Dishonored: The Outsider's Reach

by Bloodwing


Road to Canterlot

Dishonored: The Outsider’s Reach

Chapter 2: Road to Canterlot

A/N: First of all thank you for the favorites and likes! It's an honor. This is first story I ever wrote that was featured anywhere. It makes me feel really happy and content as a would-be amateur writer. Again i had some mysterious inspiration that made me write this chapter so fast :P Hopefully you'll like it. I also took some grammar advises and tried to include them in this chapter.

BTW: Was drunk in some places when I wrote this. Fortunately it's not my inspiration... Music is :)

Also thanks in advance for reading and have a... MUFFIN!

Warning: Contains some gore. Not much though.

Corvo opened his eyes gustily. His vision was slightly blurred, however the “Canis Aspectus” ability was still working. He was breathing heavily, feeling as if a lot of his energy was drained. Attano tried to look around, but horrible pain came down his body… Wait… Something was off. He brought his hand to his tired eyes, but instead of the familiar 5 digit grabbing appendage, there was a hoof, yellow at that. His eyes widened slightly. So domination has worked, he possessed the yellow horse. He noticed that an Outsider’s Mark appeared on the mare’s left hoof in similar spot he had his own. He decided it was high time to get up from the ground he was laying on. Despite the pain he did it pretty fast, adjusting to the body in the process. It was reckless using domination on this creature, he knew that now. This ability was a further development of possession skill. It however was slightly different as it allowed the caster to occupy the victim’s body indefinitely. Furthermore it actually allowed Corvo to use the Outsider’s Gift still being inside the creature’s body. Very powerful ability indeed. The only downside was the amount of energy it needed. In Dunwall he was only able to dominate a rat and it almost killed him. But here, having more energy supplies he figured it could work on a bigger animal, be it sentient or not. It was something he didn’t really think through much… But he needed a body like this to blend in with the townsfolk and the faster he got the necessary information, the faster he could complete the mission, be done with it, return to Emily, free Jessamine and himself.

He looked around, feeling really strange inside of this “pony”. It was a female after all and he actually never possessed an opposite sex in his life. The various animals were staring at him with curiosity. It seemed that they weren’t sure if it was an intruder or their Mistress. He didn’t care though. Then he felt something slowly making its way down his new nose. He raised his foreleg to it and touched the place, bringing the hoof in front of his eyes. It was blood… A trickle of it was slowly making its way down his face. So the Pony’s body was barely containing him. Those surely weren’t good news. He shook his head trying to focus on the task at hand. Sighing he took a better look around. The hut wasn’t particularly big. It had 2 floors with wooden stairs leading to the one above. The living room he was in right now had various furnishings, making the Lord Protector ponder over why would horses need furniture… It was another unreal aspect of this world. On his left there was a kitchen, with various pots and such commonly used tools in cooking. Another trace of doubt hit Corvo hard. How do these creatures use such complicated tools without proper appendages? It was all starting to look more like a distorted dream than something that could be real.

“This Pony’s name is Fluttershy. She holds all her important items above, inside a locked chest. It’s right behind her bed…”

Corvo heard Jessamine’s voice inside his head. He nodded to himself and slowly made his way to the upper floor, almost tripping a few times. He forgot how hard it was getting used to walking on all fours after possessing a creature. After a while he arrived to a pretty thick wooden door. Without hesitation he pushed them. They didn’t budge however, so he pushed harder, only to receive nothing in return. They were obviously locked. He cursed silently under his breath, what sounded amusing with his voice changed to a timid, calm one. He stared the door down as gear-wheels inside his head were working intensely. He was tired and still could feel pain all over his body, so using another ability could be dangerous, especially to the yellow mare. He didn’t want to endanger her without need.

“You have to Corvo, we are short on time…”

It was true and he knew it. This might be a secluded location, but still someone might come here and give him a hell lot of problems. Corvo cursed again and without further dilemmas put his left ha-… Hoof… On the thick wooden door,

“Cinis…”

He whispered as the symbol on the mare’s left hoof lightened up in sinister scarlet color. This meant he was using an offensive and destructive ability. The door started to crumble, turning into black ash in a matter of seconds, leaving only untouched frames. He suddenly felt pain in his chest and started to cough. He put his foreleg on the mouth and as the coughing ceased he put it away, seeing drops of blood on the yellow coat. He shook his head disapprovingly and proceeded to enter the room. Inside was standard furniture, one could expect from such a room. It looked pretty cozy. There was a bookshelf on his right and a dresser with a mirror on his left. Curiosity eating at him Corvo approached the mirror and took a good look at himself. He pretty much looked the same as the mare, with some exceptions. He had bags under his eyes and some darker shadows around them. The mare even when in fear had some warmth in her eyes, some inside happiness and fulfillment… Her current eyes however were a complete opposite, there was desperation in them, gripping coldness and some kind of flame of steel determination that threatened to release conflagration on the world.  Corvo understood that those were his eyes as if the mare wasn’t there anymore. Was his spell too powerful? Did he destroy her mind completely? He felt guilt and fear tightening around his throat.

“She’s still there Corvo… Albeit weak and dormant… You almost crushed her, but she has some flame of will that cannot be put out in her, so similar to yours…”

Attano couldn’t help but smile slightly. Remembering Jessamine say something similar when she first saw him so many years ago… He blinked a few times and decided he should look through personal items of the mare. If he was to blend in he had to know some details about the body he was occupying.  He spotted the bed instantly. It was right next to a big window. Yet again he felt some kind of unease, a pinch of strange doubt. These creatures were using tools and furniture similar to human in design, yet they had no proper anatomy build for them. It just wasn’t making any sense. He shook his head and approached the bed. It didn’t look particularly heavy; in fact it was a small bed, perfect for a single “pony”. He put one hoof on the frame of the bed and pushed, moving it aside. In the spot where the bed was standing just seconds ago he spotted nothing but wooden floor and some dust… At first… But then his enhanced vision saw through the floor and noticed green aura in a shape of a rectangle resting just under it. He knocked at the spot where the green aura was and heard a hollowed out echo. It was a hiding place then. He took a closer look, trying to see some kind of opening mechanism or lock. After a few seconds he spotted a small keyhole, blending in with the floor nicely. He didn’t have the key though and had no patience to look for it. In fact he wanted to get out from this body as fast as possible. He felt very weird in it… As if some kind of tentacles were entangling him… He was starting to get paranoid a little, sensing that maybe, just maybe “domination” worked so well it will trap him inside this body forever. Each passing second seemed to drag him closer to this conclusion.

That is why Corvo tightened his jaw and a spark of rage appeared on his face, as he made a snarling expression. He then raised his left hoof up and with a tremendous force hit the hollowed out place. The floor gave up after such violent attack. Pieces and splinters of wood flew in the air in a spectacle of strength. He felt that a few sharper pieces cut through the mare’s skin, making superficial injuries to the left foreleg. The pain however meant nothing to the man. He took the hoof out of the fresh hole he made, seeing a few trickles of blood seeping from small cuts.  He leaned forward looking inside of the cleverly hidden spot. There were a few items there. Some pieces of what looked like old jewelry, a pack of letters bound together, a rock in a shape of a heart, some old documents of unknown origin and a simple brown book without any title. Corvo’s brow went up in bewilderment. Letters? Books? He felt confused again. How could they even write? He snorted a little, pushing the persistent questions in the back of his mind. The most interesting thing from this stash seemed to be the book. Maybe it was a diary? He wanted to simply pick it up, but realization struck him… He couldn’t grab squat.

“Damn…”

He cursed, thinking how the hell is he supposed to take the thing out without hands? Idea came pretty fast though. With his right hoof he struck the edges of the hole he made, making it bigger, allowing him to put his head in there and pick the thing up with his mouth. And so he did… Not without a few failed attempts… But finally after a few minutes of struggle, the brown, now saliva-dripping book was on the floor next to him. Carefully with one hoof he opened it and immediately understood that it indeed was a diary. There were many entries in it with dates he couldn’t possibly comprehend. These creatures obviously had a different timeline and time measure methods than he knew. The book was way too thick to be read wholly, so he decided to read the entries that had key words important to him. He had to get information on who knows the mare the best, what’s the name of the place, where does she work and so on. He assumed that because the place was secluded and on the outskirts of the town, the mare would be a loner… This would make his goal easier to reach.  On one of the first pages he however discovered how gravely he was mistaken.

Entry 31, 31 June 1000 CR

Dear Diary

This night was full of surprises. Me, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle were able to defeat the legendary Nightmare Moon and put a stop to her scheme of bringing eternal night to Equestria! We brought Princess Luna back using the Elements of Harmony! It appears that I am the Element of Kindness. I’m so happy! I was afraid that because of me and my shyness I will be only a burden on this adventure. My friends however made me believe in myself and showed me how powerful and pure the Magic of Friendship is! Everyone has courage in them! That is what I learned today.

Corvo’s brow went higher. He read another entry and then another and another. Almost all of them had something about friendship, learning and friends in them. They also mentioned magic, mythical creatures, evil spirits and such. Also the names of the friends of the mare and her own name… Were comical…

“What the hell is this place…?”

He asked himself. His eyes went wide suddenly as if he realized something of grave importance… His expression turned serious, cold as stone.

“Jessamine…”

He said. The voice of the mare sounded a little bit like his now. Full of gravity and some kind of depth.

“Yes Corvo?”

Her voice echoed in his head.

“Is this place real…?”

He asked firmly. There was a pause as tension in the air rose.

“I’m not sure… It feels real, but something is off about it… Something I can’t quite see, as if on the edge of my vision…”

Corvo was silent for a while, still looking at the book.

“On the edge of the vision…”

He repeated, mulling the information over.

“I think it might be a test…”

He added a second later.

“We don’t know what the Outsider really wants. I doubt that it’s only amusement. He’s much more than that and has another motive in this.”

Jessamine replied.

“Maybe… This place is too unreal to exist… It’s… Like a children’s story.”

Corvo said slowly.

“You might be right Corvo… But isn’t that good?”

Jessamine asked with some encouragement.

“How so?”

He asked perplexed.

“If this place is not real… No actions you take will have any real impact and consequences…”

She explained. Corvo hung down his head in thought.

“You might be right…”

He suddenly said as a fresh wave of determination and hurry washed over him. He closed the diary and quickly went out of the room and downstairs. He was about to get out of the place but something made him stop in the middle of the living room. He took a sniff and then heard a clattering noise. His vision quickly saw a yellow aura approaching the front door. It was one of these ponies closing in in a very disturbing fashion. It seemed to be jumping as it moved, as if bouncing instead of trotting like a normal Pony would. Corvo tilted his head to the side… Another proof showing that this place was some kind of made up testing ground.

“The Outsider is toying with our minds…”

Corvo stated as he observed the closing in Pony. Now there was a question what to do about this fact. The creature was obviously heading directly for this hut. Corvo could simply vanish if he wanted to, but he would have to leave the mare’s body. Inside her body it was too risky to cast anything, she could die from the power drain and Corvo didn’t want that. There were two options left then, pretend no one’s home and wait for the Pony to leave or confront it. The latter could be very risky, all in all Attano still didn’t know much about the body he occupied. He knew she was some “Element of Kindness”, had 5 friends at least and loved animals. That was about it. He took a deep breath…

“Confrontation it is…”

He decided. It could be reckless but he would have to confront one of them eventually. It was better to do it now than later… At least that’s what he thought.

The Pony finally made it in front of the hut’s door and gave 3 knocks, still jumping up and down on the spot. Corvo approached the door…

“No consequences and impact of the actions…”

He repeated silently, giving himself some courage. He opened the door calmly.

“HI FLUTTERSHY!!!!”

The Pony screamed happily like a madman at Corvo. The latter didn’t even flinch staring at the Pink abomination in front of him.

“What do you want?”

He asked, a slight trace of threat and dead seriousness in his voice. The longer he was looking at that thing bouncing the madder he was becoming… The pink Pony stopped bouncing suddenly giving Corvo a questioning look for a while. But then happiness and energy kicked in again as it smiled beyond biological limits.

“I came here to remind you of the Super-duper-awesome SLUMBER PARTY at Rarity’s! Oh it will be so awesomesuacly super! There will be drinks, food… Did I mention the drinks? And all of us will be there! And I will be like “Have more cake Mr. Rock!” and (…)”

Corvo titled his head to the right… The Pony was babbling crazily. Is it one of the yellow mare’s friends? It seemed it wasn’t about to stop its mumblings and Corvo didn’t feel obliged to listen to it. He felt enraged after a while.

“Shut up before I slice your tongue out.”

He snapped, glaring daggers at the thing. The Pony stopped in an instance looking at Corvo in bewilderment and with a trace of fear.

“Fluttershy… What’s wrong…? Why would you say something like that…?”

Pinkie’s mane deflated as she took a look directly in her friend’s eyes. They were
different. The warmth was gone. Instead there was a storm of rage, determination and no trace of remorse in them. It wasn’t Fluttershy… The Pink thing gasped and took a step back…

“You’re not Fluttershy…”

It said pointing its hoof at the would-be imposter. Corvo narrowed his eyes… He might have gone too far with the tongue slicing. But in his defense the Pink Pony was one of the most annoying things he has ever encountered. He had no choice now but to stop the Pink mare from running around and telling every citizen… Pinkie took another step back…

“You’re a changeling! How did you get by the detection spells? What did you do with the real Fluttershy?!”

The Pony’s expression turned into that of an anger, and determination as she also narrowed her eyes. Corvo smiled slightly to this and raised his left hoof with the Outsider’s Mark on it. Another risk? Well… He didn’t have much choice in the matter.

“Saxificus...”

He whispered as the Outsider’s Mark lightened up brightly, announcing that a supernatural ability is being used.

***

Pinkie managed to turn around and was about to run away when she felt her legs slowing down, all her movements becoming impaired. She then stopped completely unable to move whatsoever. She wanted to warn everypony… But now she couldn’t… And why didn’t her sense warn her? Why?! She could only move her eyes, all other body parts felt as if made out of stone. What kind of magic was that?!

***

Corvo on the other hand felt all his body burning from pain. He moaned and fell to the ground spasming violently. This went on for a few seconds and he almost lost consciousness. He didn’t allow that though and stood awake purely thanks to his iron will. The spams stopped… He felt some blood making its way down from his yellow nose, again. He stood up slowly, his legs trembling, he was very weak. Another spell will kill both him and the mare.

“Fuck!”

He shouted out breathing heavily, drops of sweat apparent all over his body. If this wasn’t real, The Outsider went into high lengths to make it feel real. He slowly approached the petrified Pink Pony taking a good look at it and spotting some kind of tattoo on its flank. It was however nothing of importance it seemed. His vision was becoming blurry and the “Canis Aspectus” ability turned itself off. Now he won’t be able to see if someone is coming. Just splendid.

“This one’s name is Pinkanema Diane Pie or Pinkie Pie. She is Fluttershy’s friend. She might be cheerful and happy but she hides a secret from the World…  ”

Jessamine said in Corvo’s head. Corvo was still barely standing, he had to sit down and rest. Hunger was also starting to give itself away.

***

Pinkie was following the Changeling with her eyes. That’s the only thing she could do. She felt some dread gripping her petrified throat. What is this bug’s plan? How did he get here? What did he do with Fluttershy?! It looked right at her still breathing sharply.

***

“What should I do with you…?”

He asked out loud pondering over the situation. He couldn’t simply leave the Pony here like that. There were a few options available… He could slice its throat, it would turn to ash and problem solved. But it didn’t sit right with him. Real or not it just wasn’t right to kill instantly, seeing that the Pink thing was innocent. He dropped the option as a last resort one thinking about what’s left.

“Corvo… There is an option, albeit drastic one...”

Corvo’s head perked up.

“I can take over this body, permanently… You will have to cut out the heart and put me in its place…”

Corvo’s eyes went wide.

“Are you serious Jessamine? Cut out her heart? It’s crazy!”

He shouted out not very content with this option.

***

Pinkie’s eyes became glassed over. This bug was crazy! It was talking to itself and… It wanted to cut her heart out… She felt completely hopeless, there was no one here to help her, and this monster was ready to do something… Something… Unspeakable…

***

“I’m simply telling you of the possibility… I don’t find it appealing either…”

Jessamine replied slightly hurt.

“I understand. Sorry for the outburst Empress. I’m on edge right now.”

He said, calming himself down.

“I know Corvo… I know…”

She replied.

Corvo’s erratic breath became normal again, he felt slightly less tired but the pain was still all over him. He couldn’t come up with anything good so the only thing left would be dragging the petrified Pony into the hut and leaving it there. That will be a real pain in the ass. He sighed heavily and approached the Pink Pony, who closed its eyes, obviously scared. Corvo didn’t pay attention though. He bit down on Pinkie’s tail and started dragging her back into the hut. This operation took a while. He had to stop many times, feeling out of breath. Finally however after about 1 hour of struggle the petrified mare was inside the hut and Corvo was laying on the ground next to her, completely drained. The animals in the cottage were very quiet for some reason. Again Corvo was in no mood and strength to pay attention. This couldn’t happen again, he will have to pretend he’s a cheerful, calm and timid mare even if he felt the tentacles around him squeezing harder, threatening to trap him inside this body forever.  Another problem however was that the Pink thing instantly recognized him as an imposter when she took a look into his eyes. This meant he would have to stay away from the closest friends of the mare, grab some random guy and interrogate him or her. Even if all of it was a cleverly made “Lala Land”, he would still have to treat it as a real one and still complete the mission avoiding dying if possible. He stood up. The pain was slowly ceasing fortunately. His stomach rumbled… He had to eat something, preferably meat…

“I need a steak…”

He said desperately.

“Corvo I don’t think they eat meat…”

Jessamine whispered with some worry in her voice.

“They’re not real. And honestly I couldn’t care less anymore. I won’t eat grass.”

The Lord Protector retorted with annoyance.

“I don’t think this body will even digest it properly.”

Jessamine explained.

“I’ll puke it out then and think what to eat later.”

He was set on this one. He had this craving and it was definitely for meat.

“Fine, help yourself then.”

Jessamine responded with some disappointment.

***

Pinkie Pie on the other hand heard everything that was being said. Changelings were carnivores?! That’s why they had the fangs… Now she was terrified… He could even eat her! What if he ate Fluttershy?! She had to get free somehow, warn Ponyville! Anything! She tried to move, but the attempt was futile. She felt so useless…

***

Corvo was rummaging through the kitchen, finding only some food that a horse would enjoy, but nothing that even resembled meat. He sighed thinking what to do about this. Idea struck him… This hut was full of animals, many, many edible animals… He drew his eyes through the living room searching for something…  And there it was… A rabbit. In Dunwall such meat was a delicacy, so he actually felt a little excited about it. He ate a rabbit maybe once in his life but still could vaguely remember the delicate taste of the meat. He checked the cupboards in the kitchen and in the third found what he was looking for – a sharp kitchen knife. The question remained how was he supposed to use it with hoofs? He tried to grab it somehow from different angles and after a few annoying attempts he was able to hold it firmly in the flexion between the hoof and the foreleg. It wasn’t a comfortable way to hold a blade, but would have to do. He went out of the kitchen heading straight for a lonely rabbit sitting on a couch. He almost fell down a few times, it was hard using only 3 legs… He approached the rabbit with the blade drawn and looked down at it.

***

Pinkie was observing with horror what was about to happen, the Changeling approached a poor lonely rabbit and was about to… About to… She couldn’t say it or even think about it… She wanted to help, to do something, but was unable to. She could only observe…

***

Corvo stopped. If he kills the rabbit and eats it in this body, Fluttershy will probably be traumatized. He didn’t want that. After all he was only borrowing the body and it was wrong to do something considered bestial and evil by this race. Even if they weren’t real he just couldn’t bring himself to do this.

“Damn!”

He cursed as he turned around and walked back to the kitchen. No meat for him then.

***

Pinkie was crying. She almost witnessed somepony kill an innocent creature for the sake of food. She saw how mercilessly this Changeling behaved. How he was ready to murder the bunny… But why did he stop? Why didn’t he continue? Something had to happen inside his head. Why would he even need meat? They were living thanks to love! Tears were flowing freely down her petrified cheeks. She was afraid that even though the Changeling stopped he will change his mind and this time do something to her. Suddenly some weird smell came to her from the kitchen… Delicious smell.

***

Corvo was already set. He prepared the kitchen for some proper cooking. He actually learned to cook a little from Jessamine and decided to make a vegetable stew. It was after all better than eating grass or carrots. He was now slicing some vegetables with rising precision and getting a hang of this whole hoof business. Additionally Jessamine decided to bud in. The late Empress actually loved to cook and knew a delicious recipe for a vegetable stew. Despite the mission they had and state they were both in this was one of few happy moments they were sharing together in this fantasy land. All the animals in the hut were awfully quiet. Some left the cottage as if concerned about their own safety. But Corvo didn’t really care for that. Now he was a chef.

“Now add onions to the mixture…”

Jessamine whispered happily and Corvo did as he was asked, throwing the sliced onions to the boiling stew in the pot. It smelled magnificently. He picked up the spoon using the flexion method he learned and got some stew with it. He cooled it down and then with one simple motion he ate it. His eyes went wide as he took a deep breath.

“What’s wrong Corvo?”

Jessamine asked with worry.

“This… is… Fantastic!”

He said feeling suddenly happy. Food was really one of few things that could boost his morale. To think something delicious like that could be made without a trace of meat…  The taste was so incredible he just had to eat the stew, now. He took out a ladle from the cupboard and poured some stew on the previously prepared deep plate. Quickly he left the kitchen with the plate in one hoof and spoon in his mouth. He put the plate gently on the table and sat on the couch… As a human would sit… This for some reason wasn’t difficult for him even in this body. Corvo began to eat the stew with pleasure. It was indeed one of the best dishes he ever had. So delicate and yet intense in its flavor.

***

Pinkie could smell it… The smell of different spices and vegetables mixed together. It was however different from what was usually made in restaurants. It had a sharp and tomato flavored feeling to it. How did a Changeling learn to cook something like this? There were far more questions about it than answers. And his sitting position? It remained Pinkie of Lyra Heartstrings. Veeery strange... The Changeling was enjoying the smell and the taste. It was still using Fluttershy’s appearance so it looked to Pinkie as if her own friend was happily eating a dish. The creature looked so similar to her, that if not for the eyes Pinkie would definitely fall for the disguise. She stopped sobbing. Maybe this creature was not such a monster as she thought.

***

 “Oh what would I give to have a proper body now…”

Jessamine said with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

“Mmm… This is really good… My Empress how I wish you could taste it!”

Corvo said with a smile plastered on his face. Jessamine laughed warmly. Soon he emptied the plate, felt full and much stronger now, as if food alone managed to restore his spiritual energy. He stood up from the couch and took a look outside the window. It was about noon. High time to leave this place, get information and leave this body for good. He approached the Pink mare, who looked at him with a trace of dread.

“You’ll probably stay like that for about a day…”

He informed Pinkie coldly and then turned around ready to leave the hut. The door were opened and…

“Adieu!”

He shouted out with fake passion and then slammed the door shut behind him, leaving inside a petrified Pink mare and a terrified rabbit named Angel…


Outside of the hut there was a simple path leading straight to the town. Corvo was feeling much better, his energy levels were pretty good from what he could tell.

“Canis Aspectus…”

He whispered, as the mark responded, giving him supernatural awareness.

He looked around and started walking down the path heading for the small town. He arrived near it fast and without anyone pestering him on the way. Now the real test was beginning. There were many different “ponies” walking around, most of them seemed to be happy. Some were conversing, some were simply passing by. The whole thing looked a little rustic and calm, having an inviting atmosphere about it. Corvo winced a little. The amount of colors here was slightly overwhelming to him.


Amethyst Star was trotting through Ponyville with a smile on her face. She just bought a magnificent dress from Rarity. It was so beautiful it actually blinded her, first time she saw it. Rarity was really one of the greatest fashion designers in Equestria. She instantly knew she wanted to have the dress… Fortunately she had enough bits from her savings and even though the price was astronomical, Amethyst knew it was the right choice. She was just passing by the path that led to Fluttershy’s cottage, as she instantly spotted the yellow, shy mare standing there looking around with a pretty displeased expression on her face.

“Hey, Fluttershy! Long time no see!”

Amethyst shouted out joyfully. The yellow mare turned her head slowly. Her cold look instantly gripped Amethyst by her heart. Fluttershy was staring the lavender unicorn down for a while. Then she replied with a fake smile on her face and indifferent tone of voice.

“Indeed…”

Amethyst was slightly taken aback by this. Maybe something happened? Fluttershy definitely wasn’t her usual self…

“Did something happen honey?”

The Element of Kindness seemed distant for a while as if she didn’t hear what was being said. Then she broke out from her thoughts.

“No.”

She replied looking around as if searching for something.

“Are you sure? You know… You can always talk to me about anything.”

Amethyst was really getting worried about the mare…

“Yes, I’m sure, thank you.”

The fake smile was so obvious that Amethyst could only shake her head disapprovingly.

“Okay then, see you later Fluttershy!”

The lavender pink Unicorn left, leaving Corvo to his thoughts. There were so many of these “ponies” here that it was close to impossible to drag one out and interrogate him or her. He needed a more secluded location… Again… He cursed heavily under his breath and went inside the town. Various ponies were giving him nods, or greeting him on the way. He however ignored most of them. He passed along few alleys and main roads of the town. He reached the market district after a few turns, but it was hardly the location he was aiming for, as there were even more ponies here.

“Shit…”

He said with a hint of anger, while looking around… If he is to find a secluded location, he would have to get to the outskirts of the town. Without further ado he made his way through the wave of ponies, heading north. Passing through the crowd he could swear someone was shouting “Fluttershy!” in the distance. He picked up his pace and as fast as possible, using force in some cases, made his way out of the Market and through the smaller alleys, still heading north. On his way he passed many buildings, obviously living areas, but also many different shops and such. Architecture of some was simply impossible, making Corvo believe even further that all of this is simply an illusion - a test made by The Outsider. After a few minutes of walking he finally reached north outskirts of the town and could see a huge orchard… This looked secluded enough. He made his way down a slope. There were close to no ponies here, according to his senses. He stopped, smelling something again, he could also hear a flapping sound… As if wings… He looked up and spotted two yellow auras closing in on him. He turned around and in a matter of seconds two Pegasi landed just in front of him.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Klutzershy!”

The bigger one said with a very smug grin on his face. It was a brown, muscular stallion with shortly cut mane in the same color and a similar tail. His brown eyes had a spark of cruelty in them. Corvo was not impressed and raised an eyebrow to that.

“Is there something specific you want?”

He asked coldly.

“Oh, we just wanted to say hello to our friend Klutzershy!”

The shorter said, also pretty smug. He wasn’t muscular like his friend and one could say he was of average, but sleek build. He had a white coat with some green highlights here and there. His mane was in a bright green color, having a spiky hairstyle. The same could be said about his tail. His eyes were of navy blue color and had a hint of mischievousness in them. Again the Lord Protector was anything but impressed.

“I don’t have time for this.”

He said as he turned around and prepared to leave. His route was however blocked by the bigger stallion, who flew over Attano and landed in front of him. The Pony was staring Corvo down with the grin still apparent on his face.

“Don’t leave Klutzershy! We just want to have some FUN!”

He said, as the smaller one stood behind the Lord Protector.

“What’s the matter Klutzershy? Not scared? Not going to tremble and ask us to stop, huh?”
The shorter bully asked mockingly. Corvo was not amused. But then he realized… He was alone here with these two dimwits… It was a secluded location so no one would see him interrogating them. The taller one pushed him suddenly, making Attano take a step back.

“Come on! Tremble already!”

He shouted.

This was the ignition point. Corvo couldn’t allow some thrash to push him around like that. He was no saint to present his other cheek and take the blow. His pride and dignity was at stake. Also he tried to leave peacefully. Those idiots brought this on themselves. Attano snorted and smiled cruelly

“Boy, you just bit off more than you can chew…”

Dunwall’s Hero said with a threat in his voice. The taller Bully looked at him flabbergasted.

Lord Protector then extended his right foreleg

“Appareo...”

The Outsider’s Mark lightened up, black energy seeping from Corvo’s body materializing into a silver blade that appeared in the flexion between his hoof and the foreleg. To the Bullies it looked as if some kind of Cutie Mark started to glow on Fluttershy’s left hoof and then… A sinister blade appeared in her right hoof, reflecting the rays of sun, making it look as if it was on fire.

“What…”

The shorter pegasus managed to stammer

“Illac…”

Corvo whispered and with a blink of an eye he appeared next to the taller bully with the silver sword pressed against his throat. There was a pause in which their minds caught up with reality and realized that they are possibly in a great deal of danger from insane Fluttershy…

“F… Fluttershy… What are you doing?!”

The taller bully screamed out terrified. The shorter one was already preparing to leave, slightly pale on the face. Corvo couldn’t allow it… He could petrify him, but again it would probably eat a lot of his energy and he couldn’t have that. He could turn him to ash, but that required direct contact. He could stop time, but it was a very powerful ability and he still didn’t want to use it, fearing it might hurt Fluttershy’s body. There was only one option then…

“No consequences, no impact…”

Corvo said to himself and didn’t even look at the taller bully as with one fluid motion he sliced his throat open. A gush of blood left the wide cut. It landed mostly on the ground in front of the Pony making a clear red splatter. Gurgling the Pegasus fell down. He spasmed as life left him completely and a puddle of blood started to form around his lifeless corpse. As soon as this happened his body, blood and possessions turned to ash, leaving no evidence that anything ever happened here. Corvo could see his other target starting to escape into air. He had no time then.

“Illac…”

Attano whispered looking straight at his target. He was pulled through reality slightly above the erratically flying Pegasus. With the blade in right hoof he fell straight on top of him. The latter screamed in surprise and immediately lost his concentration. Corvo locked the bully’s neck with his left foreleg in a powerful choking grip. The Pegasus was thrashing about as they both started to fall. Soon however he lost consciousness. Corvo still holding his victim tight quickly concentrated on the ground feeling the gravity’s pull and seeing the ground getting closer and closer.

“Illac!”

He shouted and before they hit the ground they were both thrown through reality hitting the land with much smaller force, but still bruising themselves. Corvo slowly raised himself from the unconscious Pegasus sighing with relief.

“That was a dangerous stunt Corvo”

Jessamine whispered.

“Yes, but now we have a source of information and hopefully no one saw any of it.”
He looked around, they landed just outside of the forest, near the Orchard he was initially aiming for. His sense told him that no one was in the vicinity and there couldn’t have been any witnesses.

“Still have a good aim.”

He said with some smugness. Fortunately he didn’t even lose the blade, as he was still holding it tightly in his right hoof. Corvo also used four abilities and was only moderately tired. It seemed that the mare’s body was getting used to The Outsider’s power. He approached the unconscious bully and touched him with his leg concentrating on the spot inside the forest.

“Illac…”

And with that they both were teleported into the forest.


Awesome Wing groggily came back to reality… The last thing he remembered was being… Attacked by Fluttershy… No, it had to be some kind of a stupid dream. His vision was blurry, but he could feel something pressing against his throat. He blinked a few times and saw a pair of cold, soul piercing eyes staring at him. And the thing pressing against his throat… It was a very long and very sharp sword… He realized his troubles just begun and insane Fluttershy was not a dream. She was looking straight at him with a very serious expression. He involuntarily started to tremble, as his face was drained from blood yet again.

“W…”

He wanted to say something but his mouth became so dry he simply couldn’t.

“I’m in a hurry so let’s make this quick…”

The mare said. Awesome nodded slowly.

“How do Princess Celestia and Princess Luna look like?”

He felt cold sweat on his face. How can she not know this? Maybe it’s a trick? There was a pause.

“I see you have trouble speaking so I’ll make this clear. When I ask you something and you won’t answer I’ll cut a part of your body off… How does that sound?”

Cold shiver went down his spine and his eyes widened from fear. She couldn’t… Could she?

"How do Princess Celestia and Princess Luna look like?"

She asked again, impatience detectable in her voice.

“They…They are alicorns… P-Princess Celestia has a white coat with mane and tail in a pastel color... Her Cutie Mark is that of a sun… Princess Luna has an indigo coat with a teal mane and tail… Her Cutie Mark is moon .”

He answered as if he was passing an exam. Fluttershy seemed to mull over the information.

“Alicorns?”

She asked then. She had to lose her memories somehow and surely was crazy now.

“Pegasi with unicorn horns…”

He explained.

“I understand. And what is this Cutie Mark?”

He opened his moth in surprise. This was basic knowledge! What happened to her?

“It’s… A mark on the flank, everypony receives when they discover their special talent…”

Awesome said unable to calm down however. He had a sharp blade pressed against his neck after all. Fluttershy took a look around the bully and spotted his Cutie Mark. It was a letter A with wings attached. She nodded somehow doubtfully.

“So it’s a tattoo…”

She said to herself and turned her sight back at Awesome Wing.

“Where do Princess Celestia and Princess Luna live?”

She asked patiently.

“C-Canterlot…”

He answered as hastily as possible. She nodded slowly.

“Very nice. And where is this Canterlot?”

She was mad! She had to be mad… But if he doesn’t tell her, she will definitely do something… Oh Celestia! Why did he even agree to the idea of trying to torment her?! She snapped and turned insane!

“It’s… It’s… On the mountain, above Ponyville…”

He answered still feeling that fear was draining all his energy.

“I see. How can I get there the fastest?”

She asked, this time with more patience.

“There’s a train… From train station in Ponyville. It runs every 2 hours…”

She seemed to be thinking about something. Her sight seemed distanced for a while…

“Do you have a watch?”

She asked him politely.

“Y-Yes…”

The bully answered somewhat surprised.

“Take it off and give it to me…”

She said with small ounce of authority in her voice.

“O-Of course…”

Now she was robbing him… Incredible… Trembling he raised his left hoof up and with the right one he pressed against the watch’s locking mechanism. The watch fell to the ground.

“Thank you kindly.”

She said calmly.

“Can I… Can I go now?”

He decided to try his chances.

“I’m afraid I can’t have any witnesses…”

She answered matter-of-factly as his eyes widened. He was about to scream for help but the blade moved against his throat, slicing it open and ending his life. The corpse turned to ash as Corvo reached down for the watch, picking it up with his mouth. With some failed attempts he finally locked it onto the hoof and looked at the hour. It was 16:33. It was hard to say for him how long will it take for the train to arrive, but he should go to the train station as fast as possible. He looked back at the path he used to arrive here.

“Illac…”

He whispered and vanished.


Lord Protector arrived at the train station at 16:56. It took him some time to find his way there, but with some running around and plenty of luck he finally made it. He also avoided three Ponies that tried to catch up to him and talk. Well better word being, he barely avoided, using supernatural ability to increase his distance between them. They were very persistent, but he managed to lose them anyway. He also got rid of the blade, making it turn into black energy and enter the body of the mare again. He looked around - there were plenty of Ponies here and now he needed an isolated location close-by. He smiled as he spotted what he was looking for… Toilets… Corvo had to wait for the train first though. And so he stood near the toilets waiting for the train to arrive. It took a while but after a few minutes he heard a distant sound of locomotive. How did these “Ponies” construct such a complicated machine? Hoofs could be used to grab some things, but work where a certain amount of precision was required… He simply shook his head. Another block to the theory of this world not being real was added. He could smell burned coal now. And after a while a peculiar train arrived. Its wagons constructed crookedly and painted colorfully. The locomotive itself was also crooked. A steam engine needed to be constructed precisely with certain proportional shapes… But this? This thing never stood close to a straight line! It was a design that had no right of existence. Corvo’s expression turned into a sour one. As impossible and ludicrous as this “train” was, he had no choice but to ride it. He quickly entered the proper toilet room for “mares”. Knowing no one was inside he took a last look at himself in this body, thanks to a mirror on the wall.

“Oblittero...”

He whispered. The Outsider’s Mark on Fluttershy’s left hoof disappeared and black energy escaped her body, quickly solidifying into a human form right behind her. Fluttershy then fell to the ground unconscious. Corvo took a look at the mare. She was bruised, had dirt and some splatters of blood on her coat, but all in all was pretty much alive. The masked man flexed his arms and cracked his neck as if he was exercising after a long trip.

“Thanks for the ride Fluttershy.”

He said calmly to the laying mare. He reached down and unlocked the watch from her hoof, hiding it inside his coat.

Might come in handy

He thought

“Caligo…”

He whispered and turned into white mist. Seepeing under the door he made his way onto the roof of the middle wagon of the train. Some ponies spotted the white mist making its way onto the train, none however connected it with an assassin making his way to the capital of Equestria and all dismissed it as some kind of weather anomaly. Lord Protector materialized himself on the roof of the train in a laying position. The train slowly started to move, gaining speed rather quickly and leaving the town of Ponyville with Dunwall’s Hero on its roof. Corvo was going to fulfill his mission, release his and Jessamine’s soul, see Emily again and nothing could stop him…