//------------------------------// // Blueblood Fued // Story: The Dead Stallion's Hand // by Lord Zalgo //------------------------------// Everypony ran to Phoenix and embraced him as Clover laid unconscious on the ground. "Are you alright, Phoenix? Do you need me to heal you?" Twilight asked. "No, I can shake it off. I'm fine." Phoenix declined before beginning to hug Applejack. Everypony looked over to the princesses to see that they were talking to Chrysalis. They began to walk over to them as they could eventually hear their conversation. "That is undeniably his plan." Chrysalis finished. Celestia, Cadence and Shining Armour who was recently freed from the spell he was under seemed to be lost in thought. "I never thought he'd do something like that. It's insane." Shining said. "What's going on?" Twilight asked as Phoenix, the Elements and Cognito walked forward. Phoenix wanted to ask why he came along, but he just deduced that he was invited with everypony else. "Blueblood intends to destroy Canterlot. The entire city." Chrysalis replied. "What?! How is he going to do that?!" Twilight exclaimed in shock. "We don't know, but it's obvious that he has a plan. We have to get moving." Shining said with finality. Chrysalis nodded as she walked quickly towards the balcony. "Changelings! Track down the cowardly prince!" Chrysalis commanded. The magical dome around Canterlot shimmered as thousands of changelings became visible. Upon hearing her command and seeing the changelings, Shining quickly deactivated the dome and began to wonder if he and everypony else could trust Chrysalis. However, true to her words, the changelings flew towards and through the city at amazing speeds, but seemed to be dodging and avoiding every pony that they saw. They were searching for Blueblood. Blueblood ran with Star, Fen and Valliere not far behind him. "Come on! We have to keep moving or they're going to catch us! We have to get to-!" Blueblood's sentence stopped when his body did. He stopped running and ground to a complete halt when he laid eyes on the blockade of changelings in front of him. "Oh, no..." Blueblood said with worry. The changelings were stoic as they stared the ponies down. They were ready to carry out their orders. "Come on! Guard me!" Blueblood commanded the assassins behind him. Star and Valliere quickly jumped in front of him, but Fen was too afraid and stayed where he was. "Get over here, you coward!" Star's muffled voice said to Fen. Fen shook his head erratically and ran in the opposite direction. Only to be caught by a black tendril. The tendril emerged from a black, ethereal portal on the ground and wrapped around Fen's neck to hold him aloft. Slendermane slowly rose from the ether and simply stared at Fen, face to... faceless. Fen had tears streaming from his eyes and sweat leaking from his face as his eyes couldn't move away from Slendermane's lack of eyes. Another stallion rose from the ether and immediately smiled at what Slender was doing. Jeff had his knives prepared for the situation, but one look from Slender made him start to sulk with annoyance and walk towards Blueblood, Star and Valliere. Three more ponies rose from the ether as Jeff surrounded the assassins and prince. One of them was Zalgo himself, standing in all his glory. One of the other ponies was a young stallion with a grey coat and brown mane and tail. His eyes were hidden by goggles, his muzzle was hidden by a scarf and he was wearing a navy blue hoodie. The other was a tall stallion that was dressed as a clown. A monochrome clown. His entire outfit consisted of black and white stripes, he had a messy black mane, but no tail and his eyes were a mix of black and white. He smile as soon as he arrived, revealing sharp, predatory teeth, ready to give nightmares to anyone who looked upon him. "Tobias. Jack. Join Jeffery up there. Slendermane. You know what to do." Zalgo instructed. Ticci Toby and Laughing Jack quickly moved to join Jeff and Slender quickly used his tendril to snap Fen's neck, killing him instantly. After Slender casually killed Fen, he dropped his body to the ground and walked with Zalgo towards the ponies. Seeing that they were surrounded, outnumbered and vastly outclassed; Star, Valliere and Blueblood tried to think of a plan. Thinking on her feet, Valliere grabbed Blueblood and began to tap into her vampire powers. "Try not to throw up." Valliere whispered. Before Blueblood could respond, both he and Valliere transformed into a swarm of bats and began to quickly fly away before anypony could catch them. Leaving Star where he was. Star looked around in complete and utter horror as everypony turned their attentions back to him. "Slendermane, try to keep track of that swarm. Report back with their location when they land." Zalgo instructed. Slender nodded once before disappearing in a static-y way. "What do we do with him?" Jeff asked. Zalgo turned away and began to walk towards the castle. "Have some fun." Zalgo replied. Star's death didn't come swiftly. Zalgo teleported into the great hall, surprising everypony still there. "Zalgo!" Celestia exclaimed before wrapping her hooves around him in a quick hug. "Two of Prince Blueblood's conspirators are deceased. Blueblood himself and his vampiric cohort escaped, however. I have Slendermane tracking them." Zalgo explained seriously. "Surely, they could be anywhere by now!" Shining exclaimed. "That is unlikely. The vampire used one of her vampire abilities by transforming herself and Blueblood into a swarm of bats. In the sunlight, her powers will be severely weakened and since she is taking a passenger as well, she will not get far." Zalgo explained. "Then, we just have to wait for Slendermane to return?" Celestia asked. As if sensing his cue, Slendermane suddenly appeared in the room with a slight look of dread on his faceless head. "Slendermane? Where are they?" Zalgo asked, concerned at his friend's sudden dread. "...They have barricaded themselves... inside the chamber of the Elements of Harmony." Slendermane slowly replied. "I knew it would work!" Blueblood exclaimed. "...What... would?" Valliere asked, exhausted. "The spell my aunts used on this chamber is one that only royalty can break. She says that only she or Aunt Luna could do it, but as a contingency, any of royal blood can do it." Blueblood said with an evil smile as the Element vault slowly opened before him. "...So? The Elements... aren't going to help us. We need... those girls..." Valliere replied. "There is one Element that doesn't need the others in order to work. It will give me unfathomable power! More than enough to flatten this pathetic city to the ground!" Blueblood declared as he levitated the Element of Magic towards him...