Return of Evil and A New Beginning

A week later, another incident accrued, only this time it was at the Manehattan Art Museum and School. A priceless bust of Starswirl the Bearded made out of pure platinum and jade was stolen and two security guards were injured. Dante was taken in for questioning since he was targeted as the main suspect. He was sitting in a dark room with a single light shining over a table of which he was sitting at. Flash Sentry walked in, wearing a button-up long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up half-way, and sunglasses.

“Flash” Dante started “you were sent to question me?”

“Shut-up maggot. I ask the questions and you answer them nervously.”

“Well, I love being interviewed. Tell me, will this be in Shooting Star Magazine” Dante asked sarcastically.

“What did I just say? I ask, you answer, maggot.”

“Ey bra, don’t call me maggot.” Flash took his sun glasses off with his hooves.

“So, where were you two nights ago at twelve-fifteen a.m.?”

“Sleeping, next question.”

“So, if you were sleeping, why did surveillance video capture you in the museum, stealing this precious artifact?” Flash held up a picture of the artifact with his wing, revealing it to Dante.

“Wait, what do you mean” Dante asked.

“Frank, bring in the TV.” A stallion rolled a television on a cart with a DVD player attached to it. Flash turned the television on, showing Dante the video clip of an elf-like figure walking up to a glass display box with the bust inside, punching it, then taking it. The video cut to static, then turned back to footage of two security guards running towards the figure down a hallway, both being stopped by the figure attacking them, then teleporting out of the shot with what appeared to be shadows.

“That looks a lot like me, but who would do such a thing?”

“Maybe, it was YOU.” Flash pointed a hoof at Dante. Twilight then walked in.

“Flash, Dante is innocent.”

“How do you know?”

“Because last night, I was at the Castle of the Royal Sisters. I forgot one of my books there. While I was there, I’ve seen Dante lying in bed sleeping.

“How do you know it wasn’t a shadow clone?”

“Because, my suspicions have led me to think that, but then I slammed a book onto his chest. Normally, if it were a clone, it would just vanish, but Dante just sat up, swung his fists, and then fell on the floor.” Dante thought for a moment.

“Huh, so that’s why I woke up on the floor with horrible chest pain.”

“Dante, I’ve been talking to Luna about this latest crime” Twilight said “she thinks that somepony is using a shape shifting spell to frame you.”

“Gee, I wonder why somepony would want to do that” Dante questioned.

“Because you’re a jerk” Flash whispered to himself.

“Hey, I heard that” Dante exclaimed.

“And what are you gonna do about it?” Dante pulled out his staff.

“You really wanna go there Sentry?” Twilight stepped between them and pushed each other apart from one another.

“Okay you two, break it up” Twilight yelled. “Dante, Luna has a plan to capture this copycat criminal. She wants to meet with you to discuss the plan.” Dante nodded, and then left the room.

Later that night, the Equestrian History museum in Manehattan was being infiltrated by the criminal. After taking out three security guards, he walked up to a display case protecting a necklace worn by Princess Platinum from before the rule of Celestia and Luna. He broke the glass case, reaching in, and grabbed the artifact. He then felt a sharp pain in his back. He looked back to see Dante with his fist dug into his spine, holding the criminal up. Dante dropped the breathless criminal onto the ground, and then took off the mask hiding his face to see Dante’s own face.

“Alright, show me your true face” Dante shouted. Just then, a green beam of light came from the clone’s forehead, having a black horn appear and zapped Dante back with a magical energy beam. The clone then morphed with a slime-green aura around it. It then got on all fours and morphed into a pony-like body. The aura faded away, revealing a changeling.

“Hello, Dante” the changeling said.

“A changeling? But how did you survive? I turned your entire race to stone.”

“I was saved by trapping myself in a cocoon. And now I want my revenge. You’ve made my race endangered, with me as the only surviving member of the changeling race. You will pay.” The changeling ran up to Dante, jumped, then flew after Dante with one of its legs out, kicking Dante, but Dante grabbed the hoof and threw the changeling to the wall behind him. Dante’s eyes turned black and red and formed wings from shadow. The changeling hit a wall, then Dante flew towards the changeling and kneeing it in the stomach, pinning it to the wall in the process.

“You, you have wings” the changeling shouted.

“Yes” Dante replied with an evil grin “and you’re aching from fall damage.”

“No I’m no-“ the changeling was interrupted when Dante released it from his grip, having the changeling fall, then gain control and started to fly. “Are you forgetting, I have win-“ the changeling was interrupted again when Dante got his staff and hit the changeling over the head with it, causing it to fly to the ground rapidly, making a large indent in the floor when the changeling made contact. Dante landed, holding out his right hand, having his wings vanish and the shadows from the wings form into a ball in his hand.

Princess Luna and two of her guards appeared in the entrance to the room. Dante’s eyes turned back to normal before she or her guards could even notice.

“That’s enough, Dante” Luna said “we have it from here.” She turned her look to the changeling on the floor. “It appears that one of these disgusting creatures got loose. No matter, off to the dungeon you go.” The two guards, both unicorns, released a magic beam from their horns, creating an aura around the changeling’s body, forcing it into submission. The two guards then teleported away from Luna and Dante to the dungeon.

“Well, good thing that’s over with” Dante said in relief. “Have you checked the injured guards?”

“Yes” Luna responded “no critical injuries, but a few days in bed will be best for them.” Dante nodded in respond.