> Dishonored: Discord Hunt
>  by freakindabox
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: A Deal he Cannot Refuse
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Deal He Cannot Refuse

Corvo Attano stood rigid in the night air. His stance strong and proud as the breeze felt its way across his features. Long ago was his assassin's mask, and long ago were the days of terror that struck the city, drowning it in a plague carried by vermin. Now he sported a simple coat, adorned with the logo of the new age, and the new vision for the empire. A pair of well worn leather pants covered his legs, held secure by a belt that fit his sheath, the sword that he held in honor of his empress never leaving his side. Empress Emily was rightfully in charge, and after only a few years, the city of Dunwall, a once magnificent marvel in the eyes of men, began to gather its splendor. 
Now, after thirty years, Corvo looks upon the city of Dunwall from his balcony high in Dunwall tower. Before him, the city felt alive. Building were no longer in shambles, stained with the writings of the rebels, defiant in their agony. The streets, paved with care, carried various automobiles, each one traveling to a different destination. The sight made him proud… proud to have played his role in saving his empress, and proud to have served her for so long, watching each success pass by. 
Just after Emily was put back onto the throne, she was not met with just a little challenge. Empires from afar, learning of the great Empire Ilse and how weak they were, decided to bring their armies. Empress Emily Kaldwin did not waste time in taking measures against her attackers. She appointed Corvo to lead the army in the defense of Dunwall and all of the Empire Isle.
Hardened after this war, Emily took it upon herself to bring a new vision onto her Empire, and thus began her true reign. Her new vision taking shape year after year. Dunwall City began anew, a school borne from Emily’s vision. This school brought new ideas, and new technology, and for years to come,The Outsider did not show his face, not even when Corvo found one of his shrines.
Corvo looked down, turning his hand to show the mark of The Outsider. This “gift” that was bestowed upon him by The Outsider had helped him practically tear down a city, then helped to rebuild it. Corvo never lost his abilities, and they never grew weak on him, but only got more and more potent as he found The Outsider’s runes. All these years and the Outsider had kept silent, but not today. The mark on his left hand was glowing, and he could feel a strong pull toward the shrine that was placed inside of the tower. Corvo did not know what to feel about this, but the pull seemed to grow in strength every minute.
So here he was, standing outside on his balcony, taking one last look at Dunwall, the home of his empress, before investigating The Outsider’s intentions. 
It was time, and with a thought, Corvo vanished from sight in a puff of black particles… 

...and reappeared before the shrine. Immediately Corvo could tell that something was wrong, for the figure that appeared, floating over the shrine was a but a shadow of what The Outsider was. Though his face was still there, The Outsider was lacking most of his body, looking as if it had been torn to shreds, black viscous liquid flowing from places that should have been covered by ethereal skin. The usually stoic, expressionless face that he wore, though held high, was filled with rage. 
Corvo was taken aback, speechless at the sight.
“Corvo Attano, my most interesting friend. As you can see, I am not doing Well.” The Outsider said, his voice was strained and angry. “My current state is do to a creature that i could not recognize that entered the void, my domain. This creature began to tear down my work, and when I confronted it, it produced a power that matched my own. I was caught off guard, but I managed to banish it before it could kill me, but only just. For over ten years, i have been healing, but his spell is still suppressing my ability to do so.” The Outsider seemed to take a deep breath, releasing some of the pain and anger from his face.
“I suppose you have a new task of me?” Corvo asked. “I am not as young as I used to be.”
The Outsider looked down at him. “I have a new deal for you. When I banished this creature, I kept the portal to his world open. Though my body is taking more time to heal than is comfortable for me, my power is still vast. If you accept this deal, I will give you your youth back, all of your energy and more. I need you to find this creature for me corvo. Bring it to me, dead or alive, it does not matter to me.”
Corvo turned the words around in his head. He could not say that he wanted his youth back, as he did not miss the days he spent behind a mask as an assassin. His body was not forgiving him for those days, though. Even though Corvo’s powers were still great, his old age had his body aching. The deal was tempting, but Corvo had more reason to stay at his empress’s side.
“I can tell you are worried for Emily, but I can assure you that my influences will keep her safe from harm. In addition to your youth, I will even break my own laws, the laws of the void, and let you have contact with the late Empress Jasmine kaldwin”
Corvo stopped thinking. The words that were just spoken refused to leave his mind. It had been so long since that day. The Heart of a Living Thing was an embodiment of her personality, of her voice and memories, and may have been carved from her chest and made into this, but he had not really been in the presence of the woman that he had sworn to protect all those years ago. 
“I trust that this intrigues you. My promise is set, and all you must do is accept the my de-”
“I will do it.” Corvo interrupted, eyes full of confidence.
The Outsider simply looked at him, studying this human before him. “Then you must say your goodbyes to Emily. Come back to this shrine and i will set you on your way. There is some details that I feel I must share with you before you begin your mission.” With that, The Outsider turned to mist, disappearing from view.
Corvo steeled himself, the mark on his hand glowing. In an instant, he found himself before Empress Emily. 

“Corvo!” Emily exclaimed, surprised at the sudden appearance of her Lord Protector. “You look as though you have seen a gho- what has happened?” She asked, noticing the look on Corvo’s face.
“The Outsider.” Corvo said. “The Outsider has asked me to help him.”
Emily looked at him quizzically, as she had not heard of The Outsider asking for help before, and she has heard the stories. “How can this be? You said yourself that you have not seen The Outsider in thirty years.”
“He called to me just now, and I went to his shrine. He was there, waiting for me. Something nearly killed him.” Corvo said. Emily stood from her chair.
Walking to Corvo, she spoke: “He has asked you to seek the thing that hurt him. What will you do if I say you are forbidden from it?”
Corvo didn't miss a beat. “He has given me a deal that I cannot refuse. I do not think it wise to let you know the extent of this deal. I am sorry Empress Emily Kaldwin, but I must be going now.”
Emily stood before Corvo, her eyes furious, but they softened. Lord Protector Corvo Attano, I will not stop you from your quest. You have served this City, this Empire well. You may do whatever you think is best.” Emily said, moving to hug the man that had saved her life, giving it new meaning.
Corvo hugged her back, but he felt that there was no time to waste. He pulled away from Emily, looking deep into her eyes, then disappeared from her sight.

Again, Corvo found himself before the shrine, and to his surprise, his gear lay there; the assassin’s mask, the heart that whispered the secrets from the hearts of men, and a large collection of bone charms. The shrine began to light up.
The Outsider showed his disfigured from, his face still contorted in that angry fashion. “The portal to this world that the creature comes from is still open, but it will not be open for much longer. I can still feel power coming from it, as if the air itself on the other side is permeated with large amounts of power. This power impresses even me, as it is the same as the power that the void is made from, but it seems less dense and has not let up for ten years. The place you will be going is not like this place, and i fear it is a dark and war ridden place, dangerous for even the most powerful of those who bear my mark. That is why I have come to you, one of my most interesting subjects. You may not come back from this, for even I do not know what lies beyond this portal. The creature that attacked me was an abomination, holding features of many different animals. It was long, proportioned like the dragons of old. That is all that I can tell you.” he finished, raising his hand.
A flash of light shown before Corvo, and a then it took shape, forming a circle, then a cone as it seemed to gain dimension. The hole in reality was as tall as he was, colored in bright blues and purples. Corvo looked back toward The Outsider, “I am holding you to your promise.” He said.
And I am eager to meet the one who nearly killed me, be it only his head, or whole. I can only keep this portal open for a limited time. I am predicting it to last for about eight days before it becomes too unstable for my power to hold it. This beast is powerful, and you will need every bit of skill and knowledge at your disposal, so I give you your youth. 
The mark of Corvo’s hand glowed, then suddenly shined bright.

The signal has been cast. The order to attack given. Now is the time to shine in the glory of the Changeling Queen Chrysalis. She was fighting the foolish princess in her palace, and from what can be heard from the orders that are flowing through the air, his queen was winning. 
Oh how he wished he could see this fight! But for now, his job is to follow his squad leader in the scouting of the valley below the great palace that would soon be his home. Though he did not like it, as Kript the changeling was a warrior, a fighter among his brethren, he had his orders. 
It was not long before his squad found a small group of those delicious ponies huddled together in  the Valley, close to a tree line. Just like they had practiced many times, his squad leader let loose a magical signal telling the squad to transform into one of the innocent, ignorant creatures. 
His squad obeyed, as did he, and they approached, calling out to the group, who was mesmerized and filled with fear at the barrier that held the army away was slowly being broken down by the constant chipping of the Changeling grunts.
They covered the ground between them and this group of ponies with haste, and when the came into range, the squad leader gave a second signal, telling the squad to take their original forms and take to arms. 
Oh how it made him feel alive! This was what he was made for, what he was born for! He took on his original form, a black carapace, blue, menacing wings, and bright, glowing blue eyes. His eyes were not filled with anger, but filled with pure joy. He couldn't help but grin as he charged, his horn glowing that beautiful green glow. 
He shot a bolt of energy at the largest one, a stallion over twice his height. That did not matter, though, for he was a born fighter, and his shot ran true, striking the stallion in his chest, directly into his heart. The big foolish creature fell with a hard thud, a mare screamed in horror, but that was nothing for him to worry about. 
It did not take long to kill any of these foolish ponies that tried to fight back, and imprison any others that cowered, stricken by fear. Kript had killed three of the group, and the leader was yelling at him, but that was only a mere annoyance. His mind was clear now, only fighting remaining, and there was a bug…
…And this bug was annoying. Cold as ice, he charged his horn.
“KRIPT!” The annoying bug hissed. “Stand down you fool! I will give the order to ki-”
The annoying bug was trying to say something but it was all for naught, and it only took a moment as he fired his shot. His skill with the energy bolt was far superior than most of his brethren, and he was fast. The bolt shot from his horn and bore a hole into the annoying bug’s eye. Kript smiled when there was silence once more. Then he turned to face his “squadmates,” his smile widening as they took their stances, hissing their anger at him.

It took Corvo a few moments to realize that he was pushed through the portal, losing consciousness during the process. His mind was riddled with pain and confusion, his ears ringing, but in the distance he could hear screaming, hissing and even what sounded like flesh being ripped-
Corvo shot to attention, his body responding faster than he had expected.Beside him, he saw his long trench coat, his mask perched neatly on top. The ringing in Corvo’s ears subsided, and he realized that the sounds he was hearing were not as far away as he had hoped. 
He looked toward the direction of the now clear cracking of bone and ripping of sinew from its place… and did not like what he saw. 
He was sitting in grass, some of the softest and most lush that he had ever seen, covering a large area by his standards. The ground was spotted in wild flowers, giving color to the otherwise pure green. A treeline to his left, stretching for what seemed like many kilometers in length. That was a beautiful sight, really, totally foreign to Corvo. 
That was not the sight he was paying attention to, though. The sight he saw was much more familiar, if not still strange. It was carnage. It was blood sprayed in all directions, limbs of the beasts before him torn from their owners. There was one, though, that stood out among the others. It stood in the gore of the beasts that Corvo could only guess that the one who stands just killed. Its body seemed to be covered in some kind of exoskeleton, like the beetles that scurried around Dunwall. A long, wicked horn adorned on its head glowed a sickly green. It had blue wings, buzzing fervently now, lifting it from the ground. The thought crossed Corvo’s mind that it resembled an equine. the thought was lost, though, as they met eyes. Its blue, glowing eyes had malice in them, and Corvo could see their intention. 
Their intention was Corvo. In those deep, blue eyes, Corvo could see that it was going to attack him, and hold nothing back.

Kript made short work of his unworthy opponents. Their blood covered their pathetic bodies, now torn apart by his might. The last one in the grips of his magic was screeching, and it was annoying. With a thrust of his power, the magical field surrounding the annoying bug caved in, crushing it. 
Something interesting happened then. There was a flash of light, almost too bright for him to handle,and then there was a soft thud. The product of the light was even more interesting. Something had fallen from that light. Kript turned around to look at this new thing, the body he just killed still in his magical grip. It was nothing that he had ever seen before. 
The thing that fell seemed to be unconscious, which is boring when it comes to killing, but it suddenly shot upright to a sitting position. This got Kript’s blood boiling. It got him aching to kill this newcomer. 
He dropped the body of the dead bug, and that seemed to get the attention of the creature. They locked eyes, and what small eyes they were. That didn't matter, though, because they still showed fear. Something else, too, but Kript didn't care. He took to hovering, his wings giving off that sweet buzz. He charged up his horn, ready to fire his Death Bolt. Yes, that was what he would call it. The Death Bolt. 
He charged his Death Bolt… and released it. And it didn't hit.
He didn't hit his target, and that was rare. His back was in so much pain. He wondered what had caused that, trying to turn around. He realized then that his wings were not working, He was still hovering, but he was not hovering on his own accord. He found himself becoming weak, which was confusing because it was impossible. He was a fighter, and nothing could kill him. 
His head became heavy, wilting down. The sight was strange to Kript. He had never seen that kind of metal. It was weird to be growing from his che-
NO! Kript’s thoughts went wild, becoming slower and slower as the seconds pass by. He finally realized that he was run through by a sword. This was something he could not forgive, but he was so tired. All he wanted was sleep now, the pain gone from him. He didn't know when he the ground, a soft bed of grass cradling him. He could see this creature running, now. It ran toward the forest, and seemed to disappear in a black mist. 
It was dark, but it was warm. Comfortable. No more thinking, just sleep.
> Information, but Surprise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Information, but Surprise

After that altercation between himself and that equine looking bug, Corvo decided to hide away in the the nearby forest, blinking only a few meters in, and crouching down behind some rather thick brush. He activated his dark vision, a power he had worked on for some time, improving its potency. Now, not only does everything living glow in his eyes, but he could see the intentions of anyone he looked at, as long as he looked them in the eye. He could not see any life forms glowing, as if all of the life that was able to leave had simply left the area.The trees and shrubbery were as still as he thought they should be. Satisfied, his sight returned to normal.
Beside him, a tree towered over. Corvo took the opportunity to climb up to get a better scouting point. 
Before he did so, though, something occurred to him. He noticed his hands, young and strong, not the wrinkled, calloused hands that he knew not an hour before. This brought a smile to Corvo’s face, but he had to get moving.
In only a second, he blinked up from branch to branch, passing the lush green leaves and twigs that reached out to scrape him. The ease of it surprised him. He never really had much trouble with blinking, but he always did feel a small drain of energy if he did multiple blinks quickly. As he climbed the tree, he didn't even feel like he was using power. 
Standing on a high branch, he crouched, looking toward the mountain. It was large; wide and tall, reaching far above clouds that seemed to hang lower than the rest that he could see. The thing that stuck out, though, was the enormous castle that was perched near the top of the mountain, complete with towering spires. Corvo was stuck staring at it, taking in the sight before him. Below the castle sprawled an entire city. Buildings of all sizes reached far down and across the mountain and a waterfall spilled its water from far above the city. The waterfall hit a rather wide ledge where it turned into a river that ran through the city itself. Corvo only thought that Dunwall was a wonder to behold, being a port city with some of the largest and most complex buildings on Empire Isles, but this impossible city, hanging from a mountain side was still there, even when he closed his eyes and shook his head, just to make sure it was. 
And to top all of this off, a giant, purple force field encompassed the entire city, from top to bottom, seeming to even go into the mountain itself. As he marveled at the sight, a pillar of light shown from the city, hitting the top of the force field, sending a shimmer that traveled down the entire surface of the bubble. Corvo was taken aback by the sheer size of the energy that must be required to produce a force field of that magnitude. If that kind of energy consumption happened in Dunwall, they would very quickly run out of whale oil, even with the new, much more efficient oil docking systems. 
Now, he wished he was not so hasty about taking the life of that creature. He probably could have learned some important information from it, even if he may not have been able to understand it, nor it be able to understand him. It was unfortunate that it attacked him, more than enough reason blink behind the thing to neutralize it as quickly as possible. The real regret, though, was his belongings that were still in their place in the grass. Though large, the city was quite a long way away, and his mask would help him to see the details. The magnification function that Pierro added made the mask infinitely useful with such tasks.
Corvo looked to where his equipment still lay, figuring with the ease of climbing the tree, he could blink directly on top of them. He then looked back to his surroundings, reactivating his dark vision. The forest was quiet, no signs of life, not even the small animals and bugs that one often found in the setting. This still disturbed him, not knowing if it was natural, being so close to the large clearing, or if it was because of what was happening to that city.
Confident that the coast was clear, Corvo cancelled the dark vision. Focusing on his destination, he found himself standing over his gear. 
He crouched down, lowering himself slowly out of habit, but found that his knees did not pain him. He caught himself reveling in the fact, but focused once more on the task at hand. He picked up his mask, the metallic face with its sharp, menacing edges and eyes of glass and clockwork. He slowly turned the mask in his hands, revealing the red, soft material the Pierro had included. Whatever material it was, it breathed well, and felt good against his skin as the mask found his face. 
Even after all of these years, his eyes adjusted to the lenses with ease, but that may have been the youth he regained. 
He then picked up the Heart of a Living Thing, willing it to say something.
“Everywhere you look, peace and harmony prevail, but to the trained eye, this is but an illusion. There is darkness that lurks in this world; forces of great and terrible power roam the wilds.”
The heart spoke with Jasmine’s stolen voice, and he wished he could say he missed the human heart made into living clockwork, being such a wonderful tool during his assassin days. He did not, and it still gave him pain to use it. The heart lay heavy in his hands, dormant. It revealed to him no faint images of the runes that it sought. It was as if The Outsider truly had no influence here. He put the heart back on the ground.
Next was his wrist bow, an upgrade that was inspired by the man he watched kill Empress Jasmine. The concealed weapon was simple enough, consisting of a cross bar made from specially cured whale bone and string that gave it its power, and a firing mechanism that fit snugly into the knuckle of the middle finger. A Metal band, its inside padded with plush material for comfort, held the whole contraption in place. The weight of it was small, but the bolts it fired were just as deadly as his original crossbow. He slipped his hand through the band and turned the screw that tightened it comfortably into place. 
He reached down for his coat and picked it up, running his arm through the soft, midnight blue sleeve, feeling row upon row of bolts made for the wrist bow, hidden in the fabric that covered his forearm. He then picked up the heart and inserted it into the pocket that had been designed to carry the tool, and proceeded to fit the coat into position. It fit snugly, caressing his torso and biceps, but leaving room enough for full range of motion. Nostalgia began to take his mind, memories resurfacing, but that was for another time. He had a mission.
He had a deal to uphold, and just maybe, he could gather some information from the city. Feeling adrenaline rush through his body, he ran, blinking large distances to cover the ground between him and the city. 
He passed the clearing quickly, reaching more trees at the base of the mountain. The trees were much less dense here, almost no brush to be seen. Corvo took to climbing, blinking his way up the closest tree. To his left, the mountain climbed upward, huge compared to himself. To his right, he could see that a portion of the mountain was carved, leaving a long flat clearing that twisted with the natural curve of the mountain. And of all things that Corvo could see, he saw a train. 
It wasn’t like any train that he had ever seen before, with its bright colors and smoke stack bellowing its contents into the air. Corvo raised his hand to his mask, twisting the dial that magnified his view. The train was headed toward the city, and following its path, Corvo made out that just inside of the force field, there was what appeared to be a large train station. He guessed that was his way in, and was thankful that the timing was so great.
Corvo took a moment to return his mask to its original view, and activated his dark vision, revealing any life forms that may be around him. Still, he could see no orange flares as he scanned, so he moved his gaze to the station. He could not see anything save for one bright orange figure standing still inside the station. He could not discern anything as he looked at the train itself. 
Deciding he had a moment to spare, Corvo removed the heart from its pocket. He held it in his hand gently, and it began to speak as if he had asked a question.
“Magic here permeates the air, and the inhabitants in this world naturally absorb this energy, as do you. This place is ruled by two powerful sisters, one is the night, and one is the day. This city, Canterlot, is the capital of their land.”
Well that explains why its much easier to blink, Corvo thought. These two sisters sound dangerous. I wonder what The outsider would have to say about that.
The train found its way closer, so Corvo blinked from his spot in the tree to just below the tracks, out of sight from anyone that might be engineering. When the train began to pass him, Corvo ran. 
It wasn’t difficult to keep up, as the train was not going all too fast. He ran next to it, closing distance between him and the tracks, activating his dark vision. 
As he ran, he scanned the train, noticing that it was empty, except for the engine of the train which was too far away, now, to make out any solid figures. 
The force field was looming closer and the train began to slow. When it came to a stop, a few paces from the force field, a white, vertical line revealed itself. The force field began to split, a hole the train could fit in opening in just a few moments. Corvo took the opportunity and focused his power... 
...The world around him went grey, the color blanched from the grass and trees and even the train. The smoke that bellowed from its smoke stack stopped rising. Time was at a stand-still, and Corvo headed for the opening. He sprinted, anticipating his power to break, letting the world gain back its motion, but he was through the opening and near the far side of the station before realizing that time had been stopped for longer than he had ever been able to stop it before. Then he noticed that there was nearly no drain to his energy level, and that made him slow to a jog.
Corvo turned around, looking toward the train, then toward the building, scanning for a place he could hide. He found that the roof might be his best bet, so he blinked to the edge, catching the roof with his hands, and pulled himself up. He focused once more on his power, cancelling the time stop. 
Color found its rightful place again, giving life to the greens and browns that surrounded the area. Without the purple tint of the force field, he could see that the city was brightly colored, like he was looking at a child's new play set.
The train lurched forward, slowly rolling toward the station. Corvo activated his dark vision in hopes to get a better look at the inhabitants. Below him, he could see that figure in the building that he saw before, and he was surprised when he saw that it was not human. It began to walk, and its shape and movement gave it the look of a horse, if a bit smaller. This got Corvo’s head spinning, trying to figure out what was going on here. Had one of those creatures found its way inside the force field and was waiting to attack the train? The creature below him did not quite look like the equine bug, though. It seemed softer; more plush.
Corvo let the situation play out, but he readied his wrist bow, a soft, nearly inaudible clicking the only thing that betrayed his existence. He looked toward the train, the shape of the person engineering coming into focus. But again, it wasn’t a human. In fact,the shape of it closely resembled the thing that was now walking out to meet the train. He thought his power must be fooling with him, so he cancelled the dark vision in order to see things in their original color. 
And still, he thought his eyes deceived him. The creatures he saw below were, in fact, not human. They did look like small horses, not like the equine bug, but their coats were colored brightly, and they were wearing cloths. 
The train came to a stop, the wheels giving a small whine of protest. Corvo watched as the small horse that walked out of the building walked up to the small horse that was sticking its head out from the window of the train’s engine. Then things got even more strange as they began to talk. Corvo was taken aback, and even found it difficult to keep quiet as the voices of those creatures reached his ears. He couldn’t quite make out any discernible words, but he didn’t know if that was because of the distance between him and the creatures, or because he didn’t recognize the language. Despite its improbability, Corvo thought it safe to believe the latter.
As Corvo watched the two small horses converse, he pulled the heart from its pocket, willing it to tell him their secrets.
“These two have been great friends since they were children. One of them chose to leave, and the other chose to stay. It is chance that lead one to become this train’s engineer, and the other a manager in charge of the train’s schedule. Now, they talk of their past, reminiscing their younger days.”
Corvo put the heart back in its place.
So these are the inhabitants of this world. Somehow this world was populated by sapient equines, and The Outsider sent him here to hunt a monster that could destroy The Outsider if given the chance. Corvo thought himself an idiot to accept this deal and leaving Emily behind, not knowing what he was getting into. He let the terms cloud his mind, and The Outsider knew how to make a deal. How could Corvo defeat something that gave The Outsider a run for his money.
BANG! 
Corvo’s berating of himself was interrupted by an explosion that shook the ground. He turned to look upward, and all around him, the force field tore away and a black army fell from the skies. Their numbers were massive, casting a shadow over the entire city. High above, more of those creatures from the clearing came from behind the mountain, and in the distance, they seemed to materialize from the clouds. Thousands upon thousands of them came rushing down, and not just a few were heading toward him. Corvo had to move.
~
When the shield broke with that awful bang, a young earth pony mare that lived on the outskirts of Canterlot called to her children in a panic. When they came to her, crying in fear as they ran inside from the black terror that fell upon them, the mare ushered them into her own room at the back of the house. She made them crawl underneath the bed and told them not to move, or make a sound.
She tried to tell them comforting words, but they came from her throat sounding just as scared as the whimpers that came from underneath her bed. In only moments, the invaders were upon them. They crashed into the roof of her house, causing cries of fear from the two fillies. The mare was petrified, eyes fixed on the door in front of her, refusing to blink. She could hear screaming and hissing from outside of the walls. 
How could this happen? she thought. How could Princess Celestia allow such a thing to happen?
She could hear loud banging all around the house, and then there was a crash. The front door, not really meant to hold back attackers, shattered, meaning the invaders had entered. She heard a horrid buzzing growing louder as the invaders rummaged through her house. Her children began to cry, and all she could think of was that this would attract them. 
The mare took a deep breath as the buzzing continually got louder. Then voices became clear through the closed door.
“Heh, I can hear little ones crying in there!” One of them yelled. 
The mare wasn’t thinking anymore, and she was so scared that she might as well not be. All she knew was that her children were in danger, and these things were coming for them. She turned around, slowly, ready to kick anything that came through the door. 
“I’m breaking the door down, lets get ‘em!” A moment passed and the door began to glow green, but it didn’t break. “Hey, did you hear me?” The invader said again. Hey gu-” 
The inquiry was interrupted following a sound of quick thudding on the floor, a loud gagging sound taking its place. The glow surrounding the door disappeared, then the other side of the door was silent. Silent enough that sounds of fighting and ponies yelling could easily be heard from outside. She even heard an explosion, wincing at the thought of what could have caused it.
Minutes passed and the mare regained some of of her composure, her body relaxing. She released a breath that she did not even know she was holding. Whatever had happened had gotten rid of the attackers. 
She didn’t want to see what was on the other side of the door yet. Her family was saved, and all she wanted to do was lay next to her little fillies.
~
Corvo was fast, but the army of the carapace covered equines were using gravity and wings. He sprinted toward a group of buildings that resembled small houses. The army descended, falling too quickly for him to reach the buildings before they did. They crashed into the roofs of many of the houses, audible thuds reaching Corvo’s ears. 
Corvo blinked behind some thick bushes, staying low to avoid being spotted. They did not see him running toward them, nor did they seem interested in his bush, as the army was already breaking into the houses. Panic was setting in, and some of the inhabitants ran out of doors and jumped out of windows. Corvo knew that this didn’t matter as the army far outnumbered the small horses that fled, and it was painfully obvious that they were not the fighting kind. There were even what seemed to be children in all of the chaos, each one that tried to run getting captured by creatures much larger than they were.   
Putting the creatures aside in his mind, he focused on what was really happening, trying to discern a way to help the poor things. He activated his dark vision, the world taking on a dark grey hue while anything living lit up with an eerie orange glow.
Immediately, Corvo could see something happening in the closest building. With his dark vision, the lifeforms inside revealed themselves. There were six in total, three of them roaming the house, while the other three stayed still. Corvo guessed they were hiding in the furthest room from the door, two of them huddled close, hunkering down low to the ground. One was standing, and it wasn’t anywhere near the size of the two small horses at the train station. The equine bugs were larger that it. 
He then felt a surge of duty, a need to protect these innocent creatures, and saw an opportunity. Corvo cancelled the dark vision, and watched for a chance to reach the house unseen. He did not have to wait long, Corvo noticing that the equine bugs were not very attentive. 
He focused on the entrance to the building and blinked just inside of the now broken door, crouching low as silently as possible. 
The floor was carpeted, the entrance turning into what was obviously a living area. A couch sat to the left, facing something that was hidden by a wall. Directly in front of him, Corvo saw a hallway, and to the right, another. The hallway in front of him ended with a door, and in front of the door, one of the equine bugs stood, staring intently. 
“(Heh, I can hear little ones crying in there!)” Corvo heard, not understanding the language, but knowing that it was spoken word none the less. The creature’s voice was sharp, but not clear, sounding like it was hissing. Almost immediately, he could hear the second and third equine bugs buzzing their wings. The sound was getting closer, coming from the second hallway. 
Corvo readied his wrist bow, and as soon as he saw the first equine bug exit the hallway, he focused his power, willing time to come to a stop. He did not worry about moving quickly, but calmly walked forward, calculating the situation. The wrist bow held a lethal bolt in its firing mechanism, but Corvo did not raise his arm to fire. He stopped when he reached the two equine bugs coming to their ally. There was enough room to move through the hallway between them and the wall, so Corvo did so. At his full height, Corvo towered over the creatures, though one was much smaller that the other, the tallest only reached up to his stomach. They seemed skinny, too, and Corvo did not know why that stood out, as that was what they could naturally look like, or if it was something else. It just didn’t look natural.
Simultaneously, Corvo grabbed each of their horns, having to stretch his arms wide, and canceled the time stop. He didn’t know if it registered on them before he blinked the two outside, a considerable distance from the house, but the looks on their faces were a mix between fear and confusion. Then on the larger equine bug, fear masked his face entirely as he watched Corvo slam his clinched fist into his squad mates face, hearing a crack, then something wet as it sprayed the ground. 
Corvo raised for another blow, thinking that he may have killed the thing, but stopped as he saw the look on the face of the other one. Instantly, Corvo knew he did not need to continue. He stood to his full height ,looking down at the equine bug. He activated his dark vision, taking the opportunity to see what it really was thinking, and was confused by what he saw. He did see anger, but in this creature’s eyes, Corvo could see fear, those giant eyes betraying a strong desire to run away and hide, and strangely, a strong hunger.
This left him even more confused as he mulled it out in his head. Their actions were saying that this was full on war. Maybe it was just that, but it wasn’t a war for something that the rich wants, or for power between factions like the war that he knew so well. The equine bug sitting, cowering before him was giving him the message that these creatures were fighting a war for necessity. They may not have even wanted to go to war, by the look in this one's eyes.
Despite Corvo not moving a muscle, the equine bug was petrified. It had the right to fear him, the mask he wore nearly assured fear from those who have seen it, but his dark vision was telling him that there was much more to the story. Then Corvo thought about the equine bug that he met in the forest, and that left him even more confused. These two creatures did not even seem like the same species, their actions toward him so different from each other.
He would need to think about that later, maybe capture one and find out for sure, though he had no idea how to communicate with one. He would leave this one alone for now. He had a small horse to save.
When he blinked back into the house, he saw that the equine bug’s horn was glowing green, and the door was glowing with the same color. He did not waste time with sneaking, but sprinted toward the unknowing creature, promptly wrapping his arm around the creature’s neck, stopping it in what seemed like mid sentence. He quickly blinked from the door in the hallway to the doorway, stepping on bits and pieces of shatter wood. He activated his dark vision, trying to get a more clear glimpse of the situation that played out around him.
All around, the equine bugs were running after the small horses that were running from them. In the buildings, many of the small horses were hiding, and it seemed like some were doing so successfully. 
He simply stood in the doorway, knowing now that not these equine bugs were not really intelligent when it came to observation, whether it be from their arrogance or inexperience. 
Through his dark vision, he saw what he was looking for: a pattern. In the chaos, he saw that the equine bugs ran in small packs, and two were not running at all. These two, though, were yelling out, as if giving orders to subordinates, each yell followed by a pack of equine bugs changing their direction. These two equine bugs were his targets. 
~
It was going so well. The invasion was a success and they would soon have enough sustenance to feed all of the changelings happily. It was going so well, and they had followed their orders just like in training, but still something had gone wrong. Now, he was scared, and he was confused. Queen Chrysalis had assured them that if they just followed their orders like in training that they would not have anything to worry about. It was going well, but now he was trapped in this creature’s arms, whatever it is. It hurt really badly, too, like sharp metal scraping across his neck as he was choked.
He was being held very tightly so he could not get his wings going, but the creature had left his hind legs unchecked. The changeling raised both of his legs, readying himself to kick the damn thing off of him, but that only made the situation worse. The creature’s arm got tighter around his neck, and the other jerked downward, landing hits strange, elongated paws into his stomach.
There wasn’t any air, and everything went black, but when his sight came back to him, he was flying. The spots in his eyes couldn't have been good, but that did not matter because he got away. Why was he flying toward, his commander, though? And so fast. Wait… he wasn’t flapping his wings. And he was going far faster than he had when he fell to the buildings when the barrier broke, heading straight for his commander.
> Chapter 2: The Grey, the White, and the Loud
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Grey, the White, and the Loud

Corvo stood flabbergasted at what he had just done. He knew that his wind blasts were strong, but the power that he just unleashed made his previous blasts look like slight breezes. All he wanted to do was throw the equine bug at the closest leader to, at most, knock him out. The force of the gust sent the equine bug smashing into the leader, creating an audible crunch that made Corvo cringe. They flew for many meters before hitting the ground, leaving a furrow in the hard packed dirt that made a small street. 
When Corvo tore his eyes away from the wrecked, and most likely dead bodies of the two equine bugs, he noticed that nearly every one of the creatures, carapace covered or not were staring at him. The scene was surreal, like the battle was forgotten, but it didn’t last long. 
A sharp cry sounded out and the equine bugs turned their attention to the sound. All at once, the horns atop their heads began to glow. Corvo decided that it was time to get out of sight and wait for his next chance to get an edge, so he blinked back to the bushes he originally hid in. 
He stood watching, noting that some of the creatures had noticed his disappearance with turning heads and worried looks. He also saw that the green glow from the equine bug’s horns were growing brighter, and each one had their wings buzzing. 
Another cry went out and the equine bugs leaped into the air, releasing green flares. Corvo hoped that they weren’t beacons and just a call for retreat; his hopes were answered when they didn’t land, but continued flying high into the air, toward the bulk of the city. 
He started to feel relieved, but the feeling was interrupted by a deep, but faint buzzing coming from the direction of the forest. He turned his head, and immediately raised his hand toward his mask to magnify the scene. The feeling of relief was gone as he saw the thick mass of black coming straight toward them. The equine bugs that formed this platoon were full of rage, each one screaming as they charged, but that is not what made Corvo fearful of the incoming soldiers. He was worried about the creatures that followed them. These creatures were huge. Their bodies were the same in build as the equine bugs’ bodies, but the eyes were different, and they lacked horns. The eyes were tiny compared to the equine bugs, contorted into what seemed like permanent anger. Their mouths showed long fangs that Corvo guessed were as long as his forearms. The small horses would not stand a chance against them.  
He set the dial on his mask to its normal setting, gauging the distance from this area and came to the conclusion that they were mere minutes away. He had to get this little settlement evacuated. 
Corvo took the opportunity to blink to the rooftop of the house from which he removed the invaders, activating his Dark Vision. The orange glows of all of the small horses were moving about, some getting to their feet, and others helping the smaller ones, and others, still, hugging it out. He couldn’t help but to feel sorry for them, but they had to move faster. None of them had noticed the approaching threat. 
He saw  one of the orange glows in his vision that seemed to be faring better than the rest. It was standing near the changelings that he had Wind Blasted, exchanging words with the ponies that stood around. This one would have to do. 
He canceled the Dark Vision, looking toward his target. With a thought, Corvo blinked to it, and it promptly screamed as he grabbed its body with his arms. Another one saw and Corvo noticed a white flash, but he blinked back to the rooftop before he could see what caused it. 
“(OCTAVIA!)” a shrill scream went out, the sheer loudness of it surprising him. Despite the sudden (and justified) scream, Corvo had to get the small horse to stop struggling-
“GUH!” Corvo grunted as the air was forced from his lungs by a grey hoof. He buckled over and dropped the small horse, but it didn’t run, so he grabbed for it again. His hand was knocked out of the way by a forehoof of the now standing small horse and he considered it luck and instinct that he blocked a rather powerful jab from its other hoof. His hand hurt , but he had a good hold of her, so he stood to his full height, lifting her foreleg up and pulling her close to him. He turned her around against her protests, verbal and physical, and forced her eyes in the direction of the oncoming equine bugs. Her body tensed, but she stopped fighting him. 
~~
Octavia and Vinyl Scratch were walking back into the city from a meeting with a client about getting a small concert together for the ponies on the peaceful (sometimes too peaceful as the client put it) outer area of Canterlot. The walk was, indeed, peaceful- a nice change from the much busier inner city. 
That is until they heard a startling crack as the barrier tore away all around them, little shards of magic evaporating into the air. 
Octavia was the first to notice the giant swarm of changelings coming their way and told Vinyl to get ready to defend herself.  
“Bring it on bugs!” was all Vinyl said in reply, holding a smile on her lips. The smile didn’t last long, though, and was replaced by a look of worry. They started to run for the small group of buildings, but the changelings were upon them quickly. 
Unfortunately for the invaders, Octavia was no pony any creature would want to mess with. She showed that to them as the first of the invaders came at her at terrifying speed. She stood on her hind legs and turned so her side was facing the oncoming changeling. She raised her forehooves to cover her chest and face, then, just before the changeling reached her, she quickly kicked out in an arch, her back hoof crashing into the side of the changeling’s face with a not so subtle crack. The rushing changeling was knocked off course and landed some distance behind her. 
Beside her, Vinyl was preparing a spell that she knew all too well. The white unicorn’s horn was glowing brightly, and a look of annoyance, if anything, splayed across her face. 
The next changelings were upon them, and Octavia readied her stance once more. Her years as a filly had taught her two major skills, and she was putting the one she did not like so much to use. She stood with her weight distributed evenly across her hind legs, raising her body up so the could use her forelegs for protection and fast attacks. She learned to turn her body to protect her solar plexus, the hard way when she began training, but these creatures would not be getting any hits in. 
“Vinyl, NOW!” Octavia yelled, pointing at the mass of changelings. Vinyl let out a grunt and jumped forward. Her horn peaked in brightness, then the energy suddenly released in the form a of giant soundwave. The shockwave fired from the blast vertically, hitting the ground and raising into the air while the magical soundwave spread forward. 
Even though the soundwave was concentrated into a single direction, it still shook the ground and hurt Octavia’s ears. ‘If there is anything that that mare is good at, it is being loud.’ she thought as the frontal force of the group of changelings were blown back, smashing into each other. Vinyl jumped backward, behind Octavia, to charge the spell again. 
Octavia saw, and didn’t like the look on her face. She did have the right to be angry, but her partner was more than just that. The look of intensity reminded her of a particular time in her life. The time that made it necessary to learn how to fight.
Octavia’s thoughts stopped as the recovering changelings renewed their assault. They rushed again, and she put her hind legs to work, kicking the first few to meet her. The changelings were not as strong as she thought they would be, and it showed as Octavia’s kicks sent them flying backward. They were, however, strong in number, closing in on the two mares too quickly for Octavia’s taste. 
Three of the changeling reached past her initial kicking, and they smiled as though they had won, but were surprised as Octavia threw multiple jabs at the closest one with her forehooves. There were small cracks from each punch, taking a physical effect on the other changelings as they hesitated. Octavia saw it as a good chance to send them flying backward into more of their comrades. She did so, sending four changelings to the ground. 
All at once, the invaders stopped. Octavia was ready to throw some more punches, but stood her ground as she observed their behavior. They seemed to be staring past the two ponies, toward the houses. Octavia noticed a faint green glow that mixed with the glow from Vinyl’s horn. She turned her attention away from the changelings for a brief moment, only to see a hoard of changelings leap into the air with buzzing wings. They all seemed to fire green flares that rose high into the sky. Noticing that her eyes had not been on the enemy, she redirected her gaze to find that they were retreating to the inner city. 
She heard a grunt beside her and turned to look at Vinyl, but she jumped past her screaming, “Come back here bugs!”
“Vinyl!” Octavia yelled. She set her forehooves down and hopped forward to meet Vinyl’s eyes with her own. “Vinyl, calm down! They are gone, you don’t need to fight them anymore. Vinyl, calm down!” Vinyl’s eyes were furious, and the corners of her mouth were pulled down in an angry frown. Tears freely streamed down her face. “Vinyl, we are fine.” Octavia said in a much more calm voice. 
Vinyl finally looked away from the retreating changelings to look at Octavia, the glowing on her horn disappearing. “I… ca… can’t le-”
“Vinyl, nothing like that will ever happen again. Look at me Vinyl.” Vinyl turned her head, but Octavia gently placed her hoof under Vinyl’s chin, guiding her gaze back to her own. “Listen Vinyl, I trust you, and you can trust me. Those monsters stood no chance against us. We aren’t fillies anymore.” She looked toward the group of houses they had come from. “Lets go check on those ponies. They could probably use some help.” 
Vinyl nodded and they began to canter toward the area.
They reached the first buildings to see ponies scattered about, and thankfully, nopony seemed too injured. They walked down the street, passing the bodies of two mangled changelings, obviously dead, laying in an elongated ditch in the street. That seemed odd to Octavia.
“Vinyl, who do you think did that?” She asked, pointing a hoof toward the changelings. 
Vinyl was looking down, but she stopped and turned her head to where Octavia was pointing. “Wooow.” She said, drawing the word out. She lifted her glasses (that she hadn’t been wearing, but decided to put them on to hide her recently red eyes) and whistled. 
They stood there and stared at the unnatural scene. They were not used to the look of gore, and it was obvious that the ponies that were near were not as they made gasping sounds, and one even retched. Octavia broke her trance and asked the nearest pony what happened. 
A yellow haired, blue maned pony told her that there was an awful explosion and suddenly the two changelings smashed into each other. 
“A gust of magic wind did it!” Another pointed out. 
“It must have been a powerful pony, like one of the princesses or something.”
“It couldn’t have been one of the princesses, they would have shown themselves by now.” 
Octavia decided to tune them out, but heard something about a creature standing in the doorway of somepony’s home. She was about to tell Vinyl to be on the look out when a she heard a ripping sound right next to her. She found herself in the foreleg of some kind of creature. She screamed, but was cut short as she experienced the strangest feeling, like she was moving faster than sound itself. 
She had closed her eyes, but she opened them quickly to she she was in a completely different location- on a roof of all places. The creature was still holding her so she tried to wiggle out of its grasp. She couldn’t see its face, but it was much larger than her, and its stomach was wide open. The creature began to move her in his grip, and she twisted hard when its grip loosened, and sent a forehoof into where she thought its solar plexus might be. 
The creature buckled over with a grunt and released her. She caught her weight on her hind legs and tried to throw a jab, but had to block the creature’s paw-strange paw at that. She renewed the jab with her other forehoof, but the creature was faster than she thought it should have been. It caught her hoof, and seemed to recoil from the force, but it suddenly shot up to its full height, pulling her close to its body. She tried to twist again this time throwing some unmentionable an random obscenities at it, but he wrapped his other foreleg around her and immediately turned her around to see the forest… and the wave of changelings that were heading straight toward them. 
She went limp, mentally punishing herself for not noticing how close they were. She could hear the buzzing now that she was paying attention. The creature got her attention with its forepaw by pointing down toward the ponies, then pointed to the trainstation. She followed his forepaw and quickly understood. They had to get the ponies out of the area. She was about to get  loose from its grip, but she suddenly felt a pressure, and that same feeling from before. The next thing she knew, she was in the same spot that she was picked up by the strange creature. It dropped her and she looked up at it... 
...And noticed that she had not looked at its face during the fight. Its eyes were glass, surrounded by metal and gears. It didn’t have a mouth or nose, but it still looked so angry; in her mind, she described it as a look of sadness, disguised as rage. Her staring was interrupted by a sob.
Vinyl was there, frantically looking in all directions. While she tried to fight her captor, she hadn’t noticed the distress her greatest friend was going through. 
“Vinyl-” was all she could say before the unicorn turned and screamed.
“OCTAVIA! Were is the damn thing! I’ll kill it! Did it hurt you!?” her horn was growing brighter with every word.
“Vinyl, vinyl please calm down! It didn’t hurt me,” she looked toward it, but it wasn’t there. “Anyway, look.” She pointed at the mass of changelings that were nearly upon them. 
The buzzing of their wings was easily audible, and many of the ponies had already noticed. “Vinyl, amplify my voice!” Octavia commanded. Vinyl’s eyes still held a fearful rage, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. “Vinyl-” 
Octavia was cut short as Vinyl screamed and ran forward. “Vinyl, no!” Octavia yelled, but it was to no avail. When Vinyl cleared the buildings, she skidded to a stop and took a deep breath.
~~
Corvo sensed that if he stayed where he was to meet the raging small horse, we would regret it. It had a horn, too, and it was shining bright, like there was quite a lot of energy flowing through it. He watched from the roof, lying prone so he wouldn’t be spotted, as the two creatures exchanged words. The white one with the horn was angry, and seemed to not be listening very well, despite the grey one’s attempts to talk. The grey one had to do something fast, though, as the equine bugs were almost upon them. He could hear the buzzing clearly, and noticed some of the small horses below could hear it too. A panic was about to set in. 
Corvo looked back toward the two small horses again and saw the white one at a full on gallop. She came to a skidding stop, and seemed to brace herself. The equine bugs were close, so Corvo started to stand up, but was knocked back by a shockwave that left his ears ringing. An odd, and loud, beating sound lingered. The entire house shook, and when he got back to his senses, he could hardly believe his eyes.
The small, white horse was barely visible as a beam of energy blasted out from her horn. Corvo looked on in awe as he beam pulsated, each pulse sending a streak of blue colored light toward the equine bugs, many of which were reeling about in the air. A hole was cut through the front line and seemed to reach all the way to the back of the black mass. 
His attention to the blast that the small horse was giving the equine bugs was directed to the maneuver that they were initiating. The equine bugs split in two, flying around the concentrated beam. Corvo looked down to see that the area was free of the small horses, all of them running toward the train station. 
When he looked back up, the equine bugs had reached the cliff and many of them had bypassed the still pulsating, but weakening beam. Some of the equine bugs landed and were sprinting forward, while others kept to the air. The small, grey horse was galloping, probably to the aid of its friend- at least he assumed they were friends. 
He watched with a question in mind: should I help these creatures, or get a move on? He stood up and looked toward Canterlot, then back to the two small horses. The grey one was standing on her hind legs in a fighting stance. She was standing over the white one, who had passed out, now lying on the ground. Even if the grey one could fight, the equine bug numbers would simply be too much, plus, they might be good guides. His decision was made, and he focused on the grey one’s position.
~~
Vinyl’s soundwave was more powerful than Octavia had ever seen before. The blast pushed her back, and the sound of it was tremendous. Still, though the blast was powerful, she knew that Vinyl was not concentrating. She was not looking at the changelings as their ranks split in half to go around the beam. If she didn’t go to her her partner, Vinyl would surely be at the mercy of the charging changelings. Even if Octavia did fight, she doubted that she could do much. She would not go out without a fight. 
Octavia hit a full gallop, reaching Vinyl as quickly as possible. The changelings were close enough that she could hear their screams for blood. They would not be easy to fend off. They were charging fast, and her stance was ready; forehooves covering her chest and face, her body turned to more easily protect her solar plexus and she was ready to kick some changeling butt. 
The first one was upon her, so she picked her forward hind leg up, preparing to give it a kick that would probably end its life. The world began to slow as she concentrated on her timing, and when it was just right, she extended her back hoof out with the force of a speeding train… and didn’t hit anything. There was nothing but a touch on her shoulder. She twisted around, her forehooves about to start punching, but saw that it was that strange creature from before. She also noticed that everything but the creature had lost its color completely, leaving the landscape gray She caught herself not paying attention to the enemy again, and turned her head to look. 
They weren’t moving. They were frozen in the air with their angry faces and mouths that looked like they were still screaming. 
She looked back at the creature. It looked down at her and raised its forelegs. It grabbed one of the sleeves and pulled it down to reveal a device attached just below its paw. She recognized the shape; the taut string and small, barbed dart indicated that it was a crossbow. He gestured to the Changeling and raised his arm to aim it at the carapace covered freak. He looked back down, as if questioningly, bobbing its foreleg up and down. 
It was asking if it should kill the changeling. Her eyes widened for a moment, but she looked back at the changeling. All she wanted to do was get away from the area. If they didn’t have to fight, she would be happy.
Octavia looked back up at the cold, glass eyes of the creature and shook her head. It put its paws down and moved forward. It bent down and reached for Vinyl, but she reached out and touched its forelegs. “What are you planning on?” She asked. It stopped and moved it face so its eyes met her own. 
“(Sorry little horse thing, but I can’t understand what you are saying.)” 
Octavia recoiled at the particularly masculine sound, not expecting anything like it from a face with no mouth. She couldn’t understand it, so she guessed that was why he was so silent, now that she knew that it could talk.
With him (she assumed it was a him) so close, she could see that there were locks of jet black hair that flowed over and down the metallic face, visible underneath the hood it wore. Her logical mind told her that the face may be a mask. She put the thoughts aside as the creature pointed. She followed where he was gesturing and saw the train station. 
She looked into his eyes and gave a brief nod. He continued to bend down, reaching out to Vinyl, and as soon as he touched her, she regained her white coat and blue mane. He continued unphased, putting one of its paws behind Vinyl’s head and the other underneath her body. He stepped forward with knees bent, wrapping its foreleg around her body entirely. He pulled her close to his body and stood up. 
It was surreal for Octavia. This seemingly hard and cold creature was caressing Vinyl as if she was a child. She saw him gesture for her to follow, and he began to run. For a two legged creature he was fast. Octavia did her best to keep up, but she was running at full speed and he was pulling ahead of her. 
They ran about half of the distance from the spot they were in to the train station, and Octavia’s heavy breathing from the sprint was replaced by a gasp as a powerful pulse of magic shot through and past her. She came to a stop and the grasses reclaimed their original color. The houses were their normal white and the sky was blue again. She looked toward the creature who had stopped, looking back toward the changelings. 
The changelings were moving once more, but without a target, they just stopped in their tracks, many of them running into the one in front of them. It didn’t take long for them to spot her and the creature. One of them called out loudly, then another and more followed. Their advance was renewed as they charged.
Octavia looked back toward the creature and pointed toward the train station. The creature saw the question and shook his head. In a cloud of dark mist, The creature disappeared from sight. Octavia looked around to spot him, thinking he had left her, but a moment later, she heard a rip in the air beside her.
The creature was standing, towering over her. He reached into his coat, and pulled a sword out. It was long and black, shining in the sun. The lack of sound as it came out of its sheath was disturbing. The sword was out and in the grip of its paws, and she knew it was time to fight. The changelings were not going to stop, and they still had blood in their eyes. 
She took his body language as a message to get ready to fight, so she did so, returning to her fighting stance. The creature waved a paw in front of her to get her attention. When she looked up, he pointed at her and then rather forcibly pointed at the ground. She guessed that he was telling her to stand her ground. She nodded, and looked back toward the enemy. 
No distractions this time.
~~
Corvo pointed at the small horse, then at the ground trying to get the message across that she needs to stay and defend herself. She (he decided that it was a she from the sound of her voice) nodded and seemed to focus back on the charging equine bugs. 
Corvo readied his stance, pulling his hands up with his sword arm primed for swinging. His left hand started to glow in anticipation of the Wind Blast that he was about to unleash. 
The equine bugs closed the distance fast, leaving the giant beasts behind. When they were mere meters away, and their screaming voices and buzzing wings roaring over any other sound, Corvo stepped forward and swung his arm out. He poured as much power as he could into the blast, creating a shockwave that crushed the carapace covered bodies of the ones that lead the charge. The now smashed carcasses of the leading equine bugs were forced back, creating a green, bloody obstacle that others had to get over. 
After the Wind Blast, Corvo tensed his sword arm in anticipation for the attack, but they stopped. All of them accept for the giant beasts that had finally caught up.  They rallied behind the towering equine bugs, who promptly roared in unison. The sound was disorienting, but Corvo didn't let it bother him for long. 
He lifted his left hand and pointed it at the first of the beasts. It was now the leader of the charge, surrounded by a swarm of little buzzing soldiers, and they were closing in fast. Corvo squeezed his middle finger, and the firing mechanism released the first bolt. It sailed forward and hit its mark: an eye of the leading beast.
It roared again and seemed to stumble, but kept on charging. The wristbow was already reloaded, so he fired a second shot into the other eye, causing the beast to let out another roar as its head was jerked up, then sharply down as it tripped and fell forward, crushing most of the equine bugs that surrounded it. 
He waved his hand through the air once more, sending a Wind Blast shooting out, crushing some equine bugs it hit and throwing others back. Already, the equine bugs that survived his attack rushed him, but fell to Corvo’s blade, cold steel slicing through them as if they weren’t even there. 
Corvo swung with grace and perfect form, taking the lives of the creatures with fast slices and chops. Each cut severed a head or sliced a neck, and in seconds, no more equine bugs were attacking. He noticed the lull in the attack and swung his sword out, spraying the blood that managed to stick to the blade onto the ground. 
The other equine bugs had stopped, and were staring.  The giant beasts looked as thought they would break from their stances at any moment. There were still two more gigantic versions of the equine bugs, and twenty or more of those surrounded each. Corvo tried to gauge their strategy, but could not discern anything. 
The equine bugs that were flying suddenly dropped from the sky and landed facing him. The horns on their heads all started to glow at once, and a moment later, a green flash of light whizzed past him. He could feel the heat coming off of it, and heard a thump, followed by a scream. 
Corvo eyes widened as he realized what made that scream. The equine bug deliberately shot past him with a bolt of energy to hit the small horse behind him. They were laughing. The equine bugs were laughing. 
Corvo felt anger rush through him, but he did not move. He simply stood there, sword in hand. Their laughing started to peak, and their horns started to glow brighter. Corvo focused his power, and willed the world to stop once more. He felt that his power was draining, but he knew he could still hold the Time Stop long enough to enact his plan. 
He raised his left hand to aim the wristbow. With four squeezes of his middle finger, he set four darts into the Time Stop limbo. He cancelled the Time Stop, and four darts took to their paths, gouging the eyes of the beasts. They both roared from the sudden pain and did not fall, but began to run. They crushed the equine bugs in their path, scattering the rest of them. Corvo focused on the one that was running straight for him then blinked onto its head, grabbing the first crevice he could find to hold on. He looked up and found the punctured eye, promptly swinging his sword up and sending the blade through the beast’s skull. The beast recoiled and began to fall the other way. It bellowed once more before crashing to the ground, no longer breathing. 
The other beast was running for the train station. Corvo swung his hand out, creating a Wind Blast that swept the hind legs of the beast upward and Corvo blinked below it. He rammed his sword up, then blinked forward, the blade slicing the beast as he traveled. When the hind legs fell to the ground, a shower of blood and intestines rained down. The beast roared, but it was weak. It fell to the ground dead. 
Corvo stood in front of the bloody corpse. The equine bugs were staring, but they weren’t laughing. One of them shot a green flare into the air and jumped up, wings buzzing. The others followed suit, flying in the direction of the forest. 
He took it that the fight was over, and turned his head toward the small, grey horse. She was laying there, her body curled up into the fetal position. He blink to her, then saw the injury. The bolt from the equine bug had burned her pretty bad, the scorched skin and hair travelling from her shoulder down to her hip. Part of her back and stomach were burned as well. 
The poor thing was shaking, and its eyes opened slightly. She looked at him and her eyes widened, the pupils tiny compared to the size they were before. 
“(ge… get h-help. It… hurts.)” Corvo couldn’t understand what it was saying, but her breaths were laborious and she was obviously in pain. Corvo reached down and gently picked her up. She gave a weak whimper, but he had to get her moving.
He did not know what to do with her, or where to take her for help, but he did know that the small horses that now populated the train station might.
> Chapter 3: Getting to a Safer Place
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“LET ME UP! I HAVE TO HELP HER!”
“Miss Scratch, please calm down! It’s far too dangerous out there.”
“I don’t care! Get off of me!” Vinyl Scratch was furiously struggling to get the train station's manager off of her as he held her down. She tried to blast them off of her with magic, but her power was spent, and laying on her side, she had no leverage to stand up. 
“Miss scratch, you will only end up hurting yourself or somepony else.” Vinyl grunted loudly, continuing to try and buck the heavy train station manager off. “Can anyone see what is happening out there?” 
“Hey, Boss!” A tan pony dressed in a train station worker’s uniform ran up to the station manager. “They are leaving. I saw the whole thing from the roof. There was something killing them! I mean, really, ruthlessly killing them.”
“Did you see who it was? And did you see Miss Scratch’s marefriend?”
“The grey one?”
“YES! Please tell me she’s alive!” Vinyl screamed out.
The station worker started at the outburst. “I don’t know. That thing was doing really good, but they all stopped. Then the changelings fired at him, but the bolt hit her instead.
“WHAT!? OCTAVIA!. LET ME UP-”
A sharp ripping sound silenced the frantic mare. Through the black mist, she saw that creature that ponynapped Octavia. His cloak hid his features, but one feature was predominate: the grey mare that he was holding. She couldn’t move. Her eyes went wide and her pupils shrank as fear rushed through her body, petrifying her.
~~
Corvo activated his Dark Vision trying to get a solid location inside of the station that he could put the small horse down. It proved useless as the whole station lit up with life. He couldn’t discern any point that wouldn't land him on an unsuspecting citizen.
He cancelled the Dark Vision and focused on the concrete that made the platform of the station. A moment later his feet were firmly planted on solid, smooth ground. He looked toward the building again and activated his Dark Vision. He could see that there was a small circle with what seemed to be a rather one sided fight going on in the middle. The mass of the one on top looked like the train station’s manager. 
Now is as good a time as any Corvo thought as he cancelled the Dark Vision and looked up toward an open window. He hit a slow jog and jumped as high as he could, keeping his eyes focused on the scene in the station. As he leapt, he saw the circle of small horses come into view. He immediately focused on a clear spot just beside the two small horses in the middle and blinked to them…
...And nearly all of the small horses in the room gasped. With the small, grey horse in his arms, he knelt down to one knee and gently lowered her, making sure that her burned side stayed off of the ground. He stood up to his full height and noticed the lack of sound. The circle of small horses grew wider as he turned in a circle. He stopped as his gaze fell on the station manager who was staring at him, holding down a motionless small, white horse. She looked as though she was petrified, not even breathing-
“Get off of her!” Corvo yelled as he noticed that the large station manager’s body was pressing too hard on the small horse’s chest, preventing it from breathing. Corvo dashed and shoved the station manager off with his boot, causing the larger small horse to topple and fall. Corvo knelt beside the small, white horse and put one of his hands over her chest and put his ear next to her snout. 
Barely, but she is still breathing. He thought to himself. “If anyone can understand me, we need to get these two to your equivalent of a hospital.” He got no reaction from the small horses. “Hey- UHH!”
Corvo was interrupted by a ghostly force that wrapped around him and pulled hard. He stood to his full height and planted his feet on the ground, unsheathing his sword. He heard several popping sounds come from outside, felt several separate forces wrap around him, pulling his arms down to his sides and pulling his legs close together. 
He struggled against the forces that tugged and squeezed him, and he could feel that those forces were hard pressed to keep him motionless. He still had leverage and was close to breaking the binds, but he felt one more force wrap around him, this one significantly larger.
“GAHH!” Corvo yelled as he was suddenly shot forward, slamming into the door. The wood shattered as he went through, creating a storm of splinters that flew in the direction he was pulled. The binds that held him released and he skidded across hard concrete. He tried to stand up, but that same force surrounded him again, lifting him up and down sharply. The air was knocked out of his chest and he thought that he felt the concrete crack below him. He raised his head to see what was doing this and his eyes widened.
Before him his stood ten of the small horses, though these were obviously not citizens, but soldiers. They wore golden armor and helms. Their hooves were adorned with golden shoes and each shoe held a small blade that pointed forward. Five of the soldiers had horns, but the other five had wings. He looked at the soldier whose horn was glowing brightly. He was bigger than the others and had a bright blue mane with streaks of lighter blue running the entire length. 
“Hey, I’m not the enemy! They need help in-”
“(Shut up! Drop your weapon!)” 
Corvo couldn’t understand what the soldier horse was saying, but it sounded authoritative. The magic force enveloping him grew tighter, pressing heavily on his sword. He had tried to help these creatures, but he would not simply take this. He could not afford to lose more time. 
He focused on the leader of the group and his left hand glowed. He blinked just to the left of the soldier and used his elbow to shove the gold armored horse to the side. The soldier responded with a grunt and quickly hopped away. Corvo used the momentum from the push to start sprinting through a gap between the guards. His left hand flared with power and he blinked as far as he could from the train station. 
Corvo didn’t look back as he kept sprinting, keeping his eyes open for cover. The group of buildings on the outskirts were close, but there would be no way to hide from the guards and citizens there. He focused on the roof of the closest building and blinked, never losing momentum from sprinting. He jumped as he reached the edge of the roof and blinked to the top of another building that was close to the path that lead into the city. He stopped himself to look back, and was surprised by what he saw: none of the guards were chasing him.
Strange, He thought as he raised his hand to his mask. The optics zoomed in on the train station, revealing that the guards had not even tried to give chase. He counted ten armor-clad horses, each one outside of the station. The small horses that made refuge in the building had begun to move out, guided by the guards. As he watched them, the one with the blue mane shot a flare into the sky that burst like fireworks. A second loud pop resounded overhead, causing Corvo to fall into a prone position.
Crack! He grunted, repressing a scream as a sharp pain stabbed at his left arm. He could feel the bones shift as his upper arm buckled under his weight. He struggled to get from his stomach to his back, carefully turning over to avoid pressure on the broken arm. Using his right arm, he pushed himself up to a sitting position, letting his left arm hang loosely beside him. 
With his mask still zoomed in, he sat and observed the train station. Each of the guards seemed to be asking questions, with the exception of the blue maned one. He was standing stagnant, looking in the direction of the houses. Though the soldier was scanning, slowly studying the landscape and buildings, his eyes passed over Corvo. When he was satisfied, he turned around and walked inside of the building. 
Corvo turned his head to take in more of the scene and saw a carriage that must have flew overhead. It was white with a red cross painted on its side, large wheels and had two winged horses attached to the front by wooden shafts. There was a sudden motion at the door of the train station and a team of small horses wheeled the grey horse on a gurney into the carriage. Another of the small horses, this one dressed in a white coat, carried the white horse out of the station on its back. It hopped into the carriage and it suddenly lifted from the ground. The wings of the small horses attached to the shafts beat steadily as they gained altitude, soon travelling too fast for Corvo to keep up with them with his optics. 
As he watched the small horses fly away in some kind of ambulance, he was too distracted to notice that the inhabitants of these buildings were making their way back. He looked back toward the station and was met with the large group walking his way. Even though he was stealthy, the roof of this building was not the ideal place to be hiding, especially while injured. 
He focused on the fact that he needed to get moving and gathered the willpower to get to a crouching position. The pain in his arm had not subsided, and in the state that it was in, he would not be able to blink away easily. He reach up with his good arm and turned the dial on his mask to show normal vision. 
He quickly spotted a clothesline in the backyard of one of the houses that held what looked to be a small bed sheet and made that his next target. He would need a sling if he want to travel with any effectiveness, and the sheet would do. He steadied the broken arm with his right, focused on the ground underneath the clothesline and lifted his arm, grunting at the pain. The power took and he blinked, but he landed too far away and off balance, causing him to roll. 
As his instinct and years of practice made the roll easy, the only thing that kept the bones in his arm from tearing through his skin was the fact that he was holding it, Which made the roll awkward. He finished the roll on his back, breathing heavily from the throbbing pain in his arm. His vision swam as he laid there, unable to focus on his task.
He didn’t know how long he was in this state, but the faint sound of clip-clopping hooves brought him back to his senses, if only by a little. He renewed his effort to get the sheet and used his right arm to prop himself up. With his face twisted into a scowl and a loud grunt, he pushed off of the ground into a crouching position. He moved his right arm over to hold his left and slowly stood up. 
He made the small trek to the clothesline and reached up to grab the sheet. With a jerk, the sheet came off of the line and he immediately regretted it. His whole body shook, causing his arm to flare up with intense pain. Looking around, he found no table to prepare the sling, so he carefully sat down, using his right arm to steady his descent. 
He put the sheet on the ground and began to twist the ends. At least it’s soft,he thought as he finished. He then took one end and folded it to the other, making sure that there was enough loose fabric in the middle to hold his broken arm in place. He raised a foot and placed it just below the ends to hold them in place as he tied a knot that would allow him to tighten it easily. He pulled the makeshift sling over his head and, with some trouble, placed his left arm into the open part of the fabric. He then grabbed the knot with his right arm and pulled it as tight as he could get it. The pain in his arm flared up again, but the result was worth it. With the sling, blinking would be easier, and the pain would eventually subside enough for him to concentrate for a longer time. 
He slowly got to his feet, listening for any sounds. The clip-clopping of the citizens was much closer now, so he needed to leave the area. He looked toward the roof of house next to him and blinked up. The small horses were mingling through the town, talking to one another and nervously looking around. If Corvo wanted to stay unseen, he would have to move fast. He looked toward Canterlot, searching for any vantage point. Along the path, trees grew in intervals, which would give him cover while he blinked. The path lead into a part of the city with many more buildings, so that most likely meant alleys. His mind was made.
Corvo looked toward the path and his left hand flared up with power. He disappeared in a black mist and reappeared next to the first tree. The sling held, so he looked toward the next tree and blinked to it. He looked up and saw a solid looking branch that he could use to blink up. He focused on the branch and found himself standing on it. He looked for a similar branch in the next tree, and finding one, he blinked to it. He repeated this process until the city of Canterlot was looming high above him. 
He was impressed, but admiration would have to wait. He still needed to find a place to hide and scout for his next move. He looked toward the first of the buildings and found a roof that he could easily blink to. His left arm flared with power and his feet landed on a rather solid feeling roof. It was slightly tilted, but not so that he couldn’t stand comfortably. It seemed to be made from some kind of ceramic plating, but it made little noise against his boots. He quickly scaled to the top of the slant to see if there were any good spots to rest, but he could not see any viable alleys or rooftops. He could see, however, that the streets below were damaged and torn, grassy areas were smoking and blackened and some walls were scorched and windows broken. The citizens that populated the area were numerous, the streets busy with the small horses cleaning the shattered glass from paths and others comforting each other. 
Corvo would have little chance of keeping himself hidden here, so he looked on and saw that the path that lead into the city branched off into five different directions. He looked down the one furthest to his right and decided to follow it. 
He blinked from rooftop to rooftop, letting the path take him wherever it would, until it abruptly stopped at a large building that rose higher than most that surrounded it. He looked toward it from the roof that he was on and a plan started to form in his head, but a noise from below caught his attention. It sounded familiar…
(“Vinyl, seriously, I can walk on my own. The doctor said that i would be fine.”)
(“I know Tavi… are you sure you’re okay?”)
The voices of the two small horses hit his ears, and he recognized the first one as the grey one that fought with him. He crouched low, his face contorted in confusion at the thought that she was already healed. He looked over the edge of the roof to see both her and the white one that produced the pulsating beam walking together. The grey one was covered in bandages from her shoulders to her hind legs, but she was walking normally. 
(“Yes, Vinyl. I will just need some time to rest.”)
They stopped in the path and turned directly toward the building across from the one Corvo was standing on and entered. If she trusted me before, she might trust me now, he thought as his initial plan to hide in the large building was obliterated, a new one taking form. He waited for the two small horses to close the door behind them and blinked from his perch.
~~~~~
“As the doctor said, I need some rest, so I’m going to take his advice. You should get some rest yourself.” Octavia said as Vinyl walked through the doorway, closing it with her magic.
“Yeah, all of that freaking out took the energy right outta me. I’ll join you in a minute- wait… did you hear that?” 
“I didn’t hear any-
knock knock knock
“Are we expecting anyone?” Octavia asked.
“Nope. Its prolly a guard checking on us. I’ll get it.”
Vinyl walked toward the door and encased the handle in her magic. The handle twisted and the door opened to reveal a cloaked creature with a face of metal staring back at the wide eyed Vinyl. The unicorn’s horn sparked to life as she charged her patented Basswave. 
“VINYL, NO!” was all that Octavia could say before the Basswave was released.
> Chapter 4: Sleep
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

											Chapter 4: Sleep

“VINYL, NO!”

BWAMBWAMBWAMBWA- “Guh!” The Basewave was abruptly ended as Octavia tackled her partner, sending both ponies rolling over each other. Octavia ended up on top and stood up.

“Vinyl, that’s enough! I am fine, and whoever that creature is is not here to hurt us.” Vinyl laid on her side as Octavia stood over her. “I know that you don’t want the past to happen again, but it is not going to happen. Please, calm yourself.” 

Vinyl looked up sheepishly. “Alright, alright, but did you not see him?” Vinyl responded.

“Of course I saw him, and I also saw him telleport to my side right before I tackled you. I believe that he is not as scary as he looks.” Octavia said sternly as she walked backward so Vinyl could get to her hooves. 

Vinyl stood up and looked into their house to see if the creature was, indeed, there. He  was sitting in the spot that Octavia had been standing, but to Vinyl’s surprise, in front of him laid a long, black sword. He sat with his hind legs crossed, one foreleg resting in his lap while the other rested in a crude sling. Vinyl looked back to Octavia with worry on her face.

Octavia gave a small sigh, “Lets just see if we can talk to him.” She looked back, a frown forming. “He looks injured.” 

She turned around and headed inside, Vinyl following behind. 
~~~~~Corvo~~~~~

Corvo had barely evaded the energy wave, blinking to the grey one’s side, promptly sending a new wave of pain through his arm. Before he could get his bearings straight, she had already started running toward the white one. He thought it amusing as they tumbled over each other, but as soon as the grey one was on top, things got more serious. She began to yell, but then her voice trailed off into something more soft, but did not lose its sternness. 

The grey one backed away and let the other stand, and with a furtive glance from the white one, they both began to walk back into the house. He hoped the they would see his sword on the ground as an act of friendliness toward them, and it seemed to have worked. 

The two small horses stopped in front of him, the grey on sitting, the other standing, obviously nervous. Corvo was about to try and speak, but the grey one extended one of her hooves toward his broken arm. He looked down for a moment and then back to her. “It’s broken.” Corvo looked back to the small horse, meeting her eyes.

She responded by cocking her head to the side. (“I think it is broken. We know somepony that may be willing to help.”) She said, then turned to the other. (“Vinyl, do you think that Dr. Surehoof would be willing to help us out?”) Octavia asked.

The white one stayed silent. She still didn’t seem to want any part in this.

(“Oh Vinyl it’s not going to be that bad.”) 

The white one took a moment to look his way, a frown on her face. She then turned to the grey one and began to speak. (“So we are just going to help this thing even though we know nothing about it, not to mention the fact that we can't even talk to it.”)

(“Vinyl, you were unconscious through most of that fight, but this ‘thing’, as you put it saved our lives. He even carried you all the way to the train station. Its the least we can do to help him. He looks really injured.”)

The grey one must have just made a convincing argument with those last sentences, Corvo though as the white one looked down and sighed. 

(“Fine, but I’m blaming you if we get caught.”)

The grey one smiled. (“Don’t you always, Vinyl.”) 

The grey one stood up and motioned with a hoof for Corvo to follow. He reached for his sword and placed it back into its sheath, standing to his full height. The grey one walked to the door and stepped outside, pointing an entire leg- amusingly- at the giant palace near the top of the mountain. 

(“Vinyl, do one of your light shows and show him that we will meet him there, in the trees. We can go get Dr. Surehoof and bring him to our friend.”) 

The grey one put her leg down and turned, looking at her friend expectantly. The white one simply nodded and closed her eyes. A moment later, her horn began to glow a soft blue-white color. 

Corvo couldn't help but feel nervous, and instinctively prepared himself to blink away at any time. But instead of a tremendous shock-wave, a field of ghostly blue color and light began to dance around them, taking shape. At first, the light crawled up on one side, taking the form of a steep mountain. Once the mountain was formed, structures began to form around it, starting with what looked like a castle. 
Even though he had only seen it from afar, he recognized this castle as the palace at the top of the mountain. Spires shot up and a and a court was plainly visible, surrounded by walls. The spires and walls stopped and an arch formed at the edge of the palace. A road formed underneath the arch and winded down the mountain where another seat of buildings formed, though less detail were given to these. Finally, a patch of trees grew near the arch. 

A sudden blinking of light caught Corvo’s eye. He looked down to see three blinking dots appear on the road. A dark, black dot, a bright purple dot, and a simple white dot. The purple dot and the white dot moved close together, and the black dot moved away. The paired dots then began to travel up the road and ended their motion by the arch. The black dot traveled around the road and ended its motion in the trees. With that, the colors vanished.

(“Well, thats the plan.”)  The grey one said, standing from the sitting position she took while her friend laid out the plan. (“We are going to get going now, and you should as well.”) 

The white one stood up and turned around, giving the grey one a worried look. The grey one simply gave a small smile and began to walk toward the road. Corvo took this a his cue to get moving himself. 

~~~~~~~~~

At first Corvo was confused, but he figured that they must be trying to get someone to take a look at his arm. He just hoped that they weren't trying to turn him in as he would be at a major disadvantage with the broken limb.

The trip into the small patch of trees was mostly uneventful, and the city seemed much more quiet, especially compared to the commotion that he saw when he first entered it. There was a slight breeze flowing through the trees, and Corvo could not help but notice the scent of a bakery coming from the direction of the palace. He was nestled high into a tree, sitting on a thick branch and leaning on the trunk. From his position he will be able to see the comings and goings of the citizens that travel to and from the palace, including the two that told him to be there. He would have no trouble spotting them as well, as there was no traffic.

After several minutes of sitting in the tree and looking at the reds and pinks of the now darkening sky, he finally caught sight of his two helpers, and the pace at which they were walking worried him. Their walk had turned into a canter, and they were turning their heads as if they were trying to spot something. Corvo stood and activated his dark vision, but at the distance he kept between them, he could not detect any life. 

He decided that getting closer was the best option and picked out a tree limb on the edge of the treeline that could support him and blinked to it. His eyes widened as he saw multiple glowing shapes that indicated that there were many enemies hiding behind various objects. He could not tell if they were simple guard or seasoned warriors, but they were ready to jump on his new friends. He cancelled the dark vision and focused on the ground some distance away from him. He blinked and landed, but before he could begin his sprint, a bolt of yellow flashed in front of his eyes, exploding just as it went by him. The brightness of it blinded him, forcing him to cover his eyes. 

His instincts kicked in and he tried to blink back into the forest, but instead of traveling past the treeline, he was stopped by a dark  force-field. The pain of smashing into it was excruciating, and it nearly brought him to his knees, but he kept control of his body, steadying his feet and unsheathing his sword. 

The bright flash was still effecting his eyes, leaving sight difficult, so he called upon his dark vision and closed them. There were two targets in front of him, both of them shining brightly. If he is going to escape, he would need to defeat them, so he focused on the ground just to the left of the one that seemed larger and blinked. He raised his sword and began to bring the butt of the handle down, but a loud spark shot out, and his swing hit nothing. Through his dark vision, he could see that there was only one creature, and it was looking directly at him. 
He tried to blink, but his head suddenly felt heavy, and his body tired. He fell to his knees, and before he was aware, he was on his stomach. 
> Chapter 5: Escape
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Princess Celestia sat with her sister with a determined, and stoic look on her face. They had called for a brief meeting with the leader of the team of researchers that were to be tasked with studying the strange creature and the power that he possessed. With the attack on canterlot still fresh, she would need to focus her time and power to make sure that the ponies of Canterlot stayed calm enough to follow through with the proper medical aid and reconstruction of the city. There was much to be scheduled.

“Miss, Craft, I trust that you will handle this creature with extreme care, and know that he is dangerous. If he does get out of hand, make sure that he is restrained without harm to him or your team.” 

Seal Craft broke her gaze from her princess and gave a short bow. “Of course your Majesty. I will not let harm come to anyone.” She looked back up and noticed a tired look within her ruler’s eye, despite the stoic expression. “Our study of him may take some time though. My team’s initial reports say that his magic is difficult to see. They explained that it was as if his magic is something new to equestria altogether.”

“Take as much time as you need. If you do see fit to wake him, report back to me or Princess Luna, and we will send a linguistician to see about any communication barrier. Until then, keep him asleep. You may go.” 

“Yes your majesty.” Seal Craft bowed once more and turned.

Princess Celestia watched as the unicorn pony walked down the hall and finally through the large double doors of the courtroom. Her stoic expression faded to one of worry and guilt. 

“This a most troubling time, Sister.” Luna said after that silence between them got too long. “ I can see in your eyes that you blame yourself for these events. When you battled Chrysalis, I believe you did the right thing. If you hadn’t held back, everypony in that room would have burned.”

Celestia closed her eyes tightly, trying not to imagine what she would have done if she had not been in control of her emotions.

Luna noticed her sister’s mental anguish, “Thankfully, the elements were there. And luckily, they were successful in freeing Princess Cadence.”

Celestia opened her eyes. “Thankfully indeed.” she said, her shoulders drooping. “The thing that worries me most is the fact that I did not see this coming. I was blind to Chrysalis's disguise. She imprisoned one our most powerful allies in our own dungeons and i did not even know. It would have taken a simple scanning spell and the whole thing would have been avoided.” 

“Over one thousand years of peace will make a leader soft.” There was a moment of silence between them, but the day was not going to wait for them. “Now we must focus on our duties of leading and help our subjects regather themselves.” Princess Luna stood from her chair on the dais. She turned to face her sister. “I am going to prepare a bright starscape for our ponies that will work through the night. As far as this new creature, letting the research team take care of it is best. If what Miss Octavia and Miss Scratch said is true, we may have a very dangerous situation on our hands, even if he was trying to help.”

“I agree. I will go and check on the progress of the City’s repair. Good luck with your- Luna?” Celestia’s stature turned into a more alert one as she examined Luna’s face. 

With wide eyes, Luna turned to her sister, “Something has happened in the holding wing. I am sensing a surge of power in the creature’s area.” 

Princess Celestia Stood from her chair with haste, her horn lighting up in the process. Before her teleportation spell could be completed, a bright white flash filled the courtroom. Both princesses turned their gazes to the light.

“Shining Armor!” Celestia exclaimed as she noticed his condition. 

Though a bloody nose, and a swelling eye, Shining looked up at them with a frown. He limped forward. “Your majesties” He said with a short bow.

“You may skip the formalities.” Princess Luna said Sharply. “Tell us what happened.” 

“It was the creature that we captured.” his head rose to meet the shocked gaze of the princesses and began to explain. 

~~~Corvo~~~

Corvo felt himself waking, his consciousness slowly overtaking his sleeping mind. He slowly opened his eyes, expecting to see the familiar cold embrace of a prison cell made from stone walls and metal bars. He opened his eyes only to see a small point of light, like a sliver in a blindfold. He began to feel panicked, but his fear subsided as his eyes focused. They hadn’t taken his mask off. 

With this new information, he began to feel the rest of his body, trying not to move. First was his arms, and the lack of weight on them meant that his coat was taken. He could only imagine that his equipment was taken as well. He could feel his undershirt on his torso and his pants on his legs. They had also left his boots on. With a quick flex of his biceps and thighs, he came to the conclusion that he was not bound. 

Satisfied that his body was intact, he ventured to turn his head to one side and the other. The room, as it was hardly a cell, was not built from the stone walls that he was expecting, but seemed to made from tile or marble. It was a pristine white color that reflected the light source hanging from the ceiling. The walls were perfectly smooth, and even the corners were rounded, leaving the room with no edges. 

Confident that no one was in the room, he used his arms to prop himself up, a habit that he acquired from aging, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the ease of it. A sudden bolt of fear ran through him as he realized what he had just done. He pulled both arms into his vision and stared at the left one. He flexed it and extended it, trying to feel the broken bone. There was no pain, though, and this time his fear turned to panic as he thought about how long it takes something like that to heal. 

His head swiveled around, looking for a door or a window or any way out. No matter how many times his eyes crossed over any certain point, the walls remained smooth, and the room remained barren except for the bed and himself. 

“Dammit!” He yelled aloud, frustrated at the situation. A room without a way out was no place for an assassin. 

He turned his body and planted his feet on the ground. He quickly stood, walking over to the part of the wall nearest him. He put his ear to it and knocked, but it was solid. With an annoyed grunt, he turned around and activated his Dark Vision, silently scolding himself for not doing so in the first place. 

The pristine white walls became ghostly in his sight, letting him see beyond them. He immediately spotted two guards standing in front of the room. The wall there was much thinner than the rest. He also saw a pulsating object in his peripheral. He focused on the object and recognized it as the the Heart of a Living Thing. That was his new target. 

Corvo cancelled his Dark Vision and willed his power into a Wind Blast. The Outsider’s mark on his left hand lit up brightly as the blast was released. The gust hit the thinner part of the wall with a loud crash, turning it into shrapnel as it was forced outward. In only a second, the carnage was done and Corvo was sprinting toward his gear. 

He activated his Dark Vision to get an exact location of his the heart and came to a stop just outside of that section of wall. There was no door, but again, the Wind Blast would work just as well. He cancelled his Dark Vision, focused his power and his left hand lit up. The wall caved inward in a spray of shrapnel and Corvo wasted no time with waiting for the dust to clear away. Sprinting into the room, Corvo immediately spotted his trenchcoat. He focused on the table it was laying on and Blinked forward, knocking the table into the air in the process.  

Before the table could fall over, he slammed the table down with a hand and reached for his trench coat. As it swung around to cover his back, he felt the weight of it. They had left his bolts in their place, and with a quick feel of the special pocket, he found the heart. His wrist bow and sword were under the coat, and with a practiced slip and twist, they were comfortably added to his attire. 

He turned to face the entrance to the room and focused his power to blink, but was blinded as a white flash appeared in front of him. Corvo could hardly believe his eyes as he saw the guard horse that broke his arm suddenly standing in front of him. 

The horse’s face was a mask of anger and his eyes were glaring daggers. The horn atop his head stayed lit up. Corvo confidently guessed that his arrival meant he was in for a fight, and he was not going to let him win this time. Corvo focused on the ground just to the side of the guard, and when the guard’s horn began to shine brighter, Corvo blinked forward. Without hesitation, Corvo jabbed a fist down, landing a blow to the guard’s snout. With a crack, the guards head lurched down throwing him off balance. Corvo sprinted from the room as fast as he could, but a strong bind suddenly stopped his movement. He blinked forward, breaking the bind, and turned with his left hand raised. The Outsider’s mark light up brightly and a Wind Blast shot out. 

Without looking, Corvo turned and continued to sprint down the hallway. He activated his dark vision to look for a way out, but was met with multiple orange lights just around the corner of a T intersection. He cancelled the Dark Vision and focused on the intersection. He blinked forward and in an instant had his sword out. Without pausing he prepared a Wind Blast. 

Time seemed to slow for Corvo as he threw his left hand out instinctively. The Wind Blast was released with a roar, and it was too late to stop it from slamming into a group of small horses that would hardly be considered guards. A cascade of feminine screams reached Corvo’s ears as he stared in awe at what he had done. He watched as the blast slammed into the small horses, sending them back with monstrous force. His arms fell to his sides and his stomach turned as he stared at the still bodies the he may have just made into corpses. 

All of the work he did to bring peace to the Empire of the Isles and he recklessly kills a group of civilians. He let his emotion control his actions. He let himself be subject to his own fear, which was something that he spent years on to make sure that would not happen. He did not take in the situation as it was, and now he did not have a chance to do so. If these small horses were dead, and it really has been weeks since his arrival, he would never see his home again.

With an angry grunt, Corvo returned his mind to escaping the building. He sheathed his sword and reluctantly activated his Dark Vision, not wanting to know if the life of those small horses were taken from them. 

Corvo breathed a sigh of relief as each member of the group lit up within his vision. Passing his eyes over them, he noticed that the path behind them ended with a door to the outside. Corvo cancelled his Dark Vision and focused on the door, blinking forward. With haste, he reached for the handle of the door and swung it open. He welcomed the sight of a stone path before him. The thin path was surrounded by high walls made from white marble. Looking up, he could see clear blue skies above.

Yelling made him turn to see the guard chasing him. He half-cantered with a limp and his eyes were watery with tears. Blood ran freely down his snout, but his face was no less furious than before. The guard snarled, baring his teeth and his horn lit up.

Corvo looked up and blinked to the top of the wall just as a ball of light streaked through the doorway. It hit the ground with a bang that knocked corvo off balance. He crouched down to lower his center of gravity and stopped teetering. The blast had torn a hole into the stone path, leaving it scorched and smoking. 

He stood back up, thankful that he had moved and began to sprint along the top of the walls. As he ran, he studied the surrounding area, looking for a way to get to better cover. His head swiveled back and forth, looking at the buildings that blurred by, but he could not see past them. The wall ended and he jumped, focusing on the nearest roof ahead of him. He landed on the sloped surface with a dull thud and climbed to the top. His eyes opened wide as he looked around.

He was perched at the top of a building that overlooked the slope of the 
gigantic mountain. He turned around and was overwhelmed by the sight of a round spire that reached high into the air. He had to crane his neck to see the top of it, but the dull sound of hooves hitting stone made him look down, just as a flash of light rushed toward him. 

He quickly jumped from the path of the light, but was shot away from the building from the shockwave. Before he could land on the ground, he focused his power on the roof and blinked. He landed ungracefully and stumbled as he regained his balance. A sudden sharp pain flared in right side, causing him to buckle over, but he quickly focused and blinked to the next roof, nearly falling as he landed. He shuffled his feet to balance himself and began to climb up again. With the drop of the cliff before him, he jumped, free falling before blinking to a spot on the cliff that jutted out far enough for him to stand comfortably.

He looked up to see that the building he jumped from was high above him, and unless the guard could teleport faster than he could blink, he was free to run as far from that place as he wanted. Getting a small running start, he leaped from the cliff. 

~~~~~~~~

“I can’t believe Princess Celestia insisted on us going home without helping the rest of the city.” Twilight said, exasperated. 

Applejack pulled her hat over her eyes. “Honestly, after that fiasco, I could use a little rest. My legs’ll be sore from all of that buckin changeling butt. Now I can’t say I don’t feel sorry for the citizens of Canterlot, but I think Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have that situation handled.” 

“I know, but still, we could be working on rebuilding some of those houses, and a lot of those ponies were hurt.” 

Rarity looked up the tea that she was sipping on. “Twilight, Canterlot is a big city filled with plenty of medically inclined ponies, not to mention there will be plenty of ponies to help with the rebuilding. You should relax, dear, and enjoy the train ride.”

“Uhhhg. I know.” said Twilight, looking down at her hooves. “I just can’t help but to worry about it. What if there is a second attack? What if there are more changeling imposters hiding there?”

”I’m sure Princess Celestia would let you know as soon as possible. And do you really think that any changelings would have the nerve to stay?” Rarity answered before sipping at her tea.


“I suppose not. I guess I should relax, then. Still, it was weird that she sent us back to Ponyville so suddenly. It just makes me uneasy.”

Twilight turned her head to look at the source of a gurgling sound coming from next to her.  “Uhh.. Sp-”

Spike interrupted Twilight with a loud belch and puff of green flame. “Huh.” he said as he snatched it from the air. “A letter so soon?”

The scroll was surrounded by a purple aura and lifted from spike’s claws. Twilight quickly opened it and skimmed through the writing, sliding her hoof across the paper. “It's from Princess Celestia… Be careful? Sending a team of trained seekers? You six may be needed in ponyville more than you know… WHAT!?”

Twilight’s outburst was returned with a gasp from each of the ponies in the car. 

“What happened?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“It says here that a creature that was apprehended just after that changeling battle has escaped, injuring multiple ponies. She says Shining was one of them!” Twilight spoke with increasing worry in her voice. “Oh my gosh! It says the creature escaped and is heading straight for Ponyville!” 

~~~~Corvo~~~~~

Once Corvo was sure he wasn’t followed, he entered a dense forest and followed the edge. He had followed the river that flowed down the mountain that Canterlot was perched on. He sat on a high branch of a tree overlooking a large orchard.

Each tree of the orchard was aligned to make perfect rows. From his point of view, they seemed healthy and lush with their red and green colored fruit.He decided that he should travel down and see just what kind of fruit they were. He also hoped that the farmer didn’t mind him taking a few, as long as they didn’t kill him. 

Before he made his way down from the tree, he reached up and found the controls of his mask. He zoomed in to see if there were any workers in the orchard, or anything else that could be a danger to him.

Satisfied, he returned his mask’s vision to its normal setting, then blinked down to the ground. It was a short distance to the orchard, and the distance was made shorter as he blinked toward it. He reached to closest tree to him and binked to a branch that was thick enough to hold him. It wasn’t very high on the tree, but the surrounding branches were lush with leaves and were covered in, surprisingly, apples.

Rich, flavorful fruit like apples were quite rare in the Empire of the Isles, and even when he did get the pleasure of eating one, they didn’t look near as plump and fresh as these did. He stored the majority of them in whatever pockets they would fit in. He took the mask off and laid it on the tree beside him as he sat. He then took a bite of one of the apples. 

The taste was surprisingly delicious. It was tart, but still sweet and juicy. Corvo couldn’t remember the last time he had fruit of the same quality. He looked down at the ground below the tree, not focussing on anything specific and quietly thought about his chances. Where they ruined? Would he ever be able to see Empress Kaldwin again?

He brought himself out of his thoughtful stupor and finished the apple quickly. He picked the mask back up and replaced it over his face. He activated his Dark Vision to see if any living being was watching. Only a few birds perched on the branches moved in his sight. He cancelled the Dark Vision and concentrated on the next tree over. 

~~~~~~~~

A small group of elite royal guard stood at attention in front of Shining Armor. Two pegasi and three unicorns awaited their orders.

“Okay, we know where the creature is thanks to the tracking spell I hit him with.” Shining Armor spoke out with haste. “We must get to Apple Acres as quickly as possible, so we are sending a team of speed fliers to scout him out.” Shining’s horn lit up and a hexagonal stone appeared in front of him. It had a spiraling rune etched into it that glowed a light purple. Shining looked at the pegasi; “This is a recall stone. We need you two to take this stone no closer than one klick away from the orchard, and only between it and Canterlot.” I will be able to create a portal from here to this stone so the rest of us can travel through. I will create the portal when this stone touches the ground, so don’t put it down until you are sure we can get in without being noticed. As soon as we get there, follow me until I give you the signal to distract him.” 

The two pegasi stood tall and saluted before one of them grabbed the recall stone and lifted off. They soared away, a light breeze following their ascent. 

“As for us, we will be doing the dirty work.” Shining continued. The three unicorn guards never flinched as he spoke. “It will be your job to detain the creature with extreme prejudice. Do not hold back your strength when you bind him, and if you have to break his bones, then do it. We already healed the one I broke, and he has seriously injured multiple guards and several researchers to thank us. In order to make this as easy on us as possible, we will need to sneak in on him with the help of the speed fliers distracting him. Our mission is to detain him, but if anything goes wrong, do not hesitate to use lethal force. Am I understood?”

The guard ponies stood tall and saluted. “Yes sir!” they said in unison. 

~~~~~~~~

Corvo slowed his pace as he came closer to a building situated in the trees. Corvo saw the opportunity for possible shelter and blinked to a tree that would give him a closer look at the structure. The whole building was resting on thick boards that were attached to the tree with bolts. A makeshift set of stairs lead from the ground to a deck surrounded by railing. From Corvo’s position, he could see a window and a door. The window had two shutters with big hearts carved out of them, and the door was decorated similarly. It was painted with autumn colors and decorated with multiple flower beds with flowers whose petals were beginning to close as there was less light in the evening. 

He crouched down on the branch and activated his Dark Vision and the house’s walls became transparent, allowing him to see through them. To his surprise, Corvo saw three small figures sitting in a circle, huddled around something laying on the floor. They seemed to be conversing until one of them looked up, nearly directly at him. Startled, Corvo deactivated his Dark Vision and blinked to a branch on the other side of the building. 

Corvo crouched on the branch and activated his Dark Vision to see if he was spotted. 

~~~~~~~

Two pegasi flew as fast as they could, traveling past the forest in a matter of just a few minutes. One of them raised a hoof and both slowed down as they approached Sweet Apple Acres. Still above the forest, they scouted the area for anything that could be there before descending toward the ground. As they landed, The one that was holding the recall stone pulled it out of a pocket and placed it down. It gave a small pulse before glowing brightly. 

~~~~~~~


Corvo could see the one that got up look through the window, turning its head from left to right in search of what it saw. It turned its head back to the others, shrugging its shoulders. It walked back to them and sat on its hind legs, starting the conversation back up. 

Corvo decided that he had escaped their knowing of his presence, so he began to turn around to continue toward the town. Just before he deactivated his Dark Vision, a small light caught his eye, then two lights emerged in the distance. He stopped to focus on the approaching lights and noticed that they were coming at him faster than some arrows that he had to dodge in the past. 

He didn’t have much time to think as they came closer. He did not know their intention, so he did not know if their target was him or the small horses in the treehouse or if it was the town, so he decided to stand his ground. He turned his Dark Vision off, and flexed his arms and legs in preparation to move quickly, and as the first one come upon him, he blinked to the top of the treehouse. The second one took very little time in turning to attack him (so he was the target) and he blinked to the ground. Then the first darted toward him once more, coming close with a small blade attached to its forehoof. Corvo ducked below his assailant and punched up, landing a direct blow on its lower ribs. He didn’t see the results as the second one rushed toward him, rolling forward rapidly. Corvo blinked to the side, narrowly avoiding the second one’s blade. 

The second one took no time in recovering, swiftly turning and swiping with its blade, but before it could connect, Corvo blinked behind it and threw a punch at where he though its kidneys might be. The second assailant lurched forward and hit the ground ungraciously, but again, Corvo had no time to assess the damage as he saw the first assailant out of the corner of his eye. Corvo blinked forward an arm's-length, turning around as quickly as he could, but the assailant changed directions too fast for him to find a location to blink to. Corvo prepared for both the impact and the blade, calling on marshal instinct to push the offending weapon out of the way. 

He managed to dodge the blade, but took the full force of the assailant’s body and speed, knocking him backward to the ground.  He continued the momentum by curling his knees toward himself, which threw the assailant off of him in the process. Again, he had no time to think as the second assailant was already charging, but Corvo had the advantage of time as he was able to produce a wind blast that knocked the assailant into a nearby tree. Corvo heard the first assailant getting up and turned around, preparing another wind blast, but as Corvo brought his left arm up, a familiar feeling grasped at him. 

Know the magical binds, Corvo quickly blinked to a high branch on the closest tree. He couldn’t see anything with his naked eye so he activated his Dark Vision, and cursed as he saw four more small horses in the nearby brush, all of them looking directly at him. He turned his Dark Vision off as a sudden bright light began to grow from one of their horns. Corvo barely evaded whatever it was that was thrown at him, blinking back to the ground. Instantly, magical binds wrapped around his arms and legs, but he blindly blinked forward in an attempt to release them. The binds broke, allowing him a small moment to find a safe spot to blink, but before he could locate a spot, he was tackled by two bodies, all three of them tumbling over one another.

Again, the binds quickly found his limbs, and with the weight of the first two assailants pressing him down, Corvo could do nothing but breath heavily, exhausted from the fight. 

With the magical binds tightly wrapped around his arms and legs, a voice yelled out and the two assailants released their grip on Corvo, hovering into the air. Corvo began to lift from the ground, his arms spread out as far as they could go and his legs held close together. He looked at his assailants, and thought to himself that he shouldn’t be surprised, but couldn’t help but feel slightly shocked to see that same guard that had been chasing him from the start. 

A sudden though occurred to Corvo and he looked up, turning his head toward the treehouse. He activated his Dark Vision, relieved as he saw the three small figures huddled together in a corner away from the violence. He turned his Dark Vision off and looked back toward the guard, who was approaching him slowly.