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// Prologue: Day 0 
// Story: Dishonored: Derpy Hooves' Quest (to Change the Fate of an Empire) 
// by Arcane-Boomeus 
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Yes, that's right. Dishonored and My Little Pony. 
LET US BEGIN.

Prologue:
Day Zero



Derpy Hooves heaved a heavy sigh. She walked down the path that lead into the Everfree Forest, feeling melancholic but strangely pleased. She had, upon placing a reasonable distance between herself and the outskirts of Ponyville, allowed herself to abandon her ruse. Nopony was around to see that she was, in all actuality, a pony whose intelligence rivaled that of Ponyville's token bookworm, Twilight Sparkle. In fact, nopony but her beloved Princess Luna knew of her intellect (though she suspected that Zecora was on to her), and Derpy had every intention of keeping things that way. 
Derpy had raised herself after her parents died, back when she was just a filly. She had, after realizing that everypony had a much easier time leaving a 'slow' pony alone than a veritable prodigy like herself. Of course, there were ups and downs to her little charade- she was generally known to be a very nice pony, and most everypony left her be most of the time; however, she was infamous for her tendency of wreaking havoc wherever she went, and she disliked the pity that other ponies felt for her.
The reason Derpy was heading into the dreaded, ever-ominous Everfree Forest was a simple one: she was going to reveal herself to Zecora, explain why she needed to keep her secret, and ask Zecora to avoid telling anypony. If asked, she would have said that it had absolutely nothing to do with the book Derpy had 'borrowed' from Twilight's library. 
Derpy decided that it was better that Twilight was as imperceptive as she was, because Derpy wasn't sure she could both maintain her ruse and get the book she'd searched so diligently for. The book itself didn't appear to be anything special- just an old leather book with yellowed pages and an odd symbol etched into the front cover. Derpy had felt some sort of connection with the symbol, as if it were calling out to her. She didn't know why, nor did she know what, precisely, it was that made the book so special; she merely accepted that it was special, filched it from the library, and planned to read it whenever she had the chance.
Derpy would have flown to the cabin belonging to Zecora, but since she happened to be a courier, she had been flying all day, and her wings were quite tired. She reflected that she probably needed to exercise a little more,  but she needed to do so in a manner that would fit the persona she had spent all of these years creating.
As the cabin that was her destination drew nearer,  Derpy tried to remember what her real voice sounded like. 
'No matter how often I speak with that voice, it still feels... unnatural,' Derpy thought pensively. A quick glance over her shoulder reassured her that her bag was still on her back, the book still nestled securely between a small tin of muffins and the set of paints she used to create her fake cutie mark. In truth, she had yet to acquire her actual cutie mark, most likely because she was nearly always preoccupied with her work and/or her false self.
'Why did Luna think it was so funny that the only real trait I let through my ruse is my love of muffins?' Derpy wondered. 'Is it some sort of innuendo to love muffins...? I suppose I shall have to ask.'
“Ah, hello, Derpy my dear,” said Zecora, who had stepped out of her cabin to greet Derpy, “what is it that brings you here?”
For some reason, Derpy was always pleasantly amused by Zecora's verbal tic of speaking in rhyme. “My reasons for coming to see you are twofold,” Derpy announced confidently, “First, I have a confession to make; second, I have something I want your advice on.”
“Ah, Derpy, I already know your secret. 'Twas your keen eye let me in on it.”
“I had suspected you might have known...”
“It is my nature to take a second look, and not judge by the cover of the book.”
Derpy was amused by the appropriateness of the metaphor. “Funny you should mention a book,” Derpy said, “that's what I want your advice on.”
“And a strange one it must be, for you to be asking me.” Derpy pulled the book out of her saddlebag and placed it on the grass before Zecora.  The zebra's eyes widened as she saw the cover. “The mark of the Outsider adorns this book,” she said, “it might be dangerous to even take a look.”
“Who is this 'Outsider'?”
“The Outsider is a being most odd. I suppose he is best called a god.”
“What is he, specifically?”
“The Outsider is a strange creature. Opposable thumbs are a dominant feature.”
Derpy thought for a moment, then guessed,“Is he a monkey?”
“His appearance is that of a species you have never seen. They are called 'human beings'.”
'Beings and seen? Bit of a stretch, Zecora...' Derpy focused on the conversation, shaking the criticism out of her mind for the time being. “What does he do?”
“He bestows powers to those of his choosing. He favors those that he finds amusing.”
“... Meaning?”
“Legend has it he pulls interesting ponies into the Void. He doesn't care if they are destroyed.”
“So he pulls ponies into this 'Void' and gives them some sort of power?”
“Yes, Derpy, but you'd better take care; the Outsider is said to visit visit in a nightmare.”
“Why is this book dangerous?”
“Even the tiniest peek could overwhelm a mind that is weak.”
“This 'Outsider' sounds evil...”
“Some say he is part devil, part angel, and entirely ambiguous. When he is around, strange happenings will likely be continuous.”
“Anything else, Zecora?”
“His machinations go beyond mortal reason, but he is honest; you needn't worry about treason.”
Derpy could only think of one more question to pose to Zecora, but, to be fair, it was a pretty good one. “Do you have any advice to offer that isn't cryptic and obscure?”
“I am afraid not- perhaps you should consult your 'friend' in Canterlot.”
Derpy nodded. “Thank you, Zecora. I'm sure it's pretty tiring, rhyming every time you speak, so  I'm especially grateful.”
Zecora frowned. “You say I speak in rhyme? I speak this way all the time. Do not be silly, it doesn't become you to act like a filly.”
Derpy placed the book back into her bag, cinched it tightly shut, and turned to leave. She looked over her shoulder. “Goodbye, Zecora, and, again, thank you.”
“Farewell, Derpy Hooves, I hope to see you soon- be sure to give my regards to the Mare on the Moon.”
'She's far more astute than I had originally thought,' Derpy mused as she walked back towards Ponyville- and her home. She yawned. The book was far heavier than the mail she was used to carrying, and, compounded with the long walk to Zecora's hut, Derpy was exhausted by the time she reached her home, a cozy house located on the outskirts of Ponyville.
By the time she'd eaten dinner, the sun was just barely peeking over the horizon. She smiled. Once the sun had set and the moon had risen, her precious Luna would visit her dreams. Derpy loved Luna more than anything and anypony. If she had to choose between Luna and muffins, Derpy would pick Luna without hesitation. The main thing that got Derpy through the day was the knowledge that Luna would be waiting for her in her dreams.
Luna seemed to understand Derpy, and Derpy was sure she understood Luna. Neither of them could remember their parents (in fact, Luna wasn't certain if she even had parents). Luna had been exiled to the moon for a thousand years, and Derpy had, in essence, exiled her true self from everypony she knew. Both of them were avoided by the majority of ponies, Luna because she was remembered as the dreaded Nightmare Moon; Derpy because she had the tendency to destroy (or otherwise ruin) everything she came into contact with.
Derpy placed the book bearing the mark of The Outsider on her bedside table, then collapsed into her bed. She fell asleep the instant her head touched her pillow.

	* * *

	Derpy woke up, then got out of her bed. 'Something's not right here,' she thought. She glanced towards her window and noticed a light blue glow coming from it. “Luna,” Derpy called hopefully, “Are you here?”
She called out several more times, but there was no reply. Derpy noticed that the mark of The Outsider on the cover of the book was glowing the same light blue as the window. Derpy decided that the light blue glow was eerie, and, without realizing it, followed the compulsion she had to go outside.
As soon as she stepped out, she became certain something was wrong. Her house was situated on a floating chunk of land, and there were numerous other floating chunks of land at various elevations and distances from her, the nearest being less than ten meters away and floating a few meters below her home. 
Before she could decide what exactly she should do, a tall, bipedal figure appeared before her. He had pale skin and black hair, and he wore distinctly dingy-looking brown clothing. But the things that stuck out most about him were the fact that he was, despite his lack of wings, floating about a meter off of the ground, and his eyes. His eyes were black, almost as if they weren't there- Derpy would have thought that they weren't there, under normal circumstances. What made it obvious that the eyes were present was the way that they stayed unnaturally dark, as if to spite the eerie glow that permeated and illuminated everything.
Derpy decided that this must have been the 'Void' Zecora had told her about, and the strange-looking man floating before her must have been The Outsider himself.
“Hello, Derpy. As I'm sure you've guessed, I am the Outsider, and I've been watching you for quite some time now. You're a very interesting pony, Derpy, and I'd like to see how you behave under a different set of circumstances than your current ones.” Derpy wasn't sure how to respond, or even if she should. The Outsider continued speaking before she could.
“You see, Derpy, I think I have something you want. Something you would do anything to gain.”
Derpy couldn't really think of anything that fit that description, but she let the Outsider continue unabated.
“You do not know that you want it yet, so allow me to elaborate. Your precious Princess Luna is eternal, undying, forever young. In a word, immortal. And your feelings for each other are very powerful indeed. Did you ever consider that Luna will continue to stay as she is, even as you grow old and die. So, in exchange for assuming the pivotal role in another world, I will make you immortal, that you might enjoy eternity with your beloved princess.”
Derpy hadn't even considered the fact that Luna never aged. The realization shocked her. For the first time since the Outsider appeared before her, she spoke. “You have my attention.”
“Good! When you wake up tomorrow morning, you will no longer be in Equestria. You will be in a human body, a body blamed for the death of an Empress it strove to protect. You will see faces you know, as well as faces you've never seen before. You will know things you could only know if you had lived in that world your entire life. Your body will not feel strange to you. When you are finished, you will be returned to Equestria, where you may live with Luna forever.”
“What exactly am I supposed to do?” Derpy asked. She didn't like the sound of being blamed for the death of an empress.
“What you do is your decision, Derpy… Know that, no matter what you do, you will change the fate of an Empire. I'll be watching. I hope your visit to Dunwall is an interesting one.”
Derpy opened her mouth to ask why he had chosen her, but he spoke before her.
“Oh, and one more thing,” he said, almost mischievously, “you'll be waking up in a few moments.”



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End Prologue

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~~Arcane-Boomeus~~