The Assassin's Legacy

Chapters

The Curiosity Blossoms
Dante Quicksilver's beginning
The Adoption of Royalty
The Code Red Threat
The Fall of the Kingdom
Chrysalis's Savior
The awakening
A New Role in Life
Secrets are Revealed

The Curiosity Blossoms

For many years, I wondered why there was always a statue in the park...one of a hooded stallion, hood pulled over to the point all you saw was his muzzle...he wore a black hooded robe and a black jacket with navy blue lining, as well as these odd arm and leg braces...I always wondered why he was heavily armed; a sword at his side, two tomahawks strapped to his back, five daggers and two pistols strapped on a belt that wrapped around his torso...

Lastly, I wondered why the engraving underneath his hooves always said, "As this statue stands, we are reminded constantly...of The Assassin's Legacy. -Jon Williams Fleet-hoof" This intrigued me most, because Jon Williams Fleet-hoof was my Grandfather, and he never brought up the mysterious statue of a stallion. I sat on the bench, drinking my vanilla smoothie, and thought to myself 'I wonder if this statue, whoever it is the statue depicts, is probably the reason to his strange antics.' I then though I should go see him and ask myself. So, I threw out my drink, and got onto my hooves. I cracked my knuckles and walked down the dusty path to Grandfather's house. On the way, I was ambushed by a few muggers, but some punches and kicks here and there ended their raid...which was a sloppy mess as it was...I mean seriously; one of them had a stance that could easily be broken, another was shaking to the near point of a break down, and the last one looked like he lost every fight he'd been in.

After a few hours, I reached the Everfree. I walked inside, being careful not to go in the Poison Joke. After all; I learned after the first 50 times of stepping in it. Zecora, our neighbor, waved hello to me as I passed. I waved hello back and continued on my way. Zecora has learned that I don't really understand a word she says sometimes. Finally, I made it to Grandfather's house. I knocked three times, and he opened the door a bit. He peeked through the opening, and when he saw me, he slammed the door shut. I waited a few minutes while I listened to a bunch of clicking and whirring. Finally, he opened the door and brought me in a hug that knocked the wind out of me. It's funny to me, because I can keep myself from being touched in a fight, yet I can't withstand a simple hug. He invited me in, and brought out some tea and crackers. He laughed and joked around for a bit, then asked me, "So, my young Sam Fleet-hoof; what brings you to my simple abode?"

I put my tea down and said with a calm tone, "That statue in the park has a quote from you...I've always wondered about that statue, and I've wanted to know about it's origin for a while now." I then said, "I'd like to know about this man..." Grandfather sighed, and put his tea down. he closed his eyes, deep in thought. Finally, he opened his mouth. He said, "I was once friends with the Stallion depicted in the statue. He helped prevent the greatest threat to the Kingdom, but in doing so, sacrificed his life." He then said immediately afterwards, "I shall tell you his story..."

Dante Quicksilver's beginning

It was a peaceful day in Ponyville. Not a single thing mildly entertaining was happening...unless you counted the party Pinkie Pie was throwing, as per usual. Twilight was reading a book, laying down on the bench with her legs crossed and in the air. Suddenly, a stallion vaulted over the bench, holding a brown bag that jingled as he landed square on his hooves. He looked behind him, his face from the muzzle down hidden by his shoulder, and saw a shocked Twilight Sparkle, looking directly at him. He showed his face, grinned, and slipped his cloth back over his muzzle. He then took the hood attached to his shirt, pulled it low, and sprinted. He looked behind him, and saw the Canterlot Guards were gaining up on him. He looked ahead, and tapped into the only power he had, despite being of Earth Pony race; his right eye turned red, and he saw ways to escape the Guards' sight. He went in an alleyway and jumped to one of the walls. Using his current momentum, he pushed off and grabbed onto the ledge of the opposite building's roof. He pulled himself up and then started to free run.

He leapt off the ledge of the roof, his hoof landing on a lamp-post. He kicked off of it, grabbing onto another lamp-post and swinging off of it into a house. He rolled as he landed inside and continued to run, but not before leaving some bits on the floor so the family inside could fix their now broken window. He then jumped and landed on a wooden stump and kicked off of it to the side, where he grabbed onto some bricks that had jutted out of a house slightly. He immediately climbed up and spun as he landed on the roof. He then leapt into a tree that was at the entrance to the Everfree Forest and moved from tree to tree. As he ran, he heard the Guards say, "DAMN IT, HE GOT AWAY AGAIN!!!" Upon hearing those words, the stallion's ear flicked and he flashed a grin.

He jumped down to the soft moss covered floor beneath him. He had reached the place. He looked all over, then finally saw his destination; a stone the size of his leg from the hoof to the knee. He bent down and lifted it up. He then jumped down the opening and let the rock fall back in place. He slid down, tying a knot in the bag so no more bits would slide out. Finally, he landed on his hooves on solid ground. He looked into the darkness ahead, and waited. Suddenly, a figure in thief's clothes identical to his own appeared and said, "Well, Dante Quicksilver; did you get the bits?" Dante, the apparent name for this thief/main focus of the story, nodded and threw the bag onto the table. The other stallion looked down. Suddenly, he knelt down to the height of the table and opened the bag. He laughed as he came towards Dante and hugged him. He then backed away, holding him by the shoulders, and said "This is more than enough to help those homeless get homes. Finally...those poor, defenseless little colts and fillies can have a chance at something we never did..."

Dante nodded, then pulled down the cloth from his muzzle and pulled his hood off from over his face. he was under the definition of handsome, according to some mares; strong features, sandy blonde mane and tail, tan coat of fur. He also had a chin dimple and some freckles on his cheeks and across his muzzle. Lastly, he had Silver eyes, almost identical to those of a wolf. He had some muscular build, which was required for his line of work; Stealing bits for a good cause, defense, and parkour.

Oh dear Celestia, did Dante love his parkour.

It was his only passage of escape from the real world. He was actually a natural, but his red eye helped him see ways of finding a start on it if he was in danger. In other words; if he was in trouble, his right eye would turn red and help him get out of sight and remain anonymous. Then, he'd come back at a later point and not be noticed. But right now, those things were thoughts at the back of his head as he stood at the top of the 100 hoof tall building. He slowly walked to the edge, then crouched into low profile on the beam sticking out of the ledge. He looked around him, and then looked up and saw an Eagle circle the building. It then saw Silent and landed next to him. Dante looked to the Eagle and smiled. He smoothly slipped his hand into his messenger bag and pulled out a small dead carcass. The Eagle scooted over a bit and took the carcass off his hands. As the Eagle took it all down his gullet, Dante stroked the Eagles head gently, making sure not to hurt the precious animal. The Eagle enjoyed it, but then Dante soon carefully patted his head, and the Eagle was off.

Dante looked down. He saw light-poles posted within swinging distance for each one. However, they were a good distance down from the rooftop. He stood, and jumped off. He did a swan dive, and grabbed onto a pole. He swung to the next one, in which he kicked off of it. he kicked off every one of them until he reach another building. He jumped off the pole he was on, and grabbed onto a ledge. He spun up as he landed on the rooftop and started to run. He kicked off a ledge and rolled as he landed on a new roof. He jumped down from the ledge and landed in a huge pile of hay. He shook the hay out of his mane when he heard a loud 'SLAM' from the front door of what he guessed was a barn. He squinted his eyes and saw a mare with a straw colored mane and tail wearing a battered leather stetson walk in. She had on a orange plaid shirt tied at the bottom so her abdomen showed, denim hot pants and some cowgirl boots. Dante simply laughed and laid there in the pile of hay, looking like Derpy after getting shot out of the Party Cannon for a Test Flight. The mare started to giggle, then laugh, helping him up. "Dante, just 'cuz you're a natural with this parkour stuff doesn't mean you won't hurt yourself!" Dante simply waved his hand as a form of dismissal and said, "Yeah, I know, Applejack. I know. But it's still so fun."

The freckled mare, named Applejack, nodded and said "Well, I can understand. After all, I'm the one who taught you all the tricks." Dante moved his hand to his hair and ruffled it to get the hay out of it. He laughed, and Applejack offered to let him stay for the night. He said sure, but that he had to go somewhere first. He then left, and headed to the Ponyville Orphanage. The kids all rushed to him, and he was playful, hugging them and giving them gifts and telling them stories. He then left with some gifts from the kind souls running the Orphanage. He got to sweet Apple Acres, and took a shower. Then, he went to bed.

Meanwhile...

"So, dear sister; Doesth thou see why this young buck steals? Thy would do the same for this cause, would thy not?" Asked a smug Princess Luna. Princess Celestia simply nodded, and smiled warmly at the levitating image of Dante sleeping. She felt like this boy deserved better than the life of a wandering traveler. She turned to Luna, and said, "Why don't we adopt him? You could be the mother, and I'll be his aunt." Luna had a huge smile on her face, and she nodded so hard her head looked might it might snap off and roll across the floor. Thankfully, it didn't. Celestia then grinned, and said to Luna, "Then we'll take care of the paperwork tomorrow. In the meantime, I think I should get my rest so that I may be able to raise the sun." And with that, she left Luna to day dream...well, might dream, about what it'd be like to be a mother.

The Adoption of Royalty

Author's Note

Third chapter, coming up! Thanks guys, for all the faves and likes! I'm happy that you enjoy the story so much! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter too...and the next one, of course. Keep Calm and Brony on!

The Adoption of Royalty

Dante had gotten up early. He had that dream again; the one where he finally meets his parents and they reject him. He shot up out of bed in a cold sweat. He put his hand to his head and ran his fingers through his long messy sandy mane. He tossed off the blanket that covered him, and he headed to the bathroom. Turning on the shower water, he stripped off his pajamas AJ had given him and stepped into the shower, lathering his coat of fur with the soap. He then rinsed it off and put some shampoo in his mane and tail, letting it rinse as he dug in deep to get all the crud and sweat out of it. Dante watched the soap and shampoo rinse off, then turned off the shower water. He reached out and took a towel to dry off before stepping out of the shower. He went into his messenger bag to look for spare clothes, and found some jeans and a hooded shirt. He put on a pair of boxer briefs, some socks, then the clothes he had. He then put on his boots and laced them up.

Just as he finished brushing his mane and tail, AJ had called him down. She had yelled from downstairs, "Dante! Soup's on! Breakfast time!" In that cute southern accent of hers. Dante was incredibly grateful to have a friend like her; always honest to ponies, even if it downright hurts. Not to mention sweet and caring in so many ways. If Dante was around her age and she didn't have a colt-friend, he might've even asked her out. He fixed the bed, which was a mess from his tossing and turning, and went downstairs to the kitchen/dining room. He sat down and thanked AJ for letting him stay the night. AJ simply smiled and said, "Ain't no problem at all, Dante. You're always lookin' after others, so ah might as well return the favor, don't ya think?"

He nodded, thinking how true that was. Afterwards, he helped AJ with a few errands. Her first job for him was to deliver some apples. She said specifically, "Okay, sugar-cube. Sugar-cube Corner recently bought a big order of apples. Bring it there, and don't leave until they pay. If they pay more than the given amount take these bits and give them change. Got it?" He nodded, grabbed the wagon that was behind him, and pulled. It was heavy, but he grew strong from all the workouts he dealt with as a kid. He even managed to get to Sugar-cube Corner in around 30 minutes.

He knocked on the door and waited. Some Gryphon tried to take the apples, but a quick roundhouse kick to the face made him think otherwise, and so he ran away. Then, Mrs. Cake answered the door with her baking mitts on. Exclaiming as cheerfully as could be, Dante said "A huge order of apples, fresh and from Sweet Apple Acres, for the Sugar-cube Corner! That'll be around...45 bits!" Mrs. Cake thanked him for his enthusiasm and payed fifty five bits instead, so he gave her the change of ten bits, and dropped off the apple shipment there. He took the wagon back, and suddenly, he stopped. His ear flickered as he heard the sound of rustling bushes. He turned his head and looked, but the bush ceased all movement.

He shrugged, and continued a bit more...until that sound appeared again. He put the wagon down and raised his guard. A Gryphon jumped out of the bushes ready to tackle him, but he turned and swung his fist, slamming it against the Gryphon's beak. He flew into a tree. He grunted in pain, and as Dante moved closer, two more Gryphons came out of nowhere and tried to down him. He dodged one clawed fist and ducked under another, causing the two to knock each other out. They started to get back up, but Dante jumped towards a tree and kicked off it, spinning as he kicked Gryphon number 3 hard and square in the face.

As he landed, Gryphon number two tried grabbing him, but Dante rolled underneath and bucked him in the back. Gryphon number one still laid there, rubbing his jaw. Dante slowly walked towards him, and the Gryphon backed up, until he was stopped by the tree behind him. Dante stood right above him, and kicked him once in the face. The Gryphon was instantly out cold. With that over, Dante took the wagon, and made it back to Sugar-cube Corner. AJ asked why he took so long, and Dante had to explain the ambush. When he was done, AJ simply nodded and said, "Yep. Sure does sound like the Gryphons to ambush someone like that." She then added, "Ah'm surprised, though. The Gryphons are tough. Yet, they couldn't land a knuckle on ya..." Dante simply shrugged and said, "Luck, I guess?"

AJ shrugged as well, then looked shocked as though she nearly forgot something. "Oh, ah almost forgot! Dante, the Regal Sisters came by and asked for ya earlier. I told them that you were out, but if they liked, they could get comfortable while they waited. They're in the livin' room now." Dante cocked his head sideways and had a confused look on his face form. Why would the Regal Sisters want to talk with him? Unless it had to do with the stealing of bits. But that was for a good cause, being that the Orphans and homeless needed it more than those rich snobs in Canterlot. But, he decided to hear them out. So, he walked inside, and sure enough; there they were, sitting on the couch. They turned to look at him when he walked inside, and Princess Luna smiled. Celestia did the same. Dante did the right thing, and bowed respectfully. But Celestia got up and put a hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him warmly and said, "No need for that...nephew..." That shocked the living daylights out of him. He straightened and looked at Celestia. Luna then got up and walked towards Dante as well. She took out some papers and showed them to Dante. He looked them over and saw...they were adoption papers.

Dante just couldn't believe it! The Regal Sisters were actually thinking of adopting him? At first, he thought it must've been a prank, until he watched Luna fill out the forms. That's when he realized they were dead serious. Finally, after a few minutes, Luna handed him the papers. All he needed to do was sign his name, and they'd get custody of him. He'd finally get a family, a home, everything he never had as a baby growing up in a homely Orphanage. He took the ink and quill, and dipped the quill into the ink. He moved his left hand to the signature line, and signed it. He handed Luna the papers, and she cheered excitedly. She even tackled him in a bone crushing hug. He laughed and hugged Luna...no, hugged Mom, back. Then, as he let go, Auntie Tia came up and said, "And don't worry about the homeless and the Orphanage issues. We'll help fund your cause. We could possibly tax the rich a bit more. And if they don't like it, too bad, I guess. It's for a good cause."

Dante's life has just gotten much...much...better...

The Code Red Threat

Princess Celestia was walking back and forth, a scared look on her face. She had hoped this would never arise again. But it has, anyway. Finally, after a few minutes, Luna came in and asked, "What troubles thee, sister?" Celestia looked to Luna, and she instantly knew; he was back. Celestia waved Luna over to her, and showed her a vision of a city that fell just last night at the hands of this evil. Luna covered her mouth and started to tear up as she saw her subjects become one with the pavement, getting crushed by the toppling columns and buildings. She finally looked away when she saw a little colt, who lost sight of his family while evacuating, get impaled by a wooden beam. Celestia turned off the vision, and hugged her sister, rubbing her back. All the while, Luna cried on her sister's shoulder, the night gown getting soaked. Luna looked up at Celestia, and said, "I don't want this to happen, sister. My son, he may be able to defend himself, but...he is still young! I can't have what happened to that little child happen to him, he's my son!"

Celestia smiled and looked down, saying, "We will not let this happen to Dante. He's my nephew by rights of custody. Therefore, I don't want this to happen, either. We will form an army. This is a Code Red Threat. This is on a level of the utmost importance." Luna smiled, and thanked Celestia. She then headed to her room, where Dante was sleeping soundly, curled up into a little ball. But he was whining, a clear sign he detected his mother wasn't there. Luna simply smiled as she tilted her head down and shook her head. He had clearly grown quite close to his mother in the short few days he had been living here. She would have to give him his own room soon, though. She got into bed and tucked in Dante, then pulled her covers over her. She started to silently cry a bit, remembering the scene of the little colt getting impaled. Then, she tried to shake it out of her mind, and went to sleep, nuzzling Dante.

"Good Morning Dante," said one of the guards as Dante headed to the dining hall. He wasn't so excited to do so, because he'd have to meet this Prince Blue-blood pony, who apparently was quite a douche-bag. So much so, it was to the point Luna once threw him into the moat. But, he had to go anyway. On his way, he came across a guard who stood at attention in front of the bathroom, sword at the ready as he guarded it. He had a gray coat of fur, somewhere between blue and white. He had blue eyes, a gray mane and tail (the tail cut short). Dante thought, 'Meh, I got some time left...plus, I smell like sweat from the early morning workout. I'll need to take a shower when whoever's in there gets out.' And so, he walked up to the guard. The guard looked and saw him. He smiled a bit as Dante came up to him and said, "Hey, there. I'm Dante Quicksilver...can I ask what your name is?" The guard held out his hand and said, "The name is Steel Shield."

Dante accepted the hand and shook it. He then asked Steel, "So, who's in the bathroom?" Steel rolled his eyes and said, "That pretty boy Blue-blood. I swear, he takes like an hour making sure his mane and tail are tidy. I could care less, though." Dante laughed and asked, "Hey, um...how come I've never seen you before? Are you new?" Steel laughed lightheartedly and said, "New to protecting Celestia's nephew, yes. New to the guard, no. I helped form part of it." Dante gasped and smiled. "Really!?!" Steel nodded and just as he was about to say something, the door opened, revealing a 'pretty boy Blue-blood' with a gelled mane standing at the doorway. he looked Dante up and down and said, "Oh, so you're the new relative, are you?" Dante nodded, and he huffed as he said, "I thought Auntie Luna could have done better. I guess not." and he walked away. Dante felt his face heat up, but Steel put his arm across Dante's chest and said, "Easy there, tiger. It's his way of saying hi, don't worry about it."

He slowly calmed down and nodded, saying, "Okay, Steel. I'm only calming down because you said, okay?" He nodded. Dante and Steel then heard Blue-blood say, "Well, Steel? Are you coming? Or are you just going to stand there all nilly-willy?" Steel simply laughed and shook his head, then waved good bye and ran towards Blue-blood with quite a good speed. Dante headed into the bathroom and locked the door. He stripped down to nothing but his birthday suit, and stepped into the shower stall. He turned on the water and let the it heat up to the point steam rolled off his back. He didn't even mind the heat. In fact, he'd been around heat since he was 3. He used to mess around with lighters, flicking his finger across the flame. He did however, raise a little bit of cold water. He lathered his body with soap, and washed off the sweat and grime from his fingernails. He then moved to his mane and tail, digging deep to get into them so he could wash off all the dirt that tended to get stuck in their while he slept. After all that, he turned off the water and reached out for a towel. He found none, and realized Blue-blood took the last one. He cursed under his breath, and took the nearest thing to wrap around himself.

Unfortunately, that object was his pajama bottoms...and his tail...

He opened the door, and looked left to right. No one was in clear sight. He quickly ran to his room, and locked the door. He leaned against it and breathed heavily. Finally, he calmed down and let his tail go slack behind him.

Big mistake.

There was a mare in the same room as her, unpacking a suitcase and taking out a cello. He quickly wrapped the pants around his waist with his tail, and ran to his dresser. The mare noticed the sound, and turned. 'No, don't look!' thought Dante, but it was too late. The mare had seen him, and was blushing as she looked him up and down. She opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was, "Umm..." Dante noticed a sort of Mid-Atlantic accent in her voice, and it went well with her voice. Dante took out some boxer briefs and socks as quickly as he could and slipped them on so fast, she couldn't see any of his junk. He sat on the bed and put on his socks, then went back to the drawer to pull out some clothes. He had two options; the fancy suit Mom had bought him, or the normal style clothes Auntie Tia bought. He had a hard time deciding, then remembered that Mom said he didn't have to wear the suit unless it was a special occasion. So, he wore the normal clothes; a pair of jeans and a shirt that read, 'I like classical and I don't care.'

The mare saw the shirt and smiled. She looked at Dante and asked, "Oh, do you now?" Dante just nodded, smiling. So the mare took out a huge instrument case and pulled out a cello. Dante's eyes widened, because he used to play a cello, but never saw one as magnificent as the one she held. It was simply marvelous, and he noticed that some of it was made with ivory. The mare took out a bow and started to play;

At the end of it, she put the bow back into the case and started to cry. Dante just stood there for a bit and watched, and then clapped. She looked at Dante and smiled, then did a bow, which looked kind of funny since she was sitting. She then wiped the tears off her face and said, "I always get emotional when I play. Without emotion, you can't exactly perform at your best, after all. Right?" Dante just nodded, and asked if the mare would be a friend. She cocked her head sideways and said, "But I just met you. How could I be friends with somepony I just met?" Dante shrugged and said, "By getting to know them better." And he held out his hand, which the mare took gratefully. They hugged, and when they broke the hug, they stayed like that until the mare cleared her throat and said, "Um...you're...still holding my hand." Dante looked down and realized he was, indeed, still holding her hand. He quickly pulled his arm back and slipped it in his pocket, grinning sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. She just laughed and put her clothes away in a dresser on the other side of the room.

"Wait," said Dante, causing the mare to turn around. He then smiled and said, "My name's Dante Quicksilver, if you want to know." The mare smiled and said, "That is a nice name. Mine is Octavia Melody." With that, she finished packing her things in the drawers, and walked out the room. 'So,' he thought. 'I have a roommate, huh?' He shrugged and laced up his boots. He then walked out and headed to the dining hall.

"Okay, Mom! I'll be out! I'm going to help AJ do some apple-bucking!" said Dante as he hugged his Mom and slung on his messenger bag. He had recently sprayed on a design that looked like a lambda, and he liked it a lot. Luna waved good-bye and walked to Celestia. Celestia looked at Luna, and Luna nodded, exclaiming "Let's find our recruits!"

Dante was standing atop the clock tower. It took him a few hours to climb it, but finally, he was at the very top. He stood completely balanced on the tip of it. He took in the sight that was to behold. He then leaned forward, standing on one hoof, and put his hand on the same tip he stood upon. He raised one hoof in the air, putting his right hand on the roof next. Then, he had both hooves in the air. He raised his lower body up into the air, and stood on the roof with his hands. He then did something even more dangerous, and raised one hand to his side. He just stood on his left hand, thinking, 'How in the name of Tartarus am I doing this?' He started to do push-ups like this for about ten times, then pushed off into the sky. He twirled as he spun around, landing gracefully on a wooden beam jutted out from the ledge of the clock tower. He jumped down to hang off it, and swung into the opening under the roof. He rolled and got up, slapping the dust off his clothes. He looked around, taking in the scenery of the gears clicking and whirring. But he came for some parts. Like; springs, a drawer slide, some double brackets, copper wire, a metal 2x4 and a drill.

He was actually amazed at how conveniently located they all were.

He took them all, slipped them into his messenger bag, and headed down the stairs of the clock tower. He remembered the shirt had a hood inside, so he unzipped the collar, stuck his hand in, and pulled out a hood that he pulled low over his face. He decided he should probably get some batteries for the drill, so he headed for the marketplace. His shift at Sweet Apple Acres was done, of course, so he had plenty of time.

When Dante got to the marketplace, all the stores were closed. He looked around, and saw one store had a poster attached to the front gate that protected its contents. He looked at the poster, and it read;

SOLDIERS NEEDED!!!
There is a new threat against the kingdom. Under normal circumstances, we would send some of our guards to stop it, but it is a code red. Therefore, we need new recruits as well. If you'd like to learn more, there will be a speech in the Town Square.
Sincerely,
The Regal Sisters.

Dante decided to head to the Town Square, like the poster said, and saw a huge crowd ahead of him. Using his arms, he gently pushed the crowd out of the way to get to the front. He saw his Mother and his Aunt standing at a stage with about five guards. Mayor Mare was giving a speech, saying "The Regal Sisters have learned of a new threat to our peaceful land. They are asking all of Equestria to offer help. Those who wish to help, please step forward!" He noticed the famous six mares of Ponyville step forward and followed their example, exclaiming, "I will join the fight!" Luna squinted at Dante, then her eyes grew wide. She shook her head and said, "No, my son! Thou art still young! I will not allow thee to fight this war!" At this, Dante pulled the hood off his face and exclaimed, "But Mother; This is my home, as it is everyone else's! I will join the fight, if it means protecting my home and maybe sacrificing my life!"

Suddenly, a thunderous voice boomed from the sky and said, "THAT CAN BE ARRANGED, DANTE LORENZO QUICKSILVER!!!" Then, a huge plume of smoke shot down onto the stage and formed a figure with no true form. It looked right at Dante with glowing red eyes and slowly got off the stage, walking towards him. A guard tried to stop it, but the figure simply waved its hand and the guard slammed into a wall. The figure continued to advance towards Dante, and all Dante could do was slowly back away, fear in his heart becoming heavy to no bounds. The figure was finally mere inches away from his face, and it grabbed his throat, trying to crush his windpipe. Dante for a moment couldn't breathe. Then, out of nowhere, a guard slammed into the figure, causing the figure to let go of Dante. Dante landed on his knees, holding his throat, gasping for the air he so desperately needed now.

The guard removed his helmet and threw it down. It was Steel Shield. He walked up towards Dante and held out his hand. Dante graciously took the help and got lifted to his hooves. Dante was pissed now. He charged the figure, and when the figure threw a punch, he faked it and ducked by sliding on his knees under the fist. He got back up and elbowed the figure in the back of the head. The figure nearly tripped, but regained its balance and turned to face him. Dante then flipped over it and grabbed it by the shoulders. As he landed, the figure was thrown into a fruit stand, scaring a hiding Bon Bon away and into Lyra's hands (at which Lyra blushed). The figure pulled it head out of the wooden stand, and as it looked at Dante, the eyes became furious with flames erupting out of them. It charged Dante, but Dante sidestepped and flipped the figure, slamming it to the floor with his hand against its chest.

The figure waved its hand, and everyone flew backwards three feet. It got back up, and started to laugh as it said, "You can not defeat me that easily, Dante Lorenzo Quicksilver. Nopony can, for I once created all of Equestria until that fool alicorn brother of mine grew soft. I'm back to take what was rightfully mine, and you can't stop me!" It snapped its fingers, and a whole army of shadowy figures identical to it appear, destroying the place. All Dante could do was watch as he saw the fall of the kingdom happen right before his eyes.

Author's Note

You know what would be so cool? If someone made a fan based game off of this! That would really shock me! Hah! But...I highly doubt that'll ever happen. I mean seriously; who would want to make a story of mine into a fan made game? *laughs at the thought of it.*

The Fall of the Kingdom

Dante shook his head as he scrambled to get up, and looked around. The once lush, green surroundings that housed parks and creatures big and small was now covered in ashes and flames. He saw the townsfolk get tormented, the women and children being chased, and the stallions being butchered. He looked closer, though, and saw a figure walking through the flames. Dante looked even closer than that, and saw a muzzle with a bit of 5 o'clock shadow going on under the navy blue hood. The figure slammed his arm into a charging shadowy soldier's chest, killing it on impact. The figure then turned and walked away. Dante just stood, miffed by what he saw.

A shadowy figure saw him, and charged from where he was standing before...which was by the fruit stand. Dante was nearly killed, but a Stallion in sage green clothing wearing a hood jumped down from a tree and landed on the figure, a blade from a brace on his arm popping out. The figure became smoke and vanished. The stallion removed his hood, revealing he had a green eye (the other eye covered with an eyepatch). He had an orange coat of fur, and his mane was brown with even running along it. He grabbed Dante's wrist and took him away from Town Square. Dante looked at the stallion's neck, and noticed a chain with the same symbol as the one on his messenger bag, a lambda with a line underneath that curved. The stallion stopped, and looked at his surroundings; They were in the Everfree Forest. Everywhere there was vines, swamp water, and grass that grew out of control. Dante noticed it was the same spot as the one he went to when he dropped off money for the cause. The stallion saw this, too, and lifted the rock. He looked at Dante and gestured that he go first.

Dante slid down the entrance beneath the rock, and landed on his hooves. He looked around, and saw survivors everywhere; Healthy and sick, rich and poor, couples and loners. Among them, he saw a crying Octavia, standing by the metal wall twenty feet away. He ran over, being careful not to step on anyone. He passed by the bathroom, the sick room, and the feeding grounds door. He made it to Octavia's side and in one liquid motion, wrapped his arm around her to give her a hug. She accepted the hug and cried heavily on his chest. Dante was her friend, therefore he felt like he should comfort her. Therefore, he stood there, stroking the back of her head and saying soft whispers of promises that said it'd all be okay. She just continued to cry, and then eventually, the tears stopped. She kept herself in his embrace, breathing heavily. What tears had been were now dried up. He broke the hug and looked deep into her eyes, and said he wouldn't simply allow her to cry.

She looked back into his, and smiled, the tears coming back. But this time, it came from happiness.

Dante looked around at his surroundings more. Usually, the hide-out/trading area was empty except for the thief and the one who anonymously donated the money. This time, all of the thieves Dante worked alongside were there, helping everypony get settled in. The place was like an underground bunker. There was a network of hallways that lead to places like bathrooms, bedrooms, showers and a lounge for thieves to chill until their next robbery was assigned. The walls were made of a strong metal so it could withstand the pressure of the surface and the ground beneath the surface. The floor, however, was wood. In the main room, there was a coffee table and some chairs. Dante liked this place, not because of the bit trading alone, but because him and his close friend Florence built this home during their time on the streets as orphans. They were 13 at the time, and they were very creative. The hardest part for them was constructing support for the metal walls.

That's when he noticed something.

In one of the corners, there were two Pegasi, both mares. One was crying, while the other was holding her in an embrace. The mare holding the crying mare in an embrace, he noticed, was Rainbow Dash. Dante walked towards them and asked what was wrong. Rainbow Dash pointed to the other mares' leg, sliced with a deep gash right over the cutie mark. There was a hell of a lot of blood. Rainbow Dash hadn't just been hugging her, she was holding a rag over the wound to stop the bleeding. Dante knew of only one thing that could stop the bleeding, but he'd have to resurface to the Everfree Forest to get the materials. So he took a staff, knowing it'd be dangerous. He strapped it to his back, and went to a ladder that lead to the surface. He climbed up, and opened the hatch, surfacing. That's when he was surrounded by shadowy figures. His eye turned red again, and he looked around. He saw there were plenty of trees and things to use to his advantage. Closing his eyes, he listened closely. He heard the figures charge, and he flipped backwards, grabbing one of them by the shoulders and throwing it upon landing. He took out his staff and stood in a fighting stance, watching his enemies ready themselves.

Dante shrieked, causing the figures to drop their weapons and cover their ears. He took advantage of the moment and whacked one of them in the temple with his staff. He then charged a tree and kicked off it, spinning. His staff whacked about three more of them. Another tried to charge, but Dante threw his staff, and it impaled the figure. He ran, jumped, and kicked off the back of the figures head, grabbing his staff in mid-air. He saw the staff was cracking. He threw it aside and balled his fists. A figure threw a punch, but he blocked it with his right arm and slammed his left fist into the figure's snout, decapitating it on contact. Dante's other eye turned yellow, and he reached a point of rage. He shrieked again, and this time, the figures blew up. Dante's eyes turned to normal, and he started to stumble a bit. But he shook his head and went to get the materials, so he took out his dagger, remembering he had one.

Only one thing went through his mind as he cut the materials out the ground; 'How did I do that?'

Dante climbed back down the ladder with the medicinal herb. He went to the coffee table and grabbed a cloth. He rubbed a little bit of the medicine on the cloth and walked towards Rainbow Dash and the bleeding mare, who was now shivering from loss of blood. Dante took out a canteen and poured a little water over the wound. The mare bit her lip, and Dante gave her a rag to bite. As she slipped it into her mouth, Dante wrapped the cloth around her flank, making sure the medicine was over the wound. The mare bit the rag so hard there was a ripping sound. Then, she unclenched her jaw, and the rag slipped out. At first Rainbow Dash thought she was dead, but Dante felt her chest rise and fall, and assured Rainbow Dash she was simply asleep. He went to the bunkers and looked for an empty bedroom. The only one he found had Octavia inside. Dante smirked and said, "Is this how we're always gonna meet or something? Good thing I'm not naked, this time." Octavia laughed at this, and looked at the wall, curled into a ball. Dante sat down on the bed next top her and asked what was wrong. Octavia lied by saying nothing was wrong, and smiled.

Dante still didn't believe her, but didn't want to push her to the edge to find out. So, he left and sat in the main room. He was in deep thought, and all that went through his mind was, 'I have just witnessed...the fall of the kingdom...Auntie Tia, bless our souls, so that we may survive...'

Chrysalis's Savior

Author's Note

This takes place through Lowell's eyes. I've asked him to write out his idea for this chapter and send it to me in a Private Message. This is the chapter. I did add a few things here and there, as well as fix a few mistakes. But all in all, I'd say he did a good job. This shout out goes to Valentine-crin. Go give him a follow, he's a great writer.

Chrysalis's Savior

The conditions were bad in the bunker as he walked passed many who were sick and injured. A desperate mare holding a filly came to him begging for help, and being how he was, he simply smiled and reassured her; he would retrieve the needed herbs. The stallion Resurfaced from the bunker and leapt tree to tree in search for medicinal herbs for some young filly back at the bunker in Ponyville. The Everfree forest was never safe as it was, but now more so to the point that Shadow Templars now flood the forests. He would have flown for the search but the thick canopy of the trees would prevent him from seeing the forest floor, he searched for a good hour until;

“Help!”A voice cried out as the stallion looked off to the side.

The stallion had heard the cry. “Who the hay is out here?” He questioned as made his way towards the voice.

And then, he saw what happened.

In a clearing, there was a Changeling mare holding her wounded side. She was shivering from the loss of blood and the fear of her death as a shadow Templar slowly approached her, raising its bloodied razor sharp blade for a final blow.

“Oi, Templar scum!” He called out before he landed on the shadow stabbing his hidden blade into it.

“A tad bit unfair picking on a wounded lass, don't ya think? Take on me if ya can..” He then added as he stood up and turned. He then pulled the musket he had hung from his back out from it's holster.

There stood five shadow figures slowly moving and surrounding the stallion, he only smirked as he pulled the hood over his head.

“Let's hope you can keep up with this pegasi lads.” He muttered as one in back charged.

The assassin quickly spun around slamming the butt of the musket into the gut of the shadow, while it was recovering another charged moving as if it was nothing he spun yet again slamming the barrel of the musket into the back of the shadows head as it crashing into the one that just recovered.

“Aww, come on! See this is what I hate.......cowards attacking some pony who is at the moment helpless.....that is a bad move...”He said as he pulled a flintlock pistol from his belt and shot a bullet that tore straight though the two on the ground.

“Two down three to go.”He muttered as he holstered the pistol and glared at the remaining shadows.

One charged and swung its blade. He dodged it effortlessly, but another tackled him pinning him to the ground raising its blade in the air.

“Hey I don't do this kind of thing on a first date!” He teased as forced the shadow off and he got back onto his hooves.

“There's one thing you Templars have in common.......Down..” He stated with a grin.

The last one ran at him as he just slammed his palm into his face and the hidden blade did wonders to the creature's face. The other two, having recovered, charged him at once. He spun towards one slamming the blade into its heart, and as it faded away he spun around again but knelt down as the creature jumped at him, causing it to go over. It was all seeming to go in a slow motion as he smirked, aiming the musket right at the creature's throat and pulling the trigger,.

The shot was fired as the last creature faded.

“Now that the scum is gone.” He muttered as he strapped the musket back onto his back.

He walked over to the changeling who was apparently unconscious. The stallion sighed before spotting the medicinal herbs near by. The grinning pegasi loaded his pouch with the much needed herbs and hoisted the changeling onto his shoulder after patching her wound up some.

“Be at ease miss....I'll get you to safety.”He said softly as he carried her from the forest and back to the bunker.

The awakening

"They're called Templars, you say?" Asked Dante as he walked with Lowell to the empty bunker. He had seen Lowell arrive with the herbs necessary for the sick child, and the Changeling mare over his shoulder. He had given the mother the medicine, and handed Dante the mare. They were headed to the last empty bunker, which was the one right next to the bathroom. Lowell kicked the door open, and Dante walked towards the bed at the other side of the room. He laid her there and tucked her in under the covers. Just then, Lowell said, "Aye, lad. I've been a rogue assassin for a time, trying to postpone their plans of dominating. But it wasn't enough, and they took the chance they had by the balls." Dante nodded, and put a hand on Lowell's shoulder to look right at him. "Listen, if you want, you can stay here and wait for her to wake up," He then said to Lowell. "She might wake up in a day or two. We'll send someone to bring in food so you don't starve and water so you don't get dehydrated."

Lowell nodded, saying, "Aye. I'd like that, lad. Thank you." And he took a chair from behind the wall, putting it by the bed side. He sat down and took off his sage green robes and jacket. He was dressed in a black white beater, sweats and belted combat boots. He looked towards the mare, paying close attention to her features; she had a lithe build, firm and strong, but also quite feminine and a bit charming. Her coat of fur was black, and her mouth revealed to have fangs. She had a long, flowing straight dark green mane and tail. she had a few circles of fur here and there that had a lighter shade of black to look almost like holes. Lowell smiled, because she was pretty. He also smiled because he was happy that she was gonna be okay.

2 days later...

Chrysalis opened her eyes to find herself staring at gray metal walls. She looked around a bit, and saw a stallion with an eye patch on. His eyes were closed for the moment, so he was possibly asleep. She took a good, long glance at him, admiring his build. He was very strong, and when she looked close, she could see the contours of every muscle. She then looked at his facial features; strong jawline, and a slight scar that ran along one side of his mouth. He was otherwise very handsome. She looked away and blushed. She then tried to get up, but a hand reached out in front of her. She looked, and saw it was the same stallion she looked at just a few seconds ago. He smiled and said, "Listen, lass. You should probably lay down, you're still hurt a wee bit..."

Chrysalis wondered what he meant, then remembered what happened before she was unconscious. That's when she felt the shooting pain along her side. She slowly got back down on her back. The stallion then asked, "I'll go get ya some food to eat, okay?" At which Chrysalis nodded and said in a dry voice, "Th-that'd be n-nice..." The stallion smiled and walked out of the room. She waited a few minutes, then saw a tray of food on a mini table set up in front of her. The stallion inched his chair closer and hand fed her the food since she couldn't get up. She chewed for a bit, then after swallowing asked, "W-what's your n-name?" The stallion smiled.

"My name be Lowell, lass. What be yours?"

"I d-don't th-think you'd still h-help m-m-me...i-if I t-told you..."

The stallion chuckled and lightly rubbed her shoulder, saying, "I don't care what your name be, lass. It's fine, tell me." Chrysalis nodded while taking a sip of water and said, "Chr-Chrysalis...Queen of th-the Changelings..." She then flinched, as if expecting a slap from the stallion and spit to fall on her face, but instead received a pat on the shoulder. She opened one eye, and looked to the stallion, still in a curled in position. He smiled and asked, "That wasn't so hard, was it?" Chrysalis couldn't believe it. Here, in front of her, was a normal stallion. And he didn't even care who she was. She became so excited, so...in love...

She looked to him and asked, "S-so, can I hear y-your name?" The stallion grinned and said, "The name be Lowell, lass. Thanks for asking." Chrysalis giggled a little and said, "Cute name...it suits you, actually." The stallion smiled and said, "You think that's cute? Watch this." He puffed out his cheeks and his fur fluffed out. Chrysalis stared, mouth agape, then laughed so hard her face went red. Lowell laughed too and his fur went back to normal. "So, anyways, it's good to see you're okay, lass. I was afraid you wouldn't wake to see the light of day again." Said Lowell. Chrysalis smiled and said, "Me, too."

They just stared at each other for a bit, then Lowell broke the silence by saying, "So, if you happen to need anything, let me know." He then came over and kissed Chrysalis's forehead. "Rest now, Chryssi. You'll need it to regain your strength."

Chrysalis watched him exit with his sage green hooded robe and jacket, as well as his weapons, and a blush spread upon her face. She put a hand to the spot he kissed, and giggled. She then used her magic, and fed off of her own love...for him.

Author's Note

Yes, for those of you reading, there is shipping in the air. Sorry for not yet introducing new characters, that will be done sooner than you think. Keep Calm and Brony on! And remember; Nothing is true, but everything is permitted.
:rainbowlaugh: You all have no idea how much I've wanted to do that in the Author's Notes.

A New Role in Life

Dante sat up on his bed, head buried in hands with his fingers in his hair. He had gained a sudden interest in certain things; What Lowell was, exactly. Why Templars wanted control. Finally, he cried at the sudden realization of something; he was scared that his mother might not have made it out of Ponyville alive. 'No! How could I not remember her!?! I hate myself so much!' ran through his mind. He then looked to his messenger bag at the foot of the bed, then remembered that thing Lowell had on his arm. He realized that he could make an imitation of it using those things he took from the Clock Tower. So, he brought his messenger bag closer and opened it. Everything was still inside. He took out the drill, put in the battery pack, and got to work...

Strapping the thing he had made was a bit of a challenge, but Dante finally managed. He slipped on the ring with the locking mechanism tied to it and flicked his wrist. The blade immediately popped out, the light in the bunker reflecting off the blade. He took out a rubber ball and held it against the bed. He then raised his arm up, and brought it down. A mighty POP sounded and echoed off the metal walls. He smiled and flicked his wrist again only slightly, the blade sliding back in with a clean and yet silent sound. He looked under his hand, looking at the drawer slider with the blade replacing what was previously in the center. Dante thought he could possibly do more, but that'd have to wait. Right now, he needed to find Luna and other possible survivors. He slipped on a black and red hooded jacket and left.

Lowell left the bunker Chrysalis was in and followed Dante, asking, "Where are you going, lad?" Dante waved his hand dismissively and said, "Nothing to worry about. I'm going out to save any possible survivors left behind." Lowells' eye widened and he slid in front of me, blocking my path. "Listen, lad; if there were, they be dead, by now..." This just made Dante angrier, and he put his hand on Lowells' arm. He shoved him aside and ran, jumping onto the ladder. He propelled up by kicking off the bars, and shot out. He landed square on his hooves, his jacket billowing down and touching the floor. He pulled the hood over his face, and got up slowly. He looked around, his red eye gleaming. He then smirked and sprinted. He then jumped and swung off a branch before landing inside the leaves of another ahead. He pushed some leaves aside so he could see. He saw a group of civilians tied together, Templars hovering over them with swords pointed.

Dante perked his ears and listened closely;

"Where is Dante Lorenzo Quicksilver?" Asked the Templar on the right.

One of the civilians shook in fear and said, "I...I don't know!"

The Templar grazed that one's arm and said, "YOU LIE!!! TELL ME WHERE HE IS!!! YOU JUST MIGHT LIVE!!!"

Dante couldn't take the anger bubbling inside, and he did the stupidest thing he ever remembered doing;

He jumped from the tree and extended his hidden blade.

The Templar saw and tried to swing his sword, but Dante kicked it and landed on top of him with his hidden blade impaled in his eye. The Templar screamed bloody murder until Dante took the blade out and then slit his throat. He then rolled off and grabbed the sword in the process. His blade slid back in and he slid on his hooves as he swung the blade, lopping off the head of another Templar. The last one there charged and swung his blade up. Dante swung his blade down and jumped up with the force of impact from the blades colliding. He then stepped back and swung his blade to the side. The Templar deflected and spun to slice him. Dante took his chance, ducked under the blade and stabbed upwards, the blade going through the Templars' muzzle. Dante then twisted and pulled out the blade, kicking the Templars' kneecap in so hard it broke. The dead body slumped over and blood spilled from the hole in his jaw. Dante saw a dagger strapped to that one's leg. He took the strap and blade off, then attached it to his leg, taking out the blade.

He walked towards the hostages and sliced the rope. He then tossed it aside and helped them all up. He then noticed three of them were huddled and crying. One an alicorn, another a blind dregasus and the last one a pegasus. Dante knelt down and tried to ask what was wrong, but one of them tried to swat away his hand. He simply put his hand on his chest and said, "I be not foe, but friend." At that, they stopped crying and looked at him. Except for the dregasus. She simply looked straight ahead. He smiled at them, and said in a calm voice unchanged from what he said previously, "I say exactly what I mean." He then held out his hand again, and they took it, getting up onto their hooves. He then heard a sudden rustling in the bushes and swiveled his dagger to the blade pointing away from him. he held up the blade and got into a fighting stance.

A Templar jumped out with two Tomahawks. Dante smirked and roundhouse kicked, hitting the pony in the ribs while he was in mid-air. Dante rushed in and tried to stab, but the Templar sliced the air next to Dante's ear, causing him to flip out the way. The Templar took advantage of the moment and sliced his lip at the right side. He cursed under his breath with a grunt and held that part of his mouth. He then took out the dagger and got close, stabbing it into his knee. He then twisted the blade and took it out, stabbing it in his mouth and neck. He took the blade out and put it back in its holster. He drop kicked the body and grabbed the Tomahawks. He then took the strap for them and put it on, slipping the Tomahawks in. He turned around to face the victims, But got kicked in the face. As he fell on his back, whoever kicked him had picked the rock back up and bashed him in the eye with it, opening a gash on the left eyelid. Dante cursed loudly, and his eye turned yellow. He shrieked, and the head of his assailant exploded. Dante struggled to get up, being that the blood from his left eyelid blurred half his sight.

Dante looked at the rock, and thought, 'Meh...why not?' And he took the rock, slipping it in the coat's pocket. He then went to the civilians. The three he had saved were somehow connected to his future...he didn't know how...he only knew it to be true...He looked at the blind Dregasus;

The Dregasus was blind, as he could tell from the red eyes containing no pupils. She also had a poison green mane and tail, the mane cut at the end of her jaw, while the tail was long and braided. She had a dark grey coat of fur, and she wore some rebel like clothing. However, he didn't have much time to say something to her, because he then heard gunshots. He turned back to the victims and gestured for them to go to the Everfree Forest and follow him. They ran through the brush, steered clear of the Poison Joke, and stopped at a rock. Dante threw the rock entrance open and rushed everypony inside. When the three that caught his eye earlier had gone in, he turned around.

And then he was shot in the chest with a bullet.

Author's Note

I'd have to say that this chapter here is the longest...But that doesn't matter! What matters is that I'm glad you all love the story so much. Even though it hasn't reached the featured list, I could care less. So long as I'm writing and you all are reading, I'm fine. Oh, and the plot twist I mentioned in a blog post? That'll be in the next chapter.

Just wait, my pretties...you will have your mind-fuck dosage soon...

Secrets are Revealed

Author's Note

Time for that dosage of Mind-fuck! *Flicks a needle.*

Secrets are Revealed

Dante's vision blurred as he clutched his chest where he'd been shot. It was only a few inches from his heart, but that didn't mean shit if an artery had been hit. The Templar got ready to shoot again, but as Dante fell on his knees, a stallion appeared from the brush and stood tall in front of Dante. Dante then realized it was the same stallion he saw from the raid on Ponyville. He watched as the stallion raised his arm up and extended his blade upon another round being fired. When the hidden blade reached full height, it split the bullet in two. He then charged the Templar and stabbed him in the gut. Then, he broke the Templar's knee and stabbed the top of the Templar's head. He snapped the Templar's neck backward and kicked the body to the floor. He then ran to Dante, who had now slumped to the floor, and he said only one word before Dante blacked out;

"Son..."

Dante was stirring, and he eventually opened his eyes to see that a Changeling mare was right above him, looking down with a smile. Dante jolted and sat upright. He backed up a bit as he stared back at the mare. The mare just looked at him, and smiled as she said, "I've wanted to see how you've grown for so long." She then gave him a hug, which confused him at first, but he didn't care, and returned the hug. He then let go and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

The Changeling smiled and said, "You're my son, dearest Dante...I am the Changeling Ace, Fire-heart."

Dante just stared, mouth agape, as he replayed the response she gave over and over in his mind. Finally, it clicked;

That mare was his mother. His mother was a Changeling.

He couldn't contain his excitement. After all these years, he finally met his mother! And now, he can yell at her for the pain he's gone through.

"You left me to ROT IN AN ORPHANAGE!!!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "NOW, YOU HUG ME AND SAY I'M YOUR SON, AS IF YOU'VE BEEN THERE FOR ME!?!" Dante waited for a response. Anything that would show his mother's true colors. She raised her hand and Dante braced unmovingly for her to yell at him. But instead, her hand faltered and fell to her side as she plopped down on the bed, tears falling like a waterfall and meshing her velvet smooth green hair to her face. Dante watched, and the mare finally spoke up with a cracked voice.

"I wanted to be there, but you would've been in danger. Me keeping you near would be selfish. I would've had put you at risk by doing that...please, forgive me..." Dante watched her cry, and he slowly inched forward before giving her a hug. "I forgave our a long time ago...I was just angry, because I never who who my parents were and suddenly, I see you...right here, in front of me." The mare smiled, hugging Dante close to her as she cried in his shoulder. Dante patted her back and he hummed a soft melody to calm her down. Suddenly, the stallion from before came into the beige room that had only the bed. He pulled his hood down, and it revealed...

Dante was seeing himself.

Dante realized that this was definitely his Father, but he looked exactly like him. Down to the eye shape. The only difference was the eye color and the lip and eye scar. The Father laughed and said in a think Istallion accent, "There it a reason you and I look alike, my son. You know that chain around your neck?"

Dante nodded and pulled it from beneath his shirt, a symbol dangling and twirling from the chain. The Father smiled and said, "Go to the mirror outside the room and take it off." Dante did this, and a green flame surrounded him before turning him into a Changeling form. But instead of holes, there were grey spots. Dante saw his eyes were not turquoise or blue, but golden. So was all the other parts not black. He has wings similar to a regular changeling. The membrane of the wings, though, were red.

Dante just stared at his reflection. This was him the entire time? But...how? It couldn't be...right?

"This is the real you, Dante." Said the Father. "This...is what you have really looked like the entire time..."

Dante just looked to the mirror, his eyes fixed on the reflection that showed from the glass. He then turned, looking right at his Father. He opened his mouth and asked in a cracked voice, "D-does this mean I can never...never feel love?"

The Father just said, "You can, actually. In fact, you are a half-breed. Half-breed Changelings can't feed of love like other pure-breed Changelings. They can only feed the same way as normal ponies. That's why you haven't died, yet."

Dante looked down, deep in thought. Finally, he looked back up and asked;

"W-what is your name?"

"My name," the Father replied. "Is Jonathan Lorenzo Quicksilver...and you...are my son."

He then pulled Dante in a hug and whispered in his ear, "And I am proud that it is you who is my son..."