//------------------------------//
// Tracking the beast 
// Story: The Wrong Hoof 
// by ChainGunDragon 
//------------------------------//

As they trotted through the ruined city, AppleJack tripped on a rock, landing flat on her side at the corner of a modest house as a couple of disturbed rocks fell from the slanted roof. The orange mare shut her eyes and cringed as they headed straight for her but couldn't feel anything. When she opened her eyes, she saw the curious black stones suspended above her, rotating slowly but otherwise frozen. She looked over to at the changeling prince and noticed his horn was glowing a faint green as the rocks were tossed aside, not even bothering to look back at her.
“Are you alright?” Dolus asked as he went back for the mare, holding out a hoof to help her up. AppleJack hesitated, looking up at the changeling but eventually took his hoof and stood up, grumbling quietly to herself.
“I’m fine.”
“So what are those rocks, exactly?” Twilight asked, looking back and watching the stones roll across the ground as AppleJack caught up to them. “You seem to incorporate that material into nearly all of your buildings, but I've never seen anything like it anywhere else.”
“Outsiders often don’t know how to make it,” Vano answered as he scooped up a fractured brick from the ground in his wing, offering it to the princess. She used her magic to hold it in front of her, studying it as he continued explaining. “It’s been used by changelings for generations for its stability and because the materials needed to craft it are abundant here so it’s much more affordable than luxuries like quartz. It’s one of the many reasons we’re all keen to head back home.”
“I don’t see this monster you were so worried about,” Rarity said, looking around, trying to keep a sharp eye. “Does it usually hide like this?”
“The beast has never hidden before when we've tried to return in the past, but I wouldn't count myself so lucky as to say it’s gone.”
“Wait, I found something,” Rainbow Dash called out from above as she flew down to the ground a few buildings ahead of them, studying the ground. As Twilight and the others got closer, they began to notice a set of holes dug into the ground, almost big enough for a pony to hide in. The more Twilight observed them, the more she noticed a pattern as they continued out of the city, each hole nearly identical to the last.
“They’re Karkinos’ tracks. Whenever he takes a step, he leaves these holes in his wake,” Vano said as he looked off into the distance.
“So is that where he went?” Twilight asked, walking up next to the prince trying to find an end to the tracks.
“That’s where he came from.”
“But there’s only one set of tracks.” The princess studied the ground, observing the pattern that should have entered the city. “And they end here.”
“Then where is he?” Fluttershy asked, keeping close to Dolus.
“I don’t know.”
“Did it walk back in its own hoof-prints?” Rarity asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Well what should we do?” AppleJack asked.
“I don’t-“
“Wait,” Twilight interrupted, still analyzing the pattern as she noticed a thin disturbed line drawn in the ground running across where the tracks should have continued. “I think someone might have covered the tracks.”
“But why? They did a poor job with the rest of them, why cover the ones inside the city?”
“Whoever did it, I think they went this way,” Twilight said, keeping her eyes close to the ground as she followed the line. Vano stood still and watched the mare as she found her way back to where she started, looking confused.
“we’re going around in circles… how telling.”
“I don’t get it. Where did they go?”
“Well you’re right about one thing, the ground looks disturbed as if someone dug it up and put it back down. Perhaps it was-“ The prince didn't finish his sentence, his eyes trailing off past Twilight as she turned around to see what was so distracting.
“Looking for something?” The mare’s mane was almost invisible against the starry night sky, her coat just barely reflecting the moonlight enough for them to see a tall figure at the other side of the circle.
“What are you doing here Luna?” Twilight asked, still upset at the other princesses for betraying the virtues they sought to teach her.
“And how did you find us?” The Prince asked, standing beside Twilight. “Only changelings know how to find these grounds, the only pony to ever find this place was Princess Celestia when she tried adding us to her council almost a hundred years ago, and she only found us on accident.”
“But she did find you. And she remembers. My sister may be unconscious but even still, I can see inside her dream. Cadence told me that you had escaped and where you would be headed next, Celestia told me how to find it. But I have to admit, it was still hard to find.”
“Luna, this has to stop.”
“Oh, I agree. So all you have to do is turn in the changeling, and he can lead us to the others, and no one else has to get hurt.”
“You know that’s not going to happen. The changelings are innocent in all of this, why did you try to hurt them?”
“Innocent?” The night princess almost laughed but caught sight of her fellow princess’ stare and retained herself. “You saw what they did to Canterlot. Twice.”
“That was just-“
“A distraction? Yes Twilight, I’m well aware, but it doesn't prove our point any less. Ever since I returned from my imprisonment on the moon, I saw no sight of the changelings, only my sister’s stories. They withdrew from our council, stopped talking to us, not even an explanation as to why?”
“Our people were starving!” Vano shouted, struggling to control his temper. “The needs of our own people come before the needs of yours, so I’m sorry we were too busy to attend your political tea parties.”
“I agree completely, the needs of our own people come before the needs of yours. We had no idea what they were plotting, but you have to understand Twilight. We were trying to protect our subjects. We knew that the changelings could grow powerful enough to rule, fueled by our love and their withdraw only made us more nervous of an impending attack. So we struck first. Of course then they pleaded our help but by then it was too late. It had already begun so we showed them the same kindness they showed us when we reached out to them.”
“But you heard Vano. They were starving, not plotting. You put an entire race in danger.”
“I’m not saying it was right. Perhaps we did make a mistake. But what’s done is done, do you really think they’re just going to let this go and continue with their lives? If we stop now, they will surely exact revenge on us and our kind. Thousands of innocent ponies all in constant danger because we couldn't finish what we started.”
“So you thought you could just cover it all up and bury your dark little secret?”
“I didn't need to cover anything. I think he buried himself quite well.” Twilight looked at the changeling prince before looking back at Luna.
“What are you talking about?”
“Not Vano… Karkinos.” As she spoke the name, the ground beneath their hooves began to tremble. The Princess of the night flew up into the air to get away from the ground as Twilight, Vano, and Rainbow dash did the same, the others having no choice but to back away on hoof except for Fluttershy and Dolus who decided to stay by each other’s side on the ground. Twilight looked down on the land, trying to find what was causing the tremors as she saw just how big the circle really was. Cracks began to form in the disturbed earth as parts of the circle began to rise and shift. Suddenly Twilight could feel the air become polluted not by ordinary magic, but by what felt eerily similar to the disabling enchantment she was under earlier that night in the prison. The earth stopped shifting as the tremors stopped, everything holding still just long enough for Luna to speak.
“It’s awake.” The disturbed ground suddenly erupted. Dirt and stone alike both thrown into the air as Twilight and the others moved frantically to avoid getting hit. When the earth had settled back onto the ground, everyone looked toward where the circle had once been, replaced by a cloud of dust and smoke. As it began to clear, Twilight could start to make out a shape nearly as tall as her library. The image came more and more into focus as she could make out it’s huge claws and it’s enormous legs. Suddenly the creatures back began to glow with various different runes and sigils etched into its shell. The smoke finally cleared as Twilight landed back onto the ground, friends by her side as she was face to face with the dreaded crustacean beast. Karkinos.