The Engineer

Silicolt Valley was the technological center of Equestria. It was the hub of new inventions and ideas, of machines and devices meant for making everypony's lives better. Data File was one such pony, and was looking into new technology that could be used to help ponies who had lost limbs or suffered crippling injuries to regain their mobility and independence. Data File decided on this course of action when his father, Creative Design, was injured by a machine he was working on in his own lab. As Data File entered his lab on the same day the Vampire's had arrived miles and miles away, he found something that wasn't there before. Sitting on his workshop table was a mask. Solid white, almost featureless save for a few vertical slits for the mouth arranged like a grate and two holes for the eye. No light seemed to pass through these openings, leaving only pure blackness. Data looked at the mask, and distinctly felt the mask looking back. Before he knew it, he was holding it. He wondered how he got so close, and when he picked up this mask. He didn't want to put it on, but here he was holding it. He stared. It got closer and closer to his face. He couldn't help himself. He put it on... The last thing that went through the mind of Data File before it was destroyed and replaced by the evil in the mask was deep regret, the realization that he would bring the end of Equestria as he felt the evil consume him. It needed a bright mind. It had found the perfect host. The Engineer awoke once more.

Hargreaves stood with the dripping chunks of manticore slung over his shoulder by a rope made of the beast's skin. He looked over the ponies arrayed before him, an eyebrow raised behind his gore coated mask, its normally red color now a shade noticeably darker. He figured he had more than enough blood, and these creatures were sentient and uninfected. If he had to fight them, he would without complaint, but he preferred not to if he could. Their body motions said they wanted to flee, but they were still standing their ground. Hargreaves dropped the now drained head and pointed with his hand. He would offer them a chance to run. If they were smart, they would take it. They had a job to do, and they were going to do it with as few casualties as possible.

The girls looked in confusion at the creature as it gestured away. Rarity shivered a little bit at the look of the creature, and Twilight took a few steps back. That mask was menacing, and the fact that none of them could see his eyes only made it that much more unnerving. Fluttershy was the first one to speak.

"Umm... Girls. I think he wants us to leave now.... So, can we? Please?"

Twilight gulped, but shook her head. She knew she only had this chance, and if she let this creature get away, it probably wouldn't be easy to find it again.

"No girls. We can't let a dangerous creature like this run free. I wonder though. Girls, it seems like it understands us. Maybe It can communicate! Fluttershy, can you try talking to it? Maybe it can tell us why it's here, or what it wants."

Fluttershy shivered and looked at Twilight. This creature was dangerous, but if talking to it would save her friends, she would give it a try.

"Um... Ok. I'll try"

Fluttershy trotted over to the bipedal creature, shuddering like a leaf as she approached. The creature stood, watching her intently with its
unreadable gaze. She stopped just close enough for it to hear her and took a deep breath before she looked at it.

"Excuse me. Um, I know you can understand me, so can you please maybe tell us why you did that? Or what you're doing here?...."

Hargreaves listened to the pony as it continued rambling for a short time. He held up a hand in gesture to have her stop, then pointed at his mouth and shook his head to indicate to her he was unable to speak. He thought about it for a moment. Perhaps these ponies could be of use to the vampires, especially considering they had just about no idea where to even begin to look for the Fallen Engineers mask. Hargreaves sighed and shrugged, gesturing for them to follow before he turned to walk off. The next thing he realized was that none of them were following. He shook his head and gestured with his head. They seemed to get it this time and followed.

"Where do y'all think it's takin us?" Applejack whispered to Rainbow Dash

"How the hay should I know? All I know is that wherever it's going is probably nowhere we want to be."

Pinkie leaned in and whispered, interrupting them.
"Maybe it's taking us to surprise party."

"Ah kinda doubt it Pinkie"

It wasn't long before the creature arrived at a clearing, and within the clearing sat four other creatures very similar to it. They looked tired, and every one of them was as pale as the first. It was hard for the girls to tell male from female, but two of the creatures were leaner and more slight, with clear physical differences, so they assumed these two were female. Twilight had been practically shaking. Partially out of fear, partially out of excitement. She wanted to ask questions about these things, now that she saw they were at least not aggressive towards ponies. She was ready to start asking questions when their mute guide started passing around the hunks of meat to the subdued thanks of his exhausted companions. Her questions temporarily died in her throat as each of them gulped down the vital red fluids of the chunks of manticore. As they finished their feast, Twilight finally got the nerve to speak to them.

"Excuse me? Hi, I'm Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends. Do you mind If I ask you a few questions?"

It was one of the males, thin with scraggly hair as black as a raven's feathers, who answered her.
"That depends on the question. How about an exchange? We answer your questions, you help us. We're looking for something. It's something important, something dangerous, and we need to know where to start looking."

Twilight immediately looked apprehensive at this, asking "Dangerous? Why do you need a dangerous item? What are you going to do with it?"

"Destroy it. The object we seek is a mask that will corrupt and infect this world with a twisted cybernetic mind, robbing every sentient being on this world of their free will if not found and destroyed before it can be used. If it is ever put on, it will be the damnation of this world. We must find it and destroy it."

The girls all gasped at this, Rarity nearly fainting and Fluttershy hiding behind Rainbow Dash. Twilight still had another question.

"Wait, if you're trying to save this world, why did you do that to the Manticore? What was that all about?"

Yuki was the next one to answer, giving a low snarl as she spoke.

"We're vampires. That much should have been obvious. We need blood to survive."

"That's right. Without blood to sustain us, we start to weaken. Though normally, we get our sustenance through warfare. Whatever we kill, we consume. That's just our way. " The Dishwasher said, shrugging.

Twilight had sat with the vampires and the girls, asking questions for a few more hours. The information she had been given was frightening to say the least. The way these vampires lost their home world, forced to destroy it in order to stop the spread of the corrupting cybernetic movement after the destruction of the Engineer. The discovery of the Engineer's rebirth on the moon, and the battle to stop the Engineer from destroying the reborn civilization. It was a lot to take in. Though the young princess didn't know where this mask might be, she knew somepony who might. She decided to write a letter to princess Celestia and Luna, hoping they would know where to start looking. While Twilight kept up with the scientific community and with advancements in technology she didn't get out a lot, so didn't know where the most likely place for the mask would be, but she had a few ideas. The Vampires agreed that speaking to the nations leaders was a good idea. The group of vampires stayed the night in Twilight's castle, and the princess was glad for the company in the big old place. They would leave for the castle in the morning to find out what they could from Celestia and Luna.

The Fallen Engineer toiled away, establishing his cybernetics workshop. Several ponies had come into the building to begin their workday, only to be converted into the first of the Engineer's cybernetic minions. Those first few would become his generals. The Programmer, The Chemist, and The Inventor. These three would go out to other cities, and would create further cyborg ponies. It wouldn't take long, the cybernetics would spread. It was an easy thing. Ponies wouldn't be able to resist them, they would become far too many. The Fallen Engineer continued to toil away, creating his army. Abduct, remake, repeat. This process would continue until the world belonged to him. It was an inevitability. This world had no hope for survival....

Author's Note

So, it took a while to finally get it out, but here it is. Sorry for the delay, but it was a little challenging between work and unpacking at my new home. Still, I hope you all enjoy it. Not really sure how I feel about this chapter. Something feels off. Since I don't have a pre-reader I'm relying on you readers to tell me what you think. Constructive criticism welcome, downvotes without reading not so much. If you're gonna downvote, please at least give a reason. Thanks, and enjoy!