> A Hiss in the Dark
>  by Knight Breeze
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> This is Why I Hate Convenience Stores
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“I just want one thing to go right today!  Can't I have that?” I yelled at the uncaring night sky, my fist raised up, and my index finger pointed at the cosmos as the rain continued to pelt me.  

As if to add insult to injury, however, The Universe decided that my statement only deserved further punishment.  Instead of blessing me with instant good fortune, like my bike miraculously fixing itself then and there, I instead got a face full of mud from a semi, its engine screaming at me as it passed.

“Great,” I sighed as I vainly tried to wipe the mud from my face.  My clothes were ruined, but that hardly mattered at this point.  I wasn't going to make it to my date with my wheels trashed like this, stupid piece of junk.

To be honest, though, the bike was old.  It had been my brother's when he had been to college, and he had given it to me once he had gotten married.  Something about not wanting to set a bad example for the kids or something like that.  Despite being so old, the vehicle had become my only mode of transportation and had served me faithfully for years, all the way up to my sophomore year of college.

Only to die here, on the side of the road, leaving me high and dry (figuratively speaking) with a hot date in three minutes.

It honestly felt like I had lost a friend.

I despondently started to push my bike up the road, fully aware that the nearest gas station was three miles away, cursing loudly at my terrible phone service.   Seriously, I wasn't that far from campus, and the cell tower was only five miles away from that.  You'd think that being only ten miles from the nearest cell tower would mean I got excellent service, but somehow my horrendous luck kept my bars nonexistent.

I would have asked for help from one of the other motorists, if there were any.  Despite this being a major road for the area, there just wasn't anyone out tonight.  Everybody was either studying, home, partying, or asleep.

Well, everyone besides me and the semi, but he had already passed me by after throwing an unnecessarily large amount of mud all over me, so he didn't count.

All in all, it was looking to be a pretty crummy evening.


*	*	*


“Finally!”  I shouted as the gas station came into view.  It had taken me the better part of three hours to get this far, but I was finally here.  Exhausted, I pushed into the gas station, my back aching and my brow covered in sweat.  Once I had rolled my bike into one of the parking spaces, I gently pushed the kickstand down and made my way inside.

Once inside, my eyes were immediately drawn to the cashier.  She was rather short, probably only four and a half feet tall, with piercing gray eyes and dark luminous skin.  Her straight black hair was done up in a ponytail, and she was standing ramrod straight behind the counter.  Without much ceremony, I slowly made my way up to her and plopped my helmet down on the counter.  “Hey, could I use your phone?  My bike exploded, and I need to call a tow truck,” I asked in a slightly jovial tone of voice.  I was tired, but I wasn't about to let that stop my sense of humor.

Besides, she was cute.

“No, I'm sorry, no phone here,” she said nervously.  If I had been a bit more observant, I would have noticed how her eyes kept darting to the side and downwards behind the counter.  

However, being the thick blockhead I was, I completely missed the signs that she was showing.  “Come on, I know you have a phone, I used it last week!” I said, a little exasperated at her lie.

I was about to protest further when the girl's eyes widened at something behind me.  I started to turn, but at that moment something conked me in the back of the head and I remembered no more.


*	*	*


“Where is it!”  A masculine voice shouted somewhere nearby.

I groaned slightly, my head spinning from the force of the blow.  As I stirred, I could feel the cold tile of the floor on my face, while the back of my head throbbed painfully as I slowly came to.

“I don't know what you're talking about!”  The cashier from before whimpered back.  I heard a slapping sound, followed closely by a feminine scream.

“The key to the safe out back!  I know you know where it is, you use it every night to lock up the earnings from the day, and we want it!”  A different male voice shouted at the poor girl.

Slowly my eyes opened, and I immediately regretted my decision to do that.  The world tilted around me, and I had the distinct need to void my stomach.  However, another slap and a scream tempered my will and helped me keep my lunch down.  Groggily, I pulled myself up to the counter, getting myself up to my knees as the world pitched around me.  I quietly raised myself up and peeked over the counter, spotting the source of those voices.

There were two of them, both in black ski masks.  One held a knife loosely in his hand, while the other had a gun trained on the cashier.  Both of them looked pretty burly, with the knife wielder slightly taller then the gunman.  Both had their backs turned towards me, and in the gap between the two of them I could spot the luckless cashier, desperately raising her hands in a placating gesture.  “My boss has it!  He comes by every night to help lock up! I swear!”  she cried at them as an angry red welt started to appear on the side of her face.

Usually, this would probably be the moment in the story when the blood started to pound in my ears, and I would rush over and tackle the two thieves with nothing but my bare hands.  That's not me.

I'm not a hero.  Sure I've played every video game under the sun, seen every action flick, know ever superhuman by name, power and reputation(in that order), but I had no illusions as to who I was.  I was a wimpy physics geek who spent more time at my studies then at the gym.

At that moment, as my blood chilled, I knew that these two men were probably going to kill both of us.  However, just because I was afraid didn't mean I was a coward.

It just meant that I didn't charge in blindly.

Carefully, I crawled to the aisle, looking for anything to use as a weapon.  My relief was palpable as I spotted a display for tire irons.  Not wasting a moment, I quietly removed one of the heavy black tools and gripped it by the handle.  It still had a bit of cardboard strapped around its head, but that wouldn't slow me down in the slightest.

I quietly crawled back to the sound of the two men beating the poor girl, taking time to put on my bike helmet as I passed the counter.  It wouldn't do anything against the gun, but if things went to plan, I wouldn't need to worry about that.

“Why do you keep lying to me?  Do you want me to shoot you?”  the gunman asked, his voice rising in volume considerably.

As silent as a ghost, I got up from my prone position right behind the monster with the gun.  In one smooth motion I grabbed his gun arm with my free hand, yanking it upwards and towards me, spinning him around.  The gun went off, but as planned the shot when wide, missing the cashier by a full three feet.  She screamed, but I barely even noticed as the adrenaline started to pour into my brain.

I then let him have it in the face with the tire iron.

Instantly, the beast disguised as a human being dropped like a pole-axed cow.  I heard a crack as his head hit the tile below, and I could have sworn that I had seen blood.  I didn't slow down in the slightest, however, as I readied my improvised weapon for another strike.  The other thief quickly turned towards me, knife in hand, and rage on his face.  He was too slow, however, as my weapon lashed out and caught the thief on the arm, right at the elbow.

I heard a sick snapping sound as the weapon connected, and he was down, screaming and clutching his ruined limb.  I then pulled the cashier away from him, pushing her towards the back room as soon as she was on her feet.  “Go!  Call the cops!  I got this!”  I shouted.

She ran around the corner at the exact moment that the gun went off again.  Pain lanced through my chest, and I felt the grip on my weapon loosen a bit.

However, even through the pain, I did not let go of the strangely reassuring steel in my hand.

Slowly, I turned my head back towards the prone thief, blood pumping in my ears as I regarded him.  In his still working hand I could see his partner's gun, smoke rising from the barrel while a snarl graced his face.  I looked down, my helmeted head stopping to consider the gaping hole in my chest; I was distantly aware of the pain, but for some reason it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would.  I then raised my head and the tire iron and, with deliberate slowness, took a single step in his direction.

His snarl quickly became a look of fear as he unloaded into me.  Four more times the revolver in his hands barked, and at this close of a range I knew that he hadn't missed a single shot.  But even as I felt the bullets tear through my being, some force kept me on my feet, pushed me onwards as his eyes grew progressively larger.  With a frightened shout, he then threw the gun at me and ran.  In his haste, though, he ran straight through the sliding glass door of the convenience store, shattering it into a million pieces as he made his escape.

He had missed when he had thrown the weapon, but that didn't really matter to me at that point.  With a metallic clang, my new steel friend slipped from my grasp, my fingers suddenly unable to work right.  As I fell heavily to my knees, I was dimly aware of the screaming coming from outside the store, and I briefly wondered if Stacy would still kill me for missing our date.

“...Probably not,”  I said, my voice sounding harsh in my ears.  I was faintly aware that those were terrible last words, but I couldn't bring myself to care.  I was just too tired.

There was a falling sensation, followed closely by the sound of someone nearby calling my name.

Darkness soon took me.


*	*	*


The first thing I noticed was the sound of rustling paper.  It was oddly comforting, bringing with it the memories of my friends and family gathered around a table, rolling dice, and laughing at the results.  The next thing I noticed was the soothing smell of mint tea, its calming presence doing wonders on my scattered mind.  Since I seemed to still have a nose and ears, I attempted to open my eyes, to see if they would follow suit.

They did, but everything was fuzzy at first.  My sight slowly started to clear, though, revealing that I somehow had ended up in my parent's dinning room.  The table in front of me was loaded with papers, dice, and pencils, while at the center I could see a map of some kind with various figurines placed all over it.

The map wasn't one I recognized, seeing as how its land masses were all completely different from earth's.  On top of that, the language that the notes were written in was complete gibberish to me, further reinforcing the sense of wrongness I was feeling.

However, as off as all of that was, the thing that really set off the alarms in my head were the figurines on the map.  They weren't that different from what I might use in one of my games, except there seemed to be a large number of equines represented there alongside the normal mix of minotaurs, goblins, griffons, and dragons.  What drew my attention to them, however, was the fact that all the figures were moving on there own, marching slowly across the huge world that was set before them.

“I was wondering when you would be joining me,” a gentle voice said from the head of the table.

I quickly turned towards the sound, almost giving myself whiplash as I did so.  There, sitting at the head of the table, was a woman of exquisite beauty.  She had deep, sea green eyes, beautiful flowing red hair, and unearthly, perfect skin.  She wore a green blouse, though anything else about her was hidden by the Game Master's screen placed between us.  Her voice was like the chiming of a bell, and her smile was as radiant as the sun itself.

Everything about her screamed perfection.

She also made me very, very nervous for some reason.

“Who are you?”  I asked, finally finding my voice.

“A friend, possibly your best friend at this moment,” she said, her smile taking on a slightly predatory look to it.

Instantly, alarm bells started to go off in my head, and I could hear the voice of the esteemed Admiral Ackbar scream “It's a trap!” somewhere in the back of my brain.

“Okay, I think I know what's going on here.  I was dying, right?  That means that all of this,” I said, gesturing wildly with one arm.  “Is one of two things.  One: It's a coma, and I'm hallucinating.  Unlikely, seeing as how all my dreams are usually filled with flying monkeys.”

She didn't even bat an eye at that, preferring to let me work this out for myself, apparently.

“Two: I'm dead, you're the devil, and you've come to bargain for my immortal soul.  You've put me in a facsimile my parent's house in an attempt to make me feel safe, all in the hopes that it will win me over by making me think you're not too bad.  Well guess what, lady?  If you're the second option, I think I'll take my chances with the big man upstairs.  I might be dead, but I won't be eternally screwed,” I said as I got to my feet.

She merely smiled at that, apparently unfazed at my accusation.  “Though I hardly think you'll believe me, I want to tell you right now that neither of those options are the truth.  The devil wouldn't want to come anywhere near you after such a heroic display, and as you said yourself, there aren't enough flying monkeys here to make this a dream,” she said as she brushed off an invisible speck from her blouse.  “However, I do have a deal for you, but not nearly at such a high cost as your soul.”

“...And there it is.  That's how he gets you.  'Sign right here, its only fifty seconds in hell for ten million dollars.'  What you don't notice, however, is the microscopically tiny writing stating that if you actually spent any of the money, you're now a member of devils inc.  Trust me, I know this tactic inside and out because I've used it on my players before.  Well guess what honey, I ain't that easy to fool!” I said a bit indignantly as I turned to leave.

However, as I made my way into my parent's living room, there she was, sitting in the rocking chair that my mother loved so much.  Her legs were crossed, and I could see that she wore blue jeans and sandals on them.  “Will you at least listen to my proposition?  If you do not find it to your liking, you may leave, no strings attached, and you can go right back to where you were.  I promise you, though, that you will enjoy what I have in mind.”

That made me hesitate a little.  Was there really any harm in just listening to what she said?  Besides, I was dead anyway, so it wasn't like I had anything else to do...

“...Well, I suppose,” I said after what seemed like an eternity of thought.

Instantly, everything around us changed, and we were right back where we started, sitting at the dining room table.  She smiled as she looked at me over the Game Master's screen, her expression overjoyed as she shuffled through her notes.  “I need a champion, someone who is brave, yet intelligent.  Someone who can do the greatest good if in the right place at the right time, or the wrong place at the wrong time.  If you do this for me, I promise you will go home, safe and sound.”

I thought about this for a second, then decided to address the elephant in the room first.  “Assuming this isn't a con, or some sort of near-death hallucination, why don't you just do whatever it is yourself?  You're obviously very powerful, if the teleportation, illusions, and moving figurines are any indication of that sort of thing, so why get me to do it for you?  I mean, I'm kind of almost dead, if not dead already.  Even if you were to heal me first, whatever help I can give is minimal at best, on account of me being just human.”

She kept smiling as she gestured towards the map.  “You would be correct.  I have agreed to play by certain rules, however, to keep others from doing the exact same thing.  Rest assured, if I could do as you said, I would,” she then held up her hand, a single figurine that looked exactly like me resting on her open palm.  “As for you being human, you'd be surprised what a single person can do when dropped in the right place at the wrong time.”

I just folded my arms at that.  I knew where this was going, and I didn't like it.  “So, this is some sort of inter-dimensional, divine chess game?  And you expect me to play with five gaping holes in my chest,” I said flatly

She just giggled at that.  “If you agree to become my champion, your wounds will become nothing but a distant memory.  On top of that, I do not intend to send you anywhere without a little... evening of the odds,” she said, her grin becoming very mischievous.

“Well, just who are you, then?” I asked belligerently.

“I cannot say.  I am the only one who will come when not called upon.  I leave when my name is spoken, and most ask for my help without knowing that they have done so."

This sounded familiar to me for some reason, though I couldn't quite place why.  I decided to shrug it off, though, and continue.  “Well, what precisely do you intend for me to do?  Also, if I chose to accept, where am I going?”

“Now, if I were to tell you that, wouldn't it spoil the surprise?" she asked innocently.  I just gave her a sullen frown, which seemed to get her to elaborate.  "...I find that my best pieces are those that have no clue what they are doing.  They usually perform better when unaware of the stakes, or even of their mission.  I would have preferred that you also be unaware of my involvement, or your role as a playing piece, but the rules specifically state that I couldn't just drop you on the board without at least a little knowledge.”

“You expect me to go to some strange land, not knowing where I'm going, what I'll be doing, or why I'm even there?”  I asked, a single eyebrow raised.  “Why does that sound like a terrible idea?”

She just wiggled a finger at me, her eyebrow raised in a conspiratorial fashion.  “By not telling you what you are doing, I have given you a great gift, perhaps the greatest gift I can possibly give in a contest such as this.”

“And what is that?”  I asked, my eyebrows furrowed together in concentration.

“Impartiality.  I give you the gift of an outside observer, one who can act without fear of sides or allegiances,” she answered, holding out the figurine for me to take.

I just looked at it, then looked back up at her.  “So let me get this straight.  You're going to put me somewhere without any sort of briefing, to perform some sort of task that I won't even know about, all while others in similar positions try to stop me, and you think this is a strength?” I asked incredulously.  "This 'evening of the odds' crap you spoke of earlier had better be something really spectacular to make me even consider your deal.”

She hummed a little before continuing.  “Indeed it is.  I intend to send you in a form that will be both familiar, and at the same time alien.  You will have great power, but must learn to wield it against the odds stacked against you,” she said, closing her hand, then opening it again.  The figurine she held was gone, and in its place sat a small figurine of a question mark.

I knew deep down that none of this really made any sense, and flew in the face of what I thought I knew was possible.  But for some reason I found myself believing her.  “Well, what will this 'form' be?”  I asked, not really caring for how she danced around the issue.  “So help me, if you send me... wherever it is, as a freaking Care Bear, I'm gonna-”

“I would never send you to your destination as something so... defenseless.  Instead, I intend to send you in a far more... fitting form from your past.  You will recognize it as soon as you see it, as it is the first form you ever pretended to be.”

At this, my mind immediately jumped to the thought of my first pyromancer, causing me to grin like a loon.  He was pretty dang impressive.  Now I don't feel half as scared or worried about not knowing anything beforehand.  If anything tries to gank me, I'll just burn them to a crisp.

As this and other thoughts coursed through my brain, another popped up, causing my smile to disappear.  “As tempting as that all is, what sort of assurance do I have that you aren't just going to screw me over as soon as I say 'yes' to anything?” I asked her.

She just shook her head at that, though her smile was just as mischievous as mine was.  “I cannot give you any such assurances, as anything I say can very well be a lie.  You must decide for yourself whether or not I am telling the truth,” she said, tilting her head to one side.  “However, before you make a decision, remember this:  If you choose not to take my deal, you will die.  Not from my hand, but from the hand of the thief that shot you.”

As soon as she said this, I felt five stinging pains in my chest.  I quickly looked down to see five gaping holes where there should have been none.  I wasn't bleeding anymore, but I knew that that could change at a moments notice.

At that precise moment, I knew with a certainty that this wasn't some kind of near-death hallucination.  This was real.

“Well?  Do you agree to my proposal?  Or will you 'take your chances with the Big Man upstairs?'” she asked, bringing my attention back to her.

I swallowed at that, fear coursing through my brain.  I had been so cocky and sure of myself earlier, but now?  When I could actually see and feel my wounds?  Now all I felt was the grip of my own mortality around my throat.

“...Is there anything else you can tell me before I accept?”  I asked, my voice a bit shakier than I would care to admit.

“There is not.  You must forge your own path, and undertake this quest as best as you see fit.  Do not worry about where to go or what to do, as those will become apparent as you progress,” she said gently.

“...And you promise that once this 'task' is finished, I'll get to go home, safe and sound?”  I asked, needing some form of reassurance.

She just nodded at this, her smile becoming more predatory.

This is a really bad idea, I thought with a sigh.  What came out of my mouth, however, was:  “Fine, we'll do it your way”  as I reached for the figurine in her hand.

The instant my finger made contact with the statuette, there was a bright flash of light, a feeling like I was being pulled through molasses, followed closely by darkness.


*	*	*


“Um... sir?  Or ma'am, I'm not really sure at this point...” An unsure, scared, female voice said somewhere above me.

“Uhgg...”  I grunted intelligently, reaching up to grip my head.

However, as I cradled my aching skull, something about that action didn't quite feel right.  My skin felt far too leathery, for starters.  On top of that, I also seemed to be missing my hair.  As I pondered this, I felt my tail twitch in agitation, freaking me the heck out of my mind.

“What on earth?”  I shouted, nearly jumping out of my skin as I gazed down at the long, lizard-like tail that extended from my rump.  I took my hands off of my head and looked at them, noting with some alarm that my human hands had been replaced with four fingered, opposable, lizard-like claws.

“Please, sir, you have to be quiet!”  I heard the voice from earlier say.  “If they find us here, they'll kill us for sure!”

I looked up from my prone position at that, only to see something that I didn't think I would ever see in my entire life.

Standing in front of me was a small, pony-like creature.  It was different from the ponies I was used to, though.  This one had a much larger head, an incredibly expressive, human-like face, as well as much larger than normal purple eyes.  Its mane and tail were purple with lavender highlights, and its coat was a light pink color.  On its flank I could see a trio of diamonds, and on its face I could see a look of intense fear.

However, that was not what caught my eye the most about this creature.  No, what really caught my eye was the three inch long, spiral horn that grew out of the center of its forehead.

We both appeared to be inside a restroom of some sort, which quickly made me want to get to my feet, if only to stop laying down on the disgusting tile floor.

I unsteadily got up as I marveled at the other occupant of the restroom.  “What... what's going on here?”  I asked.  As I spoke, I noticed that I pronounced my S's with far more emphasis than I normally would, for some reason.

I also noticed that I seemed to tower above the unicorn.  I didn't have any means to measure it, but if I had to guess, I would have put the small pony somewhere at four and a half feet tall.  It just looked up at me, fear in its eyes as it took in just how large I was.

“I... I came into the bathroom to hide,” she said, her mouth agape as she stared at me.

“What are we hiding from?” I asked as I stumbled a bit, barely catching myself with a nearby sink.

“Where are you, little piggy?  I know I heard something over here, and it 'taint no fun if all you do is hide...” a voice outside the bathroom said, almost as if in answer to my question.

“Quick, get into the stall!” I whispered in alarm.  As I held the door open for her, I couldn't help but catch a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror.

I was tall, standing somewhere around six feet, though my form seemed to prefer a more hunched over posture now, as opposed to a human's normal, straight-backed one.  My head had a distinctly lizard-like appearance to it, if the muzzle, slitted blue eyes, and scaley green skin were any indication of that sort of thing.  On my body I wore a brown tunic with green highlights, as well as brown leggings that matched splendidly.

Yes, a tunic and leggings, just like from medieval Europe.

I wasn't wearing any shoes, though that wasn't too surprising, seeing as how my new, lizard-like  feet probably wouldn't fit in a pair of Nike's anytime soon.  As my eyes traveled over myself, I couldn't help but notice the arming sword and dagger sheathed at my waist, nor could I ignore the spear that hung from a strap on my shoulder.

As I stared at my form, I was suddenly struck by the weirdest recognition I had ever felt.  I knew that face, I had even drawn it a couple of times.

When I was eight.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” I whispered in exasperation.  “Seriously?  You could have picked anyone else, and you went with the weak piece of crap I made up when I was eight?”

“...What?” the pony asked in confusion.

My only answer was to slam the door in her face, shrug the spear off my shoulder, and turn to face whatever horrors were about to burst into the bathroom, weapon in hand.  “I knew she would screw me over!” I said to myself.

If I was to be honest, though, I was more angry at myself for believing her than anything else.
> Dogs Aren't Allowed in Museums for a Reason
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Quick, Amethyst!  Over here!” Dinky said as she bounced happily to the next exhibit.

Amethyst Star just grinned as she followed the excitable filly to the exhibit on Griffon Sky Pirates.  “Slow down sis, we have all day to see everything!”

“Yeah, but these are about pirates!” Dinky said with a hop.  “I wanna be one for next Nightmare Night, and I want my costume to be perfect!”

“Yes, but that still isn't for another six months!  You have plenty of time to get everything perfect, don't worry about that.  Twilight might even help you with finding a book on pirates once we get back to Ponyville,” Amethyst said with a laugh.

As the two inspected the display, Amethyst couldn't help but think just how wonderful it was to get a day off to spend with her kid sister.  The last time they were able to do this had been back during the Sisterhooves Social, and that had been well over a year ago.

If only everyday could be like today, she thought with a sigh.

Her musings were interrupted, however, by the sound of shattering glass, followed closely by a scream somewhere behind her.  She quickly turned, only to see something that chilled her to the bone.

There, standing above the bleeding body of a security guard, was a ferocious gray dragon.  Behind him was nothing but a gaping hole where a window used to be, a clear indication of where he had entered the museum.

The dragon clearly wasn't an adult, if its size was anything to go by.  However, it didn't look any less dangerous, as evidenced by the blood that covered its outstretched claws.

As it glanced around, Amethyst Star saw a band of mangy Diamond Dogs crawl through the window that the dragon had broken, all of them armed to the teeth.  “Spread out and find it!” the dragon shouted over the screams of the frightened patrons.

“What about the ponies, boss?” a particularly brutish dog asked.

“Herd them into one group.  Kill them if they resist, but do not let them escape,” the dragon said, his eyes sweeping over the assembled ponies.

As quietly as she could manage, Amethyst levitated Dinky onto her back and took off.  “Sis?  What's going on?” the filly asked, clearly afraid.

“Don't worry Dinky, everything is going to be fine.  Just keep quiet,” Amethyst said breathlessly as she bolted down the corridor.

After a few minutes of quick twists and turns, Amethyst turned another corner, only to realize that she had ran smack dab into a dead end.  “Sis?” Dinky asked, her voice filled with worry.

“Not now, Dinky!  We have to find someplace to hide!” Amethyst said with a hush.

Dinky quieted down at that, allowing Amethyst enough time to think of something.  Quickly, she doubled back and dived into the lady's bathroom.  Although it wasn't the smartest place to hide, Amethyst didn't intend to stay in here for long.

“Listen Dinky," she said as she yanked open the stall door and stuck her sister on the toilet seat.  "Whatever you do, whatever sound you hear, make sure you don't move from this spot until things calm down, okay?” Amethyst told her, trying to keep her voice level.

Dinky just nodded her head at that, tears in her eyes.  “But... what about you?”

“I'm going to go and make a distraction, try to lure them away from here.  As soon as the coast is clear, I want you to make a break for it.  Get out of the museum, find a guard, and tell him what happened here,” Amethyst said in a rush.  “I need you to-”

However, before Amethyst could say anything else, there was a flash of light that threw her shadow in sharp relief against the wall.  Quickly, Amethyst turned, slamming the stall door shut as she did so.

There, lying on the floor, was another dragon.  However, it seemed... odd... for a dragon.  For starters, its fangs and claws were a lot smaller.  It also was wearing clothes, as well as a set of weapons at its side and on its back.  On top of all of this, It also didn't have wings, which was odd for a dragon of its apparent age.

Amethyst quietly tiptoed around it, attempting to get to the door before she attempted to lure away this new threat.  However, before she was able to do that, it stirred, then grumbled in its sleep.

Amethyst Star just raised an eyebrow at this, then stopped trying to get past him.  It was a slim chance, but it was possible that this one had no connection to the gray dragon that was robbing the museum.  She didn't know why, but she found that she couldn't stop herself as she opened her mouth and said the first thing that came to her mind.  “Uh... sir?  Or ma'am, I'm not really sure at this point...”

“Uhgg...” the dragon said in a masculine voice as he stirred, reaching up and gripping his head as he grunted in apparent pain.

Amethyst felt herself relaxing at that point, and drew a little closer.  She jumped back, however, when the odd creature shouted in confusion at his tail.

“What on earth?” he yelled, almost as if he had never seen it before.

“Please, sir, you have to be quiet!  If they find us here, they'll kill us for sure!” she said in a rushed whisper.

His head shot up at that, his eyes fixed on her with a look that was two parts confusion and one part pure wonder.  What, has he never seen a unicorn before? she thought as the creature rose to his feet.

“What... what's going on here?” he asked in a smooth, sibilant voice.

As the dragon stood up, Amethyst couldn't help but note just how big he was.  “I... I came into the bathroom to hide,” she said, her voice quivering in fear.

“What are we hiding from?” the dragon asked, but stumbled a bit as it did so.

Before she could answer the question, however, someone outside the bathroom answered it for her.  “Where are you, little piggy?  I know I heard something over here, and it 'taint no fun if all you do is hide...”

The dragon's eyes shot open in fear at that.  He then grabbed the stall door and, without looking inside, motioned for her to enter.  “Quick, get into the stall!”

Without even thinking, Amethyst scrambled inside and cuddled up with Dinky.  She turned to say something, but stopped when she saw the dragon's face.  His eyes were locked onto the bathroom mirror, his expression a mixture of horror and disbelief.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” he whispered in disbelief.  “Seriously?  You could have picked anyone else, and you went with the weak piece of crap I made up when I was eight?”

“...What?” Amethyst asked in confusion.

The only answer the creature gave to her question, however, was to quickly slam the door shut.

I really hope he knows what he's doing... Amethyst thought as she gripped Dinky tighter to herself.


*	*	*


Binky wasn't the smartest dog in the hole, but he did have the keenest nose of the bunch.  This particular skill served him nicely as he rounded up all the stinky ponies that infested the museum, their fear easily allowing him to track them down and herd them back to boss.

Many of them had found pretty good hiding places, some also had the sense to stay quiet.  That mattered little to the old super sniffer.  Binky would just sniff them out, their fear giving them away no matter where they hid.

As good as some of those ponies were, though, there were also those that were not so good.  The ones that had hid in the boom boom room, for example, just made him laugh.  He could clearly hear the shout that whomever had made earlier, not to mention that the pony's fear laden scent trail led straight here.  "Where are you, little piggy?  I know I heard something over here, and it 'taint no fun if all you do is hide...” he said as he approached the room of stench.

“Quick, hide in the stall!” he heard a masculine voice say.  Binky just shook his head at that, then slowly approached the door.  He'd get them all, but only after he had made them stew in there for a little bit.

As he did so, he heard a faint grumbling sound, which was followed by a slamming door.  “Come out, come out, wherever you... are!” he said, throwing the door open and leaping in while swinging his broadsword.  However, as he leaped in, he felt a painful sting somewhere in his chest.  He was faintly aware of a rather large form standing over him, but that information only barely registered compared to the oaken shaft that had pierced his armor and entered his heart.

As his sword slipped from his paw, Binky couldn't help but remember what his Ma had told him, about how he shouldn't go picking fights with ponies or making deals with dragons.

I'm sorry ma... he thought as the spear was ripped from his chest.


*	*	*


I coughed as the sharp smell of blood washed over my enhanced senses, fully aware that I had just killed something for the first time.

Well, second time if you count that thief.  You never really found out if you killed him, though, I thought sardonically to myself as I wrenched my spear from the mangy creature's chest.  I knew that I should have been sickened more by what I had done, but the screams of fear from outside the door kept me from such thoughts.

I quietly stepped over the still form of the beast and cracked open the door.  The way beyond looked empty, so I stepped out with some trepidation.  This place looked like a museum, if the glass cases and old displays could be trusted.  However, many of the displays were shattered open, and no museum that I knew of had people screaming in the distance.

Okay... now, he didn't have pyrokenisis, but he did come with a number of other powers, I thought as I creped through the hallway.  I remember that the big one was turning almost invisible.  That was his thing, if I recall correctly.  Gabe had the speedy cheetah, Norman was the rhinoceros, but I had the stealthy chameleon/lizard thing.

Yeah, I found out after I had made the character that it was only chameleons that could change their color, and that they were pretty dang slow about it.  I was also eight at the time.  Because of this, I had given him quite a few things that I had said that chameleons should have, while still drawing him like some sort of anthropomorphic monitor lizard.

As I thought about this, I tried to turn myself invisible, so that I could scout around and get better get an idea of the situation without being seen.  However, I still had no freaking clue how that was supposed to happen.  Is there a muscle I'm supposed to flex? or-

As I was busy musing on my new biology, a shout quickly brought me to the present, causing me to glance up in alarm.  There, charging at me at full clip, were three of those mangy, dog-like creatures.

Now, as I've stated before in a previous scenario, a hero would have done something completely different from what I did.  A hero would have stood his ground.  A hero would have taken the first one down with a hurl of his spear, then would have quickly drawn his sword and dagger to deal with the other two.

A hero wouldn't have turned tail and ran, whimpering like a pansy as he beat a hasty retreat.

“I'm gonna freaking murder you, Lady!” I shouted as I scampered away.


*	*	*


"Come on, boys! After him!" Alf said, pointing at the strange, dragon-looking thing.

"Uh, boss?  ya think that's a good idea?  that looked like a dragon to me," Jim said hesitantly.

"Nah, dragon that size without wings?  You've seen 'em before.  Besides, if that was a real dragon, we would have been burnt crisps already," Alf corrected him.  "Now, I don't know 'bout you, but we take something like that back to the boss, he'd definitely be impressed.  Maybe even give us promotion!"

The other two nodded their heads at that, though Jim couldn't quite suppress the sliver of doubt that he felt.  Something about this don't seem right, he thought as he followed the other two.

The dragon-thing's scent led them through a number of twists and turns, until they finally stopped at a pair of double doors decorated with stars and a sun.  Alf burst through the door without the slightest hesitation, quickly followed by his two lackeys.

Inside was a darkened room, filled with a large number of seats all arranged in a circle.  The creature couldn't be seen, but Alf could easily see that there was no other way out of this room except through the double doors they had entered through.  Tracking its scent became impossible, though, because of the overwhelming scent of popcorn and excitement.  "Spread out and search the place!  I'll make sure he don't get past me," Alf said, pulling out his crossbow as he spoke.

The other two quickly fanned out, their eyes sweeping back and forth as they tried to spot the dragon from earlier.  Alf kept his eyes peeled too, trying his best to spot for his dogs as they tried to flush out the coward.

As he watched, however, he felt a claw clamp down around his muzzle, covering his nose and preventing him from breathing as another wrapped around his throat.  He struggled against his unseen assailant, dropping his crossbow as he desperately tried to call out to his dogs, or to breath, but his struggles became progressively weaker as stars filled his vision.

Darkness took him soon after.


*	*	*


I could have slit his throat, but that just seemed too... barbaric for me.  Sure, I had killed the other two without much fuss, but that was in the heat of the moment, and in self defense.  Yeah, against these guys, it would probably be self defense as well, but it still feels like murder, I thought as I reached out from the shadows and grabbed him.

I hadn't really taken into account the crossbow he was holding.  However, it seemed as if at least one piece of good luck had found me today, as the floor of the planetarium was covered in a deep, rich carpet.  I held the goon just long enough to make sure that he wouldn't be an issue anymore, but not long enough to kill him.

As I dragged the mutt into the curtains, I pondered on why the three hadn't seen me as soon as they had entered.  I mean, I was right off to the side of the door, I should have been easy to spot.

Maybe I was invisible? I wondered to myself.  Maybe it only works when I need it.

As this thought and others whizzed through my head, I couldn't help but feel like Batman as I crept up on another one of those strange, dog-like creatures.

Must resist screaming 'I am the night!' when I grab him, I thought as I crept forward.  However, just before I reached him, a thought suddenly occurred to me.  I might not be Batman, but he wasn't the only one who could put fear into his enemies.


*	*	*


Jim was nervous.  For starters, this room was huge.  There were all sorts of conflicting scents, and not one of them smelled like that odd lizard-thing from earlier.

I'm a fearless dog.  Nothing can turn me from a fight, I'm going to rip-

His thoughts were interrupted, however, when he heard a strangled scream from his left.  He quickly turned, just in time to see Fred get pulled out of sight by a strange, shimmering shadow.  He quickly glanced back, hoping to see boss pointing his crossbow at the terrifying figure, but was disappointed when he couldn't locate Alf.

Jim whimpered in fear as he turned tail and bolted for the exit.  He almost made it, too, but not before a shadow detached itself from the wall, beaning him with the haft of a spear, causing Jim's helmet to fly off.  Jim staggered back, trying to raise his sword in defense, but was stopped as the wooden haft connected with his head again, immediately sending him sprawling.

As he lay there, he tried to make sense of the ringing in his ears.  However, he was prevented from doing this as unconsciousness came for him in the form of a third strike from that wooden haft.

He didn't remember anything after that.
> This Part Freaked Me Out Too
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Amethyst clutched Dinky tighter to herself as she listened for the approaching Diamond Dog.  Please, oh please, just let us be safe, she silently prayed.

“Are... are we going to die, Amethyst?” Dinky whispered to her sister.

Before Amethyst could answer, she heard the bathroom door rattle as the dog outside taunted them.  “Come out, come out, wherever you... are!”

There was a bang from the door, followed closely by a sick, wet, metal shearing sound.  Something fell to the floor without even a groan, followed by another sickening wet sound and a cough.

What... what happened? Amethyst thought to herself.  Did the stranger win?  Or did-

Before she was able to finish that thought, however, she heard the door open, then close again.  The strange thing about that, however, was that she did not hear any footsteps from whatever it was that opened the door.  Is the dog trying to trick us into thinking that he left after killing the stranger?  Amethyst thought to herself.

However, despite her paranoia and better judgment, she found herself opening the door just a crack to peek out.  What she saw nearly made her lose her lunch.

There, lying in a pool of its own blood, was the corpse of a Diamond Dog, a look of shock on its face and a hole in its chest.

“Sis?  Is everything alright?” Dinky asked, unable to see past her sister.

“Y-yeah, everything's going to be fine,” Amethyst said as she closed and locked the door.  “We'll just let our new friend sort out the bad people, okay?”

“You mean that dragon from earlier?  Is he going to save everyone?”  Dinky asked, her eyes wide as she looked up at Amethyst.

“Yeah, Dink, I really think he is,” she said as she gripped her sister tighter to her chest.


*	*	*


I didn't know how or why I was able to be so dang quiet, but I didn't really care.  Anything to give me an edge and keep me alive for just a little longer as I crept through the hallways of the museum.

Now, let me think, what were The Hunter's powers? I thought as I followed the sounds of panicked whimpering.  The Hunter... man, now that I'm grown and actually him, that name just freaking sucks.  Not that it matters, though, but hopefully I'll be able to come up with a better name than that.  Something that really strikes fear in others.

I stopped at that, crouching down on my haunches behind a display as I considered that thought.  Why do I need to strike fear in others, though?  Why am I even doing this?  For all I know, the dogs are the good guys here, and the ponies are the bad ones.

I just shook my head at that, the look of fear on the unicorn foal's face still quite prevalent in my mind.  Yeah, I had pretended not to notice, but I had seen the little foal sitting on the seat of the toilet through the mirror.  I had seen the look of absolute terror on her face as she looked up at me, and how the older one had cuddled up to the younger one, shivering in fear as she did so.

No, I knew where I stood in this conflict.  I might not know why the dogs were here, but I knew that they had to be stopped, if only to stay that child's tears.

As I sat there, I became aware of the sound of more crying children, as well as the sound of hooves and clanking metal.  “Get a move on!  If you lag at all, we'll kill you stone dead,” I heard a gruff voice shout up ahead.  I perked up at this, my spear at the ready as I waited for them to come around the corner.

I wasn't disappointed in my patience when I spotted five heavily armed dogs round a corner, three grown ponies and two foals being herded in their midst.  The grown ponies were trying to comfort the foals, but that didn't stop the crying that was being burned into my brain.  Luckily for me, none of them had spotted me, further reinforcing my belief that I was somehow subconsciously using my invisibility powers.

There are too many of them... Plus, they have hostages, so they may try to use them as shields,  I thought as I sized them up.  Come on, I know this body has more powers than just stealth.  It had quite a few things, if memory serves, all based around the chameleon specifically, and lizards in general.

As I thought this, the two most obvious facts about the chameleon popped into my head.  One, they had the ability to slowly change the color of their skin to blend in with their surroundings.  As a child, that would translate to invisibility to my young mind, but there was one more thing that set the chameleon apart from other lizards in their family.  One thing that still made people jump whenever the chameleon used that particular part of their biology.

So, I know that I would have put that into this body, but how would I use it?  Do I just open my mouth? Or is it some other mechanism...


*	*	*


“Shut those sprogs up, or I'll shut them up for you,” one of the dogs said, giving the ponies in front of him a shove with the haft of his mace.

“Please, honey, please, it's going to be alright,” Shoeshine stuttered to her son on her back.

He sniffled at that, then looked around at the Diamond dogs in fear.  “Why are they doing this?”

“You shut him up right now, or so help me I'll take my dagger, and shove it up yombph!”

However, just as the unpleasant creature was describing exactly what it would do to the captive ponies, he was interrupted as a long, pink tentacle lashed out from a nearby nook at lightning speeds.  Faster than the eye could follow, it latched onto the dog's face with an audible crack, causing him to drop his weapon.  He was then dragged off his feet and back to the nook at only a slightly slower speed then when the tentacle hit him, strangely not struggling against whatever monster lurked in the shadows of the display.

“What in Tartarus?” the lead dog said, turning to face the new threat as he put his captives between himself and the darkened museum display.

The silence that followed this question was only punctured by a disturbing squelching sound coming from the shadows.  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the monster around the corner hissed a slow, disturbing laugh.  “Sss-sss-sss... you beassstsss taste quite good, you know that?” the voice whispered.  “Makessss me want more, makesss me hunger...”

“Sh-show yourself!” one of the dogs said, taking an unsteady step backwards.

The voice didn't respond at first.  Instead, their was a faint shuffling sound, followed closely by a slow, metallic ring that sounded disturbingly like a dagger being pulled from its sheath.  “However, asss much asss I like the tassste of... dog... I think I'd like to sssample the waresss you have between you.  Leave them behind, and I'll let you go... for now...”

“Y-you don't scare us, we'll-”  one of the dogs said with a stutter, but was interrupted when he felt a paw on his shoulder.

“No, don't you see?  This is perfect,” the lead dog whispered just loud enough for Shoeshine to hear.  “We ditch the ponies, let the monster eat its fill, then get back and warn boss that something is loose here.  We won't have to deal with annoying sniveling, and we also have less hostages to worry about.”

"Wait, what?" Lucky asked in alarm.  However, all he got for that was a smack from the closest dog.

The lead dog then nodded to the closest underling, who then shoved the pony closest to him towards the display.  “H-here, take them!” he stuttered in fear.

However, the pink tentacle did not shoot out at first.  “Oh, no... You have to stay and watch.  If my prey should essscape... I would be very... crossss...” it said with a hissing cackle.  “If you leave now, I will hunt you to the endsss of the earth, and ensssure that your deathsss are mossst... unpleasssant...”

“F-fine, we not moving, okay?  Just take the ponies and let us go!” he shouted at the corner.

Again, the pink appendage shot out of the dark, this time latching onto Shoeshine's chest.  Shoeshine whinnied in fear as she felt the slimy tentacle latch onto her with quite some force, bruising her as it started to pull her forward.

“What?  No! Please, for the love of Celestia, have mercy!” she screamed as she struggled against the the pulling tentacle, digging her hooves in as she fought with all of her might.  No matter how much she struggled, though, she just couldn't seem to get any leverage on the smooth tiled floor of the museum.

Shady Daze just screamed in terror, gripping Shoeshine around her neck as he watched death swiftly draw near.  With one final yank, the tentacle pulled them behind the display, allowing them to see the monster that would be their doom.

The monster was large, probably around six feet, and had a very distinct, dragon-like look to it.  It looked at her and the foal, then quickly reached out with a single claw and clamped it over Shoeshine's mouth, silencing her.  Her limbs were paralyzed with fear as she watched the beast raise its knife in its other claw, only to drive it twice into the flesh of the dead diamond dog at its feet.

“Play dead, both of you.  I'm sorry for emotionally traumatizing the foal, but I suggest that you play along if you want me to save the other three,” the monster whispered, dropping the drawn out hissing it had spoken with earlier.  It then let go of Shoeshine, then turned towards the now freaked out Diamond Dogs and their remaining prisoners.  “That'sss two... I ssstill hunger though...” it said, exaggerating its sibilant lisp.

Shoeshine could only watch in amazement as the creature slowly stuck its head out around the corner, then vanish as it stuck its tongue out.  She could still see the tongue, but the creature itself had all but disappeared from her sight, leaving behind nothing more than a faint outline of where it was supposed to be.  Then, faster than she could blink, the tongue fired like a bolt from a crossbow at the nearest, foal bearing stallion, causing the foal on board to scream in fear.

The stallion snorted at that, trying his best to shake off the tongue as the strange creature reeled him in.  As soon as he had been pulled close enough, the dragon reached out and nabbed the stallion by the muzzle, pulling him into the shadows as Shoeshine reached out and grabbed the foal on his back.  “Shush... its okay, you're safe,” she whispered to the two of them as the dragon stabbed his knife into the corpse at his feet another two times.

“Be quiet, we still have one more to save,” the dragon whispered, turning back towards the Diamond Dogs.

“W-we gave you four, is-isn't that enough?” one of the dogs asked, a puddle forming underneath him.

“Oh, no... I think I could go for jussst one... more... bite...” the dragon said, extending its tongue one more time.

As it lashed out at the other pony, however, its slick claw slipped on the tile floor, causing its aim to falter.  Instead of striking the final pony on the chest, the tongue instead latched onto the floor in front of him, pulling the dragon from his hiding spot as the tongue retracted.  In its distress, the dragon made two mistakes.  The first one was that it became visible to those around it.  The second was that it reached out for anything to stabilize it, accidentally grabbing Shoeshine as it pitched forward, pulling her out into view as well.

“What the...”

“Is that some kind of-”

“It didn't eat the ponies...”

“GET IT!” the lead diamond dog shouted, pointing its mace at the prone reptile.

Quick as lightning, the dragon jumped to its feet and pulled its tongue back into its head before the dogs could reach it.  It then pulled out the sword belted at its side and took a couple of steps to the right, brandishing both its sword and dagger at the charging dogs.  “Run, you ponies! I'll hold them here while you go get help!” it shouted bravely.

Shoeshine didn't need any further encouragement.  She quickly scooped up her foal onto her back while the stallion at her side scooped up the other.  “What about Lucky?” Shoeshine asked, pointing towards her husband that was still being held by the lead dog.

“Yeah, what about Lucky, you pony lover?” the dog asked with a cackle.  “Besides, we dogs have all exits covered.  You no way out, pony need to fight through to get help!

“Never mind getting help, then, just get the foals to safety!” the dragon said, clumsily parrying the sword of the first dog that came at him.  “I'll get Lucky, just worry about yourselves!”

Shoeshine watched for a few more seconds, then bolted in the opposite direction.  Please, be safe Lucky, she prayed as she rounded the corner.


*	*	*


Yeah, that plan was kind of grisly, but it was the only thing I could think of that would get the ponies out all in one piece on such short notice.  On the plus side, it removed one of the dogs from the fight and got four of the five ponies to safety, two of which were foals, so kudos to me.

On the downside, however, I had miscalculated just how slick my little plan would make my claws and the floor around me.  Because of that, I was facing down three armed dogs while the fourth held his mace behind the fifth pony's head.  “You stop right now, or the pony gets it!” the leader shouted.  As he said this, the second dog took a swing at my head with his sword while the first pulled back for a distracting feint.

Crap, I hate hostage takers.  Nothing but cowards, I thought as I clumsily blocked the sword swipe with my weapons, ignoring his threat.

Why did I ignore him, you might ask?  Simple:  I knew the dog was a complete moron.  If you intend to make hostage threats like that, you do it with a dagger or a gun.  Not a slow as heck mace that takes forever to swing.

Right on cue, Lucky reared his hindquarters up and delivered a kick to old Mace Mc'stupid's gonads that would have split stone.  I visibly cringed when I heard the dumb mutt's armor split under the force of the impact, and could only watch in satisfaction as he was sent sprawling across the tile floor.

“Go!  Get out of here!”  I shouted at the stallion as I let the dogs push me back.

“What about you?”  Lucky asked.

“I'll be fine, just get to safety!” I said, deftly jumping backwards to avoid getting boxed in by the three mutts.

I decided not to waste any more attention on him, as I was too busy with the mutts in front of me.  Interestingly enough, as I fought, I couldn't help but notice that my tail seemed to want to get in on the action.  It would curl up and lash about as I fought and dodged, unconsciously moving to just the right angle and position to counterbalance my weight and keep me upright and fighting.

Let me tell you this, having a tail when before you had nothing is weird.  I could feel each twitch of its length, and each and every spasm was fully under my control, and it freaked me the heck out.

However, I wasn't about to let a gift go to waste.  If the darn thing wanted to help me out, I wasn't about to complain.  In fact, I could think of several uses for it right off the bat.

Grinning like a loon, I fell to my knees and blocked the swords of the two dogs on my right and left.  This, of course, left me open to the third, who drew back his sword in an attempt to skewer me.  As he pulled back, though, my tail slipped between my legs and wrapped around his ankle, yanking hard and causing him to fall as he overcompensated.  I then jumped back, avoiding the other two sword strikes, while thanking my younger self for having the foresight to give The Hunter improved reflexes and speed.

However, despite that little trick, I had only bought myself a couple of seconds at the most.  I knew who I really was, and that was just a normal college kid stuck in a superhero from his childhood.  The superhero I made up might have been a master warrior, but I had no illusions about my abilities with the sword.  Sure, I had taken part in fake, padded sword fights before, but that did not come anywhere close to the real thing.  Real swords were fast, had little to no drag when you swung them, and had a lot more weight to them than those padded things I had used in the past.  I could probably hold my own for a little bit, not to mention that I had a few other advantages that would level the playing field a bit, but I had no illusions as to who would win in a three-on-one match.

Lucky for me, however, this wasn't a three-on-one match.  Lucky, completely ignoring my order to get clear, brought a single hoof down on the prone dog's head, knocking him out.  He then twisted on his other fore-hoof, bringing his rear legs to bear against the dog on my left, sending the poor sod flying into the opposite wall head first.

His compatriot, shocked by this display of physical prowess, dropped his guard for a brief second, giving me just enough of an opening to run him through.  As I pulled my sword out of his gut, Lucky moved back, a little unnerved at the sight of so much blood.

“Are- are you okay?”  he asked, a little unsure of himself.

“Yeah, I'm fine.  Do you happen to know how many of these things are here?”  I asked him as I cleaned my sword and dagger on the dead dog's fur.

“N-no... I don't think there's more than twenty of them though,” he said with a shudder.  “Why are you helping us, though?  Shouldn't you be helping them?  After all, their leader is one of your kind.”

I just looked at him in confusion at that.  “I'm pretty sure that there is only one of me,” I told him as I made my way to where I had dropped my spear.

“No, what I meant is that they're being led by another dragon.  Shouldn't you be helping them out?” he clarified.

A dragon?  Sweet, and sucky at the same time, I thought as I picked up the spear.  “Let me ask you something, do all horses agree on everything?” I asked him as I stood up.

“Well, we're ponies, but...”

“But nothing.  I don't care who it is, I'll run my spear through anyone that has the audacity to hurt children,” I said, slinging my spear over my shoulder.  “I don't know why Mr. Screwloose and his mangy mutts are here, but they picked the wrong place to attack.”

“R-really?” he asked, a little taken back by the bluntness of my answer.

“Yeah, now go find someplace to hide, before more show up,” I said, turning to run down the hall.

“Wait!  I didn't catch your name!” he said, holding out a single hoof towards me.

I just shook my head at that, then flashed him a smile as a line from one of my favorite fantasy books popped into my head.  I couldn't repeat it verbatim, but I figured that was unimportant, and decided to give my own little spin on it.  “Names have power, little one.  Maybe later you may be worthy of such power over me, but for now I choose to keep it for myself.”

I then turned tail and ran, well aware of just how corny that sounded.  Oh well, at least I didn't give old Ben's 'with great power comes great responsibility' line, I thought with a grimace.
> I Always Thought That Dragon Breath Was Just an Expression
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Avalis calmly picked at his teeth with a single claw, clearly bored with waiting.  “Have your dogs found it yet?” he asked impatiently.

“Not yet, boss.  We smash many cases, but shiny stay hidden,” Jeff said, but then hesitated a bit.

“What is it?” Avalis asked, noticing the dog's pause.

“Something... wrong.  Four dogs missing, and five others turn up in east hallway, four dead, one unconscious,”  Jeff answered, twiddling his thumbs nervously.

“Is it the Royal Guard?  I would think they would be a little wiser in how they endanger their people,” Avalis said with a sigh.

“We not think so, no guards show up,” Jeff said with a shake of his head.  “One other thing, pony demand see children, know they alright.”

“Pah, tell them they can see their children after I have the broach in my possession,” Avalis said with a negligent wave of his claw.  “Tell them I have no intention of harming them if I get that broach.  However, if they cause any trouble, we'll kill the brats one by one.  That should keep the others in line.”

“Yes sir,” Jeff said with a salute.  “By the way, what do we do with them once we get the shiny?”

“I meant what I said earlier; I have no intention of harming them if I get that broach.  Only kill the ones that are causing trouble, and only harm the children if their parents don't behave,” Avalis said with a snort of his gray flame.

“Yes sir!” Jeff said, then turned and made his way to where they were holding both sets of ponies.

As Jeff left to deliver his message, Avalis just snorted at his lackey's stupidity.  “After all, the more people we kill will mean less souls for The Devourer once he wins this little contest.”


*	*	*


“What have you done with them!”  one pony's voice demanded, which was quickly echoed by several others.

“As have said, foals are perfectly safe,” the nasty looking cross between a German Mastiff and a jarhead said.  “Boss just wants his shiny, and when he has it, he will let you all go.  However, should you cause any trouble, I'll kill the little sprogs until you stop.  Understood?”

He paused as he heard the door behind him open, then close, making him sigh in frustration.  “What is it now, Fido?”  he asked gruffly.

However, as the dog vocally displayed his frustration over this 'Fido' character, I took my spear and thwacked him as hard as I could against the back of his head, dropping him like a stone.  I then made it a point to step on his face as I walked over him, grinning as I felt his flesh compress underneath my weight.

“Okay, listen up,” I said, striking the butt of my spear against the tile floor, causing them all to jump.  “Your children are safe, and I've taken care of the guards that were watching them.  However, I would suggest that you keep your calm and not all charge out at once.”

“Wh-why should we believe you?” one particularly brave unicorn in the front asked.

I just sighed at that, and shook my head in frustration.  “Because I just took out the guards.  Were you not listening?  I'm not even going to stand watch or any such thing,” I said with a grunt.  “What I'm going to do, however, is I'm going to go take on the rather screwy dragon who's been directing this whole debacle.  Does anyone know how many of those dog things he brought with him?”

There was a mass of muttering coming from them, until finally one pegasus raised her hoof.  “I saw three of them enter the window with him, but then they opened this weird box, which seemed to teleport about forty more in,” she said with a slight tremble of her voice.

“Great, that means that there are about twenty nine left in the museum,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief.  “They seem to be looking for something, so you shouldn't have any trouble going to your loved ones.  I suggest stealth, but they are being held in the bathroom down the hall, so you shouldn't have to be too stealthy.  I told them not to leave until I got you, so they should all still be there.  You never know with kids, though, so I suggest stealth, but very quick stealth.”

“...Really?  You're just letting us go?”  the first pony asked.

“Of course.  I have no reason to keep you here.  Just passing through, and thought I'd lend you a hand,” I said with a grin.  Then, before any of them could ask me any more questions, I turned to leave, making sure to step on the stupid mutt's face one more time on my way out.

“Wait!  Why would you do all this for us?  And why did you have to... kill him?”  the pegasus asked just as I reached for the door.

“I didn't kill him,” I said, prodding the unconscious, yet still breathing mutt with a toe. “But both those questions have the same answer:  These morons dared to even threaten to lift a paw against children,” I said, then left without another word.


*	*	*


“Sir, we've got troops surrounding the place, as well as pegasus patrolling the skies,” Lieutenant Burst said with a salute.

“Excellent.  What about The Moon's Ascent?” Captain Nightfall asked as he poured over the plans for the museum.

“In position, with Unicorn Snipers on deck and ready to fire on your command,” Lieutenant Burst reported.  “However, Captain Breeze would like you to know that something fishy is going on in there.  There seems to be less dogs, and the ones that are there seem to be quite jumpy.”

Captain Nightfall looked thoughtful at that.  “Well, until we hear word from our infiltration team, or until the dogs make their demands, there's nothing we can do but wait,” he said with a shake of his head.

I just hope that this one doesn't turn out like the tragedy at Los Pegasus, he thought grimly to himself.


*	*	*


Avalis looked impatiently out the window, twirling a gem in his claws.  He then lifted the gem to his lips, but stopped, instead deciding to put down the tasty morsel and turned to the apparently empty room.  “How long are you going to be lurking back there, you little sneak?” he asked as he folded his claws behind his back.

“Oh, I dunno, probably as long as it take me to size you up,” the intruder answered, his tone relaxed and, if Avalis wasn't mistaken, just a tad bit flippant.

“Well, I have to commend you on your apparent skill.  Had you not drawn your knife, I probably wouldn't have even noticed you.  You should have drawn it before you even entered the room, then you might have stood a chance against me.”

“Well, you live and learn,” the interloper said in a perfectly level tone.

“Yes, I will, but you will not,” Avalis said, quickly sending a stream of fire towards the nearby display on Griffon Sky Pirates.

The entire thing burst into flame, and Avalis wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a shadowy outline scramble out of cover and dive behind a new display, this one on Minotaur agriculture.  “Your magical camouflage is a pretty impressive trick, but you should know that that sort of thing only works on the unobservant.  I've already caught you in the act, so why try to hide?”

“Well, it keeps me from getting roasted for another few seconds, so that's always a bonus,” the voice answered.  “Also, you never know how I might use it.  After all, I could just be using it to distract you.”

So, he isn't a dragon.  If he were, he would be wary of my firebreath, but not worried about such a small blast frying him, Avalis thought to himself.  “From what, more of you?  If you had reinforcements, they would have come to your aid by now.  As it stands, you seem to be acting alone.  Who are you working for?  The Royal Guard? The Eyes of the Blind One?”

“Nah, I'm what you would call an 'independent player',” the intruder said.  “I just like to see self entitled little twats like you taken down a peg.”

“Independent, huh?  Come now, you must at least give me a name.  I deserve that much,” the dragon said, sending out another gout of flame at the agriculture display.

As the wooden manikins that were part of the display went up in flames, however, Avalis couldn't spot the movement of his foe, causing him to smile a little.  “Gotcha, you little-AHRG!”

This last bit was said as he felt something small, sharp and irritating cut through the membrane on his right wing, effectively grounding him.  Almost immediately after that pain, Avalis saw the knife that had caused his pain tumble end over end as it continued its journey towards the opposite wall, finally embedding itself into one of the burning manikins from the Minotaur display.

“Crap, I missed.  I was aiming for the spot between your shoulder blades,” the voice said.

It was then that Avalis realized that he had no clue as to the location of his assailant.  The echoing quality of this room, while making each move easy to hear, also made it impossible to pinpoint exactly where that sound came from.

On top of that, now there was the sound of burning to further mask the stranger's movements, making him even harder to locate.

“Oh, and by the way, you don't deserve my name.  A pompous little child like you?  Nah, all you deserve is my spear between your eyes.”

“You seem quite sure of my position as a spoiled brat,” Avalis said, turning quickly to where the dagger had been thrown from.  “What makes you think that?”

“Nothing, really.  I just like to call wankers like you names, you disgustingly fat tub of elephant lard,” the intruder said.

“Really, now?  Aren't you old enough to be past such amateurish and obvious tactics?” Avalis said, holding his arms out wide.  “Come, now, we're both warriors, why not duel me honorably?  Strike me down in single combat?”

The only answer he got, however, was a cackling, humorless laugh.  “And let you barbecue me?  No thanks.  I'm stupid, but I'm not that stupid.”

“Oh really?  And here I was thinking you to be quite intelligent,” Avalis said with a giggle.  “Tell me, what is it you've done that makes you think you're unintelligent?”

“Well, if you must know, it took me about three months to finally get up the courage to ask the girl of my dreams out,” the intruder started to ramble.  “Turns out, she already liked me, had heard from a friend that I liked her, and had actually turned away quite a few suitors in an effort to seem as available as possible.  All while dropping none-to-subtle hints that she was into me, I might add.”

As he talked, Avalis couldn't help but notice what appeared to be a bit of brown fabric dangling on the edge of a nearby display.  “Yes, I do suppose that might make you think you're quite a moron.  But do you know what is even more unintelligent?”

“What's that?”

“Dropping your camouflage,” Avalis said, lighting up the display that the interloper was hiding behind.

As the display burst into flames, however, Avalis suddenly reared back in pain as something sharp entered his shoulder.  He then lashed out with a claw, catching whatever had the audacity to stick him and sending it tumbling to the far wall, pulling the offending weapon out as it went.

Avalis then turned to finally gaze upon this annoying nuisance, and burst out laughing at what he saw.

It wasn't a dragon, but whatever it was was a very close parody to one.  It had green scales, a dragon-like muzzle and head, as well as a serpentine lizard tail, but that is where the similarities ended.

All four of its claws, for instance, were far too small and delicate.  Each were clearly made for grasping and climbing, not combat.  Further more, its tail was thin and lithe, lacking any sort of spines and spikes, also showing its unsuitability for the battlefield.  On top of all of this, It also bore no wings, giving it a closer resemblance to a gecko or an iguana, rather than a noble species like the dragon.

“How... how on earth did you deflect that?  That spear should have lodged itself in your spine,” the interloper said, clearly still dazed from his trip to the wall.

“Oh, no, don't get me wrong, you did everything right.  However, it will take a lot more than some piddly little toy to kill me,” Avalis said, quickly walking to where the annoying iguana was trying to get up.  However, before he was able to do this, Avalis stopped him by stepping on his leg.  Hard.

“GHAAH!!” the iguana shouted as the bones in his leg snapped.

“Ah ah ah!  Can't have you causing any more problems now, can we?” Avalis said, kneeling down and relieving him of his still sheathed sword.  “Now that we have those pesky weapons out of the picture, why don't we start with a name?”

“Here's a better idea,” the iguana said through gritted teeth.  “Why don't you take a long flight over the ocean, help calm you down.  Oh wait, I kind of clipped your wings, too ba-AUGH!”

“Huh, I like you.  Defiant, even when you have lost all ability to defend yourself,” Avalis said with a smile.  “I like that in my prey, makes the hunt more... fun...”

However, before either of them were able to say anything else, they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps, closely followed by the sight of three dogs entering the area.  “Boss! We've found it!” their leader said, brandishing a small, gold and green broach in his paw.

“Excellent.  I'm sorry, my dear boy, but I'm afraid that we must cut our conversation short.  We'll have to do this again, sometime,” Avalis said, giving the downed iguana a smack to the leg as he did so.

“Ghah... you're just letting me live?” the iguana asked in pain.  “Why?”

The dragon didn't answer immediately.  Instead, he leaned in close, letting the iguana feel the heat of Avalis's breath on his skin.  “Because, a strong soul like you would make a delicious meal,” Avalis whispered in his ear.  “I would never think to deprive my Lord of that pleasure.”

“I'm honored, I'm sure,” the iguana responded flatly.

“Well, not that this hasn't been fun, but I really must get going,” Avalis said, standing up with a groan.  He than waltzed over to his dogs, taking the broach from the outstretched hand while the other two dogs brought a small, black chest forward.  “Places to go, things to do, you understand.”

“What about your lackeys you're leaving behind?  Even if you haven't told them anything, they still might let something important slip,” The iguana said with a grunt.

“Oh, don't worry about that.  Even the ones you killed are coming with me,” Avalis said, closing the lid of the box with a kick.  The box than began to glow, increasing in intensity with every passing moment.  “As they say in Prance, au revoir, my defiant little friend.”

As the victorious smile spread across Avalis's face, the iguana opened his mouth one last time, presumably to give a parting remark.  However, this impression was dashed to pieces when he shot a long, pink tendril from his mouth quicker than the eye could follow towards the dragon.  Avalis raised a claw to ward off this new attack, but lowered it when the iguana quickly retracted the tongue.

“Was that supposed to scare me?” Avalis asked flatly.

The iguana didn't immediately answer.  Instead, he opened his mouth again and spat something small and golden into his open hand.  “Nope.  You can go now, I got what I needed,” he said, waving the stolen broach.

Avalis, realizing what had happened, lurched forward in dismay.  However, before he could reach the infernal iguana, the entire room dissolved, only to be replaced by his cave, as well as an odd mix of confused, unconscious, and dead mutts.

“NO!” Avalis shouted, pounding a clenched talon into a nearby rock wall.  “You rotten piece of filth, I'm going to rip your heart out and EAT IT!”

However, all of his threats and sputtering was for naught, for the interloper was far outside of his reach to harm.


*	*	*


I can't believe that worked... I thought, clutching the small broach to my chest.  I then opened my hand to take a look at it, only to let it slip out of my claw as my current state suddenly hit me.

I was covered in blood, most of which wasn't mine.

At this, my hands began to shake as each and every face of each and every life I took started to pile themselves upon my conscience.  During the time, I had hid behind the excuse that there was innocents to save.  However, now that all of that was over, I could feel the weight of each life pressing down upon me, crushing me under their debilitating weight.  I lost track of time as questions about those I had killed and what I had done continually bombarded me, filling me with guilt, forcing me to second guess every decision I had made since my arrival.

I... I don't... it wasn't... I thought as tears came to my eyes.

You didn't have to kill them all, a small voice said in the back of my mind.  That one dog that you ran through?  You totally could have knocked him out, instead.  Also, you were pretty quick to reach for your murder tools in the bathroom.

No, please, I just wanted to save them, I thought, not even aware of the voices and shouting around me.

Well, you certainly saved one group of people, I'll grant you that, the nasty little voice taunted in my ear.

At that, I couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and with a wail that surprised the guards around me, I began to cry like a child.
> Late for the Party
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Captain Breeze turned the wheel against the cross breeze, changing the direction of the propellers and keeping his ship steady.  “How's that?” he shouted at Lieutenant Shadow Heart.

“It's good sir!  I got a clear view and...” she said, but then trailed off, setting off alarm bells in Breeze's head.  “Uh, Sir?  You may want to see this.”

“Here, take the wheel,” Breeze said, hoofing it off to his helmsman.  Sure, he could have let the stallion work the wheel from the beginning, but sometimes these things required a... master's touch.  “What do we have, soldier?”

“See for yourself,” she said, offering him a telescope.  Captain Breeze took the proffered instrument and focused it on the building.  “fourth window from the left, third story.”

He immediately focused on the window in question, only to catch the sight of a green dragon being slapped clear across the room by a much larger gray dragon.  “Any word from our infiltration teams yet?” he asked loudly.

“No sir, they're still having trouble locating an empty space to teleport into.  Lieutenant Star Rage says that it's probably a jammer of some sort,” the radio operator reported.

“Figures.  Despite the fact that he's using Diamond Dogs, he's still quite professional in everything else.  This means he probably had little or no choice in his pick of lackeys, marking the dogs as mercenaries and nothing more,” Captain Breeze muttered as he continued to watch through the telescope.  He then visibly flinched when the gray dragon stomped on the green dragon's leg.  “Lieutenant Heart, you and your snipers take aim at the gray dragon.  If he looks like he's going to end the green one's life, I want you to shoot to kill.”

“Yes sir!” she said, charging her horn as the other unicorns around her did the same.

“Corporal!  Get Captain Nightfall on the line, tell him to be ready to breach,” Captain Breeze said, not taking his eye off of the scene unfolding in front of him.

However, as he listened to the corporal speak with Nightfall, he saw two dogs lug out a black chest from some previously unnoticed corner.  The gray dragon then got up and approached the dogs, kicking the lid to the chest closed as soon as he had gotten close enough.  Almost immediately, the chest began to glow, sending a thrill of fear down the airship captain's spine.  “Uh oh...” he said, collapsing the telescope and hoofing it back to his lieutenant.

He then bolted over to where the radio operator was and wrenched the radio's receiver out of the corporal's hooves.  “Nightfall, I'm not sure, but something big is about to happen.  They've got some sort of glowing artifact, and it's building power.  Permission to engage?”

“Negative, Breeze, they still have hostages,” he heard Nightfall respond.  “We can't engage until Star Rage is able to get a lock.

“Sir, with all due respect, there may not be anything to engage if we wait,” Breeze said urgently.  “If we don't act now, we-”

“Sir! They're gone!”  Lieutenant Shadow Heart shouted, interrupting Breeze's rant.

Without another word, Breeze dashed back to where the snipers were and took back the telescope.  “What happened?” he asked in a rush.

“The light just kept getting brighter and brighter, until the dragon and the dogs disappeared,” she said with a shake of her head.

Captain Breeze just sighed at that, but didn't return the telescope. “We lost them,” he said, stomping a rear hoof aggressively against the deck.

“Sir, report from Nightfall.  He says that Star Rage was finally able to get a lock.  Also, he wants to know what's happening up here,” the radio operator said.

“Tell Nightfall that the perpetrators got away.  The building's most likely secure,” he said, focusing his sights on the remaining green dragon.  “Also, tell him we have a key witness, maybe even a member of the gang, who got left behind.”

“Yes sir!”

“Sir, do you really think that that dragon had anything to do with this?” Shadow Heart asked dubiously.

“No Heart, but these days?  With all the crazy that has been happening lately?  I'm not taking any chances.  Especially with an unknown such as this,” Captain Breeze said, then hoofed back the telescope.  “Helmsman!  Take us closer to the window, I want to be able to breach in five!”

“Yes sir!” the pony at the controls answered, turning the wheel while pulling a lever.

“I just hope he doesn't pull a runner like some of the others we've seen,” Captain Breeze said darkly.

“I don't understand, sir.  His leg is broken, how would he be able to run anywhere?”  Lieutenant Heart asked.

“Trust me, with the powers that some of these freaks have been showing, I wouldn't be surprised if he had been stabbed through the heart, yet still somehow managed to evade our forces,” Captain Breeze told her, not letting his eyes leave the prone dragon inside.  “No, once we get inside, stay on your guard, and surround that thing as fast as you can.  This may be our only chance to talk to one of these things without it going absolutely bat-dung crazy on us.”

“But sir, that looks like an ordinary teenage dragon, what makes you so sure it's one of them?” she asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Take a look again, Lieutenant.  You see any wings on that one?” Breeze asked as the broken window got closer.

Heart opened her telescope again, taking a good, long look at the prone lizard.  “Now that you mention it, shouldn't those have grown in by now?  Also, it seems to be far too... delicate, to be even a female dragon.”

“Exactly, and after that run in with 'Pyro Pete', I'd rather take no chances than lose another fifty guys before he's able to get away,” Breeze said, shaking his head.

“By the way, sir, I know how the dragon got in, but what about the dogs?  And what about that thing in there?” the lieutenant said as they came level with the building.  “How did that get in?”

“Teleportation?  Trained monkeys?  Your guess is as good as mine.  However, do you see that wreck down there?” Breeze said, pointing towards the mass of splintered wood and mangled cloth.

“Ah,” Heart said with a nod.

“Yeah, as soon as the dogs had gotten inside, they punctured the balloon and let it fall.  We think they only meant for it to gently touch down, but it seems they made a miscalculation and let it fall too fast.  The crash is what alerted us that something was amiss in the first place.  Our second hint was when the dogs fired at a police officer when he tried to go in and check if everything was okay,” Breeze said with a shake of his head.  “Poor guy got pinned to the wall.  His partner legged it back to the station, who quickly called it in.”

“I didn't hear about that,” Shadow Heart said with a frown.

“Yeah, we were called in pretty fast, so I didn't really have the time to brief everyone,” Captain Breeze said as the gangplank was shoved out towards the broken window.  “All you needed to know was a dragon and his dog henchmen had taken hostages, and needed to be dealt with."

She just nodded at that, then jumped up onto the gangplank.  “Well, let's see what we can glean from our new friend, then, shall we?”

He just grinned at that.  “I don't see why not,” he said, jumping up after her.


*	*	*


“Clear!” a corporal said, coming back from one of the rooms.

“Here too!” another one shouted.

“What on earth happened here?” Lieutenant Burst asked as she looked over all the broken cases.

“It looks like they were searching for something, lieutenant.  Keep an eye out for survivors, victims, and clues as well.  See what you can piece together here,” Nightfall said to his troops.

“Sir! We've found survivors!  Over here!”  Nightfall heard, causing him to scramble towards the sound.

The survivors turned out to be a stallion, a mare, and two hyperactive, freaked out foals.  “And and and and and it took its knife and just stabbed him!  Over and over again!  I I I I I-” one of them was saying as he waved his hooves around in emphasis.

“Sir, we found them like this in the stallion's bathroom, already got a statement,” the sergeant told him.

“Get them out of here and get them some warm cocoa, its a cold night, and I'm sure they need some time to process what happened,” Nightfall said with a wave of his hoof.  “Talk to me sergeant, what did they say?”

“Well, apparently the mutts and their dragon leader broke in, and started rounding everypony up, gathering them to the third floor.  They think they were some of the last ones taken, since they didn't see anyone else as they were being taken upstairs,” the sergeant said as he kept pace with his captain.

“Well sergeant, this is the second floor.  If they had been taken like everypony else, what kept them from ending up upstairs like everypony else?” Nightfall asked pointedly.

“Well, according to the mare, some sort of dragon pretending to be a monster attacked the mutts who were guarding them.  Scared the crap out of them, and managed to convince the dogs to give their prisoners over to him so he could eat them,” the sergeant said with a shake of his head.

“When you say pretend, I know there has to be another part of this story,” he said as he made his way up the stairs.

“Yes sir.  They say that the dragon was just saying that to trick the dogs into giving him their prisoners, to keep them out of harm's way when he attacked the mutts.  He almost got all of them, but, and I quote: 'the dragon's tongue missed, pulling him out of cover and ruined his plan.' unquote,” the sergeant said, reading from his notepad.  “Personally, I think they're just shell-shocked, and most of what they said was exaggeration.”

Nightfall was about to respond to that, but was interrupted by a loud, drawn out wail of despair.  Not wanting to rush into a potential trap, he calmly cantered towards the source of the noise, encountering many of Captain Breeze's crew along the way.  This, coupled with the fact that they were shepherding many of the hostages, lead Nightfall to believe that whatever the sound was, it was relatively safe to be around.

Nightfall rounded the corner, only to be confronted with a most unusual sight.  There, sitting propped up against the wall while surrounded by wary members of Captain Breeze's crew, was a strange, lizard-like creature, bawling its eyes out.  Its leg seemed to be broken, if the way it bent like that was any indication of that sort of thing, though that didn't seem to be the reason for its tears.

The uneducated could have easily make the mistake of thinking it was some kind of dragon, but Nightfall knew better.  To be honest, the thing looked more like a cross between a bipedal monitor lizard and a chameleon, though neither of those species were especially known for wearing clothes.  It was also covered from head to foot in blood, though most of it, if not all of it, seemed to be someone else's.

All of this, of course, immediately set Nightfall on edge.  He remembered the reports, the various missions that had all gone afoul, and the strange creatures running amok with weird powers.  The Princesses had been run ragged in trying to stop them all, and so far has only succeeded in eliminating a few, while capturing none.

“Is... is that what I think it is?” Nightfall asked, inching a little closer.

“I think so, sir.  It was fighting with the gray dragon from earlier, but took a tumble and got itself wounded,” Captain Breeze said as he reentered the room.  “If it is indeed one of these things that have been causing so much trouble lately, we may be able to get some useful information out of it.”

Nightfall slowly circled the thing, a thoughtful look on his face.  “Why is it crying, though?”

“I don't know, sir.  It hasn't responded to any of our attempts to talk to it, and hasn't moved from that spot since we arrived.  I was initially going to clap it in irons, but have since thought better of it,” Captain Breeze said as he kept pace with Captain Nightfall.  “According to the accounts of several of the hostages, we should be giving this thing a medal, not putting it in a cell.”

Nightfall nodded at this as he continued to inspect the strange creature, but stopped when he noticed the sword on the ground not four yards away from the it.  “What have we here?” he asked, leaning down to examine the weapon.

The sword was intricately wrought, inlaid with some kind of serpent motif on the crosspiece and blade, and bore a hilt wrapped in a fine, green leather.  For a pommel, the sword had a beautifully cut gem that seemed to shimmer and change its color depending on which direction Nightfall looked at it. 

“I'd be careful, sir.  Most equipment recovered from these things have had some form of theft prevention enchantments,” Captain Breeze cautioned.  “Judging by its belt, it also has a dagger of some kind lying around, though by the shear amount of blood that covers the weapon, I'd say it prefers to use its spear over there.”

Captain Nightfall looked over to where Captain Breeze motioned, noticing the long, bladed weapon lying on the floor.  As he got closer, however, the crying of the strange creature suddenly came to a stop, causing the captain to quickly turn back to the creature.

“Well, that's just about enough of that...” he muttered to himself, then sniffed noisily, as if trying to hold back more tears.  He then perked up, noticing for the first time that he wasn't alone.  “Oh, good! The authorities! Just who I was hoping to see!” he said in a false chipper tone.

“I am Captain Nightfall, of the Equestrian Royal Guard, may I have your name, sir?”  Nightfall asked cautiously.  The creature didn't seem emotionally stable, and after 'Pyro Pete', he'd rather not take his chances with one of these things.

“Oh, sure.  I was going to use the whole 'names have power' shtick, but I'm just not feeling up to it,” the creature said, its voice still falsely chipper.  “My name's Ammon.”

“Well, Ammon, do you know what happened here?” he asked, moving in a little closer.

“Oh, yeah, sure.  But after I tell you everything, you gotta take me off to jail, okay?  Give me your deepest, darkest cell, and never let me out,” Ammon said, shaking a single finger at Nightfall.

“Why is that?” Nightfall asked, tilting his head quizzically.

“Because,” Ammon said dramatically, holding his arms out for emphasis.  “I'm a murderer.”


*	*	*


Well, I gave a full confession, told them where my murder weapons were, even had witnesses to corroborate my story, and all the cops decided to do was put me in a hospital.

I mean, sure, they gave me a few guards, but they didn't even chain me up.  They even left my murder weapons in the same room with me, almost as if they trusted me.

“But you know better, right?” a female voice asked, disrupting my rapidly declining thought process.  “You killed those people in cold blood.  You had the ability to spare their lives, could have just turned them in, but instead, you went straight for the kill.”

I didn't turn my head to where the voice was coming from.  Rather, I propped my head up against one of my hands with my elbow braced against the armrest of my wheelchair, choosing to instead gaze listlessly out at the rain-swept streets below.  “Sounds about right,” I sighed pathetically.

“Well, I have a list of about fifty ponies here, as well as their foals, that would say otherwise,” the voice said, coming a little closer.  “I can understand your pain at taking another's life.  It is not an easy burden to bear.”

“And this is the part where you tell me that it was the only way to save those other people?  Who gave me the right to make that choice?  To become judge, jury, and executioner?” I asked, shaking my head in anger.  “What if those dogs had friends?  Families?  Who am I to play god like that?”

“You didn't make that choice.  Rather, they made that choice for you the instant they raised their paws against the innocent,”  The voice said, settling down somewhere near my right.  “If it had not been by your claw, then it would have been by my hoof, or my sister's.”

As she said this, an all too familiar voice echoed in the back of my head, making me reconsider my guilt.  “But nothing.  I don't care who it is, I'll run my spear through anyone that has the audacity to hurt children.”

I then turned and looked at the stranger, my sight clouded by tears as I looked into those big, purple eyes.  “Does it ever get easier?”  I asked.

“Always pray that it doesn't,” she said, turning her head to look out the window, her beautiful, Aurora Borealis of a mane fluttering in a wind I could not feel.  “Killing should never be something that one takes lightly, but you must remember.  To stay your sword is to invite death.  Not just death for you, but death for those that you protect and defend.”

I just sniffled at that, then slapped my legs with my hands.  “Well, I'm not getting any younger just sitting here and thinking about how much I suck, so why don't you just tell me why you're really here,” I asked, wiping my tears away with the back of my hand.  I was trying my best to put up a good face for my guest, but all her words really did was put perspective on this whole debacle.  If I was ever going to get home, it was apparent that I was going to have to kill a lot more people.

Honestly, I didn't think my heart could take it.

“I need information,” she said, bringing me back to the present as she looked out the window at the rain-swept streets below.  “Anything you know about the conflict sweeping my nation would be greatly appreciated.”

I just shook my head at that.  “I'm sorry, lady, but you probably know more about what's happening than me.  I only just got here, and the person who sent me deliberately told me as little as possible.”

“Wait, you were sent here?  Why?  For what purpose?”  The white unicorn asked me in a rush, her head snapping to look at me with questioning, worried eyes.

“Huh, perhaps I do know a little more than you,” I said, raising an eye-ridge at her.

“I would think so.  Most of those that have been causing trouble have either fought until the death, or have run the moment I or my sister made the scene.  They seem to strike at random, and each has a goal that seems to be completely different from the others,” she said shaking her head.  “The little I do know is that they all seem to think this is some sort of game, or contest, with the winner taking home some sort of spoil.”

“Well, you got the contest part right,” I said with a sigh.  “I suppose I should start from the beginning.  Though, as I've said before, the person that sent me here told me very little.  On purpose.”

She just smiled at that.  “Anything you can tell me would be appreciated,” she said again.

“Well, it all began back home.  I was trying to make it to a hot date, when my ride broke down...”


*	*	*


Gorthok the Devourer looked down at the playing pieces, squinting an eye at the move The Lady just made.  “Hey, that's cheating.  You can't have your piece go and tell the neutrals about the game!”

The Lady just smiled at that, her piercing stare boring through the god of destruction.  “I believe that the rules specifically state that our pieces are only bound by as much information that we give them.  By giving my piece the bare bones of the situation, and not even telling him my objective, I believe I've set him free to act according to his own will.”

“Wait, you didn't even tell it why you sent it there?” Gorthok asked, a little flabbergasted at the boldness of The Lady's move.  “How will it know what to do to complete your objective?”

“But therein lies the beauty of her plan, don't you see,” Fate said, thumping his walking stick against the floor.  “The Lady isn't after control over this planet, she just wants to make sure you don't get it.”

Gorthok just grumbled at that, and folded his arms in disgust.  “I still have control of the Circle, all that her tactics have done is delayed me for a few turns.”

“Ah, but there is where you are wrong, my dear fellow,” The Storm of Storms said with a grin.  “I saw through your little maneuver, and stole the Circle right out from under you while your 'invincible' gray dragon was busy.  Masterful move, by the way, M'lady.”

“Wait, you did what?” Gorthok shouted in disgust.  “That means I'm going to have to start all over again!”

“Exactly, my dear boy,” Fate said jovially.  “Don't think we weren't on to you.  Having your minions summon you to the realm is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and by far the easiest to counter.  Simply by trying that tactic, you're opening yourself up to be stopped by all sorts of heroes.  Why, it's practically a law of causality, at this point.”

Gorthok just grumbled some more at that, then glared at Fate's smug looking face.  “Okay, well, who's turn is it, then?” he asked, frustration clear in his voice.

“I believe it was mine,” The Queen of Shadows said, picking up the dice.  “And I believe my next move will be... here.”

"Oh ho ho! Trying to take out the new player before he's able to get the wind back into his sails?”  The Storm of Storms asked, raising an eyebrow with interest.

“I don't see why that kind of move would kill the new player,” Gorthok said with a grunt.

“That's because you don't think things through, Devourer,” The Queen of Shadows said with a sigh.  “The new player has already shown that he will jump into the face of danger to protect the innocent.  By moving there, while he's vulnerable, I have set a trap that he will invariably spring.”

The Lady just smiled at that, then shook her head.  “Well, go ahead and roll, if you think you can topple my champion,” she said, her smile taking on a slightly predatory gleam.

“It would be my pleasure,” The Queen said as she tossed the dice.
> Never Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia came to the odd creature known as Ammon not really expecting anything beyond a cryptic, confusing answer, and sealed lips.  What she got, however, was a wellspring of information, though the actual answer she sought wasn't something he seemed to know himself.

The creature was something called a 'human'.  Or, at least, he used to be, before he had accepted a deal with a strange, otherworldly entity that he called 'The Lady'.  The human had apparently either been gravely wounded, or had died, defending an innocent from brigands.  Whichever it was, the human wasn't too sure.  What he was sure about, though, was that after his apparent death, he had woken up to see The Lady, and had been given an ultimatum.

Serve as her champion, or die.

The strange thing about this deal, though, was that this Lady hadn't given him an objective, or indeed, anything to do at all.  She hadn't even told him where he was going, and had been fairly vague on what form she was sending him in.

The only information she had given him was that there was some sort of contest going on between her and some entities that were similar to her, and that he was to serve as her champion.

“What happened next?” Celestia asked with interest.

“Well, I agreed, there was a flash of light, and I woke up in the woman's bathroom.  I believe you know the rest,” Ammon said with a shrug.  “I'm not even sure what the stakes in this game of theirs is, though considering the power that they seem to posses, I'm going to bet that it's something pretty big.”

“I believe you are right.  Thank you for your time, and your civility, by the way.  All the other 'champions' have been rude, evasive, or downright hostile,” Celestia said with a shake of her head.  “A few have been benign, as you have proven to be.  For the most part, they have been destructive, psychotic, and dangerous.  None of them have even attempted to give me any answers, with even the most benign-seeming ones preferring to run away rather than tell me what was going on.”

The reptile sat up at that, a look of alarm on his face.  “Now, when you say psychotic, what do you mean exactly by that?” he asked nervously.

“The perfect example would be the one known as 'Peter the Everburning',” Celestia said with a great deal of contempt.  “This, 'champion', entered Los Pegasus and, with only a short proclamation of his name and title, tried his best to burn the entire city to the ground.”

Ammon just looked stunned at that.  “Holy... and I'm supposed to fight those things?  As the freaking Hunter?”

“It took the combined powers of both me and my sister to bring Peter down, as he seemed to gain more power for each thing he burned.  The guards have since referred to the perpetrator of this atrocity as 'Pyro Pete', and have used his example as a caution to all of our armed forces of the destructive potential that these 'champions' posses,” Celestia said grimly.  “To be honest, when I had heard that one of you had finally surrendered to us, I had thought that it was some kind of trap.  At best, I was expecting a few cryptic answers, and then you vanishing before my eyes.  At worst...”

“You were expecting me to attempt to blow up your city, with you inside,” Ammon finished for her.  “Well, you don't have to worry about that kind of thing from me.  The Hunter was designed for sneaky fighting, and as far as I can remember, wasn't capable of anything remotely close to Pete's level of destructive power.”

Before Celestia was able to ask any more questions, she was interrupted by a knock on the door.  “Come in,” she said, her heart sinking as she spoke.

As she had feared, a guard entered, a serious look on his face.  “Your Highness, I have grave news.  May we speak privately?”

“Of course,” Celestia said, getting up from her seat next to Ammon.  “If you will excuse me, duty calls.”

“Of course,” the reptile said with a nervous smile.

With that, Celestia got up and followed the guard outside of the room.  “What is wrong, sergeant?” she asked.

“A being calling herself 'The Mistress of Shadow' has attacked the Manehattan Train Station,” the soldier reported grimly.  “She's taken hostages, and demands either your or your sister's presence.”

“Where is Luna right now?” Celestia asked quickly.

“I'm sorry, your Highness, but your sister is currently dealing with a beast that calls itself The Sandman that appeared near Dodge Junction.  You'll only have us to support you in this,” the sergeant said with a frown.

Celestia just shook her head at that.  “It can't be helped.  Is this 'Mistress of Shadow' still at the train station?  Or has she decided to move her captives to a more defensible location?”

“I think she's rather cocky, to be honest.  Though, knowing what these monsters can do, I'm not really surprised about that,” the sergeant said with some distaste.  “She's promised not to move from the station downtown, but has stated that if you do not arrive by sundown, she'll begin eating people.”

Celestia just shook her head weakly at that.  “Radio ahead, and tell them that I will be right there.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the sergeant said with a salute.

Celestia sighed at this, then turned and opened the hospital room door again.  “I apologize, Ammon, but-” she started to say, but stopped herself when she realized that he had disappeared, taking his weapons with him.  The open window, revealing the slowing rainfall outside the only clue to where he might have gone.

"By the spirits, I don't have time for this," Celestia grumbled as her horn began to glow.  There was a bright flash of light, and she was gone, leaving behind a very confused-looking guard.

The guard took a look around the empty room, then quietly closed the door.  "Did I miss something?" he asked the guards outside the door.

The two guards flanking the door gave short shrugs, but otherwise didn't answer him.  "It just looks like it's going to be one of those days..." he grumbled as he began trotting away from the door, 


*	*	*


Yeah, I know it's not really polite to eavesdrop, but I really couldn't help myself.  Besides, as I had listened to her conversation, I could tell right off the bat that this was some sort of trap.  Not only that, but I knew that Celestia knew it as well.

Yet, despite all of this, she was still going to run straight into it without her sister to back her up.  And since it took the combined might of both of the dynamic duo to take down that nut case Pyro Pete, she was more than likely walking to her doom.

I know that I probably should have waited for her to come back first before I made my move, but I couldn't trust that she wouldn't try to put some sleep spell on me to keep me from doing what I was doing right now.  After all, she seemed like the kind of person who took charge of things, and would probably have been too worried about my own health and safety to even consider allowing me to tag along.

Yeah, yeah, my leg's still busted, but in my logic's defense, it was feeling much better.  The doctors had wrapped it in a cast, zapped me with all sorts of healing mumbo-jumbo, then told me that I could take off the cast in less then a week.  Now, I'm no doctor, but after the injury I sustained against that dragon, I should have been laid up for at least three months, if not longer.  If it was going to be less than a week, and it had already been about two days, I should be up to taking this sucker on, right?

Well, okay, maybe I shouldn't try to press my luck, I thought as I climbed down the hospital's storm drain.  But still, if Celestia is willing to spring this trap with no help, the least I can do is be there to be her backup.  After all, I'm the one who's supposed to be fighting these th-Crap!

That last bit was thought in complete terror as the drain pipe pulled away from the side of the hospital.  Instinctively, I reached out with my right arm to try and grab hold of a nearby windowsill, but only managed to slap my claw against the brick wall of the hospital.

At that point, I knew I was well and truly screwed, and began to flail blindly as I fell, letting go of the pipe as I went.  However, as I did this, my whole body jerked against my right arm, nearly tearing it from my socket as I was stopped from falling to my doom.  Somewhat dazed, I looked up in confusion, only to see my right claw glued to the wall Spider Man style.

Wait, what? I thought intelligently as I tried to process what was happening to me.

The more that I thought about it, though, the more that I remembered about The Hunter and the powers I had given him when I was young.  Again, I had to remind myself that I did not give him powers based on what the chameleon actually could do, but off of what an eight year old thought a chameleon should be able to do.

And that meant that I could stick to walls, just like everybody's favorite web slinging superhero.

Yeah, I know.  It's not the most imaginative thing in the world, so sue me.  I was eight.  At least one of my powers was going to be a direct ripoff of one of my favorite superheroes.  At this point, I wasn't going to complain, though I couldn't help but wish that I had put in Superman's invincibility, or Green Lantern's construct generation.

Or Batman's utility belt.  Man, if I had that thing, I would have this contest in the bag.

At any rate, I was just glad that I had something that was going to keep me from splattering against the pavement below.  “Thanks again, younger me,” I said with a sigh of relief as I pressed my other claw and my good foot against the wall.  “But to be honest, I could have used that little tidbit of information days ago.  It really would have come in handy against that dragon.”

It took me a few tries, but I was eventually able to get the hang of getting my other limbs to stick.  It was another story entirely to get them to release, however, making me fight with the wall for a couple of minutes until I was finally able to get the knack of the darn thing down.  Eventually, I was able to traverse the wall with ease, despite the fact that I was still sporting a broken leg during this whole time, and that the wall was still quite wet from the recent downpour.

Once I finally reached street level, I noticed that quite the crowd had gathered where the drainpipe had broken.  Luckily, no one had been hurt when the thing had come loose.  Also, nobody seemed to notice the giant green lizard who had caused it either, making it fairly easy for me to slip away.  One of these days, I'm going to have a long sit down, just to work out precisely what each of my powers are and how they bloody work.  I mean, seriously, besides no one noticing me, there is no discernible clue that my invisibility is actually working.  I can still see myself, so it must be something that messes with the perception of other people.

As I thought about this, I suddenly realized that I had absolutely no idea where the train station was.  As I sat there, scratching my head over what I needed to do, I perked up when I heard an oddly familiar shout.

“Taxi!”

I turned my head just in time to see one pony flag down another pulling a chariot-style taxicab.  “To city hall, and step on it.”

Well, that's convenient.  This is the hospital, and you have ponies coming and going all the time.  If I sit here and wait long enough, I should find someone who's headed in the right direction, I thought as I looked around.  Though, just to be on the safe side, I should probably find a map, just in case that doesn't happen.


*	*	*


The Mistress of Shadow hummed as she waited, patiently tossing a knife in the air, then catching it in harmony with the beat.

“Mistress of Shadow, Princess Celestia is here, as requested!” she heard the insufferable guard from earlier shout.

This immediately brought a smile to her fanged lips, her head perking up at the thought of what she had in store for the self stylized 'Princess of the Sun'.  “Oh, I had hoped that it would be you that would come,” she said with a purr.  “I'm coming!”

She then stepped out onto the train platform, still tossing her knife to herself as she went.  The rain had all but stopped, but she was still a little bit annoyed when a few drops touched her shadowed head.  She ignored the rising feeling, instead choosing to focus on the brilliant white pony that was approaching her.  “My, my, aren't you a pretty pony princess?” The Mistress taunted Celestia in a sing-song voice.  “I bet all the little girls just flock around you.”

If Celestia found any of this offensive, she didn't show it.  “I understand you have taken several of my little ponies hostage.  I want them returned at once,” Celestia said with authority.

“Yes, yes, very stern, very commanding.  I bet that little power trip would have scared anyone into submission,” The Mistress said with a low, sweeping bow.  “However, I can't just return them.  I need something from you, or you will never see your pretty little ponies ever again.”

Celestia just raised an eyebrow at that.  “Really?  What is stopping me from just knocking you out here and now?” she asked.

“Simple.  You even think about flashing that perfect little horn of yours at me, and they die,” The Mistress answered maliciously.  “Now, I don't think you want to be the one to tell your little ponies why their mommies and daddies couldn't come home today, so if you care to follow me, we can discuss my terms.”

Celestia stared at her, trying to detect any falsehood in what she said, but eventually relented.  “Fine, lead the way.”

“There's a good little princess,” The Mistress said with a grin.  She then stepped back into the train station, her maniacal grin not letting up for an instant.

As calm as a gentle spring morning, Celestia followed The Mistress into her trap, knowing full well that she might not come out alive.  However, just because she was walking into a trap, did not mean that she would go down without a fight.

As Celestia entered, she couldn't help but see all the terrified faces of her little ponies.  Each of their faces lit up at the sight of her, though, their whole beings filled with hope at her very presence.

This only steeled the princess for what laid before her.  However, she decided to give diplomacy one more chance, and hopefully talk this lunatic down.  “What is your real name?” Celestia asked The Mistress.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” The Mistress said, her malicious smile fading a little bit.

“Oh, I think you know full well what I'm talking about.  Before you came here from earth, what was your name?”  Celestia asked again.

The Mistress just giggled at that, acting as if Celestia had told some great joke.  “Oh, someone has been breaking the ru~les!” The Mistress said in a sing-song voice.

“Listen, I don't know what your master promised you, but my sister and I could find a way to get you home!  We could-” Celestia said, attempting to reason with the girl.  The Mistress was having none of that, though.

The Mistress let out a loud, maddened laugh, her twisted, deformed body radiating pure darkness with each howl, interrupting Celestia's attempt at reason.  “No no no, my dear.  My Queen specifically promised me that she wouldn't return me home.”

“But... why wouldn't you want to go home?” Celestia asked in confusion.

“Simple, really.  I was on death row,” The Mistress said, her laughter becoming more insane with every passing moment.  “Something about how knifing people wasn't proper, or any such rot as that.  She saved me, and for that, I am eternally at her command.  Her will is my will.  Her desire is my desire.  And what she desires, is for you to hurl that dreadful ball of fire orbiting this pathetic rock as far away as you possibly can.”

Celestia just raised an eyebrow at this.  “Really?  That is your big play?  You want me to kill the very people I am trying to protect?” she asked flatly.

“Oh, I know that you wouldn't possibly do such a thing.  After all, you're Princess Celestia!  You've lived for thousands of years, and during that time, I'm sure you've made all the tough decisions,” The Mistress said, her grin growing with each passing moment.  “I'm sure you care about each and every one of your subjects, don't get me wrong, but each one's life is just a flash in the pan to you.  They burn out quicker than candles, and I'm sure you've seen plenty of faces die.”

At this point, the psychotic demon started to circle Celestia, still carelessly flipping that knife.  “You're what I like to call a 'big picture' girl.  Sure, each of these lives are important to you, but you'd sacrifice them at the drop of a hat to ensure that everyone else is safe and sound.  The worst part is, is that the survivors will praise you for it, praise you for saving the majority at the expense of the minority,” she rambled, never stopping for an instant.

Celestia, on the other hand, did not move an inch.  “Am I supposed to be impressed by your powers of reasoning?”

“Oh, no, you're supposed to be impressed by the army of puppets on your back,” The Mistress said as she sat back down in front of Celestia.

“Army of- Ooph!”

At that exact moment, every single hostage that The Mistress of Shadow had taken began to dog pile Princess Celestia, bearing her to the ground with their weight alone.  “What are you doing?”  she asked her ponies in alarm.

“Oh, I wouldn't waste time trying to talk to those puppets,” The Mistress said slowly.  “They wouldn't be able to hear you anyway.”

“What did you do to them?”  Celestia demanded of her.

“Why, what I'm going to do to you of course!” The Mistress said.

The Mistress then opened her mouth, inhaling deeply, almost as if she were trying to breath in the world's atmosphere all in one go.  Dark tendrils snaked out of her mouth, and latched onto Celestia, pulling at her, twisting this way and that.

However, Celestia did not move an inch.  Instead, she gave the demon above her a smug smile.  “Having trouble there?” she asked innocently.

“Why... why isn't it working?  I should be able to devour anyone's soul,” The Mistress said with a pant.

“You are hardly the first to try such a tactic, and you will not be the last,” Celestia said with a smirk.  “But if you wish to devour my soul, you'd need to be strong enough to swallow the sun's soul first.”

“But... But...”

“Now that I know what you've done to my little ponies, I'm afraid there is no hope for you,” Celestia said sadly as she levitated the pile of soulless ponies off of her, then fabricated a cage around them to keep them safe.  “You have devoured their souls, and the only hope I have now of saving their lives, is to end yours before you're able to digest them.”

At this, Celestia's horn and eyes began to glow a deep golden color as heat cascaded off of her form.  Her crown disappeared, as did her regalia and shoes.  In their place, armored plates sprang into being, protecting her chest, barrel, legs and head from any assault.  Her once lovely Aurora Borealis mane and tail transformed as well, turning into a aura of terrible flame, threatening to burn anything in its way.  Finally, at her side, she conjured a great golden glaive, wreathed in fire and hungry for the blood of any who would threaten Celestia's subjects.

Gone was the pretty white princess.  Gone was the benevolent ruler.  Gone was the one who gave second chances.

In her place stood the Avatar of Death.

The Mistress of Shadow made a sound that was similar to that of a stepped on mouse, then quickly vanished in a puff of shadow.

“GET BACK HERE YOU COWARD!”  Celestia shouted, teleporting after her.
> And Girls Wonder why Guys Have Such a Hard Time Asking for Directions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Mistress breathed out a sigh of relief as she perched herself upon the two story building.  “At last, I finally got her off my tail,” she sighed.

As she took a second to catch her breath, however, she couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be a disturbance of some kind on the streets below.  She watched with some fascination as a strange-looking dragon was quickly surrounded by several nearby guards, all of which had some kind of weapon leveled at the creature.  However, instead of running or attacking, the creature just held up its claws in a placating gesture as it attempted to talk them down.

Or, at least she thought that it was trying to talk them down.  She couldn't really tell from here, since she was too far away to hear their voices.

However, as she sat their watching the events unfold, she felt a claw lightly touch her shoulder, followed closely by a chilled breath on her ear.  “This one will be trouble for us,” The Mistress heard her Queen say in her ear.

“I understand, My Queen,” The Mistress said with a grin. 


*	*	*


I'll freely admit when I'm thoroughly lost.  There is no shame to it.  This is especially true when you're in a foreign city, functionally invisible, no one seems to be heading in the direction you need to go, and you have absolutely no idea where to find a decent map.

Now, I could have just decloaked and asked someone for directions, but what kind of first impression would that be?  'Hello, don't mind the fact that I just popped out of nowhere, and that my appearance suggests that I might rip your throat out as soon as look at you, but could you direct me towards the train station?  I'd be most obliged.'

Yeah, I'd rank that up there right below staple-filled waffles, but above edible speakers on my 'really bad ideas' list.  However, I couldn't just continue wandering aimlessly, so with some trepidation, I approached the least likely pony to throw a hissy fit if I asked him for information.

That being said, I couldn't help but think this was a really bad idea as I reached out to tap the armored pegasus' whithers.

“Excuse me, could you-”

Right on cue, the guard pony jumped six feet in the air, then used its wings to spin around and face me, its stance clearly ready for battle.  This also triggered a response in the local populace, as they either gasped in alarm, or shrieked in shock as I seemed to materialize in the middle of the crowd.

“Who the heck are... oh, wait, you're one of those things, aren't you?” he asked.  However, despite his aggressive tone, and battle-ready stance, I could tell that he was scared out of his wits.

“I don't want any trouble,” I said, holding my hands up in a placating gesture.  “I just need a little information, then I'm out of your hair.”

“Yeah, right, and I'm Princess Celestia.  You're coming with me to the guard post, buddy.  Drop your weapons,” the guard said as other guards quickly surrounded me.

“Listen, I really don't have time for this, I need to be down at... the...” I started to say, but stopped as my eyes focused on the shifting shadow behind the guard.

“Uh, Wing?” one of the guards behind me said with some apprehension.

“GET DOWN!” I yelled, grabbing the pegasus and bearing him to the ground.  Right as I did so, a black bolt shot out of the shadow, barely missing the two of us and instead striking somewhere behind me.  I heard screams from the crowd, as well as the sounds of ponies desperately trying to get the heck out of dodge.

Fearing what I would see, I quickly glanced back, just in time to see the guard that had been behind me stiffen and collapse, a thick black smoke rising from his fresh corpse.

“Well, well, well... you have faster reflexes than I thought you would...” I heard a female voice say.  I glanced up, only to see a nightmare strut out of the shadows.

She was tall, probably around seven feet, and had a vaguely female, bipedal form.  And by vaguely, I mean vaguely.  Her entire body seemed to be wrapped in a thick, black smoke, making her true form something hard to make out.  However, there were a few distinguishing features that I could still spot, mainly the glowing red eyes, the glowing white teeth from her insane smile, and the bloodied dagger that she carelessly flipped in a single hand.

As I got up, I was keenly aware of just how outclassed I was.  This lady just killed someone with a freaking death laser, how was I supposed to compete against that?

“Either that, or you just have crappy aim,”  I said as I stepped in front of the guard I saved.  “I take it you're The Mistress of Shadow?”

“Why, yes, I am!” she said, her grin growing even wider.  “However, I'm afraid that you have me at a disadvantage, because I have no clue as to what your name is!”

“You know, usually when a girl asks me my name, I jump at the opportunity,” I said as I waved the guards behind me back.  “However, in this case?  I don't think I want you to have that kind of power over me...”

“Oh, come now, can't we be civil about this?” she asked as she stepped closer to me.

“Nope, I'm afraid you lost the right to civility the moment you barbecued one of the guards,” I said, shrugging my spear off of my shoulder and into my waiting claw.

“Oooh, self righteous and defiant, I like you...” she said, smiling even wider than before.  Quicker than lightning, a thick tendril of darkness shot from her form, trying to take my head off.  I dodged to the right, but still caught a glancing blow due to my still broken leg slowing me down a bit.

However, despite it being just a glancing blow, it still sent me tumbling head over heels, until a fruit vendor stand finally stopped my backwards journey with its bulk.  I slowly slid down, like something out of a loony toons cartoon, before finally coming to rest in a puddle on the street.

“Ghah...” I said intelligently as I tried to shake my head clear.

“Oh, I hope you can take more than that, I like my lovers to be able to take a bit of a beating...” I heard her purr.

Despite my pounding head, I quickly rolled to the side, barely avoiding another one of those black laser things.  As I tried to get up, I felt a pair of hooves hook underneath my arms, lifting me and pulling me to safety.

Whomever was grabbing me quickly pulled me into an alley and dropped me behind a dumpster.  I looked up in confusion at my mysterious ally, only to see the guard from before standing over me, a serious expression on his face.

“Thanks for that,” I said, shaking the cobwebs from my head.

“Can you fight?” he asked, pointing a hoof at my busted leg.

“Yeah,” I said, getting onto my knees.  “I'll take care of crazy, here.  You get the street cleared out, and see if you can find Celestia.”

The soldier looked like he wanted to say something, but quickly though better of it when little miss psycho hurled a fruit stand down the alleyway.  With a quick nod of his head, the soldier vanished around the corner of the alley, leaving me to deal with The Mistress.

“Ah, come on out, little man!  I don't bite.  Unless you're into that sort of thing...” The Mistress said from the alleyway entrance.

“Oh, don't worry, I'm coming out,” I said with a grimace.


*	*	*


The Mistress slowly closed on the yet unnamed reptile's position, then reached out with her tendrils and hurled the dumpster out of the way.  “Now, why don't we- huh?” she said, but stopped when she realized that the dragon-thing was gone.

“So, are we playing hide and seek, then?” she purred as she slowly turned around.  “Well... you know we get to play a game of my choosing when I find you.”

No response.

“Ooh... no banter?  No witty dialog?” she said, slowly turning around to face the direction she came from.  “Well, honey, you're going to have to do better than that.”

She inhaled deeply, then took off down the alleyway.  “I can smell your fear.  And let me tell you now, you smell delicious...” she said as she rounded the corner.

However, once she turned the corner, all she saw was the blackened fruit stand she had hit earlier.  “Huh, you're really good at-” she started to say, but was cut off when she felt something sharp cut across her back.

She quickly turned, her dagger raised, ready to blast whomever had the gall to cut her, but stopped when she saw no one.

“Oh, is this what we're playing?  A little game of cat and mouse?  Why didn't you just stab me when you had the chance?” she grunted in pain.

“Because I learn from my mistakes,” she heard the lizard say.  “Last time I tried that on one of you, I ended up as wall pizza.  No, I'm trying something different this time.”

The Mistress turned towards the sound, her dagger still pointed out like a gun.  With almost no wait whatsoever, the bloody instrument sent out a ray of darkness at where she heard the sound come from.

“ Just a little too far to the left,” the voice said from somewhere on her right.

Quickly, she turned again, lashing out with her tendrils in a sweeping motion, attempting to snag the slippery devil.  All she was rewarded with, however, was another cut across her face.

“Honey, dear, why don't you stop playing and come out?” The Mistress said as she ground her teeth together in frustration.

“Nope, I'm not done... playing, yet,” she heard him say, right as she felt another cut, this one across her arm.

At this point, she started to wildly flail her tendrils back and forth across where she thought the voice was coming from, all in an effort to find the annoying insect.  She also breathed in deep, trying to follow his fear-laden scent to its source.

However, as she tried to sniff him out, another, stronger scent started to make itself known, keeping her from locating the irritating iguana by using that particular sense.

“You like it?”

“What... what is that?” she asked as she gagged.

“Sewer.  I opened one while you weren't looking, figured you would have trouble finding me if your nose was busy with something else,” he said, smugness radiating from his voice.

She took a couple of steps back at that.  “You clever piece of...” she started to say, but stopped when another cut slashed its way across her back.  She grunted, then turned, but knew already that she was too late to get him.  She fired anyway, if only to feel like she was doing something to the lizard.

“You know, earlier, you said you could 'smell my fear',” the lizard said, his voice oddly neutral.  “Do you even know what fear is?”

“Of course I-” she started to respond in a sweet, sing-song voice.  She was interrupted, though, by another spike of pain across her thigh.

“No, I don't think you do,” the lizard said, his voice suddenly becoming much more serious.  “I heard about you taking hostages down at the train station, about how you threatened to eat them if Celestia hadn't arrived.”

“So?  What does that have to do with knowing what fear is?” she demanded impatiently.

“Everything.  If you truly knew what fear was, you wouldn't be so eager to inflict it upon other people,” the lizard said, right before making another cut across her brow.  “True fear is probably something you've never felt in your entire life.”

“And why would I have felt fear?” she said, sending another laser up towards where she thought the voice was coming from.  All it did, however, was turn the unyielding stone wall black.  “Fear is for the weak!”

“And here is where you show your ignorance.  Fear isn't a weakness, it is a strength,” the voice said as he inflicted another cut across her shoulder.

As he talked, however, The Mistress started to notice that something was wrong.  Despite the fact that she no longer had blood to bleed, she still felt woozy.  The streets around her seemed to pitch and shake, and it seemed as if the lizard's voice was coming from everywhere.

“You see, without fear for the lives of his children, a man would never find the courage to face the robber that broke into his house,” the lizard said as he made another cut across her cheek.

“Fear turns people into quivering wrecks!” The Mistress said, sending a sluggish tendril out towards the far wall.

“No, you're thinking of terror,” the lizard said from somewhere above her.  “However, terror, too, is finite.  Terror eventually becomes the norm.  Eventually, a victim decides to stop running, decides that enough is enough, and turns to face his fears.”

The Mistress of Shadows just smiled maniacally at that.  “I love it when they stop running.  It is so hard to eat their souls when all they do is run.”

There was a beat of silence at that, then a faint rustling sound.  “You did what?” he asked in horror.

Her only response to this, however, was to open her mouth, and inhale deeply.  A multitude of dark tendrils shot from her mouth, seeking out something to latch onto, until it finally caught and pulled something invisible from the wall above her.  The lizard's invisibility fell as he was pulled free, his struggles becoming quite amusing as he was brought closer to face The Mistress.

“You see, I wanted to keep you as a pet, but I'm afraid you're more trouble than you're worth,” The Mistress's voice echoed from her open maw.  “Don't worry, though, you'll live on.  At least, you'll live on for a couple of weeks.”	

Before he was able to answer, though, she began pulling and tearing, doing her best to separate the lizard's soul from his body.  As she did this, he began to thrash and choke in obvious pain, twisting and pulling this way and that, trying to get free.

The Mistress watched with great anticipation as the silvery soul-stuff started to flow up her tendrils, filling her belly with the delicious taste of fresh strawberries.  The lizard's struggles became weaker and weaker, until he finally stopped, and just looked at her with a despondent glare.

“Any last amusing quips before I finish my meal?” The Mistress said with a purr.

“I'm sorry,” he said.

He then opened his mouth, revealing that he had wrapped his tongue around something bright and silvery.  Then, before she was able to comprehend what that thing was, the tongue lashed out faster than the eye could follow.  She felt a deep searing pain in her chest as the tongue retracted, causing her to drop the lizard in alarm.

Her arms felt weak, and she unsteadily looked down, only to see the green hilt of a dagger sticking out of her chest, right where her heart was.  Mutely, she reached up and grabbed it, but found that she was too weak to pull it out.

She wasn't sure when it happened, but somehow, she found herself on her knees, prostrate before that arrogant, self-righteous prick who had stabbed her.  Deep within, she heard the echoes of the tormented souls she had devoured.  She felt their joy as their prison weakened, their elation at their captor's demise, and it made her...

To be honest, she didn't know what this feeling was.  “Will... Will no one mourn my passing?” she asked, unsure what made her say that.

The lizard weakly shook his head at that.  “What you're feeling is what everyone you ever terrorized felt.  Pure, unadulterated fear.  What we do with fear, however, is what separates the coward from the courageous,” he said.  He than went down on one knee next to her, putting a claw on her shoulder.  “By using fear to do nothing but harm others, you have shown yourself to be nothing but a coward.  No one mourns the loss of cowards.”

He then stood up, and took a couple of steps back.  “Good-bye,” he said, just as The Mistress of Shadow's world exploded.


*	*	*


Celestia sighed in frustration.  That blasted shadow had led her on a wild goose chase, only to disappear right when she had cornered and caged the thing.

“I overestimated her,” she said with a grimace.  “I should have blasted her through the heart with a Solar Cutter when I had the-”

She was interrupted, however, by what sounded like hundreds of voices, all crying out in joy.  She quickly turned back towards Manehattan, just in time to see a swirling vortex of souls rise from somewhere in the uptown area, and slowly make their way towards the downtown train station.

At least, most of them made their way downtown.  Celestia quickly spotted a few others break from the pack, some racing south towards Fillydelphia and beyond, while others headed west towards Canterlot.

Celestia let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, her relief palpable as she watched the escaped souls return to their bodies.  “I don't know who did that, but thank goodness,” she said as she charged her horn.  She then reached out with her magic, found the source of the maelstrom, and teleported herself there.

She was immediately met with a welcome, but confusing sight.  There, standing above the rapidly decaying form of The Mistress of Shadow, was Ammon.  He turned as soon as he heard Celestia's teleporting noise, his face breaking out in a tired grin when he saw that it was just her.

“Ammon, I-” Celestia started to say, but stopped when he held up a single finger.

“Yeah, that's going to have to wait until after my nap,” Ammon said, his eyes drooping shut.  He then keeled over backwards, and would have hit the ground had Celestia not been their to catch him.

“I gotta say, having most of your soul torn out of your body takes a lot out of you,” he mumbled.

Celestia just grinned at that as she laid the reptile across her back.  “Come on, hero, you need your rest.”

“ng- not a hero...” he mumbled incoherently.

Celestia just shook her head at that.  “Whatever you say, hero.”


*	*	*


The Queen of Shadows grunted in frustration over the results, her mouth turned down in a frown.  “You got lucky,” she grumbled angrily.

“Who do you think you're playing?” Fate said, raising his eyebrow in apparent merriment.  “However, at this point, luck had nothing to do with it.  You're the one who thought it was a good idea to conscript that psycopath as your champion.  Your defeat was fated the second you laid your eyes on that pathetic excuse for a human being.”

Gorthok nodded his head at that.  “I may not always think things through, but even I know not to send a crazy into this kind of game,” he said with a wide grin.

“Oh, shut up.  You're in no better position than I am,” she said, folding her arms in frustration.

“That is where you are wrong.  I still have pieces left.  Because you made your 'Mistress of Shadows' the key piece in all of your plays, everything you've done has unraveled.  Every neutral you've enslaved has been set free, and all your little machinations have been undone,” Gorthok said with a grin.  “It was a grand ploy, but you shouldn't have put quite so much faith in your little nut case there.”

“He's right,” the Storm of Storms said with a grin.  “Just like Igneous, you put too much faith on a single piece.  As it stands, you have no more plays left, and are out of the game.”

The Queen of Shadows just grunted at that, then fell silent.

“So, who's turn is it now?” Gorthok asked.

“It is mine,” The Herald said, raising his hand.  “And I already know what move I want to make.”

“Are you going to try to take out the new player as well?” The Storm of Storms asked gleefully.

“What?  Why?  He's not in the way of my objective.  In fact, he may prove useful as the game progresses.  No, I'm going to move right... here,” The Herald said, pushing his small, armored piece towards the spot with the blue alicorn and the sand golem.

Desolation looked at the move suspiciously, trying to figure out what The Herald was pulling.  “You know your piece isn't strong enough to take mine on, right?”

“Oh, I'm counting on it,” The Herald said with a grin.
> A Head in the Hand is Worth... Something or the Other
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Izolda looked down from her spot on the hill in disbelief.  “You're telling me that you want me to go down there and fight that?” she asked.

“No, I'm telling you I want you to go down there and protect that town,” The Herald said in her ear.  “One of the rulers of this land is already there, defending it against the threat it faces, so you will not have to do this alone.”

“That doesn't mean I have to like it,” she said, drawing her sword reluctantly.  “And the rules still apply, I take it?”

“That is correct.  As soon as the battle is finished, you must leave to avoid any... awkward questions,” The Herald answered.  “Under absolutely no circumstances are you to allow yourself to fall into their hooves, is that clear?”

“Um... sure, I'm not sure why you would have to remind me of that point specifically.  It's not like I'm going down there just to get... caught...” Izolda answered, but trailed off when she realized that The Herald had already left.

“Yeah, that's just fine!  Abandon me!  Make me look like I'm some crazy woman who just loves talking to herself.  It's not like I'm not already questioning my sanity!” she yelled at her patron.  If he had heard her from whatever plane he had vanished to, though, he certainly didn't show it.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm getting to it,” she grumbled as she stomped towards the town.


*	*	*


“Have at you, cur!” The annoying blue pony shouted as she swung her scythe at Sandman's chest.  The scythe tore through his form, causing him to scream in pain as the scythe did far more than just part the sand that formed his body.

“How in the heck are you able to do that, lady?” Sandman asked as he caused a fountain of sand to erupt underneath where Moonbutt hovered.  “I'm made of sand.  A blade shouldn't come close to hurting- Ow! Quit it!”

Princess Luna, seeing through his attack, had quickly teleported to avoid his strike, appearing behind him to cut at his head and shoulders.  “You have not earned the right to address me so informally!” The Princess said, taking another swipe at Sandman, who did his best to dodge.  “As for how I am able to hurt you, would you really think that I would be stupid enough to tell you such a secret?”

She teleported around him a few more times, but got caught by a lucky blast from his arm, sending her reeling.  “Look, lady, I don't want any trouble...” Sandman said as he disappeared into the sand at his feet.

“I do not believe you in the slightest!” Moonbutt said as she threw up a shield, blocking the torrent of sand that The Sandman threw at her as he reappeared.  “You attack this town, with the specific intentions of destroying it!  If that is not 'looking for trouble,' than I don't know what is!”

“Look lady, I scared off those ponies before I got started remodeling the place, so it isn't like I hurt anyone,” The Sandman said as he reached out and grabbed Moonbutt's bubble.  “I just need it to be gone for a couple of weeks.  They can come in and rebuild once I'm done!”

The Sandman then began to squeeze the bubble, attempting to make it break under the pressure and crush the pony within.   He stopped, however, when a gigantic sword passed through his arms, disrupting his concentration over the sand that made up those limbs.

Sandman quickly turned his head toward the new threat, to see what appeared to be an armored, human knight wielding a quickly shrinking sword.  “Leave, sand person, or face wrath of Knight of Dawn,” the female knight said in a heavy Russian accent.

“Well, that's rich, you expect me to be scared of- ghah!” Sandman started to say, but was interrupted as Princess Luna slashed him again with her scythe.

“You dropped your guard, you fiend!”  Moonbutt said as she dashed forward, attempting to decapitate Sandman with her scythe.  He dodged, of course, but as he did so, he caught an extending flaming sword through his chest, turning a small portion of him into glass.

“Well, ain't you going to be as annoying as anything,” Sandman grunted as he let his form flow into the sand of the land around Dodge Junction.

As he hid himself, though, he heard the voice of his master whispering in his ear.  “The Lunar Princess will be too much for you to handle, you should retreat for now.  However, before you go, you should take this rare opportunity to rid ourselves of the competition,” the voice told him.

“I gotcha covered, boss,” Sandman said.


*	*	*


“Do you think he left?” the oddly shaped knight asked.

“I think not, he has used this tactic many times before,” The Princess of the Night said as she rose higher into the sky.  “He will lie low, then spring at you from the most troublesome of angles.”

“Understood.  Will wait 'till appears, then,” the Knight of Dawn said, slinging her sword onto her shoulder.

The Night Princess's eyes twitched at the movement, but otherwise her concentration did not waver.  “Why are you helping me, friend?” she asked the knight.

“Have sword, town in trouble,” the knight said in her strange, almost griffianic accent.  “Cannot tell you anything more than that, break rules, in deep trouble.”

Princess Luna shook her head at that, and continued to scan the sands below with her eyes and magic.  Yet, despite her best efforts, she could only detect hints and traces of The Sandman.  Maybe he finally left...

As she thought this, though, she was interrupted by a loud, resounding thump, followed immediately by the sound of metal being twisted and crumpled.  Luna quickly turned towards the sound, only to see a giant fist made out of sand where the Knight of Dawn was standing.  Princess Luna howled in rage at that, charging at The Sandman, her scythe raised to take the monster down.

The fist rapidly lost its form, however, leaving behind a mound of sand through which a single, twisted gauntlet could be seen.  “Okay, I'm leaving.  Go ahead and keep your precious town, I give up.  However, this is still a victory for me.  One less contender I have to deal with,” Sandman said, his voice sounding as if he was getting progressively further away.

“No! Get back here and face me!” Luna shouted at the retreating golem.

The only answer she got, though, was the whistling of the wind.


*	*	*


Princess Luna stomped dejectedly through the halls of Canterlot Castle, a frown on her face and something tucked under her wing.  She had sand in places that she'd rather not think about, to be honest.  All she wanted to do at this point was to retreat to the royal baths, clean herself up, and crawl under her covers and stay there for the rest of the week.

She knew that she couldn't do that, though.  The demands of jointly ruling a nation alone would have kept her from her bed.  On top of that, there were these blasted things running amok in her kingdom, either causing trouble, or in rare cases, trying to prevent it.

She and her sister had been run ragged trying to head each one off, but they were only two mares, and could not hope to contain them by themselves.  They could not leave the fighting to the Equestrian Royal Guard, either, since the powers that each of these strange beasts possessed ensured that they would remain uncontested by the majority of the Equestrian Armed Forces.

Only the most elite of her and her sister's troops could hope to stand up to these strange beasts, but they did not have the sufficient numbers needed to take on such a task.  The most the Equestrian Royal Guard could hope to do at this point was to act as the royal sister's eyes and ears, letting them know when and where the fell beasts were striking.

As Princess Luna made her way through the halls, she spotted Celestia's personal steward heading in the opposite direction.  “Hold, Sir Table!” Luna called out to him.

Time Table stopped at that, turning and greeting the Lunar Princess with a bow.  “Good evening, My Princess, how did that business in Dodge Junction go?”

“Terrible,” Princess Luna said with a sigh.  “I would speak with my sister as soon as possible.  Do you know where she is?  The guards at the gate only knew that she was here.”

“Why, yes.  She had a run in with a nasty piece of work that called herself 'The Mistress of Darkness' down in Manehattan,” Time Table said as he rose from his bow.  “Someone was wounded by this 'Mistress,' and your sister thought it best to bring him here to recuperate.  She told me to direct you to her personal labs as soon as you arrived.”

Princess Luna just snorted at that.  Anyone who had the audacity to take up that title clearly didn't know what they were getting themselves into.  “I take it this 'Mistress' was defeated?” Princess Luna asked.

“You will have to ask your sister about that,” Time Table said with another bow.  “She told me specifically that she wanted to be the one to tell you about what had happened.  However, I will tell you this much:  She was very excited about  it, and had said that this will turn around the crisis that we are currently in.”

Princess Luna perked up at this.  “Good news?  After the elements were stolen, I could use some good news.”

At that, Princess Luna didn't waste any time, choosing to teleport to her sister's labs, rather than walk.

She was immediately greeted by the sight of her sister, dressed in a distinctly un-princessy lab coat as she carefully examined a small, bloody dagger.  Off to one side was Celestia's student, Twilight Sparkle, also dressed in a lab coat and busy examining what looked to be an ornate, snake themed spear.

Both immediately looked up at the sound of The Lunar Princess's arrival, though Twilight turned back to her work as soon as she realized who it was.

“Luna!” Princess Celestia said as she dashed over and gave her sister a hug.  “How did your battle with The Sandman go?”

“It... could have gone better,” Princess Luna said as she opened her wing, and levitated the crumpled helmet she had tucked underneath onto Celestia's desk.  “The fiend got away, but not before crushing one of the few benign beings who had come to aid me.  I warded the area against his unique magical signature, so it should be a couple of weeks before he can make another attempt against Dodge Junction.”

Celestia looked troubled at this, while her student looked up from her studies in alarm.  “That is... troubling,” Celestia said with a grimace.  “I take it that this helmet belonged to the benign champion?”

“Wait, champion?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow.

“...no, helmet is champion,” The Knight of Dawn whispered, her voice sounding strained.

Celestia and Twilight both jumped at this, shock on their faces.

“Yes, I had the same reaction when I had learned that she survived the encounter,” Luna said with a tired smile.

“Goodness, are you alright?”  Twilight asked quickly.

“...Have seen better days, but will be fine,” the knight said weakly.  “Cannot die unless armor completely destroyed.  Sandman merely crumpled.  A little repair, some spitshine, will be up and kicking in no time.”

Twilight smiled at this, though she still looked up at Princess Luna in confusion.  “Princess, this is just a helmet, where is the rest of her?”

Luna shook her head at that.  “After I warded Dodge Junction against The Sandman's very... unique magical signature, I gathered The Knight's pieces and placed them in a crate,” Luna said, gesturing towards the sapient headgear.  “The pieces seem to be warded against many schools of magic, including conjuration, so they could not be as easily moved as the helmet was.  They are currently on a train, bound for Canterlot, and are guarded by some of my best Lunar Guards.”

Twilight smiled at that, then turned towards the helmet.  “I'm glad you weren't completely destroyed, we could definitely use more good champions like yourself,” she said with a nod.

“Um... you not supposed to know I champion.  How you know I champion?” The Knight asked, a little confused at what was happening.

“I would like to know that as well.  What happened, Tia?”  Princess Luna asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Something unprecedented since this whole messy business began,” Celestia said, motioning for her sister to follow her to the next room.

Luna did as directed, until she was led to an observation room through which she could see a hospital bed.  Upon the hospital bed lay an odd creature who bore a striking resemblance to a dragon in its late teen years.  However, upon closer inspection, Princess Luna could tell that it wasn't a dragon, since its wings had yet to grow in.

“Is that... another one of those things?” Luna asked carefully.

“Yes, he surrendered to us,” Celestia answered.

“What?” Luna asked, turning quickly to face her sister.

“It's true,” Twilight assured The Night Princess.  “Not only has he surrendered to us, but he has agreed to tell us everything he knows!”

“What has he said?”  Princess Luna asked quickly.

“He is apparently something called a 'human.'  Or, at least, he was,”  Celestia said with a frown.

“I have never heard of such a creature,”  Luna said as she gazed at the reptile.

“I would have been surprised if you had,” Celestia said.  She then began to relate to her sister everything she had learned from the strange lizard, all while The Knight listened from the other room with growing apprehension.


*	*	*


The Herald just grinned at Desolation, his face positively beaming with smugness.

“I don't know why you're so happy.  Your piece has been captured by the neutrals, and mine got away,” Desolation said with a frown.

“Yes, but those aren't neutrals anymore.  Sure, they might not be under the guidance of any patron, but they know about the game, now.  And that is helpful for my strategy,”  The Herald said smugly.

Desolation took another look at the board, a questioning look in his eyes.  “I don't see how this will help you.  Your piece can't tell them anything they don't already know.”

“Yes, but now, because they know about the contest, she can ally herself with them,” Fate pointed out.  “In fact, as soon as the other opposition players notice that not just one, but two other players have allied themselves with the neutrals, there will be more.”

“And I suppose you would join them as well?” Gorthok asked Fate.

Fate scratched underneath his chin a bit at this.  “Now, why would I tell you what I'm planning on doing?”

Gorthok sat back at that, grumbling a little bit.  “Good point.”

Desolation just frowned, however.  “I still don't see how this helps you.  Your piece was nearly destroyed in that encounter, while The Lady's is still recovering from having most of his soul torn from his body, then returned.  It will take some time before the other interfering pieces will notice anything different.  Also, if this was your plan from the beginning, why did you instruct your piece not to be captured?”

"I told her not to be captured, because at the time, The Lunar Princess did not know any of what The Lady's piece had told her sister.  It would have technically been against the rules, and my piece would have been banned from the game,"  The Herald told the desert god.  “As for how it helps me, well, you'll just have to see what the future holds, now won't you?”

Desolation just shook his head at that, frustration clear on his face.  “I'm never going to understand how you think.”

“And that is why you will lose,” The Herald said with a smile.
> I Have a Talking Helmet Now.  Talking Helmets Are Cool.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

         Despite what narrative rule would have you believe, you don't always wake up with a sudden start. Sometimes, you wake up quite peacefully. Other times, you wake up like a yo-yo, constantly passing in and out of consciousness until your brain just can't take any more crap and decides to be 'up'.

        This was firmly the former. Not sure why though, as I still had plenty left over on my metaphorical plate, and I should have been a freaking wreck. However, I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth; if my brain wanted to award me with a good night's sleep, I was all over that.

        But that didn't make me feel any better about myself when I actually did wake up, though.

        With a wide yawn, I sat up and stretched, taking a second to glance around at my new surroundings. The last thing I remembered was being slung over Celestia's back like a sack of potatoes and arguing with her over... heroes? Or maybe it was bean curds, I dunno.

        At any rate, I distinctly remember her telling me that I needed my rest, so she must have taken me someplace to ensure that that happened. The room looked like one of those hospital rooms back during World War II, though this one was considerably smaller, and obviously only made to house one occupant.

        As I examined the room, though, I quickly noticed a feature that never appeared in any of the World War II fics that I had watched, one that instantly set off alarm bells in my head.

        Slowly, I got up to approach the black pane of glass, though this act quickly made me realize that my clothes had been removed sometime during my sleep and had been replaced with a green hospital smock. A quick glance around the room allowed me to locate them, which I noticed had been freshly laundered and repaired. Which was good, since miss crazy had put quite a few holes in them when she had tossed me around like a rag doll.

        “Hello?” I asked cautiously as I quickly got dressed. It was a little more difficult than I thought it'd be, since I not only had an additional limb, but also a cast covering one of my legs. It didn't take me too long to figure out, though, since my tail still seemed to be quite obedient to my control, despite the fact that moving the darn thing still freaked me out quite a bit.

        After I got dressed, I got up and limped to the door next to the glass. Since no one had popped out of the woodworks, I figured that I would just make my own way out, seeing as how there was nothing interesting going on around here.

        Now, conventional logic would dictate that the door should have been locked, based purely on cop shows, or science-gone-wrong movies. These ponies have shown that they trusted me, though, seeing as how they had left my weapons in the same room with me at the hospital. They didn't do that this time, but that didn't stop me from reaching out and checking the door.

        Sure enough, the door easily swung open, allowing me into the observation room beyond. This was empty too, though that didn't surprise me since no one came when I first woke up. However, what did surprise me was the empty lab on the other side of the exit door.

        Well, maybe empty was too strong of a word for the lab's current state:  It clearly had all the fixings for a fully functional lab, but only if that lab belonged to a mad scientist or wizard, if the obvious magic circles were any indication of that kind of thing. What I meant when I said it was empty was that it was completely devoid of any living thing besides me.

        As you can imagine, this confused me to no end, especially since my gear was all here, as if they were just waiting for me to show up. I wasn't going to pick them up at first, but I thought better about it when I noticed that The Mistress's dagger was here as well, briefly reminding me of what I faced. I might be guilty of some terrible things, but the psychos running amok had absolutely no qualms about murdering anything that got in their way, and that alone was reason enough for me to belt my sword around my waist again.

        I started to make my way out of the room after equipping myself, but stopped when I heard a voice come from the presumed empty room.

        “Why are you here?” a Russian female voice asked.

        Now, I don't know if this is stereotyping, or racist, or whatever you want to call it, but I've always found the Russian accent on a girl really, really attractive. I don't even know why that is, all I know is that it sends shivers up my spine and lodges itself into my brain, rooting itself there and forcing me to take notice of whomever is speaking in it.

        Despite this, though, it still freaked me the heck out hearing her voice in a seemingly empty room, causing me to spin around and try to locate its source. “Who said that?” I said as I slung my spear into my hands.

        “Relax, can't hurt now, not good fight,” the voice said from somewhere near the table with the dented helmet.

        “Well, forgive me for not believing you. The last two 'surprises' I've met nearly killed me,” I said as I tightened my grip on my spear and slowly edged forward.

        “I know, happen me too. Which is why I wonder, what you plan? You must have reason for breaking rules, otherwise you not do so. Breaking rules get you killed,” the voice said in a thoughtful tone of voice.

        “Um… what rules?” I asked as I moved closer. “No one told me there were rules. Probably would have broken them anyway, but still...”

        “No one tell rules?” the voice asked, a bit surprised at what I had said. “Come, we both champions, you not have to lie to me, like you did pony princesses.”

        “No, I really don't know what your talking about. The person that sent me here literally dropped me here without telling me anything,” I said, but then paused as a thought came to me. “Well, maybe not anything. She did tell me that I was supposed to serve as her champion, and that I wasn't going as myself. But that's it, I swear!”

        The voice fell silent at that, almost as if she were contemplating what I had said. “Well, if you're telling the truth, then I can't really tell you any more, because that might be breaking the rules,” she said in a whisper.

        “Look, would you just come out in the open already? I'm really hating talking to someone I can't see, it makes me feel like I'm going crazy,” I told her impatiently.

        “That makes two of us. But I can't, not now. Now, ponies need you,” she said. She then  paused for a bit, as if contemplating what to say next, before speaking again. “I do not know details, but something happen that drew away princesses and their unicorn aid.  It is why no one but me is here to greet you.  I would help if could, but…”

        “But what?” I asked as I raised an eyebrow ridge at her approximate location. “Are you out of juice or something?”

        “No, my body is somewhere else,” she said.

        “So, what, are you a ghost or something?” I asked nervously.

        “No, I am helmet.”

        This caused me to jump back in alarm, only for me to scoop up the helmet a second later as a look of pure wonder crossed my face. “Cool… you're just like Alphonse...” I said as I carefully examined her.

        “Do you mind?” she asked indignantly.

        “Oh, sorry,” I said as I quickly set her down again.  “How did you get like that?  And where is your body?”

        “I ran afoul Sandman while helping Luna, but that not important.  You need to go, help them, before is too late. Guard say something about several attacks when he arrive. Princesses run off, and I fear not able to take on by themselves.”

        I thought about that for a second, then tilted my head to the side as I studied her. “Several attacks at the same time? That doesn't sit right with me, especially since it’s happening right after the last couple of attacks.”

        “I concur.  I would help, but sadly- Hey! what are you doing!?” she exclaimed as I picked her up again.

        “You might not be able to help me in any physical sense,” I answered as I searched through the drawers and tables in front of me for some string.  Upon finding some, I began to attach her to my belt.  “But you’ve been at this far longer than I have.  If I’m going to fight another one of those things, I’m going to want a little advice.”

        “W-Why do you even trust me enough to give decent advice?  I could betray you!”

        I heard what she said, but ignored her at first, choosing to instead concentrate on finishing my knot.  “You could, but I know you won't.”

        “How can you be certain?”

        “First off, a traitor would never openly suggest that he might betray another,” I told her as I made my way to the door out of the lab.  “Secondly, if you betray me from where you are, you’ll get hit in the crossfire.”

        She seemed to think about this for a bit, then sigh in defeat.  “I suppose you’re right.  But please, be careful.  You’re fighting for both of us now.”

        “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing… I think…” I said as I opened the door and exited the room.

        “Your confidence is very reassuring.”


*        *        *


        The castle and city of Canterlot jutted out of the side of a mountain.  This was a well established fact that everypony who was a citizen of Equestria knew, as well as many who weren’t knew as well.

        However, most did not even think about what this fact implied, mainly because of how very little actual combat the Equestrians saw.  At least, that was the case, up until about a year ago, when Princess Mi Amore Cadenza married the Captain of the Guard, Shining Armor.

        What most people did not understand or remember was that Canterlot Castle was a fortress.  From the ground, there really was only one avenue of attack:  through the train tunnels that were the only method of actually entering the city from the ground.

That way was suicide, though, simply because of the narrowness of the tunnels and the fact that they could easily be collapsed to prevent invasion.  A smart attacker would come from the air, but still would find quite a few problems with that strategy.  For starters, they would have to contend with the city’s nigh impregnable shield, produced by Captain Armor or, since his departure to help rule the Crystal Empire, one of the Solar Diarch.

        This was the main reason why the city of Canterlot had such a small garrison in the past.  Even after receiving some… disturbing intel on an imminent invasion during the royal wedding, the Diarch had only seen fit to double the guard in Canterlot, and spread their remaining forces across Equestria in an attempt to protect their ponies from whatever dark forces were threatening their lands.

        While doubling the guard sounds impressive, it really isn’t once you consider the fact that the previous garrison was only one hundred strong.  Two hundred guards was enough to easily repel most invasion forces, so long as the shield around Canterlot remained intact.

        However, due to the events of the wedding, The Solar Diarch as well as the upper echelon of the Equestrian Military seriously reviewed their defenses, and found them lacking.  Equestria was just too large for a military of their size to patrol and defend.  Due to the long, thousand year peace, Equestria’s military had become lax.  Their numbers had significantly dropped, and their training was not up to par for what was widely considered to be one of the strongest nations in all of Equis.  The soldiers had become little more than a peacekeeping force, able to handle petty crime, or even a riot, but not a full blown war.

Needless to say, the Changeling coup had opened their eyes.  Recruitment was now at an all time high, training for new guards had undergone a serious overhaul, and all levels of the guard had been weeded for corruption and laziness.  Everypony underwent the new training as well, not to mention that the few guards that had shown bravery during the invasion had been promoted to positions where they could do the greatest good.

        Despite all of their preparations, however, Lieutenant Feather couldn’t help but feel completely unprepared as she watched the robed, emaciated, minotaur-like thing exit the train tunnel, its arms folded in front of it, and its face shadowed by the hood it wore.

        To call it a minotaur would have been a gross inaccuracy, however, since the only trait it seemed to share with that proud people was the fact that it was bipedal.  It had no horns, and it was far too scrawny to pass for even an emaciated minotaur.

        “That’s as far as you go, stranger!” Lieutenant Feather ordered as she and her troops aimed their weapons at the unassuming figure.  “State your name and business!”

        “...My name, it asks?” the creature drawled.  “Not only that, but it seeks my business.  I have time, though.  They will be busy for many days, so I can play with this one for a spell.”

        “What are you talking about?” Lieutenant Feather demanded.

        “It may call me Orcas, though for how long remains to be seen,” the creature said, ignoring the Solar Guard’s confusion.  “As for why I am here, it may know that I seek the six who used to wield The Elements of Harmony.”

        This instantly set every single guard there on even higher alert.  “Why are you looking for them?  You monsters already took the Elements, what possible reason could you have for taking the Bearers as well?”

        Orcas just tilted his head to the side, almost as if he were curious at Lieutenant Feather’s question.  “It assumes that I, not The Thief, took the Elements.  No, Thief owns the gems, I seek those that command their power.  If I have them, they will reveal where Thief hid them, and in turn, I might take them from him.”

        “Well, you can’t see the Bearers right now.  Maybe if you make an appointment, we can put you in for ‘never’,” Lieutenant Feather said blandly as her tail whipped back and forth.

        “It presumes too much.  I did not request an audience, I have come to take them from it,” the creature said as he raised an arm, his sleeve falling away to reveal a skeletal hand wreathed in black flames.

        In that instant, all the ponies present fired their weapons.  Arrows, crossbow bolts, spears, javelins and spell blasts all streaked towards the skeletal figure, their intent clear in making sure that the stranger could never make threats like that again.

None of them reached their intended target, however.  As the wall of death came lancing from the walls that the defenders stood upon, a wave of horrors surged out of the tunnel, quickly moving to shield the hooded figure from the pony’s ammunition.

        Lieutenant Feather gasped in shock at what he was seeing.  The abominations that surrounded the stranger were ponies, albeit in various stages of decay and rot.  Many were nothing but skeletons, their eye sockets glowing with an unholy flame as they stared hatefully at the defenders.  Those that still had flesh on their bones had a different look in their eyes, one of ravenous hunger that could not be sated.

        Many of the monstrosities fell from the sheer amount of fire that had been sent their way, but there were still more right behind them, charging at the defensive walls of the train station as they let out unholy screams of rage.  A few of the guards stationed at the wall turned and ran at that point, though far more bravely held their posts against the swarms of the undead.

        “Blow the charges!” Lieutenant Feather ordered as she charged her horn for another strike.

        “But ma’am, won’t that-”

        “You blow those charges now, or we’ll be overrun!”  Lieutenant Feather screamed as wave after wave of undead ponies poured from the tunnel.  Many fell to the arrows and spells of the defenders, but still more came, piling themselves up against the walls of the train station as they made a macabre ramp to allow access to the city beyond.

Without another word of protest, Sergeant Fire closed his eyes and lit his horn.  Instantly the entire mountainside shook, and a blast of stone, dust and rotten body parts shot from the opening of the tunnel as the entire thing collapsed on Orcas’s minions.

This didn’t seem to faze the remaining undead, however, as they just continued to blindly charge the walls, completely oblivious that they had been cut off from their reinforcements.  They were quickly swept from the area, leaving the area oddly quiet after the pitched battle.  Lieutenant Feather looked over the kill zone for any sign of the strange monster that had attacked them, but could not spot the robed figure, either among the fallen, or still standing.

“Did… did we get him?”  Sergeant Fire asked after a little bit of a breather.

“I don’t think so, sergeant,” Lieutenant Feather said after a few seconds.  “I want Pegasus patrols to sweep the entire mountain, as well as tighter security throughout the city.”

“But lieutenant, isn’t it over?  we repelled them…” Sergeant Fire asked uneasily.

“Sergeant, while the only other way up the mountain is dangerous to even the most careful of climbers, this is the undead we’re talking about here.  They won’t care if they lose some on the way up, all they care about is achieving their objective,” Lieutenant Feather said as she took off her helmet to let her golden mane breath for a little bit.  “This battle isn’t over, not by a long shot.  We have to take out the necromancer responsible for them, or they’ll overwhelm us with sheer numbers.”

“So, we just have to hold out until the Princesses get back?” Sergeant Fire asked hopefully.

Lieutenant Feather gave an uneasy smile at that.  “We can only hope.  Get Captain Star Blaze on the radio, he’ll want to know what happened so he can plan our defense.”

“Ma’am, Princess Celestia took Captain Blaze with her when she went to deal with the monster that called itself the Necroking,” Sergeant Fire reminded her.

Lieutenant Feather struck the wall in front of her at these words.  “Blast, and Captain Dark Seeker is with Princess Luna right now on a similar assignment.  That means that…”

“You’re in charge of our defenses, yes,” the sergeant said with a salute.

“No, it means I’m in charge until reinforcements arrive,” Lieutenant Feather corrected.  “Get on the radio and send out a cry for help.  Any and all troops within range are to get over here to provide relief as soon as possible.  Hopefully some of our reinforcements will have a captain among them...”

“Yes ma’am!” the sergeant said with another salute.


*        *        *


        The Hidden gave a low whistle as he watched the move that The Defiler just made.  “Holy… where on earth did you find that psychopath?”

“Riverview Psychiatric Center.  He’s a smart one.  Clever, calculating, but he had the delightful tendency to want to see how everyone looked like with their insides on the outside,” The Defiler answered.  “He was only caught because one of his intended victims not only didn’t drink her drink, but also was quite skilled in kenpo.”

The Hidden leaned back as he studied the board a little more.  “You really want those Elements, don’t you?” he asked flatly.

“Of course he wants the Elements!” The Storm of Storms answered.  “Defiler’s entire plan revolves around them.  But since your first move was to steal them, he has to come up with an entirely different strategy to get them.”

“Why do you think I went through all of that trouble in the first place?” The Hidden said slowly.  “They may be powerful, but are susceptible to corruption if in the right hands.  The whole point of that move was to ensure that none of you got a chance to use that game-winning move at the start.”

“It doesn’t matter.  I will soon have the location of where you hid those Elements,” The Defiler said as he leaned forward.  “I have spent too much time laying the groundwork for this.  The Princesses will be tied up for days, and the defenders are insufficient to repel my forces for long.  All they have done is to buy themselves a single day of respite.”

“You forget one thing, however,” Fate said as he pointed his cane over to where The Herald and The Lady sat conversing quietly with one another.  “You have to contend with those two if you want to get your hands on the Elements.”

The Defiler just snorted at that, a cloud of toxic vapor billowing from his nostrils.  “A crippled thief and a broken knight?  They won't last two minutes against my horde.”

The Lady just looked up at this, her smile becoming predatory again.  “We will see,” she said as she picked up the dice.

> Zombies Aren't That Scary...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Sergeant Signal Fire cautiously reached out for the bookcase, but stopped when he heard voices on the other side.  While it was true that some of these things didn’t seem evil, it still payed to practice a little bit of caution while around them,  especially if they didn’t think they were being observed.

Sure, this one might be all buddy-buddy with Equestria now, but that was probably because helping the ponies aided its own goal in some way.  If he could figure out what that goal was, however, he could stop whatever nefarious scheme that it was cooking up before it even began.

So, what your power?” a female with a thick, griffianic accent asked.

        “Why spoil the surprise?” a male asked, his voice having a more North Equestrian accent, though it was marred slightly by the elongated way he pronounced his S’s.

        “It would help me advise you if you run into any trouble.”

        “Hmm… Well, I guess you have a-” the male started to say, but stopped when the bookshelf in front of Sergeant Fire suddenly creaked open, not only allowing him to see who was talking, but also allowing them to see him as well.

        “Uh…” Sergeant Fire said intelligently as he took in the lithe, strong form of the teenage dragon-looking thing in front of him.

        Luckily, however, the thing didn’t have its weapons drawn, though that could change in an instant with these things.  Maybe if I back away slowly, it won’t attack?  Sergeant Fire thought to himself, completely forgetting his orders and what he had come here to do in the first place.

Before he could begin to move, however, the weird lizard-thing’s face broke out into a toothy, unsettling smile.  “Oh hi!  How are you doing today?  Was this your secret lab hidden behind a bookcase?” the creature asked curiously.  “Well, I didn’t really mean to intrude, so if you don’t mind, I really have to be going,” it said in a rush as it nervously edged around Sergeant Fire.

At first, Sergeant Fire couldn’t quite believe what was happening.  Not only was he going to survive a meeting with one of these… things, but on top of that, it seemed scared of him?  Why on earth- Sergeant Fire thought to himself, but stopped when he suddenly remembered his orders.

“W-Wait!  Sir!” Sergeant Fire managed to sputter out right as the lizard disappeared.  “Don’t leave!”

For about three minutes Sergeant Fire just stood there, hoping that the thing had actually heeded him before scampering off, until finally he just sighed and hung his head.  “What am I going to tell the Lieutenant?” he wondered out loud.

“Err… sorry, I didn’t realize I had turned invisible, my bad,” the lizard said as it slowly faded back into view.

“Wait, that is why he was just standing there?  I thought he was at loss of words or something…” the female said, though where her voice came from completely confused Sergeant Fire.

“Did your belt just talk?” Fire asked.

The lizard just looked at its belt at that, then back up at the  confused sergeant.  “Just… ignore that.  Sorry for almost running out on you, though.  I came out of that room, saw you, and my brain immediately forgot where I was and went into ‘get the heck outta dodge’ mode,” the lizard said with a nervous laugh.  “So, you had something you wanted to tell me?  Oh, and where is Celestia? she and I have to talk.”

"Princess Celestia could not be here.  There were simultaneous attacks on both Manehattan and Vanhoover, and both her and her sister left to handle the situation,” the sergeant said stiffly, not liking how the impertinent creature in front of him was talking about the Princess in such a familiar way.  “That is actually why I am here.”

“What, are they in trouble?” the lizard asked quickly.

“No, but we are.  Walk with me, I’ll explain on the way,” the sergeant said, beckoning the lizard with his hoof.

The (possibly) friendly monster thought about this for a second, but did not raise any objections as he fell in step behind the sergeant.  “So, what’s happened?”

“It all started when a strange, skeletal biped came out of the train tunnels…”


*        *        *


        “Nothing from the mountainside patrols, ma’am,”

        “Thank you, private.  Any news from the scouts we sent to the nearest tunnel opening?”

        “Yes ma’am.  There is a large concentration of hostiles attempting to excavate the tunnels.  With how fast they seem to be working, Corporal Hoof thinks they’ll have gotten through in a day.”

        “Blast, and The Moon’s Ascent won’t be here for a day and a half.  Corporal!  Any news from the Princesses!” Lieutenant Feather shouted.

        “Yes ma’am, both high captains have reported in, and have told us we can’t expect the Princess’s intervention for at least another two days,” the corporal said, putting down the receiver for the radio.  “Apparently these, ‘Necrokings,’ were carrying some kind of virus that has infected the local populous.  The beasts themselves were easily overtaken, but the ponies of those cities have fallen ill in a very short time.  They’re trying to contain and cure the plague, but they said that it will take some time.”

        “So we’re on our own, then,” Lieutenant Feather said with a huff.

        “Ma’am-” a nearby sergeant started to say, but was waved quiet by the lieutenant.

        “I was including him in my statement, Crush.  I know that our superiors ordered us to get his help in this, but I’m not sure how much help he’ll be, especially since how he was wounded in his last battle.  On top of that, there’s no guarantee that he’ll actually help,” Lieutenant Feather said with a sigh.  “Even the friendly ones have been nothing but skittish, only showing up for a few minutes, then disappearing, sometimes before the battle has even finished.  In fact, there is a pretty good chance that-”

        “That’s not what I was going to say, ma’am.  What I was going to say was that Fire’s back, and he brought you a present,” the sergeant said, pointing towards the doorway of the barracks.

        Lieutenant Feather whipped around, instantly spotting the lizard that Celestia had brought back to Canterlot four days ago.  He was standing in the barracks entryway, a smug smile on his muzzle, and a saluting Sergeant Fire next to him.  “Ma’am, the ‘asset’, as ordered,” Fire said smartly.

        “Thank you sergeant,” Lieutenant Feather said as she cantered up to the strange, lizard-like creature.  “I apologize for what I said earlier, I-”

        “Don’t even worry about it,” the creature said with a wave of his claw.  “I’d actually be worried if you just took everything I had to offer at face value.”

        This stunned Lieutenant Feather for a bit.  “You’re… not worried that we…?”

        “Suspect that I’ll run?  Suspect me of treachery?” the lizard said with a smile.  “Not in the slightest.”

        “But… why?”

        The lizard sauntered past the lieutenant at that point, his arms folded behind his back as a thoughtful look crossed his face.  “Where I come from, anyone with power is subject to a huge amount of distrust.  We always fear that that one person will go nuts one day, or begin to abuse their power.  We write whole stories centered on the concept, and have fought whole wars against those that did abuse their power.”

        Lieutenant Feather took a step back at that.  “Why are you telling me all of this?”  she asked suspiciously.

        “Because,” he said as he turned around to face her.  “I want you to know why I’m helping you.  Why you know that you can count on me.  More importantly, however, I want you to know how you can take me down, if needed,” the lizard said slowly.

        “Wait, what?”  a female voice asked, seemingly coming from the helmet strapped to the lizard’s belt.

        “What was that?” Feather asked as she eyed the helmet suspiciously.

        “That’s not important right now, nor is this the time to be teaching you the best way to end me,” the lizard said, turning back to the table and looking down at the map it held.  “Something like that would take training regimens, classes, the whole nine yards.  From what your sergeant said, though, we only have about a day, and have more pressing issues than me at the moment.”

        “Ehem, yes, you’re quite right.  Now..." she started to say, but trailed off as something occured to her.  "I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.  My name is Lieutenant Angel Feather.”

        “My name’s Ammon, though I really should get a code name for this kind of thing…” Ammon said as he scratched the underside of his muzzle.  “Anyway, what kind of undead are we dealing with?  The sergeant only told me ‘the undead,’ and left it at that.”

        “We’ve got skeletons and zombies, but a lot of them.  You’re awfully calm about all of this…”

        “Well, I can’t really claim experience, but to be honest, I really have no fear of the rank and file undead,” Ammon said with a shrug.  “Their only trick is overwhelming numbers, and usually that means they need about fifty to a hundred of them for each one of us, depending on how fast they are.”

        “They’re a bit slower than living ponies, but-”

        Before Lieutenant Feather could finish her statement, though, she was interrupted as Ammon waved his claws at her.  “Wait, back up there; they’re slower than ponies?  Does that mean they are ponies?”

        “I believe ‘were’ would be the correct term, but-” one of the sergeants interjected, but was interrupted again by Ammon.

        “Do they have your abilities?” he asked quickly.  “I know that some of you can fly, but I really don’t know anything else that they might-”

        “They do not, thank goodness.  No flyers, no weather control, no strength, and no magic,” the sergeant interrupted back.

        Instead of setting him at ease, however, Ammon just became more worried.  “This is worse than I thought…” he said with a frown.

        “What?  We just have to hold out for a day, and-” the lieutenant started to say, but was stopped in her tracks by Ammon’s next words.

        “Where are the predators?”

        “I’m sorry?”

        “The predators.  Even if the zombies were human, they still wouldn’t last very long against you guys,” Ammon said thoughtfully.

        “Uh, what’s a ‘huu-maan?’” Sergeant Fire asked, completely lost by the direction that the conversation had taken.

        Ammon ignored him, however, in favor of continuing his line of thought.  “Ponies would make terrible zombies, especially if they didn’t have their natural abilities.  You’re basically left with a herbivore that craves flesh.”

At this, several of the present ponies shivered in fear, but were stopped when Ammon slammed his claw against the table in front of him.  “Don’t you see? That’s nothing to be afraid of.  A herbivore isn’t made to eat flesh.  Their teeth are the wrong shape, lacking any sort of tearing or cutting power.  The best they can do is bludgeon you to death with their hooves, and those won’t be nearly as effective.”

        “So, it’s a distraction?” the griffianic voice from earlier spoke again, causing Lieutenant Feather to glance down at the helmet that Ammon had strapped at his belt.

        “Precisely.  This, ‘Orcas,’ wants your attention here, so that he can move on somewhere else unmolested.  Lieutenant, how many other ways into the city are there?”  Ammon asked, looking up at the lieutenant.

        “There is only one other way up, and that is by scaling the mountain,” the lieutenant answered confidently.  “He must be trying to tie down our forces here, so that he can attack our other cities.”

        “Um, that’s not quite true, ma’am,” the corporal at the radio piped up.  “There is another way, though it would be time consuming and dangerous...”

        “Dude, these are zombies.  They really don’t care about their own safety,” Ammon said flatly.

        “That would be impossible, though, corporal.  We had those mines sealed off after the invasion,” Lieutenant Feather said dismissively.

        "Dude.  Zombies.  They really don’t care about what kind of effort is required to do something.  They’ll dig up your seal, no matter what you put down there to stop them,” Ammon said firmly.

        At this, the lieutenant glanced around, then sighed in defeat.  “Well, I suppose that they could be trying the old gem mines, but we not only sealed those, but placed a powerful ward to keep out unwanted guests,” she said, a bit exasperated that Ammon didn’t believe her about this.

        “Where’s the original entrance to these mines?” Ammon asked, obviously not caring.

        “It’s in the castle basement.  If you really want to go see for yourself, I can have Sergeant Fire take you,” Feather said with a shrug.  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a siege to defend against, and I really cannot afford these distractions.”

        “Thank you for trusting me this much,” Ammon said with a nod of his head.

        “Oh, don’t get me wrong, I still don’t really trust you,” Lieutenant Feather said as she shot him a piercing stare.  “It’s the Princesses that trust you, and they’ve ordered me to cooperate with you for now.”

        Ammon nodded his head again, then turned to leave, Sergeant Fire close behind him.

        “Ma’am, do you really think this is a good idea?” Sergeant Crush asked nervously as he watched the monster leave.

        “No, I don’t, but at this point I really don’t see any other option,” Feather said as she turned back to the map.


*        *        *


        I was bluffing.

        Yeah, I know, everything I said seemed to make sense, but I was using knowledge and information that I learned from video games.  There was absolutely no guarantee that zombies here acted like the ones from Dead Rising, or even had the same abilities.  For all I knew, the zombies here had laser chainsaws as arms and were hyper intelligent tacticians.

        I highly doubted that, but here’s the rub:  I still knew next to nothing about the rules and laws of physics that determined how this universe acted.  It was probable that it acted similarly to how my home universe did, but the addition of magic threw all of that out the window.

        What?  I’m a physicist.  Well, physicist in training, really.  I like to have logical explanations for things, as well as explanations for unknown phenomena.  So far, my best explanation for all of this was Multiple Universe Theory:  if you can imagine it, there is probably a universe out there that is exactly as you imagined.

        Well, it was either that, or this was all a coma dream.  Or I was dead, and this was Hell.

        Anyway, that’s a little off topic.  My point was that there were far too many unknowns, and only one thing I really did know:  These ponies were scared.

These were supposed to be soldiers, too; Hardened, trained, and ready for this kind of stuff.  Thing is, even though they were really good at hiding it, I could still see it in their eyes:  They really didn’t think that they’d be able to survive the night.  With that kind of attitude, it was probable that they wouldn’t.  What they needed was a hero.

Unfortunately, all they had was me.

That was the reason for my cool, collected demeanor; why I was heading straight for a place that, knowing my luck, was probably where the enemy was going to come in from; and most importantly, why I wasn’t flipping my lid.

Even if they didn’t trust me, they still needed me to be calm and collected, to act as if I knew what I was doing.  Otherwise, I could very well cause a panic that would lose us this battle, and that was the last thing I wanted.

        “So, how long have you been a soldier?” I asked as the sergeant led me down a staircase, all while being followed by the wary eyes of the other soldiers and servants that populated this part of the castle.

        “What?” Fire asked, looking up in surprise.

        “How long have you been a soldier?” I asked again.

        “I’m not sure how that’s important, sir,” the sergeant asked, a bit confused at where I was going with this.

        “It may not be important to the situation, but that’s not why I’m asking.  I’m asking because I want to get to know you,” I explained.

        “I’m just a soldier, sir, I’m not important,” the sergeant said with a shrug.

        “Huh, strange,” I said, after a bit of thought.

        “What?”

        “Well, no matter where I’ve gone, and who I’ve talked to, I’m pretty sure you’re the first person I’ve ever met who was not important,” I said, a mischievous grin on my face.  “That must make you pretty important, huh?”

        He looked at me oddly at that, but just shrugged to himself.  “I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”

        “I mean that- wait, do you hear that?” I asked, stopping in my tracks.

        The guard stopped as well, turning his ears to the sound up ahead.

        “I really don’t think we should be down here,” a child said quietly somewhere up ahead.  This immediately caused both of us to relax, though Sergeant Fire rolled his eyes and adopted a put upon expression, despite his more relaxed frame.

        “Well, it ain’t my fault that this darn place is so huge!” another child said.

        “Now are you going to let me lead?  I know this place like the back of my claw, you know.  I could get you back to your sisters in no time…” a third voice, this one male, said dryly.

“You really had me going there for a second,” Fire said, slapping me lightly with his hoof.  “I thought it was the undead coming up through the basement, or something.”

        “I’m still serious about that,” I said as I strode past him to where the sound had come from.  I then reached out and grabbed the handle for what appeared to be a pantry door.  “Ahah!”  I said loudly, scaring the living crap out of three small foals and what appeared to be a purple and green anthropomorphic lizard.

        The four were huddled in the back of the pantry, all shaking as they looked up at me with abject fear.  “Is… is that one of them?” the cream colored one squeaked out pitifully.

Without a second thought, the purple lizard jumped forward, thrusting out his chest while trying to make himself look as large as possible.  “Go, girls!  I’ll distract him, you run for help!”

        “Uh, Spike?  It’s blocking the doorway…” the orange one said quietly.

        “Besides, don’t you remember what that one did to Big Mac?” the tan one with the ribbon said in barely more than a whisper.  “He’d catch us all afore we made two steps!”

        At that point, I kneeled down until I was level with the small, brave lizard.  “Look kid,” I said with a warm smile.  “As admirable as it is to protect your friends like that, you need to have more of a plan than that.  You’re small, so your claws and teeth really aren’t going to be that effective.  Your best bet would have been to grab that saucepan over there and slammed it on my foot,” I said, pointing at the pan in question.  “Then, while I was howling in pain, you and your friends could have made a break for it.”

        The four looked up at me in confusion at that.  “What?” Spike said.

        “Are you done scaring children?” Sergeant Fire said impatiently behind me.  “Because we have a siege to plan for, and you wasting time isn’t going to help us lift it.”

        “Yeah, I’m coming.  You kids get out of here, okay?  It’s not going to be safe down here in the basement for much longer,” I said as I stood up.  “Lead the way, sergeant!”

        As the two of us walked away, I caught the tail end of their conversation.  “What... what just happened?”

        “I don’t know… maybe some are good?”

        “I don’t trust ‘em, especially not after what his kind did to Ponyville…”

        “What was that all about?” Sergeant Fire demanded as we walked away, his expression stern and demanding.

        “Just trying to spread some hope,” I said as the youths’ voices went beyond my hearing range.

        The sergeant gave me a steady, piercing glare at that.  “I hope you realize that I was this close to removing your head when you pulled that stunt?”

        “I would have thought less of you had you not,” I said with a grin.

        We walked the rest of the way in silence after that, allowing me to take in the architecture of this place a bit better.  The ponies seemed to like their open, columned designs, as well as their liberal use of day and night motiffs.  The walls themselves were made of some kind of white stone, with a splash of purple here or there to break the monotony.  Every so often the hall we were walking down sported a pair of wall sconces on either side of us, each holding a glowing gemstone of some kind, allowing us light despite the lack of any windows.

“So, how much further until we reach these caves?” I asked, awkwardly trying to break the silence that had fallen.

“We’re here,” he said as we turned a corner, revealing nothing more than what appeared to be another pantry door.

A pantry that just so happened to have guards posted by it.

As soon as they saw me they immediately went into defensive postures, but relaxed a bit when they saw that I had a sergeant with me.  “Uh, this just looks like a-” I started to say, but was interrupted by the sergeant.

“The castle was originally built over the mines.  When the Changeling Queen invaded, she tunneled up into our pantry to infiltrate us before Captain Armor managed to erect his barrier,” Sergeant Fire explained.  “We think she was intending on bringing her army up through here, but was unable to since the only other opening to the mines were behind the shield.”

“...I got most of that, but the events that you referenced mean nothing to me,” I said flatly.

“Just do your little inspection and get on with it,” the sergeant said with a grunt.

I nodded at that, then stepped towards the door.  The two guards flanking the door tensed up, but otherwise did nothing to stop me as I reached out for the door.

“Sir, is this really such a good idea?” one of them whispered.

“I don’t think so, but the Princesses both ordered us to trust it.  I trust them, so that is enough for me,” Fire responded.

        I barely registered what they said, however, as I inspected the room in front of me.  It was empty, though it clearly had been some kind of storage room, if the empty shelves and the odd, empty barrel ware any indication.  The reason it was so empty, however, was the extremely sturdy-looking hatch, over which I could see an intricately laid magic circle.

        “So, this is the seal?” I asked as I stepped closer, my claw reaching for the hatch’s latch.

        “I wouldn’t do that!  It’s-” Sergeant Fire started to say, but stopped when my claw made contact with the cold, hard metal.

        …

        “Was something supposed to happen?” I asked curiously.

        “Private! Run! go tell Lieutenant Feather that the seal to the mines has been compromised!” Sergeant Fire yelled, shoving the poor private back the way that we had come.

        “I hate it when I’m right,” I said as I pulled my spear free and took a defensive stance in front of the hatch.


*        *        *


        “Greetings, everyone!” The Huntress called out, her voice like a spring breeze in a mountain meadow.

As pleasant as her voice was, however, many of the players at the table groaned at her arrival.  “I was beginning to hope she would be sitting this one out,” The Deceiver whispered to The Devourer as The Huntress danced to the table where the map was laid out.

“I am sorry that I am late my friends, but I was busy winning another game, and we all know how persistent Pestilence can be,” she said as she flashed them all a winning smile.  “So, where are we playing then?”

“NO!” Civilization shouted as he stood up and grabbed his piece from the board.  “I will not play you!  Not here!”

“Oh, come on, You cannot really be giving up with my mere presence!  Just stay, see things out...”

“You always go after me first,” Civilization said sharply. “The last time we played, that beast of yours ate my champion without provocation!”

“He was destroying habitat that belonged to my worshipers,” Huntress replied matter-of-factually.

Civilization just stared at her for a moment, trying desperately to keep it all in.   Unfortunately, he did not possess that level of self control.  “He was building a hospital!” he shouted at her, his glasses slipping a bit down his nose.  “He excavated that field to build a hospital!  It's not my fault your worshipers aren't sapient!  Despite this fact, though, you still unleash hell on anyone who dares to disrupt even the tiniest rat warren!”

He took a few deep breaths at that, clearly trying to calm down.  “We’re too opposed.  My engineer is not strong enough to face every horror you have created.  Perhaps if I had chosen my soldier, or my hunter, or even my voyager, I might have stood a chance.  But as things stand, I cannot hope to last even twenty minutes against you,” he said, sighing in defeat.  “I'm tired of losing promising champions to your hunters. Now, good day.”

“Well that was unpleasant,” the Huntress said as she watched Civilization leave.  She then turned back to the board, an eager smile on her face.  “So, like I asked earlier, where are we playing?”

“Equis.  I cannot say that I am happy about you joining,” the Defilier said, toxic vapor pouring out of his nose in agitation.  “But I doubt you can stop my plans now.  I am too deeply entrenched, and my forces are too numerous, even for you.”

The Huntress just smiled at that. Many had learned to fear that predatory grin.

Not all were upset at her arrival, however.  The Lover, Fate, and The Storm of Storms in particular were all openly elated with her presence.  The Lady just wore her trademark pokerface, while the rest were either groaning or rubbing their various grasping appendages together in anticipation.  The Huntress ignored them, however, in favor of looking over the board.  “Well, it is pretty late in the game, and my chances of winning are pretty slim.  But then again, since when have I ever let that stop me?” she said with a laugh. “Ah… So, What's the power level?”

“Eleven,” Fate answered with a grin. “Who will the great Huntress use? The Pathfinder? The Matriarch? Perhaps one of those new snipers you have been bragging about?”

The Huntress just shook her head at this.  “Kiraia is level thirteen, so no I will not be using my pathfinder,” she said thoughtfully.  “The matriarch isn't the right piece for this game; too much combat.” She tilted her head as she pondered.  “Lucescu won my previous game, but that was his first, and the other sniper is still inexperienced.”  An evil grin grew across her face.  “I think I will use my Apex Predator, The Alpha.”

The Defiler slammed his claws on the table at that, rage clear on his face.  “That beast is far too overpowered for this level of play, and should be barred from this!” he said, glancing around for support.

Silence followed this statement, until finally Fate spoke up with an awkward cough.  “Technically, the Alpha is level ten, and therefore legal to play.”

The Defiler shook his head in frustration.  “That is why it is overpowered. That thing killed my level twelve last game.”

“Power level is not everything,” The Huntress responded. “With enough knowledge, I could have killed your last champion with a level two.”

“Regardless, your objection to the use of The Alpha has no ground to stand on.” Fate said, rapping his cane against the floor.  The Defiler stayed quiet at this pronouncement, easily seeing that he was going to be overruled in this.  Fate then turned to The Huntress, his face completely neutral.  “Where will you put your Apex Predator?”

The Huntress studied the map extensively.  It was a critical move, one that could easily make or break the game for her.

“Here,” she said, placing her piece on the board.  Everyone recoiled in shock at this.

“But Huntress,” The Storm of Storms said. “Surely you can see that-”

“Yes,” She answered his unfinished question.

“If you put your champion there, then-”

“I know,” she replied.

“And if-”

“I know,” she said again, picking up the dice.
> Don't You Know it's not Safe to Wander the Streets at Night?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “Crap, sarge, how long do you think it’s been like that?” Private Snow asked uneasily.

        Sergeant Fire just shook his head at that, his eyes locked onto the strange lizard that had found the hole in their security.  “There’s no way of telling.  However, it couldn’t have been too long, since the last time we checked those wards was two weeks ago.”

        Private Snow nodded at that, but stopped when a thought occurred to him.  “Sir, you don’t think that the dragon had something to do with this, do you?” he whispered.

        Sergeant Fire shook his head again.  “No.  I thought about it, but if he did, he wouldn’t have brought it to our attention like this,” he whispered back.

        The two continued to watch the strange creature for quite some time, until finally the creature sighed as it let its arms slump to its sides.  “...I can’t,” it said as it slung its spear onto its back.

        “Excuse me, sir?” Sergeant Fire asked wearily.

        “I can’t wait.  I hate waiting, especially when I’m just waiting for someone to come kill me,” Ammon said, partially turning towards the two ponies.  “Listen, I’m going to scout this out, find out the enemy’s numbers and harass them a bit.  I’ll trust you to organize the defenses properly, okay?”

        “But-” Private Snow started to say, but stopped when he felt his sergeant’s hoof on his shoulder.

        “Knock four times in quick succession to let us know it’s you,” Sergeant Fire said as the lizard opened the hatch.

        “Will do.  Please don’t let the place fall apart,” the lizard said as he jumped into the hole, closing the hatch behind him.

        There was an awkward silence that followed the strange creature’s sudden disappearance, until finally Private Snow cleared his throat.  “Uh, sir, why did you just let it go?”

        “Two reasons, private.  One: The Princesses told us to trust this thing.  Until he turns around and stabs us in the back, that’s just what I’m going to do.”

        “And the second reason, sarge?”

        “Are you honestly going to tell me to tell one of those things what to do without at least a company to back me up?” the sergeant asked pointedly.

        The private thought about that for a second, just staring at the metal hatch, until finally nodding in agreement.  “Good point, sir.”


*        *        *


        I climbed my way to the bottom of the shaft, careful of where I put my claws, in case the entire wall decided to give out on me.  It was dark in here, but luckily for me, my body had a few things in it that didn’t come standard in your average chameleon.

        Namely Darkvision.

        I know that look, and I know what you’re going to say:  ‘Ammon, how on earth did you convince yourself that chameleons could see in the dark?’  Well, I didn’t.  The truth of the matter was that this body I had made when I was eight was something I had created with my brothers.  We had just gotten off of a binge of Saturday morning cartoons, and were so hyped up from a combination of sugar and watching heroes beat up bad guys, that we decided to make our own.

I had decided on a super sneaky lizard thing, but my other brothers had gone with more direct approaches.  Gabriel, for example, had decided to go with the Cheetah, as well as a dual scimitar approach to weapons.  Yeah, you and I both know who he was trying to imitate.

Wilson, on the other hand, had decided to go with the owl.  Not just any owl, either, but an owl mage.  There was this one time when we had decided to turn off the lights of the basement, and explore as if it were a dark cave.  I opted to scout ahead, and Wilson decided it would be best if he ‘enchanted’ me with the ability to see in the dark.

And by ‘enchant,’ I mean he gave me a flashlight.

I didn’t even think of it at the time that I jumped down here, but as the walls around me lost their color the instant the hatch closed, I remembered, and silently thanked, my older brother for having such excellent foresight.

“Please, get light, I cannot see a thing down here,” the helmet at my waist complained.

“That’s okay, I can see just fine.  Besides, the darkness will help us,” I reassured her.

“...You have odd powers.  Why see in dark?  What is powers, anyway?” she asked me quietly.

“I’ll tell you, but you gotta do something for me first,” I told her as I slowly crept forward through the winding tunnels.

“What that?”

“Tell me your name,” I whispered as I came out of a narrow tunnel and onto a ledge over a huge chasm on my left.  To my right, on the other hand, was a large amount of rubble, evidence to an apparent cave in.

The chasm itself went straight down, revealing nothing but inky blackness, as its depth exceeded the range of my darkvision.  I could distantly hear the echoes of a large body of… something, as well as the noisy groans of the undead.  They were still quite a ways off, though, so I felt there was no harm in having a whispered conversation here.

“I am called The Knight of Dawn,” she answered stiffly.

“Aw, come on, you can do better than that.  Give me something real.  I told you my name, the least you could do is tell me yours.”

“No, you tell ponies your name.  Never tell me your name,” she said smugly.

“Aw, you mean I have to guess?” I asked as I lowered myself over the edge of the cliff.  I couldn’t really find any handholds or footholds, but that wasn’t really a problem as my feet adhered themselves to the wall, allowing me to start my descent without any real difficulty.  In fact, I found that this mode of travel almost… relaxing, as if I were meeting with an old friend, rather than dangling over a bottomless pit.

“Well… no, but just pointing out fact,” she said after a few seconds.  “By way, what doing?  movement feel weird, and gravity pulling at odd angles.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I told her as I continued my downward descent, not really wanting to freak her out.  “Anyway, you were going to tell me your name?”

“Izolda.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Izolda.  Do you mind if I call you Izzy?” I said as I reached a particularly tricky part.

“Yes!  All you Americans the same!  Calling me ‘Izzy’, even when I not want to!”

I chuckled softly at that.  “I was kidding, just trying to keep my mind off of what I have to do next,” I told her.

“Wait, what?”

Without another word, I turned myself until I was climbing down the wall head first.  As soon as my head was level with the lip of the cave ceiling below, I reached out and attached my hands to the smooth surface.  For a brief second, I was suspended on the wall by nothing but my feet, but strangely, I was unafraid.  As soon as I had a good grip, I released my feet, swinging myself down to the floor below.

 The whole process took no longer than a couple of seconds, but it completely disoriented me, causing me to fall to my rear as I lost my balance.  Other than that, I was fine.

Izolda, on the other hand…

“Please!  Stop screaming!” I said as I put my claw on her helm.

“What… What was that?” she said after she had had a couple of seconds to calm down.

“Just climbed down a cliff face, last bit was a bit tricky, but we’re fine,” I said calmly.

“Wait, what?” she asked, completely mortified.

“Like I said, it’s okay.  Though, at this point, it would probably be a good idea to find a place to hide,” I said as my eyes started to pick up a hint of color.

“Why?” she asked.

Her question was answered only seconds later, though, as a nearby tunnel began to glow, the sounds of a mass of bodies not far behind.


*        *        *


        Night always seemed like the best time to do some back alley deals.  At least, that’s what Gunter thought.  It seemed cliché, but it was true; Ponies were creatures of the day, needing candles, torches, and magic to make their way through the darkness.  Griffons like Gunter, with their extraordinary eyesight, had no problem seeing by moon and starlight.

It was the only time Gunter could prove his superiority over ponykind.  Only those cursed darkwalker ponies could ever spot him as he skulked through the streets and alleys, but there were so few in Canterlot anymore, and most of them were too busy dealing with other matters to patrol the streets.

He stopped just before he reached his destination:  A small alley near the corner of Star Road and Jewel Street.  It was here that he was to meet his new client.  As quiet as a mouse, Gunter crept forward until he reached the corner, then carefully peeked around to see if the mysterious buyer was there yet.  To his relief, the alley was empty. That wasn’t too surprising.

“You are early,” something whispered behind Gunter. The griffon called out in alarm at that, spinning to see what had been able to sneak up on him.

The creature was tall, taller than a Minotaur in fact, though it was far thinner than any Minotaur he had ever seen.  It stood upright, with its arms dangling at its sides, but other than that, it bore no resemblance to those stubborn cow-folk.  The creature wore a long coat that went down nearly to its strange feet, its skin was pale as the moon, but what really set the creature apart was its face.  Or, rather, its lack of face.

Gunter wasn’t really sure how it spoke, or even breathed, but the lack of a visible face was really unnerving.

“I could say the same for you.” Gunter replied sharply.  It wasn’t the best way to respond to a new client, but he was a little upset.  He always arrived first.  It allowed him to watch clients arrive, giving him a chance to observe them, giving him an edge.  Now, he was at a disadvantage.

“This arrangement takes top priority. Besides, with the city under siege, I have little else to do.”

Gunter recognized a crap answer when he heard one, but it really didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.  “You really know where they are, then?” he asked.  “I imagine a lot of ponies would be eager to shell out for that kind of information.”

“Yes, but it is the information only. I am not delivering the elements, I am just revealing their location.”

Gunter smiled at this. Retrieving them wouldn’t be a problem.  “So what’s your price?” he asked.

The stranger cocked his head at this, almost as if he were puzzled at what Gunter had said.  “The price for knowledge, is knowledge.”

“...Okay… what do you want to know?”

“You claim to know about the thief, Ammon. You claim to know his weaknesses.”

Gunter looked away from the stranger, somewhat surprised that he had found out that little tidbit.  “Well, not entirely.” Even though the stranger had no eyes, Gunter could feel his gaze boring into him.  “He’s promised to teach members of the guard how to defeat him should he ever become a threat!  Since we have someone in the upper echelon, we’ll be able to quickly pick up on everything that makes him tick.  With all that is going on around here, though, he hasn’t been able to make good on his promise.” Gunter threw in the last bit out of desperation.

“Do not claim to have knowledge when it is beyond your grasp,” the creature said, his voice dripping with disappointment.  “My master wants knowledge of Ammon above all else. If you cannot get me what my master wants, than someone else will, and they will receive what you want.  I hope that is cle-”

The stranger’s threat was cut short, however, as a large, dark shadow detached itself from the roof above, landing squarely on the faceless creature’s shoulders.  The creature didn’t even cry out as it collapsed under the weight, the sound of bones breaking filling the otherwise quiet night.  Gunter recoiled in shock as the shadowed, cloaked figure stood from its crouch, a knife in one hand that dripped with the blood of the creature underneath it.

Gunter was frozen in terror as he watched the figure in front of him.  It calmly bent down, and wiped the knife clean on the coat of the dead former client, then turned to look at Gunter.  For a brief moment, that’s all it did, its black hood revealing nothing of the face underneath.

Gunter’s fight or flight response kicked in after taking its dear sweet time.  It was more flight than fight, as always, causing him to turn, his wings spread as he made an attempt to launch himself into the skies.  He was stopped, however, when a strong paw grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the wall.  At this point, as Gunter was pinned against the wall, he could finally make out a few features of the face of the creature that was holding him.

However, in his fear addled state, all he could really make out was fur, teeth, and a pair of piercing, golden eyes.  In fact, those eyes captivated him, forcing him to look into their glare.  Inside those eyes was the spark of intelligence, though it was clouded over by something else.  Something ferocious and feral.

“Please!” he managed to squeak out.  “Whatever it is you want, I can help!  You can always use another informant!” The creature tilted its head. at these words.  “I work in the castle! I hear things, I have friends in places of power. I could help you.” The creature raised its other arm, the black knife it held glittering in the starlight.  “I can get you supplies!  money!  a safe house! Just tell me what you want!”

A flash of movement, and a sharp pain in his head was the last thing Gunter perceived before darkness took him.


*        *        *


The Alpha crouched over his latest kill.  The thing was of this world, but reeked with the stench of an outsider. He lifted the eyes of his prey, his golden eyes regarding them with curiosity.

“Ah, the eyes,” the beloved voice sounded in his head.  “They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul.  Is that why they taste so good?”

Without a second thought, the Alpha consumed the orbs, relishing in the power that they gave him.  “That barely did anything! You must be getting exceptionally strong my pup. Griffons are supposed to have extraordinary eyesight.”

“Now, my precious pup, this creature is the clue to the location of your next prey.  Find the outsider, and kill him with all the ferocity you can muster.  He is one of the most cunning creatures I have ever marked for you.  Now, make mama proud!” The Alpha stood at these words.  It had the scents of both the outsider, and the griffon, and he had no doubts that the trail of the latter would lead to the trail of the former.

The Alpha would hunt his prey with a single minded focus, and he would not stop until his quarry was dead.


*        *        *


        “You see?  That is what I’m talking about!” The Defiler shouted as he slammed his claws on the table.  “Her beasts are far too overpowered!  I mean, how could one level ten kill another in just one hit!”

        The Huntress leaned forward, a mischievous smile plastered across her face.  “Well, you see, mortals have this unusual habit of dying when two hundred and fifty pounds of predator is applied to the neck.”

        “She’s right,” Fate said with a thump of his stick.  “It was a fair move.  Not only that, but The Archivist’s pet’s strength lies in what he knows, and he didn’t really know about the Huntress’s move.”

        “Fate speaks the truth,” The Dark Archivist said, his voice dead and emotionless.  “Not only was he unaware of the move, but as per the rules, I am unable to alert my piece of another piece’s actions.  In all honesty, I was expecting her to go after you first, Defiler.”

        Defiler grunted in frustration at that.  “You and me both.”

        The Dark Archivist stood up at that, his tentacles undulating as he gathered his various pieces together.  “Now that I am out, I no longer have any business here.  Savor this accidental victory, Lady.  Eventually, I will figure out your secret.  You cannot hide it from me forever.”

        The Lady just raised an eyebrow at that, her smile becoming somewhat mocking.  “My, Archivist, if you wanted to ask me out on a date, you could have just asked.”

        The Archivist didn’t show any emotion at that, choosing to instead turn and leave.  “I will continue monitoring this battle from elsewhere.  If I am needed, I will be found in the depths of my plane,” his voice echoed as he left the room.

        Devourer gave a shudder at that.  “Boy, he’s cold.  As useful as he was, I’m kind of glad he’s gone.”

        “Out of pure curiosity, why do you bait him like that?” The Storm of Storms asked.

        “Oh, nothing, it’s just that he’s been hunting for my secret for so long, that it’s become a kind of game between us.”

        Storm of Storms nodded in understanding at this, then looked back at the board.  “So, as it stands, the move in this quadrant is still yours.  Lady, what will you do?”

        “Actually, it is my turn,” Fate said as he drew closer to the board.  “And I will move this piece… here.”

        Devourer studied the move carefully, completely confused by it.  “Okay, I’ll bite.  What in Death’s name are you doing?  All you’ve done so far is have your servants do completely random things.”

        “He moves as such because I have decreed it so,” Fate answered calmly.

        “Yeah… that’s right, you’ve never played against Fate before.  Well, buddy, you’re in for a treat,” the Storm of Storms said with a laugh.

        Devourer just shook his head at that.  “Well, whatever.  Now that Fate’s lame move is done, who’s next?”

        “As has been stated, it’s my turn,” The Lady said as she picked up the dice.
> Nope Levels Have Reached Critical Mass
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “Dreadful business, entirely bad for everyone involved,” Jet Set said as he took another sip of wine.  “A siege here in Canterlot?  Why, we’ll be lucky if the races happen on time!”

        “Yes, indeed, it would be a shame if all commerce stopped as well.  We’re the very heart of-  Oh, Blueblood! There you are!  I was starting to think that you wouldn’t show at all!” Emerald said, looking at someone behind Jet Set.

Jet turned at those words, only to see his favorite customer coming towards him with a sober look on his face.  “Blueblood old boy!  How have you been?”

“I am fine, my friend.  I was hoping to talk to you for a moment in private, though,” Blueblood said, gesturing his head a bit.  “It’s about my company, and I’d rather not have prying ears spoil the surprise for next quarter.”

“Yes, of course.  I’m sorry, my friends, but duty calls,” the gray unicorn said as he put his glass down.  “Please don’t have too much fun without me!”

“Oh, don’t worry, we’ll stall the party until your return!” Jet’s wife said with a giggle.

Blueblood led his friend out of the hall and towards the Canterlot gardens, both of them completely silent until they had reached the old peach tree near the center.

“So, what can I do for you today?” Jet Set asked curiously.

“Do you have the information I requested the other day?  The location of the Elements?” Blueblood asked quietly, not turning around to face the other stallion.

Jet Set gave a grimace at that.  “We do not.  Someone… compromised, our agent in the field who was retrieving it.  We don’t know what happened, but word came down minutes ago, letting us know that something was prowling about.”

“You don’t say?”  Blueblood asked as he turned around.  “This is very unprofessional.  I would like to speak to your employer myself.  I am… less than pleased, at his quality as of late.”

“You know I can’t do that.  I don’t even know what he looks like, much less where he is.  I can send word that you would like to speak with him, but I doubt he’d meet with you.  He prefers to keep a low profile,” Jet Set said with a shake of his head.

“So, you’re telling me that there is absolutely no way you could arrange a meeting?” Blueblood said with a raise of his eyebrow.

“No, I said that I can send the message, and he would decide, but that he would probably decline,” Jet Set said with a sigh.  “After all, he can’t exactly let others see who he is.  Who knows what might happen?  The Royal Guard might catch wind of it, and you know how bad that would be for business.”

“Interesting… Do you know what’s even worse for business?” Blueblood asked ominously.

Jet Set just shook his head at that.  “You can’t intimidate me, Mistress.  You can’t do much of anything through this puppet, and I rather doubt you want your information net taken down.  All it would take is a single letter to the Princesses, and every single puppet you’ve taken would be revealed to them.”

Blueblood nodded at that, as if carefully considering his next words.  “Yes, and I’m sure that would have been quite the card to play… had the hag actually heard that last bit.”

“ Yes, I-wait, what?”

However, before Blueblood could answer his question, several Lunar Sentinels leaped from the tree above them, tackling Jet Set to the ground.  “What is the meaning of this!?” he shouted once he had managed to pry his face out of the dirt.

“Oh, nothing, just cleaning house,” Blueblood said as he slowly approached the pony on the ground.  “I’m actually surprised that you haven’t heard the news by now.”

“Wh-what news?” Jet Set asked hesitantly.

“The Mistress of Shadow is dead,” Blueblood said, his voice dripping with hatred.

“...”

        “Yes, that’s what I thought.  We’re done here, take him to the dungeon.  Maybe a few rounds in Auntie Luna’s nightmare will loosen his tongue,” Blueblood said dismissively.

        A twinge of fear graced Jet Set’s face, but he did not say anything as a restraining ring was placed over his horn, neutralizing his abilities.  He was then roughly forced to his feet and herded out of the garden.

        “He doesn’t look too happy,” Sergeant Smooth Weather said as he walked up to the prince.

        “I certainly wouldn’t be, had all my plans come crashing down around me,” the prince said with a frown.

        “Well, that certainly proves that something rotten has been growing under our noses, but how do you expect us to catch it now?” Sergeant Weather asked curiously.

        “Do not worry, the demon forced my body to do a great many things, including watching that one as he made his drops,” Blueblood said quietly.  “They have several agents, and I actually know of several different places where it happened.  We should be able to follow them back to their master.”

        “...We can only hope,” the sergeant said with a shake of his head.  “I have to get back to the walls.  In the meantime, I suggest you head back into that party, to keep up appearances.”

        “I’m unsure I can…” Blueblood said wistfully.  “After what I went through?  I’ve finally been able to see what I am.  Who I am.  How can I just go back to being the arrogant prick that I once was?”

        The sergeant thought on that for a while, until finally turning his back to the prince and spreading his wings.  “...You don’t, my prince.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really have to get going.  They’re going to need me on patrol.”

        “Yes, of course,” Blueblood said, straightening his jacket a little.  “Oh, and sergeant, if you get the chance, tell our new friend thanks for me.”

        Sergeant Weather nodded at that, then took off into the night sky, leaving behind a pony that, for once, he was glad that he had misjudged.


*        *        *


        Glimmer Star dutifully pushed the vase outside of Celestia’s throne room an inch to the right.

While she wasn’t entirely certain why she was doing this, she did know that that strange, winged creature had asked her to do it.  She didn’t think it nearly worth the debt that she owed it, but she wasn’t about to argue.

After all, the creature had saved her children.  Moving a vase was the least she could do.

As soon as she was finished with her task, she picked her duster up again, and continued her task of cleaning the castle.


*        *        *


        There weren’t really all that many hiding places down here, so I opted to jump up and grab hold of the ceiling.  Yes, I know that I probably should have trusted that my invisibility power would protect me, but I really couldn’t take that chance.  I still didn’t know the first thing about controlling it, plus, I really didn’t know if it even worked on the undead.

        I barely managed to scrambled over the lip of the ceiling and back onto the wall of the shaft before the light grew to the level that let me know that whatever was coming had actually entered the room.  Once I had made sure that I was a reasonably safe distance from whatever it was, I turned back to get a look at whatever it was that had come to investigate Izolda's scream.  Now, let’s see what you… look…”

        My mind was froze as soon as I laid eyes on the… thing… that stood at the bottom of the shaft.  Without even realizing what I was doing, I desperately climbed up the rock wall, trying my best to put as much distance between myself and… whatever that thing was.

 As I climbed, I noticed the light fade behind me, until it disappeared entirely, but I didn’t care.  Even as Izolda’s whispered voice tried to snap me out of the terror that I felt, I couldn’t even acknowledge her presence, as I was too busy trying to get my hide somewhere that wasn’t filled with cobbled, nightmare abominations.

        What? I thought as I reached the middle point of my climb.  Seriously what? she really expects me to fight that?

        Calm down… remember your training…

        My breathing was heavy as I stopped to rest.  I was hyperventilating as the memory of the… thing that had managed to fit its way through the wide passage.  Though at this point, wide was subjective.  It was wide for me, its ceiling somewhere around ten feet, and its sides at eleven.  The shambling monstrosity, however, had to squeeze to get through, since the top of its head was about twelve feet off the ground.

        Breath in through the nose, out through the mouth…

        Unconsciously, I stopped hyperventilating, and slowly drew in a shuddering, ragged breath through my nose.  My mind was still reeling with what I saw, but at least I wasn’t going to make myself pass out.  It… it had freaking pony legs… for fingers.  And were those tentacle things on its back spines?

focus your spirit…

        Slowly, my muscles stopped trembling, but my whole body still felt like it was wound tighter than a watch.  I’m gonna die… we’re all gonna die… how are we going to fight against something like that?  What about a whole army of those things?

Remember the shadowed path.  In the shadows, it matters not how many they have, but how many they won’t have by the end of the day.

        Slowly, my body loosened itself, and I felt one of my hands release itself and move down the wall I was clinging to.  What am I even doing here?  Magic?  Undead?  Gods?  Demons?  I’m a kid from Maryland, the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me was when I moved to attend college!

        In the shadows, you are one, and they are one.  What is there to fear?

        I should just hightail it out of here.  The ponies can take care of- I started to think, but suddenly, unbidden, I could see a young, scaley face.  Its eyes were wide with fear as it looked up at me.

        Tell me, what is there is to fear in the dark?

        As this face came into my mind, others soon followed.  Sure, I didn’t know any of them, but I was all they had.  I was the only thing standing between them and the monstrosities that were climbing up through the caverns beneath the city.  Slowly, jerkily, my other limbs began to move as well, not taking me up and towards the surface, but further down, towards the horrors below.

        ...What lurks there?

        I reached the bottom of the shaft, my heart calm, and my breathing steady.  The whispered voice at my belt seemed to quiet, as it sensed that something about me had changed.

        ...waits there…

        My hands reached to my sides, and the sound of steel suddenly rang out as I drew my sword and dagger.

        ...Hiding, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike?

        “Me,” I answered as I broke into a silent run.


*        *        *


Orcas shrugged to himself as he set his minions back on the path they were on.  They had reported that they had heard… something, come from this direction, but owing to the fact that they collectively had the intelligence of a small dog, they couldn’t exactly tell him what they had heard.

Must have been a rock slide, he thought to himself.  Continue on this path until they reach the railway.  They are to alert me the moment that happens, or they hear something else out of place,  he ordered.  After all, it might not have been anything this time, but Orcas had enough experience to know that the same might not hold true next time.

Now, back to digging… he thought, as he let his consciousness slide back to the dragon boneyard his minions had found.  He watched excitedly as the rotting corpses that made up his workforce slowly unearthed another dragon skull, hoping that he’d find the rest of the bones in a similar condition.

Now, all I need are some dragon eggs, and I can begin- he thought to himself, but suddenly stopped when one of his minions at Canterlot went dark.

Normally, he wouldn’t have given such a thing a second thought.  After all, the ponies were constantly harassing his forces with their flyers, trying to slow down the diversion he had set to clearing out the tunnels.  He had lost over three hundred of those, and hadn’t batted an eye.

What made this one different, however, was when the cord was cut, he suddenly felt a tiny, gnawing pain crawl up the severed string and into his being.

Up until this point, he hadn’t so much as felt a twinge when he had lost a drone.  Sure, he had been aware of each one, but only in the same way that he was aware of the sun, or the moon.  The loss of a minion shouldn’t do any- he started to think to himself, but winced when he felt another loss, immediately followed by another pain crawling up the severed cord to add to the first.

In an instant, he was there, at Canterlot.  He first decided to check his minions at the train tunnels, only to find that they hadn’t lost a single corpse since the last time he had been here.

If not here, then where…? he thought to himself, only to be answered as another minion was lost inside the gem caves under Canterlot, sending a third pain up the cord to join the other two.

At this point, Orcas became worried.  True, the pain wasn’t that great, barely even a papercut, but he wasn’t a fool.  If whatever was causing this killed enough of his minions, he’d be in real trouble.

The length of a heartbeat was all the time it took to enter his pawns inside the cave.  He looked through the eyes of all of his minions, and immediately noticed that two of his torch bearers, as well as one of his Flesh Renders had been cut down.  He felt a cracking, fleshy sensation, and suddenly he was in the body of one of the torch bearers that was closest to the downed Flesh Render.  A cursory glance was all he needed to determine the cause of its destruction.  “Hmm… Cut the head clean off.  But that couldn’t possibly be the reason for the pain,” Orcas said as he gently massaged his chest.

Without another word, Orcas pulled out of the body, then quickly forced his minions to close ranks.  I don’t want anything to stand where it cannot be seen by at least two others, he ordered.  I want to see what this thing is, and how it kills.

The undead under his command moved to obey.  As soon as they were in position, Orcas split his consciousness, allowing him to see through all of his pawns at once.

…

…

“Come, where is it hiding?” his pawns asked in unison.

Then, just out of the corner of the eye of one of his Flesh Renders, he saw the hint of movement, followed by the head of one of his torch bearers being separated from its body.  Instantly, the split consciousness that once resided inside the bearer was returned, contaminated with a new pain to add to the others.

However, the loss was not wasted.  In the fraction of a second that it took for the head to leave the torch bearer’s body, Orcas caused all of his Flesh Renders to attack the area of the falling corpse.  Spines lashed out, huge, meaty arms holding a variety of weapons scythed at the empty air, and rocks of various sizes and shapes were hurled at what seemed to be nothing.

“Freaking heck!” something said as a rock bounced off its back, causing it to tumble a few yards before disappearing again.  Orcas hadn’t gotten a good look at it, but whatever it was was reptilian in nature.

“It cannot hide forever.  I will find it, and when I do, I will ensure that it suffers greatly for interfering,” Orcas said as he caused his minions to shamble forward.

“You forgot to throw in ‘precious’ at the end there, you freak,” a sibilant voice called out from the darkness.

Orcas ignored the taunt, however, choosing to instead concentrate on moving his minions forward.  Find it.  It may turn invisible, but it cannot escape in these narrow passageways, he ordered his minions.  As they pressed forward, he had his Flesh Renders scythe the air in front of them, ensuring that there was no possible way for the slippery eel to get passed his undead.

“Seriously, though, you get out of here, and I won’t do something that I’m going to regret,” the interloper said, giving Orcas confirmation that he was somewhere ahead of him.

Orcas pushed his minions forward, their swinging blades ensuring that anything that got close would be turned into mincemeat.  Suddenly, Orcas hit a dead end, causing all six hundred abominations to smile in anticipation.  “It has nowhere left to run.  I’ll finally be able to see what it looks like…” Orcas said, bringing all his available blades down on the seemingly empty corner.

Only for them to glance off or break against nothing but the unyielding stone of the caves.

Where did it- Orcas thought, only to feel a blade enter the back of the head of one of his minions near the back, cutting another cord.

However, as laudible as the annoying reptile’s tactics were, it still cost him greatly.  On reflex, Orcas had the closest pawn to the back lash out with his machete, and for a brief moment, Orcas thought he could feel the familiar, glorious tearing sensation of blade against flesh.  He was even more excited, though, when he heard the sound of a voice cursing to itself, as well as the tell-tale splash of blood on the ground.

“Ah, yes.  All too quickly, our game comes to a close,” Orcas said sardonically.  “However, we will soon come to a new one, one that I haven’t truly partaken of in an age.  Is it ready?  Ready to feel us as we open it up, to gaze upon its beautiful, red interior?”

The only answer he got, however, was the echoes of his own voice off of the walls of the cave.

“Well, it is of no concern.  It cannot hide, now that I have its blood.  I will hunt it to the ends of the earth if I have to.  I will not be denied my prey.”

With those ominous words, Orcas had the Flesh Render who had grazed the annoying reptile slowly lick its blade, the scent of the reptile’s blood now screaming through Orcas’s mind.

The Bloody Surgeon had returned to the hunt.


*        *        *


        “And I believe that is match set,” the Defiler said, his grin radiating smugness as he gazed across the table at the Lady.  “You put up a great fight, but you’re sadly outclassed.  Soon, your precious thief’s guts will be strewn all about the cave floor.”

         The Lady looked absolutely unperturbed, however, choosing to instead give the player across from her a slight smile.  “So it would seem.  However, it is neither of our turns at the moment.”

        “Of course!  You’re right!” The Defiler said as he banged a claw against his forehead.  “How could I be so forgetful!  Storm of Storms, I believe you have the initiative?”

        “Actually, I don’t,” the Storm of Storms said, his smile mischievous as he glanced at the white robed figure next to the Lady.  “It is actually the Herald’s turn, and if I’m not mistaken, he’s got quite the move planned.”

        “The Herald? His only piece is a head!  Literally!” Defiler said in exasperation.  “What possible move could he make?”

        The Herald did not answer immediately, choosing instead to pick up the dice that had been passed to him.  “Well, if you give me a second, you can observe the one, pitiful move that I am still allowed,” he said, his voice somewhat mocking.

        Defiler just threw up his claws at that, a vile toxic vapor pouring from his nostrils as he huffed in annoyance.  “Fine, then, do your pathetic move.  It will be an honor to rip both your champions to shreds.”

        “Well, then, if you’re this eager, I better not keep you waiting, now should I?” The Herald said as he threw the dice.
> If You Survive, Does it Still Count?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Twilight awoke with a snort at the sound of banging on her door.  “I’m awake!  I’m awake…” she said as the photo that had stuck to her face fell to the floor.  The purple unicorn yawned as she picked it up, her brain still partially asleep as she looked at it.

The photograph depicted the back of the first person to surrender to the Equestrians since this whole thing began.  The creature’s hide was a scaly green, not too different from Spike’s, to be honest, though Ammon clearly lacked the spines that ran down the center of a dragon’s back.  It was actually quite interesting how similar, while at the same time how completely alien, he was from one of Equestria’s oldest species.

As she stared at the scaly, scar covered back, though, she couldn’t help but feel as if she were missing something.  Something that someone had told her before, that didn’t quite match up with the information in her arcane grip.

Before she was able to grasp what it was, though, whomever was at her door knocked again, causing her to drop the photo in surprise.  “I’m coming!” she said as she hastily got up from her desk.

As she opened the door, she was surprised to find several armed guards standing at attention just outside,  Their golden armor shimmered in the soft glow of the castle crystals, giving her the strangest impression that she was still asleep.  “Um… may I help you?” she asked, a little bewildered.

“Miss Sparkle?  I have orders to see you and the other elements moved to a safer location,” the unicorn said stiffly.

“What?  Safer location?  What happened?” Twilight asked, still a bit groggy from waking up.

The soldier took in Twilight’s unkempt appearance, as well as her messy bed head, and immediately made the connection.  “Have you been asleep this whole time?” he asked her.  When he didn’t get an immediate answer, he just sighed in exasperation.  “Canterlot is under siege, Miss Sparkle.”

“Siege?  but what about the Princesses?” Twilight asked in confusion.  “And what about the other towns and cities nearby?  I’m not going to just sit in some panic room while ponies are dying!”

“That’s just the thing, Miss Sparkle,” the soldier said grimly.  “They’re not here for the people, or the other towns.  They’re here for you and your friends.”


*        *        *


        “Ma’am, something strange is happening!” a corporal said as he rushed into the command center.

        Lieutenant Feather just groaned at that.  The word ‘strange’ never meant interesting or funny anymore these days; all it meant was that the enemy was about to throw something new at them.  “What is it, soldier?”

        “The zombies at the train tunnels; they’ve stopped!  The ones at the mouth of the nearest opening are all looking down, as if waiting for something…”

        The lieutenant swore at this.  “Go back to observing, corporal.  Alert me the moment they change their behavior.”

        “But… ma’am, what do you think it means?” the corporal asked before taking off again.

        “It means we need to double the guard I sent to the castle,” the lieutenant said as she motioned to one of her warrant officers.  “Breaker!  Take a platoon and reinforce the ponies stationed in the castle basement.”

        “Ma’am, do you think that’ll leave you enough to repel them here?” Breaker ask uneasily.

        “Not really, but I don’t need to repel them.  I just need to hold for a day,” Feather answered with a nervous grin.  “The Moon’s Ascent is on its way, and if worst comes to worst, we’ll pull out the local militia to help us.”

        Breaker gave her a dubious look at that.  “Those kids?  Ma’am, most of them have never used a weapon, much less seen any sort of combat.”

        Lieutenant Feather didn’t respond, choosing instead to just stare at the map, her gaze hopeless.

        “R-Right, I’ll get on that,” Breaker stuttered as he left the command post.

        Lieutenant Feather didn’t respond, or even acknowledge Breaker’s departure.  She was too busy trying to maintain her composure for that.

        “That leaves me with three hundred soldiers… and two hundred militia… five hundred in all, against a force of five thousand…” Feather muttered as she sat down on her rump.  “We’ll be lucky if we last for ten minutes, much less  a full freaking day, once those things break through…”

        Lieutenant Feather let her head slump to the table, her hope running dry.  Sure, that Ammon creature had discovered a hole in Canterlot’s security, but that had been hours ago, and there had been no word from him since.  For all they knew, he was already dead, or had fled Canterlot like a sinking ship.

        “I… I can’t give up hope yet…” Lieutenant Feather mumbled to herself.  “I have a charge to protect this city and its people.  I cannot let them down.”

        Her words felt hollow, however.  Feather had no illusions as to what would happen to this city; without their big guns, and with their new (and suspicious) friend missing, it was only a matter of time before the undead swept through the city streets, killing everything that got in their way.

        “It’s hopeless…” Lieutenant Feather said as a dark shadow grew around her.


*        *        *


        Izolda knew something was wrong.  While she couldn’t really see much from her position on Ammon’s belt, that last scuffle had left him stumbling away from the light as fast as he could.  It didn’t take him long to regain his footing, but he never stopped swearing under his breath.

        “Ammon, what happened?” she asked, a bit worried.

        “I got stupid, didn’t think he’d react that fast,” the lizard said with a grunt.  “There’s… there’s just too many.  He’s got too many under his control.  Maybe if I could lure a few away, I might have a chance one on one.  But him controlling them all like that?  He’ll see through any tactic I make like that in an-” he said, but stopped mid sentence.

        Izolda didn’t have to ask, she already knew what was happening.  “Must have some way to track you.  Keep moving, you’re dead if he catches you,” she said as she listened to the distant stomping coming closer.

        “I don’t think I can stay ahead of them,” she heard Ammon say with a gulp.

        “Why?  What happen?”

        “Well, the hall I ran through led to a shaft straight up.  Normally this thing would be no problem for me, except…”

        “...Except what?” she asked, trying to keep him talking.

        “Except I’m pretty sure that last hit cut something important in my arm, I can’t even move the darn thing,” he finally said with a hiss.  “Even if he didn’t follow me up here, I’m pretty sure that I’ll bleed out before I can reach the top of the shaft.  After all, I’ll only have two working limbs, and a partially busted leg to haul me up, and this thing’s bleeding pretty bad...”

        Izolda swore at this.  If she could, she would have been shaking her head in disbelief.  “I’m surprised you not screaming pain.”

        “Oh, don’t worry, as soon as the adrenaline wears off, that’s the first thing on my list of things to do,” he said, his voice having that scared, humorous quality that Izolda had heard from her patients before.

“Ammon, how much time we have?” she asked quickly.

“Not sure, but it has to be at least a few minutes.  He doesn’t move too fast, and I booked it pretty quickly,” Ammon answered.

“Then put me against cut and hold there.  No matter how bad hurts, cannot let go, understand?” she asked him.

        “Why?  You got some sort of painful, yet useful healing power?” Ammon asked as Izolda heard him draw his knife.  There was a cutting sound, followed by the sensation of weightlessness, which was quickly replaced by a dull, distant pain as she landed on the stone floor of the cave.

        “Ow… not exactly.  Have power of fire, can cauterize wound, to keep from bleeding out,” she said as Ammon picked her up again.

        There was a pause at that, before she felt a wetness on the back of her head.  “Just do it, I’m probably going to die anyway, so there’s no use even thinking about it.”

        There was a pause as Izolda focused her attention on that wetness.  She could feel the fire that raged inside her, so she called to it, dredging it up and focusing it on that spot on her helmet.  She didn’t release enough of it to catch the air, or the person holding the helmet, on fire; just enough to turn the back of her helmet into a bright, cherry red.

        “GHAAH!” Ammon screamed at the top of his lungs.  Yet, even as he screamed, he still held the helmet steady against his arm, trusting her despite the pain that seared his flesh.

Izolda counted under her breath, then stopped her power, cooling the helmet instantly once she was sure that the wound had been sufficiently seared.  “Okay, you should be able climb without fear of blood loss,” she said quickly.

        She felt him let go, then a dull pain as she hit the ground again.  “Holy… that freaking hurt…” she heard him gasp, his voice sounding as if he were in tears.

        Izolda was about to say something else, but stopped when she felt her patron’s breath on the ear that she didn’t have.  “Even though he’s stopped bleeding, he won’t be able to climb high enough to escape them…”

“Hah… hah… okay… I think I can do this,” Izolda heard Ammon say, though honestly she wasn’t paying attention to him at that point.

“He won’t survive this.  You know this, so why help him?” her patron continued to whisper to her.

“Just… just give me a second.  I’ve never done something like this before…” she heard the lizard mumble as some sort of warm, living rope wrapped itself around her helmet.

“You will, though.  You’ll survive so long as a single piece of your armor remains.  You can abandon this helmet, and wait until you can find another one…”

“We… we have to get up there… warn the ponies… before it’s too late…” Ammon said as she felt him unsteadily mount the wall.  Even though Izolda could see a faint light down the tunnels, heralding the lizard’s approaching demise, he still pushed forward, hoping that he could somehow get out of this alive.  Not only that, but get out in time to be of use to others!

A hope that both she, and her patron, knew was in vain.

“You know what to do.”

        “Yes, i do,”  Izolda thought back grimly as she called upon her power once again.  This time, however, she didn’t bring the heat up to the levels where it would hurt the already injured lizard.  No, this time she just wanted to startle him into dropping her.

        “Ow! What the…?  Izolda… what are you-” Ammon started to say as Izolda fell to the cavern floor.  He was cut off, however, by The Knight of Dawn’s voice.

        “Get out of here, warn ponies.  I protect your rearguard,” she said grimly.

        “Don’t be silly… You’re just a helmet!  What could you possibly-”

        “No argue!  Just go!  Maybe someday you see, you know.  But today, you run, you live.  Just… make sure find replacement helmet for body,” she said as the light grew closer and closer.

        Izolda heard the lizard start to scamper back down, but took a bit of satisfaction when he stopped, the billowing wave of heat she was emitting clearly deterring him from doing what she knew he would be doing.  With a brilliant flash, the area around Izolda lit up as pure fire magic condensed around her, causing the air to shimmer and distort, as well as the stone to melt around her.  She could still barely see through the haze that she was causing, but she didn’t really care.

        After all, she really didn’t need to see in order to go through with her plan.

        “What do you think you are doing?” the voice whispered in her ear again.  She was surprised, however, when instead of  being demanding or angry, it was… curious.

        “Shut up.  I don’t care if I’m breaking your rules, I won’t lose another one!” she snarled at the voice.

        “No, that’s not what I meant.  If you simply release all your power uncontrolled like this, you’ll cook the very person you’re trying to save,” The Herald said in a matter-of-fact sort of voice.

        “…”

        “Instead, try directing your power out through the front of your helmet.  You’ll find that will not only work far better, but also give your friend a bit of a chance,” The Herald advised.

        “You’re… you’re not mad?” Izolda asked as she did as the voice directed.

        “Mad?  With you?  After a show of loyalty like that?” The voice asked, his tone completely mild.  “I had my doubts about you at first, but we’ll make a knight out of you yet!”

        “I… I don’t understand…” Izolda said as her helmet began to crack under the strain.

        “No, you don’t.  Give it time, though, and one day you might,” The Herald said as the world around Izolda disappeared in a river of molten stone. 


*        *        *


        “Wait… wait… hold up, what in the name of me was that all about?” The Queen of Shadows asked in shock.

        The Herald just gave her a flat look.  “Why are you still here?” he asked, clearly not amused by her continued presence.

        “I like watching how things go after I get knocked out,” The Queen said stiffly.  “Despite the wins under my belt, I’m still fairly new at this, and I could do with some pointers.  Especially given the experience of some of the members of this game.”

        The Herald just gave a snort at that.  “If that is your wish, then stay.  But you’re not getting anything from me.”

        Desolation just snorted at that.  “Oh, come now, Herald!  The you could stand to explain a little about why you pulled that little mind game with your own champion.  After all, you did make Defiler nearly explode with that little stunt.  Don't you want to gloat a little?  Revel in your victory?”

All he got from The Herald was silence.

       After a few seconds of this, someone piped up.  “The Herald plays for different stakes, and reasons, than you do,” The Lover said, redirecting all attention towards her.  “He doesn’t play for control, or power, or destruction.  He plays his own game pushed by his own reasons.  You just happen to be playing on the same board, and by the same rules, that he does.”

        “Well, if that’s true, then if he completes his objective before the game is over, will he withdraw?” Defiler asked, his gaze smoldering with anger.

        “How would I know?  I am not him,” The Lover said quietly.

        Defiler huffed at that, then slumped down and glared at the two across the table.  “That was a pretty decent move, but I still have about half of my original forces down there.  One hundred of my Renders are enough to turn the garrison to mush, and you expect to beat three hundred of them?  That’s not even counting the other forces knocking at the door.  You two still have next to no chance at winning this.”

The Lady smiled at that, her gaze flashing in glee as she stared down the table at her opponent.

Defiler suddenly felt very nervous for some reason.

“Herald?  If you would please?” The Lady asked as she held her hand out to the being next to her.  He dutifully handed her the dice, which clicked together ominously as they fell into her grip.  “Now, if we may continue?  My next move will be here.”

As The Lady reached for the board, The Deceiver suddenly stood up, his face a mask of rage.  “What do you think you’re doing?  That piece isn’t yours, it’s a neutral!”

        “Actually, it has been her piece the moment that she freed it from The Queen’s control.  In fact, all of those pieces have been hers, whether they know it or not,” Fate said, rapping his cane against the floor.

        Deceiver just shook his head at that.  “Be that as it may, she cannot give orders to that piece unless it is near her champion, or inside her temple!”

        “Uh, Deceiver?  You should-” Desolation started to say, but was ignored as the Deceiver continued his rant.

        “Not only that, but you don’t have a temple!  You chose not to place one in favor of spawning your hero near Devourer’s hero!”

        “Deceiver,” Fate said, his eyes flashing dangerously.  “You’re forgetting what is defined as a temple.”

        Deceiver just snorted at that.  “What?  ‘A temple is a structure that is placed on the first turn, to increase the player’s presence, as well as empower that player’s champion and act as a fortress should he need to retreat’!  How am I forgetting-”

        He was interrupted, however, as The Lady finished his quote for him.  “Alternatively, any place that has a strong connection with the player’s aligned power may also serve as a temporary temple, though its ability to channel the player’s power is significantly diminished.  Pieces inside the temple cannot receive the player’s blessing in these temporary temples, though they may still receive instruction.  The champion of that player is the exception to this rule, though the boon he may receive cannot be above level four in power.’”

        The Deceiver looked at The Lady carefully at that, then quickly reached for his own rulebook.  After a few seconds, he slammed the book closed and grunted in frustration.  “I really wouldn’t call that disgusting pit a temple…” he said grudgingly.

        “Nevertheless, it has a strong connection to my aligned power, and I may direct my pieces as I wish there,” The Lady said smugly.  “Now, if you don’t mind, I have a move to make.”

        The Deceiver just grunted in defeat at that.  He knew where this was headed, and he didn’t like it.

        It was time to accelerate his plans.
> All I Want to do is Go Back to Bed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Prince Blueblood cantered at a brisk pace, not really sure why he was doing what he was doing, but he did it nonetheless.  “Let’s see, left at the maid’s quarters, a right at the kitchens... “ Blueblood muttered to himself.

        Get up and move...

        Blueblood was more focused on this than he had been on anything else in his entire life.  He wasn’t sure what that voice had been, only that he needed to follow what it had said.  It wasn’t some compulsion that drove him, either; just the sheer terror he had felt at those words.

Follow these directions…

“Of course, that’s assuming I’m not actually going insane,” Blueblood said out loud as he continued to follow the directions he had been given.  “I mean, I haven’t exactly been myself, not since…”

Or everything you know and love…

Blueblood shook his head ruefully as he slowed down.  “Seriously… I really need to see a psychiatrist…” he mumbled to himself.  “Now I’m jumping at the voices in my head?  Really?  I should just go home and hope that the voice doesn’t-”

He was about to turn around and head back, but stopped dead in his tracks when an odd procession marched around the corner;  There were five ponies in all, four of them marching in the manner that Blueblood had come to expect from the royal guard, each taking position around a fifth pony.  The fifth was somepony he easily recognized, though she really wasn’t the reason why he stopped.

“Excuse me, but where are you off to?” Blueblood asked as he stepped towards the strange procession.

This immediately got the attention of all of the guards, as well as the white mare with the purple mane and tail that they were escorting.  To be fair, the last time they had met, he hadn’t been the… best of stallions.  Which is why he wasn’t too surprised that all she gave him was an annoyed huff and an upturned nose.

“We’re escorting the Bearer of the Element of Generosity to a safer location,” the sergeant in charge said with a salute.

“Ah… of course.  Actually, I was hoping to get a chance to speak with Miss Rarity, if you don’t mind,” Blueblood said pompously.

The guards gave each other a look, then back at the prince.  Before any of them could speak, however, they were beaten to the punch by the angry mare in the middle.  “What could you possibly want from me?” the white unicorn said with another huff of impatience.

Oh boy, think fast… what could you say to her to get her to walk with you for a second? Blueblood thought to himself.  Before the silence could go on for an awkward length of time, however, an idea suddenly came to the prince.  “If you’ll forgive me, the matter I wish to discuss is something rather sensitive, something that Auntie Celestia wished for me to tell you in private.”

The guards all mumbled at that, but didn’t object as Blueblood sidled through the surrounding guards and held out a hoof to the mare between them.  “We’ll just be using that room over there, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

Rarity gave the prince a suspicious glare at that, but eventually relented.  “Oh, very well, lead on.”

        Blueblood was about to lead the white unicorn towards the room in question, but was stopped by the guard before he managed to take two steps.  “Hold it, we’ll need to check the room first,” the guard said quickly.

        Blueblood took a step aside, knowing that the guards would find nothing.  It was just a broom closet, one that he had used often during his… less than reputable days, when he wanted to spend some ‘quality time’ with one of the castle staff.  As soon as the guard had taken a look, Blueblood waved Rarity inside, closing the door behind them with a snap.

        “What is it, Blueblood?” Rarity asked.  The level of venom that she directed towards him with just the mention of his name nearly took him off his hooves, but he held his ground.

        After all, she was the one in danger here.

        “Listen very, very carefully, and do not make a sound,” Blueblood said, his voice losing the jovial, playboy edge he had cultivated over a lifetime of indulgence, and instead taking on a much more serious one.  “I don’t know where you think you’re going, but you cannot go with those guards.”

        She just raised her eyebrow at that, a less-than-amused glare plastered on her face.  “What are you talking about, Blueblood?”

        “Those guards are traitors, and the last thing in their minds is to take you somewhere safe,” Blueblood said, dropping his voice a few more octaves.

        Rarity just gave him a flat look at that.  “Really?  That’s the tale that you have decided to go with?  Really, Blueblood, I don’t know what kind game you’re playing at, but I am not buying it,” she said with a huff.

“Oh for… Listen, this has nothing to do with what happened at the Gala!  You’re life is in danger!” he hissed at her.

She continued to give him a death glare for the longest time, until finally giving a small sigh.  “Fine, let’s say, for a second, that I do believe you.  How, exactly, do you intend to get us away from them?”

“In a second, that door is going to open.  As soon as it does, I’m going to provide a distraction.  When you see an opening, I want you to run for-” Blueblood said, but was interrupted as the door flew open, revealing a disappointed-looking guard and his fellows.

“Oh, dear.  My prince, you really shouldn’t be telling stories…” the guard said as he leveled a spear at the two unicorns.  “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to have to ask both of you to come with us…”


*        *        *


        Sergeant Fire looked up in alarm at the hatch in the center of the room.  “Sir!  That’s the signal!”

        Warrant Officer Breaker looked up at that, his face a steely mask.  “Open the hatch, but be on guard; we don’t know what may have followed the lizard.”

        The guards closest to the metal lid nodded at this, their spears leveled at it as Sergeant Fire reached out for the hatch, gulping loudly as his hoof gripped the handle.  As soon as he had received a nod from his commanding officer, he turned and yanked the handle, pulling the hatch open and getting clear.

        It was actually a little bit anticlimactic, then, when nothing came out of the ominous black hole.  Well, almost nothing;  A heavy breathing could be heard faintly from far down below, though that was broken up every so often by a faint, almost sobbing whimper.  “Uh… sir?  You down there?” Sergeant Fire asked as he edged closer to the hole.

        “Y-Yeah… I’m here…” the lizard replied back, his voice sounding haggard, almost as if he were fighting just to stay conscious.  “You’re going to have to come down and get me; I really don’t want to fall down this shaft again...”

        Sergeant Fire moved closer to the hole, but was stopped by a single hoof on his withers.  “Hold, soldier, it might be a trap,” Breaker said as he drew closer.

        “Be that as it may, sir, we can’t just leave him down there,” Sergeant Fire said with a salute.

        “True, but at least take a gemlight with you,” Breaker said as he hoofed over his own.  The gemlight was a long cylinder with a flared end, into which a gem was affixed with a light-producing spell.  Many ponies nicknamed the thing the flashlight, or the torch, though Breaker personally preferred its actual name.

        Without a word, Sergeant Fire turned on the light, put it into his mouth, and unfurled his wings.  Then, with only the slightest of hesitations, he dived into the yawning black pit in front of him.  Fortunately, the other guards didn’t have to wait very long before they heard from the sergeant.

        “Oh, horseapples…”

        “What?  What is it, sergeant?  Report!”

        “...Sir, the area’s clear, but we’re going to need more ponies down here to move him.  He’s… well… he’s pretty banged up, sir,” the sergeant said quietly.

        “Ah, you’re just jealous about how much prettier I look now,” the guards heard the lizard’s voice echo up.  “After all, chicks dig a man with scars.”

        There was a pause at this, during which Breaker looked at one of his sergeants.  “Chicks?  Man?  what in Equis is it talking about?”

        “I don’t know, sir,”

        Breaker closed his eyes for a second, then opened them, a grimace on his face.  “It doesn’t matter.  Private Hawk, Private Hearts, get down there and help the sergeant.”

        It took the soldiers a couple of minutes, as well as a whole lot of rope and some inventive levitation, but they finally managed to pull the lizard out of the hole he had crawled down.  As it turned out, Sergeant Fire’s understatement was just that:  an understatement.

        “Holy… what happened to you?” Breaker gasped in amazement.

        The lizard-thing wasn’t a pretty sight:  His clothing was tattered and torn in several places; the cast that he wore on his leg had broken apart at some point; through one of the holes in his tunic Breaker could see a large, angry bruise forming over where the heart would be on a dragon; and his skin looked cooked.

Seriously, his entire hide had a nasty-looking red sheen to it, one that just screamed first and second degree burns.  However, all of this paled in comparison to whatever he had done to his right arm.

The arm sported a deep, nasty looking cut right through the inside of the elbow.  It must have been deep enough to sever some tendons, by the way the arm hung limply at his side and some of the muscles bunched up near his shoulder without him bending it.

That wasn’t the worst of it, though.  Over the cut, Breaker could see a round, black, nasty burn, one that, even though it had stopped the cut from bleeding, had still done far more damage than it had prevented.

The creature just gave Breaker a weak, cheeky grin.  “I got stupid.  I was right, though; there’s undead down there.”

Breaker didn’t respond at first, choosing instead to close the hatch as his medics started applying healing magic to the injured reptile.  “How many?  What kinds?”

        The lizard gave a sigh as the pain-killing magic washed over him.  “It’s bad, they’ve got these… Frankenstein-things with them…”

“...What?”

The lizard shook his head.  “They’re some kind of stitched together abominations.  No two are the same, though all of them are armed with jagged, very painful weapons,” he said as he gripped his limp arm with the one that still worked.  “They don’t move too fast, though they’re strong enough to make up for it.  Also, the undead are all controlled by the same guy.”

Warrant Officer Breaker gave a grunt at that.  “We already knew that, tell us something we don’t know.”

“No, you don’t understand!  He doesn’t just control them, like gives them orders or something, he controls them with his mind!” the lizard said as he reached out and grabbed the warrant officer’s leg.  “Everything they see, he sees.  If one is destroyed, he can make the others react as if it had happened to them!  Any trap that works the first time-”

“-Is probably only going to work the first time,” Breaker finished for him grimly.  “How many?”

The lizard just shook his head at that.  “I don’t know.  There were around six hundred last I checked, but I can’t be sure now…”

“Why?  Are they making more?  How is that possible?” Sergeant Fire asked quickly.

The lizard started to shake at this, his entire frame convulsing as his eyes screwed closed, causing the medics to step closer, worry plastered across their faces.  As it turned out, their worry was groundless as a burst of short, pained chuckles broke from his lips.  “Making more?  You misunderstand… A friend of mine... showed up… managed to start a fire down there… turn a lot of them into ash and magma...”

Breaker looked back at the hatch.  “You mean someone’s still down there?” he asked quickly.

The lizard shook his head again.  “No… she’s… she’s gone…” he said briefly.  “But she’s given you a gift: Time.  I suggest you make the most of it.”

Steel Breaker nodded at this, then motioned for several of his troops.  “Ponies, get this hero up to the medical wing; his part in this fight is done.”

“I’m not a… Ow…” he started to say, but was cut off as he was put across an earth pony’s back, putting pressure on his bruised chest.  “Oh, never mind…”

“As for us, we need to make sure that these things have no chance of getting up here,” Steel Breaker said.  “Private Hearts!  You’re to take a message to the lieutenant, let him know what’s happened down here.  Sergeant Fire!”

“Yessir!”

“Get to the armory and get some Force Stones:  If traps are only going to work once, let’s make sure that each one counts,” Breaker said as a grin broke out across his face.


*        *        *


        I hurt.

        No, seriously, I’m pretty sure that what I felt was some of the worst pain I’ve felt in my entire life.  My whole body felt like one big burn, my arm was nothing but pain, and the bruise from that rock earlier was making it hard to breath.

        On the bright side, though, my broken leg didn’t seem broken anymore:  At least, it took my weight even after the cast had broken apart without any pain.

You know, the little things.

That wasn’t too surprising, though, since the doctors said I could take it off in a week.  Well, actually, it was very surprising that it would only take a week, as opposed to three months, but that’s just semantics.  My point is, is that I really didn’t know how long I had been wearing the thing.  I could have been in that hospital bed for a year, for all I knew, though that was unlikely, seeing as how I hadn’t experienced any muscle atrophy yet.

“Say, does anyone know any good one armed man jokes?” I asked, a little punch drunk.

“Sir, you still have both your arms,” the unicorn at my left said as the light from his horn washed over me again, alleviating some of my pain.  “And it’s unlikely that you’ll lose your arm, too.  Healing magic has come a long way since the time of Discord; you’ll probably have full use of the thing in a matter of days.”

I gave the unicorn a grin at that.  “Well, I really gotta hand it to you guys, you’re really handy with the scalpel.”

The unicorn just looked confused at that.  “Excuse me?”

“Ugh… that’s the problem with different species:  anatomy puns seldom translate,” I said with a grunt.

Before the unicorn could respond, though, our rather odd procession stopped, causing me to look up in confusion.

Charging down the hallway, giggling like a maniac, was probably the pinkest thing I had ever seen.  “Come on, grumpy pants!  If you want me, you’re going to have to catch me!” she shouted.

 Before any of us could even think about saying anything, four guards charged around the corner, but stopped as soon as they saw us.

The pink one didn’t stop, however, until she had reached our little group, and only stopped because one of the soldier stepped in front of her.  “Hold, there, Miss Pie, you having some trouble with the guard?” he asked seriously.

I wasn’t focused on her, however.  Instead, I had my eyes glued on the guards down the corridor as they leveled their weapons towards us and their leader's horn started to glow.  "Uh... guys?"

“Leave no witnesses,” their leader said, immediately setting me, and the ponies that had been escorting me, on edge.

“Yeah!  They’re trying to kidnap me and take me to a not-at-all fun anti-party!” the pink pony said with a bounce.  She stopped, though, as the ponies behind her began to charge, their spears leveled at us as she looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.  “Is there a such thing as an anti-party?  Well, anyway, it didn’t sound very-Oof!” she stopped her rambling, though, as one of the ponies that I couldn’t see grabbed her and pulled her out of harm’s way.

“Private!  You take the lizard and the Bearer and clear out!” I heard one of my guards say as he and his fellows charged past us.

“Yessir!” the private shouted as he turned and ran back the way he had come.  As he ran, I managed to get a look at how many had stayed behind to see to our retreat.

They were outnumbered two to one.

Pain is an illusion…

There was no way they would survive this; they were going to gladly sacrifice themselves, all to ensure that we made it out alive.

A useful illusion, do not get me wrong, but still just an illusion…

I grunted in pain as I reached up with my one good arm.  Even as the two ponies we were leaving behind began to blast the approaching ones with lasers, I knew that it was only a stalling measure.  Especially with that pegasus that was about to dive-bomb them.

And like all illusions, pain and fatigue may be ignored…

        With a grunt, I shoved myself off of the pony’s back, rolling clumsily to my feet as my dagger came to my hand.  Fortunately, I was the rare left-handed guy, rather than the more common righty, so I would have no problems chucking my knife at the guy that was about to skewer my escort.

        Don’t throw.  Instead, picture what you want to have happen, and let your body do the rest.  It knows how to fight far better than you do Kalivar, so listen to it…

        I took a deep breath, shut out the world around me, and rolled my shoulder forwards.  The knife spun end over end as it made the trip, but I payed it no mind, trusting it to go where I needed it to as I slung my spear into my waiting hand.

        I stumbled forward, my body sluggish and unresponsive as I made my way to where the five remaining ponies were duking it out.  I was faintly aware of a metallic thump somewhere nearby, but I ignored it as I focused on the unicorn in front of me.  He was creating a shield around the two other unicorns that had escorted me here, all in an effort to box them in and make them easier targets.

        So I ended him.

        Problem was, I didn’t quite have the strength to pull my spear out of his chest quickly enough, so I didn’t even try as I left it and ripped my sword from its scabbard.  The two earth ponies that remained seemed to have noticed me, seeing as how I rather effectively ended their support.  Problem with that, though, was that their momentary lapse in concentration gave the two unicorn soldiers the only opening they needed.  Both of them quickly charged their horns, sending out beams of light that blasted both of the earth ponies off of their feet, only to land like twitching ragdolls several yards away

        Nobody said anything as I slowly turned around, clumsily trying to get my sword back into its sheath one handed.  I managed to do it roughly around the same time that someone behind me finally spoke up.  “How… how did you do that?  I didn’t even see you sneak up on him!”

        “That’s because I didn’t want you to see,” I said with more confidence than I had.  To be honest, I still had no idea how or why I went invisible, but I didn’t really care.  I was just glad that I could.

Feeling rather numb, I reached out for my spear, trying to pull it from the corpse of the unicorn at my feet.  It was hard, though, seeing as I only had one arm to work with.  Eventually I was able to yank it free, though I hadn’t quite figured out how I was going to sling it over my shoulder again.

My answer came when my spear was surrounded by the light blue aura of the pony near my side, gently lifting it and affixing it in place.  I turned to thank the pony, only to be confronted with the handle of my dagger.

“Thanks,” I said as I took the weapon, shoving it home into my sheath next to its brother.

“No, thank you,” the medic said after a few seconds.

        I just shook my head at that.  “Don’t thank me just yet.  We’ve still got undead to repel, and now traitors to deal with on top of that.  We need to warn someone before they’re able to finish what they’ve started.”

        As I turned back towards the way we had come, my eyes fell upon the pink pony from earlier.  Apparently both she and my ride had stopped when I had pulled my little stunt.  My ride looked shocked, his mouth hanging open at my incredibly stupid decision.  I was sort of expecting that, especially when he hadn’t rushed in to stop me, or to help when I made my move.

        What I hadn’t expected, though, was the look on the pink one’s face.  Horror and fear I could understand.  Those are emotions that I could easily recognize, and they’re emotions that one would expect from someone who just saw someone else butcher people.

        Neither of those emotions were present on that pink face, however.  All I saw there was understanding and sadness.

        I tried to keep eye contact with her, but I just couldn’t.  Those blue eyes bored right through me, seeing something there that I wasn’t ready to face myself.

        “We should get going,” I said gruffly.  “There’s probably more from where these guys came from, and we’ll want soldiers ready to hunt them down.”

        Nobody disagreed with me.  In fact, they all fell into line behind me as I painfully stumbled back the way we had come, letting me lead the way.  They were probably all too scared to say anything, and looked to me for guidance.

        Too bad I had none to give.
> I've Heard That Ungulates Are Quite Tasty To A Wolf
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “The tunnel goes down about eighty to ninety hooves, then opens up to a large pit area,” the corporal reported.  “There are a couple of passageways that lead out from there that probably lead downwards into the lower levels.”

        “Good work, soldier.  Alright, boys, here’s the plan, we- what are you doing back here so early?” Warrant Officer Breaker said in confusion.  His confusion quickly turned to worry, however, when he noticed that the two unicorns of the group had a number of telling battle damage marks on their armor, while all of them had grim looks on their faces.

        “Sir, we have a problem.  It seems that a number of traitors are rounding up the Element Bearers as we speak,” the sergeant said with a salute.

        “Traitors?  What do you mean by that?”

        “I mean that either a group of our own soldiers decided to suddenly turn on us and attack the Elements, or that someone we don’t know has gotten their hooves on a lot of standard guard equipment and training,” the sergeant said sarcastically.

        Warrant Officer Breaker gave a groan at this.  Of course.  We’ve got undead at all sides, comparatively small numbers, and now traitors?  This day can’t possibly get any worse…  Warrant Officer Breaker took a deep breath to steady himself, then exhaled.  “I can do without the sass, sergeant.  Where’s the asset?  Chasing these traitors, I assume?”

        “No, sir.  The traitors we met were chasing the Bearer of Laughter, and… well… he killed them, sir.  Most of them, anyway,”

        Breaker looked over the three soldiers at that.  “So… where are they?”

        “‘They’?”

        “The Element of Harmony and the asset!” Breaker said tapping his hoof.  “If they both survived the attack, then they should be with you, right?”

        The three soldiers looked around in confusion at that, then looked back at their commanding officer nervously.  “Uh… well, the asset kinda… went to go check on the other Elements when he found out what they actually were.  He only stayed around long enough to get some basic directions, and then he was off…”

        “And the Element of Laughter?” Breaker asked pointedly.

        The three ponies looked abashed at that.  “Well…”

        “You see…”

        “I swear!  She was right there in front of me!  We came to the door, entered, and I only actually noticed she was gone the moment you mentioned her!” the private of the group said, gesturing wildly with his hooves.  “I-I really don’t know what happened!  One minute she was there, and the next? Poof!”

        “Apparently this day can get worse…” Breaker said with another groan.


*        *        *


        “Ma’am!  We have a problem!” the pony said as he burst into the room.  He stopped short, however, when he noticed that the place was completely dark, the only sound being the noise that was filtering in from outside the barracks.

        “...Ma’am?” the pony asked uneasily as he flipped on the lights.  As soon as he had, though, he immediately regretted his decision.

        There, sitting on her haunches with her back to the map table, was Lieutenant Feather.  Her hooves were held up in front of her, as if to ward off some approaching horror, while her face was frozen in a silent scream.  But as terrifying as all of that was, it  that wasn’t the most disturbing thing about the corpse.

No, what was most disturbing were the eyes, or rather the lack of them.

        The pony tried his best to keep down the rising panic, as well as his rising lunch, but neither seemed possible.  With a mighty heave, he emptied the contents of his stomach all over the floor in front of him, making the already pungent room smell even worse.

        “We… what…?” he said after a few seconds.  He then quickly turned and ran, screaming bloody murder into the night.

        “Now… how long will it take before their spirits break?” the shadow with the yellow eyes asked from his little unseen corner.  He then hefted his prize and gazed into the two, bloody orbs that rested in his claw.  “Now, all I need is some pickling solution and a jar for my first trophy…”


*        *        *


        I crept slowly through the castle halls, taking great care to remember the instructions that had been given me.  And no, before you ask, I don’t have an eidetic memory, no matter what my friends back home might say.

What I do, though, is set up a set of mnemonics to help me remember important details.  It’s a trick anyone can learn, and one that I picked up during my freshman year of college.

“Let’s see, right at the hallway, up the staircase, just don’t eat the bearcase…” I mumbled to myself.

Yeah, it didn’t make any sense, but that didn’t matter.  All that mattered was that it needed to be memorable, and rhymy.  Which is why I usually went with something funny or silly with my mnemonics.  It usually didn’t make any sense, and my friends usually made fun of me for it, but my grades were enough to convince anyone that it worked.

“Now, if only there was a mnemonic that took away the crippling pain…”

“I’m pretty sure those don’t exist,” a familiar, bubbly, pink, and completely unexpected voice said next to my ear.

“GHAH!” I said as I simultaneously tried to turn, go into a readied stance, and draw my sword all in one go.  What I hadn’t counted on, though, was the fatigue making my movements clumsy and erratic, causing me to trip on my own feet, leaving my sword firmly in its sheath.

Which was a good thing, considering that the person behind me wasn’t really someone I should be drawing my weapon on anytime soon.

The pink pony just giggled at me, then bounced a little.  “Hi!  My name’s Pinkie Pie!  We didn’t really get to introduce ourselves back there, what with all the fighting and seriousnesses, and need to get the guards somewhere safe.  But now that we’re going to find my friends, we have some time to become friends!  What’s your name!”

Cautiously, I got back to my feet, not really sure that I understood any of what I just heard.  However, one fact floated up through my consciousness, one that needed to be addressed.  “Why in all that is holy are you here?  You’re supposed to be with the guards!”

“Nah, They’ve got it, you looked like you needed my help way more!” she said, her smile positively brilliant.

“That’s not what I… Look, what good will it do anyone if you get caught?  There’s traitors about, undead below and around us, and you think following me is a good idea?”

“No, silly, I know it’s a good idea!  You’re the one who’s going to be in the most trouble, so you’re the one who needs to be protected the most!”

I just stared at her for a few seconds, then rolled my eyes.  “Look, I don’t have time to argue with you.  Nor do I have time to take you back to the guards.  Just… just don’t get in my way, and be careful, okay?” I told her as I turned around and started up the staircase.

“Okey dokey-wait!  You didn’t tell me your name!” she said as she scrambled to keep up.

“The name’s Ammon, though I have a better question,” I said as we came out into a huge, open hall.  “I remember coming through here earlier, and there were a lot of staff and guards.  Where are they now?”

Pinkie looked around, almost as if she had just noticed that something was off.  “Wait, you’re right!  Rosemary and Pumpernickel are usually cleaning this area at this time of night!”

It was eerie, and set me even more on edge than I was before.  That was good, though.  It meant that I had something to focus on, something to distract myself from the pain.  “Well... Pinkie, was it?” I asked as I looked at her.

“Yeperoonie!” she said cheerfully.

It felt weird, talking to someone whom I knew was capable of a more adult outlook (if the look she gave me earlier was any indication), yet insisted on speaking like a child.  Weird, but not unwanted.  In fact, it was almost… refreshing.  “Tell me a little more about these… Elements of Harmony, the guard was talking about earlier.”

“The Elements of Harmony are these super duper magical jewel… weapon… thingies!” she said after a bit of thought.  “They use the awesome powers of friendship to help us beat down any evil that comes our way!”

“Friendship?” I asked skeptically as I kept moving.  “I’ve heard of friendship being powerful, but more in the ‘your friends support you through any trial’ kind of way.  What can this… friendship… power do?”

This stopped Pinkie in her tracks.  “Well, right now it can’t really do anything, on account of how the Elements were stolen!  However, if we did have them, we’d be able to turn all the bad guys running around into stone in a second!” she said proudly.

I stopped as well, turning to look at her at these words.  “Wait, they can do that?  And they were stolen!?”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, silly!  Only me and my friends can use them!”

I cocked my eyeridge at her thoughtfully.  “Huh… So that’s why everybody and their dogs want to get their hand on you,” I said thoughtfully as I rubbed the underside of my chin with my still working claw.  “If they could, they might- wait, what’s that?” I asked as I saw a blue streak turn a corner and head straight for us.

        Before I could even think about what was happening, I saw a flash of light, and felt my head make an attempt to leave my shoulders, then remembered no more.


*        *        *


        Fluttershy bolted down the corridor, the strange ponies from before still chasing her.  They had told her that they were going to take her to safety, but something inside of her had told her not to trust them, that she should run before they could take her away.

So that’s what she did.

Her pursuers weren’t going fast.  Fluttershy had never been very swift on hoof or wing, and they seemed to realize this.  Perhaps they didn’t want to waste energy running after her.  Besides, where else would she go?  There didn’t seem to be anypony around that could help her, and with the city under attack, all the real guards would be out fighting the monsters.  She had been brought to the castle for her own safety, but nowhere was safe now.

“Come on now!” One of the ponies called out. “You can’t run forever!”

“Might as well end it now!” another called, but she ran on, sobbing.  She had no idea what to do.  They were right.  She couldn’t run forever, and she was quickly getting tired.

Something pushed her forward, however, urging her onwards despite her growing exhaustion, pushing her on and giving her the inner strength to keep moving.

She turned a corner and burst through a door, revealing a set of stairs winding upward. Without a second thought she slammed the portal closed behind her and continued onward. She soon heard the sounds of her pursuers as they began to make their way up the staircase, the noise they made growing louder with each passing step.

Just as the landing came into sight, however, the last of her strength wore away.  With a terrified squeak, she collapsed at the landing, feeling as if she couldn’t go on any further.

“Just a little more,” she thought she heard a voice say.  “Keep going.”

But how could she?  She had never been a very active pony like Rainbow Dash or AppleJack.  She had always been weak and pathetic, unable to even finish basic flight training.

“Don’t give up when you are so close,” the voice came again.  “I will be your strength.  Just a few steps more.”

With a bit of a grunt, Fluttershy dug into some hidden cache of inner strength, allowing her to lift herself up, and continue on.  It seemed that each step would be her last, but somehow she was able to make one more, and then another, and then another. It seemed like an eternity, but eventually she got to the door that she had seen at the landing.

She had reached to top of a tower.

Fluttershy didn’t know too much about the castle, but from the dusty wood, and rusty hinges, it seemed like this place was rarely used. She opened the door hurriedly, slamming the door shut behind her once she was inside.  With a shuddering sob, she collapsed against the door breathing heavily.  Her muscles ached, but she had to keep going.  She only had a moment before they reached her, and she could already hear their voices from the other side

She had to get out. She turned, planning on going out through a window, but stumbled as her exhausted body began to give out again. She collapsed onto the floor just a few feet from the door as tears streamed freely from her face.

The stone floor was cold against her cheek, feeling somewhat soothing despite what was about to happen to her.  Through her tears she could make out a few pieces of furniture; a bed here, a table there, all covered in white dust sheets as well as a thick layer of dust.  She lifted her head, looking to the window on the other end of the circular room that would hopefully be her way out.

That’s when she first noticed it.

Sitting cross legged in the center of the round room was a most strange creature. It had the rough body shape of a minotaur, but not nearly as muscular. It wore black clothing with a hooded cloak, which was currently drawn over its head.  The cloak did nothing to hide its face, however, allowing her to see the lupine features under the hood.  What little of the creature's body that wasn’t covered in clothing was instead covered in a deep, black fur.

The creature made no moves. It sat peacefully, its eyes closed, head bowed, and hands resting on a short spear that lay across its lap.

It’s one of those strange creatures that are rampaging across Equestria, Fluttershy thought to herself.  She wanted to shriek as loud as she could, scream in horror, at the unfairness of it all, but her terror was so great she could only lie there and stare as the creature continued its meditation.

After what felt like an eternity, though it was probably only a few moments, the door crashed open, allowing Futtershy’s pursuers to enter the room.  As soon as they entered, the creature’s eyes opened, its golden eyes locking with Fluttershy’s.

It rose.

Everything seemed still.  Fluttershy, her pursuers, and the creature were all motionless.

“Which one is that?” one of the ponies asked.

“I don’t know” another replied.

“We’re just here for the filly,” the first said “so we’ll just be taking her and going. We don’t want to have to hurt you.”

The creature removed its cloak. It looked down at her with an unreadable expression, then opened its paw, dropping the cloak and letting it fall over her.  Darkness surrounded Fluttershy as it covered her.

She heard shouts from the other ponies. She tried to block out the noises, hooves on the stone floor, bodies crashing into furniture, screams of pain. She didn’t know how long the fight lasted.  Her sense of time had been suppressed by her fear, but it wasn’t long.

Once everything had stopped, she heard a weird sound similar to a unicorn charging their horn, followed closely by the sounds of something being dragged across the floor.  She whimpered, knowing that she was next, but stopped when she heard a sound that she had not expected.

The door closed.

Summoning every shred of what little courage she had, Fluttershy looked out from under the cloak. Some of the furniture was out of place, or broken, but aside from that the room was empty.  As she sat up, however, she suddenly noticed the crimson pools on the floor, as well as the splatter marks all over the walls and the ceilings.

Fluttershy jumped slightly when a strange, wet, cracking sound could be heard through the door behind her.  Gathering what little strength she had left, Fluttershy half crawled, half dragged herself under the bed, wrapping herself tightly in the dark cloth as she began once again to sob.

This time, however, she cried not in fear, but in relief.


*        *        *


        The Storm of Storms looked up, excitement plastered across his face as he rapidly patted his claws against the table in front of him.  His eyes met The Huntress’s from across the table, who seemed to share in his excitement.  “Rampage?  Rampage?”

        “Rampage!” she agreed excitedly as she mimicked his movements.

        This, of course, caused several of the players at the table to groan in frustration.  A few looked confused, however, The Deceiver being chief among them.  “Wait… rampage?  what’s that supposed to mean?”

        Fate looked at the god of lies tiredly, then shook his head.  “Oh, it’s bad.  This game, which was only supposed to go on for a few more rounds, a spin at the most, just got drawn out.”

        The Deceiver just gave Fate a dubious look at that.  “I hardly doubt she could do that.  I mean, seriously, it's just one wolf.  What harm could it do?”

        “You know how every piece, politician, noble, basically everyone important who’s not the royal sisters is currently in Canterlot?  How most of our non-violent moves have been centered in that city?” Fate asked him in a level tone.

        “Yeah?”

        “All dead,” Fate deadpanned.

        The Deceiver looked down, looked up again, looked back at the table, tried looking at it from different angles, then gulped.  “She… she wouldn’t…”

        “Oh, I would in a heartbeat,” The Huntress said, her smile somewhat more sinister as she stared hungrily at The Deceiver.

        “But… but how are you going to win without those pieces!” The Deceiver asked as panic started to set in.  “Quite a few of them are important to any victory condition!  You could drag this game out forever!”

        “Now Liar, You know that's not true.  There's still a multitude of ways to win, just none that you can use" Gorthok the Devourer said, calling The Deceiver out.  “There's still summoning, conquest, surrender... The list goes on, just not in any manner that helps you.”

        The Deceiver looked down at the board at this.  He already knew that, he was just hoping he could turn The Huntress away from her course.  His current champion was ill suited for combat.  None of his champions were.  He preferred to let the other players duke it out while he quietly built his strategy.  Not only that, but he didn’t necessarily have to win.  all he had to do was make sure one of his ally players won, and he would count that as a victory for himself.

        This… this complicates things…  he thought to himself.

        “Y-You know, you really don’t have to go on a rampage,” The Deceiver tried to reason with her.  “I mean, seriously, do you really want to be stuck in this game for that long?  Not even The Defiler was going to do something like that!”

        The Huntress just smiled at that as she picked up the dice.

        Oh dear… The Deceiver thought as he slumped dejectedly in his seat.  He thought he had the perfect plan, the perfect way to get through these in the most profitable manner.

        It looked like he would have to rethink his strategy for some of these players.
> A New Challenger Approaches!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The front lines were in complete disarray.  Usually the chain of command was clear, and the ponies would have easily adapted to the loss of one of their commanders.  However, there was something… different about this.  The shadows cast by the pale moon seemed to lengthen, there were claws and teeth behind every corner, and many could hear a faint, mocking laughter carried upon the wind.

With that being said, it came to no surprise that when the undead had finally finished setting the blasting powder to clear the tunnel, most of the ponies on the train station walls turned and fled.

“We need to evacuate!”

“Everypony for himself!”

“Get back here!  We have a better chance if we bottle them here!”

However, despite the voice of reason calling out over the soldier’s heads, it went largely unheeded in the mad dash for the inner city.  Their fear seemed to have sapped any sanity or common sense that the defenders had, for they all seemed to have forgotten that the only ways out of the city was by air or by the train tunnels.  That meant that all of the Earth Ponies, as well as most of the Unicorns, were trapped like rats within Canterlot’s walls.

With a mighty explosion, tons of rock and debris shot from the entrance of the train tunnels, crashing into the walls of the train station, but going no further.  The train yard was oddly serene, with only the distant, panicked wails of the guards spreading terror through the city disrupting the peace that had fallen.

Then, like an ominous black wave, the living dead shambled out of the train tunnels, meeting no resistance from the once stalwart defenders.  The ease by which he entered only caused Orcas to laugh harder.

“Oh, how I have missed this…” five thousand voices said in unision.  “The shear terror, the thrill of the hunt, I have waited far too long preparing my army…”  Orcas closed his many eyes at this, breathing in deeply the scent of the pony’s fear on the wind.

It was so strong, he could almost taste it.

“Now… to find the ones that bear the elements, as well as that delicious prey that fled from me,” he said as the wave of undead surged forward.  “It cannot hide from me, I shall find it wherever it may be, and rip its-”

Whatever Orcas was intending to do to the escaped reptile, however, was fated to remain unheard; for at that precise moment, several explosions rang out over the wails and screams of the city.  A second afterwards, several large, speeding object crashed into Orcas’s ranks.

Many of the impacts were nothing more than ‘normal’ cannon fire: Large black balls of iron or stone, designed for use against city walls or airships.  Without ceremony, they slammed into the rank and file undead, crushing bones and creating craters where they landed.  Others, however, exploded upon impact, filling the streets and tunnel entrance with a viscous, sticky black liquid.

Orcas looked up into the sky, his eyes searching for the origin of the barrage, only to feel a small twinge of annoyance at what he saw.

There, framed brilliantly by the moon, sat the telltale silhouette of an airship envelope against the night sky.  Due to it’s positioning, Orcas couldn’t make out any distinguishing marks or flags, but he didn’t really need to.  He could already guess what ship had fired upon his position.

The Moon’s Ascent had arrived; far earlier than Blacktongue had told him it would.


*        *        *


“Sir, we have a problem,” the corporal at the radio piped up.  “According to the second lieutenant, there are undead breaking through the basement of Canterlot Castle.  They’re going to be horribly outnumbered in a second here.”

Captain Breeze swore at this, yet did not move from his position at the port side of his ship.  “Radio the princesses of this development, as well as the breach in the city walls.  They’ll want to teleport to where the fighting is heaviest once they arrive.”

“Yessir.  Speaking of which, both princesses have stated that they’ll be here far sooner than expected.”

“ETA, corporal?” Knight Breeze asked as he focused his spyglass on the hoards of undead below.

“Princess Luna and her special ops team is due in one hour, while her sister is due in two,” the corporal said with a salute.

“She’s bringing Nightfall?  That’s even better.  Inform her that we’ll hold the city for as long as we need to, and that I advise that she moves upon Canterlot Castle itself,” Knight Breeze said as he checked his pocket watch.  Once he was satisfied with what he saw, he returned it in favor of gazing at the city below through his spyglass.  “Increase elevation by two degrees!”

“Aye, sir,” Lieutenant Shadow Heart shouted from her position near the cannons.  “You heard the captain!  Move!”

“Ready!”

“Fire!”

With a shuddering report, the cannons that lined the hull of The Moon’s Ascent barked again, sending their flaming payload streaking towards the city below.  In an instant, the black liquid that the first volley had covered the front ranks of the undead in turned into a raging inferno, incinerating the front line of monsters and holding the back lines off as they waited for the fire to burn itself out.

“Sir, that won’t keep them contained for long,” Lieutenant Shadow Heart said as the ponies under her command began the process of reloading.  “We also don’t have the ammunition needed to drive them back, or even hold them off, for more than a half-hour or so.”

“I am aware of that, lieutenant.  How much glue shot do we have left?”

“About four rounds.  Those pirates were pretty persistent…” the lieutenant said with a grimace.

“It can’t be helped.  Load the shot, but keep it in reserve until we need it.  For now, just continue harassing them.”

“Yessir!” Shadow said with a salute.

“Sergeant Light Wing!”

In an instant, a Pegasus in Solar Guard attire landed next to the captain, saluting smartly as he did.  “Sir.”

“Take your team to the air docks and bring back as much ammunition as you can carry,” Captain Breeze said, his eyes still locked on the enemy below.  “Corporal!  Contact the lieutenant, tell him to do his best to rally his troops, and to spread the word that the princesses are on the way.”

“Yes sir!”

After all, those ponies need a little hope after all that's happened, Captain Breeze thought with a grimace.


*        *        *


Sergeant Light Song and her team ran through the castle, clearly in a hurry to get to their destination.  It was oddly quiet, their hooves echoing off of the stone floor without anypony else’s noise to muffle the sound.  It was strange that the castle was so devoid of ponies.  True, at this time of night, especially with the enemy at the gates, there was hardly any staff around, but there should have at least been some guards at their posts.

As the group approached the Element of Magic’s rooms, Sergeant Song signaled her troops to slow, not wanting the enemy to catch them unawares.

“Ma’am, what do you think these traitors are after?” a young private asked uncertainly.

“My guess?  They probably work for this Orcas fellow.  Keep your guard up, ponies, we’ve got no idea where they might be, or what their numbers-” Song started to say, but stopped when a large bang suddenly rang out through the corridor.  Almost immediately following that bang, the squad jumped in surprise as an armor-clad pony hurtled from around the corner of a distant intersection from the left, only to disappear as the body continued down the hallway.  The sergeant cautiously  approached the distant intersection and peered around the corner, only to sigh in relief.

Standing amidst the unconscious bodies of several presumed traitors was the young Twilight Sparkle.  Her horn was crackling with arcane energy, and she had a no-nonsense look in her eye.  She caught sight of the sergeant almost immediately, and fell into a readied stance, clearly waiting for Light to make the first move.

“We’re not your enemy, Miss Sparkle!” Light Song called out from around the corner, not really wanting to get blasted by the talented young mage.

“Prove it!” Twilight shouted angrily.  “You here to try and force me to run while there are people who are hurting and dying!?”

“No!  No, Miss Sparkle.  There’s been a breach in security, several of the guard have turned their backs on their oaths.  We still don’t know why they’ve done this, but we’re here to stop those traitors!”

“Likely story!”

“We can prove it, Miss Sparkle!” Corporal Sunny said, drawing a questioning look from his superior.

“How do you plan on doing that!?” Twilight shouted back.

“By letting you go, Miss Sparkle,” the corporal said, drawing another look from the sergeant.

“Ha!  You think that’s-wait, what?”

“It’s true, Twilight, we’re only here to make sure you weren’t captured, and to ensure that you made it out of the castle in one piece,” the sergeant said, catching on to what the corporal was getting at.  “If you can make your own way out of the castle, all the better.  It will give us less to worry about, and we can instead concentrate on hunting down these traitors!”

Twilight paused at this, during which Light Song took another glance around the corner.  She only meant to look for a second, but froze when her eyes spotted something that should have been impossible.

Shambling down the corridor was a mismatched abomination of body parts made to resemble some sort of grotesque centipede.  Huge metal pincers sat on the front of its face, while its entire body length seemed to be constructed from spines and ribs.  Its legs, which were oddly silent, were composed of griffon foreclaws, which allowed it to move down the corridor at an astonishing speed.

“Sparkle!  Watch out!” the sergeant said as she jumped out of her hiding place and charged towards the hideous abomination.  However, before she even took two steps, she ran headlong into the magical barrier that Twilight had reflexively thrown up the moment Light Song jumped from hiding.  The sergeant stumbled back in pain, her gaze sweeping up, not really wanting to see what the thing was about to do to the young unicorn, but she looked nonetheless.

Her relief was almost palpable when she realized that Twilight’s barrier was not a single wall, as Light had initially thought, but a dome; preventing not only the guard from assisting the unicorn, but also the undead horror from coming anywhere near her, or the still unconscious ponies at her feet.  Twilight smirked at first, when she saw the guard bash her face against the barrier, but nearly jumped out of her skin when the monstrosity behind her did the same.

“Wha- WHAT IS THAT THING!?” Twilight shouted in terror as her eyes swept over the disgusting grave-beast.

The creature reared back, its hideous face looking at the assembled ponies in what could only be described as detached contempt.  “It asks what I am?  I am its doom, here to take it from its home.  It will assist me, or it will die.”

“Twilight!  Teleport out of there!  Get to safe-” Light started to say, but stopped when she realized that something was happening.  The centipede had started attacking the barrier, determined to break it down, but each swipe of its claws and pincers seemed to be having a reaction on the barrier itself.  The wall of magic seemed to glow brighter and brighter, until eventually it was too bright to even look at.

“Everypony get back!  Now!” Sergeant Song screamed as she suddenly realized why Twilight’s forcefield was acting the way it was.  

Without hesitation, the assembled guard scrambled to do as their commanding officer directed, ducking around the corner before the field went critical.  “Ma'am, what was that?  What is it doing to Sparkle’s forcefield?” one earth pony asked nervously.

“It’s one of the undead.  Somehow, they’ve managed to get into the castle without having to go through Warrant Officer Breaker.  As to what’s happening, Sparkle didn’t construct a forcefield, private.  She threw up a kinetic barrier.  It’s going to keep absorbing that… thing’s attacks, until-”

The air around them seemed to breath outward as the world suddenly became silent.  Though the guard couldn’t hear anything, they could still feel what had happened, since the explosion had been great enough to cause the very walls and floors to shake as bits of rock and dust flung themselves down the corridor.

In reality, there was actually a lot of sound, but the Royal Guard armor was equipped with several protective measures, one of them being a sound suppressor, which was set to activate should there be a sound louder than one hundred and ten decibels.  It wasn’t used as often anymore, since its primary function was for protecting soldiers against dragon roar.

The last war with the dragons had been over a thousand years ago, though, so most ponies had called it a waste to put such an obviously unneeded piece of magic into every suit.  Despite this, Princess Celestia had not relented on her stance on keeping her guard protected.  Personally, Sergeant Light Song felt quite grateful to the princess and her ‘be prepared for dragon attack’ attitude, especially since it had just saved her and her unit’s eardrums.

“Thank Celestia…” one of the guard muttered as his hearing came back.

“You okay, Twilight?” Sergeant Song said as she peeked around the corner.

If one were to look at the area directly around the purple unicorn, one would have thought that nothing had happened.  Unconscious bodies still littered the area, and Twilight hadn’t moved from her spot, despite the horror that had attacked her.  However, if one looked beyond the circle where the barrier sat, it told a whole different story.

The ceiling and walls looked like they had been hit with some sort of large hammer, causing breaks and cracks to form where before there had been none.  Bits of bone, a long red smear, as well as the metal pincers which had embedded themselves in the far wall were all that remained of the undead monstrosity that had attacked the Element of Magic.

“Yikes… Remind me to never tick her off…” one of the guards muttered to himself.

“You and me both, brother, you and me both…” Song agreed.

Twilight Sparkle turned towards the guard, a somewhat dazed expression on her face.  “You were saying something about getting me out of the castle?” she shouted, obviously having suffered some hearing loss, despite being inside the protected area of the barrier.

“Yes, Miss Sparkle,” Song said loudly, accompanying her words with a salute.

“Well, we need to get to my friends, first."

“Someone is already on their way, Miss Sparkle.”

Twilight just shook her head at that.  “That may be true, but I’m not leaving without them.”

Sergeant Light gave her a long look, before finally relenting.  “Fine, but stay in the back, and run if things get too dicey.”

The corporal gave his sergeant a look at that.  “Are you sure, ma'am?  She’s a civilian and-”

“And we’re short hoofed as it is, corporal.  Miss Sparkle is an accomplished mage, who knows far more spells than I could hope to learn in a lifetime,” Light cut him off.  “If we want to have any chance of getting through this, we’ll need all the help we can get.”

The corporal looked like he wanted to say more, but finally relented.  After all, Sergeant Song was right.  At this point, they needed all the help they could get.


*        *        *


Corporal Dawn Breaker made his way carefully through the castle corridors, his team following closely behind. Private Lancer, who happened to be a Thestial, was the only member of the team that he knew. The other two ponies, a Pegasus and Earth Pony, were both BNGs. The two new recruits had been added to the squad right before the castle came under attack, so the unicorn hadn’t had a chance to get to know them yet.

The corporal really wasn’t too sure about how he felt towards the two newbies; he hadn’t heard either speak a word other than ‘yes sir!’, both gave nothing but hard looks and angry glares, and to top it all off, they were rather closed-lipped about anything relating to them personally.  As bad as all that was, however, Dawn Breaker could understand where they were coming from:  The sergeant had said that they had both came from Ponyville, and if that kind of thing had happened to his hometown, Dawn Breaker would probably have been just as brooding.

Dawn Breaker signaled the team to halt as they came to an intersection of corridors. He had already learned his lesson after running headlong into a bunch of undead.  They hadn’t been too tough, consisting of a few griffon corpses and a single unicorn, but their presence was unexpected:  Either the Warrant Officer had failed in halting their advance, or the enemy had found another route into Canterlot.

After checking to make sure both ways were clear, he led his team on. No one wanted to take part in clearing the castle of hostiles, especially when squads had to break up to do it, but there was barely enough horsepower to deal with the enemies at the gates, much less the ones that were in here.

The small team of ponies made it to a dead end. All that was left in this corridor was a doorway to an unused tower.  “Should we check it out sir?” Lancer asked. “The last two were duds.”  It was true that the last towers they checked were only filled with cowering staff and nobility, but Dawn Breaker wasn’t going to get lax on account of a few empty towers.  He was about to reply when the door opened.

The ponies all turned as a strange, wolf-like creature casually exited from the staircase. The creature’s clothes were wet with blood, as was its hands and mouth.  Dawn Breaker took a step back in surprise, his stance falling to the ready as the creature regarded them for a moment, cocking its head to the side curiously.  Then, without any other warning, the beast lunged forward.

Dawn Breaker lowered his spear, but the wolf knocked it to the side with the back of its hand.  The creature then grabbed him by the throat and threw him over the rest of the team with the ease that one would use to toss a hoofball.  The corporal hit the stones of the floor hard, his shoulder taking the brunt of the impact, which seemed to go oddly numb almost instantly.

The creature didn’t even pause as it reached down, grabbing Lancer by his head and smashing it against a nearby wall.  The beast left the dazed Thestial in favor of the newbie Pegasus, lunging forward to sink its teeth into the back of his neck. A loud snap could be heard, and the pegasus went limp.

All of this happened in only a matter of seconds.  The creature moved with such speed and grace, that Dawn Breaker was barely able to catch it.  He tried to get up, but a sharp pain in his shoulder stopped him.  He immediately knew it was dislocated; All he could do was watch as the beast turned on the other new recruit, bloodlust in its feral eyes.  The BNG tried to rear back, but the creature grabbed him by the back of the neck, and pulled him in. This time its maw clamped down on the back of his skull.

Dawn Breaker had seen some bucked up things during his time in the guard, but seeing that earth pony die would haunt him.

The creature stood, blood dripping from its jaw.  Dawn Breaker glanced towards Lancer, noticing that the night pony was still breathing, yet clearly unconscious.  The poor pony’s helmet certainly kept him from giving the wall a new paint job, but wasn't enough to protect him completely from the blow.

Despite the pain shooting through his shoulder, Dawn Breaker stood up, determined to keep him and the remaining private from becoming wolf chow.  He quickly charged up an attack, his horn sparking as the magic built up in a matter of moments.  He had always prided himself on being both quick on the draw, and accurate even in the toughest of spots.

With a grunt of pain, Dawn Breaker caused a beam of light to lance towards the creature, threatening to carve it into pieces for what it did to the corporal's unit.  However, to Dawn Breaker’s horror, the creature sidestepped the attack as if it had been nothing more than a pebble.

The creature stepped forward as Dawn Breaker launched another beam, yet it just stepped to the side of this one as well.  At this point, the creature was too close, and Dawn knew that he had missed his chance.  Yet, despite this, the corporal had one last resort.  If he couldn't hit the darn thing with his spell, there still might be a chance that he could gore it with his horn.  The unicorn tensed his hind legs and readied himself.  As soon as the creature was close enough, the corporal lunged forward.

He jerked to a stop as the creature grabbed his horn, easily halting him with one hand.  Terror filled Dawn Breaker as he looked up into those feral eyes.  He had fought so many battles, had survived so many hopeless situations, but only now did he feel his doom breathing on his neck.  Corporal Dawn Breaker screwed his eyes closed in resignation, waiting for that moment when the creature's teeth would sink into his spine.

Without any warning, however, he felt himself hit the floor. The creature had unceremoniously dropped him.  With a bit of a scramble, the corporal rose to his hooves, looking up towards the beast.

Only to see it walking away from the two surviving ponies as if nothing had happened.


*        *        *


"Let go, Pinkie!  That’s one of them!  They’re the enemy!”

With a pained groan, I slowly came to, my head spinning wildly from the force of the impact.  “Did someone catch the number on that train?”

“It’s waking up!  Let go before it kills someone else!”

“Dash!  Calm down and stop being a meanie pants!  He’s a good guy!”

I sat up, making sure to keep my eyes shut, as I didn’t want the world spinning on me like the last time I got conked in the head.  I still felt an overwhelming urge to vomit, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as last time.  Maybe I’m developing calluses on my brain, or something…

“Good guy?  His kind destroyed Ponyville!  How can you say that that kind of thing is a good guy!?”

“Come on, Dashie!  You know that some of them are trying to stop them, remember?  One of them was the whole reason nopony died that day!”

Bracing myself for the worst, I cracked open my eyes, and was immediately greeted with the world trying it’s best to imitate a tilt-n-whirl.  Despite the nausea, however, I kept them open and unsteadily got to my feet.

“Pinkie!  It’s up!  Let go of me now before it kills both of us!”

“Rainbow!  Just-”

“Would you both just shut up for a second?  I’m still trying to figure out which way is down!” I said as I stumbled about a little bit.

Surprisingly enough, what I said seemed to have worked, since both of the voices decided to stay quiet long enough for me to get my bearings.  We were still in that large hallway, though there seemed to be a bit of blood smeared across the floor now.  A quick touch to my face was all I needed to confirm that, yes, it was mine.

In addition to the blood, there was also a blue pegasus with the most outrageous hair I’ve ever seen.  There was no possible way those rainbow colored locks were natural, especially since the individual streaks didn’t seem to mix together much.  That being said, it still looked pretty cool, all things considered.  On her flank I could see another one of those weird marks that all the ponies seemed to bear: a tri-colored lightning bolt coming out of a white cloud.

She was glaring at me with nothing but profound hatred, and looked like the only thing she wanted to do was give me a piece of her mind.  Or serve me another punch at mach ten.

The only reason she wasn’t doing either of those things, though, was because she was being tackled by the pink mare that had followed me up to this point.  “You’re Rainbow Dash, I presume?” I asked a little groggily as I steadied myself against a nearby wall.

“Yeah?  What’s it to you!?  How’d you know my name!?” the blue mare asked aggressively after she managed to get Pinkie’s hoof out of her mouth.

“I’m Ammon Cook.  I know your name because your friend here was shouting it while she was trying to get you to shut up,” I said as I turned around to make sure we weren’t about to have any unexpected guests.  “Anyway, the reason that it’s important is because I was on my way to protect you and the other Element Bearers from the traitors running loose.”

This seemed to get her attention.  “Wait, that’s what those losers were chasing me?” she asked suspiciously.  “I thought they were just being worrywarts.”

I looked at her, then back to what I was doing.  “No, they’re definitely not here because they care about you.  A gang of them nearly got Pinkie here before I stopped them.

The Pegasus looked like she wanted to say something, but seemed to be having a hard time deciding what that was.  I ignored her, though, in favor of paying attention to whatever that loud cacophony of sound was that was coming from down the corridor.  Whatever it was, though, it seemed to involve a lot of screaming.

“Pinkie, you and Dash get out of here.  There’s something coming; I’ll slow it down, but you two have to go find the other elements before the traitors can round them up.  Can you do that?”  I wasn’t really sure why I said that, though to be honest, it was probably the concussion talking.  Whatever this thing was, though, needed to be dealt with now, and I really couldn’t do that with these two underfoot.

“Yes sir, mister boss sir!” Pinkie said as she pulled off a pretty decent salute, despite the fact that she was still tackling the multi-chromatic Pegasus.

Rainbow stopped trying to get at me when she noticed the screaming, at which point she gave me one last, suspicious look.  “Why are you helping us?” she asked simply.

“Short answer?  Because it’s the right thing to do,” I told her without even looking at her.  “Long answer would take too long.  Maybe I’ll tell you if I survive.”

There was a long silence that followed this, but finally I heard the blue Pegasus’ wings as she took off with a loud whoosh, the sound of the pink one leaving not far behind.

Now it was just me and whatever it was that was coming down the corridor.  Trusting that my invisibility would do its job, I started mounting the nearby wall, intending to get the literal drop on whatever it was that was coming this way.  Just like how it was in the caves, my dead arm turned the task into torture.  On top of that, my fatigue was making each movement sloppy and imprecise.  Despite my handicap, though, I still managed to get myself into position before whatever it was could make it here.

At first, I couldn’t quite figure out how to draw my weapon, while keeping my grip on the wall, but a nearby wall sconce proved to be the answer.  Thinking quickly, I wrapped my tail around the fixture, giving me an anchor point that would let me stand on the wall.  The sconce proved to be quite stable, surprisingly, easily taking my weight and giving me the perfect ambush point.

Now, all i had to do was wait.

As it turned out, I wouldn’t have to wait that long.  With a clatter of its claws on the stone floor, a large, wolf-like being entered the room, its black fur slick with blood.  It took a second to look around the room, but didn’t seem to see me hanging from the wall not twenty feet away.

That’s it, just a little closer… I thought as I held my spear at the ready.  If it continued on its course, it would pass directly underneath me, giving me the perfect opportunity to attack.

However, just before it came under me, I noticed its ears twitch and swivel in my direction.  I froze at this, sure that I hadn’t made a sound.  However, that notion was quickly dispelled when the wolf looked up at me, its head cocking to the side curiously.

Crap!  I thought as panic overtook me.  I quickly uncurled my tail, leaping at the beast while thrusting my spear.  Even though it had noticed me, there was still a good chance that it couldn’t see me, making my thrust far deadlier than it normally would be.

As I quickly fell towards the wolf, though, it sidestepped my attack, almost as if my strike had been nothing more than a lobbed muffin.  The beast then brought its arm up close to its face, and casually backhanded me before I could even hit the ground.

The blow sent me tumbling across the stone floor, not stopping until I had hit the far wall with a thunk.  Winded and dazed, I tried to get to my feet, only to be stopped as something large and heavy shoved me back down.  I looked up at the beast in fear as it stared at me, its teeth bared as it growled menacingly.

It lowered its head, its teeth so close that I could almost feel them on my skin.  I screwed my eyes closed and turned my head to the side; even if I were to struggle, anything I had to give would have been token at best.  Better to know when you’re beaten, I thought as I felt the beast’s hot breath on my throat.

Instead of chomping into me and being done with it, however, the creature decided to instead sniff me, once, then twice, its cold nose tickling my neck despite the terror that ran through my body.  I peeked open an eye, only to see it bear its teeth once more, before taking off like a bolt from a crossbow.

I kept my eyes on it until it had disappeared down a nearby hallway, not daring to move until the wolf had made its getaway.  Once it had gone, though, I was up and off like a certain speeding roadrunner, completely determined to put as much distance between myself and the wolf as possible.

I… I still have to find those other ponies… yeah, I’ll do that, I thought to myself, still not sure how I had escaped that with my neck intact.  It occurred to me that I should probably be following that thing, but I quickly threw that idea out the window.

Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor...


*        *        *


The Alpha charged into another group of not prey. The pack leader had marked a pony at the heart of their group, and so it must die.  The not prey lowered their spears in anticipation of his charge, but he was no base prey. He dove over their weapons, and sunk his teeth into the creature the pack leader wanted dead.

He rolled as he neared the ground, his prey was still clenched in his jaws. It hadn’t even had the chance to scream. He stood, tearing a chunk from the prey. He chewed the flesh and bone, reveling in its life giving properties. The remaining not prey stepped away.  They seemed to be conflicted.

“The lawn mowers can’t decide whether to attack or flee. They have done an excellent job suppressing their instinct to run, they might actually attack,” the pack leader’s beloved voice said as she marked a new target for him.

Swallowing his mouthful of prey, he charged in the direction that the pack leader had indicated. Two not prey were blocking his way, but eventually their fight or flight response finally settled on the action that would save their lives.

The Alpha moved on. He ran through the corridors ignoring the not prey that fled, and batting aside the not prey that fought. He had little time for such distractions.  More and more prey fell to his teeth and claws.  He took one bite from each prey they fell, the thrill of the hunt driving him on, while the bloodlust clouded his mind. Only the pack leader’s subtle direction kept him from slaughtering every living thing in the castle like sheep stuck in a barn.

He came upon another prey that the pack leader marked. It did not wear the armor of the guards, but that mattered little. It died like the rest.


*        *        *


Blueblood plodded along, his eyes darting back and forth as he looked for an opening, a way out, something, but nothing was revealing itself to him.

Come on, there has to be a way out of this… he thought to himself.  However, the more he looked, the less likely it was that he was going to get out of this one alive.  Briefly he glanced towards the white unicorn at his side, impressed by how she was keeping her cool despite the obvious danger.

“So, tell me, was the price for your allegiance worth your honor?” Rarity asked calmly.

The leader of the traitors just gave a short, barking laugh at that.  “Honor is for suckers.  I prefer the side that’s winning.”

“So your oaths meant nothing, then?” Blueblood asked, genuinely curious, though still quite angry.

“Those stupid things?  Those are for guards and weaklings, not winners,” the pony in guard armor said with a laugh.  “Besides, I never took the oaths.  If you haven’t guessed by now, we’re not exactly with the Royal Guard.”

Good, he’s a talker, I can use that, Blueblood thought to himself.  “You’re a mercenary.”

The leader gave another short laugh at that.  “I prefer the term ‘military contractor’, but-”

All of the ponies suddenly stopped what they were doing as a guttural growl echoed through the hallway.  It was a horrifying sound, one that reached into the primal, herd animal instinct of the ponies, and told them one thing.

They were about to become someone’s lunch.

Not even skipping a beat, Blueblood nudged Rarity towards a nearby hallway, then took off in a sprint.  There was a shout behind him, as well as the sound of unicorn spellwork, but fortunately for the two fleeing unicorns, the growl had created just a large enough opening to allow Blueblood and Rarity to slip out and get several hooves away before it happened.

There was a clattering of claws on stone, followed closely by the sounds of bones cracking and ponies screaming, but Blueblood didn’t stop to look back.

“What is it?  What’s happening!?” Rarity shouted as the two ponies continued to put as much distance between them and the enemies behind them.

“I don’t know, but I suggest we don’t stay to find out!” Blueblood shouted back.


*        *        *


It was over. The pack leader had set The Alpha’s path to leave the castle. He ran, lowering onto all fours, his bones restructuring themselves to accommodate.  His path was clear.  All of his prey was dead, and the not prey had learned to steer clear of him.

He found a large room with a massive set of stairs leading to two large double doors, his exit.

 “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!” A loud voice echoed through the room. The Alpha stopped in his tracks, throwing his hands to his ears.

He looked up to see another not prey. This one was unlike any he had seen yet; it was significantly larger than the rest, and was almost as tall as he was. It had a dark coat, a flowing mane that shimmered like stars. The not prey wore silver armor, and was flanked by two dozen heavily armed, and armored not prey.

“I’m sorry, were you going to leave?” the large not prey asked with a scoff. “You come into my home, hurt and kill my people, and you expect to leave like some guest?”

The Alpha crouched motionless just feet from the newcomer, his hackles raised aggressively as he regarded this new not prey.  “Careful little one,” The pack leader said. “This one is no base prey.”

The Alpha shifted his stance, his bones changing again to accommodate his new position.  He then held his hand out, his short spear appearing in his hand in a brilliant flash of light;  Teeth and claws were useful, but only worked against the lesser prey.

“I’m tired of your ilk,” the large, not prey said, venom in her voice. “You attack, and the moment we show up you run.  This time, I’m not letting you get away."  With a flash of her horn, the not prey summoned a mighty ebon scythe to her side, its silvery, crescent moon blade gleaming wickedly in the castle's gemlight.

"Today, you die.”


*        *        *


The Huntress only seemed to have two emotional states, relentlessly cheerful and unnervingly focused. She had taken on the former as her champion tore his way through the castle.  The mood around the table was tense, many players openly wincing as piece after piece was removed.

The observant player would have noticed something odd about The Huntress’s movements, however: she seemed to only go after certain pieces, while completely ignoring others.  Any of Liar’s or Defiler’s, as well as certain other players, she killed on sight.  Others, she let live, though she left them with a memory that would haunt them for the rest of their days.

It was unnerving how efficient The Huntress’s Alpha was; all anyone could do was sit and watch as she cleared the playing field.

The mood immediately lightened, however, as soon as the princess arrived.  All of The Huntresses efforts would be meaningless if she lost her champion here. True, she would have extended the game, but she would still lose if The Alpha died now.

“Looks like the tides have turned on you,” The Defiler said with a laugh. 

“Anyone want to make any bets?” The Deceiver asked with a grin, all anxiety having melted away.

“You seem so confident that my pup will lose this confrontation,” The Huntress said, her mood shifting to unnervingly focused, her eyes never wavering from the board.

Fate let out a sigh, stroking his long beard as he eyed The Huntress with pity.  “Huntress, I have gone over every possible scenario, and I must say that there is no way that he can survive this engagement.”

Glee seemed to spread around the table at that pronouncement.  If Fate had decreed the beast’s doom, then it was sure to happen.

“I’ll bet on the beast’s death,” The Defiler said.

“As will I,” Desolation called out. 

More and more players began to bet on The Alpha’s death, and by extension, The Huntress’s loss.  The Huntress eyed them all, anger flashing in her eyes as she hunched over the board, yet her mouth was turned up in a smile.  “You all seem so certain that my pup won’t make it,” she said, filtering her hate and anger through a mask of cheerfulness.

The atmosphere had turned against her.  Even those that had been routing for the Alpha turned their eyes down, certain of the beast’s doom.

“I bet he lives.” All but The Huntress turned in surprise towards The Lady, Her constant poker face staring back at them. 

“Lady,” Fate said uneasily, trying to reason with his counterpart. “The Alpha is weak to combat casters, and Princess Luna happens to be the most powerful one on Equis.  She’s also a level higher than he is.  Aside from that, The Alpha has used most of his stored power in his hunt, and the Lunar Princess has an axe to grind against him.  Surely, my dear, you can see that he doesn’t have a chance.”

The Lady didn’t answer Fate, choosing to instead to regard The Huntress sitting across the table from her.  The Huntress just looked at her with those golden eyes, a question passing between them.

All The Lady did to answer her was to give a sympathetic smile.

The Huntress turned her attention back to the board, her body quivering nervously.  Her pelt had gone black, but luckily for her, no one knew that meant she was terrified.  With shaking hands, she picked up the dice, then took a second to force herself to still.

With a deep breath, she gazed at the board, then slowly, she began to smile.  Several players shifted nervously.  They knew that that smile could only mean one thing.

The Huntress knew she was going to win.
> I'm Gonna Need That Leg...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Luna regarded the creature in front of her. It was like a wolf version of Ammon, but there were far more differences than just that:  It was shorter, but bulkier, carrying itself with the skill and grace of a natural born warrior.  Its hands bore a closer resemblance to that of a Minotaur's, sporting five digits instead of Ammon’s four.  In those hands was a short spear, held low as the beast crouched, waiting for her to make the first move.

Looking at it made Luna’s blood boil. How much pain and suffering had these things caused?  How many lives have they ended?

And now they had the audacity to assault her very home!

Nightfall stepped forward to stand by his princess, his Knights of the Crescent at his back as he stared at the beast in front of him.  “Orders?” he asked, his tone cold with anger.

“Spread out, and clear the castle,” Luna said, not taking her eyes from the monster in front of her.  “Your priority is the element bearers; if any of their ‘escorts’ refuse to turn them over, then kill them.  I’ll deal with this thing.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” he said as he turned to leave.  Luna could hear her captain give orders to his troops as he left, but she payed him no mind, choosing to instead concentrate on the creature in front of her.

With barely a twitch of her wings, Luna charged, swinging her scythe at the creature’s head.  Her strike was off, however, as the creature quickly sprang back, trying to put as much distance between the two of them as possible.  The wolf’s mighty leap had landed it several feet away, well out of the way of the princess’s scythe, but not out of her range.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Luna fired at it, causing a lance of energy to erupted from her horn and cut through the air. The creature dove to the side, barely clearing her attack as it rolled away and back to its feet.

Luna steadied herself, prepared for a counterattack, but was surprised when instead the creature turned and bounded back up the staircase it had entered from.  She fired again, but missed as the wolf dodged to the side.

How could it dodge when its back was turned? Luna wondered as she took off after it.


*        *        *


My breathing was haggard as I stumbled through the corridor, my spear in hand as I tried to figure out where I was going.  To be honest, I wasn’t in the best of shape, and it was a wonder that I was even moving at all.  Every step seemed to shoot waves of agony up my arm, and my head was determined to make me pay for getting in the way of that rainbow pony’s punch.

Everywhere I looked there seemed to be bodies, but that wasn’t too surprising, considering that I was heading in the direction that that crazy wolf guy had come from.  Nevertheless, I kept on my course, determined to still be of use.  I wasn’t sure if it was bravery, or the concussion that was pushing me onward, but as I tripped past one of those Frankensteinian abominations, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

As I wearily trudged up another flight of stairs, I slowly began to realize that I was hearing something other than the distant sounds of combat.  It was a sound that scared me to my very core, but at the same time filled me with a rage that I didn’t know I was capable of.  With a burst of strength I didn’t know I had, I quickly mounted the last few stairs, determined to make it before it was too late.


*        *        *


The Alpha stood at the top of the staircase, its spear at the ready, determined to use the narrow entryway as a choke-point.  If he could stall her for a few seconds, he just might be able to created a distraction large enough to allow his escape.

His ears twitched, though, at the sound of a nearby teleport.  Reacting purely on instinct, he dodged to the right, barely managing to avoid the decapitating strike from the not prey, but taking a slight graze to the side of his muzzle for his trouble.  Without so much as a second’s hesitation, the not prey followed up the attack with another, and another, twirling her scythe like a baton as the magnificent weapon began to glow.

He managed to dodge each one, though, waiting for an opening to appear.  Just as he was about to give up and run again, he spotted it.  Briefly, the Alpha faked high, but instead went low, bringing him well within the not prey’s range of attack.  He then struck out as quick as a snake, his spear grazing her on the cheek, but she didn’t seem to notice.

The Alpha’s momentum continued to carry him forward, though, so he fell into a roll that carried him past the not prey.  As soon as he was clear of the counter attack, the Alpha sprung to his feet, turned, and leapt at the startled equine.

Without even thinking about it, the not prey threw up a shield to protect herself, all while preparing her weapon for a follow up strike.  She gasped in surprise, however, when the tip of the Alpha’s spear met the barrier, and continued right through it, melting it as if it were nothing but a snowball before a dragon’s breath.

With a curse, the not prey used her wings to propel herself backwards, well out of the Alpha’s strike range.  She prepared for a follow up from the wolf, but was disappointed when the Alpha used his momentum to carry him past her and down a nearby corridor.  He then got to his feet and ran, trying to put as much distance between the two of them as possible.


*        *        *


Applejack nursed a bruised lip and a broken pride as the ‘soldiers’ took her around the back.  It wasn’t even like these guys were especially tough, or anything.  In fact, she probably could have taken them and a few more for good measure.

But then one of the cowards had pulled a knife on her comatose brother.

“Y’all are cowards, ya’ hear!?” she said as the Pegasus behind her gave her another shove.

“Keep your yap shut, or we’ll shut it for you,” one of the ponies grunted as he wiped the blood from his brow.  The cut she had left him hadn’t been bandaged yet, much less healed, despite the fact that they had attacked the Element of Honesty in a hospital.  Luckily for the ‘soldiers’, all the real guards were either on the walls, or in the castle.  None of them had been anywhere near Canterlot Medical when the traitors had made a move on Applejack, which had worked greatly to the traitor’s favor.

“Now, if you’re quiet and don’t make anymore of a fuss, the boss will treat you right, got it?  he just needs to see you for a second,” the Earth Pony in the lead said as he reached for the servant's entrance on the side of the castle.

Applejack gave a snort at that.  “Yeah, just like how y’all are taken me ‘ta safety?  Yeah, once trust is lost, ‘taint easy ‘ta get back.”

“Well, you’ll just have to- oh, captain!  Fancy meeting you here!”

Applejack’s head shot up at these words.  When the scum had opened the door, he had revealed a group of Night Sentinels waiting on the other side.

Only, there was something… different, about these guards.  Instead of the normal, half plate and open helmets that the usual guard wore, these ponies were wearing full plate mail with face concealing visors.

The apparent leader took a step forward, his longspear held at the ready as he faced down the traitor.  “Soldier, by the authority of Princess Luna, you are hereby ordered to drop your weapons and surrender yourselves and the Element of Honesty to our custody.  Failure to do so will result in your immediate death.”

“Please say ‘no’,” one of the soldiers next to the captain said gleefully.  “Captain Nightfall has been having a really bad day, and he could really use a punching bag…”

The soldiers surrounding Applejack took a long look at the Night Sentinels, then back at Applejack, and as one pony, dropped their weapons and bolted.

“AFTER THEM!”  the captain said as he charged out the door and past the remaining pony.  Most of the soldiers followed their leader’s command, but a few stayed behind to guard the now free Element of Harmony.

“Are you okay, ma’am?  They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

“Nah, just my pride’s all.  You fellers certainly have a knack in coming in at the right moment,” Applejack said as she rubbed the top of her hatless head.  The scum had come so suddenly, that Applejack hadn’t even had a chance to grab her hat from her brother’s bed.  “So, what happens now?  If’n these guys were after me, then they’d be after my friends, too. ”

“Do not worry about that, Miss Applejack, we’ve already got teams sweeping the castle.  We’ll find them.”

Applejack gave a sigh of relief at that, but stiffened as a thought came to her.  “Wait, why do ya need ta search the whole castle?  What happened?”

“...There was a breach of security.  Some thugs, as well as some monsters, somehow managed to get in.  But don’t worry, we’re-”

“Applebloom’s in there!  Applebloom!”  Applejack said as she took off, bolting past the confused guards, forcing them to chase after her.


*        *        *


“No!  Help!  Somepony!  Anypony!”  Sweetie Belle screamed as the thing behind her came closer and closer.

“Save your breath and keep running!” Spike said as his pudgy little legs carried him away with a surprising amount of speed.

“Doesn’t it get tired?  We’ve been running from this thing for ages!” Scootaloo shouted as she led her friends around a corner.

Despite how much the children exerted themselves, though, they were only barely keeping themselves ahead of the nightmare behind them.  Youth and fear are powerful aids in sprinting, but the fact of the matter was that the four children were tired.  It was way past any of their bedtimes, and they had spent the majority of the night running and hiding from all the scary monsters that had popped up in the castle.

It was starting to look like Ponyville all over again.

“Applejack!  Big Mac!  Granny!  Somepony help!”  Applebloom called out, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.  As it turned out, though, this was counter productive, since her screaming had caused her to completely miss the upturned corner of the rug.

With a frightened yelp, the small child tripped and fell flat on her face.  The other three stopped and turned, looking on in horror as the large, gorilla-like atrocity reared back, the rusty cleaver in its stitched-together hand promising nothing but an agonizing, painful death.

“Move Applebloom!  Get up!”  Scootaloo called as she stumbled forward to help her friend.

Applebloom heard the shout, but could do nothing but screw her eyes closed as the abomination loomed over her, certain that her death had come.

There was a sickening, fleshy slicing sound, followed closely by a thump, then an earthshaking crash as something heavy hit the floor.  After a few seconds sitting there with her her eyes closed, Applebloom realized that the killing blow hadn’t come, that somehow, for some reason, the monster had stayed its blade.

Cautiously, Applebloom cracked an eye open, only to have both snap open as she clumsily tried to put as much distance between her and what lay before her.

The monster, which had once seemed so scary and huge, was dead, its head lazily rolling away before falling down a nearby stairwell.  Its body was splayed out in front of her, the mighty clever it had wielded nowhere in sight.  Standing above the body, sword in hand, was the weird dragon-creature from earlier.  It had a look of pure rage in its eye as it stared down at the dead thing, its sword gleaming dully in the faint gemlight.

“You… you saved me?” Applebloom stuttered as she looked up at the creature.

The dragon jumped a little, almost as if it had forgotten that it wasn’t alone, but quickly turned his muzzle up into a smile.  “Yeah, though you better find a…” he started to say, but seemed to think better of it.  “Actually, no, come with me, it’ll be safer that way.”

The dragon began fumbling with his sword, trying to sheath it one handed, which immediately brought the lizard’s injuries to their attention.  “Mister, you’re hurt!  You’re hurt bad!”  Sweetie Belle said as she got closer to him.

“How did you even manage to get that?” Spike asked as he got closer.  “You’re a dragon, right?  Shouldn’t you be immune to heat?”

“Where’d you get that cool sword?  Can I hold it?  How did you just appear like that?  Can you teleport?  Can you fly?  What else can you do?” Scootaloo asked, rapid firing question after question in a never ending stream.

The dragon just ignored all of them, though, in favor of finishing sheathing his blade.  He then stumbled towards a nearby stairwell, reaching down to pick up a spear he must have dropped when he was rescuing Applebloom.  “Questions later.  We need to get out of here before more show up.  Follow me.”

Before he managed to take two steps, though, he had to stop as a small, yellow foal with red hair wrapped her hooves around his leg.  He looked down in surprise at Applebloom, only to see a tear-stained face look back up at him.  “Thank you, mister.  Thank you for saving me.”

The dragon continued to stare at her for the longest time, until finally a ghost of a smile graced his face.  “No problem, kid.  Anytime you need it.”

At these words, Applebloom broke down completely, crying her eyes out in relief, her sobs of joy racking her whole body to the bones.  She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, but it wasn’t long before she cried herself to sleep.


*        *        *


Luna fired another blast at the creature, hoping her close proximity would prevent it from moving out of the way.  It turned out that she underestimated its agility, though, as it still managed to duck in time.

She didn’t let her surprise stop her from reacting, though, as she readied her scythe and charged again.  Instead of dodging, as she had expected, the creature made its own charge, closing the distance it had put between them with its initial dodge far faster than Luna was prepared for.  She had no time to react as the creature slammed into her, her breastplate making a dull thum as the creature’s shoulder impacted it, causing her to drop her scythe in the process.  Both of them quickly lost their balance, collapsing into a heap on the floor, the wolf on top of her.

Struggling under the creature’s weight, Luna tried to get back up, but was prevented as the beast grabbed a hold of her.  In the time that it took for her to blink, she felt its teeth clamp down on the back of her neck.

Panic took over, and before she knew it, she was suddenly twenty feet away, desperate to get her lungs under control.  Her heart was pounding in her ears as she looked towards the creature, its stance shifting back to its four-legged gait as it stared at her, almost as if it could see straight through her and into her soul.

Suppressing her panic, she summoned her scythe to her and charged again, forcing the creature into a roll again to dodge out of the way.  Luna quickly pulled her scythe back for another strike, but only ended up cutting into the stone beneath them with her attack.

Without even missing a beat, the creature jumped up on top of it, keeping it embedded in the rock as it perched on the weapon, almost as if it were mocking her.  She responded by pulling the scythe, cutting across the floor, and pulling it out from underneath the beast.

As the creature fell back, though, it turned its fall into a somersault, almost as if it had expected her to do this.

Her inability to land a hit on the creature, combined with the creature’s almost cocky fighting style, was causing Luna’s blood to boil. She was coming at it with all of her strength, but it seemed to just dance around her attacks.

She needed another angle.

Swinging with all of her strength, she charged once again.  But this time, she had a different plan in mind.  She needed to get the timing just right, but if everything went as planned, the beast should be about a foot shorter after this.

Just as the creature began to dodge, this time throwing itself back, she drew upon her magic.  With but a thought, Luna immediately teleported herself behind the creature, her scythe still moving in its arc, and the creature still trying to backpedal.

Directly into her attack.

The Lunar Princess had misjudged the teleport, though.  Everything was right, with the sole exception that she hadn’t quite expected the beast to move that far back.  Instead of removing its head, as was her intention, she struck it with the shaft of her weapon.

As the weapon impacted the creature’s side, Luna couldn’t help but smile as she heard an audible cracking sound.  She tried pulling her weapon in an attempt to cut the creature in half, but it dropped to the floor and scrambled away.

Luna teleported in front of the creature and swung down, but Its reaction time was incredible, allowing it to drop and rolled away, Luna’s scythe once again digging into the stone.


*        *        *


Despite the initial barrage, the undead still poured into the streets, though not completely unopposed.  It seemed that the sudden appearance of The Moon’s Ascent had strengthened the resolve of the defenders, much to Orcas’ increasing annoyance.

“Bah, I knew I should have brought a few renders with me to the gates.  These bodies are worthless here!” a couple of unicorn corpses said as they ducked into a nearby alley to avoid a volley of arrows..  “I have the numerical superiority, but it is useless!  Even the earth bound ones are worth at least twenty of my bodies!”

Orcas took a second to think as the sounds of battle raged.  Though the rest of his mind was occupied with the assault, this small corner controlling these two were otherwise at peace, allowing him to come up with a strategy.  Yet even with his impressive ability to multitask, he just couldn’t see a way out of this situation without some sort of gain.

That accursed beast in the castle had seen to that.

“If only it had managed to get just one of the Bearers, we could have salvaged something from this plan,” Orcas said as he caused the two bodies to sit down for a bit.  He didn’t need to rest anymore, but he found that doing things he use to when he still had a breathing body helped him think.  “As is, the only good thing I could hope for here is for that beast and the moon slave to kill each…”  He trailed off, though, when he finally realized that he wasn’t quite alone in this alley.

Well, he was still very much alone, but only because the other two occupants of this alley were already dead.

“Oh, master, you are too kind.  The reinforcements are not many, but one used to be a champion,” Orcas said as the two unicorns approached the bodies.

As they got closer, they split off to take care of them separately, both bending down and reaching out, almost as if they were going to embrace the two corpses on the ground.  Darkness oozed from the zombified pony remains, sinking into the yet, undefiled bodies.  

The darkness only lasted a moment, however, as the vacated shells greedily absorbed Orcas’ essence.  There was the sound of cracking bones, and tearing flesh as the unwilling flesh moved from its peaceful slumber, but neither of those sounds were quite as disturbing as the laughter.

“Oh, oh that is perfect,” the tall, faceless corpse said as it rose to its feet.  Muscles tore at themselves in protest, but Orcas ignored the sounds in favor of continuing his laughter.  It was just so funny!  All the preparation, all the deals and negotiations, all completely useless.

And, ultimately, unnecessary.

Kill all you find, I must make preparations elsewhere…  Orcas ordered his armies as his consciousness withdrew from Canterlot.  He had no real hopes that his crippled forces could do anything at this point, especially with the accursed sun slave on her way, but that wasn’t really the point.

Do not worry, sweet sweet Canterlot.  The doctor will soon be back, and he will soon heal you of that horrid affliction you call life, Orcas thought as he slipped back into his thralls in the dragon graveyard.
> Never Get Between Mother Bear and Her Cub... Or Sister Bear, For That Matter...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Spike looked up at the wierd, not-dragon thing curiously.  Currently it was carrying Applebloom in the crook of its still working arm, her head lolling to one side as she gently snored.  Spike couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy over her current position, especially since he was having trouble keeping his eyes open, but he didn’t say anything about it.

After all, it wasn’t him who had nearly lost his head.

Despite his wounds and his clear exhaustion, the not-dragon was still keeping his head on a swivel, his eyes wide as he looked for any danger to the small group.  At first, Spike had been worried about how the creature would protect them should something appear, but that question was soon answered when the not-dragon’s lithe, serpentine tail reached around to his front and pulled his dagger free.  Spike wasn’t sure how much that would help their current situation, but it was better than nothing.

“Shouldn’t we wake her?” Scootaloo asked hesitantly.

“I tried, but I don’t think she’s capable of conscious thought right now,” the not-dragon said with a shrug.  “Anyway, we should be fine coming this way.  Aside from that one monster, someone else was... already through here.”  As the not-dragon said this, he pointedly stepped over another disgusting, stitched together corpse.  It looked like it had been torn apart by some kind of animal, which immediately cause the children to shiver uncontrollably.

“Why are they doing this?  Why are they even here!?”  Sweetie Belle asked, her eyes wide with horror and fear as she tried to not look at the bloody mess.

The not-dragon just stopped at that, gave a sigh, and turned to look at her.  “I don’t know, kid.  I honestly couldn’t tell you why evil does the things they do, or why the madman thinks the way he thinks.  I’m only in control of myself, and how I think.”  After saying this, he turned around and continued walking.  “All I know is that I’m not going to let them keep doing it.  You have my promise on that.”

The three children looked up at the not-dragon in awe at that, their eyes getting larger by the second as the wounded reptile continued to stagger through the castle corridor.  He didn’t seem to have anything wrong with his legs, but by the way his arm hung limply, as well as the nasty looking bruise that was forming on his head, Spike figured that there didn’t need to be anything wrong with his legs to make him walk like that.  He was dirty, blood covered, and walked like he was drunk, but none of those factors mattered in the slightest to the three impressionable children.

“What’s your name?” Spike asked quietly.

“Ammon.  Come on, we gotta hurry,” he said, trying to pick up the pace a bit.

“Where are we going?” Sweetie Belle asked nervously.

“To a hidden lab in the castle, you’ll be safe there.  At least, you’ll be safe so long as you don’t touch anything,” the not-dragon said, turning for a second to give them a brief look that all three children were fully acquainted with.

“Why do adults always give us that look?” Scootaloo whispered to Sweetie Belle.

“Because you’re children, and it is the nature of children to curiously get into trouble,” Ammon answered, obviously overhearing them.  “Relax, though.  The looks will go away as you get old-”

“Get yer durn-nabbed mitts off mah sister!” a familiar voice yelled from down the hallway on the left.  Spike was too far behind Ammon to see who it was, but he didn’t really need to.  The not-dragon looked to his left at the source of the voice, his eyes growing wide with terror at what he saw.

What came next happened so fast, that if Spike had blinked, he would have completely missed it.

Ammon knelt down and, with the utmost care, set down Applebloom on the floor, her open mouth quickly forming a small puddle next to her.  Then, almost as if he had never been there in the first place, the hero winked out of existence, the pit-pat of his running feet the only clue of where he had gone.

“What in the-”  Applejack said as she came charging into view, her hooves skidding a little on the tile floor as she brought herself to a complete stop.  “Where… Spike?  What are-”

“Applejack!” The children all screamed, immediately tackling the farm pony as tears of relief dripped down their faces.

“...Applejack?” Applebloom asked sleepily as she came to.

“Applebloom!”  Applejack said as she tried to inch her way to her sister.  It was rather hard, though, seeing as she was covered in enthusiastic, hysterical children, all trying to yell something at her, presumably something about the creature that Applejack just chased away.

During all of the chaos, though, none of the ponies even noticed a tall, lizard-like form collapse in a nearby corner, it’s breathing ragged as it slipped into unconsciousness.


*        *        *


Bit by bit, Princess Luna was starting to figure it out; Fighting hoof to paw would not work, the beast was far too capable of a fighter for that.  It seemed to have a hard time dealing with her attacks if complemented by magic.

She would have used just straight magic, but without knowing beforehoof if anypony was lurking behind a wall, or possibly in a building outside, it was entirely possible she could hit or kill somepony that she did not intend to.

It was the downside of having abilities that had ranges that were best measured on topographic maps.  It forced her to rely upon her more… mundane, skills, to handle situations like this.

Sleep is out of the question, too, especially after… she thought, but had to repress a shiver over the memory of last time she had tried that tactic.

Needless to say, it hadn’t gone so well for her.

Luna had lost track of time, but it felt like an eternity.  She figured that the creature should have been getting tired and clumsy by now, but instead it was becoming more aggressive and reckless.  It was striking out at her much more, and her body was now covered in a multitude of cuts, her blood speckling the floor as she fought.  Her breath was becoming heavy and labored; She needed to end this.

She threw her scythe at the beast, giving it a bit of a spin as it flew threw the air.  It was the second time she had tried this; last time it cause the beast to slip up, and she had managed to plant both her hind legs on its chest for a devastating kick.  She hoped that something similar would happen here, and allow her the opening she needed.

The creature ducked as expected, but this time it charged her, instead of falling back as it had last time.  She threw up a barrier by pure instinct, forgetting that the creature had a counter for it, rendering the instinct useless and dangerous.  Once again, the creature’s spear broke through it, allowing the beast to close in with a startling amount of speed.

Princess Luna’s reflexes were on par with the greatest of warriors, however, giving her just the edge she needed to sidestep the attack.  As the creature passed her, she summoned her scythe with but a thought, fully intent on bringing it down on the troublesome pest.

As the scythe appeared above her, however, Luna’s world suddenly pitched to the side, and a loud ringing sound reverberated through her helmet.

As she tumbled away from the beast, her head swimming in pain, she looked up at it through blurry, unfocused eyes.   It still had its spear in its left hand, but in its right was a strange weapon, the likes of which she’d never seen before.  It resembled a long paddle, except it had a large number of jagged, nasty looking obsidian blades lining the outside of the weapon.

Despite the princess’s less then able state, though, the creature did not follow up, or even look at the Lunar Princess, choosing to instead turn a bolt as the princess tried to regain her senses.


*        *        *


The Alpha burst into the large room, taking no time to survey his surroundings. He could feel his body weaken and slow, the broken ribs the not prey had given him with that kick slowing him down.  He could feel his body trying to repair itself, but he knew he had neither the time, nor the sustenance to take advantage of that.  Most of his energy stores had been chipped away by the fight with the not prey, and what little he had left had to be allocated carefully, or he might not make it out.

Ahead of him he could see a large, stain glass window.  Making a snap decision, he stopped the flow of power trying to heal his broken ribs, and focused it on the muscles in his legs.  With a burst of speed, he rushed towards the window, fully intent on breaking through the glass and making his escape.

Before he managed to get within twenty feet of the window, though, he heard the tell-tale popping sound of the not prey teleporting behind him.  He dropped to the floor without even thinking about it.

There was a bright flash of light, followed by an explosion ahead of him, which immediately caused him to lay his ears flat against his head in pain.  Without a beat he rolled, and another beam struck the floor where he had dropped.

With a grunt, he thrusted himself onto his feet. Turning to face his assailant, The Alpha was suddenly filled with dread. One of the supporting pillars had been ripped from its place, and hung in the air, surrounded by a dark blue aura. In the doorway stood the not prey, breathing raggedly, and eyes full of rage. The pillar swung towards him, and he was about to duck when he heard a voice

“Stop!”

It was instinctual. His body froze in response to the beloved voice. The pillar slammed into him, sending him flying out the glass windows, and crashing onto the ground outside.

Pain flared in his body, but ignoring his injuries, he rose. Without turning, he limped away from the castle and into the garden. He could still dodge her magic, and once he got into the dense vegetation, she would not be able to find him.


*        *        *


Luna no longer had control of herself.  Tearing out the pillar and smashing the thing with it was going a bit too far, but she had lost her good sense when the creature had given her a concussion.

She was surprised when the creature stood, its left arm dangled uselessly, while its other clutched at its side in obvious pain.  The creature didn’t even turn, it just started moving, each step slowed by its profound limp, yet it still moved with a speed that surprised her.

Luna lacked the strength to chase it any farther herself, though.  She was thoroughly exhausted from the fight, she had lost a good amount of blood, she was currently suffering from a concussion, and to top it all off, her little rage fueled attack had drained most of her remaining available mana.  Luna quickly contemplated what she could do, but that was proving to be quite difficult with her head still swimming like it was.

Her go-to ranged attack seemed useless, though.  The only reason she had hit him with the pillar at all had been because it had strangely frozen up at the last second there; every other time she had used anything at a range on it, it had ducked, dodged, or moved out of the way, even when it had its back turned.  How can it tell when I send something its way?  It has incredible reflexes, and the only time I’ve ever seen it stumble was when I first shouted at it...

She paused.

“STOP!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, the Royal Canterlot voice easily carrying her shout to the outer walls of Canterlot and beyond.  The creature dropped, throwing its one good hand up to its ears as It let out a half yelp, half scream.

The creature stood, stumbled a couple of steps, then collapsed again. Luna tiredly took off out the window, drawing slowly closer, fully intent on finishing this.


*        *        *


It was as if the world had died. The sounds of wind rustling the leaves, fires crackling in the distance, screams of the dying, and even his own heartbeat were all gone. Everything seemed so dull without the beauty of sound. Nothing had any meaning anymore. He stumbled, trying to move on, but all he could manage was a half-hearted crawl.

The Alpha stared at the hand he could still move, the hand he had recently brought to his ear in pain.  It was covered in his own blood.  He felt the hot liquid pour from his ears, the pain excruciating, but that mattered little compared to the pain of not being able to experience the sound of the world anymore.

He turned his head towards the source of that last, ear shattering sound.  The not prey had landed on the grass, and was slowly walking towards him. The alpha regarded her, mouth agape.

His arm and legs gave out on him, and with a thunderous crash, The Alpha fell to the earth, feeling as if his doom was at his throat, choaking the life right out of him.

“I am so sorry my pup,” the voice came. “I am so sorry.”

The not prey’s horn began to glow. He closed his eyes, waiting for his end.


*        *        *


It was the most powerful blast Luna could accomplish in her current state.  The creature let out a yelp as it was sent tumbling, until finally it came to a stop beneath a cherry tree.  She approached the creature, her heart full of malice.

Staring at the creature, she couldn’t help but marvel at what it was able to do:  It had infiltrated the castle, defeated most of the guard as if they were only children, and had admittedly gotten pretty close to escape.  Its dark clothes had been burned away along with much of its fur and skin, giving off a horrendous smell.  In fact, it was barely recognizable from the appearance it had when she had initially ran into it.  Surprisingly, it was still breathing, though it was clearly dazed, incapacitated, and quite the pitiful sight.  She almost felt bad killing it.

Almost.

These things had been terrorizing her subjects for too long, and nearly every time she tried to stop them, they fled. She was finally going to get what she had wanted for so-

“Luna!” a familiar voice called out. She turned to see Celestia landing nearby.  “You’ve captured it.  Good work sister,” she said, nearing the beast.  “I’ll have somepony come and tend to its wounds, and have it delivered to the cell in my laboratory.  I could use your help setting up some wards.”

Her sister’s words surprised her.  “You want to let this thing live?”  Luna gasped, partially in disbelief, and partially because she was still quite out of breath.  “After all they have done?  All the lives it took?  and you want it to live!?”

“Yes my sister,” The Solar Princess replied, her gaze never leaving the crumpled form at her sister’s feet.  “If we are to survive this crisis, we will need knowledge.  As much as Ammon had told us, it is, by his own admission, far too little to be of any help to us.  This creature may provide us with something more… useful, something about this game that these monsters are playing, or at the very least a bit about its allies and enemies.  I believe that the chance to uncover more about these things far outweighs the potential risks it represents.”  She turned and regarded Luna with a look that seemed to say ‘and that’s final.’  “I think we can both agree, the creature would prove far more use to us alive than dead.”

Despite her wounds, and all of her hate, she wasn’t about to argue the point with Celestia.  “Fine,” she said, her voice coming out in a throaty growl.  “But if anypony gets hurt on account of this thing, just remember this moment.”  With that, Luna turned and slowly made her way back into the castle.


*        *        *


        The Defiler leaned back, a smug look on his face as he stared creepily at The Huntress.  She sat stooped over, wincing, a paw clutching her chest.  “I believe that is checkmate.  Your precious champion is out, I have the information I needed, and everything is proceeding as planned.”  He then turned to The Lady, his hand outstretched, as if expecting something.

        The Lady didn’t bat an eye, her gaze slowly moving down to The Defiler’s claw, then back up to his face.  “What, are you expecting me to give you my hand to kiss?  Defiler, I never knew you were such a gentleman.”

        The Defiler looked confused at that, then realized what she meant.  “No, Lady.  You owe me a planet.  After all, you did bet that the Huntress’s champion would win, and with such a steep wager, too.  In fact, most of the others backed out when they heard your terms.  But I didn’t, or did you think I had forgotten?”

        The Lady looked down at his claw again, then back up at his eyes, her poker face breaking to reveal a wicked smile.  “Actually, if I recall the exact words of that wager, I said that her champion would live.”

        “Yes, and he did… not…” The Defiler said, but trailed off as what The Lady just said hit him full force.

        “If The Alpha had died, we all would know it,” Fate said, glancing at The Huntress.  “Not only did the Alpha survive the fight, but he’s now in a position where he can be of greatest… use, to The Lady.  How she gets away with this crap every time…”

“You say checkmate, but I say that the game has only just begun,” The Lady said as The Defiler grew increasingly agitated.  “And since I did win the wager, it is you who owes me a world.  And no ‘handing me over a world bereft of life.’  We already discussed that, and you agreed to my terms.”

        Defiler grumbled as he slumped back, his nostrils creating a cloud of noxious fumes around him.  His glare then darted over to Fate, suspicion clear in those gray orbs of his.  “...You planned this, didn’t you!?  You can predict anything, so you lied to me to-”

        “Do not pretend to know what you cannot fathom, and do not pretend to lecture me on honesty!” Fate boomed, his eyes, all of them, fixing The Defiler with a withering stare.  “I would never stoop so low as to mire the outcome of the future by lying about it.  The Dance between me and The Lady is a subtle one, one that you could never hope to understand.”

        The Defiler actually shrunk as Fate stared him down, his form quaking with fear.  “Then… why?”

        There was a profound silence at that, everyone looking at Fate expectantly.  His answer, though, was to blink his eyes, rap his cane against the floor, then fix The Lady with his stare.  “Ask her.  But I warn you, obtaining secrets from The Lady is risky business.  You might not like the answers you receive, if she gives one at all.”

        The Defiler glanced nervously at the still grinning Lady, her hand outstretched, clearly waiting for her prize.  With a grumble, he opened his claw, a stream of light passing from his hand to hers, then slumped back down into his seat.  “You’ll pay for that, Lady.  I was careless to underestimate you, and your champion.  I will not make the same mistake twice.”

        The Lady just flashed him another grin as she clutched the precious energies she received to her bosom.  She could feel their cries of misery, their anguish;  The Defiler was a harsh master, no world could ever truly recover from his rule.  At the very least, they had hope now.

        They had a Chance.

        “Oh, believe me when I tell you this:  They all say that,” The Lady said as she handed the dice over to Gorthok the Devourer.
> Picking Up The Pieces
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Canterlot was in shambles.  The roads were filled with rotting corpses, the railroad had been destroyed, and just from the initial estimate, the guard suffered a fifty percent casualty rate, with about half of those casualties being fatalities.

Surprisingly, though, that casualty rate only applied to the guards and civilians within the castle itself.  Outside the palace, there had only been a few deaths, the most notable one being the death of Lieutenant Angel Feather.

Even with all the chaos, destruction and death, though, Canterlot still remained in the hooves of the Equestrians.  Work crews could already be seen clearing away the debris caused by The Moon’s Ascent, and rescue crews had already been dispatched to find anyone who had been trapped or injured by the monsters that had wreaked such havoc upon their fair city.

One such crew was heading up the stairs of one of the palace’s many towers, hoping to find someone alive up here.  What they found, however, was nothing short of horrifying.

“What are…”

“I’m gonna be sick…”

“Who would do something like this?”

Oddly enough, there was very little blood and gore.  Just bone, all arranged into some sort of macabre covering over the door.  Four skulls stared eyelessly out at the collected ponies, promising nothing but death beyond the portal.

“I… I don’t think there’s anyone behind this door to save, sergeant,” one of the privates said as soon as he had managed to get his stomach back under control.

“We still have to check, private.  We’re still missing an Element of Harmony, and she may be behind that door.  As… horrifying as that may sound,” the sergeant said as he stepped closer.

The soldiers all nodded at that, then stepped forward to begin dismantling the grisly ward on the door.  The moment that one of the soldiers touched the bones, though, there was a bright flash of green light, which temporarily blinded the guards.  When their vision came back, they saw that whatever had held the bones up had disintegrated, leaving the door unbarred and waiting for someone to open it.

“Uh... “ the soldier at the front said intelligently.

“Everypony back!  It's probably booby trapped!” the sergeant said as he rapidly retreated from the door.  His soldiers quickly followed suite, all except the one at the front.

“Private!  Move before you’re-”

“Sir, I think someone’s behind here.  She’s… she’s crying…”

“Soldier, I don’t care if it's the lost queen of the Crystal Empire that’s behind there!  You move your butt, or so help me…!”

Despite his commanding officer’s orders, though, the private still reached out, turned the handle, and pushed.  With an ominous creak, the door opened, revealing the chaos inside.

The room had once been a spare bedroom, or maybe an observation room of some kind, but all it was now was a mess.  Broken furniture littered the room, and a large amount of blood had been smeared everywhere.  There wasn’t a single sign of life, except for a small, quivering ball of something that was hiding underneath a cloak under the bed.

None of the soldiers said anything as the private entered the room, made sure to avoid the puddle, and crouched down next to the bed.  “Miss?  Are you okay?”

The bundle didn’t respond at first, choosing to peek out from under the cover, only to eep at what she saw.  “N-no… please, not more… no more soldiers…”

The private glanced back towards his troop, and for the first time, noticed the glare from his commanding officer.  He ignored it, though, in favor of trying to comfort the scared pegasus under the bed.  “Don’t worry, there aren’t any more traitors around.  We’re not going to hurt you, honest.”

The yellow pony poked her head out just the slightest bit more.  “P-promise?”

“I promise.  We’re only here to make sure you’re okay,” he said with a warm smile.  “If you’d like to come with us, I’m sure your friends would like to see you.  They’ve been worried sick.”

“O-okay…” she said, shivering a bit as she crawled out.  As soon as she stood up, the rest of the soldiers gasped when they recognized the young pegasus.

It was Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness.

“Can you tell us what happened?” the private said as he gently led her out of the room.  She seemed dead to the world, her eyes staring at a point a thousand miles away as she and the soldier left the room and passed by the bones on the floor.

“I-It was a huge wolf.  It… It had huge claws, and teeth… and… and...”

“Shh… it’s okay, the wolf can’t hurt you anymore, we’ve caught it,” the private hushed to her.

Much to his surprise, though, this had the opposite effect on the shell shocked pony.  “I-It didn’t hurt me!  It saved me from the soldiers!  Why did it save me from the soldiers!?”  Fluttershy said, her voice becoming increasingly more hysterical.  “It… It killed them!  They wanted to take me away, and it killed them all!”

“Shh… It’s okay, we understand.  Let’s get you some hot chocolate and get you to bed, it’s been a long day…” the guard said as his unit fell into line behind him.  With a confidence that they did not feel, the whole troop started their long trek back to the main part of the castle, leaving behind the macabre room of death.


*        *        *


Captain Knight Breeze sighed in frustration as he entered the morgue.  This part is always the worst… he thought as he reviewed the many, many tables sporting the bodies of the dead.  This wasn’t all of them, just the small portion of the guard that they were able to examine in this room.  The rest were either on their way, or were being stored at a secondary location until the ponies had had time to process them all.

That was just the defender’s bodies, though.  The undead were all being burned without exception.  The necrokings had already shown that they carried an incredibly virulent magical disease, and it would have been counter-productive to allow it to spread through the city.

However, as Captain Breeze looked over all the tables, he couldn’t help but feel as if something was… off.  There were only supposed to be guard bodies in this room, but there were just so many…

“Ah, captain, good to see you,” Doctor Geraldt the mortician, a large griffin with dark grey plumage and black fur, said as soon as he noticed Knight Breeze.  “We were about to begin taking the armor off of the first victim.”

“Was he one of ours?”

“Yessir.  He was one of the first victims of the wolf; Private Longshot from ponyville.  He and his friend were both gotten, though his friend suffered a far more… gruesome fate, to be honest,” the mortician said as he began to take off the helmet.

Captain Breeze winced painfully at that.  The private had come from ponyville?  That’s just great.  His town is destroyed, and not even a month passes before he follows.

The griffon reverently removed the private’s helmet, then began working on his breastplate.  As the mortician worked, Captain Breeze couldn’t help but feel as if he recognized the private.  Almost as if he had been a friend, or something.  It’s just the illusion on the armor.  All the Solar Guard look like that, so I’m probably thinking it’s one of my buddies.

But as the plate finally came off, and the illusion keeping the private’s coat and hair regulation colors fell, Captain Breeze couldn’t help but gasp in recognition.

“Is there something wrong, captain?” the griffon asked curiously.

“Y-Yeah.  There is.  At least, I think there is.  Geraldt, could you be so kind as to check the inside of the ‘private’s’ left foreleg?”

“Certainly, captain.  There appears to be some minor contusions starting from his pastern to his knee, as well as… some kind of tattoo directly on the knee.  It looks almost… tribal, though I am unfamiliar to its design or pattern.”

Captain Breeze’s face became stony at those words.  With a quick trot, he drew closer to the table and took a look at the tattoo.  One glance was all he needed to confirm his suspicions.  “Doctor, I want you to drop what you're doing and help me search these other ‘soldiers’ as well.”

The doctor looked up in confusion at that.  “Sir?  I assume you’ve seen this before?”

“Oh, yes, I’ve seen it before.  I’ve been fighting the bearers of this mark for the past eight years,” Captain Breeze said grimly.


*        *        *


“This cannot continue as it has, sister,” Princess Luna said with a grimace as she looked over her sister’s lab equipment.  “These beasts are too powerful, and we are but two.  The only reason they haven’t completely destroyed us yet is that they do not appear to be united.”

“I know, Luna.  That is why I feel it necessary to ally ourselves with the few that are trying to prevent this disaster,” Celestia said as her horn gently glowed over the longspear that the creature Ammon was so fond of using.  It had been recovered along with the rest of his weapons when the broken and battered lizard had been found by Applejack.  Honestly, Celestia would have rather had the hero here as she conducted these tests, but he was far too injured to even remain conscious, much less be of any help.  That being said, she did not feel the least bit uneasy examining the lizard's equipment.  After all, he had told her guard that he was willing to share with them the secret of his powers; all Celestia was doing was getting a head start.

“While I do agree with you, I still feel it unwise to trust these beings,” Luna said, her eyebrows furrowed together in worry.  “Even this, ‘Ammon,’ may prove untrustworthy.  How do we really know that all he said was the truth?”

“We don’t, though we do have evidence to support his good intentions,” Princess Celestia said, not even looking up as she made a few more notes about the weapon in front of her.  “He clearly means us no harm; otherwise, I do not think he would be quite so eager to throw his life away in our defense,” 

Luna nodded in agreement.  “I am not saying what he has done does not deserve our praise, just that we need to exercise some caution.  Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that he is telling us the truth.  As benign as he is, he is still an unknown agent; this, ‘Lady,’ could be pulling his strings without him even knowing it.  Who knows if she hasn’t rigged some kind of killswitch or failsafe should he rebel?”

Celestia sighed in resignation.  “I agree.  That is why I am taking the time to study him and his equipment.  Should his master manipulate him against us, I feel it important to know exactly what we’re dealing with.”

Princess Luna drew closer at these words, looking curiously over her sister’s shoulder.  “And what have you discovered so far?”

“While I haven't finished every test, I have made a few interesting discoveries,” Celestia said as she levitated the spear in front of her.  She then turned towards a wall, twirled the spear a little bit, then launched it at the stone masonry of the room.

The spear stuck.

“Impressive,” Luna said with a nod.  “Some sort of honing enchantment?”

“Strangely, no,” Celestia said as she gestured for her sister to inspect the weapon.  “It’s edge is no more sharp than a normal, unenchanted weapon, albeit one that is kept in peak condition.”

Luna approached the weapon, her mouth turned down into a frown.  “Then… how is it so firmly embedded?  The blade is more than a foot long, and part of the shaft is inside that wall.”

“Lucky shot,” Celestia said as she yanked the spear free.

Luna looked at her sister, a half grin on her face.  “Come, now.  Do not keep secrets from me.  How did it really do that?”

“The spear’s path just so happened to follow the exact trajectory necessary to find the exact structural weakness that would allow it to penetrate the wall,” Celestia said as she put the spear back down on the table.

“Do you mean that… it will find the most deadly rout every time?  All on it’s own?”  Luna asked, somewhat horrified.

“...There’s no way of knowing without a… live subject, but i do not think so,” Celestia said as she stepped closer to the wall.  She then put out a hoof, lightly touching the hole in the wall.  “If it did, it would have found the weakness that would allow the spear to pass through, while taking the wall down with it.  No, what I believe it is doing is mimicking a keen edge spell through the use of probability.  The weapon will hit where the wielder intended, but will still accidentally find a way to slip through even the toughest of armor, or the thickest of scales.”

“...And I take it that’s also how it keeps its edge?” Luna asked dryly.  “Because the edge never encountered any real resistance...”

“It doesn’t dull or chip.  Or, maybe, it hits just so, so that the strike actually sharpens the blade.”

Luna gave a low hum as she stared more intensely at the spear.  “That is a fearsome weapon indeed.  Armor would be useless against it.”

“Not so.  While the weapon does use probability to its advantage, that doesn’t make it perfect:  The weakness must exist in the first place.”  With that, Celestia summoned her helmet and, after picking up the spear again and setting her helmet on the table, thrust the spear at the top of the helmet with considerable force.

…

“Impressive,” Luna said as she looked under the table.  “You not only passed through the table, but part of the stone floor as well.  I believe that only the friction on the sides of the blade and the shaft stopped it.”

“And yet, my helmet still deflected it.  Though, if I had been wearing it-”

“The spear might have accidentally skipped off, and pierced your jugular,” Luna finished the thought for her.

“Now you’re getting it,” Celestia said as she began withdrawing the magical weapon from the table.  “It is a finicky enchantment, though.  It does not seem to always work, and when it does, it never works the same way twice.”

“...Is it only on the spear?  I know he has more weapons than that, but-”

“I’ve already ran a scan on the others, and it seems that each of their magical signatures are not only identical, but linked.  They are all, essentially, the same weapon,” Celestia said as she set the spear back inside its magical circle.  “The weapons have more properties than that, but for now, that is all I’ve been able to discern with what little time I’ve had.”

Luna opened her mouth to ask more, but stopped when she heard the bookcase behind her creak open.  She turned to see Captain Star Blaze enter the room.  “Princess Celestia, your guest has arrived, and is currently awaiting your attention in your waiting room.”

“Ah, thank you, captain.  Please tell him I’ll be right along,” Celestia said as she started to remove her lab coat.

Luna glanced at her sister, an appraising look in her eyes.  “Guest?  I thought we were leaving the day-to-day details to our stewards.”

“This is not a political appointment.  While I was in Vanhoover, I met someone who offered their assistance in dealing with the plague,” Celestia said as she swept past Luna.  “Because of his help, we were able to cure the plague much faster than anticipated.”

Princess Luna grinned as she fell in line behind her sister.  “I must admit, that cure you sent worked wonders, and saved so many lives.  I would like to thank this stallion myself.”

Celestia just shook her head at that.  “He’s not a stallion.  He’s one of them.”

Luna shot her sister a look at that.  “Another one surrendered?”

“Indeed.  He didn’t even fight, and he appears to be harmless, though that is always a suspect assumption with these creatures,” Celestia said as she reached out for the waiting room door.  “I must warn you, though.  The creature’s appearance is, by far, one of the most frightening of any we have encountered.  However, his demeanor is quite pleasant, so I would suggest a calm approach to him.”

“Do not worry, sister.  I know how-” Luna started to say, but stopped short when Celestia opened the door.

Sitting on the couch was another one of those things, but far creepier and more sinister-looking.  Like all of the creatures, this thing was bipedal, though it was far taller and spindlier than any they had encountered thus far.  It wore a long, black coat that went down to the midpoint of its calves, which was fastened in the front by large, black buttons.  Its legs were covered by a set of black trousers, and on the ends of its feet were a pair of thick, black boots.

In one of its gloved hands it held a large, black, wide-brimmed hat.  In the other, it clutched a doctor’s satchel, though it looked rather worn and beaten, as opposed to the pristine appearance of the rest of the creatures clothes.

As intimidating as its dress was, it was the creature’s face that really caused Luna to pause.  The creature’s coat had some kind of cowl which covered the back of its neck and the top of its head, though it did not cover the face in the slightest.  The creature had a long, narrow, grey beak, with two slits on top to allow it to breath when its mouth was closed.  above that beak, Luna could see a pair of goggles, their dark lenses completely obscuring the creature’s eyes.

As soon as the door opened, the creature looked over towards the two sisters, its emotionless face betraying nothing that went on inside its head.  “Ah, the Sun and the Moon make their appearance,” he said, his light tenor of a voice masked in an accent that Luna couldn’t quite place.  The creature stood up and, surprisingly, dropped into a low, sweeping bow.  “My master sends his regards, and hopes that you will make the greatest use of my abilities.”

The creature then stood upright again, carefully putting the hat in its hand on its head.  “Now, if you ladies would care to lead me to your sick and injured, I would be most grateful.  I have much work to do.”




> Be Careful About What You Say...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Luna watched the newcomer carefully, her gaze alert to any wrong move it might make.

This was actually far more difficult than it sounded.  The strange creature was unnaturally still, even as he walked down the corridor, giving the impression that he was floating, rather than using his feet.

That’s not to say that he wasn’t walking;  His coat was long, but it wasn’t long enough to completely obscure his legs.  No, it was just that the creature had a way of moving that seemed to cut out any unnecessary movement.  All in all, Luna found him extremely unnerving, and that wasn’t even considering what his kind had done to her home.

Currently, the trio was making their way towards Celestia’s lab, the Sun Princess leading the way, followed by their visitor, with Luna trailing behind. The creature had not said a word since his initial, incredibly formal introduction, which only added to the unnerving feeling that Luna was getting from him.

The three entered the room, which was abuzz with activity. Doctors filled two of the side rooms, working furiously on the two patients within. Ammon’s room had fewer physicians, and they talked calmly. The cell that contained the monster Luna had captured was filled nearly to the brim with surgeons and nurses, who all talked and moved frantically.

“I believe you may have more experience with these patients than our own physicians,” Celestia said as she gestured towards the hive of activity.

The creature didn’t respond, or give any indication that he had heard her.  His only response was to step up to the cell, and peer in.

After a moment, he forced his way inside and towards the lone bed in the room, pushing aside the healers. They just stared as he made his way to the patient, moving out of the way of the intimidating creature.

“All of you, out,” he said. His voice was quiet, but commanding.

The lead surgeon just looked at him with contempt.  “We are trying to save this thing’s life, if you don’t mind,” he said indignantly. “Its heart rate has plummeted, and it has nearly stopped breathing, so if you excuse us, we would like to be able to continue our job.”

“Him,” the creature said, immediately drawing the assembled ponies’ confused stares.  When no one said anything, he continued, almost as if he were giving a lecture.  “He is male, and you are killing him.  His heart rate and breathing are supposed to be that low, now get out.”  Even though he was rebuking the doctors, he still spoke with the same cool, uninterested tone as when he first arrived.

The doctor in charge looked like he wanted to argue, but was stopped as Princess Celestia stepped forward.  “It’s alright doctor, please go and help some more... familiar, patients.”

He looked at her, doubt in his eyes, but finally relented.  “As you command Princess,” he said as he moved out of the room, his staff quickly following.

“The others too,” The creature commanded, gesturing towards the room that held Ammon.  Luna found it galling, but her sister ordered the rest to leave as well.  Once the assembled doctors had left, the creature walked out of the beast’s cell, and into the one that housed Ammon.

“Shouldn’t you start on the wolf?  Its wounds are more critical,” Luna asked, her annoyance with the creature shining through.

The creature didn’t respond at first.  Instead, he just sat there, studying Ammon closely, poking and prodding the comatose lizard, and lifting limbs to get a better look.  “No,” he finally said as he set his bag on the nightstand next to the bed.

“You want it to die, then?”

The creature didn’t even spare her a glance.  “Anatomically, he is male, and I suspect he thinks of himself that way as well,” he said, annoyance creeping into his voice. “I suppose the only way we will know for sure is when he awakes, and tells us. Until then, please refer to him by the proper personal pronouns.”  The creature then opened his bag, digging through it as he searched for something.  “And as far as the levels of injuries go, this patient is, by far, in worse shape.  If I don’t act now, he will lose the use of two of his limbs, and may become seriously infected.”

“How can you say that?” Luna asked incredulously as the doctor pulled out a large syringe.  “The wolf is missing half of its skin.”

The creature looked up suddenly at the princess.  There weren’t any physical cues, and there were no eyes to speak of to translate his mood, but Luna could feel his anger somehow.

“His skin,” she said as she rolled her eyes.

The creature seemed pleased with the answer, and looked back down towards what he was doing.  His movements were slow, but deliberate, and clearly practiced as he began cutting into Ammon’s arm.  He obviously knew what he was doing.  “I do not have the time to explain the wolf’s biology.  In layman’s terms, he will recover.  Now, if you please, I have work to do.”

The silence that followed this pronouncement was oppressing, and made the two alicorns feel uneasy as they watched the doctor.  “I don’t seem to recall what you said your name was,” Celestia said, trying to lighten the mood a little.

“I didn’t say.”

“May I inquire as to what your name is?” Celestia asked.

“It is your kingdom,” he said a little stiffly.  “You may do as you wish.”

He went silent again after that, with the silence only growing with every passing moment, punctuated only by the clinking of glass tubes, and the sound of metal cutting flesh as he continued to work on the comatose lizard.

“So, what is your name?”  Celestia asked, finally catching onto what he meant.

The creature stopped, and let out a sigh.

It was then, that Luna realized it: He wasn’t breathing.  Neither his chest, or shoulders moved when he spoke, and his sigh had marked the first time where she had heard an audible breathing sound come from him.  She tried to repress it, but she couldn’t help it as she felt a shiver run down her spine.

“My name is Doctor Luther Thomas Wittelsbach. Most individuals usually just refer to me as Doctor,” he said.  Then, without another word, he turned back to his patient, his fingers almost dancing as he got back to work.


*        *        *


Something was watching me.  I wasn’t sure what it was, or why, but I could feel it, just beyond my sight, studying me, examining my every move.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of this, I turned around, completely fed up with whatever it was.  “What?  What do you want!?” I shouted into the dark.

“I would appreciate it if you woke up,” a familiar voice said nearby.

“What…?” I mumbled as I opened my eyes.

I was back in the observation room from earlier, though this time it wasn’t quite as empty as it was before.  Sitting next to my bed was Celestia, an amused look on her face as she watched me come to.

“What happened?” I asked as I brought a hand up to my forehead.

“You were wounded while defending my ponies, and my home,” she answered, a sad smile on her face.  “For which I am eternally grateful.”

I just gave a shrug at that, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the praise.  “Uh… don’t mention it.  I didn’t really do all that much, to be honest.  Just… whatever anyone else would have if in my position.”

Celestia gave me a puzzled expression, but thankfully did not push the issue.  With a grunt, I tried to pull myself into a reclining position, but stopped when I realized something.

I could move my right hand.

Not only could I move it, but the thing felt like it was brand new.  In fact, my whole body felt better than ever, even before coming to this place.  “What in the…” I said as I looked at my now working arm in wonder.  As I examined it, I became aware that I wasn’t wearing anything, but that wasn’t anything new.  After all, I had been pretty banged up, and it wouldn’t have surprised me if the doctors had cut my clothes off to operate on me.

As i examined my once ruined arm, I noticed a couple of inconsistencies about it.  “Uh… where are the stitches?  Or the scar?”

Celestia got up, her horn glowing as she levitated a glass of water towards me.  “Let’s just say your physician is very skilled.  How are you feeling?”

“I… I feel great.  Fantastic, even,” I said as I took the proffered water.  “...What happened?  Last thing I remember was getting chased down by that orange pony.”

“We won, though the cost was great,” Celestia said as she studied me, an unreadable look on her face.  “We lost a large number of our forces, and-” She stopped, suddenly, as a knock sounded out through the room, interrupting her train of thought.  “If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”

I just nodded dumbly, a bit curious at who could be interrupting us.  The white pony moved towards the door, opening it only a crack, clearly intent on making the conversation as brief as possible.  She spoke in a hushed, whispered tone, but I was still able to make out what she said.

“What is it, Luna?”

Luna?  Isn’t she the other half of the dynamic duo that Celestia is a part of?  I thought to myself.

“I apologize for the interruption, but one of my captains has arrived with the casualty report.  He insists that we are both present to hear it.”

“Can it wait?  I’m in the middle of something important, here.”  Celestia sounded a little bit aggravated.

“I asked him that myself, but he said, in his own words: ‘this is too big to wait.’  He believes it may change how we deal with… them.”

Yeah, I knew who she was talking about.  If my country had been overrun by superpowered freaks intent on causing as much destruction as possible, I’d probably use the same amount of venom when referring to them, no matter how benevolent some of them might be.

“...Very well,” Celestia said, surrendering to her sister.  She then turned to me, an apologetic expression on her face.  “I’m sorry, Ammon, I need to take care of this.”

“No problem, take your time,” I said with a smile.

She nodded at that, then left the room.  As soon as I was sure she was gone, I sprang to my feet, stopping when I noticed that I was pantsless.  Looking around, I quickly spotted a pile of clothes lying haphazardly in a corner of the room.  A quick examination revealed that they were mine, though my tunic hadn’t survived my ordeal.  my pants, on the other hand, had made it through relatively unscathed, making it rather easy for me to preserve at least a shred of my modesty as I left the room.


*        *        *


Celestia entered the main laboratory, closing the observation room door behind her.  Standing near the center of the room was a rather wiry looking dust pony.  He wasn’t wearing his armor, though his uniform excused that.  

Most airship units didn’t wear the full plate, opting for lighter, looser clothing while on duty, since it made climbing the rigging and performing their duties far easier.  They usually only wore the traditional armor if they expected combat, and even then they only wore half plate, which was lighter and less likely to cause problems should a parachute be needed.

As a consequence to this, this pony’s mane and coat colors were not the regulation grey and dark blue.  Instead, the pony had a dark blue coat, with a tri-colored mane that was alternating colors of grey, black and slate.  As he turned at the sound of the closing door, Celestia caught a glimpse of the pony’s cutie mark:  a kite shield with a crescent moon superimposed upon it, flanked by a pair of wings.

“Princess Celestia.  I apologize for the interruption, but I felt this too important to wait,” the pony said with a salute.

Celestia glanced at her sister, who stepped closer to the yet unnamed captain.  “Sister, this is Captain Knight Breeze of The Moon’s Ascent.”

Celestia nodded in recognition.  “Ah, yes.  I remember reading some of your reports, but I do not believe we’ve ever been introduced,”

“We have not, but that is unsurprising,” the captain said with a short bow.  “I usually send all my reports in by carrier pegasus, or I turn them in during our brief stops at the capitol.  We rarely have much time on solid ground.”

Celestia nodded again, then looked at the captain expectantly.  “I believe you have some… rather unfortunate news for us?”

“I do,” the dust pony said, picking up a thin binder off the table and hoofing it over to the solar princess.  “The casualty report for the civilians and soldiers during The Battle for Canterlot.”

Celestia took the unassuming white folder, silently dreading what was about to happen.  She was surprised, then, when she opened the folder and only saw a single sheet of paper, with only two dozen names on it.  “Captain, what is the meaning of this?  I was told that the initial count was much higher.”

“That was true, Your Highness, but that was only the initial assessment,” Captain Breeze said with a salute.  “We now know that we’ve only lost seven active guards, and seventeen civilians, though knowing the circumstances of the deaths, I believe that the civilian count to be much lower.”

Luna looked at the captain sharply, her eyes boring into the dust pony.  “I don’t believe that.  What about the rampage that that beast went on inside the castle?”  she demanded, her tone icy.  “I was there, I saw the bodies.”

“Ma’am, that creature’s actions are precisely why I think the friendly death count is much lower than it seems,” he said, completely unfazed by his princess’s anger.

Luna stopped at that, her gaze calculating as she examined the unassuming pony.  “Explain yourself.”

“Very well,” Captain Breeze said, somehow straightening up even further.  “As you know, Your Highness, Equestria has had no formal war in about a thousand years, give or take a few years.  However, that isn’t to say that those years have been completely peaceful.  There are always those that would prey on the weak, or the unprepared.”

“Bandits,” Celestia said with a sigh.

“Exactly.  It is why the royal guard still exists in force.  However, there are far more that desire to do us harm than just bandits,” the captain said with a grimace.  “Rogue griffon clans, skirmishes with the Yaks, Changelings, Dragons, and so forth.  However, the most… irksome, of these are the pirate and mercenary companies that strike and hide without warning.  In fact, since I made captain, I have done very little other than hunt down these miscreants and bring them to justice.”

“Captain, what does this have to do with the death toll in Canterlot?”  Luna asked impatiently.

“Everything,” Captain Breeze said, pulling out a small, folded piece of paper from his chest pocket.  “Due to the shortage in senior personnel, I was overseeing the autopsy of the ponies that died during the siege.  In particular, we were examining the bodies of those that died during the wolf’s ‘rampage.’”

“...And?”

“Ma’am, the first body we examined was one that we knew wasn’t a traitor, one that had a record we could verify, one who had died defending Canterlot from the beasts that were attacking us.  On his body, positioned right on the left knee of his foreleg, we found this,” the captain said as he hoofed over the paper, the look on his face deadly serious.

Luna opened the paper curiously, her sister looking over her shoulder with some interest.  The paper didn’t have any message, or note written on it.  Just a symbol, looking almost as if two eyes had somehow melded into one.

“Captain, what is this?” Celestia asked.

“It is the Mark of the Twin Eye,” Captain Breeze said ominously.  “The bearers of this mark belong to the Warhawks; a band of sellswords that have historically sold their services to the Griffon Empire.  However, in recent years, they’ve been trying to instigate a war between Equestria and The Griffon Empire.”

“I remember this, captain,” Celestia said with a nod.  “If memory serves, weren’t they exposed and arrested?”

“They were, but we only managed to catch a hoofful of them,” the captain said, his mouth turned down in a frown.  “Since then, they’ve gone underground, staying low, keeping out of trouble, all while looking for the right time to strike.  We’ve managed to unearth a few cells here and there, but since they’re based primarily in the Griffon Empire, there really isn’t much we can do.  The Griffons have let them be, since their main concern isn’t rogue mercenary groups, but rebel clans within their own government.  They even still hire them from time to time, since they have battlemages that rival our own.”

“And you think this mercenary group infiltrated us?” Celestia asked, raising her eyebrow a little.

“Ma’am, upon seeing this mark on the private, I had the mortician help me examine the rest of the bodies.  Every single guard that the wolf killed had this mark.  All one hundred of them.”

Luna looked at the guard captain, bewilderment clear on her face.  “Captain, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that the wolf’s ‘rampage’ was nothing of the sort.  What we’re looking at was the makings of a coup, and the wolf put it down.  Brutally,” the captain said, his steady, teal gaze boring into the Lunar Princess.  “This wasn’t a rampage, or a senseless massacre, but an incredibly focused, precision strike.  He even went so far as to wipe out about eighty percent of the undead that our lizard friend missed when he went down into the gem mines, making the cleanup afterwards that much easier.  He did not kill a single guard that was actually a guard.”

Celestia looked back at the notes, somewhat confused.  “But what about the civilians he killed?”

“As I said, the civilian count is probably lower,” Captain Breeze said, emphasizing his words carefully.  “While we haven’t found one of these marks on any of the wolf’s civilian kills, due to the nature of his other targets, I’m willing to bet that if we dig deep enough, we’ll find that those civies weren’t quite as ‘innocent’ as we initially thought.”

Both princesses looked stunned at this revelation.  Luna especially looked completely flabbergasted.  “Maybe… maybe it was… luck?” Luna said, her argument sounding flimsy even in her own ear.

Captain Breeze shook his head.  “No, I would not trust luck with something this well thought out.  Besides, do you really think this beast would go on a rampage, but just so happen to only kill those that were traitors, wipe out the remaining undead, and nearly escape, all while leaving two of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony alone?  No, by all accounts, this creature did us a favor.  I’d even shake it’s paw, but until I know its motivations, I’d rather not,” the captain said with a grim smile.  “After all, even if a wolf saves your hide from a manticore, you don’t exactly open your door to it.”

Celestia looked at the captain, a searching expression on her face as she thought about what he said.  “Actually, captain, I know someone who would do just that,” she said with a smile.


*        *        *


Havoc crept carefully through the magnificent halls of the griffon keep, his eyes darting back and forth as he searched for any signs of life.  The keep was supposed to be abandoned, but in a world with magic and dragons, that was always a suspect assumption.

“Come on… You’re just scaring yourself.  Nobody’s lived in here for ages,“ Havoc whispered to himself.

Yet despite this fact, he couldn’t help but feel as if something were… off.  Like someone was watching him.  Everything seemed fine, all he had to do was grab the key, and be on his way.  A simple snatch and go, nothing could possibly go wrong.

And that worried him greatly.

Havoc crouched behind the statue, his eyes studying the massive double doors in front of him.  There was nothing wrong with them, nothing that set them apart from the many doors he had already passed…

Except for the dust on the ground, and the footprints he found there.

Any suggestions? He thought.

You know I can’t tell you anything like that, The Storm of Storms answered.  I can only reveal such information in my temple, and you’re nowhere near there.

Yeah, but you can’t blame a guy for trying, Havoc thought with a groan.

Havoc knew he wasn’t going to get the key by just sitting here, but even so, these things required a little… preparation.  He might be keeping whomever was already inside waiting, but he would be truly devastated if he joined the party without a surprise gift ready...


*        *        *


The door opened with an ominous creak, the person behind it clearly wanting to make as little sound as possible.

“Oh, just come out, I already know you’re there,” Avalis said as he casually picked at a spare bit of gem from his teeth.

With a bit of trepidation, the hateful little thief popped around the rest of the way.  “Huh… didn’t think it’d be you.”

Avalis took a second to examine the thief.  He wasn’t very tall, barely broaching five feet, though height didn’t really matter among the champions.  His face had a distinctly fishy look to it, what with the scaly skin, the gills on the side of the neck, and the fins, but the creature clearly had no problem breathing on dry land.  Its skin was a light blue, and it was dressed in a very nondescript brown trench coat.  Behind him, Avalis could occasionally see a short, flat tail twitch back and forth.

“What?  Didn’t think I would come for what is rightfully mine?” Avalis said as he stood up from the throne.  “Or did you think I would just let your theft go unpunished?”

“No, I’m just surprised that you came after me first,” the fish said casually.  He then looked up at the ceiling, his lips turned down in a frown.  “If memory serves, wasn’t it a newb that took the Focus off you?”

Avalis growled in irritation, smoke rising dangerously out of his nostrils.  “The fool got lucky.  Besides, he is under the watchful eyes of the Two Sisters.  It would be less than wise to mount an assault on him at the moment.  Believe me, though, he will get what’s coming to him,” Avalis slowly approached the fish, his smile growing more evil by the minute.  “You, on the other hand, have no such protection.”

The fish smiled, and shook his head.  “You got me there.  There’s just one problem, though,” he said, his grin growing with every second.  “You’re going to have to catch me, first.”

And with that, the fish turned and bolted.

Avalis gave a sigh at that.  “Why do they always run?” he said, right before he spread his wings and took off after the pesky thief.

Before he had even gotten off the ground, though, he felt an irritating, gnawing pain in both his shoulder and wing.  The pain wasn’t stopping him from flying, or even hindering his movements.  In fact, the two points barely felt like paper-cuts.

Avalis frowned as he shrugged off the weird twitch.  His wounds had already healed, and he knew that what he was feeling was merely a ghost pain:  A psychological remnant of where that accursed lizard had stabbed him.  There wasn’t even any scarring left, a clear testament of the skill of the healers of this world.  

It would not stop him from reaping his vengeance against this thief.  It was a minor annoyance, nothing more.

Without another thought devoted to the matter, the grey dragon took off after the thief, intent on painting the walls of the abandoned castle with the fish’s blood.


*        *        *


“You might as well give up now.  Nothing your champion has can even touch mine,” Devourer said with a smug smile.

Storm of Storms just shrugged, not really concerned.  “Touch? That’s where you’re wrong, Sunny Jim.  My buddy’s perfectly capable of touching him.  Not hurting him, but touching is easy.”

Devourer gave the nature spirit an annoyed, petulant wave.  “Bah, semantics.  My point still stands.”

“Not really.  All I need to do is play keep-away for a couple of turns.  That shouldn’t be too hard.  I mean, The Hidden’s been doing it since turn one.  Compared to that, this should be a cakewalk,” Storm of Storms said, rubbing his claws together in anticipation.

Devourer rolled his eyes, annoyance clear on his face.  “Well, that’s all I can do this turn, anyway,” he said as he shrugged a bit.  He then turned and looked at The Lady, steel in his gaze.  “You know I’m coming for you, next, right?”

“Oh, so forward,” The Lady said with a wave of her hand.  “Just be sure you can actually deliver.  I’m a girl with very high standards.”

“Joke all you want, Lady, but I think you’ll have some trouble seeing this one coming.  Especially with Demon’s piece so close to yours,” The Devourer said as he slid the dice towards the player in question.  “Hey, Demon, it’s your turn.”

The Demon in the Dark looked down at the dice, the hood it wore disguising its face.  “Perfect.  Placement is optimal, but testing is still underway...”  It said as it reached out for its piece at Canterlot, its claw hovering over the city on the mountain.  “Believe that more power is needed before the design may fully actualize.  Will move here.  Targets abound.”

“Really, Demon?  The Equestrians are going to be on high alert.  Do you really think it wise to do that?” Defiler said with a snort.

“Wisdom is of no consequence.  Stress testing is more important, to expose weakness, must test in even unfavorable conditions,” The Demon said as it picked up the dice.  “Winning planet inconsequential compared to the gains of design testing.”

“Well, whatever.  Just make sure it doesn’t come back to bite you,” Defiler said as he watched The Demon throw the dice.
> Never Bring Bad News to a Tired Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I listened at the door, being very, very careful not to disturb those on the other side.  What I heard was both disturbing, and enlightening.  The death toll that that wolf racked up was staggering, making me want to throw up at the sheer number killed in such a short amount of time.

On the other hand, though, the fact that most, if not all of those kills were enemies put a few things into perspective: namely why the beast had passed me over while it was on its rampage.  Well… it didn't really tell me why, just explained that it didn't see me as an ‘enemy’.  Nor did it see most of the ponies in that light, which would be very good for us in the long run.

At any rate, I felt I had spent far too long hiding behind this door, and decided to make myself known.  Not letting on that I had listened, of course.

“Hey, Celestia, you got another shirt laying around somewhere?” I asked innocently, opening the door with a simple twist and push of the door handle.  The door easily swung open, revealing the lab from before.  Celestia was there, as was whom I could only assume was Captain Breeze, and Princess Luna.

Luna was shorter than her sister, probably by a good head, but that was only the start of the differences between the two.  Luna had a dark blue coat, teal eyes, and hair that seemed to resemble the sky during a moonless night.  On her flank was a mark that resembled a pale crescent moon, with a black splotch behind it that made it look as if it were hung in a starless night.  Her jewelry was made of some kind of black, metallic material, with silver moons matching her mark set smack-dab in the center of both the toric and the tiara.  On her face, though, was a look of deep distrust that, while I could completely understand, still unnerved me quite a bit.

The captain had a dark blue, almost purple coat, as well as hair that was alternating shades of grey.  His expression betrayed nothing about what he was thinking, the most notable things about him being the military jacket he was wearing, and the cat-like shape of his eyes.  He didn't have any wings or a horn, but that hardly mattered to me at this point.  I had already learned from Lieutenant Feather that his kind possessed staggering strength, so I wouldn't count him out in a fight.

“Ah, Ammon, I assume you were listening to our conversation?” Celestia asked, far too shrewdly for my comfort.

“Dang, is there anything that gets past you?”

She smiled at that.  “Actually, I just guessed.”

I grumbled incoherently at her.  Of course she didn't know, but I fell for her bait anyway.  I noticed that Luna looked decidedly less than happy about my eavesdropping, but I didn't care.  At this point, all I really wanted was to go home.  “Yeah, I heard.  I take it that you caught the wolf, then?”

Celestia nodded, then inclined her head to somewhere behind me.  “He is through that-” Celestia started to say, but was interrupted by a single raised hoof from her sister.

“Hold, dear sister.”  Luna then turned to me, her eyes oddly calculating.  “Do you really expect me to allow your overhearing of our conversation to go without challenge?”

I thought about this for a second, scratched the top of my head, then looked at her with a single raised eyeridge.  “Well, if you didn’t want me to hear what was said, you would have moved to another location, since you knew full well that I was awake and about.  So, yeah, pretty much.”

“You insolent-”

“Luna…” the white alicorn growled, clearly displeased with how her sister was acting.

“But… Fine,” she said, stamping a single hoof in frustration.

“No, Celestia, it’s fine,” I said, waving to her a bit.  “A little distrust is fine.  In fact, I’m pretty surprised that you treated me with as much trust as you did.”

Celestia smiled at me, then tilted her head to her side.  “After all you’ve done, the least I could do is give you the benefit of the doubt.”

I shook my head at her.  “Yeah, but that could easily be my plan.  ‘Get you to trust me, then turn on you when you’re not expecting it.’  Come on, just a little distrust, I’m an unknown agent!  It would be understandable!” I said, throwing my arms up in frustration.

Celestia smiled at this again, then nodded her head.  “While you make a very good point, I hardly think your plan would involve getting yourself killed.  According to your doctor, you very nearly lost both your arm and your leg, and you could have died from infection, a malady that we were apparently ill equipped to deal with.”

“Besides, I rather doubt that if you were planning on betraying us, you’d first tell us that you’ll reveal your strengths and weaknesses, then remind us that betrayal is, in fact, an option for you,” Captain Breeze interjected, his frame still quite stiff.  “At any rate, that concludes my report.  If you’ll excuse me, I must be going.  There is still a lot of work to do.”

The stallion turned and started making his way out of the room, but stopped, turning to look back at the Princesses one more time.  “Oh, and by the way, my ship has been in contact with me.  They told me that they’ve picked up the package.  She should be in sometime this evening.”  The stallion then left without another word, firmly closing the secret bookcase behind him.

I turned back to the princesses, feeling pretty defeated.  Luna still looked somewhat sour, but thankfully let the matter slide.  Celestia looked like she was about to burst at the seams laughing.  “Yeah, yeah, I’m a riot,” I said, leaning my rear end up against one of the lab tables.  Surprisingly, it wasn’t at all uncomfortable, despite the fact that I now had a tail back there.  “By the way, there’s something I need to tell you…”

Celestia looked curiously at me, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly.  I just exhaled, wanting to get this done and over with as soon as possible.  “Do you remember having a talking helmet sitting in your lab?” I asked, pointing to where Izolda once rested.

Luna immediately looked towards the desk, then looked back at me.  “What did you do to her?” Luna asked, her tone immediately accusatory.

I sighed, then scratched the back of my head.  “She’s… well, according to her, she’s fine.  You wouldn’t happen to have the rest of her lying around here, would you?” I asked, looking around, trying to see if they had a box of armor pieces sitting in the lab somewhere.

I was ripped from my search, however, as my head was forcibly turned to face the angry blue pony in front of me.  Her horn was glowing, which I took to be a very bad sign.  “What.  Did.  You.  Do?” she asked, every word dripping with implied intent to maim.

I nearly wet myself then and there, but luckily I wasn’t alone in this.  There was a loud hum, and I suddenly felt my head’s control return to me.  “Sister!  Control yourself!”

Luna grumbled a bit, but otherwise stood down.  I rubbed my neck a bit, completely conscious of how much force this pony could exert.  “Jeez, lady, it wasn’t even my fault.  She’s the one who decided to stay behind.”

“What do you mean by that?” Luna growled at me.

“Luna, go to bed,” Celestia said, causing both me and Luna to look at the white princess in shock.  Luna opened her mouth, presumably to argue, but was interrupted by her older sister before she had even began.  “If memory serves, the last time you had slept was over week ago.  Magic will only be able to sustain you for a little bit longer, and even with magic, you become irritable and reckless.”

“But I-”

    “But nothing, dear sister.  You will be useless to Equestria if you collapse in the middle of a battle.  It would also be counter-productive to tear Ammon’s head from his shoulders, seeing as how he’s one of the few benevolent champions we have on our side,” Celestia said, giving her sister a stern, motherly look.

I said nothing, choosing to instead rub my neck, trying to not think about how I had almost lost a foot of height of the top.  I received one more scathing glare from Luna, before she turned and vanished from the room in a flash of light.

“I apologize for my sister’s actions,” Celestia said, inclining her head to me in an apologetic way.  “She has been under a great deal of stress, and has a tendency to overreact when she is exhausted.”

“Don’t worry-” I started to say, but stopped, took a deep breath, and swallowed uncomfortably when I realized that my answer had come out in a register that only dogs could have heard.  “I mean, don’t worry about it.  I’m tougher than I look,” I said in a far deeper tone than my normal speaking voice, followed up with what i hoped was a confident, winning smile.

I don’t think she bought it, but thankfully she let it slide.  “So, what were you saying about The Knight of Dawn?”

I coughed a little, both trying to cover up my fear, and to ease the frog that had lodged itself in my windpipe.  “Ehem, yes, about her.  To start, her name is Izolda.  I assume that you heard about me entering the lower caves beneath the city to scout ahead?”

“Yes.  A foalish decision, given that you were still injured at the time, but thank you.  I saw what you had wrought down there, and I must say, I am impressed,” she answered as she fixed me with that same, stern glare.  “However, I do remember you telling me that you had no power on the level of Pyro Pete, though the evidence would suggest-”

“That wasn’t me,” I said, shaking my head.  “I was telling you the truth when I said that I had nothing big or flashy.  When I had left the lab, I brought Izolda along with me.  She… destroyed her helmet to slow the zombie guy down.”

“Do you mean she’s…?”

“I don’t think so,” I said, quickly heading off where she thought this conversation was going.  “The last thing she said before doing the deed was ‘make sure you find another helmet for me.’  I think she’s still alive, she’s just, well, kind of headless at the moment.”

“Which is why you were asking about the other pieces,” Celestia said, nodding in understanding.  “At any rate, the rest of Izolda’s armor is not in Canterlot at the moment.  We were having the rest of her brought here by train, but the railway was unfortunately destroyed during Orcas’ attack.  They are on Captain Breeze’s ship, on the way here as we speak.”

“Ah…” I said, but didn’t add anything else to the conversation.  To be honest, that was really the extent of how much I knew, and what I had planned: explain why Izolda’s helmet wasn’t here, and to get her back up and running again.

Well, there was that, and the training I still had to do with the guards, I thought to myself.  But as that thought came, another soon followed in its wake.  “By the way, you guys were saying something about someone who could talk with that wolf you have captured.  Any chance I might get a shot first?”

Celestia thought about this for a second, then nodded her head.  “I think that that might be arranged, but you are not to go inside his cell alone.  He has already proven to be more than a match for most of our forces, and it is best not to give him any leeway.”

I nodded, then motioned for Celestia to lead the way.  She obliged, opening the door to the left of the one that I came out of, which I quickly entered.  I immediately noticed that, while my room had all the looks of an old hospital/observation room, this one had a distinctly cell-ish vibe to it.  It was a decently sized room, probably a good thirty feet from where the door was, to where the back of the cell stood.  Dividing the room was a set of steel bars, onto which were carved a myriad of glowing runes; the walls inside the cell were similarly carved, as was the ceiling and the floor.  The whole effect lended an air of being totally unbreachable, though from what I’ve heard about the other champions, that was somewhat suspect.

It was probably only mostly unbreachable.

The ponies had apparently thought the same thing, since they hadn’t left the occupant of the cell unguarded.  Standing in front of the cell were four ponies, all armed to the teeth, and wearing full plate mail.  They weren’t facing the entrance to this room, either.  Instead, they all had their eyes glued to the cell, and by extension, the dangerous occupant inside.

Which was something that I found completely hilarious: For all their caution, all their wards, and all their posturing, the wolf inside the cell didn’t seem to notice them in the slightest.  He sat in the center, cross-legged, with his eyes closed, and his head bowed, as if he were praying.  His huge, five fingered paws were draped loosely on his knees, further reinforcing the image of someone who was busy communing with their god.  The only movement from the wolf that I could detect was his steady, rhythmic breathing, as well as the ever-so-slight twitch of his ear when we first opened the door.

“Sup, buddy,” I said, sauntering forward towards the cell.  The guards looked at me briefly, but a single nod from Celestia was all it took to let them know I was okay.  I got pretty close to the cell, but not close enough to be reached through the bars.  I wasn’t that stupid.  “You ahh… you doing okay in there?”

The wolf’s ears flickered briefly, but he did not otherwise show that he was listening.  I knew better, though.  “So… from what I’ve heard, you did a lot of damage.  Killed a lot of people before you were stopped.”

He didn’t answer.  Big surprise there.

“Anyway, from the way I hear it, you actually did us a favor,” I said as I moved towards one of the walls next to the cell.  I leaned against it, folding my arms as I regarded the strange creature.  He looked… like he’d be surprisingly short, all things considered.  Probably shorter than me, but far, far stockier.  He must have been washed up since the last time I saw him, because his once blood-soaked fur was now sleek and black.  He seemed to have some kind of green substance on his back, mixed into his fur, but I paid it no mind, more concerned about his current state of attire.

Or namely, his lack of attire.

It made sense that they would remove his clothing, seeing as how the ponies knew very little about their opponents or their powers.  For all they knew, this guy's powers were intrinsically linked to his clothing.  I rather doubted that, but it never hurt to be overly cautious.

Still made me feel uncomfortable.  Especially considering how he was sitting.

“Well, I think you could do yourself a favor, here.  You tell me how you managed to pick out every single one of those pirates from the crowd, and I’ll see what I can do about getting you a decent pair of pants.  Deal?”  He didn’t say anything.  I gave a short shrug at his lack of conversational skills, and turned to leave.  “Well, if you change your mind, just let the guards know.  They’ll know how to find me.”

And without another word, I left the room, Celestia hot on my heels.  “What was that all about?” she asked as she closed the door.

I shrugged as I went around the room, picking up my weapons, my belt, and my sheaths, before putting them on and equipping myself.  “Just preparing the waters,” I said evasively.  “Truth be told, I had no idea what I was doing in there, but I had learned one thing about our mysterious new friend.  That alone was worth the interview.”

“And what is that?” Celestia asked, raising her eyebrow curiously.

I made my way over to the bookcase before opening it with the single press of a button.  “He’s not a prisoner here.  He’s waiting.”

Celestia looked alarmed at that,  “Waiting?  For what?”

I just shook my head at her.  “I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s going to be big,” I then gestured out of the room, my body bent into a half-bow towards the princess.  “Now, if you’ll be so kind, I still need to instruct your troops about my strengths and weaknesses, and it would be a huge help if I could get a new shirt before that happened.”

She smiled at me, before cantering over to lead the way.  “It would be my pleasure, though I do not understand why you and your kind insist on being clothed.”

“Cultural differences.”  It was the only answer I was willing to give at the time.  I wasn’t too keen on letting her know exactly what those differences implied, at least, not yet.  Luckily, she seemed to take this at face value, and said nothing as she passed me by and led me out of the lab.


*    *    *


Havoc swore as he leaped down the stairs two at a time.  That freaking dragon was still hot on his heels, despite the numerous traps he had laid down all along the way.  And some of them were far deadlier than he could ever be.

He did notice something interesting, though.  The dragon seemed to be favoring his left shoulder, and every attack Havoc had directed towards that particular part of the dragon’s anatomy seemed to cause him to subconsciously twitch, despite the fact that every single one of those attacks had been easily deflected by the dragon’s impossibly hard scales.

Havoc had taken advantage of that fact, but he could do very little to exploit it.  All he could really do was slow the beast down.

And he hated that.  There was always a way out.

Right before the fish-man reached the bottom of the stairs, he vaulted the stone bannister, dropping the last couple of feet straight to the ground.  He quickly turned and yanked open the door, only to see Avalis waiting for him on the other side, calmly picking his teeth.

The dragon looked up, as if noticing the fish for the first time, then flicked his claws, as if removing a particularly stubborn speck.  “Had your fun?  Because I’m getting rather tired of this little game of ours.”

Havoc looked up the stairs in disbelief, then back down at the dragon.  “How on earth did you get here so fast?” he said as he slowly backed away from the door.

The dragon simply pointed behind Havoc.  Havoc didn’t bother looking, he already knew the answer, and he wasn’t one to let his eyes leave an enemy, even for a second.  “Through the window, of course,” Havoc said, right before swearing under his breath.

The whole layout of the old fortress was in the dragon’s favor, and Havoc didn’t like it one bit.  Not only that, but the dragon’s superior durability, senses, and speed had all basically spelled his doom from the start.

What’s the good of being able to use lightning if it doesn’t even do anything? Havoc thought bitterly to himself.

“So, are you going to give me what you stole, and have your death be quick and relatively painless?  Or am I going to have to slowly tear you limb from limb?”

Havoc thought about this for a bit as he continued to edge backwards, but quickly found himself stuck as his back hit the edge of the windowsill behind him.  He gave out a heavy sigh, reached into his pocket, then pulled out a small, silver circle from his pocket.  It was quite beautiful, covered in arcane runes, and adorned with six gems, all of different colors.  “Fine, it’s yours.”

Avalis reached out his hand, his maw turned up into an expectant grin, which quickly disappeared as Havoc threw the circle over his shoulder and out the window.

Avalis rushed the fish, shoving him out of the way before diving out the window.  He could still see The Circle as if fell, and in the back of his mind, he knew that he was letting the fish get away.

But as the The Circle fell into the mists that surrounded the mountain that the fortress was situated on top of, he found it rather hard to care.

Savor this small victory, you miserable little worm.  I’ll come for you soon enough, Avalis thought as the world around him disappeared into mist.

The only thing that Havoc was thinking, as he ran through the castle, across the bridge, and down the mountain path below, was I can’t believe that worked.  A grin was plastered to his face, while the real Circle jangled from its chain around the fish’s neck.  The prize he had come for initially was long forgotten, all that mattered to him at the moment was that he got as far as humanly possible from this keep, before that stupid dragon realized that he had been duped.

As if right on cue, a horrible scream of rage echoed across the mountain.  This only caused Havoc to redouble his speed, trusting on the cover of the setting sun to hide him from the vengeful, winged death that was sure to follow close behind him...


*    *    *


“Hey!  Make sure you check inside those buildings there!  We need this area clear before the crew can start repairs!”

Private Light Step cut a crisp salute, then moved to do as he was ordered.  He knocked on the door, trying to be conscientious that this was a private abode.  Without warning, the door swung open with his strikes, making an ominous creak as it revealed the darkened room beyond.

“Hello?  Is there anyone here?” he called out as he ignited his horn.  He stepped into the foyer, the quickly approaching night making any light from outside next to useless.  He noticed an open doorway to his right, and feeling somewhat nervous, he moved forwards to take a look.

On the other side were a number of bodies, some from the royal guard, others simple civilians.  All of them looked like they had been mauled by some wild beast.  Indeed, that was what he initially thought, up until he got close enough to one of the bodies to see it’s face.

It was missing its eyes.  In fact, all of the bodies were.

Light Step tried to keep his lunch down, but it was no use.  He quickly emptied the contents of his stomach, before turning and running from the scene before him.  “S-Sir!  Over here!”

If he had been a little more observant, however, he would have noticed the dark shadow detach itself from the wall, move to the window across the room, and jump through into the darkening city beyond, all while cackling softly to itself as it disappeared into the darkening equestrian night.
> Sun Tzu and the Art of Fashion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Yes?  Rarity!?  What… what are you doing here?” Blueblood asked, completely at a loss for words.  His eyes briefly flickered to the guards standing behind the mare, before focusing back to the Element of Generosity herself.  “Shouldn't you be with your friends?”

“They are well enough that they could stand to miss me for a few moments,” Rarity said somewhat stiffly.  “Do you mind if I stepped inside?”

“I… well, no, I guess not,” Blueblood said before he stepped out of the way and opened the door to let her in.

Rarity took a couple of steps inside, before taking a step back in disgust.  “Nice… place you have here…” Rarity said, unable to keep the revulsion out of her voice.

Blueblood already knew the state his den was in—he didn’t need her to tell him about it, but he wasn’t about to throw up a stink about it.  “As much as I appreciate your attempt at a compliment, it is unneeded.  This place is an utter disaster, and you need not try to make me feel better about it.”

To be honest, though, ‘disaster’ would probably not have been a strong enough word for the state of Prince Blueblood’s private rooms.  At the moment, the poker table he had set up several weeks ago was still out, the cards and chips from that game so long ago were still there, too, as were the numerous bits of old food and drinks that the participants of that game had been snacking on, still relatively untouched since that fateful day.  There was an unmistakable scent of rot in the air, adding to the generally unwholesome atmosphere of the room, which was only made worse by the open door to the bedroom, which if anything, was in an even worse state than the main den.

That’s not to say that there had been no effort to rectify the whole situation, however.  Sitting in a corner was a large black garbage bag, along with a broom, dustpan, and a small selection of cleaning chemicals, all mute evidence of Blueblood’s attempts to clean the place before he had been… interrupted.

“Em… I hope I’m not overstepping if I ask you why you haven’t had the maids in here?  It is their job, after all,” Rarity asked, her nose wrinkling as the offending odor of the room assaulted her senses.

“I’ve thought about it, but this really is my mess.  It felt more fitting that I be the one to clean it up…” Blueblood said, before scooping several pieces of rotting food and dumping them into the bag.  “Did you need something, Lady Rarity?  Because if you’re only here for small talk, I’m going to have to postpone it for later.  I have a lot of work to do.”

“I wanted to thank you, Blueblood,” Rarity said, a little softer than the tone she had taken with him earlier.  “You didn’t have to do what you did.  In fact, after our last encounter, I was somewhat certain you might have been trying to get back at me somehow.  I distrusted you, when all you were trying to do was save my life.”

Blueblood gave her a patient, somewhat self-mocking smile, before scooping several more things and depositing them into the trash.  “I didn’t do much, but you are quite welcome anyway.  I’m just surprised that you went along with me as far as you did, considering how our last meeting went.”

“Yes, well, even so, we're in the middle of a crisis, and it does nopony any good to hold grudges,” Rarity said, brushing her hair back a little with her hoof.  “Now, I suppose I should leave you to your cleaning, though now I am somewhat curious as to how it got in this state in the first place.”

“That… is a long story, preferably for another day, after my rooms are in a state more worthy to entertain a guest such as yourself,” Blueblood said, before dropping into a low bow.  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there is still much to do.”

Rarity gave him a small smile, before turning to leave.  “Well, when you’re ready to talk, you can find me in my rooms.  After what happened a few days ago, the princesses have been quite protective of us.  A new face and new conversation is always-”

Whatever Rarity was going to say was suddenly cut off as she let out a soul-rending screech as she turned around.  Blueblood quickly looked to see whatever horror had come to claim them, only to feel his heart leap at what he saw.

Standing just outside the room was a tall, lizard-like biped.  This creature was no stranger to Blueblood, but this was the first time he had seen him with his own eyes.  He seemed to be missing his shirt, revealing a network of scars all over his torso, but otherwise the lizard was exactly as Blueblood remembered him.

Blueblood just couldn’t figure out why he was here of all places.

The lizard, for his part, only looked mildly surprised at the screaming mare in front of him, before turning to whomever was next to him, who was just outside of Blueblood’s line of sight.  “I’m not that hideous, am I?”

“Knowing what others of your kind can do, her reaction is wholly justified,” Auntie Celestia said, revealing that it was she who had brought the unusual creature here.

“Ah… Eheheh… Princess Celestia… so good to see you…” Rarity said, letting out a fake laugh as she slowly backed away from the creature before her.

“Calm yourself, Rarity, the creature is on our side,” Blueblood said, before moving awkwardly around the clutter of the room, making his way around Rarity, walking out the door, and falling into a low bow before the creature.  “It is an honor to meet you in person.”

The lizard looked positively shocked at this display, going so far as to take several uncomfortable steps backwards before looking to Celestia, as if seeking help.  “Um… Okay, I swear, I've never seen this guy in my life.”

The Princess eyed the lizard for a full minute, probably trying to detect any falsehood in the creature’s statement.  When she couldn't find any, she then turned to Blueblood, her expression an odd mixture of amusement and suspicion.  “Blueblood, would you care to explain yourself?”

“How up-to-date are you with the Solar Guard’s reports, Auntie?” Prince Blueblood asked as he got up from his bow.

“I've only really seen the recent battle report, and anything of special note that had to be handled immediately.  I'm afraid I've been a bit behind on almost everything else,” Princess Celestia said, her expression not changing in the slightest.

“Well, my Princess, until recently, I, and many others, had our souls devoured by that monster known as The Mistress of Shadow,” Blueblood said, causing the suspicious look on Celestia’s face to change to one of sudden understanding.  “I am merely paying my savior the respect he deserves.”  Blueblood then turned to the lizard, inclining his head slightly to show his deference to the lizard.  “I would ask for your name, but I know that you do not give it out lightly, based on how you dealt with that-”

“My name’s Ammon,” Ammon said, interrupting Blueblood and taking the wind out of his sails.  “And please, don’t bow to me, it makes me uncomfortable.”

“Very well,” Blueblood said.

He looked like he was going to say more, but was prevented from doing just that when Rarity came out of the room to stand next to him, her eyes locked on the lizard.  “This is Ammon?  And here I was thinking that some sort of dragon from the Dragon Lands saved Sweetie Belle and her friends!”

Ammon looked a little confused for a second, before a sudden look of understanding washed over him.  “Yeah, no, that was me.”

“Well, I for one would like to thank you for saving my little sister and her friends.  I’m sorry for how I initially treated you,” Rarity said, holding out her hoof.

Despite being a completely alien entity, and most likely having no prior experience with Equestrian customs of etiquette, Ammon still got down to one knee and gently took the offered hoof in his claw and shook it.  “Well, I'm just glad I was able to get there in time, and no offense taken.  I know what kind of trouble the others have gotten into.  All things considered, you were completely right to act like you did.”

“Rarity, I’m afraid we haven’t come for pleasantries,” Celestia said, interrupting them as she drew closer.  “Ammon here has a request for you, though you are in no way obligated to help.  We would completely understand if you said no, and we will be on our way, no strings attached.  However, if you choose to accept, know that the crowns will pay you for your services in full.”

Rarity thought about this for a few seconds before looking up at Ammon, a question in her eyes.  “Well, it wouldn’t be very gracious of me to turn you down.  Not after everything you’ve done.  Whatever it is, if it is in my power, I will try to help.”

“You sure?  Because if I’m going to be honest, I think you have your work cut out for you…” Ammon said, before he stood up, reached behind him, and pulled something from out of the back of his rather tattered pants.  He then held it up for the mare to see.

It had been, at one point in time, a shirt.  However, through repeated stress, battle, and apparently some sort of fire, the thing now resembled a burnt dishrag, only useful for cleaning, and little else.  “I’ve got a meeting with the military soon, and my old one’s kind of been destroyed.  If I could get you to patch it up, I’d be very-”

“No… no no no… you can’t possibly expect me to believe that you’ll be wearing… that!” Rarity said, before tearing the shirt from his hands.  “This is an absolute travesty!  I wouldn’t wish this upon even my worst enemy!  And your trousers!  They’re in absolute shambles!”

“Yeah, they’re my only set of clothing, and I’ve been a little too busy lately to try and get a new set,” Ammon said, shrugging slightly to himself.  “A patch would be fine, though, since I think I’ll just be getting into more trouble before this is all-”

“As I said before, this will not do!” Rarity said, putting her hoof down in a decisive manner.  “Come.  We shall remedy this posthaste!”

Ammon could do little but sputter as Rarity turned him about and began shepherding him with her magic down the hall and in the general direction of what was presumably her private chambers.  Celestia went to follow, but stopped, her eyes resting on Blueblood.  “We will need to have a talk about what you experienced, Blueblood.  Even if you were just a prisoner, you may have learned something invaluable.”

“I have already told Captain Nightfall everything I can remember, Auntie,” Blueblood said, bowing ever so slightly to Princess Celestia.

“Be that as it may, I would have Luna look inside your dreams.  There may be something you forgot to mention still there.”

Blueblood nodded, but did not otherwise move to follow.  “Until later, then.  I have some things I still need to take care of.  When both you and Auntie Luna are ready for me, I would be more than happy to assist you.”

Celestia gave the prince a short nod, before turning and following Rarity and her hapless captive, who had already gotten quite a bit ahead of her.  The guards quickly turned to follow their princess, which meant that Blueblood was left all alone with his thoughts.

As much as he wanted to be alone with his work, he had really enjoyed the brief break that Rarity had provided.  Now that she was gone, though, he felt like the task before him was that much harder.  With a heavy sigh, the prince turned back to the open door to once again continue the arduous challenge of cleaning the mess that had once been his private rooms.  It was some time later that he realized he had been smiling the whole time, and not a fake one, either.  It was the first, real smile he had worn ever since he had had his soul sucked out, and his body used as a plaything for that hellish monster.

It took him longer than he’d care to admit to quash that smile, as he tried to remind himself that he had no right to be that happy.  “Right… back to work. No time to be all sentimental…” he said, putting on a serious face and scooping up as much garbage as he could.

However, a passing maid would later spot him, and would tell her friends that she had never seen anyone, much less Blueblood of all ponies, look quite so happy cleaning what was essentially a disaster area.


*	*	*


Doctor Luther Wittelsbach was a patient man.  He could outlast the end of a world and the creation of a new one if he had a book to read, and at the moment, he had a whole library of knowledge at his disposal.  He would have much rather been out in the field helping those that needed him, but at the moment, the Dark Ones were ‘between moves’ as his master would put it.  So there was very little for him to do until something else went wrong.

Still, the constant scratching of the pony’s pen was somewhat distracting.  He had outlasted far worse, but he had noticed that every three minutes and fifty seconds, the pony in question would shuffle a bit, open her mouth, take a deep breath, and apparently think better of whatever question she was going to ask.  She would then go back to her note-taking for another three minutes and fifty seconds before starting the cycle anew.

“Was there something you wanted to ask me?” Doctor Wittelsbach asked, closing his book with a snap and looking towards the bookshelf that the young pony was hiding behind.  There was a small, high pitched squeak from her, as well as a faint clink from the guard two aisles down, which showed they both had been surprised by his sudden question.  “I would rather have your questions out of the way now, rather when I am fully absorbed by your literature.  It would save us both a little aggravation.  If not, I would ask you to study me at a later date.”

“Um…” the young pony said, coming around the corner.  She had a bashful look on her face, almost like a small child caught with her hands in the cookie jar.  She had purple fur, as well as a dark blue mane and tail with a violet streak running through both.  The small horn on her head marked her as a unicorn, while the starburst pattern on her flank denoted some sort of talent with magic.  “I was wondering… why are you helping us?  And… why did you help Ammon?  From what I’ve heard, aren't your masters competing for some kind of prize?  Wouldn't that make you enemies?”

Doctor Wittelsbach gently set the book down on the table next to him, then turned to look the unicorn in the eye.  “I can tell you very little.  My master and I are bound by certain rules, and even telling you about the contest is against the rules, unless, of course, you already know.”

The purple unicorn looked confused at the doctor’s words.  “If it's against the rules, then didn't Ammon break them when he-”

“Ammon is a special case,” Doctor Wittelsbach said, leaning back in his chair and rubbing the leather underside of his beak-like mask.  “From what my master has told me, Ammon was given so little information as to make his standing the same as yours.  This has given him the ability to act as a free agent, unbound by the rules, and more importantly, able to ally himself with you, should he so choose.  Technically, I, as a champion who knows too much, am not able to ally myself with you, or your kind.  However, I am able to ally myself with him, and his allies, since he is still, technically, a champion.”

The purple pony still looked confused, but the doctor paid her no mind as he picked up his book and resumed reading.

“But that just brings us back to my original question.  Why are you helping him?  Shouldn't you be enemies since you're both after the same thing?”

The doctor paused at this, not as if he were thinking about what to say next, but rather, it looked like he was listening to a distant voice.  Finally, he sighed, then turned another page in his book.  “My master tells me that, with the amount of information you have now, I may tell you this much: Not all of the masters are aiming for the prize.  Some of them merely wish to prevent certain other parties from obtaining the prize.”

He talked without even looking up, but he was fairly certain he knew what the look on the unicorn’s face was.  Confusion, worry, frustration.  Her heart was certainly beating at a much faster pace, but none of that mattered to the taciturn doctor.  All that mattered to him was that he complete his task in peace.

After a few more seconds of this, the unicorn finally seemed to be out of questions, but not before turning one last time.  “Well, tell your master for me… thank you.”

“He already knows, though I am sure he doesn’t care.  Nevertheless, I will tell him for you,” Doctor Wittelsbach said before turning another page.  “Now, if that will be all, I have much to read before the day is through.”

He heard the unicorn nod, then leave, but did not acknowledge her.  There was no time for simple trivialities such as that, and he really needed to focus on the task at hand if he had any hopes of finishing before the next disaster.

And from the fear that seemed to waft in through the open window from the city below, the next disaster was going to be very, very soon.


*	*	*


I looked over myself in the mirror, impressed with the job I saw.  Seriously, the white and purple mare worked quickly, and had an entire set of clothing ready for me in less than an hour.  It fit well, too, far better than any set of clothing I had ever worn.  And I had to admit, even though I wasn’t exactly human anymore, I still cut quite the impressive figure.

Even if the color scheme made me look a little on the festive side.

The shirt itself was a simple enough, button up affair, with a collar that almost begged to have a tie put around it.  She even had a tie ready, though I had turned her down, saying that such a thing was more of a hindrance in battle than a help.  She had originally scoffed at that, but a gentle reminder was all it took to let her know that the last fight had been extremely unexpected.  Celestia had mentioned armor plate at that point, and I had politely declined, stating that we really didn’t have the time for such things at the moment.  Maybe later.  After all, anything between me and death was better than nothing, but for now, I had a meeting to get to.  The slacks were black, fit well, and made for plenty of room in the back for my tail, which was a bit of a relief, to be honest.  The thing had a habit of drawing attention to itself, even more so if something in the back was chafing.

“So, what do you think?” Rarity asked, her radiant smile quashing any issues I might have had with red against my green scales making me look like a Christmas tree.  It was probably unintentional, since she probably had no idea what Christmas even was.

“It looks absolutely perfect,” I said, making a quick turn around to let her see the full effect.  “Thank you so much; I know it couldn’t have been easy on such short notice.

“Think nothing of it, darling,” Rarity said with a smile, and a toss of her hair.  “I honestly relish the challenge.  Just… do try to be careful with this set.  It may be a bit simple, but it would be a crime if it should become damaged!”

I let out a short, barking laugh.  “I’ll try my best, but I really can’t make any promises.  Well, Celestia?  What do you think?”

“It is fine enough, though we should be moving now,” she said, opening the door behind her.  “I have already made arrangements for my top officers to meet us, and if they are as punctual as they always are, then they would have been waiting for us for a while now.”

“Go on, then!  You must not keep our stallions in uniform waiting!” Rarity said, gently shooing me out with her hoof.  I took the hint, and quickly left, Celestia and her guards in tow.

The trip to the meeting place was fairly uneventful, during which I could help but wonder what I was going to talk about.  After the little betrayal during the siege, I couldn’t exactly just hand out my strengths and weaknesses.  At least, not without knowing for sure who I was talking with.

That being said, there were still a few things I could talk about.  Namely, who, exactly, these people were fighting.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice at all that we had not only already reached our destination, but we had also entered the room, and Celestia had apparently just started introducing me to the room full of nervous, or even downright hostile-looking ponies in armor.  “-is Ammon.  As you may have heard, he calls the monsters that beset our nation as kin.  However, he is not like them.  He actively fights against them, and is here to help us as much as he is able.”

I looked around, trying to take stock of my surroundings.  We seemed to be in a rather large meeting hall with a number of tapestries and banners lining the walls.  There was a large, rectangular table in the center, around which I could see several ponies in an array of colors and armor styles.  Fully half of those present had white coats and golden armor, while the rest seemed to have more muted colors, and black, bat themed armor, wings and eyes.  I also noticed a few empty chairs around the table, but I figured it was because some of the brass were out on duty.  Of all the soldiers here, I could only recognize Captain Breeze, since he was one of the few that wasn’t decked out in plate.  Now that I had other soldiers nearby to compare him to, I quickly noticed that his mane and tail, and even his coat color seemed to be different from the ponies around him, leading me to believe that the coat and mane colors of the ponies around me weren’t exactly their natural colors, most likely being some kind of illusion to keep regulation colors or something.  Most of the ponies in front of me had guarded looks, while others looked like they wanted nothing more than to tear me to pieces.

Truth be told, it was a fairly intimidating sight to suddenly walk in on, if you completely ignored the whole talking, four foot pony thing.  “Oh, we’re here already?  Um…” I said intelligently, having honestly been taken by surprise.

Before I was even able to string together anything useful, one of the white soldiers in golden armor beat me to the punch.  “I'm sorry, ma’am, but do you honestly expect us to believe that this… fool, could know anything useful?  He’s powerful, I’ll give him that, but he seems like the kind that would be more trouble than he’s worth.”

“I don’t think that even touches on the real issue here.  Why are we even entertaining the thought of working with him?” another pony asked, this one far darker in color and sporting a curved, rhinoceros-like horn.  Everything about this one screamed rage, though I couldn’t help but detect a strong undercurrent of fear behind his eyes.  “He’s the enemy!  It's because of monsters like him that Las Pegasus and Ponyville now lie in ruin!”

“I lost a lot of good soldiers because of his kind…” someone else muttered, though I couldn’t quite catch who it was.

This was really starting to look like a poor opening for me, and I hadn’t even had the chance to say anything yet!  Not that I needed to, mind you.  I was getting the distinct impression that if Celestia wasn’t standing right next to me, I’d probably already be dead the second I walked into the room.

Luckily, it didn’t seem like everyone here had it out for me.  “Shut your pie-holes,” a particularly large, white stallion said, bringing his right hoof down on the table in front of him with a clap that I could feel.  “I would hear what he has to say.  Besides, last I checked, he was trying to stop his kin, not help them.”

“Yeah… but-”

“No buts!  Any information is better than nothing, and so far, this one has been nothing but helpful!  Until he turns on us, I’m rather inclined to at least hear him out.  It’s a far sight better than just hoping that something beneficial will fall in our saddlebags, so shut it!”  The pony then turned back towards me and Celestia, inclining his head ever so slightly towards us in what looked like an apologetic manner.  “I apologize for my subordinates’ bad manners.  Please continue.”

I just stared, my mouth open as I tried to get my bearings straight.  A quick look at Celestia was no help, either, since it looked like she decided to wear her best poker face through this whole exchange.  What was worse, though, was that that little outburst had now made every single pony present completely and totally focused on me, and I honestly had no clue how to break the tension in the room now.

Well, best just to get it over with… I thought as I cleared my throat.  “Well… that was a thing…” I said, awkwardly clapping my claws together once in front of me.  “Anyway… I was going to tell you all about my powers, but in light of recent events, it would probably be best to limit that information to the top brass.  Celestia, Luna, and probably her most trusted officers.  As for you lot, it would probably be best if we started with something a little more basic.”

“What do you mean by basic?” Celestia asked, looking a little confused at this.  She seemed to have understood what I meant by ‘recent events’, and had let it slide.  No need in spreading how to kill me if it’s unclear who our allies and enemies were, after all.

I didn’t answer at first.  Instead, I took a few steps back from the table, and motioned with my claws towards myself.  “Tell me, from what you have seen of my kind, both the good and the bad, what can you tell me of how we think as a species?” I asked, completely forgetting that I wasn’t exactly human anymore.

All the soldiers looked confused at that.  Many looked to each other, and at me, as if I were completely crazy.  If I was to be honest, though, that assumption probably wasn’t that far off the mark.  “Begging your pardon, sir, I know that the princess said that you were kin to the monsters, but how is it that you are all from the same species?” one of the dark, night-themed pegasi asked, his face screwing up in confusion.  “I mean, Pyro Pete was some kind of frog, and those winged things in Ponyville looked nothing like either of you, too…”

I rolled my eyes at this, somewhat exasperated at my own stupidity.  “Okay, even further back, then…” I muttered darkly.  I then took a deep, deep breath, and continued.  “This is not my natural form.  Most, if not all, of the champions out there are probably like me.  We were all probably plucked from our world, and given new forms by our… patrons, then tossed here to do their bidding in this competition between them.  So far, everyone I’ve met has been from my old world, and until I meet one that says otherwise, I’m going to be working on that assumption.”

“Then how do we know we can trust you?” one of the day-themed stallions asked, thrusting out his lower jaw in what I could tell was a belligerent fashion.  “If all of you monsters are merely puppets for your masters, then what makes you any different?”

Fortunately this was exactly what I wanted someone to say.  Without skipping a beat, I raised both my hands, pointed at the stallion, gave him a cheeky little wink, and clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth.  “Why do you think I’ll be telling your top brass what my strengths and weaknesses are?” I asked, causing the assembled ponies eyes to widen with understanding.  “My patron told me very little, and gave me no real objective.  In fact, she did that on purpose, and told me that it made me an ‘outside observer.’  That works for me, since it means I can pretty much do whatever I want.  That being said, I trust her just about as far as I can throw her, and I wouldn't put it past her to put some kind of override in this new body of mine.  You know, something that would let her take direct control whenever she wanted.  So, in order to prevent that from ever becoming a problem, I want you guys to know how best to put me down should the situation arise, capiche?”

This immediately set off the whole room, as everyone either tried to ask me questions all at once, or turned to their neighbors, talking with each other to try and make sense of what I just said.  The effect combined to make an almost deafening din, making it rather hard to think about what I wanted to say next.

A single hoof-stomp from the large stallion from earlier was all it took to quiet everyone down, though.  “Yes, you with the obvious authority?” I said, pointing towards the stallion in question.

“Captain Star Blaze,” the stallion said, introducing himself somewhat curtly before getting back to the matter at hand.  “Tell me, Why are you on our side?  You’ve told us why you can be on our side, but what is your personal reason for helping us?”

I shrugged a little.  I really didn’t want to get into the children from the museum, so I went with something a little more general.  “This is your land, your people, your cities, and your world.  You have jurisdiction here.  As far as I’m concerned, I’m just a squatter, and I will defer to your authority on all matters…” I stopped there, though, realizing that I had almost walked into a trap there.  “Unless you wanted me to do something terrible, like murder a village, or fight your wars for you.  I’m only here for the other champions; anything outside of that, and I’m probably not going to help.”

Captain Blaze didn’t seem to take any issue with this, and just leaned back, as if satisfied with my answer.  “So, back to your original question… what was it again?”

Apparently he had lost the thread of original conversation during the whole ‘explaining why we were even here’ thing.  I hadn't, though, so I was able to get us back on track pretty easily.  “From what you’ve seen, how do we think as a species?”

“You all seem to be crazy,” the captain said, drawing a bit of laughter from the entire room, myself included.

“That is an extremely apt assessment.  Humans—that’s the name of my species—have often been called that by our own people, along with a few other things.  It's also why we can be so dangerous, despite the fact that we’re a lot weaker than you physically,” I said, tapping the side of my nose with my claw.

All soldiers in the room looked at me strangely at that, seeming to have not quite caught that last part.  “Hold up…” Captain Breeze said, rising to his hooves.  “You’re… weaker than us?”

“If my guess is correct, and these beings have only used people that were originally humans as their champions, then we’ll already have a huge advantage: Humans don't have any special powers,” I said, finally reaching the point that I really wanted to cover.  “Because of this, it may be entirely possible that we will forget that we now have special powers in the heat of the moment.  Goodness knows, this has already happened to me a couple of times, and has nearly gotten me killed.  Of course, I can’t really say this as a fact, since there are so many unknowns here, but yes, we are normally much weaker than you.”

“But hold up… why would that make you dangerous if you’re usually weaker than us?” one of the dark, night-themed ponies asked.

“Because, we’re the dominant species of our planet.  As I said before, we don’t have any special powers, no magic whatsoever, our teeth aren’t particularly sharp, and we’ve got no claws at all.  We’re not particularly fast, strong, and our senses are absolute crap compared to everything else on our planet,” I said, scratching the back of my head as I tried to sort out in my head what I was trying to say.  “All we had was our intellect, and a somewhat higher than normal endurance.  Yet, somehow, despite all of this, we managed to beat back the tigers, tame the wolves, and scare off the bears that cover our planet.  We’ve killed things that outweigh us, that could tear us limb from limb without even breaking a sweat, and could eat us in one bite, and we’re just about the least imposing creature you could possibly find if you were to visit us.  We’re the top dogs because we’re crafty, not powerful.”

“And now you have superpowers…” Celestia said, suddenly catching on.

“Now you’re getting it!” I said, looking at her with a huge grin on my face, all while every pony present began groaning in aggravation and fear.

“Why is it that I feel worse about our chances now that you’ve told us more about yourself?” Captain Blaze asked, clearly not liking what he had heard.

“Well, there was an ancient wise man in my world who had a saying: Know thy enemy as thyself,” I said, quickly paraphrasing Sun Tzu.  “Even if what I’ve told you is absolutely horrifying and demoralizing, at least you now know a bit more about the enemy.  With this knowledge, you’ll be able to start predicting us somewhat,” I said, the grin on my face growing even wider, probably making me look a little unhinged.  “At least now you have a chance to win.”