Elements of Harmony: Fragments of Dishonor

Chapters

Desecration
Desolation
Dedication
Devastation
Demonstration
Deformation
Determination
Dispensation (Ending)
Desperation
Epilogue

Desecration

Princess Celestia was sitting quietly in her throne. Filling out papers and documents. She sighed. Celestia has been very bored all day. It was the same, old same old. Then all of a sudden, a small, green smoke rushed through her window. She watched it in surprise as it formed the letter right in front of her."That's weird. Twilight already send me a friendship report yesterday. Well, let's see what we've got here". She opened the scroll and began to read.

Dear Princess Celestia,

We need your help princess. Something awful just happened. Some kind of creature came to Ponyville and attacked to guards. It's on it's way now to Canterlot. I fear that it may cause more destruction than it already has. Me and my friends will be there soon to assist you.

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle

Celestia dropped the scroll. That same creature she sent two guards out to investigate, just attacked them and is now on it's way to her. She immediately got up from her throne and quickly went to the castle hall."Luna? Luna, are you here"? Celestia tried to find her younger sister. Then with a bright blue flash, her sister appeared in front of her.

"I am here Tia. What bothers you"? Celestia gave her sister a serious face. One of those that meant there was danger around the place.

"Twilight contacted me. She said that some kind of dangerous creature is on it's way here. We need to be ready". With that, she started to trot down to the castle gate, with her sister following her.

"Do not fear Tia. This creature must be foolish if it thinks it can take on the two of us". Even though Luna was confident about her and her sister's powers, Celestia was still a bit worried but ended up agreeing.

"You are right sister. We should be able to stop it". Luna only nodded. They reached the castle gate where Celestia ordered the guards to hold up the doors. She was going to the main Canterlot gate where she could meet her student and her friends."Sister listen". Celestia stated to order Luna."I need you to stay at the castle garden just in case something happens".

"It will be done Tia. Although don't let me miss to much fun". Luna smirked as she flew the opposite direction Celestia was going who only grinned before continuing her trot.

"So Twilight, what's up with this creature you keep talking about"? Rainbow dash asked Twilight as they were on their way to Canterlot.

"It nearly killed two guards and it's believed to be heading for the princesses". Twilight spoke up as she looked out the window, seeing how far they were.

"She's right Rainbow". Pinkie started."I even said I was gonna through him a party, but instead just goes all loco like that. What a meanie"! pinkie was also frustrated.

"Oh, I hope I don't have to go near that thing. It scares me just when I talk about it". Fluttershy said quietly while hiding behind Applejack.

"Ain't no reason t' fret sugarcube. I'ma sure that t' princesses will take care of things". Applejack tried to calm her shy friend. To bad it didn't work.

"Girls please". Rarity was the last to speak up."I'm sure whatever this horrible creature is, Celestia will banish it to the moon". They were almost there.

"Were almost there girls. Let's just hope this thing didn't cause to much trouble yet". Twilight spoke as their train reached it's destination.

The train stopped. Corvo had finally reached the city."Thanks for the ride". Corvo told the conductor before grabbing him by the neck, and choking him out. He then stepped out of the train. This was weird. He was in front of the main gate but no guards. He looked around to insure there was no trap. Corvo pushed the giant, double doors open, only to be surprised.

Dozens of guards were in front of him. All of them giving corvo mean looking faces. And in the middle was Celestia. That was the one. The one Corvo saw in his vision. Or at least one of them. They were all looking at him. Corvo just stood there. In a fighting stance, expecting something to happen. He immediately took out his blade and crossbow, intimidating everyone there but the princess.

"Back down creature". Celestia stated."I'm sure what ever your going through, we can he-"... She was cut short as Corvo pointed the crossbow straight at her. All the guards froze. He pulled the trigger, sending an arrow fly through the air and into Celestia.

With quick reflex, the princess's horn began to glow as she knocked the arrow out of her sight using magic. Corvo's jaw nearly hit the floor under his mask. Celestia had a huge angry expression on her face."ATTACK". Celestia shouted, clearly threatened that the creature just tried to kill her.

All the guards started to attack. As one of them got close to Corvo, he blinked right behind him, only to put his arms around the guard's neck and snap it. As the dead guard fell to the floor. Four more came from all directions. Corvo jumped, avoiding them. As he was in the air, he swung his sword and slit a pegasus guard who was flying towards him.

Corvo then ran up to more guards. they all through punches, but he dodged. With one he bashed him in the skull so hard that Corvo was sure he was dead. Two other guards came from opposite sides with spears to attack him. He just jumped, grabbed one of them by the shoulders and kicked in the back towards the other guard. They both ended up stabbing each other.

Another guard came from behind Corvo to try and stab him with a spear. But he just turned around, blocked it, elbowed the pony in the nose and stabbed him in the stomach. He yanked out the blade and let the pony fall dead.

Then, a bright magical blast shot Corvo straight through the chest, sending him flying. He landed on his back, clearly injured."HOW DARE YOU CAUSE DANGER TO MY SUBJECTS"! Celestia screamed, using the royal Canterlot voice.

Corvo tried to get up, but while on his knees, several more guards were in front of him."Time to end this". Corvo said to himself as his mark started to glow. He was charging up his mana. Feeling threatened, all the guards charged at him, all of them carrying spears.

With one quick swing, Corvo shot out a huge blast of wind. On impact, all the guards were blasted back. Some broke through walls while some just were thrown off really far and got knocked out. At the last second, Celestia conjured up a magical force field around herself. But the blast broke the the barrier and even knocked her back a bit.

When Celestia looked back, she saw Twilight and her friends had just arrived."Princess"! Yelled Twilight, making Corvo turn around. He saw six colorful ponies. All of them looking scared.

"We must go now"! Celestia ordered as her horn started to glow. In one big flash of light, she and the other six ponies were gone.

"Goddammit". Corvo swore out loud. Just when things couldn't get worse, he noticed that many other guards were flying his direction."Time to bale". He started to run through the main gate into the city.

Luna was waiting patiently in the garden, waiting for her sister to return. Then in a bright flash, Celestia and the elements of harmony appeared right in front of her."Sister you are back. Let me guess, you stopped that thing in it's tracks right away". Luna said smiling. But Celestia had a very serious face, which only took Luna's smiling away.

"This is very bad sister. Not only did that creature kill over a dozen guards without even trying, it's on it's way here". Luna was shocked. She hasn't seen her dear sister worry like this in over a thousand years.

"Sister". Celestia spoke firmly."I need you to go to the castle and get as many guards as possible and meet back here". Her sister only nodded before she took off. Celestia then turned to Twilight and her friends."Twilight, I need you and your friends to get the elements of harmony. You will find it in my chamber".

"You can count on us princess". Twilight reassured. And with that, the princess took off, leaving Twilight and her friends to aid her subjects in the city."Alright girls, listen up". She got her friends' attention.

"Rainbow Dash, I need you and Fluttershy to go and get the elements".

"Yes m'am". Rainbow saluted and took off, only to be stopped. Fluttershy was to scared to move."Come on Fluttershy, we need you". Rainbow then pulled on her tail and dragged her to the castle.

"Applejacck and Pinkie Pie, I need you to go and help princess Luna get as many guards on patrol as possible". Twilight ordered.

"You can count on me Twilight". Pinkie said before dashing off.

"Yeehaa, let's do this". Then Applejack spoke as she followed her pink friend.

"Rarity". Twilight turned to her friend."I need you to stay here with me and patrol this area".

Rarity nodded."As you wish darling".

"Oh, I really hope we and the princess can stop this thing". Twilight thought to herself while worried. But she was confident with her friends.

Corvo was running on the roof tops with many flying guards on his trail. He kept blinking from building to building, but in every corner, there was a guard."You there". Corvo turned his head to see a guard yelling at him."Stop, in the name of Ce-"... Corvo just took him out with an arrow. He watched the guard fall down then continued running.

"I gotta hide somewhere fast". His mark started to glow, and with a single thought, time stopped. He kept running until he found a dark alley. He quickly jumped down, falling onto the floor and hide in the shadows. Time continued.

All the guards around the area were confused. the creature just vanished. Ad they searched the place, Corvo found a large pipe that led to the sewers."Well, I've been in worse scenarios". He thought as he jumped in, landing in the filthy water."Alright, I'm out of sight, now to get to that castle". He was in a large tunnel.

As he continued to walk, he couldn't get a thought in his head. These ponies he was trying to kill weren't fake, they were real. And with every death he causes, more and more chaos is washed upon this world. Corvo couldn't help but feel a bit sorry. But that wasn't his concern. He wanted to get back to Dunwall. And if it meant taking out two leader, it would be done.

As he wandered through the waste, he saw a couple of rats pass by."Hm, nostalgia came early today".

"All right, we are all back". Twilight was at least satisfied that Luna and her friends were back with many guards around the garden, and the elements of harmony.

"Got them right here Twilight". Rainbow said as she held the golden box with her shy friend.

"Let's just hope this works". Twilight levitated the elements out of the box and placed them all on her friends' necks. She also placed her crown on her head."Alright girls, get ready for whatever comes". All of her friends nodded before lining up.

As Luna sended her guards to different parts of the garden, she turned to Twilight."I hope my sister comes back. In times like this, we need all the hope we could get".

Then when things couldn't get any worse, a piece of the floor just exploded. Making dust go every where."What in tarnation just happened". Applejack spoke up as she used her hat to blow away the dust,

When it finally cleared, they were all shocked. Standing in front of a giant hole in the grass, was the creature. It scanned it's eyes around, but locked them on Luna. Corvo began to walk up to Luna, only to be stopped as he noticed many guards were surrounding him.

"Foolish creature". Luna insulted him."Do you really think that you can just walk in here and do any thing". Corvo didn't respond. And Luna just kept looking at his emotionless face. he then turned slightly and noticed those six same ponies were all growling at him. But they were each wearing something. They all wore necklaces, but the purple one wore some kind of crown. He then turned back to the princess and took a step forward, only to have all the guards surrounding him move closer.

The mark began to glow, and with that, time stopped. With amazing accuracy, he shot all around him. Shooting sleeping darts at only the guards. When time resumed, Luna found all the guards began to fall to the ground. Even Twilight and her friends were scared."You were saying"? Corvo taunted Luna who only replied by giving him a stare filled with daggers.

"That's it". Twilight yelled out loud."Girls, it's time to show this thing what we've got". And with that, they all closed their eyes as a big glow formed around them. Luna just gave an evil-like smile, knowing what Corvo was in for.

Desolation

The enormous glow only became brighter and brighter. The purple one's eyes even turned white. Corvo held his arms across his face, blocking the heavy wind. Then, a huge rainbow-like beam shot straight up from the six ponies. Corvo watched in awe as the rainbow went high up in the sky.

"What is that supposed to be". Corvo thought to himself, not feeling intimidated by the giant, colorful beam. But then the beam took a u-turn. It started speeding at high velocity, straight down at Corvo."Oh shit". Corvo's mark began to glow, and at the last second he blinked out of the way. The rainbow hit the ground, creating a giant shock wave that seemed to go on for a mile. Corvo re-appeared just a few yards away, though the blast pushed him even further.

All the dust and rock specks flew at Corvo. He was hold on to a fence near the castle. After a while, the explosion was gone. Corvo slowly got up, noticing a huge crater."Holy shit". Was all he could say.

"D-did we get him". Fluttershy was the first to speak. Every thing was silent.

"Nope. I'm still right here". A voice spoke in the air, only to have the creature appear in front of the six friends. They all gasped, not wanting to believe that the elements of harmony failed them."And you". Corvo pointed at Luna who was also very shocked. Before she could respond, the creature through multiple small knives straight at the princess.

She charged up her horn, and blasted away any thing that got close to her. Unfortunately, she missed one, and it ended up stabbing right through her leg.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh". Luna screamed in pain as she kneeled to the ground. Corvo quickly took out his folding blade, and started to run up to the princess. Twilight watched with teary eyes as one of the princesses were about to lose their lives.

Very quietly, Corvo whispered,"I'm sorry". But that's when a bright magical blast came out of nowhere. He didn't even have time to react before it shot him right off course, knocking him out. It was none other than Celestia.

"Sister". Celestia ran quick to her injured sister. With out thinking, she cast the quickest healing spell she could think of. And in mere seconds, the night princess was healed.

"Princess"! Twilight came running to both sisters, all of her friends having worried looks on their faces.

"I am fine Twilight". She then turned to the unconscious human."But that thing will not".

"Wake up Corvo".

Corvo quickly woke up, noticing he wasn't in that garden anymore. He noticed that he wasn't any where really. He was in that same, floaty, dark abyss from before. The Outsider gave him a look of disappointment.

"Tsk-tsk-tsk. To bad you couldn't get the job done. They took you Corvo. Don't you remember being knocked out"?

"Outsider, what's going on"? Corvo tried to get some information on what happened, though had trouble remembering.

"One of your targets knocked you out. And now you are left in a dungeon. Left in one to rot. This always happens. Even with your advanced powers. But tell me Corvo, were you actually trying"? Corvo was about to argue, but something about what the Outsider said rang a bell. Was he really trying. Because he felt like on this whole mission, he was holding back.

"Wake me up". Corvo demanded. Still wanting to complete his mission.

"Do not get hasty Corvo. You are actually entertaining me quite a bit. But let's see if you can do better". and with that said, the Outsider snapped his fingers, making this whole conversation a dream.

"Huh"! Corvo woke up with a startle. He scanned his eyes around and noticed something. The Outsider was right. He was in a dungeon. He then noticed another thing. His hands were bound behind his back. There were steel cuffs pinning his hands together. He was also missing his weapons. The only thing Corvo really kept were his cloths and mask.

"Well this should be easy". He focused all of his energy into a blink. But felt nothing."What the"? He looked over his shoulder, wondering why the mark wasn't responding. A purple gem was wrapped around his left hand, right on top of the mark. Corvo tried to move his hands, but couldn't. That's when he heard foot steps. Or hoof steps as I should say.

Behind the many iron bars that limited his freedom, was the purple pony he saw earlier. Corvo was surprised. Why would she want to visit him and not those other Alicorns that he tried to kill.

They just looked at each other for quite some time. Until the purple unicorn sad down, and started talking."Who are you"? She asked very strictly. Corvo just stayed silent. She asked again, this time much more threatening."I said who are you"?

"Who are you"? He questioned back flatly. The lavender pony looked frustrated, but decided to answer.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle, prized student of Princess Celestia, the one you tried to kill". She gave him a stare full of daggers. Corvo just looked at her."Listen, why are you here"?

"That". He paused to look straight into her eyes,"Is none of you concern". Twilight just looked at him, a dead serious expression on her face.

"How did you do it"?

"Do what"? Corvo was not sure what she was talking about. Although he did effortlessly kill a bunch of their guards.

"How did you survive the elements of harmony? Nopony can survive that". He really wasn't all that impressed.

"I guess I'm just lucky". Corvo lied to her.

"Well whatever it is, it's gone. I know that strange symbol on your hand is what you use to kill all those innocent ponies". Corvo just stayed dead silent.

Twilight got very frustrated with this."Why did you kill those ponies"? She yelled at him.

"Because I have to". Twilight was very pissed, but managed to calm down.

"Nopony has to be a killer. You're just a horrible creature". That's was all she said before she ran away. Not wanting to talk to the human any more.

A guard came in."Hello, I'm here to ask you questions". The armored pony said as soon as he got there, looking at Corvo through the iron bars.

"What if I don't want to answer"? The assassin argued. then the guard put his face very close to the iron bars, looking straight at the human.

"I'll make you talk. And if you still don't want to, I have a couple of spells ready for that". Corvo has been used to torture. Every since he was brought to Coldridge prison, They brutally injured him for nearly six months.

He just looked at the guard, silently."I'm gonna kill you right now", Corvo tried to intimidate the armored pony.

The guards nearly laughed."Ha, and how are you going to do that"? He asked, not believing a single word.

"You know my locks"? Corvo asked as he brought both of his hands in front of him. The locks were broken and he also got rid of that purple gem."I picked them".

His mark glowed as the guard became terrified.

Celestia was in her throne room, trying to rest peacefully. It was hard though since she and Luna had nearly died by some near invincible creature. And while most of Twilight's friends left, she and Rainbow Dash stayed for a while. To make sure everything was better now. Luna was resting in the Canterlot hospital. Even though Celestia healed her, it was always good to make sure.

Rainbow was the first to speak in a while."I'm really not sure we should have just sended that creature to a boring old dungeon. It should have been at least banished to the moon for all the things it did". Rainbow Dash had a look of discomfort.

"Do Not worry Rainbow Dash". Celestia remeasured."I have an idea for that creature's punishment, and it's not pretty". She then looked at Twilight, who seemed to be day dreaming."Twilight, how are you holding up"?

The lavender mare snapped out of her trance."Oh um, sorry Princess, I'm fine". But then she gave a very disturbing look."But I'm not so sure about that thing I talked to earlier".

They all stayed silent. wanting to move onto a different subject. Celestia was the first to break the silence."Well then, Twilight, you and Rainbow Dash can go back to your homes. Everything will be-". She was cut short as a large, pegasus guard came bursting in through the double doors, having an exhausted expression on his face.

"Your Highness"! He gave a quick bow."The creature we took into custody has escaped". All the ponies in the room were dead quite. The feeling of their throats burning. The guard continued."When we got there, on the floor was one of the guards. The creature also took back his weapons".

"WHAT"! Rainbow Dash interrupted."How did that thing escape without magic"? She was trying to sound strict but ended up sounding scared as hell.

"Twilight". Celestia spoke quickly, getting the attention of her protege."We need to get out of here. Go get your friends, they're not safe. I will get my sister. You girls will go to the north end of Equestria and take the train to the crystal empire. Me and Luna will at least try to fly there as soon as we can". She then turned to the pegasus guard."You, get the guards to block the whole city and secure the castle". He only nodded before taking off.

But when all of the ponies were about to leave the room, the creature appeared in front of the only way out. Everyone froze. he scanned his eyes around the room, though mainly focused them on Celestia. None of them could tell what it was thinking. The mask made all emotions irrelevant.

"For Equestria"! the guard yelled as he charged at the human, hoping to at least do something. Corvo simply just ducked, and as he passed by, punched him very sharply in the ribs. The pegasus coughed blood as he fell to the ground, not breathing very well.

"THAT'S IT"! Rainbow yelled in anger as she charged, at full speed at the creature. Only to be stopped by a magical, aurora that grabbed her tail. Revealing to be controlled by Twilight.

"Rainbow no". Twilight stopped her angered friend."There is no way you can take it out". The cyan mare just fell to her haunches, feeling upset.

"THAT'S IT". Celestia yelled in anger as she charged her horn. That is the last time you will EVER hurt a pony"". She then shot a huge, straight, blast of light straight at Corvo. He just jumped out of the way, although the blast send him flying a bit. He looked back as the blast made a huge hole in the castle.

A Purple blast came from no where, blasting Corvo to the ground and injuring him quite badly. As he got up, he noticed the purple unicorn also had her horn charged.

"Don't worry princess". Twilight reassured."I've got your back".

Corvo got to his knees, he had to think of something."There has to be something I can do... oh wait". Corvo reached into his coat, only to pull a crossbow, stocked with a fiery arrow."Well, you only live once". He then charged between both magically charged ponies.

They both shot, only to miss as he blinked. In that split second of confusion, Celestia finally noticed."That thing teleported, which can only mean-". She turned her head to the left, seeing the creature mere yards away from her, with a weapon aimed at her.

Time seemed to slow down as he pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, he missed with the Rainbow one bucking him straight in the gut. The arrow actually went straight for the alicorn's horn instead at her body where it was originally intended.

The arrow exploded on contact, just at the same time Celestia used her magic. In that second, everything went blind. A bright flash of light was the result along with a horrible cry of pain. When it ended, Celestia was on the floor, her horn literally vaporized.

"Get off of me". Corvo yelled as he through off the cyan pony off of him, making her land face first on the ground."Time to end this". The assassin took out his blade, and prepare to strike the sun goddess.

He would kill her, but he stopped. A Dark blur aurora surrounded him, stopping him in mid-air. All eyes went to Luna, who was right there using her telekinesis. With a quick move, Corvo was thrown out the window, smashing through the glass and fell down to an ocean.

"Sister"! Luna yelled as she ran to her sister. She had teary eyes. Then again, why wouldn't she?"Tia, I'm here. Oh please be okay".

"Sister". Celestia spoke with a husky voice. Get Twilight and her friends to the Crystal empire. Make sure to bring the elements, we will also be going". Celestia passed out as several medical ponies rushed in the room. Grabbing Celestia and getting her to some medical attention.

"Twilight". Luna turned to the lavender mare."Get your friends and the elements, get to the closest train possible". They only obeyed and took off. Luna was left in the room alone. Before she took off, she whispered to herself."Tia, I guess we are now even".

Corvo opened his eyes, in that same dark realm."Not this again". he said to himself as the mystical being known as the Outsider appeared in front of him.

"I guess things just didn't turn out as we both hoped, did we"? He said with a playful voice. Corvo just looked at him. The Outsider chuckled."Do not worry Corvo, I would not expect you to be as good as you were many years ago. You have been dead all this time, so it's only natural that you become rusty".

"Please spare me the pity". Corvo was irritated. He didn't like the fact that these ponies were so human-like. That just made it even harder to kill them. Back in Dunwall, he never killed a single soul. But knowing the Outsider was just doing this for a good laugh, it annoyed him.

"They will be expecting you Corvo. So don't get your hopes up". The two remained silent.

"Why should I keep doing this"? The assassin asked, not even sure if any of this was worth it any more. The Outsider gave him one of those serious looks.

"You started this Corvo, and now your saying you don't want to continue"? He remained silent."They went to a place called the Crystal empire. Once you wake up, you will be washed up on a beach. Just next to the Everfree forest. Move north from there and you should reach your targets". Corvo couldn't help but get the feeling that he really was holding back. Something just didn't feel right.

"Well then, send me back". Corvo got inpatient. The Outsider just kept silent for several more minutes before continued talking.

"I have added knew targets for you to kill Corvo". He said flatly.

This surprised the assassin."I'm only supposed to kill those two". He argued.

"Yes, you are right. But just to make this more". He paused to find the right word."Interesting, there is one more princess located where you are going. She is a pink alicorn. The princess of love".

"That wasn't the deal". Corvo was pretty pissed at how the Outsider was making his lifer more difficult.

"I change the rules Corvo. And one more thing. You are not aloud to kill any pony besides the three alicorns".

"Your bending the rules just to have a laugh". Corvo argued angrily.

"It's you Corvo who was holding back. just finish the job, and it's back to Dunwall". They stayed silent for minutes."This is your last mission Corvo, complete it, and freedom is unlocked.

"Alright then". Corvo answered in a barely audible voice. Sounding kinda sad. The Outsider just thought, but finally spoke.

"Remember Corvo, it's this and you get to see Emily". That was his only encouragement to the assassin before snapping his fingers, making this whole conversation, yet again another dream.

...Hm? Just a dream.

Dedication

Corvo awoke, what seemed like for the third time. This was getting repetitive. Every time he came back from the Outsider's dark, dream world, he felt sicker and sicker. It wasn't helping, and now his mission was harder. I guess life isn't very fair.

He felt the soft, warm sand touch his face, or his whole body almost. His feet were in an ocean. He used both of his hands to get up, getting away from the body of water."I guess the Outsider was right. I really did wash up on a beach". He looked around, surrounded by sand with many trees in the distance."But where am I"? He was told to go north, but that just led to a bunch of tall mountains. His only option was to find a way around.

As he walked, he noticed his surroundings more clearly. I'd didn't feel like a regular beach, but more of a war zone. A few piles of ash were scattered around the place, and many things just seemed broken. There was nothing there, just sand. But... But it didn't feel like before.

He cut through the green forest, passing every tree just to leave that beach. This forest was darker than before, with very little sunlight cutting through the thick branches. But that's when he heard something. Audible sounds hit the floor, and it seemed to get louder and louder. Many bushes blocked Corvo's sight, so it was pretty hard to tell. There, right in front of the human and out of the bushes, came out a pony. Or so he thought.

This pony had many metal rings around it's legs and neck. It had saddlebags on it's back, and it was striped with black and white."The hell"? Corvo was confused as to where he was.

"Ah, a new creature". The what appeared to be female zebra spoke."I sure do love your mask, very nice feature". Corvo didn't really see this zebra as a threat or anything.

"Listen". Corvo started."I don't know where I am, nor does it matter, but I'm looking for a way to the Crystal empire". He managed to remember the name that the Outsider told him.

"Yes yes, the ancient city of the crystal pony civilization. But to enter as a creature such as yourself, you will need a plan of filtration". Corvo noticed how the zebra rhymed, and it was quite amusing."My name is Zeribe, and you are in the zebra tribe".

"The zebra tribe huh"? Corvo put a hand to his chin."Wait, that means I'm no longer in that pony world". Now he needed to get out of an entire tribe and assassinate three powerful princesses.

"If you wish to go to Equestria, follow the dirt road". The zebra then pointed to a dirt that led to the pony world."Make sure to pack light, so don't bring a big load". The zebra then smiled, as Corvo saw the path way.

"Thanks, the name's Corvo by the way". He said politely as he started to walk down the road.

"Good luck dear Corvo". The zebra said as she waved a hoof at the human who waved back, before he vanished through the trees.

Wow, zebras are so much nicer than ponies". He thought as he picked up his pace

By this point, the main six and the two princesses had arrived at the Crystal empire. All the ponies rushed to the crystal castle where they knew lied the princess of love and her husband. As they trotted, many of the crystal ponies greeted them, though were confused why the princesses were in such a hurry. As they got to the main gate, a guard got surprised.

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna"?! He gave a quick bow."What brings you to these parts"? Before anyone could say anything, Celestia was the first to speak.

"We need to see Princess Cadence and Shining Armor". The quickened tone in her voice made the guard open the gate right away.

"You will find the princess and prince in the throne room". The alicorn gave a quick thanks before heading in, followed by her sister and six other ponies.

"Princess"? Twilight asked as they made their way to the throne room, catching her mentor's attention."Do you think Princess Cadence and my brother will understand"?

"Do not worry Twilight, I'm sure they can help". Celestia reassured, then to be backed up by Luna.

"Yes Twilight Sparkle, we should hide here until further notice". Then Rainbow Dash got upset.

"Honestly, what the buck is up with this thing"? She gave a rhetorical question as she flew."I'm mean really. I can't believe that were suddenly kicked out of Ponyville and Canterlot just because some jerk said so". Fluttershy then decided to cheer up her pegasus friend.

"But Rainbow Dash, if we don't stay here t-th-that thing will come". She spoke with fear in her voice.

Before any of the ponies could say anything else, they reached the throne room where the love princess and her husband were present. Just seeing them show up, it got Cadence's attention right away.

"Celestia"? Cadence asked as the ponies got closer."And.. Twilight. What brings you ponies here"? She asked with a smile, though it was quickly taken away as she noticed Celestia's face was dead serious. Another thing caught Cadence off guard, Celestia's horn was missing."Oh my gosh Celestia, what happened to your horn"?

The sun princess grunted in pain before speaking."Cadence listen"! Celestia spoke with a strict tone."Something is coming, and we need to-". She was cut short as a voice came in.

"Princess you're here". The voice came from behind Cadence, relieving to be Shining Armor."If you told us you and your friends were coming, we would of prepared something for you". Shining said warmly.

This time Twilight spoke."Brother listen, were here to hide". This got Shining to have a serious face.

"Yes". Interrupted Luna."Some kind of creature attacked me and my sister, and attacked many guards there".

"What! Who would do such a thing"? Cadence now started to worried.

"Shining Armor, I need you to get all of the guards' attention into blocking the city". Celestia ordered Twilight's brother who only saluted."Cadence, I need you to help me and Luna set up a magical barrier around the area. Nothing goes in, and nothing goes out". She then turned to Twilight and her friends."Twilight, I need you and your friends to go around the place, and make sure everything is in check". Everyone nodded without arguing, immediately getting to their jobs.

Since the main six were already wearing their elements, you could say things were a bit safer. The three alicorn's horns glowed as a giant blue force field formed around the crystal city. Many guards were running around as they got to their positions, and all the residents were locking themselves up in the houses.

Out in the distance, Corvo saw a faint glow. He realized that a lot of snow was to be covered, better make it quick. He used blink several times to get closer and closer to the glow. He eventually made it to a train station, looking around the snow covered structure.

"So this is where they've went, I just hope things will be easier". As he passed by the train station, he noticed something else. It was that faint glow from before. Corvo saw a huge, glowing dome not too far away. He ran to it, noticing something. Many buildings were occupying the magical field. But he also saw movement inside the dome.

He finally made it to the front. Literally centimeters away from the magical wall. He tapped it, and it made a hollow noise."Well, this shouldn't be to hard". Just then, a magical blast came from above him. Corvo had just enough time to blink out, appearing yards away from the blast as it made a hole in the snow."What the"? He looked up to see many unicorn guards on platforms, just inside the magical barrier.

"Guards". A very strict voice spoke."Make sure that thing does not escape". Multiple blasts of magic came flying at Corvo, who only blinked out of the way. For their surprise, he appeared right passed the magical wall, standing behind the guards.

"W-what? How did you get passed the force field"? Asked a guard who seemed terrified.

"I guess I'm just lucky". The mark then glowed, and with a swing of an arm, a huge blast of wind demolished the wooden platform they were on, and knocking back all the guards who fell to the floor unconscious. He rolled on the floor, then got back to his feet. Corvo looked around, all the guards who just attacked him were now on the ground.

"So, you're the one that I've been hearing about". Corvo turned to see a white unicorn in front of him. His horn already glowing."Well you see, I just can't let you harm the princesses, so this is your only warning. Leave now or die".

Corvo just looked at the pony, his glassy eyes made contact with his."This is none of your business, I just need to get passed so I could get my job done". Shining only laughed.

"Hm, is that a fact or are you just here to harm innocent ponies"? Corvo's mark began to glow, this got exhausting.

"I don't have time for this". He was about to get passed the white unicorn, only to be blasted by a purple blast. He fell to the ground, grunting.

"Don't worry BBBFF". Twilight spoke."I've got your back, we all do". Then the other five ponies came in.

Corvo slowly got up."Damn it, I really need to watch out more often". Before he could react, a rainbow blur came quick, bucking Corvo straight in the face, nearly breaking his jaw. He landed in front of a big, blue cannon."What the"? The cannon then blasted a huge gust of wind and confide, knocking him back down on the floor.

Corvo moaned in pain. These ponies were pissing him off. But he remembered that the Outsider told him to take a non-lethal approach when it didn't come to the princesses.

"Alright y'all, time t' finish this". The farm pony rushed to him, probably coming in for a good buck to the ribs.

Corvo quickly took out his crossbow, filled with green arrows. His mark glowed, and with a single thought, time stopped. Coincidentally, he only had five arrows, so he shot them all the ponies except for the purple mare and the white stallion. When time resumed, all of Twilight's friends fell to the ground, not moving.

Twilight gasped."No-no, what did you do"? She demanded. Corvo just stared at her before finally speaking.

"Don't worry, they're fine, just asleep". She still had an angered expression on her face.

"Don't worry Twilight". Shining finally spoke."This thing is mine". With that, he shot a magic blast at the creature. Shining was surprised at the fact that he missed. The creature was standing just a meter away from where the shot originally went.

"You". Corvo pointed at the white stallion."I won't go so easy on you". Corvo then blinked besides Shining Armor, elbowing him in the temple, knocking him out cold.

"Shining"! Twilight yelled in fear. This thing was powerful. Maybe even more powerful than Celestia herself. Corvo then turned to the purple unicron.

"Since you're a girl, I guess I'll go easier on you". Before Twilight could react, the creature blinked besides her, and with one quick chop to the neck, he knocked her out.

Corvo stretched his arms, feeling a bit tired."Now that that's out of the way". He looked ahead and found a huge castle up ahead."Time to end this today". And with that he ran down the streets to where the princesses could of been. To his surprise, many guards ended up chasing him on the way."Better make this quick".

"Yes your highness". A guard bowed as he took off. He was ordered to secure to area. Celestia, Luna and Cadence were all in the throne room by this point. All of them worried.

"I just hope Twilight and her friends are all right". Cadence spoke with worry in her voice."And Shining, I wish I could of come". She then looked at Celestia."But you've told me how you lost your horn in battle. I'm so sorry".

Celestia put a hoof to her shoulder."Don't worry Cadence, I'm sure that all the ponies will beat that creature". She then looked around."But I fear even that may not be enough".

Luna was the last to speak."Are you kidding me Tia? With us three alicorns, Shining Armor and the Elements of Harmony, there is no way this creature can think it can destroy us". Just then, a guard came flying through the window, falling to the floor unconscious.

All the three alicorns gasped. The creature that they were so sure was beaten, just appeared right there.

"N-no". Celestia hesitated to speak, she was scared beyond belief at this point. None of them could tell what it was thinking, that mask made it impossible.

"Well what a surprise". Corvo finally said something."The three main ponies I have to kill is standing right in front of me. I just wish you could understand". He then pulled out the folding blade, ready at any time to complete his mission.

Celestia was useless without her horn, but Cadence and Luna started to charge up their horn, angered by the creature."Once I find a spell to bring my horn back, I will kill you". Celestia threatened.

"Listen". Cadence tried to persuade the creature."If we could just talk over this please". But was quickly over thrown by Luna.

"It is no use Cadence, to try and stop this thing. It has tried to kill me and Tia many times already". They all just gave Corvo glares with daggers.

With one quick motion. Corvo blinked right in front of Celestia. Before she could react, he slid the blade through her neck, and then blinking back to where he was originally standing, all in one smooth motion.

Time seemed to slow down as Luna and Cadence watched Celestia fall to the floor. A pile of blood formed as she stopped breathing.

"That's one down". Corvo thought to himself."Thank God that one's dead".

"Y-y-you monster". Cadence stuttered through her tears. Luna was just silent. She just witnessed the death of her beloved sister.

"Tia". Luna thought to herself."All this time, you've been there for me. Even when I was stubborn, and mean, you still looked passed that. I'm sorry for all the fights and arguments we had. I-It should have been me".

Corvo watched Cadence cry and Luna just stand still, with a blank expression on her face.

Luna started to tear up. She put a very angry expression on her face."That's it". She finally spoke."I will not, let your hurt,ANYONE ELSE!!!!

Luna then sent an enormous blast of wind everywhere. It broke every window, destroyed most pillars and cracked the floor and walls. It even Corvo stumble over.

Luna's eyes were completely white, and dark smoke started to form around her."I WILL KILL YOU". She shouted as her horn glowed brightly.

"Shit". Corvo thought quick as his mark began to glow. He quickly looked out the window to see a bird flying by. At that second, Luna shot a huge explosion of magic and rage. She only shielded herself, Cadence and Celestia's body as the blast demolished the entire castle.

At the same time, Corvo used possession on the bird he saw. As he took control of the bird, the shock wave sent him flying off course. Way off course. It shot him out of the city and into some nearby mountains. The bird he was in died, and the possession immediately shot him out. Corvo fell out of the sky and landed with a loud bang on the snowy friction. Everything blacked out.

Twilight and Shining Armor woke up from their state of unconsciousness, though her friends were still asleep since the those arrows had a bigger effect.

"Twilight, are you okay"? He asked as he rubbed his head.

"I-I think so. But what happened"?

Shining finally remembered what had happened before."Damn it. That creature got away. Which means... oh no". He looked ahead and saw a huge cloud of smoke everywhere, substituting for the crystal castle.

"What happened"? Twilight asked as she to saw the disaster.

"I don't know, but it would be best if we didn't keep waiting". And with that, they both ran to where the three princesses used to be.

Devastation

"Dear Corvo, what has gone wrong for you to once again miss an opportunity? Was it the waiting, or was it just that you couldn't do it? Was it sheer luck that you've lived, or was it the mark that got you out of another situation? But i wonder Corvo, what would you do to see Emily again?...Hm?

Corvo awoke, this time slowly. His eyes hurt, his brain ached, and every joint in his body felt like it was twisting. He looked around, though was dizzy. It was the same old, same old. Floating in some kind of dark abyss. Just have nothing to do but wait.

One thing that was knew was the dinner table in front of him. On it were all kinds of foods from pigs, to fish, vegetables and fruits, along with some drinks. Something confused the assassin, the Outsider, that mysterious being that gave interesting people the mark, wasn't there.

Corvo found himself on a chair, right in front of the table. This was odd, then again, lot's of things has happened in his life before that was beyond strange."Outsider"! Corvo yelled, though no response came. He looked around, finding nothing but a dinner table with him in front of it.

He had a plate, a knife and fork. On the plate was cooked rabbit. Back in Dunwall, rabbit dishes has always been famous, so he didn't hesitate into eating up. But just when the fork touched the dish, it instantly vanished into black dust, and it drifted off into the endless abyss. The fork, knife and plate did the same.

"What the"? Corvo wondered what was going on. But before anything else happened, a voice spoke from nowhere.

"Enjoying the meal Corvo". It sounded like the Outsider. The mystical being then appeared right in front the assassin, having a disturbed expression as he slammed his fist on the table."Because you should be focused on something else"! The Outsider spoke out loud, almost yelling.

"Please, give me a break". Corvo said right away. The Outsider stood back and crossed his arms, his expression far more serious than any other Corvo has seen.

"Time is running out Corvo. You keep managing to bore me with your failure". Corvo's face saddened, though didn't show any signs of defeat."I thought that you've wanted to go back to Dunwall, and you said that you were certain, that you could complete this task".

"Well these ponies keep screwing me up". Corvo argued, only to have the Outsider give him a threatening face.

"I am sorry to hear that Corvo, but something much worse will happen if you continue to fail". There was a long pause.

"Do you think that this can go on forever. I keep saving your life because I still have a little faith in you". Then Corvo looked up at the Outsider.

"I at least killed one of them". The Outsider only sighed.

"Yes you did, and while it was quite amusing, your mission is to kill all three". Time was really running out, and with every second wasted, it just looked bad.

"Just send me back". Corvo finally spoke with annoyance in his voice.

"Very well Corvo. And one more thing, don't hold back". And with that said, the Outsider snapped his fingers.

Corvo woke up, feeling sick once again. But he found himself in a big crater. Snow was everywhere and some was even on him. He got up, though his muscles hurt. He was bruised, blood dripped from his arms and legs. He moaned as he got back to his feet."Damn it, why does this keep happening"? He looked around, noticing that his visors were slightly cracked.

He got up from the big hole he made, and dragged himself around, having no idea what was this place. Corvo thought to himself, before an invisible light bulb appeared over his head."Wait, that's it. That dark pony blasted a whole castle to rubble". He then looked off into the distance, seeing smoke caring over the sky.

He would try to complete his mission, but his injuries said other wise. Corvo decided to take shelter in a cave he found, stay there for a bit. After all, the mark did grant rapid regeneration.

Shining Armor and Twilight ran towards the used to be castle. When both ponies got there, they were shocked. Cadence was quietly sobbing, to the left was Luna with a grieving expression on her face, but below Luna was Celestia.

"Cadence"! Shining yelled as he ran to hug his wife, who hugged him back and unable to speak. He then turned his head to Luna and Celestia."And Celestia". He whispered in a quite tone.

Twilight walked up to Luna, only to look back at her mentor's body."Princess, please tell me what happened". She started to tear up.

"I am sorry Twilight Sparkle. The creature went for her first. And there was nothing I could do". Twilight just sat there, unable to choose, whether to be in shock or in grief.

"Princess Luna". Twilight got Luna's attention."We are going to kill that creature, if it's the last thing we do". This behavior got Shining's attention.

"Twilight please, there's nothing we can do right now".

Well, well, well. This has been very interesting Corvo. I'm very excited to see more. A perfect world crumbles under your shadow. I didn't expect this, but, it's all in good fun after all. Keep it up Corvo, and you might just be my favorite. We all have things that we must do in our lives to reach a desperate goal. Well... almost all of us. But I wonder Corvo? You actually are trying aren't you? After all, it's all in good fun.

Demonstration

I would just like to give out a small warning to all readers. Starting now, things will get very dark. I have realized that in the previous chapters that this story was more of an adventure comedy thing. But since this is about revenge and assassination, I have to add grimdark to this story. I will still keep the sense of adventure, but I'm just gonna add a few more deaths. Nothing too hardcore, just a quick warning.

Corvo sat in the cave quietly. What was it about that pony. The one he killed. He hasn't felt this guilty in a while, but why? He should be happy that he is one step closer to going back to Dunwall. Corvo sat on the cold rocky floor, listening to dripping noises of unseen waters. He had to complete this, it was something that he knew would be complete. Even if it meant making another world unhappy.

Corvo got up, walked out of the cave and into the clearing. The sky was still gray. He was out of arrows, so just through the crossbow on the floor. Nothing but his powers and his sword were available. The assassin looked around, clearly lost. He was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by icy mountains. Although that crystal city shouldn't be too far away.

He started to walk. That's it. Just walk through the gray setting, hoping to reach a place. Just then, he heard something in the sky. Corvo looked up to see a pink magic blast coming straight at him. Corvo sighed. "Not this again".

The blast hit him directly, leaving a small mushroom cloud. The pony responsible for this slowly glided down to the ground. As she landed, her golden shoes made a 'cling'. As the smoke cleared, the pony watched with a serious face. There was the creature, just a few yards away from where he was originally standing.

"You"! Corvo looked at the pink princess. Cadence just stood there, looking at him silently before speaking.

"I'm not even gonna bother ask you where you're from, or why you're doing this. You killed Celestia, and for that, I will kill you". She began to charge up her horn, making Corvo feel threatened.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you". Corvo intimidated as his mark glowed. He started to run at Cadence, ready to give a lethal blow. But he heard an electric noise. As he turned his head, a blue blast shot him right under the ribs, sending him to the floor. "Ok, ok. I really need to watch out for that". Corvo tried to get up, though the pain in his gut told him other wise.

"Don't you dare touch my wife"! Another pony spoke, revealing to be a white stallion with his horn charged. Corvo looked up, but noticed the the ground he was on started to shake.

"Fuck". He swore as he jumped out of the spot, landing just mere yards away as the ground he was just on blew up.

"You're not getting away". Spoke another voice, a lavender unicorn came from nowhere.

"You will pay for your actions". The final voice came from behind Corvo. As he turned his head, he saw that blue alicorn again. The one that destroyed that entire castle.

This was it, The human was surrounded by four powerful magic users. All of them wanting his head. None of them could tell what the creature was thinking, it just stood still and that metal mask made it impossible to know any further info.

The words of the Outsider flashed through Corvo's head. It only said one simple phrase. "Kill them all". He was out of his comfort zone. The assassin was being forced to kill innocent lives. Corvo gritted his teeth, and looked all around him.

"Well, do you have something to say or should we just end this"? Cadence spoke up, grabbing the creature's attention.

"Yeah, I do have something to say. I'm going to end this, all of this"! And with that, he blinked besides Shining Armor. They all gasped as Corvo rammed the blade through the stallion's temple. Blood spilled out as he took out the sword. Shining Armor fell to the floor, having a huge stab wound in his head, his eyes turned blank.

He quickly pointed his hand at Luna. With one thought, Corvo used possession. He stayed inside the princess for a split second before reforming behind her, a blade up to her throat.

"NOOOOOOOOOO". Cadence screamed, while Twilight gave him a stare with daggers, and also crying.

With one quick swoop, Corvo slashed Luna's throat, and she fell to the snowy ground as blood formed around her face.

Corvo had just killed two of the powerful magic users. One of them being his main target. "Block this"! Twilight charged a huge magical ball up on her horn. "Take this"! She shot all that energy into one ball straight at Corvo.

The assassin charged his power as well. With one swing he shot out a huge wind blast. It almost looked like a beam. The two attacks bashed into each other. A huge explosion was made, sending all of them back. This was Corvo's chance, he was far to weak now to use any other attack, and he definitely wouldn't survive against those two ponies with just his sword.

Cadence shot random blasts of magic through the smoke cloud, hoping to hit the creature. "That thing is not getting away"! Besides her Twilight, panting from exhaustion.

"There's no way that creature could of survived that". Twilight said, hoping she was right. When the smoke cleared, all there was was a huge blast mark on the ground. Everything was silent for a while. "Is it gone"? Twilight asked.

"I think so, but just to make sure". Cadence used her horn to scan the area. After a while, she detected no life. "Yeah, it's gone". She and Twilight just looked at each other, before they started sobbing.

"I'm so sorry Cadence". Twilight hugged her old foalsitter, who only hugged her back, also crying.

"Please, it wasn't your fault, it never was". She said as she hugged Twilight tighter.

"C-cadence". Twilight just said her name. Both of them were in extreme grief.

"I know Twilight, t-there g-g-gone". She let out another whimper of sadness. "Twilight listen, I know this had to happen, but promise me that you won't live this way. Don't live your live always in despair".

Twilight stayed silent before responding. "I'll try my best".

That was it, they just stayed there, sobbing onto each other's shoulders.

Deformation

Corvo kept on running. Running through the dark and gloomy woods of the Everfree forest. Barely any light reached him as the leaves covered him. After what seemed like hours of running, the assassin stopped. His hands were on his knees, and panting.

Corvo wasn't just hurt. He was brutally injured by such a shock wave. He barely escaped that last explosion by blinking, though burning out his mana and damaging his body severely. Corvo quickly ripped his metal mask from his face, throwing it on the dirt, and pushing his hood back.

Just after that, he coughed out blood, the red liquid dripping on the dirt and grass. Corvo just fell down on his bum. Gritting his teeth in anger, he shouted.

"DAMN IT OUTSIDER". He took a slow breath from that outburst, his brain becoming very foggy. Corvo had no clue where he was, just having the instinct to stay alive.

The forest became all to quite, the only sound was heavy breathing, but even that faded away. He heard soft foot steps coming his way. In the distance, the grass shook. Out of the bush, a zebra came out.

"You again"? Corvo was confused, seeing that same zebra, but in the Everfree forest. It gave him a soft smile.

"Hah, Corvo. So good to see you here. I heard screaming, and I knew I could trust my ear". She then looked at the small blood puddles underneath the assassin. He looked worn out. "Are you okay my friend. I have some medicine that I can let you lend". She then started searching through her saddlebag, and in her mouth, pulled out a small glass bottle. A blue liquid shined inside.

"It's alright, I just-" Corvo passed out, falling to the ground due to body failure. Zeribe came and lifted his arm with her mouth, throwing him on her back. The zebra carried the human back out of the Everfree. She was there to meet an old friend, a zebra just like her, but that can wait.

Corvo grunted, his body not responding very well. He heard ringing in his ears, though his vision came back quick. He was on a bed, looking around to see many shelves. A body came close to him, putting a wet cloth on his forehead. He saw that zebra, Zeribe.

"Where am I"? Corvo asked right away, though staying laying down. The zebra put down the cloth on a near by table, and gave a small sigh.

"You are in my my, I took because you fell unconscious. But something around you, seems very suspicious". Zeribe walked back, arranging some supplies.

"Sorry". Corvo apologized in what seemed like years. He licked his lips, just having a helpless face.

"What are you sorry for? After all, we can all use more". She stayed next to him.

"More what"? Corvo asked, confused by what the zebra was getting at.

"Help". She simply answered in a calm tone.

"Zeribe, was it"? He asked the name. She nodded. "I need to get back there". He slowly lifted his back, getting up. Corvo still had all of his equipment on. He turned his head to see his mask right on that near by table.

"Are you sure you want to go back? Your life was in danger, but maybe caused by something you lack". Zeribe's eyebrow went up. Corvo got to the floor, flipping his hood back on.

"I don't lack anything. It's just something ok"? Corvo grabbed his mask and went through the front door, walking outside. He recognized this place. It was that beach, the one he washed up on. But, that zebra lived here. He turned back, to see Zeribe had followed him outside.

"I know why you're here. Your entire mission, is to do what no creature would ever do, not this year". Corvo was surprised, but that was the least of his worries. But something she said didn't make sense.

"Wait, this year? Are you saying others have came on other years". Zeribe nodded.

"Yes, but their business was not what you do". Corvo looked down, then back at the zebra.

"You mean assassination don't you? What are you gonna do, tell on me"? Zeribe looked interested, but that passed away.

"The things you creatures do here is none of my concern, but after all, what you do, is make your mana burn". Corvo put on his masked, and through those glassy lenses, looked at his mark.

"You said that I lack something. What is it"? He asked as he put his hands down, looking straight into the wilderness.

"What you lack is not something physical, but an emotion that is quite critical". She looked at him, like she was telling him something without speaking.

"I'll figure it out sooner or later". Corvo spoke his final words, and with that said, he blinked away, vanishing in this air.

Zeribe looked up at the sky, thinking. "May the Outsider revile it to you".

The elements of harmony slowly awoken from the floor. They all grunted. Rarity shot open when she noticed the huge smoke cloud in the air.

"Oh my goodness, girls get up quick"! She glanced back at her friends.

"Oh, what happened"? Pinkie asked as she spun her head around.

"Girls"? Rainbow Dash got her friends' attention, as she pointed to the huge pile of destruction. "I think that we have been out for longer than we thought". They all looked worried.

"Ah reckon Twilight somewhere 'round here". Applejack looked across the clearing. Nopony could be seen anywhere.

"Girls look"! Fluttershy pointed at what appeared to be two ponies slowly walking towards them.

"Twilight"! Rainbow yelled as she flew to her friend, only to stop in mid air. Twilight was with Cadence. They were both holding onto each other, and they looked horrible.

All the girls rushed to the unicorn and the alicorn.

"My, what happened? And where is princess Celestia"? Rarity asked. They just stared at each other.

"Princess Celestia is"... Twilight started to get teary. "Gone". They all gasped.

"And princess Luna"? Fluttershy asked of worry.

"They're all gone". Cadence answered. Her tone a lot darker than usual.

"A'm sorry Twilight". Applejack lowered her hat as her ears fell flat. "We really wish 'w could 'f been there".

Pinkie just put a hoof on her shoulder. She looked sad. They all did.

"That thing is dead". Cadence spoke up, causing Twilight's jaw to drop. She has never seen Cadence act this way.

"B-But Cadence, that thing killed my brother. It killed the princesses. We can't just let it go like that". Her voice became louder.

" Twilight, This creature took princess Celestia and princess Luna. It took Shining Armor. There's not much we can do now". Twilight only looked at her friends who had worried expressions. "But we still need to make sure. Do one quick search". Twilight seemed very worried now. She really wanted to believe that the creature was gone. A search could prove other wise. She thought, but came to a conclusion.

"Already then". Twilight's mood went from 'not sure about this' to 'lets do this'. "You girls need to head back to Ponyville and Canterlot to see if help is needed there". She ordered.

"Twilight, are you nuts"? Rainbow blurted out. "That thing is too dangerous. Your gonna need us if you wanna have a chance of winning this. And even if it might be dead, we can't be too sure". Her friends just nodded.

"Listen to Twilight, please". Cadence stepped forward. "We need you ponies to make sure Equestria is safe. Me and Twilight will go for a search just to make sure of it". The other elements just looked at Cadence, but only nodded as they quickly took off.

"Do be careful". Rarity nearly whispered as she took off with the other ponies.

"Come Twilight". Cadence got the unicorn's attention.

"But Cadence, where are we supposed to go"? Twilight wasn't even sure what was to become of this.

Cadence looked at the sky, for some reason, the clouds all seemed to be floating to one direction. "The Everfree forest. That's a start".

Determination

"Well Corvo? After all this trying and repetitive tone, you actual entertain me on a different level. Only you Corvo. If my words confuse you, well it doesn't matter. All this is about to end. Just like a movie, or a game, or even a bed-time story, there's always a resolution. Now, we will see what your resolution will be. What it will come to".

Corvo witnessed the huge stone castle upon him. The moss was covering every stone brick from the angle. Back in the Everfree forest, it was quite something.

Corvo looked around. Being near the front gate, not many trees around, and it was even night. Why was he here? I mean, there was nothing there, nothing eye-catching. That's when the assassin heard hoof steps. For that second, it stopped, right behind him.

Corvo turned around, and was surprised by what he saw. The pink alicorn, and the lavender unicorn were next to each other and staring at him.

He just stood still, seeing those two here. Maybe that's why he was here. Corvo took a breath in. As he breathed out, the sound traveled across them. Then, Corvo did something he hasn't done this whole time. He spoke first.

"I knew I would find you two here". He took a moment to breath, and the two just kept staring at him as their horns began to glow. "I'm going to kill the pink alicorn, and I'll leave". He took out his folding blade. It extended, bending his arm as he held the blade near his chest. On the other side, the mark began to glow.

"If you think this will take two seconds, then you better put up a fight". Cadence threatened. Just then, a blue magical blast came from Corvo's side, shooting him straight on his knees.

"Grrr"! He grunted as his sword flew out of his hands, landing in some near by bushes. Twilight and Cadence looked at who caused the magic. Standing there, with his horn charged, was Shining Armor.

"Miss me"? He asked as he glared happily at his two family members.

"Shining"! Twilight yelled as her eyes got teary. She would run up to him for a hug, but her brother held a hoof forward, signaling her to stay put.

"Not yet. This thing isn't dead, and we'll need all focus we can get".

"But Shining Armor"! Cadence spoke up to her husband. "We saw that creature kill you. How are you here"? Shining smiled a bit, glaring at his worried wife, he answered.

"To make a long story short, before I died, Luna saved me with her magic. She used some kind of spell to teleport me away and replaced the spot with a temporary hologram of me". His face went from smiling to angry. "Luna is gone though". He looked back at Corvo who was still on the floor. "We need to end this now".

"I agree". Twilight confirmed just as Cadence nodded her head. Now the main focus was Corvo, who at this point looked around him.

He quickly scanned the place, not finding his sword. His only weapon now was magic and his crossbow. The mark glowed as he spoke.

"So, you really think you can kill me? Well, that won't happen"! Just then Corvo blinked right in front of Shining Armor. He was about to stab him, but some pink aurora wrapped around him. In that moment, it shot him back. Corvo hit the floor with his back, though rolled over and landed on his feet.

He locked his eyes on the pink alicorn. "Damn it". He cursed as he pulled out his crossbow. Only one metal arrow was left, so he had to make it count. His eyes turned back to the white stallion, who formed a super charged blast in his horn.

"THIS IS FOR LUNA"! Shining shot the blast directly at the human. Things seemed to get brighter as it got closer. Corvo prepared his crossbow, and his mark glowed, prepared to use the little mana he had left in him.

"Time for the one-shooter". Corvo thought to himself as he blinked out of the way. The assassin appeared just a few yards away from the explosion.

He was planning something, and if it worked or not, trying could never hurt.

In two quick swipes, Corvo shot a wind blast at the stallion and the purple unicorn. Not being very strong, it only knocked them over. Corvo, only having seconds to end this, started running at Cadence. This was the last target. His only shot to go back to Dunwall.

"Dodge this"! Cadence yelled as she shot a pink magic blast directly at Corvo.

Corvo only put on a face of satisfaction as his mark used up all of his energy left. He actually blinked passed the blast.

Cadence watched in extreme worry as her attack only hit the castle in front of her. Corvo appeared just a few meters away from her with the crossbow pointed at the alicorn's forehead. He pressed the trigger, sending the lethal bolt straight at Cadence, who didn't have enough time to react.

Corvo just stood there, his arm out stretched with his face down. Seconds passed, making Corvo look up. He was beyond confused at what happened.

The arrow he shot was stuck in mid air. The princess had the look of disaster on her face, but was completely still. Corvo looked around him, seeing those two he wind blasted. They looked as if they were about to get up, but were also still.

"What's going on"? Corvo was confused. After seconds of processing what happened, he came to a conclusion. Time has literally froze.

Then he saw black smoke going passed his feat, near the floor. He quickly turned around to see the mythical being.

The Outsider was just standing there, his arms crossed. Corvo just stood there in confusion, looking at the being.

The Outsider smiled. "Well done Corvo".

Dispensation (Ending)

"O-Outsider"? Corvo started at the being. Confused if anything else. Why would the creator of the mark stop this. It just didn't make any sense. Never the less, Corvo would get some answers.

"So"? The Outsider gave a smirk. "You finally did it. Completed the deal". Those words struck Corvo in a weird way.

"What are you talking about? Time froze! It's not done yet". The Outsider sighed. But not frustration, more of gladness. All the while, Corvo looked around him, seeing everything frozen. Lifeless. He looked back at the Outsider, who put his hands down.

"Even if I hadn't come now, you would of completed the deal". This made the assassin ask the one question he had when the Outsider first arrived.

"Why now"? He narrowed his eyes. Looking for something the Outsider could give. But nothing, at least for a few seconds.

"Because this world is important". That confused Corvo, but he decided to keep listening. "To be honest, you never really had to come here". That just hit Corvo hard. He stepped forward.

"What do you mean by that"! Corvo raged out, holding a fist at the floating being.

"I just wanted to see how things would turn out for you, and they did. Took a while but, still got it done". Then, Corvo calmed down, putting those thoughts behind him. But there was still something he needed to make sure of.

"So? Does this mean I go back to Dunwall"? The Outsider nodded. Corvo looked down at his mark. He remembered how much chaos he caused here. Just like it happened in Dunwall. And he couldn't let it happen again. "Once I'm gone, what about this world"?

The Outsider kept the same face, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. "If you want to know if this place will be fine-"? The Outsider paused, making Corvo wait in anticipation. "Yes". He simply stated.

"How"? He just made sure. Knowing the Outsider, some tricks could be wasted.

"All the ponies here that you have killed or injured will be back to new once your gone". The being answered right away, not hesitating once. Though that question was confusing. Why would Corvo care? "I must ask Corvo, what interests do you draw from this world"?

The assassin's face looked serious. He just looked at the Outsider. After a few seconds of thinking, his face finally softened. "Because I don't want to make the same mistake twice".

"Fair enough". The Outsider clearly said. He raised his fingers, ready to snap them, taking them both back to Dunwall.

"Wait". Corvo silently spoke, stopping the floating being from taking them back to the oil-powered city. "Will I be able to come back here sometime"? Now that question confused the Outsider a bit, but the mythical being through that aside and answered.

"You know Corvo, that mark that you bear has many great powers". Corvo's face became irritated, telling the floating being that he didn't answer his question. The Outsider simply smiled. "Yes". There was another pause. "So, ready to head back"?

There has been so many things that Corvo learned. Strangely enough, those things were quite good. If he did come back, if he ever came back, would the ponies still remember him? So many questions came along, but those would only matter till much, much later. Crovo slightly smiled in what seemed like years. With one thought, it all ended.

Corvo just glared at the mythical being, and finally answered. "Yes".

"Alright". The Outsider spoke with a satisfying tone. And with that, he snapped his fingers.

Desperation

Corvo. What do you think when you hear that name? The one man that single handedly saved the mysterious city known as Dunwall. He saved it from chaos. From falling into war. From the vicious rat plague. It was never a sight to behold with happiness. This was about what people would do for power. That revenge solved all of Dunwall's problems? No. It was by truth and discovery that saved people. And without a single drop of blood was spilt. The lord protector had passed away, many years ago. He was the one who turned the horrifying sight into something beautiful. But I ask you Corvo; What are you willing to do again?... Wake up Corvo.

Corvo awoke with a startle. Not sure what was going on. He scanned his eyes around the area. His foggy brain trying to make a bit more logic. He appeared to be, somewhere. He wasn't sure where. It was all darkness. Everywhere he turned, he saw black. No floor, no walls, no sky or people. Just him floating in a space-like region. Then all of a sudden, grey smoke started to form in place. Right in front of him. It's dusty crackling noise send shivers up his spine. He tried to move, but could not. Confusion was the only thing he turned to.

There in front of the lord protector stood the Outsider who came out of the smoke and ash. His arms were crossed like always. He wore the most serious expression on his face Corvo had ever seen. No noise was made. Until words were spoken.

"Greetings Corvo". the Outsider always greeted those with the mark. that special symbol that made the user much more special."If you are wondering where you are, it doesn't matter now. You have been dead for ten years now. Emily has moved on Corvo, and you are still here. alone".

Corvo did nothing but look at the mystical being. having a very threatening expression on his face.

"Don't look like that Corvo. I have a proposal for you. Something that we both know you want but will never get another chance to. I am willing to bring you back. Back to your free will".

Corvo finally spoke."What do you mean Outsider? My time has passed and the mark is gone". He really wasn't believing the Outsider all that much since the mystical being did anything to be entertained.

"I am willing to have you back on your feet. Back to where your choices matter". The being told Corvo with the most encouragement in his voice.

"What's the catch"? Corvo knew the Outsider quite well. He would never do anything so easily.

The Outsider then lifted his arm to where Corvo could see it. Grey smoke started to form on top of it. It made a spiraling motion. Until it fully turned into a sphere. It looked like a glass ball. Very odd though. Then an image started to form inside it. It was like watching TV. Inside the sphere, showed what looked like a small town. It was very colorful. many small houses appeared. It had a bright blue sky. The sun was shining down on top of the small village. But strange creatures also appeared. they walked on four legs. Corvo saw dozens of them every where. All were very colorful. Some were even flying in the sky using wings. Then in a fraction of a second, the sphere instantly vanished with an audible boom. the smoke it turned into slowly drifted off into the darkness that surrounded the two beings.

Corvo thought that this was a joke. The Outsider just showed him something that looked like a make-belief land."What was the point of that"? Corvo was confused, not sure if anything was real or not.

"This place is known as Equestria. It is home of earth ponies, Pegasi, and unicorns. It is also ruled by two very powerful alicorns". The Outsider knew Corvo all to well and would be ready for any questions.

"Alicorns? Pegasi? Please explain what you're talking about". Corvo asked with more frustration than curiosity, clearly not understanding what king of vocabulary the Outsider was pulling up on him.

"They are the different types of ponies there. Many of them have powerful magic which can be quiet lethal". The Outsider explained with a convincing tone in his voice. He was trying to get Corvo to agree on something.

"Why show me any of this"? Corvo wasn't sure any more on what the Outsider was on. He didn't know if any of this would be interesting or illogical.

"This was the catch Corvo. If you truly want to be able to go back to the city you saved, I need you to spill blood". Corvo knew what was going on. he wanted him to go to this world. But for what?"Corvo, this world is near perfect. There is no war or crime. Everything is completely in control. I want you to interest me".

Corvo wasn't even sure how any of this fitted in with him being able to go back to Dunwall."How does this tie in with anything we have talked about"?

At that moment, the Outsider brought his pale face directly towards Corvo's. His black eyes having a very strict look."I want you to cause chaos there. Spill blood from every breathing thing you see there. Do that and freedom is your's". That's when he took his face out of Corvo's, giving him a confusing look.

Corvo thought for what seemed like hours. He didn't even know this place, and now he was expected to kill the innocent lives."Who exactly do I have to kill"? Corvo wanted as much detail as possible to make sure no tricks were up.

"Your job is to assassinate the two rulers of this place and kill anyone who tries to stop you". He then snapped his fingers, which changed Corvo's vision. the lord protector saw two large ponies. One was a white, regal looking one. she had these gold things on her hooves, a gold crown and necklace, and she had a huge flowing rainbow colored mane. The other one was smaller. She was midnight blue with familiar jewelry as the last one. Her mane was also flowing with different shades of dark blue. Then the vision blanked out, and Corvo saw the Outsider in front of him.

"So what do you say Corvo"? The Outsider asked in the utmost attention."Deal"?

Corvo thought for a while."I will only kill them if they attack back. But my only two targets are those two". Corvo was making sure to not make a deal which he would later regret.

The Outsider chuckled a bit."Deal". With a snap of his fingers, everything blanked out.

The only thing that was heard, was the humming of nature. Birds were chirping,a Miskito buzzed loudly. Even that very air made a small, barely audible noise. Corvo awoke with a sneeze. He slowly opened his eyes, everything was blurry. he rubbed his eyes with his hands to get better vision. As everything came intact, he noticed that he wasn't in that pit of darkness with the Outsider anymore. Actually, everything seemed quite fine. The main color he saw was green. He was on grass. Corvo blinked as he noticed a few ants walking by. Looking around, he also saw many trees. He was surrounded by trees. Their dark wood blended in with other darkness that surrounded him. A few leaves would fall by every now and then. Corvo looked straight up, only to be blinded by a flash of light. He grunted as he put his arm over his eyes, blocking the bright view. But as Corvo slowly looked back, he noticed that it was just the sun. It was day time, though it seemed pretty dark in this forest.

He got up while trying to support himself on a near by tree. But something caught his attention. Corvo looked and saw something on the floor. It appeared to be a brown cardboard box. On the side, written in pen said good luck. Not sure what was inside, we carefully opened the lids. Relieving what was at the bottom. In it was his old folding blade, the perfect tool for cutting whatever you needed to cut. His metal crossbow with stacks of all the different types of arrows. There were the regular iron tipped arrows, the sleeping arrows and his incendiary arrows. There were also some small knives. Probably throwing knives. Those kind of weapons became quite popular in Dunwall. And last but not least, his mask. It was still intact. With the same clicky, glass eyes for zooming in. There wasn't a single dent on it's metal surface.

He picked up his mask, and without even thinking, he put it on with his hood down. Right away, it almost felt natural. He stashed all of his weapons on him."Hm, no gun"? Corvo thought to himself as looked down in the empty box. Apparently the Outsider didn't give him a guard's gun like before. But he didn't need it. Only one thing to do before he was ready.

Corvo looked down at his left hand. And there it was. The mark. It was there as black as ever. Corvo began to close and re open his hand. Still getting use to having a solid hand with the mark on. With a single thought, the mark began to glow. It's stingy, bluish color filled the air around him. With another thought, Corvo disappeared. He blinked right out of thin air, only to reappear on top of a near by tree.

Corvo sat there calmly. Looking about the huge field of trees before him. It truly was a beautiful sight to see. But then he remembered his mission, making him snap out of his day dream. He blinked back to the ground, still use to having the feel of teleporting. He just standed there, looking at a tree in front of him. His mark then started to glow again. He pulled his hand back, charging his energy into the single mark. Then again, with a single wave of his hand, he shot an extremely powerful gust of wind. It actually almost knocked him back from the small sonic boom. The powerful gust of wind destroyed the tree he was looking at moments ago. It broke the tree into a few pieces which scattered everywhere. What was left was the nub of the tree. Very splintery on the top.

"Woah, that was way more powerful than what I last remember". Not only has the Outsider boosted his powers ten fold, but he also gave him more control over his mana.

Corvo used all of his powers. He stopped time for minutes, possessed an ant for a couple of seconds, though he could of stayed longer. He used his dark vision which greatly increased his parithial vision immensely, and let him see through everything. He could also run faster and was now more durable. Now with all this testing, he drained his mana quite a bit and would have to wait a couple of minutes to get it back.

Corvo walked around the forest, taking notice of things. He saw wild life like bunnies, squirrels, birds, etc. He was in a tunnel of trees. Surrounded by only green. In the distance he saw a light. He walked straight to it, hoping that it was a way out of the forest. The light got brighter and brighter until, everything was clear. In front of Corvo was a big open, grassy field. He could see mountains from miles away. Many fluffy clouds were occupying the sky. The bright blue sky. The one that he missed. He then started to mindlessly walk around. Beholding the place where he would spend the next few days. He hoped it wouldn't be that long.

At the very end of the grassy field was what seemed to look like structures. He couldn't make it out yet. Corvo tried to blink a couple of time to get closer, as his mark shined, he blinked. To his surprise, he was half way across the field. Corvo then took notice of the structures in front of him. he was certain that it was some kind of village. Corvo then remembered, it was the same village the the Outsider showed him.

Corvo blinked again and this time, appeared in front of a sign."Well what do we have hear. Welcome to Ponyville"? Corvo then looked ahead of the dirt road he was on. It was leading straight into the town. Without much option, he walked straight into the peaceful looking village.

It has only been ten seconds since he walked into the town, and every pony was looking at him. As he walked down the road, looking back at the faces, many ponies started to whisper with one another. Most of them were in fear. There were even some little kids that started to cry."Well, the best way to get to a target is to know where they live". Corvo thought to himself as he approached one of the random ponies."You there". He spoke out loud as he pointed to the random pony he picked."Tell me were I can find the rulers of this land".

The pony just backed away in fear with their head down."You've got to be kidding me". Corvo thought to himself as he just realized he was very feared. Before he could say anything else, a voice very loud caught his attention.

"A HUMAN"!!!!!!!! That voice nearly literally through him on the floor. Corvo turned to a mint colored unicorn looking straight him. She had the biggest smile on her face with a bit of shock."I-I c-can't believe it. A HUMAN is here". she seemed to know what he was.

Corvo just stood there in confusion. Without much thought, he finally spoke."Um, hi there"? He asked trying to see how these things behaved. This pony looked really excited to see him.

"Hi-hi-hi-hi". That's all she could say."Where do you come from? Oh, i have so many questions". She was bouncing happily around Corvo. He just sighed before he found a near by bench and sat on it. Following him was the mint colored pony who sat right next to him."So I was just wondering, why do you wear that mask"? She asked while pointing at Corvo's metal disguise. She asked a bit more calmly but still very excited.

"It's to keep my identity a secret". Corvo simply answered. But since he figured out that this pony really liked him somehow, he could probably ask questions."Where can I find the two rulers"? While he asked, Corvo noticed how he was surrounded by a bunch of ponies.

"You can found both of the Princesses in Canterlot, just north from here on top of the mountains. By the way, the name's Lyra". She was still excited that she was actually talking to a human.

"Thanks you the info". Corvo replied before getting up and running through the crowd of ponies who got out of his way as he came closer. Corvo needed to find the entrance to this Canterlot place that unicorn told him.

"Wait, I still have so many questions". Lyra screamed in hope to bring back the human. But it was no use. Then she noticed all of the faces looking at her."Ha, told you guys humans were real".

As Corvo ran pass the streets of ponyville, every pony he passed got scared and started at him in shock and surprise. This was something big for Equestria. An actual human was here. But they did not know the human's dark mission just yet. That's when Corvo saw in the distance, a train station with a big sign that said "To Canterlot". This was his way into the city. As he got closer, he slowed down. Going from running, to jogging, and then to walking. This is where things get serious.

Out of nowhere, Two big armored pegasi fell from the sky and landed right in front of Corvo, blocking his path. One was black and the other grey. They both had spears which they held on to with their wings. Both looked pretty threatening. The grey was the first to speak."Hold, we have heard a strange creature in the town of Ponyville, and I'm assuming it's whatever you are". He was clearly mentioning Corvo.

This time the black guard spoke."In the name of Celestia, we have to ask that you come with us". Just then, the assassin heard a voice on his side. he turned around to see a purple unicorn looking straight at him.

"Woah, some kind of new creature in Equestria. I've got to bring this to the princess". Then a pink, bouncy pony came out right behind Corvo. She had a pink curly main and was smiling at him.

"Ooooooooooohhhhhhh. I've never seen you before here. Actually I have no idea what you are but if you're new then that means I've never seen you before so I gotta throw you a PARTY"! That last word made confide literally come out of thin air, going every where.

Corvo was now the center of attention. Every pony was talking at once while the two guards came closer to grab him. That was it. Corvo took out his folding blade. Just picking out the handle, and the entire blade just came out, scaring every pony around him. All of them just backed away, and the guards having worried expressions on their faces.

"He has a weapon, get him". One of the guards yelled as he charged to the assassin. Corvo just took a step to the left, to make sure the spear didn't stab him. He elbowed the guard in the face with his unoccupied hand, while stabbed him in the ribs with the other. All the ponies froze in fear. He yanked the blade out, letting the near dead pony fall to the floor, making a mess of blood.

"Shit, gotta get out of here". Corvo thought to himself as he ran towards the other guard. He had a very angered expression on his face.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaa". The guard yelled as he tried to tackle the human. But Corvo jumped in the air, dodging the attack. He bashed the handle of the blade right into the guard's temple, knocking him out cold. Corvo landed with out a scratch and started to sprint for the train. His Cover was blown so stealth was the best option for him in Canterlot.

All the ponies gathered around the guards who were on the floor. Trying to help them while the purple one used some kind of healing spell.

Corvo burst into the control room where he found the conductor. Corvo quickly put the knife towards the other pony's throat. "Get me to Canterlot now"! Corvo demanded.

The conductor was very scared, but since he valued his life, he started the train. It took off immediately to Canterlot.

"Oh, this is bad. This is very, very bad". Twilight was pacing in circles in her library as Spike was writing a letter as fast as he can.

"What was it that was so dangerous Twilght"? Spike asked with a worried tone.

"While you were asleep Spike, some kind of creature with a metal face came and attacked to guards. He is now heading for Canterlot".

As soon as Spike finished the letter, he rolled it up, held it in the air and blew green fire on it. Turning in into a small green cloud which flew through the window directly to Celestia."There, it's on it's way. Now Princess Celestia will know about this creature and stop it". Spike was trying to comfort Twilight.

"Oh, I don't know Spike. This creature looked so weird". She stopped for a second to thing, then came with a conclusion."Gather up all the girls Spike. Were heading for Canterlot".

"WHAT"! Spike was very surprised that Twilight actually wanted to go to Canterlot where the creature she feared was also going there."Twilight, I thought you said this thing was dangerous"?

"I know, but I feel like I need to get to the princess before that thing does. get packing Spike". twilight ordered before he could say anything.

Epilogue

The moon shined brightly in the sky. Grey clouds formed spiraling motions near the horizon of the steam infested city. Although not being a very pretty site, it was the only site to look at... ever!

Corvo stood tall. On the very edge of stone roof, high up in the sky. Many sounds and lights came from Dunwall, though the wind also produced some motions. The assassin held a wanted poster in his hands. High winds made the edges of the dirty paper shake as his coat blew to the same direction.

The rooftop was steep, though the assassin didn't fall over. The dirty paper he held read:

WANTED: FOR THE MURDER OF OUR EMPRESS!!!!

He just let the paper go, and watched it blow away into the sky clouds until it wasn't visible anymore. Corvo looked at his left hand. He watched the glow through those glass lenses.

Just then, an image of the pony world flashed through his brain. In that split second, he gasped as he took a step back. Corvo just stared at his glowing mark, being very confused. But after a few seconds, it all came together.

"Hm, I guess going back is an option".