cutie mark, actually. I'm proud of my speed and agility. During one of the expeditions, I helped in chasing away a manticore that attacked us. The leader of the team recommended me to the Royal Guard, so I accepted and here I am. In today's mission, I will be serving as a scout and gather intelligence and warn of possible dangers for the team; I will be in front of the group and guide it through the forest. I also carry useful information about the forest and some of the creatures that lurk in it. I also volunteered to this mission because I want to learn more about the forest; I will record any findings."

"I think it's my turn." said Boomer "I am a demolition pony. I love explosives! It was thanks to the 'booms' that I got my cutie mark. I also love to make fireworks in my free time. Sadly, there isn't a lot that needs to be destroyed in Equestria, so that means I had much free time. I decided to join the Royal Guard to see if my talents could be useful. There is not much on the 'boom' department, but I'm happy serving the princess. My role in this mission is to eliminate any and all obstacles obstructing our way. I am also in charge of setting traps when we camp, monsters are said to be more active at night. Finally, I will provide first aid to any injury we may suffer; I'm no doctor, but I'll make sure you last until we see one."

"I am Cloud Zapper." the pegasus introduced himself "I used to be part of the weather crew in Canterlot, but opted to abandon it and become a Royal Guard when I heard of Princess Luna's return. It took some time, but I finally managed to get accepted. I work in the day guard, but I really aim to become a night guard. They say it's a lot harder to become a night guard, but that's what I want. I got nothing against Princess Celestia, but the princess I want to serve is Luna; that's my dream. I chose to accept this mission because they say the Everfree Forest is always dark, and I think I could use the practice for night guarding. Speaking of which, I will be assisting in this mission by providing an air watch, I'll keep the group under vigilance and warn of any threat that comes near. It is also my duty to carry the equipment and provisions. I provide support in combat with my spear; I'm not as good as the lieutenant, but I can hold my own. And that's about it. What about you Samus?"

"I am a bounty hunter; I hunt down people with a bounty on their head. My job is delivering that person, dead or alive, to my employer. I receive my payment after the job is done. I am also hired to do certain jobs. After some... issues with my last employers, I had to run. In one of my escapades, I crashed here. My role, according to Lieutenant Spearhead's information, is to provide heavy firepower and try to keep all of you safe. If something attacks, I kill it."

"That sound about right." Spearhead spoke "We're here."

Before the guards and human stood the entrance to the most dangerous forest known to ponykind: The Everfree Forest. With a nervous gulp from each equine, the group pressed forward and entered the woods.

As they were entering the haunted forest, Samus couldn't resist asking "What's so scary about this forest, anyway? I keep hearing bits, but nothing really makes sense."

"That's exactly it." answered Boomer with a creepy voice "Nopony knows what may lurk in it. They also say that the plants grow on their own, animals care of themselves, and clouds move without pony intervention."

Samus had to resist the urge to facepalm.

Once inside the haunted woods, Samus had at least admitted the forest was spooky. While she wasn't scared, she did notice it was incredibly dark. The sun burned brightly in the sky, and yet it appeared to be nighttime inside the forest.

A few hours had passed since the group ventured into the dark woods. Nothing too noteworthy had happened; just a couple of attacks from Timberwolves, which were unsurprisingly flammable, and a giant spider of sorts. Samus's efficiency in getting rid of monsters greatly raised the spirit of the team; they no longer seem nervous.

Soon, the group came to a stop to rest to grab a bite. Cloud Zapper picked various fruits from the saddlebag he was carrying and gave one to each member. Samus refused, saying she didn't need to eat when in her suit.

During the break, Land Scout decided to go and explore a bit. Leaving the group behind, he went to see what else he could find. A few minutes later, Land Scout returned with fear in his face and almost all color drained from him.

"Guys, I think you may want to take a look at this." He barely said. The group quickly packed and followed the terrified stallion into another clearing. He just pointed at what was in front of them. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is."

The sight was shocking, even for Samus. Before them stood a skull, a skull the size of a building. The dead remains of a gigantic bear were in front of them, and they could do nothing but look awed at it. It was easily over 200 feet long, and a big stalactite could be seen protruding from the dead creature's skull.

"An Ursa Major." Spearhead whispered to himself. "What could possibly kill an Ursa Major?!"

Samus, quickly recovering from the mild shock, scanned the body. It seemed it had been dead for a while now. Someone or something killed this giant by forcefully slamming the massive stalactite into its head. Zooming on the distance with her visor, Samus spotted a cave, most likely the Ursa's home.

After reporting her scans and theory to Spearhead, the group decided to go investigate the cave. Without any real leads, it was as good a place as any to start looking for the missing ponies. When they reached the cave, the first thing they noticed was a discarded water tower lying near the entrance. The rust on it indicated it had been there for a while. Looking around, they found the base of the broken stalactite on the ceiling. It appeared that it didn't fall naturally, further contributing to Samus's theory on the Ursa's demise.

Other than that, the cave was empty. Seeing they would find no more clues, the group left. Once outside, they noticed night was coming. Deciding on camping by the cave, Cloud Zapper and Land Scout began setting up camp, while Boomer went to set the traps in case of nocturnal monster attacks. Spearhead and Samus began discussing the route they would take in the morning, trying to narrow down the possible locations for the missing ponies.

"There's a lake south from here." said Spearhead while looking at the map. "If we search near the lake, we may have greater chances of finding something. If changelings are hiding in this forest, they will need a water source, so they'll most likely be near the lake. That is, of course, if there are any changelings."

As they continued their plan, Boomer returned with big grin on his face. "Hey, fellas, look what I found! Zap apples!" In his telekinetic grip were several rainbow-colored apples. "I heard these things were very rare. I never had one before."

Finishing setting up camp, they all shared the colorful fruits; even Samus took off her helmet to try them. They were nothing special, save for the electrical tingling left on her mouth after she took a bite. The rest of her squad seemed to agree with her.

After everyone had dinner, Samus volunteered to watch over for the night. Again, her suit made sleep unnecessary. They required no effort in accepting her offer. Soon, every pony was asleep. Samus took this time read some of Land Scout's books; not without keeping an eye on her teammates.

The hours passed as Samus flipped the pages. Nothing really noteworthy could be found in the books; mostly information regarding the 'unusual phenomenons' of the forest. Things Samus already knew, having dealt with countless forest environments during her adventures.

Eventually, morning came and the sun began peeking from the horizon, not that it was overly visible in the forest. The guards began waking up, and soon they were up and ready. After neutralizing the traps and eating breakfast, they continued their trek.

Not long after they resumed their travels, the group heard a faint clucking sound. As they kept walking, the sound got louder and louder, until they could point its origin in a nearby bush. Ever the eager one, Cloud Zapper approached the bush to investigate. Land Scout's expression, however, instantly went from confused to fearful, and before he could warn his teammate of the danger, Cloud Zapper looked through the bush. In it was a chicken, a chicken with the tail of a snake. As he looked at the strange creature in the eyes, he felt unable to move. Cloud Zapper's teammates could only watch in horror as all armor, fur and skin in him was replaced by stone. Instead of a brave pegasus, there stood a statue of said pegasus.

Samus wasted no time in blowing the cockatrice's head with a plasma shot. Once she confirmed its death, she turned to Land Scout, clearly shaken by what she just witnessed.

"What the hell was that?!"

"That was a cockatrice. It turns you to stone if you look at it in the eyes."

"Just by looking at it? Now I understand your fear for this place. Is it reversible?"

"Only a cockatrice can reverse their petrifying power. Even if you hadn't blown up its head, there really wasn't any way we could force it to undo it, so don't feel bad."

"So what now?" Boomer asked the leader.

Spearhead looked conflicted for a moment, before his head turned away from the pony statue. "We leave him. We still have a mission to complete. Once we do that, we will return for him and take him to the castle; hopefully the princesses can do something. I also heard there was a zebra living in the forest with some experience with this sort of thing. She should be near Ponyville, I think. Boomer, place a tracking spell so we can return later." Once Boomer was done with the spell, Spearhead resumed his trek and the others followed; regret was evident in his face.

Hours later, they arrived at the lake. Before they would show themselves in the clearing near the lake, Land Scout was sent to scout the area. The others waited for his report, which came half an hour later. Just as Spearhead predicted, there was a group of four changelings camping on the other side of the lake.

"At last! At last we find some clues!" Spearhead exclaimed "Here's the plan: Land Scout and I will attack from the front, while they are distracted, Boomer and Samus will provide firepower from their back. Once we overwhelm them, we will capture and interroga-" he was cut off as a green flaming object rammed into him. Both slid on the ground a few feet, before they rose.

"Horseapples! They must've followed me here!" Samus heard Land Scout curse loudly.

Samus was about to shoot the offending attacker, but froze once she saw two Spearheads glaring at each other. She didn't even begin thinking when three more projectiles attempted to strike her. Samus avoided them on pure reflex, but noticed there were now two Boomers, two Land Scouts, and another Samus. The fake Samus, however, lacked the complete armor of the Power Suit, and was left instead with what resembled the Fusion Suit (a blue-and-yellow, less bulky version of the Power Suit) without the arm cannon and helmet, leaving the head and the right arm uncovered. The failed copy only had chance to look at itself in panic before three green shots exploded on it. Samus watch as the Battlehammer brought an end to the faker, flaring a flash of green flame before revealing its real shape. A few more shots from the heavy-duty weaponry left a now dead changeling lying on the floor of the forest.

Turning to the other pairs, she noticed each fighting their own copy. Samus switched her combat visor to the X-ray visor, but it proved futile; the changeling's disguises were perfect. She tried with her other visors, but none could notice the difference between changeling and pony.

This revelation made two things clear: changelings could morph into perfect copies of their targets, unless said targets were mechanical or robotic in nature; the fake Samus could only transform into her human body and the biological parts of the suit, but the other copies were able to mimic equipment worn by her teammates. Also, the changelings fought with the same style as the original ponies, so it was safe to assume they also mimicked abilities and skills.

Sadly, this information proved useless at trying to distinguish friend from foe. Samus struggled to find a way to help the guards without risking for friendly fire. Finally, she opted to immobilize both parties. She switched from the Battlehammer to the Ice Beam and began charging. A couple of seconds later, Samus fired the Ice Spreader at the nearest pair: the Land Scouts.

As the shot reached the ground, a thick layer of ice began spreading through the ground, catching pony and copy to stop their fight as their legs froze. Both looked in terror at their legs for a moment, but only one turned fear into realization. That Land Scout turned to Samus and gave her a knowing smile. This was all the confirmation she needed, though, so she charged a plasma shot and fired at the panicking stallion. The shot went right through him, killing him and reverting its body back to a changeling's.

Samus was about to help Spearhead when she saw their leader impale his clone with one of his spears. The defeated stallion groaned in pain, flashed green, and turned into the mimicking creature it was. All that was left was to help Boomer, and that was what they were about to do before the remaining changeling notice it was alone. The faux unicorn threw a smokescreen spell and morphed back into his bug-pony form and flew away.

Samus quickly inserted something in her arm cannon and took aim. A few seconds later she cursed and removed the object, opting to switch to the Imperialist as her weapon grew longer with red linings on it. While Samus preferred direct combat, she was a fairly decent sniper. She zoomed her combat visor and once again took aim. After a few tense moments, the guards watched as a red laser was fired from the huntress's arm, leaving a trail of light; the laser continued its trajectory until it hit the fleeing enemy. Ponies and human saw the black dot in the distance fall to its death.

The commotion finished, Samus activated the suit's plasma welder and thawed Land Scout from his icy bindings. Spearhead, instead, turned his attention to the injured changeling. Any attempt to question it, however, became useless, for the changeling died a little after Land Scout was freed. Spearhead cursed then retrieved his spear from the black body.

"Looks like we're back to square one. Any ideas?" asked a not-hopeful Spearhead to his team.

"Keep looking." answered Samus. Land Scout and Boomer nodded in agreement.

"Of course..." And so the squad continued their trek through the Everfree. They searched around the lake to see if they could spot any more clues, but so far their search was fruitless.

Sundown was nearing, so they decided to set up camp. With their provisions turned to stone thanks to a certain chicken-snake hybrid, Spearhead joined Land Scout in looking for something to eat while Samus and Boomer set camp. Not long after, the earth ponies returned with some berries and leaves. The lake provided enough water for all, so they drank and filled their respective canteen.

After a short but tasty meal, the ponies were about to turn in when they heard a scream. The voice was somewhat deep and a bit raspy, and it was increasing in volume. Whatever it was, it was approaching the camp fast. Spearhead and Samus stood on guard, not sure what to expect. After several second of tension, a panicked changeling came rushing out from some bushes.

"RUN! Run for your lives!" It yelled in panic as soon as it saw the guards and the human.

The changeling kept running, until Spearhead threw one of his spears. The spear soared until it embedded itself in the ground just in front of the fleeing changeling. The surprise made it yelp and stop, at least long enough to allow Spearhead to pounce on it. Spearhead succeeded in trapping the bug pony under his front hooves, but before he could demand anything the changeling yelled at him.

"What are you doing?! Run, you fool!" The changeling looked with panic at the spot it came from. Spearhead was about to ask what was going on, when at least three roars were heard from the place the changeling was glancing at. From the same bushes came three manticores, all looking for the black shape shifter. This was enough to let Spearhead forget about the changeling and spring to action.

Samus was already charging her Arm Cannon and taking aim. As soon as the charge was complete, she let loose a barrage of missiles at the winged lions' direction. The missiles all struck home, but did little more than singe and stun the beasts. Spearhead provided some support when a spear pierced one manticore's shoulder. A glowing red sphere, coming from Boomer's horn, struck another manticore, producing an explosion a bit stronger than the missiles. Now each manticore was focused on one member of the search squad. Land Scout took Boomer's side in fighting the beast.

The first to attack was Spearhead. Grabbing his other spear, he began slashing at the beast's face and front paws. While not dealing too much damage, it succeeded in keeping creature at the defensive. Every now and then, the guard pony would strike the spear already latched in the defender's shoulder, evoking a roar of pain. The strategy was working well, until the manticore struck Spearhead with its tail. Taking advantage of the pause in attacks, the manticore snapped the spear in its shoulder, and took the point out with its paw. Free from the weapon, the manticore switched from defending to attacking; Spearhead barely avoided a set of claws aim at his head. Avoiding a vertical swing of the paw, Spearhead stabbed the creature in the front paw and bucked it the face. Recovering quickly, the manticore bit Spearhead in the shoulder. Fortunately, his armor absorbed most of the damage. With a headbutt, the royal guard freed himself from the creature's maw, and continued his fight with the winged lion.

Samus was faring a lot better; she kept the beast at bay with power shots. Once at a safe distance, Samus fired an ice missile. The projectile struck and froze the manticore's back legs. Switching to the Ice Beam, Samus kept firing until her opponent was completely frozen. Once that was done, she fired one Super Missile at it; the blast was strong enough to shatter the frozen statue, effectively killing the creature.

Boomer, on the other hand, was hard pressed trying to avoid the destructive paw swing aimed at him. Since he wasn't very fast, he was being hit quite a few times; only his metal vest kept him from being killed. Avoiding the attacks also meant he couldn't concentrate on any spells, rendering his magic virtually useless. Land Scout could only do so much with a dagger the beast didn't even seem to feel. They were about to give up when another manticore appeared and began fighting with their opponent. Boomer dumbly watched the two manticores fight each other for a moment, before recovering his focus and charged his magic into his horn. Red energy coursed from the base of the horn to the tip, where it began growing a sphere. Finally, one of the manticores struck the other with an uppercut, sending it flying backwards. The moment the losing winged lion hit the ground, it flashed with green fire for half a second before revealing the same changeling, battered and covered in wounds. Boomer took noticed and fired at the remaining manticore. The blast was powerful enough to send it flying several yards in the air.

Watching Spearhead struggling with his opponent, Samus switched back to the Power Beam and charged her weapon again. Running toward the fighting pair, she leapt at the manticore. Grabbing the beast's neck, she brought it down to the ground with her momentum and placed her cannon inside the manticore's maw. Releasing the shot she was charging inside the beast was enough to end the fight permanently.

Once the group was free from attacking monsters, they turned their attention to the changeling that had just saved Boomer and Land Scout from death. They noticed it was missing half its left wing, and that it was wearing a silver necklace with an aquamarine gemstone. As it was about to stand up, Spearhead pushed it back to the ground.

"Who are you? And what were you doing in this forest?" asked the lieutenant at the changeling. The changeling struggled a bit before answering.

"You can call me Darkly. I was following some changelings. I got separated from the swarm sometime back. I was going alone, but I sensed some changelings nearby, so I went looking for them. I wanted to return to the swarm with them, maybe they know where the queen is; sadly, I lost them before I could reach them, and I can't sense them anymore." Darkly's tone was becoming more and more sad the more he talked. Spearhead's expression, however, never varied from stern.

"We were attacked by changeling earlier today. We had no choice but to eliminate them." said Spearhead with a mostly neutral tone, with just a bit of regret and condolence.

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that." The changeling's tone went from sad to disappoint. "I was looking for them because I was going back to the swarm. There's something I need to discuss with the queen."

"You know where the changeling swarm is?" Spearhead asked a little too eagerly.

"Um... I think so, yes." was Darkly's shy reply.

"You will take us there. As from now on, you are under arrest in the name of Celestia and Luna. I recommend a complying behavior, else we will use force on you." recited Spearhead. He looked at the changeling with an angry expression.

"I don't want trouble, but I'm afraid I can't take you to the swarm. They-" he was cut short with a shot from Samus's cannon on his back leg. Though it hurt, it didn't really do any real damage. "Ow! What was that for? And what the hay are you, anyway?" He asked angrily at Samus.

"Sorry, I thought you were resisting arrest. I'm a human." The armored huntress answered without any emotion in her voice. "Would you happen to know anything about pony disappearances?"

"No. Not that I'm aware of." Responded an annoyed Darkly.

"Why did you save us?" This time Boomer asked. "You could've escaped, but you went and risked your neck to save us. Why?"

"Well... I saw you losing the fight, and I couldn't just stand there and do nothing about it. I was taught to always help those that need it."

Samus looked at him from behind her visor, a plan formulating in her mind. "Good enough for me. Spearhead, unbind him." Samus ordered Spearhead. The pony leader didn't move.

"Are you serious? I didn't take you for a joker, Samus." responded the pony leader with annoyance in his voice.

"I'm serious. Let him go. He is of no use to us if you keep him restrained. Besides, he said he couldn't guide us to the changeling swarm." With a leer, Spearhead complied. Samus returned her attention to the changeling prisoner. "Go on. Return to your hive. Just inform us if you learn anything about the disappearances, ok?" Darkly nodded.

As the changeling turned to leave, Spearhead called out "Wait! I didn't say he could go. He's coming with us to Canterlot." But before he could stop Darkly, Samus stepped in front of him and blocked his path with an outstretched arm. "Move!"

"It's all right. Trust me." Samus tried to calm her leader. The changeling looked unsure, so he stopped moving.

"I. Said. MOVE!" Spearhead would have none of it; they finally had a lead, and he wasn't going to let it go. "I'm warning you."

After some tense seconds, Samus complied. "As you wish." The huntress stepped aside and allowed Spearhead to approach the changeling. Boomer and Land Scout looked at each other in confusion before turning back to their leader. Spearhead motioned for Boomer to chain their prisoner. Reluctantly, the unicorn obeyed.

"Sorry, got to follow orders." said Boomer as he procured a pair of hoofcuffs from his vest's compartment. The changeling didn't resist being chained, but it was evident he wasn't enjoying it. Once the restraints were placed, Boomer took a step back. "Done."

"Good." replied Spearhead "We will camp here. I want Land Scout to guard this time. Make sure nothing surprises us and that out black friend doesn't escape." Land Scout saluted in understanding.

"I told you I'll comply; I don't want any trouble." Darkly was ignored.

"I need to talk to you." Spearhead told Samus "In private." Spearhead looked at his two pony subordinates before motioning to the huntress to follow. He and Samus got away from the camp, leaving Land Scout and Boomer to take care of Darkly.

"So, uh... nice necklace." commented an awkward-feeling Land Scout, seeing the necklace on Darkly's neck.

"Thanks. It was a gift." the moment was too awkward for both ponies and changeling "Nice, uh... helmet..."

Meanwhile, in Ponyville.

"Arrgghh! The nerve of that woman. Here I am, trying my best to provide a comprehensible amount of learning material and she just flees at the first chance. Does she have no concern about me, her teacher? Was I too hard on her?" Twilight ranted while pacing in circles inside her library. Spike busied himself cleaning and dusting the bookshelves.

"Well, Adam said she was on a mission in Canterlot. Something about the princesses?" Spike dared to explain Samus's absence.

"But why didn't she notify me first? Was it too hard to leave a note saying when she would come back? Arrgghh! The nerve of that woman!" Not only was Samus late for her lessons, she didn't even come! The nerve! Deciding to calm herself a little, Twilight went to the kitchen to prepare some tea.

"Maybe it was urgent? Give her a break, Twilight; it's not like she'll never come back. Besides, she did better than you expected; she even reads faster than you!"

"Shush! Thanks to her absence, I have to reschedule my schedule to schedule my schedules! You know how off-schedule she made my schedules?" Twilight yelled from the kitchen. After a few minutes, she emerged from the kitchen carrying her steaming cup of tea. She took a sip and visibly relaxed. "Anyways, now that we know she's not coming, we have some free time. Anything interesting happened?"

"Dunno." said Spike. He gave Twilight a newspaper and continued his cleaning duties. "I'm not too fond of reading, so you check."

Twilight levitated the paper to eye level and began reading. "Looks like the mysterious 'Silvermane' saved another town. It says here she saved Marelin from some teen dragon vandals." She continued reading. "Let's see... A storm almost got out of control in Manehattan, but was ultimately stopped. Stalliongrad is holding a skating tournament. Oh! 'Dexter strikes again: Weeping Mare stolen from Canterlot Museum'. Looks like Dexter stole yet another painting. It says here that she stole 'The Weeping Mare', but returned the ancient vase she stole last time. That's the ninth time she steals something and returns what she stole before, always with the drawing of a heart with glasses. Kind of weird, if you ask me."

"I don't get it. Why steal something if she's going to return it later anyway, and with a free drawing to boot?"

"I don't know. Maybe she just gets bored with the stuff she steals? Or she just wants to annoy stuck-up ponies; she always goes for 'important art'. Who knows? There sure are a lot of interesting ponies out there."

"Whatever. I'm done, so I'm going to bed. Good night." said the baby dragon as he climbed the stairs.

"Good night, Spike." said Twilight as she gave her tea another sip and continued reading. Then something in the paper caught her eye and she giggled "'Orange robot spotted in Ponyville. Is the end near?' I wonder how Samus is doing..."

"Explain. You must have a reason for wanting to free the changeling," said Spearhead. "...because from what I can see, you're not the trusting type."

"I placed a tracker in his leg. I want him to go to his hive without him looking over his back. He must think no one is following him so he doesn't mislead me." Spearhead just raised an eyebrow "Look, I have technology. Tracking spells, from what I can understand, can be found and undone. I don't think the same can be said for technology."

"So you expect us to invade their hive when they least expect it."

"I was actually going to say I will infiltrate their hive. I have more than enough firepower to deal with an army. Also, I won't take partners; none of my visors could differentiate pony from changeling. If I go alone, I won't have to worry about friendly fire."

Spearhead looked like he considered, but ultimately rejected the idea. "I think it's too risky. Sorry, but I can't allow it."

"That may be our only chance." Samus pressed. It didn't work.

"I know, but I won't lose another pony subordinate." Spearhead looked like he failed. And in his eyes, he did. "We'll take the changeling to the princesses and they'll get some information from him." He looked at Samus with fierce determination in his face.

"Fine." Samus conceded. "Whatever the leader says."

"Good to hear you understand. Now let's go back to camp." Both guard and bounty hunter walked back to their camp, where two more guards and a changeling awaited them. "We're back!"

"...and said it matches my eyes. I just don't get pony fashion." Darkly chatted with the two guards. He seemed pretty friendly for a tied prisoner.

"I get you. I still don't know how mares have such a critical eye. I mean, what's the difference between salmon and peach color?" commented Boomer. He was about to continue his talk when he noticed his companions' return. He stood up and saluted his leader.

"At ease." Spearhead commanded. "Tomorrow we will return to Canterlot and present our findings to the princesses. Now rest up." He turned to Land Scout. "Forget watch tonight. Samus will take care of it again." Land Scout only saluted and turned to lie down. Shortly after, Spearhead and Boomer joined him.

That left Samus in charge of the changeling. She watched the changeling trying to get comfortable in his bindings until he succeeded. She took a moment to scan the prisoner; and just as she expected, the scan provided some tips and facts. It turns out they can mimic clothes and accessories, but nothing too complex. They retain the abilities of their target, albeit on a lower level. This reminded her of when the pirates tried to copy her beams. They were weaker, but were still quite powerful. The fact that changelings could fool all her visors was a bit discouraging though.

Spearhead's plan wasn't actually bad, but she was doubtful of Darkly's usefulness in this mission if he was brought to Celestia and Luna. If he guided them to the swarm, however, they were more likely to find the missing ponies, given they were taken by the changelings. Samus waited until all her companions were asleep before she proceeded with her plan. She approached the sleeping Darkly, careful not to wake the ponies, and shook him awake. The changeling awoke with a low groan; Samus wasted no time in signaling for silence. She looked back to her teammates and found them still sleeping. Good.

Her arm cannon produced four small, short metal rods that sparked a small flame. Before Darkly could make any noise in his sudden panic, Samus told him it was okay. Using her plasma welder, Samus cut the hoofcuffs binding Darkly, and freed him. "Go. Now! Return to your swarm, I'll cover for you." Samus said in a low whisper.

"Why are you doing this?" asked a grateful, but confused, Darkly. "You are disobeying your orders!"

"True, but I won't keep you from your family. Besides, you are of no use if you stay with us" Technically not a lie.

"Thank you! I'll let you know if I find something about the ponies you seek." He seemed honest enough, though it was hard to tell. "Again, thank you so much!"

Samus watched as the changeling ran away, heading for his family. A quick check made sure the tracker was in place and working. She would give Darkly a couple of days to reach his destination before resuming her mission. She looked back at the sleeping Spearhead; it was going to be a pain explaining what she just did.

Then again, there's a reason she was a bounty hunter: the law was no obstacle in her missions; she was given an objective and a price, everything else were just minor details.

Samus Aran's Log, entry 018:

Not a week in this planet and I already have a mission: Find and rescue missing ponies. An interesting species has piqued my interest. They are named 'changelings', and as their names suggests they are shape-shifters; their morphing abilities are able to fool all my visors. While I consider their shape-shifting to be less impressive than Gandrayda's, they make up for it with the ability to use magic and fly. I think I will start studying these creatures as well, given the opportunity.

Samus watched, only with little amusement, how Spearhead woke up and went through several emotions in a few seconds when he saw their changeling prisoner missing. He decided to settle with intense anger and direct it toward Samus. "WHERE, IN CELESTIA'S NAME, IS THAT CHANGELING?!" His outburst immediately woke up Land Scout and Boomer, who looked around before glaring at Samus like Spearhead.

"I let him go. He's on his way to the swarm." was Samus's simple reply. She noticed Spearhead tense in order to attack, so she did the same.

Her surprise came from the ground beneath her. It briefly glowed red, giving way and firmly trapping her legs. She tried to raise her arm cannon, but found it glowing the same red as the ground and Boomer's horn. "Got her!" was the unicorn's only inform.

Spearhead nodded in confirmation and turned to the human again. "What possessed you to go against my orders? That was our only lead." He said with a misleadingly calm voice. "Your defiance may have cost us the lives of several ponies." He then tilted his head forward a little while raising an eyebrow, signaling for Samus to explain.

"My hirers were Luna and Celestia, not you. I will complete my mission on my terms. If you have a problem with that, then talk to the princesses." Samus intoned defiantly.

Boomer seemed to struggle to keep his binding magic on the huntress's weapon. Samus noticed her energy levels, which were not full due to some minor damage received earlier, were slowly rising. "She's draining my magic!" accused Boomer. This brought a spear and a dagger close to her helmet's visor.

"It's not me." she quickly defended.

"Yes it is. I can feel it." Boomer pressed.

"I'm not doing it on purpose. Stop using magic on me."

"Nice try." said Spearhead "You're not going anywhere until you answer some questions."

"Then Boomer will continue getting drained." countered Samus. Her response once again angered the pony leader. "I said I can't control it. It may be one of my suit's functions; I don't know." This piece of news actually surprised Samus. Further investigation would be required.

Spearhead just regarded her for a few moments before he turned to Boomer and motioned to Samus with his head. Boomer nodded in understanding and freed Samus from her bindings. His horn, however, didn't stop glowing, and by the time Samus noticed this something round, flat and bright red was attached to her back. "Done."

"Good." said Spearhead. He turned to Samus again. "I won't be taking any more chances with you. You are more trouble than you are worth, so I decided to put a little restrain on you. I really don't like doing this, but leave me no other viable choice. That thing on your back is a powerful explosive; cause any more trouble and, as Boomer likes to say, you go 'boom'. We are going back to Canterlot to inform the princesses. Pray they see things in your favor, because if not, well..." he left the sentence hanging.

Land Scout took out a map and traced the shortest route to Canterlot. "The route is set, sir. If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to pick up Cloud Zapper and return to Canterlot by tomorrow morning." informed the scout.

"The bomb is set. If I don't reset the magic timer every now and then, it'll explode. The same goes for voluntary detonation. And before you get any ideas, that's a controlled explosion; its range is just your back, so don't think of taking us with you if it explodes." Boomer said referring to the explosive attached on Samus's back.

"Excellent. I hope miss Samus is ready because we leave now." Spearhead ordered and the group followed. "Onward to Cloud Zapper, then Canterlot Castle."

That bomb may present a problem for Samus, for now she needed Boomer alive and conscious, lest she wanted to figure out just how powerful that explosive was.

Not that her suit couldn't take it. Probably.

Still, it would be in everyone's interest for her to follow orders for a little while longer. Considering the circumstances, she wasn't really concerned; she has been in tighter situations.