Author's Note

Hey.
Yep.
It's not dead, I've just been busy and unsatisfied with a few things. Anyways, I hope you enjoy anyways. Please tell me what you like or don't like about everything. While on that note, if anyone is willing, I could use a proofreader to help check over my work. Either shoot me a comment or PM.
Thank you.

The Scorn

The carriage came to a stop, the shift in speed jolting the sun pony awake. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and watched as the chauffeur opened the door with a bow. She must have dozed off during the ride.

“We are here, Princess Celestia.” She shook her head and regained her regal composure before she stepped out of the carriage and stretched her wings, looking towards the grand marble steps of Manehattan’s oldest concert house, Fillymonica. The day was a bit foggy, giving the old concert house an almost ominous look.

“How many years has it been since I last saw these steps...?” she quietly mumbled to herself, gazing towards the ancient land mark. It shared many characteristics of the Canterlot Castle as that was inspired the architect to build theatre. She could still remember the founding of the very place, though she couldn’t recall the name of the mare who suggested it be made. The founding DID happen over 400 years ago.

“Princess?” Celestia turned to the chauffeur stallion, shaking her head.

“It is nothing. Merely memories.” The royal chauffeur nodded his head and backed down.

“Very well. I shall wait for your return after the show, your majesty.”

“Many thanks, my little pony.”

Celestia began to climb the steps. As she did, she looked around the tops and windows of the concert house. She managed to count seven of Luna’s night guards, each one very well hidden. Luna had assigned a squad of a dozen to watch over her just incase. She began to make her way inside, walking through the winding corridors to find the box seats.

It had been almost two weeks since the human had last been seen by Princess Twilight. Since then, both sisters, the Elements, and Shining Armor and Cadence had been working tirelessly behind the eyes of the public. While they did not want to spread worry or panic about the mysterious attacker, they were not certain that they could keep his presence concealed for too long.

The rest of the Mane Six have been maintaining order in Ponyville. Mr. Hayseed’s death caused quite a fright there, causing unrest in the small country town. Though the princesses asked that none of them speak of the one eyed figure, rumors had spread across the land.

While Luna’s recovery was quick, Celestia pleaded for her sister to stay at the castle as much as possible. She feared that until this human matter was dealt with, that it be best she stayed with as many guards possible. Luna consented with agreement, though she had apparently purchased a ticket for a concert in advance before she was attacked and didn’t want it to go to waste. Because of her confinement to the castle, she gave her ticket to Celestia, saying that she deserved a break. Celestia had been overworking herself as of late, as she was even starting to feel the fatigue from it. She had reluctantly accepted her gift.

Celestia could hear the music from the hall she was in. She turned the corner and was met with two night guards who were standing side by side near the door. They wordlessly parted ways and allowed Celestia to enter.

She found a royal seat prepared for her, which she made her way too. She noticed that she was not alone.

“Princess Celestia,” a clean cut stallion called from across the room. “It is an honor.”

Celestia smiled, recognizing that voice anywhere. He was one of the few nobles that were very tolerable. She turned to the white stallion in question.

“Good day, Fancy Pants. I’m surprised your niece Fleur Dis Lee isn’t with you. You’re both nearly attached at the hip. What brings you here alone?” He waved a hoof casually in the air.

“Fleur has a bit of late night modeling work and couldn’t make the show. I am here because my little nephew is performing to night. He is the one playing piano.” Celestia looked to the stage to see four performers on the stage. A young Unicorn with a light blue coat was seated behind a grand piano, a light aura of magic gently tapping at the keys. He looked like a younger Fancy Pants.

“The relation is striking,” Celestia replied.

Fancy nodded in agreement. “We have been told we shared resemblances before. Why, I remember one time when we were mistaken for brothers.” They both shared a small hearted laugh at the story. Celestia found herself more often than not enjoying the nobel’s casual and light hearted demeanor. He was such a refreshing change of pace when compared to most of the other high class ponies of Canterlot. He always did have a special air of confidence around him that rubbed off on others.

Celestia gazed at the other three in the piano Quartet. She couldn’t recognize the two viola ponies, but she immediately recognized the mare with the cello. It was Octavia Melody, the most popular cellist of the current age. She was quite a notable figure. Celestia could now see why Luna bought her ticket in advance. Octavia’s shows were exclusive and almost always sold out even for those of the highest caliber. Celestia would need to make it up to her sister somehow for making her miss out on such a show.

“Your nephew is quite something. He must be very skilled to meet Octavia’s standards. How long has he played?” He didn’t respond.

She turned to where Fancy was sitting. A tall figure in white and black was leaning back in his place. Celestia’s pupils shrunk to pinpricks, her blood running cold. It wasn’t Fancy sitting there.

“The human...!?” she whispered to herself.

“Darn, you saw through my disguise,” he said sarcastically, though he was secretly surprised. She knew he was a human, yet he hadn’t told that to anyone in this world. It made him question if and where their previous interactions from humans came from.

‘Fancy...!?’

She glanced behind the seats to see Fancy Pants out cold, his bowtie and monocle tied around his muzzle. She looked over to the door to see both night guards missing. Her head snapped back to the figure next to her. He was casually leaning back in his chair, eyes fixated on the stage. The music’s intensity seemed to match the moment. His eyes skipped around the violas to Octavia, seemingly zoned in on her more than the others.

How did he move so fast so silently?! Her head was turned for no more than a few seconds!

“He’s fine, all dozen of your guards included,” the human casually waved off the unconscious nobel. “I merely put them to sleep so I could deal with you...” He started smiling in an innocent, earnest way that just made it all the more sadistic. He turned back to the stage ponies with a small frown.

“...which is what I would say if you were Luna.” Celestia stood and glared at the figure, her nostrils flaring. He appeared unarmed, but she’d rather not take any chances.

“You must come with me right now.” Her eyes became solid white. “I’d suggest not retaliating.”

He shook his head and continued watching the ponies playing their instruments, paying the volatile princess no heed. “Nah. I’ve got nothing against you. Just the ebony one.”

“I don’t think you understand.” Her horn began to glow as she took a step towards him. “You have no say.”

While this attitude was a complete contrast of her normally calm personality, Celestia did not take kindly to those who threaten her ponies, much less those who threaten her own sister. He had already claimed the lives of one of her ponies and she was going to be certain it doesn’t happen again.

But there was something else...There was something about this creature that scared her. He practically radiated an aura of danger that she couldn’t understand. It was like there were teeth around her neck, prepared to crunch her bones. It was an alien feeling.

The human peered at the venting princess. Celestia wasn’t even sure what happened next. The next moment was a blur. Faster than her ancient eyes could follow, she was on the floor. One of the human’s hands was gripping the base of her horn, the other a small metal box. He was so fast that Celestia wasn’t even sure he moved.

“Release me this-mph!” His hand moved from her horn to her snout, rendering her to mere muffles.

She couldn’t aim any combat spells at the human with him redirecting her horn, nor could she out match his physical strength. Any other of her defensive spells were too volatile for this small space. She didn’t want to risk harming any of her citizens as well.

The human begun to twirl the small box in his hands. “Say anything, and every living thing in here dies immediately.” The magical white left Celestia’s eyes as she struggled to escape his grip, but even being part Earth pony, she did little than annoy him. She was actually scared. He had her in a completely vulnerable state. She was suddenly forced up into a sitting position.

“Take a look above the stage,” he calmly commanded. “You see that big chandelier?”

Celestia had no choice but to look, though she didn’t need to see it to be able to know what he was referring too. She saw the crystal chandelier when she first looked at the stage. It was a gift to the concert house from the Crystal Empire so many years back. However, now that she gave it a second glance, she couldn’t help but see that there was something strange about the chains supporting it to the ceiling rafters. There were many objects strapped to the base of the chains, very faint red lights flashing in the dark. They were almost impossible to see unless you were looking for them in specific.

“This is a remote,” the human clarified, raising the metal square in his hand. “ I press this little button and the chandelier falls, crashing and killing all of those on stage.” Celestia couldn’t keep her disgust from showing as he released her. He wiped his sleeves and sat back down in his chair. He gestured for Celestia to do the same.

She thought about the situation. She could definitely save those on stage before the chandelier fell, but there was more to his words than that. When the human threatened her, he said that every thing in the theater would die. The chandelier isn’t capable of hurting anypony that isn’t on the stage. That means the human must have something else in store to incapacitate the crowd as well. She couldn’t act unless she knew the full state of the room as well as the capabilities of this creature.

He was well prepared.

She stood, her horn beginning to glow. The human suddenly coughed, his gaze turned away.

“I forgot to mention that there is a timer.” He reached into his coat and pulled out a ticking egg-timer. There were ten minutes on it. “When this rings, several pounds of explosives will detonate around the theater unless I disarm them, hence everything in here dying. Believe me when I say you won’t be able to evacuate everyone in time, much less find all the explosives that are in and out of the theatre.” He turned to her. “I’d suggest sitting down. This may be your only chance to have a chat with me.”

Celestia started to feel feelings she hadn’t felt in many years.

Anger and fear, more so than she would like to admit. Not only did he just manage to have Celestia rendered defenseless physically, but he also prevented her from performing any action to stop him from doing what he wished. She could attempt a group teleportation, but the magnitude of the spell would be beyond great, even for an Alicorn. Even if she pulled off the spell, there was still the off chance that she could miss somepony she couldn’t see. She couldn’t risk something like that.

She sat down slowly, still staring daggers at the human before her. “Who are you and why are you doing this?” she asked, her eyes as sharp as her tone, though there were hints of other feelings as well.

The human let out a low hum. “One step at a time, Princess. What’s the rush?” He smiled again in that innocent way. That innocent way that masked a killer. He turned away.

“My real name is Trance Hunt, but I’m normally called Trance Hunter.”

‘...Such a fitting name for a creature like this,’ Celestia thought to herself.

Trance stood suddenly and turned to her. He got down on one knee, as if he were honorably bowing. In that one moment, Celestia went from furious to dumbstruck.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question, your majesty?” She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and wasn’t entirely certain why. This creature’s actions seemed innocent and certainly were polite, yet they were matched with truly despicable motives. She wondered on just what level his skills of manipulation were on. Just how much psychological prowess did he possess? How far does he think ahead?

“I do not have a choice,” she stated, disappointment and defeat in her voice. From this angle, she noticed his visible eye was an electric blue. She started wondering why he wore that patch over his other eye. No doubt he was questioned about it regularly.

His next question she expected, but made her fall into silence nonetheless.

“Why isn’t Luna sitting in your chair tonight?”

The human cocked his head to the side. The ticking of the timer beat like a metronome with the music

“Could it be that I have killed her?” Celestia narrowed her eyes on Trance. As she was about to open her mouth to retort, he blinked.

“Could it be that she isn’t dead?” He stood from the chair. “Could it be that she is resting up in Canterlot Castle as we speak?” He began walking around the small box room. “Could it be that her sister, Princess Celestia, decided there was a threat so great that she would confine her sister to the Canterlot castle, in hope that the guards and castle would intimidate said threat into backing down his original intent, whatever that may be?”

Celestia’s face may have been void of expression, but the same couldn’t be said for her mind. Too many thoughts raced through her head. She began assessing the situation she, her sister, and all of Equestria was in. All were being threatened at the same time by this single creature of an unknown caliber.

She decided it was best to answer none of his questions, mostly because he already knew the answers to them. His rhetorical appeal left little to be desired.

“Why are you doing this?” Celestia questioned, leaving all emotion devoid from her features. The creature stopped pacing. His white hood seemed to contrast so much against the dark wall behind him. The way his eye glared at her from under his hood was unnerving.

“We all have things we want to forget,” he began. “I have things that I want everyone to forget. Everyone.”

He paused for several seconds. He began to chuckle quietly, placing a palm to his head. Celestia was about to respond, but his chuckling became a groan. He ran a hand over his face. Though he was young, he suddenly appeared several years older. He appeared alone and broken for a moment. His attitude immediately changed, completely catching Celestia off guard. He looked tired. When did he last sleep?

“I’ll cut you a break,” he said. “I’ll keep citizen casualties to a low. I won’t kill less I deem necessary. My business is with Luna, not with your populace, not with you. Let me explain one thing though. I will do whatever it takes to finish what I started.”

Celestia’s throat felt dry. She’d dealt with ambassadors and dignitaries from other nations across the world. She’d played politics as old as politics themselves and knew all the games of the speech trade, or so she thought. This creature wasn’t an ambassador. He was alone. He was his own population, citizen, and leader. He felt that he didn’t need to worry for anypony but himself. It was sad to see a mortal with a twisted reality like his, but that solitude gave him a strength of his own.

Celestia shook her head ever so slightly, “Please do not do anything you will regret,” she began. “I can obviously not allow you to intentionally hurt my citizens or sister, but perhaps we can help you,” she said with hope in her tone. “Perhaps Princess Twilight and her friends can teach you the magic of friendship. Perhaps you can change your ways. I have been alive for centuries and can tell you that violence is never the right answer.”

He observed Celestia for a very long time, as if he was contemplating her offer. His cyclopean gaze drilled down deep into her very being, though her poker face remained steadfast from years of training. You could probably crush a pony with his gaze alone.

He smiled almost woefully.

“Sorry Sunny Sides.”

Come again? What did he just call her?

“Your words are as hollow as your expression,” he continued. “No one here would ever accept me for what I am. I am the single most hated creature from my world.” He pressed a button on the remote in his hands, causing smoke to flood the concert houses, screams of the noble patrons audible. His grin changed back into that sinister look of his.

“I lied. There never were explosives. Only distractions. None should be harmed if you act fast. Seven seconds till the chandelier hits the stage,” he said before he bashed a nearby window and leaped out into the fog, swinging from a nearly invisible cable.

His words and actions were so sudden.that it left Celestia in a baffled stupor for a moment. The cables holding the ceiling ornament snapped in rapid succession, breaking her out of her momentary lapse.

Celestia would have gave chase to the human, but her ponies were her main priority. She focused her attention and levitation magic to slow the falling chandelier of crystal to a stop. Those on stage quickly realized the immediate danger above them moved. Only after they were off stage did she gently set the crystal chandelier gently down.

Celestia began to mentally prepare a speech to her ponies about this hunter, because he had already escaped into the night time fog. There was no hope to conceal his presence after tonight.

In the chaos of smoke bombs going off, no one seemed to notice the three blue eyed figures who saw the entire scene between Celestia and Trance play out. They exchanged glances before teleporting a safe distance outside, far away from the chaos. Green fire engulfed all three ponies, revealing green-black bug creatures with wings.

“Dis seems like somethin to report, huh?” the first one asked, a strange accent in its voice. The others nodded their heads.

“Yup. Definitely somethin to report,” another said said in agreement. They paused.

“We should go now,” the last one said.

“We should,” the others agreed.

Green fire engulfed the Changelings, a trio of Pegasus appearing in their spot. They flapped a few times before taking off and flying out of Canterlot.

What they failed to see was the figure in black that blended in with the roof of a nearby building. He whistled a little tune.

“Green fire...Shapeshifters...Blue eyed spies...Reports to a higher authority...Naive princesses...”

Trance looked to the night sky, observing the moon’s brimming glow. There were several cables, hooks, and nooses hanging over his shoulder.

“How much more complicated do I wanna make things...?” He paused his out loud monologue.

“Exactly...what do I want to do here Jack...?”