It was a beautiful night and the weather was nice and cooling. A breeze brushed through the tall figures long black hair and caressed his young face; well at least it looked young. The figure was standing on a cliff in the side of a tall mountain overlooking a huge and sparkling city that was built into the side of the adjourning mountain. He was wearing a long, black, thick coat with a high collar and was clad almost entirely in black, from his boots to his shirt to his gloves. The only thing that wasn’t black was the white cross that hung from his neck on a silver chain. His face was young with black stubble along his cheeks and chin. His eyes were round and large and were colored a deep maroon. His long hair fell back on his shoulders and two small braids were strung along both sides of his head to keep it out of his eyes.
He smiled contently revealing white teeth that would seem normal were it not for the fact that his canines were razor sharp and longer than the others. He loved to come out of his hole and look over the city with all its lights and beautiful architecture. It was truly amazing how far these creatures had come since the dark days. He had seen them grow from the first steps they took to now. They had created wonderful places and inventions. It was like watching the growth of the human race again from the beginning, except the human race was no more. It was just him and his four friends and the only reason they were still here is because neither Death nor Time would come anywhere near them for they were monsters. Cursed beings whose existence was only to cause fear and destruction; well that’s what the regular people wanted you to think.
On the contrary, he and his friends wanted the opposite: to be accepted for what they were and to find a real home amongst these creatures and start a good life. The figure stared down at the city, his incredible eyesight allowing him to view the city streets and the creatures that walked down them. They were small ponies with big eyes and heads and ranged in a multitude of colors, they each had distinct manes and symbols on their flanks. He wondered what it would be like if he went down and just tried to introduce himself….
*beepbeepbeep*
The young man started as a beeping from his wristwatch startled him out of his thoughts. The communicator was picking up a call; he had no doubt as to who was using it. He clicked the pick-up button and put his finger to his ear which held the small receiver to block out other sounds and a gruff voice greeted him with a rather cheerful, “Where the fuck are you!?”
Ok, that last part wasn’t true; it was a rather frustrated voice which belonged to the young man’s older brother.
“Calm down Dominic I’m just outside on the porch.”
“What?! What are you doing out there? Do you want to get seen or something?”
“Dom seriously, no one’s gonna see me from this far. I’m pretty much invisible and its night out by the way.”
“It is? Could’ve sworn it was midday…. Well listen I can’t find Zack and I’m getting worried he’s up to no good somewhere he shouldn’t be.”
“You mean like all the damn time? I’m sure he’s off sneaking around and stuff but he did swear not to reveal himself though so I wouldn’t worry too much. How’s Henry doing?”
“Still in his lab doing his chemical shit.”
“And Mark?”
“Asleep….. I think.”
“Wouldn’t bother checking his pulse bro.”
The line went silent for a moment as the young man waited for a response from his brother. After a while of nothing he began to wonder what was up.
“Dom, you alright?”
“Huh what? Oh yeah, yeah I was just……..Michael I think we need to talk about-“
But his younger brother interrupted him, “If this is regarding what we’ve been talking about for the past few years than you can come outside and we can talk face to face. Seriously Dom when was the last you stepped outside?”
“…………I can’t remember” replied his older brother shamefully.
“Then get your vampiric ass out here man for Christ sakes. I swear you get any paler I’ll be able to see your insides.”
“Alright, alright jeez Mike I’m coming out….shit….”
The man waited a few moments before he heard the sound of shifting stone and he turned to see a boulder move aside to reveal a cave in the side of the mountain just big enough for a guy his size to easily duck through. Same couldn’t be said for his brother though.
Dom was hunched down as he came out of the hole in the mountain and when he cleared the threshold he stood to his full height and stretched his limbs. The resounding cracks echoed over the trees. He walked next to his shorter brother and took in the view. He was a lot more muscular than his brother and wore the same style of clothing but had three gold necklaces and a few rings on his fingers. His head was shaved with a small Mohawk down the middle of his head with tribal tattoos on the exposed skin of his head. His face was a little older with a few scars and was dominated by a full beard and had the same color of eyes as his brother.
He narrowed his red eyes at the great city, “By the stars. It sure has gotten bigger than the last time I saw it.”
“The last time you saw it, the king and queen were still alive.”
“Really? They died?” Dom asked as he quirked an eyebrow.
“More like sacrificed themselves to stop an invasion a couple thousand years ago.”
“Where was I?”
“Drunk, somewhere in the polar ice fields.” Mike said as he sat down on the ledge of the cliff.
“Oh” his brother said as he sat down next to him. They sat there and listened to the wind and watched the movement of life in the city below. They did not worry about time passing by, they had all eternity to sit and watch the world change. That was there blessing and curse and they shared it in mutual silence. Time for them meant nothing and felt like nothing. A thousand years to them felt like just a few mere moments but that was only because of how out of touch they were with the world. They longed to find a better place to watch time pass at a slower and happier tempo.
“Want to go for a jog?” Michael asked his older brother.
“Now? Won’t we be seen?” Dom asked worried.
“Man you need to stop worrying all the damn time. No one will see us at night if we stick to the abandon routes.” Michael said as he stood up and began to stretch his legs.
“Alright fine but don’t expect me to show mercy to anyone who spots us.”
Dom stood and stretched his back out resulting in a symphony of cracks and pops. The two stood side by side and waited for the wind to die down.
“Three…” Michael began to count.
The wind picked up and whistled through the air.
“Two…”
The wind then became silent….
And they vanished, leaving nothing but imprints in the grass on the cliff. If one was to look close with super powerful vision they could see two black lines moving swiftly across the mountains and plains. They appeared to be nothing but blurs as the two brothers raced across the surface of the world. Their long strides barely touching the ground as their supernatural powers gave them the ability to run at speeds quicker than the normal eye can see.
Michael was surprised as always by his brother’s speed, the older vampire able to keep just in front of him and he knew that Dom wasn’t even using his full strength. But he was happy to be out and running and he could tell Dom was enjoying himself as a small smile appeared behind his beard. They raced across the oceans and jungles and savannahs until they reached the exact same spot on the cliff where they started, Dom just barely beating his brother.
“Why do you always have to tease me like that?” Michael asked his older brother while playfully slugging him in the shoulder which to a mortal would have been a one-hit kill. Neither vampires were winded and Dom just showed a toothy smile.
“Because I can little bro.” Dom said as he ruffled his brother’s hair in response which again would have taken off the head of any normal person.
Their fun times were interrupted by a cackle that sounded like it was coming from underwater. They both knew whose laugh that was and turned to see a shadow peel itself off the rock face and began to glow and become solid. The figure was a human male somewhere in his late teens and was wearing a grey hoodie with baggy sweatpants and Adidas sneakers. His hair was red and unkempt and his shallow face was one of a trickster. But that was where the normality ended as this figure was surrounded by a green ethereal field with pale glowing eyes and was floating off the ground. You could also partially see through him.
“There you are Zack!” Dom yelled as he grabbed the ghost’s neck which he was allowed to do thanks to his undead status.
“URK! Nice to see you too Dom heheheh.” Zack said in his eerie voice that echoed and faded in a whisper.
“Where the hell have you been?!” Dom shouted in anger.
Michael then laid a hand on Dom’s outstretched hand and made his older brother loosen his grip.
“Start talking Zack.” Michael ordered.
“Well if you must know…” Zack began with a creepy smile, “I was spying on those little ponies down there and I might have eavesdropped on some very juicy information regarding a wedding and a Changeling invasion of the city.”
“WHAT!?!” both brothers cried.
“Yep heheheh” Zack laughed, “Apparently Shining Armor is getting hitched to Princess Cadance but is in for a nasty surprise because the first phase of the invasion is already finished since a number of Changelings have already snuck inside the city disguised as regular citizens but I could easily see through their pitiful disguises. And that’s when I saw the Queen! Hahahahah!”
“The Queen of the Changelings?” asked Michael. Dom had let go of Zack and was radioing Henry, “What is she doing there?”
“Chrysalis is the one who started it. She’s disguised as Cadance and plans to overthrow the princesses in the middle of the wedding and commence a full scale invasion of Canterlot hahahah. And you two said I was useless.” Zack said with a smile as he floated around spinning in odd angles.
“We have to do something!” Michael said.
Dom then placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “We will. Henry is gathering what he can and told us to meet him downstairs. Let’s go. Zack, inside now.”
“Alright sheesh” the specter replied as all three of them headed down the hole in the mountain.
Soon the tunnel became wider and opened to reveal a tall and spacious cave with a smooth floor. There was a table with five chairs in the middle and a fully stocked kitchen on one side of the wall. The other side had a large fireplace with several chairs sitting on a big rug. One chair was occupied: an old, creaky, wooden rocking chair was holding what appeared to be a sleeping human. But no breath came from him….
The three hurried over to the table where a tall and lanky man with brown curly hair and circular glasses with a lab coat was laying out several maps.
Dom came up beside him and said, “Henry, what do you have?”
The scientist looked up and revealed his golden eyes behind his lenses and adjusted his glasses as he set out several pieces of paper.
"Well," Henry said as he finished smoothing out the final map, "According to these maps that Zack and I have made, if we are to lend a hand in protecting the city and finally reveal our existence to the world, then there are several points where we could hold a strong defense and with our powers it shouldn't be that hard to hold off the invasion. But before I tell you what they are I would like to ask Zack a few questions."
He then looked up to where the poltergeist was floating above the table with a smile, "Zackary are you sure there is an actual Changeling invasion of the city taking place?"
Zack didn't answer him, instead slowly turning himself upside down to bring his head next to Henry's. Then he moved his head inside of his scientist friend who patiently waited for the merge. He had done this before and was no stranger to the abilities of Zack's ghost powers one of which was mind sharing through possession.
As the last part of Zack's head disappeared into Henry's, his golden eyes turned a pale green as Henry saw all of what Zack saw in his time in the city. He saw ponies walking along the cobblestone streets but several were not who they appeared to be. Beneath an outline of a very convincing disguise was a changeling with a dark exoskeleton and green eyes walking amongst the ponies. Henry saw a great number already in the city and watched as the vision turned to two changelings talking in an alleyway.
"Do you remember the plan?"
"Of course I remember! The minute she says "I do," the queen will shut off the magical shield and our main force will attack from above while we ambush the guards. The queen will take out the princesses and so long as we take out the Elements then we will take control of this city in minutes."
As the two changelings laughed at their plan, the view turned away and towards the castle. Henry then saw though Zack's eyes, a couple standing on a balcony overlooking the city. One was a muscular stallion, proud and happy with white fur and blue hair in his mane and tail wearing a very regal set of clothes. Henry had seen him before and knew his name was Shining Armor, captain of the Canterlot Guard. But he seemed sick....with huge bags under his eyes which were tinged with green and sweat was falling down his face. His horn was constantly glowing as Henry noticed how he was maintaining a shield over the entire city. But the captain stilled smiled as he pulled his lover close, a pink mare alicorn with long hair with pink and purple highlights that curled at the end with a kind smile but Henry could see a very different creature under that visage. With holes in her legs and bug like wings and hair that fell in ugly waves with a long and jagged horn, he had no doubt that this was Queen Chrysalis and she was indeed planning a takeover of the city. He then witnessed her horn lighting up and sapping Shining's power and he realized what was making him so sick.
Then the vision ended as Zack pulled his head out of Henry's and the scientist became very worried.
"Oh dear..." he said as he put both hands on the table and stared intently at the map in front of him.
Dom leaned forward, "It's that bad?"
Henry nodded, "Bad enough it's going to need our intervention to save the city and everyone in it. But there's a problem..."
"What problem?" Dom asked.
Henry looked up at Zack again and asked, "Zack what time is the wedding tomorrow?"
At that question, Zack's smile suddenly fell and he began to twiddle his ghostly thumbs nervously.
"Um...." he began slowly.
"Oh don't tell me!" Dom shouted.
Zack finally hung his head and said quietly, "The ceremony starts at high noon and will be over by five...."
Dom just face-tabled with a growl and Michael cursed under his breath while Henry just sighed.
"Well that's just great!" Dom shouted again, "Our one chance and the sun stops us!"
"Ah quit yer whinin'!" A voice yelled suddenly.
Everyone turned to see the once still body in the chair standing up in the middle of the living space with the fire to his back. Then the figure started to walk, or more appropriately, shamble forward on two crooked legs in worn rodeo jeans and dirty boots. As he stepped into the light they could see his red flannel shirt and pale skin that was the color of decomposing green with sores and spots where the muscle and bone were showing. Then his face finally came into the light and it was a face that would make anyone's mother scream in horror. He had no lips and a few teeth were missing, his nose was halfway rotted, his right eye was missing the upper eyelid and his left was glazed over and stuck looking to the left, his left ear was gone and his right had a bite mark at the top, his hair was gray and had only a few strands left tucked under a trucker cap and his chin was hidden by a goatee that was still falling out.
He shuffled over to the table and laid two gross looking hands on it with fingernails that were either jagged or broken off and the only finger he was missing was his right index and he was wearing a rusting wedding band.
"It's alive!" Zack screamed dramatically.
The rotting figure known as Mark began to talk which was garbled and broken thanks to his missing lips and he whistled every time there was an s, "Shit uh Zack. Naow, iv ya'll arr eally anting ta sssave tha chity hen hhy don'tcha just git tem ta ostone tha edding?"
Everyone looked to Henry for translation since he was the best at figuring out what Mark the zombie just said.
"Well first he told Zack to shut up and then he said that if we really want to save the city then why don't we get them to.....postpone the wedding? Hmm....that might just work." he finished thoughtfully.
Dom just stared in confusion, "How do we get them to postpone a wedding all the way to nightfall?"
Mark just reached up and thonked him on the head before pointing at Zack.
"Ow! What did..." then he saw where Mark was pointing, "Oh no....no no no no no it's too dangerous."
But Zack was overjoyed and literally glowing brighter as his grin came back with force, "Really Mark? I can do that! Let me do it!"
"Zack is the best at causing huge amounts of mischief?" Michael said, actually agreeing with the plan of sending Zack to cause damage in the city.
"Did you not hear how many times I said no?" Dom said in shock that everyone was agreeing to this, "It's too risky. If Zack gets too involved he could be caught!"
"How in the hell would they catch him?" Mike asked, "None of them know how to catch a poltergeist of Zack's caliber. He'll be fine."
"Dom this could be the only way to ensure we get our chance at helping?" Henry stated while Mark just grunted in approval.
Zack looked at Dom with puppy dog eyes and the vampire just stared at him for several minutes before finally sighing in defeat and saying in a commanding tone, "Do not let yourself get seen and do not hurt anyone understand?"
Zack just began to laugh as he flew around the room chanting, "I get to cause some mayhem, I get to cause some mayhem!"
Dom just face-palmed while Michael patted him on the back and walked over to the kitchen. Henry went back to looking over the map of Canterlot with Mark. After a minute, Michael came back with two red solo cups filled with a dark, thick red liquid that Dom accepted graciously. Then Henry called everyone's attention as he went over the plan:
"There are three entrances into the city: the train station in the south area and the main entrance next to it. There is also a third entrance to the east that is connected to a road that winds up the mountain. This road is seldom used and one of our entrances opens near the gate. I will come out there and Zack will open the gate for me. Dom and Michael will jump from the top of the mountain to the two main spires on the castle here where they will be able to attack the changelings attacking from above."
The brothers nodded as they took in the plan.
"Mark, how's your digging skills?" Henry asked the zombie.
"Like a nole on ssstehoids!"
Everyone, again, looked to Henry for translation.
"He said, like a mole on steroids."
Everyone nodded then in understanding.
Henry began to explain Mark's part of the plan, "You are going to dig your way under the city streets and ambush from below. There are a number of catacombs underneath the city so you'll have to be careful to stay just under the ground. Try not to draw too much attention by damaging gardens."
Mark laughed then stopped when Zack came down and pointed to a small store in the middle of the city, "Stop when you get here. It's a doughnut shop so you'll be able to smell your way there. And you can always order some doughnuts for us?"
Mark laughed again and nodded.
"I'll send the signal once I've reached my position. Take out as many as you can and save as many as you can then make your way to the queen. Once she's taken care of then the invasion should stop. We'll use our communicators to keep in touch. Clear?"
"Yep!"
"Sure."
"Let's hope everything goes according to plan."
"Lesh doh it!"
With their plan finished, everyone decided to retire except for Zack who never slept. As Dom and Michael made their way to the tunnels leading to their rooms, Dom turned back, "Hey Zack! Wake us up at sundown. We should all get some rest. We've got a big day tomorrow."
Zack nodded and flew into the ceiling with a cackle.
"I can't believe we're doing this finally," Michael said to Dom as they walked, "Will we cause a panic when we reveal ourselves?"
"Of course we will." Dom said, "Somewhat. I'm not sure how they'll react to us exactly. But if we just save the princesses then they'll take of it right?"
"Yea. Yea you're right. They'll take care of us."
Dom put an arm over his brother, "We'll be just fine bro."
Back in the main area, Henry was putting away the maps and conversing with Mark, "I'll make sure to make another brew for you in the morning. Just to be safe."
Mark grunted sleepily as he slowly turned back to his chair. As he sat back down, Henry came up to him.
"Mark, do you think this will work?"
"Yea. It hasss ta."
"Will they actually postpone the wedding all the way to nightfall?"
"Course. Ehery girl loves a full moon whedding."
The he laughed a little before his eyes glazed over and he became still and silent as the grave...
DOCTOR MAGNUM PRESENTS!
HIS BRAND SPANKING NEW STORY!
PROJECT: FORSAKEN