Vigilante

Chapters

Tainted Memories - Changeling Invasion!
"The Canterlot Carving" - Massacre In Canterlot!
First Contact - Friend or Foe?
Seeking Answers - The Two-Sided Coin...
Missing Element - The Butcher and the Butterfly!
The Homecoming - Into The Abyss...
Echoes in the Dark - Memories of the Vigilante!
Interlude - "Vigilicious"...?

Tainted Memories - Changeling Invasion!

Author's Note

ATTENTION

Despite not appearing in the tags, the rest of the Mane 6 will play several key roles in the story as well, just not as much as Twilight, Fluttershy, and Lyra. Consider the "Other" tag as the hint of several other characters playing important roles as well.

Tainted Memories - Changeling Invasion!

"Miss Heartstrings?" a male's voice echoed through the other side of an opening door. A mint-colored unicorn mare with a bright mane and tail trotted into the room with a nervous look on her face. As soon as the door closed, the others in the waiting room could read "Doctor Soothing Voice" on the nameplate.

When Lyra stepped into the office, she took a seat on the comfortable chair on the other side of the desk. A tall, thin earth pony stallion with a brown coat, blue mane, and emerald green eyes smiled at her and bowed his head respectfully. She returned the gesture and weakly returned a smile of her own, though only briefly, until he began to sort through the paperwork on his desk with his forehooves.

"It's good to see you alive and well, Miss Heartstrings. Would you care for an apple? Fresh from Sweet Apple Acres, in fact," the doctor offered, motioning towards the bowl of apples on the outer-left corner of his desk.

Lyra waved a hoof dismissively before shaking her head. "N-no thank you, Doctor Voice. I've already eaten on my way up here... thanks, though... f-for the offer, that is."

The doctor nodded his head and looked back at his paperwork once again. "Now, I've been hearing several reports that have all lead towards the same thing, but I've been trying to avoid bringing you into it, considering how close you were when it happened."

Lyra tilted her head confusedly. "I'm sorry, but... when what happened?"

The doctor sighed before looking at the door and nodding his head. When Lyra turned around, she saw a tall orange stallion with a blonde mane and tail, a suit jacket, and a pair of shades over his eyes, reach one of his forehooves towards the light switch. As soon as Lyra saw what he was doing, however, her pupils shrunk into pinpricks, her horn quickly glowed, and she instinctively pushed the stallion's hoof away from the light switch.

In a completely horrified tone, she screamed, "N-NO! DON'T TURN THAT OFF!"

The stallion raised an eyebrow confusedly before turning towards the doctor, who closed his eyes and nodded his head sagely. The stallion nodded his head in return before placing his hoof back on the floor and motioning towards the doctor for Lyra.

She gulped before looking back at the doctor once more. Her formerly ordinary expression was now one of sheer terror. Her mane, despite being slightly combed earlier, was now a mess, and she was breathing heavily now. Her hooves were shaking, and her eyes were quickly starting to water up.

Then she slammed her head into the desk, covered her eyes, and began to cry as horrific memories began to fill her mind. This made the doctor sigh, close his eyes, and adjust the papers with a troubled expression on his face.

Finally, when Lyra was no longer crying, he told her, "Please, Miss Heartstrings, take deep breaths. It will help ease your mind."

Lyra nodded her head and did as instructed. She started off breathing deeply, but in quick secession. Then, once she began slowing her breathing down, her heart rate began to normalize, and her shakiness was losing its frequency, until she was sitting still again.

"Now Miss Heartstrings... I understand that you do not want to go through with this, but you were there the longest, and your roommate was the runner up. She's already spoken with us about what she knew, but to get to the bottom of this, we need your input as well," He blinked once before leaning closer to her with a serious expression on his face. She was avoiding eye contact as he did so. "It would not only help us get a better understanding about the events... but it'll also help us learn more about what it is that we're dealing with."

Lyra shook her head and continued looking down with her eyes closed. The doctor noticed this, but said nothing. Then he leaned into his chair again and rested the lower end of his snout into his forehooves, his eyes unmoving, and attached to Lyra's scalp.

They sat there for about two minutes, silently listening to the grandfather clock on the side of the room. The doctor cleared his throat and asked, "Miss Heartstrings... what is the thing that we're dealing with, exactly?"

Lyra remained silent for another few moments. The doctor sighed and leaned back into his seat when Lyra finally mustered up enough courage to speak again. "Something you shouldn't be dealing with... something that you shouldn't even think about, lest it haunt you even more..."

The doctor and the stallion guard raised an eyebrow confusedly before inching closer to her.

"It wasn't just some creature... it wasn't just some monster... it must've been a demon! It... i-it was ruthless! It killed them... all of them... and didn't even blink! It showed no emotion, no mercy, no... n-no... it wasn't a demon, either! T-this thing... it... it w-was worse than a demon! Worse than anything that could ever even exist in this world!"

"Lyra?" The doctor began to grow more worried for her. "Lyra, we don't understand what you're saying. Please, though, start from the beginning, so that we could. We need every little detail that you could remember."

Lyra sat there silently for a moment before slowly nodding her head. "O-okay... I... I'll t-try..."

The doctor nodded his head and lifted a pencil up to a notebook, then began taking notes as Lyra began her tale.

Ponyville, One Month Ago

The ponies of Ponyville were either relaxing or celebrating the recent marriage of Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armor from outside in the town center. There were several different stands with an assortment of food items and other miscellaneous goods. The town's DJ was standing at the back of her turntable, bobbing her head with the beat of the music, wearing her signature purple shades, and smiling widely as the crowd danced to her music.

Amongst the crowds, Lyra and her cream colored earth pony friend/roommate, Bon Bon, sat on a bench, enjoying themselves to a few of the delicacies that were being served. Bon Bon, being one of the town's candy makers, was on break for a short time until the end of the song, which was halfway through.

As usual, Lyra was sitting in a strangely different position. Instead of sitting with all of her hooves folded below her belly, her forehooves rested on the bench, while her hind hooves stretched off of the bench, hovering in the air, with her rear relaxed on the back side of the bench.

At first Bon Bon felt confused and slightly embarrassed about the way Lyra sat down. Over time, however, she grew used to it, and eventually accepted it as one of the things that makes Lyra "Lyra".

As the lights from the distant mountainous city of Canterlot filled the sky, they couldn't help but watch as the lights began filling Ponyville as well. It was the wedding day for one of their three princesses, after all.

The lights filled the streets in several different colors, giving the atmosphere of the entire town a clubhouse feel. The ponies inside were enjoying the party, dancing and bobbing their heads.

Little did they know, however, that several glowing blue eyes were starting to shine from around the illuminated town. One pair of those eyes quickly closed, and a green glow illuminated from between them, revealing the crooked horn of the changeling.

The DJ was so caught up in her music that she didn't even notice the green ball of energy quickly headed her way. When it hit her directly in the forehead, she flew backwards and collapsed on the ground, unconscious, but still breathing. Due to the loud music, the loud ponies, and the bright lights, however, nopony noticed until after the song that was playing came to an abrupt end.

Some of the ponies stopped moving and looked towards the turntable, only to find the DJ missing. If it weren't for the lights still going on, they would've spotted her unconscious form behind it, but alas, it wasn't until the next song failed to play when the rest of the ponies began to grow curious.

Bon Bon turned towards Lyra and asked, "Lyra, did you happen to catch where Vinyl Scratch went?"

Lyra shrugged her shoulders before replying, "Eh, she must've finally decided to hit the hay. She was in Canterlot just an hour ago, after all, so two parties in one night might've been her limit."

Bon Bon shook her head and replied, "No, that can't be right... she would've at least said something on the speakers! I'll go look for her. Just try to stay out of trouble, okay Lyra?"

Lyra waved a hoof dismissively at her and closed her eyes. Then she yawned with a feint pop in her jaw before turning to Bon Bon and smiling at her. "Kay... though to be fair, I'm probably going to be headed home soon myself. If I'm not here when you get back, just check the house."

Bon Bon nodded her head and trotted off towards the turntable. Considering that she and Lyra were close friends to Vinyl, they were given permission to put on the next tracks should such situations occur.

After giving the microphone a gentle tap to test it, Bon Bon cleared her throat and said to the audience, "Sorry for the delay, folks! Just a couple technical difficulties, is all... I'll throw in the next track for you, though!" With that, she slid the next record into the machine and moved the needle in place before trotting away from the table.

Before she could take one step from the back, however, she felt something solid under her left forehoof. When she looked down to see what it was, she gasped as Vinyl Scratch's signature shades lied there, cracked from either her hoof, or from the impact on the hard wood surface.

She lifted the shades and eyed them carefully, along with the area directly behind the turntable. There, she noticed a few small strands of neon blue hair. One was still emitting a small flame on the tip... a small green flame.

Bon Bon's ears splayed back as the sudden realization hit her... her friend was abducted. Not wanting to cause a commotion, she quickly lifted the hairs and trotted towards the nearest doctor. If they could get a reading on the foreign magic, then she would be able to find the culprit.

...

Doctor Voice sat patiently as Lyra paused for a brief moment. She looked down, closed her eyes, and began taking deep breaths, recalling her nightmarish memories of the events.

"Miss Heartstrings, we've heard most of that part from Bon Bon. Can you tell me what happened during that time on your side, though?"

Lyra nodded her head and continued once her breathing was back to normal.

While Bon Bon headed out, Lyra's eyelids began to grow heavy. Despite the loud noises from around the town, she ended up falling onto the bench completely. Instinctively, her hind legs found their way underneath her body, and her forehooves crossed underneath her snout. In mere seconds, the sounds of the party, the music, and the ponies chatting amongst themselves, all faded into nothing.

She was woken up by somepony screaming nearby. Her eyes shot open and she let out a startled gasp before turning towards the source of the screaming.

A mare was rushing away from a group of shadowy figures with glowing blue eyes... the same kinds of blue eyes that caused her to feel a surge of panic; the same surge that caused her to leave the wedding early.

Lyra quickly leaped up and scanned the area around her. Fires were starting to form from nearby houses, as several changelings began rushing from multiple corners. She began to breathe heavily as several changeling eyes focused on her, and the owners of the eyes hissed once they saw her.

She didn't waste another second before kicking dirt off the ground, and galloping towards the area with the least amount of changelings grouped together.

She ran for a minute before turning around to see how many changelings were after her. Thankfully they all didn't target her, but unfortunately, she was still outnumbered eight to one.

No matter how fast she ran, they were gaining speed on her, almost as if they didn't even have lungs. Eventually she felt one's fangs even snap at her tail, and she was able to feel the impact of the fangs clattering together.

She was barely able to see the borderline to the Everfree Forest when she saw a green flash coming from behind her. Then she heard the crackling sound of magic being cast... and following that, agony on her right hind leg. The pain was enough for the changeling directly behind her to tackle her to the ground and hiss, as its face inched closer to her own.

The doctor nodded his head and hummed to himself. "Indeed, that does sound like a nightmarish experience. Changelings have been known to have that effect after absorbing the love from somepony."

Lyra shook her head and began to shiver. This made the doctor tilt his head confusedly before inching closer towards her. "Lyra... do you need to take a break?"

She shook her head again before looking up at him. Her eyes were now covered in tears once more as she continued to shake. "N-no... you don't understand! They never could get any love out of me!"

Doctor Voice raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh? How come, if you don't mind me asking?"

Lyra had to take a few deep breaths again before she could reply. "B-because... the nightmares begin after that moment..."

As the changeling inched closer to her head, her life began to flash before her eyes. The day she was born, her first birthday, up to five months ago, on her eighteenth, the gala, her friends she made in her life... everything. It all happened so fast.

The changeling's fangs were mere inches from her snout when a strange rattling sound began to fill the air from the Everfree Forest. The rattling sounded almost like iron chains being dragged through the ground, in a rocky environment. Along with it were strange beating noises, somewhat similar to hoofsteps, but at the same time, far more different... padded, and louder. The fact that the steps came in pairs must've meant that whatever was making the noise was bipedal.

The changeling looked up and glared at the source of the sounds. Then it leaped from on top of her and lowered its head in an aggressive snarl as the unknown figure moved closer. Lyra took this chance to look towards where the changeling was looking... but she instantly regretted it once she did.

Slowly walking from the Everfree Forest was a huge bipedal figure, standing four to five times as tall as an average earth pony stallion, or twice as tall as Princess Celestia herself.

The figure wore a thick black hooded jacket, thick black combat pants, a pair of pitch black boots, a pair of long, black padded gloves, and a pair of iron shackles on its heels with small broken chains dragging from the back sides of the shackles.

The most threatening feature of the creature, however, was the mask that it wore over its face.

The mask bore two large, pitch black, emotionless circles where its eyes would be, and its snout appeared to have a third circle with a strange, thick disc attached to its snout's left corner. In a way, it almost looked like a metallic insect, only taller and much more menacing.

It continued to approach them, evermore emotionless, giving them an increasingly ominous feeling about it. Lyra couldn't, for the life of her, tell whose side it was on, but the way how the changeling was reacting, it was clear that it wasn't on their side. The fact that she's never seen it before, however, has left it in a more suspicious light, though.

As it slowly walked towards them, she tried to move, only to find that her hind legs were disabled from the spell that one of the changelings cast on her. This left her with no choice but to watch the creature approach.

When it was past the bridge that separated the forest from the peaceful lands where a lone cottage rested, the changeling decided to blast a green fireball towards the creature's head.

Once it struck, the creature looked up and stopped moving due to the recoil of the spell. Then the changeling began to slowly move towards it, only to stop when the creature looked down again, unfazed by the spell, and walk towards them once again.

The changeling tried firing at it again, but this time it hit the creature's left shoulder, which only acted as a weak shove. The creature didn't even bother to stop moving this time, though.

Again the changeling tried firing a third time, aiming at the stranger's stomach. When the blast hit, the stranger flew backwards a couple steps then fell onto its back. This bought the changeling enough time to rush towards it to investigate.

The changeling's movement was hindered once the behemoth stood back up and continued walking towards it, not showing any signs of injury. This infuriated the changeling and caused it to lower its crooked horn towards the figure and charge head-on.

As soon as it reached the figure, it was caught by surprise when the creature's left hand wrapped around its horn and stopped it from moving completely. The changeling tried slapping at its arm, but to no avail, as the creature slowly lifted it into the air.

The changeling's wings began to flap rapidly, but the creature's strength was far too much for the changeling to even think of escaping from.

The figure then held the changeling up towards its face, almost as if the creature were examining the changeling for something. The changeling, in turn, tried snapping at the creature's face, and let out an aggressive snarl.

Finally, the figure stretched its left arm outwards, giving the changeling about a meter of distance away from it... for whatever reason, Lyra couldn't understand...

Not until it reached its right arm over its left shoulder, that is. When its hand caught a hold of something from behind it, another metallic sound filled the air that caused Lyra's hair to stand on end; the sound of a blade sliding from a scabbard.

"Don't tell me that's-" she began to think, only for her train of thought to be interrupted by the sight of a huge machete that appeared to be the size of a fully grown stallion... one forth the creature's height.

The changeling's eyes shot wide open at the sight as it began to furiously bash its forehooves on the figure's left arm. Its wings continued to flap, but with more speed, as sweat drops began to fall from its forehead.

Then the figure raised its right hand into the air, with the machete hovering behind its shoulders. At this point, the changeling began to hiss even louder, alerting the changelings to try and do something... but like Lyra, the rest of the changelings were staring at the stranger in horror.

And then... the blade swished through the air at a rapid pace, and sliced directly through the changeling's neck, filling the air with a brief agonizing screech from the changeling, the clinging of a blade onto a chitinous figure, the pound of an insect's body landing on the ground, and the sound of liquid rapidly dripping onto the dirt.

The changeling's head remained in the creature's hand as it lifted the twitching limb up to examine it once more. Its mouth remained open, and its lips weakly formed a frown while its lower left eyelid closed half of its eye off.

The changelings began to slowly approach the figure as it continued to stare at the dismembered head. Lyra, however, was frantically trying to wake her hind legs up so that she could escape the brute. Unfortunately, though, the spell on her legs was too strong for her to disable.

Even so, she wasn't able to cast magic at this point. It would be impossible for anyone to focus after witnessing what she just saw! Considering the fact that the changelings were approaching the creature cautiously, yet head-on, it was clear that they were no longer able to focus, either.

Finally, two of the remaining seven changelings dashed towards the figure with their horns aimed forward. The figure, however, just stood there staring at its first victim's head. Then, once the changelings were close enough, they lunged forward, only to narrowly miss as the creature stepped to the side.

When they regained their footing, the left changeling, the closed to the figure, lunged again. Rather than dodge it, however, the figure sliced its machete towards it, cutting its body in half, but badly slanted. When it landed, its hind hooves slid a little less than the rest of its body. It screeched loudly as its intestines barely hung loosely outside of its now exposed insides. Then its eyes rested on the figure approaching it with the entirety of the other changeling's head now firmly grasped in its left hand, rather than just the horn.

With every step the figure took, the halved changeling's forehooves tried sliding itself back two more... but the figure's height made it clear that it was futile to try to run now. It lifted the first changeling's head into the air with its horn facing downwards. Then the changeling screeched one last time before the creature shoved the horn through the eyes of its next victim.

The third changeling tried rushing towards the figure in a feeble attempt to save its comrade, but by the time it was within reach, the figure stretched the machete forward and just held it there as the changeling's own speed became its downfall. With its mouth pried open, the changeling's skull was pierced open by the machete, and its glowing eyes quickly dimmed down as its hooves began swinging with the wind.

The figure lifted the machete and the changeling corpse effortlessly before eying the changeling curiously. Then the creature shrugged its shoulders carelessly, firmly gripped the changeling's throat, and twisted the machete in a circular motion. With a loud snap, the changeling's body was no longer attached to the head, and fell to the ground. Its head, however, was still attached to the blade.

The last five changelings continued to stare in horror as the figure lifted the blade in the air again and slung it towards them, flinging the head off the blade, and sending it rolling closer to them.

Two of them crouched onto the ground, ready to pounce, while two more took flight, and prepared for an aerial assault. The fifth, however, was staring at the eyes of its fallen comrade with Lyra.

In unison, the four changelings charged towards the figure and prepared to hopefully land a hit on it. When they were within reach, the aerial ones dived towards it from the air while the ones on the ground tried striking it from behind.

In one fluid motion, the monster stabbed the machete through the skull and the stomach of the two flying ones, and rotated enough for their bodies to clash into the first grounded one. The second one that was running, however, managed to dodge the strike and bite into the creature's right arm.

As it continued to plunge its fangs into the creature's arm, however, it made a stunning realization... there was no blood. In fact, all it could taste was metal.

Its eyes widened in realization while the three limp bodies of its comrades slid off of the creature's blade. Then it gripped the changeling by the throat, pinching the sides of its jaw to pry its mouth open.

It stared in horror as the figure held it into the air with its left hand, while its right hand rose up once again, the blade of the machete hovering behind its shoulders.

This time, however, once the creature swung the blade, it swung it much lower. In a split second, the changeling's hind hooves fell to the floor, and following that, the rest of it.

It tried crawling away, but the figure quickly stepped on its wings, gripped its forehooves, and lifted it up again, snapping the wings clean off.

As blood spurted from its back, it continued to struggle as the monster lifted it up to its head, seemingly peering into its soul. The changeling only continued to struggle, which made the monster turn its head to to the side, almost like it was thinking on what to do.

Finally, the figure straightened its head out again and placed the changeling's left hoof in its right hand, binding them both together. Then it lifted its machete up once more before slicing the changeling's forehooves clean off.

As the changeling's legless body fell to the floor, it screeched in agony as its head shook madly, feebly trying to find a way out of the danger it was in. Then, once it saw the figure step closer to it, its cries intensified.

The figure lifted its right foot in the air, and hovered it over the changeling's head, causing it to sweat profusely and try moving out of the monster's foot's reach. Then, as it cried one final time, the creature's foot smashed the changeling's head into a bloody, chunky puddle. Little giblets of brain matter, little skull fragments, fangs, and even one of its eyeballs stuck to the creature's foot when it lifted it back up.

Slowly, the figure turned towards the last remaining changeling and lifted its machete into the air.

Unlike its brethren, though, this changeling quickly turned around and attempted to fly away, only for the figure to throw its machete into its left hind leg, and pin it to the ground.

The changeling tried and tried to lift the machete from its leg, but to no avail. Then it gulped as the creature's shadow began to cover it.

As a final attempt for backup, its horn started to glow as it prepared to cast an emergency firework spell. Once the figure was in reach, the spell was complete, and the changeling quickly fired it into the air... only for the figure to catch the glowing green ball with its right hand.

The changeling had no time to react before the figure pried its mouth open with its left hand, punched the glowing green orb into its mouth (cracking, removing, and dislocating several fangs in the process), and just stood there while the changeling screeched loudly. Then the spell detonated, and chunks of brain, skull, and even its lungs and its heart shot out of the back of the changeling's head, and halfway down its spine.

The figure then stood back up and turned towards the last living figure in the area... Lyra.

Her breathing grew at a frantic rate as the creature pulled its machete out of the ground and began to slowly approach her. What's more, as it was close by her, she saw it lift the machete up once again. She closed her eyes and braced for impact...

Before anything else could happen, a cream-colored blur flew right past Lyra and crashed into the monster before it could strike. The creature flew back several meters and fell to the ground as the blade to its machete pierced the dirt road.

Lyra opened her eyes again and gasped as she saw none other than her friend Bon Bon standing to guard her.

"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU BIG MONSTER!" Bon Bon shouted at the top of her lungs.

The figure merely stood back up and began to approach her. Lyra quickly shook her head and turned to Bon Bon with a frightened expression on her face.

"BONNIE! RUN! DON'T LET THAT THING GET A HOLD OF YOU!"

Bon Bon shook her head and turned to her friend. "I'M NOT LEAVING YOU TO DIE BY THIS THING, LYRA!"

Lyra closed her eyes and shook the tears from them. "BUT THEN YOU'LL DIE!"

Bon Bon then turned towards the figure as it approached, then eyed the machete that was grounded next to her. She then kicked the blunt end of the blade forward, causing the rest of it to fall into the dirt before reaching down and gripping onto the handle.

Unfortunate for her, however, the machete was unbelievably heavy. She couldn't even make it budge!

Repeatedly, she tried lifting it up, only for it to remain on the ground. She was so focused on it, in fact, that she didn't notice the shadow looming over her until it was too late.

With a yelp, she felt the figure's left hand grip onto her throat and lift her into the air while its right hand lifted the blade with ease. She started choking as her forehooves held onto the figure's arm. Then it lifted her up to where they were face-to-face.

Time seemed to freeze for her as she peered into the pitch black eye sockets of the monster before her. For the first time since she could remember, she was powerless, and through the sockets, she could only see herself suffering in the hands of the monster that she stared at.

This creature appeared to not even have a soul. No sane individual would do the things that this monster has done.

And yet, it hasn't cut her down yet. Instead, it tilted its head, examining her while she struggled. Her vision began to blur as tears fell from her eyes, which began to drift towards Lyra.

The figure straightened its head back before raising the blade up. Bon Bon closed her eyes as she braced herself for the impact. Then, the sound of the blade hitting the dirt caught her attention.

She opened her eyes again, and beheld the blade lying at the creature's right, and its right hand opened widely. Its grip on her throat loosed a little, giving her enough room in her throat to at least breathe again. The pain of the pressure built on top of her jaw, however, was still present.

The figure then slowly brought its right hand behind her head and brought its fingers together. It kept the pose for a short while while she began to catch her breath.

Finally, in a blurring motion, its hand lashed towards the back of her neck, causing her ears to ring, her eyes to shoot open, and her vision to quickly blur. Then her muscles relaxed, her hooves fell limp, and everything around her faded into darkness.

Lyra's jaw dropped and her eyes widened at the sudden turn of events. She stared in horror as the figure released her friend, who limply fell onto the ground and lied there motionless.

"BONNIE!"

She tried crawling up to her friend, but due to the spell on her hind legs, she was greatly slowed down. Then she paused as she saw the shadow of the figure loom over her. She didn't even bother to look up, but rather she tried to make a u-turn so that she could get away from the monster. Regardless, though, the shadow remained over her the entire time, trapping her in the darkness, and forcing her to close her eyes and await the inevitable.

She fell to the ground on her back and cried as she brought her forehooves up to her face to flinch. She knew that all was hopeless, and that she would be the next victim.

She felt the hand wrap around her throat... but she wasn't lifted all the way off the ground, and the hand didn't grip her firmly. Its thumb traced down her jawline, until its entire hand was rested on the back of her head, hovering it over the ground by a few inches.

She briefly opened her eyes, only to find the soulless creature staring back at her with its emotionless mask. It tilted its head again, which forced her to close her eyes once more and sniffle as the tears fell down her cheeks.

Finally, she felt the creature's right hand trace over her scalp... but then she felt something unexpected... a gentle, soothing stroke after another behind her left ear.

She weakly opened her eyes again, and found that the creature was gently petting her... almost like it was trying to comfort her.

Its right hand trailed down her face and it gently wiped the tears from her eyes. Then it gently rubbed her left cheek and trailed its hand to behind her mane.

Finally, the creature stopped petting her and removed its right hand from her head. Her breathing, despite the recent events, was normal again, at least.

Suddenly, a sharp pain built up from the back of her neck. Like Bon Bon, her eyes shot open, her muscles loosened, and everything around her began to fade away. The last she could see before losing consciousness was the creature's mysterious, masked face.

Doctor Voice's Office, Present Day

"And I'm sure you know the rest. I woke up two days later in a hospital bed, with Bonnie in the bed next to me, awake and happy to see me alive. And according to the news, the... the thing went through the town, and somehow managed to kill all of the changelings that were in Ponyville. The survivors, however, were rescued the following day when the Bearers of Harmony returned, and called for the guards to arrive."

Doctor Voice nodded his head and tapped the pencil onto the last sheet of paper, giving it the closing period, before looking at Lyra with a strained smile on his face. "It's good to see that the survivors who I've already interviewed stated similar things on their sides. Thanks to this proof, I've finally gathered the information that was needed."

He then stood back up from the back of his desk and trotted around it while Lyra stood from the seat and began heading towards the exit. She bowed her head respectfully to the door stallion who opened it for her, and he, in turn, bowed his head in response.

Before Lyra left the room, however, she turned to Doctor Voice and asked, "By the way, what are you trying to learn about it?"

He shrugged before replying, "I'm mostly just doing this for Princess Celestia, to be honest. She wanted to know more about this figure once the news reached her. She may be able to rest easier when she hears what I've discovered, though... and I'm sure you'll be able to rest easier, also."

Lyra tilted her head curiously before asking, "Oh? What is it, then?"

Doctor Voice smiled and replied, "As it stands, he more than likely doesn't kill ponies!"

Canterlot, Midnight

A noble mare trotted through the marble stone road, happily humming a simple tune to herself that she recently heard in a restaurant's radio system. She held an umbrella over her head, due to the scheduled rain for the night.

As she trotted towards a certain corner, however, something peculiar caught her nose. She smelled an unfamiliar stink coming from the nearest alley. When she looked towards it, she could've sworn she saw a stallion lying down in an odd angle. Curious, she decided to go through the alley to investigate.

Sure enough, she saw a strangely familiar stallion sitting on the floor with his hind legs stretched out and his forehooves tucked into the hoodie that he was wearing. His head was covered in his hood, though, so she wasn't able to get a good look at his face.

"Excuse me, sir? Are you alright?" the mare asked concernedly.

The stallion didn't reply. He merely sat there motionlessly, causing her curiosity to get the better of her.

She slowly trotted towards him, only to notice the foul odor get stronger the closer she got to him. Then she noticed that he was sitting in a red puddle, with a few hints of the red liquid staining the lower half of his jacket.

"S-sir? Sir?" She finally decided to try nudging his right shoulder.

As soon as she put pressure on his shoulder, however, his upper body fell over, while his lower body remained still, revealing several insects eating the insides of his midsection, where he was cut in half.

The mare gasped and backed away, speechless, and downright terrified at the sight before her. Then a single bolt of lightning illuminated the alley that she was standing, revealing the shadow of a tall biped looming over her, wielding a machete in its right hand.

She gulped and began to breathe heavily as the realization that she wasn't alone in the alley dawned upon her. Then, once she turned around, she saw the masked figure standing right in front of her with its machete over its shoulders.

Finally, without any other choices in the matter, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"The Canterlot Carving" - Massacre In Canterlot!

Princess Celestia sat upon her throne as the trio of guards finished telling her about their findings. The news left the solar princess's stomach churning, as the guards described the scene to the best of their abilities.

"Three unsolved murders... and in Canterlot, of all places!" Celestia shook her head and sympathetically frowned at the three guards who were still shaken up at the crime scene that they recently saw.

Celestia took note of this and cleared her throat. "Thank you three for informing me of this... incident. You may now go to the barracks and rest. You've earned it."

The guards bowed their heads to the floor in unison before turning and marching out of the Throne Room. Then Celestia sighed before floating a scroll and a quill in front of her while another trio of guards approached her, awaiting orders.

"It's time for Twilight and her friends to return to Ponyville," When she finished writing the letter, her horn lit up, and lit the scroll on fire, causing it to flash and disappear in the wind.

The guard in the center of the small group saluted before asking, "And what of the city, Your Highness? And the citizens?"

Celestia thought for a moment before levitating another stack of blank scrolls in front of her. "I want you three to check every single corner in the city. Make sure nopony else was attacked, and report any and all findings that any potential witnesses have come across... but most importantly, keep the crowds under control. Have those who are frightened be evacuated to any distant relatives, or someplace safer than here, and have it done before the evening."

The guards tilted their heads confusedly. "Y-your Highness? D-do you mean..."

Celestia nodded her head and looked out the window worriedly. "Once the Element Bearers are out of the city, we will no longer accept visitors, nor will the ponies who refuse to leave be able to do so. As soon as the evening comes, Canterlot will be under lockdown."

Twilight Sparkle sat in the center of her guest bedroom, staring at several sheets of paper, scrolls, and parchment papers that were taped onto the walls side-by-side. Her eyes appeared to be strained, as heavy bags sunk below them, and her mouth was forming a worried frown.

On each sheet of paper were words from multiple ponies that were all unfortunately caught up in, what was eventually called, the "Ponyville Bug Butchery".

She didn't understand who could've killed the changelings in such gruesome ways, nor could she understand why, but after hearing the news in Canterlot, she feared that she may end up finding out if she and her friends remained there any longer.

On the bright side, though, at least Fluttershy was safer, with the creature no longer inside the Everfree Forest. Unlike she, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack, Fluttershy, despite being the timid one of her group of friends, was actually bold enough to stay in Ponyville to continue protecting the woodland critters... and her house was the first one that was in the creature's path! Rainbow Dash tried to convince her otherwise, but she was firm on her decision.

Being the loyal one of the group, Rainbow Dash agreed to fly back and forth to deliver letters to each other, as well as to check up on Fluttershy's wellbeing. Her willingness to do so, as well as her constant reports of Fluttershy doing well, was one of the few things that allowed Twilight and the others to at least feel a little more comfortable... but only a little.

Despite the good news about Fluttershy, throughout the month that she and her friends stayed in Canterlot, under the supposed safety of the city's walls, she still had nightmares of the creature, and what it could possibly do to Fluttershy... and anypony else unfortunate enough to stand in its path. The investigation that was taking place in the city was more than enough evidence that this creature didn't hold its strikes for ponies, like what Doctor Voice assumed when he interviewed Twilight... which was shortly after she and her friends returned to Ponyville from Canterlot.

As Twilight continued to stare at the writings on the walls, her baby dragon assistant/little brother, Spike, slowly opened the door with a plate of fruit salad in his claws.

Seeing that she was so lost in thought, he cleared his throat and stepped inside.

"Um... Twilight? Are you okay?" he asked, only to receive an ear twitch as a response. He sighed before walking a little closer to her.

Like Twilight, the events from Ponyville left their scars on him, as well... and considering the fact that he's a baby dragon, one could only imagine the feelings that he held deep inside. Being so early in life, and already witnessing death and destruction, there were several debates on if they should wipe his memories so that it doesn't scar him for life.

Being his protective caretaker, Twilight refused, stating that if his memories were to be wiped, he would only continue to be traumatized by the events again and again, should they repeat themselves... and since the investigation held outside was more than likely from the same creature, the odds were quite high in that matter.

Spike waved his claws in front of Twilight, hoping to get her attention. Unfortunately for him, though, once Twilight was lost in thought, there were only a select few things that could snap her out of it.

He waved the fruit salad in front of her nose, hoping that it would get her attention. Seeing that it didn't, he gently placed the plate on the ground in front of her and walked up to one of the papers in front of her. Then, ever-so-gently, he started moving it away from the wall. This, of course, caused Twilight's ears to twitch, and snapped her back into reality.

"Huh?!" she began, only to notice Spike standing in front of her for the first time that day. "Oh... Spike? What's going..." She looked both ways before her eyes trailed down to the fruit salad near her forehooves. Smiling sheepishly at Spike, who deadpanned at her with his arms crossed, she scratched the back of her mane with a hoof and asked, "Oh... I did it again, didn't I?"

Spike nodded his head and replied, "Yeah, only this time you were looking a little more worried than you were last time," He frowned at her with a sorrowful look in his eyes before walking up to her and placing a claw on her shoulder. "Twilight... I know you're scared. We're all scared, seeing how that thing is somewhere in Canterlot... but remember, though! As menacing looking as that thing is, there's no way that it could harm Fluttershy! Also, since it's here, I'm sure Princess Celestia will-"

Before he could finish his sentence, his cheeks puffed out. His stomach started to gurgle before he looked away from her, opened his mouth, and belched out a sparkling smoke that materialized into a scroll. The scroll fell into his eager claws while Twilight looked over his shoulders to get a better look at the contents of the letter, no doubt sent to them from Princess Celestia.

"Well," Spike began, turning towards Twilight with a brighter smile on his face, "it looks like we're moving back into Ponyville!"

Canterlot Crime Scene

Crime Scene Investigator Critical Eye stared emotionless at the scene before him. Several guards blocked the alleyway while a few curious citizens gathered in front of the guards, trying to get a peek at what was going on. Any that did, however, quickly turned away, regretting their decisions.

The hooded stallion continued to lie there with the bugs continuing to eat his insides up. The smell continued to fill the air, and the fellow investigators next to him backed up a few steps to hold their noses. Critical Eye, however, remained in place, rubbing his chin in thought.

"So you're all saying that this corpse must've been lying there for at least a few days?" he asked, turning towards the other two investigators.

The first one nodded his head and replied, "Indeed. There really aren't many other ways how his insides would start to smell like this... and let's not forget the bugs! There's probably so many inside him, I'd wager that he's been sitting there for four days... maybe even five!"

Critical then turned towards the dumpster nearest to the dead stallion, where a few more investigators avoided looking at with nauseous expressions on their faces. "And what of the other two?"

They shook their heads and replied, "They both are... indescribably butchered, but... they appear to be fresher kills... supposedly from last night, even. The conditions that their bodies are in, however, makes it impossible for us to get their identities... more than likely unfortunate witnesses that saw Hidden Blade there."

Critical rubbed his chin again and hummed to himself. "If that were the case, then why did the murderer spare Lady Pin Point last night, with only a blunt-force blow to the side of the head?"

The others shrugged their shoulders before another one replied, "Maybe it doesn't kill mares? It's clear that the bodies are all male, and changelings don't even have a specific gender, anyways... but other than that, I'm not sure, exactly."

Critical nodded his head before trotting back up to the hooded corpse of Hidden Blade. "Very well, then... it would seem that there are no other options, left."

He removed his black hat, revealing his short, dark-brown mane, along with his dark orange coat and horn. His emerald green eyes focused on the corpse before he muttered to the others within the area, "Stand back, please. I'll need a clear view of the area that the crime took place in before casting the Phantom's Eye spell."

The other investigators nodded their heads before backing away, closer to the guards. Then Critical's eyes began to glow pure white, and as soon as he closed them, his horn glowed yellow. Soon would he see and hear the events that transpired within the alleyway that night, almost as if it were happening that very moment... to him, at least. In thirty real-life seconds, the last thirty minutes of Hidden Blade's life would flash before him.

Little did he know, however, that the scenes he was about to witness would more than likely scar him for life.

Canterlot, One Night Ago

When Critical's vision became clear, he checked his hooves, only to find that he was transparent. He smiled, knowing that the spell was working, and proceeded to look around the area.

He didn't have to look far when he heard the sound of a mare crying out of a mixture of pain and fear. Her cries were silenced when something entered her mouth, muffling her voice, and causing her to make slight gagging noises, along with a few coughs.

Critical gulped, shuddering to think about what was going on. Regardless, though, his job required that he investigate what was going on. He turned around, only to gasp and look away from the scene.

The mare was a bright pink-coated mare with a light blonde mane and tail. Over one of her ears was a white petaled lily with a bright yellow center. Her cutie mark was a trio of lilies blooming.

WARNING: EXPLICIT RAPE SCENE AHEAD!

Standing in front of her on his hind hooves was Hidden Blade. Though Critical's view of the events was blocked by the location he was standing, the sounds that the mare made, mixed with Hidden Blade's movement patterns, made it clear that he was raping her. During the brief moment that he saw the events, he also noticed another stallion wearing a suit standing over her from her back side. Both of them held switchblades in their teeth as they had their way with the poor mare.

Critical, despite having to investigate, couldn't handle watching the events and tried focusing on the area around them. He then noticed a third stallion, who was facing the exit of the alleyway, more than likely watching out for any curious ponies that would be wandering around... though since it was raining pretty heavily at the time, the sounds of the events were mostly blocked out by the rain and the occasional thunder. What's more, the princesses were very protective of the "Bearers of Harmony", as she called them, and had several groups of guards stationed within the palace grounds to keep them safe from the monster responsible for the "Ponyville Bug Butchery".

Little did they know, however, that several guards were still recovering from the invasion prior to the creature's sudden appearance, and the repositioning of the remaining guards that were healthy zeroed out the security of the streets they were on... making it the perfect location for crime to take place unnoticed.

After a few minutes of unnatural noises, the mare began to cough, catching Critical's attention. When he turned to look again, he saw that the stallions were no longer moving their legs, but were holding their switchblades closer to the mare with demented glares on their faces.

"What's the matter, Lily? Too much for you?" Hidden Blade asked in a medium-pitched, scratchy tone.

Lily's high-pitched voice was shaken and wavy. Her eyes were covered in tears, though the tears were quickly washed away by the rain. Unlike the three who were assaulting her, she was an earth pony, and couldn't use magic to cover herself from the rain.

"P-please, s-sir... p-please s-stop... please... please... n-no more..."

Hidden Blade deadpanned at her before folding his left hoof over the handle of the blade and placing it closer to her throat. "Oh? What, are we not good enough for you?!" He chuckled before shaking his head and turning towards the third stallion. "Hey, Solid Gold! I think this mare still has a hole that hasn't been filled, yet!"

Lily's eyes shot open and her jaw dropped. "W-what?! N-no, please! Anything but that!"

Hidden quickly silenced her by slapping her across the face, sending the lily from her mane onto the ground. She was about to yelp when Hidden's forehooves gripped her head, angled it forward, and pressed her head towards his member once again, silencing her yelps into muffled cries.

The third guard quickly made his way up to them and grinned before lowering onto his back, scooting directly under Lily, and moving her tail away from her nether region, exposing her marehood for all to see.

He used his forehooves to part her lower lips before slowly lowering the mare until his own member was pressed onto her. Despite this, though, Lily tried keeping him from entering her most sacred of areas.

The other two stallions noticed this and rolled their eyes before pressing their switchblades onto her throat, drawing a little blood from it in the process. "Get down, you little slut... or you can say goodbye to your pretty little face!"

Lily whimpered and sniffled a few times before slowly lowering her rump, resulting in an unwelcome slap from the stallion who was standing over her hind quarters. Finally, once she felt the third stallion's member part her lower lips, she started breathing heavier, bracing herself for the upcoming pain.

Losing their patience, the leading stallion slapped her in the face once more, pulled his member out of her mouth, and shoved the lower half of her back down all the way, causing her to scream in agony as blood quickly started dripping from her marehood, coating the third stallion's member in thin streams of red. To silence her again, he re-placed his member into her mouth and began bucking it deeper down her throat, causing her to make more choking noises.

RAPE SCENE ENDS HERE.

Critical couldn't stand seeing any more of this and turned his head, only for his eyes to widen as he noticed a huge, shadowy figure slowly approach from the shadows of a wall, almost as if it materialized from out of the shadows.

It wasn't the size of the creature that startled him, though. No, it was the fact that he couldn't even see it clearly... almost like it had an aura around it that caused his spell to avoid detecting it. If anything, he was starting to worry that the creature could see him, though... almost like it knew he would be watching the events unfold, and disguised itself in a magic barrier.

The creepy metallic sounds of the creature's chains dragging across the stone floor was more than enough disturbance to stop the stallions from doing what they were doing. They looked towards the source of the disturbance and gasped before pulling themselves out of Lily.

The two supposed "guard ponies" were the first to react. They moved away from Lily and held their switchblades out towards the shadowy figure while Hidden Blade quickly lifted Lily onto her hooves again and firmly pressed his switchblade back onto her throat.

"Hey! The Tartarus do you think you're doing here?! Can't ya see we're busy?!" Hidden Blade growled through clenched teeth.

The shadow-coated figure said nothing, but continued to move towards Lily, almost as if it were completely ignoring the criminal's warnings.

Hidden Blade grinned menacingly before looking at the first guard pony. "Silver Light, I don't thing this hornless minotaur gets what we're talking about... care to demonstrate for 'em?"

Silver nodded his head and brushed his white mane to the side, revealing his silver colored horn. "I'd be delighted to!" His horn glowed white and materialized a small blue fire ball on the tip of it. Then he lowered his horn and launched the ball of fire towards the shadowy figure's head.

Once it hit, the figure stepped back two times before proceeding towards them again. The second guard, Solid Gold, levitated his switchblade with the tip facing the creature and sent it flying towards the creature at a blurring speed.

The creature lifted its left hand towards the switchblade, causing the blade to pierce right through it.

The figure looked at its hand before gripping onto the handle of the blade and pulling it out, seemingly unfazed as it wiggled its fingers around.

Solid and Silver stared wide-eyed at the figure as it slowly looked at them. Then it lifted the switchblade up with the tip of the blade tucked between its right pointing finger and thumb. Finally, in an unbelievably fast motion, it threw the switchblade into Silver's left shoulder, while the force of the throw sent him flying back, and onto a dumpster.

He screamed loudly while the other two looked at him in shock. Then Hidden glared at the figure and shouted, "OH, NOW YOU'VE BUCKED UP!"

Lily's eyes shot wide open as the tip of the blade pressed even firmer into her throat before sliding across her throat. Her life flashed before her eyes as her own blood began to spew from her throat. Her muscles fell limp as her vision quickly faded away. Then her eyes grew dull, and her breathing ceased. Shortly following that, her heart stopped beating, and her life swiftly faded away.

Critical Eye stared at Hidden Blade in disbelief as the criminal released the dead mare from his grasp and turned towards Silver. "Don't worry, Silver! I'll get that out of you!"

Solid took this opportunity to lift a different dumpster into the air and launch it towards the figure. Again the figure was sent backwards, only this time it landed on its back. Solid, however, didn't stop there and repeatedly bashed the figure with the dumpster while it continued to take the hits directly to the face, the chest, the arms, and the legs.

Finally, Solid lifted the dumpster up to the rooftops and slammed it into the creature one last time.

Smiling triumphantly, he turned towards his friends, who smiled and nodded their heads at him in silent appreciation. Then he trotted up to them to try helping Silver with his wound while Critical examined the creature who was apparently the victim of a unicorn's temper.

Suddenly a strange hissing noise echoed from below the dumpster, and a green mist flowed around the creature. Unsure of what the mist was, Solid trotted towards it curiously, yet with an amused expression on his face.

"Well, now! Looks like you can take quite a few hits! Not all creatures could handle that, y'know? Guess you can consider yourself lucky that I-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the creature's left hand shot up and gripped onto Solid's throat, halting him from speaking, and causing him to gasp for air. Then the creature's thumb curled up and firmly pressed into his throat, crushing his wind pipe, and making him wheeze as he tried fighting for air, even after the creature released him from its grasp.

As Solid began weakly crawling towards his friends again, fumbling in the process, the creature lifted the dumpster up from its chest effortlessly, and with one hand, while Silver and Hidden stared at it in disbelief, petrified with fear at the creature's unnatural strength and endurance. Even Critical Eye started to feel terror, despite not really being there.

Solid stared at the creature once more and lifted his forehooves in a defensive manner while his vision began to blur with tears from the lack of air circulating into his head. Then the creature lifted the dumpster up and, just as quickly as it was "given" to him, he swung the dumpster onto Solid, fracturing several of his bones, cutting multiple muscles in his body, breaking a few pieces of his ribs completely out of the skin, and dislocating his horn.

But to everypony's shock, the creature didn't stop there. It lifted the dumpster up again with a large blood splat on the back of it, and smashed it into the stallion again and again, repeatedly, and unmercifully, until it hit him ten times. When it was over, it lifted the dumpster up into the air and smashed it over Solid's mutilated skull, flattening it completely, and sending an eyeball out of the socket.

The creature then opened the dumpster's lid and lifted the battered, flattened remains of Solid Gold, minus his head, and placed it inside the dumpster, then looked at Hidden Blade and Silver Light.

Silver began to breathe heavily before gripping onto Solid's switchblade from his shoulder and yanking it out, sending a small stream of blood squirting out of him, and causing him to yelp in pain.

Hidden Blade, however, took a few steps back and stared at the dumpster that held the remains of his friend. He was a murderer, that much was true... but this creature was far more sinister than he was. This creature was a demon.

He began to shake as his back bumped into the end of the alleyway while his guard stood his ground in the center. The creature, however, began to approach Silver without showing even the slightest bit of injuries from the dumpster.

Silver held the switchblade forward and glared at it. "DON'T YOU DARE COME ANY CLOSER! YOU HEAR ME?!"

Once again the figure ignored his comments and continued to move forward. Silver gritted his teeth before charging towards the creature with his switchblade held forward. As he charged, however, his switchblade glowed and quickly morphed into a claymore. The blade was enchanted to the point where it was sharper than diamonds, though.

When he was within reach, however, his horn glowed again. Before he could strike, he teleported behind the creature and, with a loud war cry, impaled the claymore into the creature's chest.

The creature stood motionless while Silver released his grip on the claymore and moved in front of it. Then the creature fell to its knees and continued to stare at the claymore while Silver tilted his head, popped his own neck, stood on his hind legs, and raised his forehooves in a boxing manner.

"You should've listened, you foul beast! But eh, it wouldn't matter! You've got quite a bounty on your head, anyways... so maybe it's for the best that you showed up and-"

Once more, the creature's left hand shot up and firmly gripped his throat, stopping him from speaking. Silver's eyes shot open as he realized that the creature didn't even have blood flowing from its chest... almost like it didn't even have a heart!

The creature then placed its right hand over the tip of the claymore and slowly pressed it backwards until it fell out of his back. Then it gripped onto Silver's horn and, with a loud crack, snapped it clean off of his forehead, drawing large amounts of blood from his forehead, and causing him to gag and choke even louder, due to the pressure that was built up on his neck.

Then the creature examined the horn curiously before placing it on the floor, gripping Silver with its right hand, lifting the claymore with its left, and lifting it over its shoulders, causing Silver to close his eyes and flinch at the incoming attack.

To his surprise, however, the creature pierced the claymore into the ground and moved him back to its left hand. Then it reached its right hand over its left shoulder and, for the first time that night, revealed its stallion-sized machete that rested on its back.

It rotated the machete in its hand until it was gripping it reverse-style, and pierced it into the ground as well, with the sharp tip facing the outside area of the alleyway.

Before Silver could react, the creature picked his horn back up, drew its hand backwards, and jammed the horn inside Silver's throat, forcing some of his teeth out, and causing him to gag once more. Then, with its fist still in his mouth, it rotated the horn until the tip of it was touching his tongue, and wedged it in deeper until it broke the skin from the outside of his throat.

He began to twitch and gag as blood started spewing from his mouth... but the creature didn't stop there. It removed its hand from his mouth, gripped onto his hind legs, and lifted him into the air upside-down. Then it turned around to where it was facing outside the alleyway, lifted him over its shoulders, and slammed him into the ground, fracturing most of the bones in his body, and forcing the tip of his horn back inside his throat.

Rather than pick him back up and continue bashing him into the ground like he thought, the creature released his hind legs and gripped onto his forelegs. Then it began to drag him backwards, almost like it was trying to keep him from being spotted... or so he thought.

Mere seconds later, and he felt the tips of both blades reach the area below his shoulders. Then the creature's actions became clear, and he surely didn't like it. He tried to move, but his injuries were too strong, and he was unable to even budge without severe pain stopping him.

The creature waited for a few more seconds before firmly stretching his forelegs out and quickly pulling him backwards, and through the blades.

He wheezed as he saw the creature lift his forelegs up and toss them backwards, into the dumpster where Solid was disposed at. Then his vision began to slowly fade... and yet, the creature still wasn't done with him.

It lifted him by his hind legs again and scooted to where it was behind the blades, and in the left corner of the alleyway. Then it lifted him behind its shoulders, similar to a baseball bat, and looked towards the inside of the alleyway, where Hidden Blade was still frozen in shock, disbelief, and complete terror. Finally, with practiced accuracy, the creature swung Silver into the blades, with the claymore slicing through his waistline, and the machete slicing through his neck.

His torso flew halfway through the alleyway, landing right in front of the dumpster that he was knocked into first. His head, however, flew right in front of Hidden Blade, staring at him in horror with his cold, dead, lifeless eyes. As his eyelids lowered halfway, his horn found its way towards the tip of his throat, but stopped once it reached the thickest half of the horn.

Hidden Blade couldn't handle it anymore. He broke down in tears and tried pleading for his life as the creature slowly approached him, disposing of Silver's legs and torso in the process.

"OKAY! I'M SORRY! I... I PROMISE, I WON'T DO IT AGAIN! PLEASE, J-JUST... JUST SEND ME TO THE DUNGEONS, A-AND I'LL TURN MYSELF IN! I SWEAR!"

As he continued to scream and cry, the creature lifted Silver's head by the horn in his throat, turned around, and walked up to the dumpster; yet again disposing of the corpse. Then the creature began walking towards the end of the alleyway.

Hidden Blade's breathing began to normalize as he sighed in relief, thinking the creature believed him. Little did he know, however, that the creature was only picking up the claymore, and was headed his way again. When he looked up, he gasped when he saw the creature looming over him with the claymore held horizontally.

It gripped him by his throat before he could even scream, and lowered the claymore towards his waist. Then the creature pressed its thumb into his throat, disabling his windpipe, and causing him to gag and gasp for air.

Finally, in one fluid motion, it placed the tip of the claymore on the wall, and slid it across, and through Hidden Blade's waistline, just below his jacket.

He began to spit up blood as he felt the agony, but was unable to scream. Then the creature tossed the claymore backwards, causing it to bounce onto the lid and land inside, with the force of the bounce closing it, also.

As Hidden's vision began to blur with a mixture of tears and blood, the creature reached into its coat and pulled out a small vial with a strange, orange liquid in it. Then the creature reached down and held the vial in-between the newly formed crease where Hidden was halved. Finally, the sound of glass shattering filled the air, and a strange, rancid odor began to flow from Hidden Blade's wound.

It was then that Hidden saw, from the corners of his eyes, a large number of bugs approach from the garbage bags and the cracks from the ground, most likely attracted to whatever that strange liquid was.

Hidden Blade tried to move, but he lost too much blood for that to work effectively... not to mention the fact that his hind hooves were no longer attached to him, so it would only make things worse for him. All he could do was stare at the creature as it stood back up, walked towards Lily's dead body, and lifted her off the ground, cradled into its arms. Then Hidden began to feel the insects crawling inside him, biting more than just the liquid that was inside.

The lack of air circulation began to have its effect on him, as his vision began to blur and darken. He saw the creature reach into its jacket again and pull out a strange, metal tube with a red button on the top of it. When the creature clicked the button with its right thumb, a green fire emitted from it, engulfing both it and Lily into the green flame, and making them disappear from clear sight.

"Dragon Fire?" Critical Eye asked aloud as he saw the strange shadowy figure vanish. He then felt the spell start to dissipate... Hidden Blade was about to die, and he was about to return to the present day. Before then, however, he heard the sound of hoofsteps approaching... the hoofsteps of none other than Lady Pin Point, prior to her being knocked unconscious.

Critical Eye looked at the machete that the creature left behind, which was somehow lodged out of place, and hidden pretty well in the shadows, and managed to put two and two together.

"Hm... perhaps it just reappeared to pick its weapon back up," He saw Pin Point begin to draw nearer, yet fade from existence as the spell continued to dissipate. Then he saw the creature reappear in the shadows of the wall, facing forward, seemingly unaware of him watching it. "Still, though... what could you have possibly done with Lily?"

The creature continued to stand there while Pin Point trotted closer, three houses down the block.

Strangely, the creature turned towards Critical Eye and slowly knelt forward. Then it raised its right hand, and moved it closer to his horn while his eyes began to widen. "N-no, way... t-there's absolutely no way that you... h-HUH?!"

As soon as the creature's hand reached his horn, it flicked the tip of it... and he felt the contact, right before fading into the present day once again.

Canterlot, Present Day

As soon as the spell finished, Critical's eyes shot open and he gasped loudly before stumbling backwards, yelping in alarm as the completely bizarre event from before took place. The creature, despite being there one night ago, was able to see and touch him, even though he was just an apparition from the future, protected by a spell that should've made him as visible as the air.

The nearby investigators quickly rushed back to him while one of them asked, "Critical! Are you alright?!"

Critical closed his eyes, placed his hooves on his forehead, and groaned before shaking his head. "The... the thing, it... it saw me! It... it knew I was there, and was capable of killing me if it wanted to!"

The other investigators gasped before looking at each other uneasily. "S-sir... how can that be possible, though?! You weren't even there at the time!"

Critical nodded his head and replied, "I know that! It... it touched my horn, and... and I felt it! I swear to Celestia, I felt it!"

The investigators nodded their heads and gently patted him on the back. Then they let him catch his breath for a moment before asking, "So... did you find anything?"

Again, Critical nodded his head and replied, "Indeed, I did. First of all... the three dead bodies are all criminals. The flattened one with its head below the dumpster is Solid Gold, guilty for multiple charges of rape, assault, and armed violence. The one in several pieces is Silver Light, who was guilty for illegal imports, armed violence, and rape. And as you all may guess, Hidden Blade was their leader, guilty for robbery, violence, illegal substance abuse, rape, and now, murder."

The other investigators gasped before repeating, "Murder? Who was the victim?"

Critical rubbed his chin in thought before asking, "Does anypony happen to know of a 'Lily' that turned out missing?"

Before anyone could answer, a guard rushed up to them and cleared his throat. "Mr. Critical Eye?"

Critical turned to the guard and nodded his head. "Yes, officer?"

"Miss Pin Point has woken up, and requests that you see her immediately."

Critical looked at the other investigators, who shrugged their shoulders, then looked back at the guard. Then he nodded at him and said, "Lead the way."

Canterlot City Hospital

As the yellow coated mare with the long, blue mane and emerald green eyes stared off into the distance, she couldn't help but wonder just what all had happened last night. She was so lost in thought that she barely even noticed the door open, along with the nurse trotting in.

"Miss Pin Point?" the nurse asked in the common Canterlot noble accent.

Pin Point looked towards the nurse, slightly startled after being broken from her thoughts, but she quickly calmed down and asked, "Y-yes, Nurse Calming Mind?"

Calming smiled and stepped to the side. "You have a visitor. Would you like to see him now?"

Pin Point nodded her head and replied, "Yes, ma'am. That would be lovely, thank you."

With a nod, Calming motioned inside the room for Critical Eye to enter. Once he did, he smiled weakly at the mare before him and bowed his head respectfully. "Lady Pin Point, I take it?"

Pin Point nodded her head and replied, "Indeed... and Investigator Critical Eye?"

Critical nodded his head and smirked. "Indeed. I must start off by saying I admire most of your artwork... your cutie mark suits you quite well."

Pin Point lightly chucked before waving a dismissive hoof at him. "Oh, please. My art work isn't as impressive as your findings during your investigations, Mr. Critical Eye."

Critical snickered in response before scratching the back of his mane uneasily. "Well... as strange as it may seem, I know you were the one who called me in, but... I might need your help as well."

Pin tilted her head confusedly. "What? My help?! How so, exactly?"

Critical sighed before taking a seat on the chair next to the hospital bed. Pin took this as her cue to lift the headrest up with the controls while he began explaining his unusual situation to her.

"Well, as it seems, the creature that we're dealing with has a powerful ward around it... a ward so strong, that I was unable to see it clearly. Seeing how you're a world-famous artist, and was able to see it, I was hoping you might be able to draw the creature out for me?"

Pin Point blinked at him, staring in disbelief. Then she started to snicker, before chuckling, and finally, she broke out into a fit of laughter.

Though confused and slightly worried about her sanity, Critical let her laughter continue, until it was out of her system. Then, once she was able to speak again, she looked at him and shook her head. "Oh, how ironic this is then, huh?"

Critical tilted his head confusedly. "I beg your pardon?"

Pin then reached towards the end table at the opposite corner of the chair Critical sat in, and levitated a scroll of paper towards him. "I called you up here so that you could have this... in case nopony else saw the creature."

When Critical saw the drawing, however, he tilted his head confusedly. "You're sure this is the thing we're looking for?"

She nodded her head and replied, "Indeed, it is... why do you ask?"

Critical rubbed his chin before stating, "Because I have no idea what this creature even is!"

Canterlot Castle, One Hour Later

Princess Celestia continued to sit on the throne and stare at the picture as Critical Eye finished his story. Then she held a worried look on her face, before turning towards the guards from earlier.

"And you're sure that it was Dragon Fire that the creature was using?!" she asked, unable to mask the worry in her voice.

Critical nodded his head and replied, "Yes, Your Highness... it was."

Celestia then tilted her head at the guards and asked, "And you three have already sent the Element Bearers to Ponyville, correct?"

The guards nodded their heads and saluted. "Yes, Your Highness! They should be halfway there, now!"

Celestia nodded her head and stood from the throne. Then she trotted towards the window and looked towards the sun, as she began to move it towards the evening position. "Then... it would seem that this creature is far more dangerous than I thought... perhaps it could even be the biggest threat we've ever seen."

Critical tilted his head confusedly before trotting up to her. "W-what makes you say that?"

She closed her eyes and lowered her head. "If it's immune to magic, and is able to use Dragon Fire... then the shields wouldn't even matter. It could still bypass it if it wanted... and it could still strike anypony within the city limits... but what's worse," she looked at the curious investigator and concluded, "it could be anywhere... and at any time!"

Ponyville, Fluttershy's Cottage

Fluttershy hummed peacefully as she continued feeding the woodland critters in the valley. Her bright yellow coat blended with the sun at that time of day, and like her wings, her pink mane and tail flowed gently through the wind. Her bright blue eyes were closed as she continued to feel the long-needed feeling of joy about her friends' upcoming return.

She spread several seeds across the field for more of the critters to eat up, then proceeded to fly towards the chicken coop, where she herded the chickens into the pin and closed the gate. Then she proceeded towards the rest of the critters.

As she continued humming a small tune to herself, a small green hummingbird flew towards her and began chirping. She turned towards it and gasped before smiling widely at it.

"Hummingway? Oh my goodness, it's so good to see you again! How are you doing this fine day?"

Hummingway chirped a few times, but appeared to have a worried expression on his face. This caused Fluttershy's smile to drop.

"Wait a minute... please, start from the beginning. What did you see?"

Hummingway continued chirping before motioning his head towards the Everfree Forest, while also moving his talons back and forth, pretending to be walking in the air.

Fluttershy's mouth slowly began to open, her eyes began to widen, and sweat began pouring from her forehead, as the hummingbird continued telling her what he saw. When he finished, Fluttershy cried out, "ELIZABEAK WENT INTO THE EVERFREE FOREST?!", though her panic caused her voice to weaken.

When Hummingway nodded his head, Fluttershy looked back and forth before slowly flying towards the entrance of the forest. "O-okay, Fluttershy... i-if I can get in and out before t-that monster f-finds me... o-or Elizabeak... t-then everything will be fine... r-right?"

Hummingway flew closer to her and perched on her scalp, assuring her that he is there with her. She smiled and nodded her head slowly. "T-thank you, Hummingway... b-but you don't have to. It could be too dangerous for you!"

Hummingway shook his head and chirped a few times again, then motioned his right wing towards the Everfree Forest.

With a nervous gulp, Fluttershy slowly trotted closer to the border of the Everfree Forest. Then, after taking one last look at Ponyville, she stepped into the dark forest.

Little did she know, however, that a pair of pitch black eyes were watching her every move.

First Contact - Friend or Foe?

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay, everyone! Here's the next chapter for y'all!

Please note that the first few bits of the chapter may have a few errors in it, as I barely had any time to make any proper edits, what with using the internet from a church, along with several other things dropping by. You can get the full story by checking my blog posts.

Anyways, please do enjoy the show... story... thing! :rainbowlaugh:

More will hopefully come a lot quicker than this one, since I have internet again... along with an apartment of my own and a job to help keep me busy! :yay:

First Contact - Friend or Foe?

Princess Luna sat on the throne, eyes closed, room empty, and mind elsewhere. With a clear picture of the creature, she was able to travel the Dreamscape, hoping to find any clues on where the creature may be.

She was surrounded by a vivid image of the stars, carefully browsing through the doors to every living creature's minds, filtering out the ponies and other sentient beings, and searching for any misplaced doors that she could find. Unfortunately, though, minutes quickly became hours, and once she reached the last door, she groaned in frustration as everything seemed to be ordinary.

Apparently, the creature wasn't sleeping, yet. Several doors continued to appear as more creatures began to appear and disappear, making way for the nocturnal ones to wake up.

After a while, she began to reverse the filters, and view the doors to the inhabitants of the world, be they pony or not.

Not too long into her search, her eyes caught sight of a peculiar looking door... or rather, a peculiar looking door frame. The interior was pitch black, and the frame itself was lacking a door. Curious, she slowly trotted up to the door frame and stuck one of her forehooves inside. The second she did, an unknown force quickly pulled her inside.

When she opened her eyes from the sudden pulling sensation, Luna gasped as she saw that she was standing inside a volcanic area with lakes of lava within the red and purple rocky ground. Fires erupted from several different cracks on the ground, the walls, and even the pitch black clouds in the dark purple sky. The sound of screams bellowed out of the lakes, and several apparitions of pure white wisps appeared and disappeared; corrupted fallen spirits, being tormented for all of eternity for their wicked ways in life. It surprised Luna when she saw just how many there were.

Regardless, though, there was no questioning, nor denying the location... this place was Tartarus, itself. As for why the door led her into it, she hadn't the slightest clue.

Not until she heard the sounds of laughter echoing behind her. Slowly she turned around, only for her jaw to drop and her eyes to widen as seven demons stood in a row, all staring at a figure hanging upside down from a pair of chains. The chains were attached to the top of an overhanging mountain, and appeared to stretch up for miles.

Upon closer inspection, Luna gasped as she saw just who that figure was... it was the creature from the drawing. And it was apparently a prisoner in Tartarus, as well!

It dangled loosely while the seven demons taunted it and laughed as its arms loosely stretched downwards, almost like it was unconscious... but Luna knew better to believe it. One can not easily dream of their own unconsciousness without being awake at the time.

The first demon, the closest one to the creature, was a muscular male with a disturbingly charming face. His body was thin around the stomach area, while on his chest was a tattoo with the word "PRIDE" written on it. His fangs were pure white, and appeared to be well cared for. His name, as his tattoo implied, was Pride.

The second closest demon was a much shorter one that rested on Pride's shoulders. He had a wide smile on his face as he stared at their prisoner, seemingly jealous of how the creature looked. His name was Envy.

The third closest demon was a very obese cyclops male with a vaguely familiar-looking machete in his left hand, as well as a sheath for the machete hanging over his left shoulder. All he appeared to be wearing was a loincloth, but even that was starting to show wear and tear. He was Gluttony.

The fourth demon was actually a succubus, with several long claws for fingers. She wore nothing more than a black leathery bra, black leather panties, a pair of thigh-high black leather boots, and a pair of shoulder-high black leather gloves. She was Lust.

The fifth demon was almost as short as Envy, and was shaped more like an egg. He was holding a scowl, glaring at the creature before him, and cracking his knuckles as he prepared for any kind of resistance from the prisoner. This demon's name was Wrath.

The sixth demon was twice as tall as Wrath, half as thin, and was hanging onto the creature and the chains that held it in the air, eying the outfit that it was wearing with morbid curiosity. He was constantly reaching for the creature's pockets, but was met with annoyed gazes from Wrath, stopping him from doing anything. He also had a pair of bat-like wings, while the others, despite being demons, surprisingly didn't. His name was Greed.

The seventh, and the furthest away, was an elderly-looking demon with a long white beard, but no hair. He sat on a floating chair and had his sleeping head tucked into his left palm while he snored loudly. He was known as Sloth.

Pride and Gluttony both stood about three times the creature's height, while Wrath, Lust, and Greed stood just as tall, if not slightly taller, with Wrath appearing larger around the lower half. Envy and Sloth half as tall as it, though.

Gluttony grumbled as Pride chuckled at the creature while poking at its chest. Then he rolled his one eye before asking, "Come on, Pride! Can't I just have a little taste test?! Who knows what kinds of flavor he has! And since humanity died out eons ago, I'm sure he'll have a nice aged taste to him, as well!"

Envy chuckled before tilting his head at the creature while Greed continued making attempts to pick through its pockets. "I don't know... I wouldn't mind copying its body, though! Might come in handy for certain things, if ya know what I mean!"

Lust rolled her pitch black eyes before her blood red pupils focused on the creature with a sultry smile. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind taking him into my chambers, and give him a ride of a lifetime before you guys get a chance at 'em!"

Pride sighed before shrugging his shoulders and turning to Gluttony. "Well, since you were the first that asked, I guess I'll let you decide his fate, Glut. Just... try to remember that there's others who are wanting to test him out, and would rather not have to dig through your feces to find him again."

Gluttony chuckled before shrugging his shoulders. "In that case, I'll just have to go for a small taste, instead!" He then gripped onto the human's left arm and stretched it out. Then he lifted the machete up to the human's shoulder; his grin getting increasingly wider. Finally, with little resistance, he slid the machete's blade across, then through, the human's arm, dismembering it completely.

Without wasting a moment, he gulped the arm completely, but started coughing a few times. "Guh?! METAL?!" He glared at the human before wrapping his right hand over his entire torso and lifting him up higher. Then he took the machete and sliced through the chains, leaving the shackles and little remainders of the chains on the human's ankles.

The other demons rolled their eyes and shrugged their shoulders. "Eh, not much we can do with metal... but perhaps he isn't completely metal?" Pride asked before eying the human wickedly. "Tell you what... test his neck. See if he bleeds, or not!"

Gluttony nodded his head and raised the machete up to the human's neck. Rather than slice it, however, he dropped the machete on the floor and gripped him with both hands. "I have an idea..."

He firmly planted both of his thumbs below the human's jawline and pressed them forward. After a little resistance, the human's neck began to make audible tearing sounds before his head popped backwards. Instantly, blood started to spew from the neckline, coating his arms in blood, and causing him to chuckle maniacally before attempting to remove the human's head from his body. To his surprise, though, the human's spine was still attached.

When he tried to pull the human's head off, the spine kept the head attached to the body. Even demonic strength couldn't remove it.

"Eh, might as well just swallow him whole, then... not like we had much use for an amputee, anyways." Pride mumbled.

Lust raised her claw in the air to protest, but Wrath beat her to the punch. "Oh shut it, Lust. You have uses for anything that could breed!"

Lust glared at him and stuck her snake-like tongue out at him, which only made him deadpan even more at her.

Gluttony shrugged his shoulders and did as suggested, gulping the human down without even bothering to bite.

Luna stared in disbelief. Whatever this "human" was... it must've been a spirit. More than likely seeking vengeance for his death.

Meanwhile, inside Gluttony's esophagus, the human's neck continued to spew blood around it. His right arm and his legs remained motionless for a few more seconds before they began to work again. He felt around the surrounding area until his feet bumped something metal. Dragging the object up, he gripped onto it with his right hand then spread his legs out, wedging his shoulders and his feet in-between the corners, while his head loosely dangled downwards.

He then examined the metal object by dangling it behind his back. When his head caught sight of what it was, he placed the flat corner of it over the area where his left arm used to be, and attempted to move it around. Sure enough, the object was his left arm.

With his right hand still holding the arm in place, he used his left arm to lift his head back up to where his neck was and gripped onto the disc where his mouthpiece was. Then, after twisting it counter-clockwise, the disc let out a small hiss before emitting a green mist around it.

The green mist flowed freely around his body, while green liquid started to flow through where his neck used to be. Upon making contact with his flesh, however, red muscles started to lift themselves from his neckline while the cloth and the leather pieces of his clothing started to grow back. The flesh that used to coat his metallic arms began to heal themselves as well, while the jacket and the glove rematerialized.

In the matter of seconds, the human's entire body was back in one piece.

No sooner when Princess Luna turn around, did she hear Gluttony gasp. She turned around and raised an eyebrow out of confusion, as she saw the confused look on Gluttony's eye.

Pride tilted his head and snickered. "Well, now... looks like someone's found their limit after all! What's the matter... indigestion?"

Gluttony groaned before punching his chest a couple times. This made him gulp once more, before sighing in relief. "Nah... the damn human just got caught in my throat, is all."

They all chuckled again before continuing on their way towards other corners of Tartarus.

Before Gluttony could catch up with the others, however, he coughed once, and spat out a mouthful of blood. This stopped the other demons and made them turn around, and stare at Gluttony with worried looks on their faces.

Gluttony wiped his lips and stared at the blood on his finger before sniffing it and gasping. "T-this is my blood!"

Suddenly, his chest protruded out at a discomforting length before splitting open. The protrusion was the human's left fist... which was attached to the human himself.

Gluttony yelled in agony as he fell to his knees and stared wide-eyed at the human, who managed to pull his upper half out of his chest... but it wasn't just the human that he was shocked to see.

Grasped in the human's right hand was a large, pulsing red organ with several purple and red attachments trailing towards his insides; veins and arteries... the human was holding onto his heart.

With Gluttony's mouth still open in shock, the human quickly shoved the heart into Gluttony's mouth, gripped onto his shoulders, pulled his feet out of his chest, and kicked his jaw shut with both feet, shattering the heart, and forcing Gluttony to fall to the ground completely. The pupil in his eye instantly vanished, leaving nothing but a lifeless yellow orb in its place.

The demons and Princess Luna stared slack-jawed at the sudden turn of events. Luna tried making sense of what just happened, but couldn't find any logical explanation to it. She witnessed the creature die before her, and yet there it was, almost like it wasn't even harmed to begin with. From the looks of it, the other demons were thinking the same thing.

The human stood back up and turned towards the demons without even showing any emotion. The demons, in turn, lowered themselves in a combat pose before inching closer to the human.

Envy was the first to strike. He charged towards the human with his eyes glowing yellow. Then he stopped when he was at a safe distance from the human before cupping his hands together. A pitch black smoke burst around him, and when it vanished, there stood another humanoid that looked almost exactly like the prisoner, save for Envy's face in place of the mask.

The human then tilted his head while Envy mimicked his actions almost exactly like a mirrored reflection would. Then Envy grinned and taunted, "Well now, human... good luck getting past me! Anything you could do, I could do better!"

While the human didn't say anything, Envy's mouth started to gargle out what sounded like words, but in a language Luna wasn't able to understand.

("Can you heal?")

The human and Envy both lifted their hands and gripped onto the front and back of their heads. This made Envy's eyes widen as the intentions that the vigilante had were clear.

His eyes glowed again, but before he could cast a spell, he twisted his head all the way backwards, resulting in a loud snap, a gargle, and a large amount of blood pouring out of his mouth.

When he fell on his chest with his head still facing up, he was able to catch a glimpse of the human walking past him, towards his comrades. His vision quickly blurred out, until everything faded to darkness.

Pride glared at the human and stuttered, "You... y-you're no mere mortal! W-what... what are you?!"

In a hushed whisper, Envy's head choked out, ("You will never know...")

The human gripped onto his head again and snapped it back in place before gripping onto his mask's disc again and twisting it; healing his wounds once again. Then he continued to walk towards the demons again.

Lust was the next to strike. She dashed towards the human with both hands arched behind her back and her clawed hands wide open, ready to slice at the human.

When she was within reach she leaped into the air and slashed both of her hands downwards. Before the claws could even reach him, however, the human stopped moving forward and stood there, waiting for her to strike. Then, in a blurry motion, the human caught both of her wrists with her fingers hovering mere inches above his forehead before lifting his right foot up and kicking her in the chest with both hands still firmly gripped.

She screeched loudly as her arms were ripped off, and she was forced to the ground. Then she tried backing away from the human, who slowly walked over her with her arms still in his hands.

Pride growled before dashing towards the human. Then he vanished into a red smoke and reappeared directly behind the human with both fists in the air, ready to strike his target down. The human, however was already aware of his actions and turned around with Lust's left arm still held in a reversed grip. Then he quickly plunged her arm through his chest, hindering his movement instantly, and causing blood to spew from his mouth.

Before Pride could say anything else, the human spun clockwise with Lust's right arm outstretched. In merely a split second, her claws sliced through his throat, sending his head flying backwards, and landing in front of Luna, who was still standing out of sight, speechless at the strange creature's demonic power.

The human turned towards Lust again, who was pushing herself further back from him with both of her legs, desperately trying to get away. The human then lifted her right arm over his shoulders and swung it downwards, piercing her pelvis in the rocks, and causing her to screech loudly. Then he tossed her reverse-gripped left arm in the air and caught it in a normal grip again before raising it over his shoulders, all while inching closer to her.

Finally, he walked around her until he was facing her upside-down and slowly lowered her left arm towards her head. He gently rubbed her lips with the claws of her arm before lifting it up once more.

She shook her head left and right then pleaded, "No... please, no! NO! N-" Her pleas were soon replaced by choking sounds as her claws found their way through her mouth and out the back of her head. Her legs twitched as the human placed his foot on the back of her hand and stepped on it, only piercing it even further into the rocks below her head. Then he lowered the arm and pulled it closer to him, eventually ripping through her jawline and detaching the upper half of her head from her body.

Her half-head rolled down the small slopes of the rocks until it straightened out and landed, with her cold, dead eyes resting on Wrath, who was charging towards the human, along with Sloth, who was still sitting in his chair, but wielding a small, thin tube-like tool in his left hand.

When they were close enough, Wrath leaped into the air with his huge mouth opened wide, all while Sloth pressed the button on the tool, engulfing him in green fire, and causing him to appear directly behind the human.

As soon as Wrath was within reach, however, the human caught him by the top and bottom halves of his jaw and turned towards Sloth, who was taking a deep breath. Before the human could reach him, Sloth exhaled a strange, blue vapor in the air; sleeping gas capable of putting one to sleep for three hundred years or more.

And yet, the human wasn't affected by it.

The human quickly lowered Wrath's fangs over Sloth, whose eyes shot open in panic. What only a select few would know, is that once he started exhaling the gas from his system, he was unable to stop until it all left his lungs.

Once the human had Wrath angled over Sloth, he closed his lips over his throat, causing him to inflate rapidly.

Wrath's eyes inflated first, nearly popping out of their sockets, before his purple and blue veins started to appear from his forehead. Then the human quickly lifted him up from Sloth's head and firmly gripped onto his lips. Then the human lifted Wrath over his shoulders and slammed him into the ground, popping him like a balloon, and sending most of his insides across the ground.

As Sloth continued to try stopping himself from exhaling, the human only turned around and lifted his right fist in the air behind his shoulders. Then Sloth tried to back away, only for the human to quickly grip him by the throat and lift him from his seat. Then the human placed his right hand over Sloth's mouth and nose, causing his head to inflate like Wrath's body did.

Rather than slam him to the ground, though, the human merely watched as Sloth's head started to shake rapidly. Finally, once the pressure was too much for him to handle, the back of Sloth's head blew open, sending several chunks of bone, hair, and brain matter backwards in a blue mist. Then Sloth's movement ceased and his limbs swung down, as the tube-like tool he held in his left hand fell to the ground.

The human then tossed Sloth behind his back, reached down, and picked the tool up, eying it curiously. As he did, Greed quickly backed away from his fallen comrades before taking flight and lifting his hands in the air, which produced fireballs.

He growled at the human before tossing the fireballs towards him. "TRY HITTING A FLYING TARGET, YOU BASTARD!" he shouted as the fireballs exploded on impact.

Greed continued throwing the fireballs at the ground several more times before panting and landing on a rocky spike protruding from the side of a mountain. That particular spike, ironically, was the one with the chain attached to it that held their prisoner for thousands of years, if not more.

As soon as he sighed in relief, a green flame erupted from behind him. Once he turned around, his eyes shot open as the human stood there with Sloth's teleporting device in his right hand. Before he could take flight, however, the human quickly gripped onto his wings and placed his foot on his chest. Then, with extreme force, the human pulled his wings back and kicked his chest forward, snapping his wings off with barely any effort shown on his part.

Greed screamed as he fell backwards, near the ledge of the spike. Before he could fall, however, the human gripped his throat and lifted him in the air.

Greed tried punching the human repeatedly in the face, but the human didn't even appear to show any signs of pain. Then the human placed the teleporting device in his jacket pocket before straightening his right finger tips out and jabbing his hand through the lower half of Greed's stomach.

Greed spurted out blood as he felt his insides fall from his stomach. Then he could only watch in horror as the human pulled his intestines out from his stomach and firmly tie them around his neck like a rope. The human then lied him down briefly to lift the chain up from above the spike, where it was tied to it. Then he tied Greed's intestines to the remainder of the chain before lifting him up again, and hovering him over the edge of the spike.

He choked and shook his head left and right before trying one last time to strike at the human with his fists... but once more, it proved to be a feeble attempt.

The human then lifted his right hand in the air with the back of his fist facing him. Finally, the human lifted his middle finger at him before releasing him from his grip.

Greed groggily screamed for help as he felt his intestines and other organs continue to fly out of his stomach. Eventually his vision started to blur as the ground below finally started to come into view. His intestines, however, were starting to reach their ends.

As soon as he was just a few meters above the ground level, his intestines snagged, and his neck snapped. As he hung there limply, the organs that flew out of his body finally found their way to the ground.

The human soon landed right next to Greed's dead body, but stood back up, seemingly unharmed from the size of the fall. Then the human started looking around, almost appearing to admire the work he's done before his eyes locked onto the place where Luna was standing.

Her eyes shot open and her heart almost skipped a beat as the human started walking towards her. She didn't believe that the human could see her, considering that this was nothing more than a memory to him, but she was still frightened about what it was that he saw in her direction.

She sighed in relief when she saw him stop in front of Greed's body and lower to the ground near his left hand.

Her relief was short-lived when she saw him lift the machete from the ground and raise it in the air, examining it closely. As he examined it, the harness that Greed wore quickly turned into a shadowy mist and flew up to the human's chest, re-materializing right below his jacket, but with the sheath materializing outside the center of the back of his jacket, facing his left shoulder.

The human didn't even appear fazed by the situation. He still remained as calm as can be. He lifted the machete in the air before sheathing it over his left shoulder. Then he turned his back on Luna and walked on, towards the front gates of Tartarus, which at the time wasn't guarded by Cerberus, yet.

Luna slowly trotted behind the human, but stopped once he did. Then he slowly turned back around until he was facing her, which only raised her curiosity.

Finally, her heart rate shot up once he pointed two fingers over his eyes, then stretched his hand out towards her, pointing one finger in her direction... a sign that she knew from the minotaur dignitaries that appeared from their homelands.

In a hushed voice, Envy's head murmured the strange language once again. ("You shouldn't be here.")

He lifted the tube in his right hand again and pressed the button, engulfing him in a green flame. Where he was standing was now replaced by nothing more than a small smoke where the flames scorched the land.

Luna was speechless at the whole situation. She was too nervous to even move; too nervous to turn her head.

Too nervous to even notice the tall shadow looming behind her.

She heard the chains from around his ankles clatter against the rocks behind her. Finally, she slowly turned around, only to find the human staring right at her.

Before she could scream, he pressed his left hand over her mouth and his right hand over the tip of her horn. The fact that she felt him only frightened her even more as her eyes suddenly glowed brightly and the world around her faded back into reality.

However, she still felt the human's hands on her mouth and her horn.

She opened her eyes and continued to let out a muffled scream as she saw the human still there, but with her in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. He removed his hand from her horn and placed its pointing finger in front of his mouthpiece.

She understood the sign and stopped her muffled screaming. Her breathing, however, was still highly strained as her chest quickly rose and fell.

The human then shook his finger left and right, along with his head, before he finally released her lips from his left hand. Then he lifted the teleporting device again and pressed the button. Once more, he was engulfed in a green flame, and gone without a trace, save for the burn marks on the carpet.

Luna just stared at the blank space where the human once was before her knees quivered. Soon her body couldn't take any more of the stress. Her eyes rolled up, her eyelids closed, and her consciousness faded. She unconsciously fell on the ground right as soon as the throne room doors shot open, with a worried-looking Princess Celestia galloping her way.

Everfree Forest, One Hour Later

Fluttershy carefully trotted through the Everfree Forest, nervously eying the shadows as they swayed back and forth with the trees and branches that they belonged to. Perched on her head was Hummingway, who appeared to be unfazed by the scenery; most likely due to him being familiar with the area.

While she trotted, she also called out to Elizabeak, hoping to at least hear her chicken's replies. She continued to trot onwards, though, despite the voice in the back of her head practically demanding that she turn back before the night time gets there.

Eventually she came across a strange, unseen area, where the trees started to look slightly taller and more spread apart than the rest. She eventually started to feel small in comparison to the strange trees. Regardless, though, she continued to press on.

Soon a strong breeze began to blow, causing her to flinch and hold Hummingway onto her scalp to keep it from sending him further out.

"H-how much f-f-further do you think Elizabeak went, Hummingway?" she meekly asked as she continued to nervously look around the area.

Hummingway remained silent, but appeared to be focused on something on one of the trees. Fluttershy looked up at him and noticed a greatly distressed expression on his face. "H-Hummingway? What's... w-what's wrong?"

Hummingway flew closer to the tree he stared at and nodded at, what appeared to be, several unnervingly deep claw marks on it, starting from the base, and rising up.

A loud thump suddenly sounded from behind Fluttershy. Her wings locked up and her eyes shot open as a strange, sinister clicking noise hissed from behind her right ear. She slowly turned around, only to back away once she saw the source of the noise.

There, towering over her by at least seven times her height, was a tall bipedal creature with purple skin. Its head appeared to be similarly shaped like a tribal mask with thick purple spines similar to roots protruding from behind its face. Its eyes were pitch black, but appeared to have three glowing red pupils aligned like a triangle in the centers of each. The lower half of the mask was split open from the top half, and the tips of both halves contained razor sharp fangs inside them, with multiple layers tracing inside its mouth. Its hands held four long, sharp claws that stretched out to be as tall as she was. Its waist was covered in a leafy waist cloth, and its feet had three toes, each of which appeared as sharp as its fingers were.

They continued to stare at each other for another moment before the creature opened its jaw and let out a loud, ear-splitting screech that sent the distant birds flying away.

Seeking Answers - The Two-Sided Coin...

Princess Celestia took a deep breath before slowly trotting through the Royal Gardens. For countless millennia, she never would've thought that she would be speaking with the one that rested deep inside the maze within it.

As she approached the ominous-looking statue of a serpent-like creature with the head of a pony, and the features of several different creatures, she began to slow her pace. Eventually she came to a complete stop once she was a meter away from it.

She closed her eyes and sat down. Her horn glowed a pure golden color before the world around her faded into nothing more than a pitch black void.

One meter in front of her, a wooden throne rested with its back facing her. The lion's paw of the creature before her rested on the right arm of the throne while the eagle-like talon rested on the left.

The figure sitting on the throne gave a light chuckle before turning the throne around, revealing his yellow eyes with mismatched red pupils in the center of each.

"Well, well, well! Little Celly... this is quite a surprise!" he said before producing a glass of water in his claw. As he took a sip of it, however, the glass flowed through his body before he tossed the solid water behind his shoulder, causing it to shatter behind him like glass, and melt into a puddle that vanished into thin air shortly afterwards.

Celestia deadpanned at the nickname he gave her before murmuring, "Discord..."

Discord laughed before snapping his lion's claws, causing the wooden throne to vanish, and be replaced by a red and gold sofa. "Have you finally decided that you just couldn't resist my charms? Or..." he snapped his claws again, replacing the red and gold sofa with a red and gold heart-shaped bed. "Perhaps you need my assistance in your millennium-long estrus period?"

Celestia's cheeks suddenly turned bright red before her horn glowed gold once more. Then, in a flash, the bed disappeared, and Discord fell to the floor, bumping his snout on the transparent ground.

"Ah, roughing it up in the void? I like it!" Discord snickered, only for a golden aura to wrap around his neck and lift him up. He was then dragged closer to Celestia, who glared at him with her cheeks still burning red.

"This is not about you, Discord... not about us! This is a matter between my subjects and that... thing that's been terrorizing them!"

Discord eyed her blankly before a wide grin spread across his face. Then he started to snicker... and finally, he burst into hysterical laughter. His laughter unnerved Celestia to the point of her dropping her spell's grip from his neck, and sending him to the floor. As he landed, though, he only continued to laugh.

Once he was finally able to control his laughter again, he looked at Celestia amused before asking, "And why, pray tell, would you be seeking the human of all things?!"

Celestia regained her composure before replying, "That thing... that human as you called it, is a threat to the kingdom! It must be-"

"He." Discord interrupted.

Celestia groaned before shaking her head. "Whatever... he is a threat to the entire kingdom, and must be stopped, or at the very least, questioned for his-"

Discord quickly stood back up and covered her mouth, causing her eyes to widen and her composure to once again be broken. "Do not even think of going near him, Celly... and do not even ask him why he does what he does... he wouldn't understand, anyways."

She noticed his expression that he was giving her right there. It wasn't anger, and it wasn't humor. It was genuine concern.

"Despite the... dispute we had all those eons ago, do not think that I'm going to allow you to proceed with this charade of yours. What you're doing is beyond foolish... unless you intend on throwing your life away?"

Celestia glared at him before backing away. "You don't understand, do you? These are my subjects that are being threatened, and my intentions are to protect them with my life!"

"The foundations of Tartarus are made up of good intentions... and I of all creatures should know that." Discord retorted before crossing his arms and sitting on his wooden throne again. "But I'll tell you what... I'll let you in on everything that I know about the human... but of course, I would require something from you, first." He grinned wickedly at her before licking his lips.

Celestia's eyes shot open and she backed away even more, only for Discord's tail to stop her in place and pull her closer to him. "And... w-what would that be?" she asked, nervously examining his eyes as his head inched closer to hers.

He placed his lips behind her left ear and sniffed her ethereal mane, before moving his head back, until it was inches from her ear. Then, in a hushed whisper, he replied, "Freedom..."

She tried to break from his grip, but suddenly felt one of his claws slowly trail down her back. "Or... I'd suppose we could try something alternative?"

She closed her eyes, trying her best to find another alternative. Seeing that this was a hopeless battle, considering that she and her sister had to team up to defeat him, she opened her eyes and silently whispered, "Alright... I'll... I'll free you... as long as you don't cause any more trouble to my subjects."

Discord scratched his chin in thought before snickering. "Well, now... whatever happened to finding out more about that human? Oh, very well, then... a deal's a deal! I will wait here until you give the word to your six little weapons. Until then, ta!"

Celestia gasped before asking, "W-wait! What about your end of the bargain?!"

Discord snapped one of his claws, and before another second could pass, Celestia was standing in front of the statue inside the gardens again.

Discord's eyes glowed from within the statue, as his voice echoed, "I gave you my word. I will not cause any more trouble to your subjects, as long as you free me from my present state."

Celestia groaned and planted her face in her right hoof, knowing that he managed to trick her again. Infuriated, she turned around and began trotting away, only for Discord's voice to stop her again.

"When the influence of seven has a face, the Vigilante appears from a forgotten race. And should you see him, hope and pray, that you are not who he seeks today."

Celestia stopped before turning towards Discord's statue. Her expression showed her weariness about those words. Not just the message that it brought, but the tone that Discord said it in.

Clearly, he was still hiding something from her... but she knew that he wouldn't tell her. So silently, she nodded her head, turned back towards the entrance of the gardens, and trotted back into the palace.

While she was away, however, Discord continued his chanting.

"And be wary about those who he considers an ally, for they could roam through the land, your home, or the sky."

Fluttershy couldn't tell how long she was running. Whatever the case, though, she feared that the monster was merely toying with her as it continued chasing her through the Everfree Forest. Hummingway was flying ahead of her, guiding her through the ever-growing darkness of the forest, seemingly with a plan already.

As Fluttershy continued to run, the monster's claw steps continued to sound out, revealing it to be a lot closer than she wanted. She was tempted to turn around and see just how close the monster was getting, but had the gut feeling that if she did so, the creature would end it right there.

Despite her attempts at escaping the creature, she eventually started to hear the creature's breath amongst the galloping, the claw steps, and her heavy panting.

What's more, the darkness hid the ground below her, where she failed to notice the fallen branch of a tree.

She gasped as the world began to spin around her. As the pain from the sticks and the stones covered her body, she was able to catch glimpses of the creature dashing her way before her vision began to blur from the tears in her eyes. She then heard a loud crack as an even larger pain flared from her spine; she hit a tree, and she hit it hard.

As her life flashed before her eyes, she let out a silent yelp before noticing Hummingway fly towards the monster from behind her vision.

Hummingway quickly dodged the monster's swing before pecking it in the left eye. It stopped its movement, roared, then began swinging its claws wildly at him.

Despite the creature's size, Hummingway was able to outmaneuver it with his speed and flexibility. He would dodge its swings then fly behind it, taunting it, and enraging it to the point where it practically forgot about Fluttershy, who feebly tried crawling inside a bush.

Eventually, though, the creature noticed her, roared, and began moving towards her once again. Hummingway glared at it before flying towards it once again.

Unfortunately, though, the creature noticed him this time, and swung the back of its right arm after him with great precision, launching the little green hummingbird into a tree, where he fell into a bush.

As the creature let out another clicking noise, it turned towards the timid pegasus, who eyed the bush Hummingway fell into with a teary-eyed expression, and began approaching her once more.

Suddenly a chicken appeared from the bush Fluttershy was near and let out a series of loud chirps. As she did, a swarm of butterflies, moths, locusts, wasps, bees, and multiple other insects began flying in a circular pattern, causing the monster to back away and swing its claws wildly at the bugs. Several of the bugs then landed on the creature and began biting at its flesh, only to be squashed by the creature's claws. Their green blood splattered all over the creature, leaving a foul odor behind.

While the sounds of the bugs' wings flapping filled the air, however, another sound began to echo... a sound that made Fluttershy's fur stand on end... the sound of chains rattling on the ground. She looked up, wincing in pain from her injuries, but managed to notice more bugs flying in a circular pattern about three meters behind the monster. The bugs then scattered away from both the monster and the source of the chains rattling.

The human was there.

The monster turned around and growled as the human dashed towards it, despite the human only standing up to its chest. Despite its awareness, however, the monster was unable to dodge the human as he dashed towards the monster's right side with his right arm outstretched.

When his arm made contact, he quickly curled it around the monster's waist, lifted it up in the air, and slammed it into the ground before raising his left fist in the air and thrusting it towards the monster's skull.

The monster, however, quickly turned its head to the side, dodging the human's fist as it crashed into the ground, leaving a small crater. Then the monster quickly impaled its left claw into the human's stomach and stood back up, lifting the human with it.

Fluttershy stared in horror as the two giants fought over her, but gasped when she saw the human grip onto the monster's arm that impaled him, lifted his feet onto the monster's chest, and kicked both feet out; tearing the monster's left arm off, and causing it to fall to the ground, roaring loudly.

The human then gripped the tip of the dismembered appendage and shoved it through his stomach and out his back. Despite the hole in his body, and the blood spewing out of it, the human didn't appear fazed by it. He gripped onto his mask's disc and twisted it, engulfing his whole body in the green mist. Once the mist cleared from his body, the hole was no longer in his stomach.

The human then quickly lifted the monster's arm and swung it towards the beast, but the monster was able to catch its arm and pull it from the human's grasp. Then it lifted its right foot in the air and kicked the human several meters back, and sending it stumbling to the ground.

The monster then placed its left arm over the spot where it was ripped off, where several tentacle-like appendages from inside its shoulder reconnected the arm to its body. It moved its arm around, seemingly to test its connection, before clicking again, and dashing towards the human.

It lifted the human up then dashed with him in front of it, slamming him through trees, toppling them over, and eventually reaching a boulder, where it leaped into the air and slammed the human into it back-first, and crumbling the boulder into pebbles.

The monster then attempted to claw at the human, but he managed to quickly tap the button of his teleporting device, engulfing himself and the monster in dragon fire.

When they reappeared, they were in the same spot, but several hundred feet in the air. As they were falling, the monster tried slashing at the human's throat, but he managed to block the creature's claws with his right arm and deliver a left jab into the monster's right cheek.

The creature then tried to grip onto the human and use him as a cushion to land on, but the human quickly kicked it back several meters before pressing on the cylinder again, sending himself onto the ground below them instantly.

The monster roared as it continued to fall. The human, however, quickly reached over his left shoulder and gripped onto his machete's handle, waiting for the monster to fall.

Since the monster's back was facing the floor, it was unable to see just how close it was to the ground, until it was too late. The human drew the machete and sliced horizontally across the monster's waist, causing it to land in front of him and behind him.

The monster screeched as its upper half tried crawling away. The human, of course, walked up to it, planted his right boot on the back of the monster's shoulders, and pierced the machete into the top of its scalp, silencing it, and ending its life there.

Unlike normal corpses, however, the machete glowed a blood red color, and the creature's upper and lower halves melted into a black mist that was then absorbed by the machete itself.

The human lifted the machete into the air, swung the excess blood off of the blade, then turned towards Fluttershy.

Finally, he slowly started to approach her.

Luna continued to sit in a fetal position in the corner of a room she produced in the Dreamscape. Tonight, for the first time in history, she was afraid to even enter any dreams. After all, if they were to involve that thing, what if he would see her?!

She continued to breathe heavily, only to stop once an all-too-familiar chuckle echoed through both of her ears.

"D... Discord?!" she stuttered, only to hear his voice fill the Dreamscape, but not too loudly for her to have to cover her ears.

"Not to worry, dear Lulu... I'm not here to pull any fast ones on you. I've merely come to... make a request."

Luna's fear was quickly replaced by annoyance. "Let us guess... you wish to speak with Celestia?"

Discord chuckled again before replying, "No... not really. I've already taken care of that, thank you very much."

Luna's eyes quickly shot open and she stood back up on all fours. "We swear to Mother Nature and Father Time, if thou hast hurt her, we-"

"No, no, of course not! Why ever would we need to get those two involved, anyways?"

Luna snorted before replying, "Because they were able to defeat thee in mere seconds, of course!"

"Well, technically it was just your father, what with him being a true-born god and all."

"Our point exactly! So, unless thou wants us to call upon them, then thou best be leaving!"

Suddenly Discord appeared in front of her with an annoyed expression on his face. He pressed his eyes to where they were mere inches away from Luna's, making her gasp before taking a couple cautious steps back. "If you don't do as I say, your sister will die! Have you any idea that she's searching for the Vigilante?!"

Luna opened her mouth to speak, only to close it and eye him curiously, yet cautiously. "The... who?"

Discord groaned before replying, "The human! The creature that's supposedly killing off your subjects!"

Luna gasped again before glaring at him. "What?! Why... no, how would you know this, exactly?!"

"She told me, of course!" Discord retorted before crossing his arms. "Now, are you willing to listen to what I have to say, or would you rather risk your own sister's life because you didn't listen to her ex?"

Luna stood there silently for a moment before eying him curiously. "Very well, then... We shall listen, but We will decide if thou are telling the truth or not."

Discord nodded his head and smiled. "Good. Now, as you may know, she has a tendency to overthink things... and even you know this, right?"

Luna looked up and rubbed her chin in thought. Sure enough, Celestia did have a tendency to overreact over seemingly trivial matters in the past... and that kind of influence did even rub off on her apprentice. So Luna looked back at him and nodded her head.

"And did you happen to catch the histories of those victims of his?"

Luna nodded her head and replied, "So far, only Changelings and criminals were the victims... why do you ask?"

"Let's take a closer look... what were the criminals charged for the most?"

"Rape, violence, and murder... why?"

Discord snapped one of his claws, revealing seven familiar ghost-like figures... the demons she saw in the Vigilante's memories.

Finally Discord motioned towards the demon figures. "Rape... a sexual assault that is normally caused by built-up Lust, Anger, and Pride. The criminals even displayed traits of Greed by continuing to have their ways with that mare... and they Envied each other once they didn't have a turn with her. They were Gluttonous with domination and power over her weak and frail body... and they were Sloth-like for their laziness when it comes to love. They had no interest in getting to know her... they just wanted to go by their own rules... their own lazy rules... do you not see the patterns here?"

Luna slowly nodded her head. For once, Discord was telling her something direct... this was not like him at all, which must've meant that he was either being dead-serious, or formulating a plan...

And yet, one thing still had her curious.

"What of the Changelings, though? Surely not all of the demons' traits were present from them!"

Discord nodded his head. "That is correct. You see, he doesn't merely play by his own rules, but he still has his codes when it comes to the seven. He doesn't just murder those influenced by the seven... he follows orders from another source, as well."

"Y-you mean... somepony is controlling him?!" Luna gasped.

Discord shook his head. "Not somepony, no..."

Luna blinked before tilting her head confusedly again. "Not a pony? Then... a dragon, perhaps?"

"Nope." Discord shook his head. "In fact... tell you what... may you name the first non-sapient creature that comes to mind?"

Luna blinked again before murmuring, "Um... We beg your pardon?"

Discord sighed before shaking his head again and placing a palm over it. "Oh, come on! Just name a simple animal! Clearly you weren't on the moon that long, were you?"

Luna deadpanned at his comment before finally replying, "Birds, then. What are you-"

"His 'Eyes in the Skies'. Next!"

"W-what?" Luna asked, her expression once again confused, only to receive a deadpanned look from Discord. "Very well, then... roaches?"

"His 'Sounds from the Grounds'."

"Monkeys?"

"His 'Buddies in the Trees'."

"Dogs?"

"His 'Canine Companions'."

"Cats?"

"His 'Feline Friends'."

"P-Phoenixes?"

Discord grinned at that one. "His 'Flaming Friends'."

"Manticores?"

"His 'Crossed Companions'."

"So, wait... are you telling me that-"

Discord cut her off by nodding his head and folding his arms again. "Indeed... he takes orders from the animals themselves!"

Luna lowered her jaw at that statement. Before she could say anything else, however, Discord interrupted her.

"And as it stands, it would seem that he's found another animal lover... oh, this should be quite a laugh!"

Luna blinked before turning her head to the right, only to find a familiar-looking door appear before her... a yellow door with a pink frame and three pink and blue butterflies floating in the center.

"Fluttershy..." Luna muttered. "Y-you mean... s-she's with him?!"

Discord chuckled before shaking his head. "Oh, I wouldn't say she's with him as far as knowledge goes... but who knows? Maybe he's in a peaceful mood?"

Luna glared at him before her horn glowed towards the door. To her shock, however, the door failed to open.

"W-what?!" she asked nopony in particular. "H-how is... how is the door locked?!"

Discord shrugged his shoulders before replying, "Well, maybe it's a memory that she locked away deep inside her mind?"

Luna tilted her head confusedly at the door. "Why would she lock any of her memories inside?"

Discord shrugged his shoulders again.

Luna opened her mouth to speak again, only to be interrupted by the door suddenly opening. "Huh?"

Discord lightly chuckled before clapping his claws together. "Ah, well would you look at that! It looks like something just triggered those memories! Anyways, I'd love to go with you, but I'm not allowed into the dreams of others anymore, what with a simple Covenant I've been forced to make to your father. Anyways, as for the message I wanted you to give to your sister... tell her to stop looking for him, and if it becomes necessary... stop her yourself. She'll only get herself killed otherwise."

He turned to leave, but lightly chuckled as Luna slowly stepped inside the door. "Oh, and by the way, she said I'm to be freed soon!"

Luna's eyes shot open again. She quickly turned towards him and nearly shouted, "Wait, WHAT?!"

Before she could even get a clear response, the door slammed shut.

Author's Note

Grammar be damned, I'll fix it all later and make it look prettier. For now, I've gotta get some sleep before my next shift! I gotta be there at 10:00 PM, and it's 11:30 AM. I've been awake since 3PM yesterday, and gotta get some sleep. :fluttershbad:

But yeah, expect a backstory in the next chapter, folks! And for those of you wondering about Fluttershy's fate...

Oh, and before I forget, I didn't stutter when I said that I can work fast once I've got internet again. Don't think I've abandoned any of my other stories, either!

Of course, most of them will have to have their next chapters re-written because their drafts were all saved on my laptop, which I've already announced is... um... seemingly broken beyond repair, what with the hard drive being the damaged part. I'd be better off just getting a new one eventually.

But yeah, despite having a job in real life, I also have a job in my virtual one, folks! As always, it's good to hear y'alls voices, My Little Bronies!

Oh, and I may have not mentioned this before, but despite being a dark, gory slasher fic, don't think that this story won't have its cute little "D'AWW" moments in it as well as a slight sense of humor. This is in the "My Little Pony" universe, after all... but yeah, those will be occasional moments, as this is primarily a slasher fic, but with style, story, and actual character development/revelations. Don't like slashers with a bit of comedy in it? Then please do give "Freddy Krueger" a little look-see, and you'll know that comedy and thriller/horror can coexist. Kaythanksbai (and please don't sue me, Wes Craven)!

Missing Element - The Butcher and the Butterfly!

Luna couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why this memory was locked away. It looked quite tranquil and peaceful compared to most nightmares that she's encountered.

She was standing in the middle of a large, grassy field. A river flowed through the bank, and several scattered trees flooded the horizon in the distance.

Sitting near the bank was Fluttershy... but she was only a filly, who only recently gained her Cutie Mark, from the looks of it.

She hummed and smiled at the fish inside the river as they continued to nip at the small food pellets she tossed inside.

All in all, it was a truly tranquil paradise that she was living in...

...And yet, it was locked away in the back of Fluttershy's mind.

The memory shifted forward, where Fluttershy was trotting back home through the forest, with Hummingway guiding her. He took the time and effort speaking to her about the many different kinds of trees that surrounded them, even warning her about the poison oak and the poison ivy.

Their conversation, however, was short-lived when the sound of a large, distressed kitten filled the air. Not even bothering to question whether it was some form of a trap or not, they both quickly rushed towards the sound.

They stopped when they reached a clearing where they could see what was going on. In the center of a snare trap was a baby manticore, flailing out and about in hopes that it could escape. Below the snare were three rather large changelings, each grinning wickedly and hissing at each other in their own language.

Fluttershy, despite being a timid young filly, instantly felt her heartstrings pulled at the poor creature. She quickly galloped towards the scene, ignoring Hummingway's calls for her to stop, and shouted, "STOP THAT! YOU'RE HURTING HIM!"

She wasn't sure if they could understand her or not, but at the very least, the manticore slightly calmed itself at her voice, implying that at least it might've understood. Regardless, though, the changelings quickly blocked her path and hissed at her. Even though she didn't understand what they said, she had a gut feeling that it wasn't the nicest of things that was being said.

She quickly unfurled her wings as she continued to run. Then, once she was close enough, she leaped into the air and took flight, only to be swatted to the ground by one of the changelings. She tumbled a few times but got back up and continued charging towards the manticore while it tried to find a way out of its prison.

Suddenly Fluttershy stopped all movement once she felt a tingly sensation across her entire body. Looking at her hooves, she noticed that she was being lifted into the air by the changelings' green magic, which was radiating around her body. Then, once she looked up again, she spotted a pair of insect-like blue eyes staring right back at her.

At once, her bravery was shot down; replaced instantly with a surge of fear. Her legs started to flail rapidly, her wings locked up on her back, and before she knew it, the world around her instantly became a blur. Finally, her back slammed into a nearby tree, causing her eyes to quickly water, blurring out her vision.

Despite her ears' loud ringing, she was able to catch the sounds of chains rattling nearby. Then, with every blink that her eyes made, small, brief scenes of a huge figure looming over her, striking at the changelings, and gripping onto their necks as they tried striking him, displayed before she passed out.

She woke up twice since that moment. The first time, she was lying in the middle of a familiar dirt road, barely able to catch a small glimpse of a tall figure walking away before passing out again. The second time, however, she heard a distant scream before feeling the ground fall below her, save for the pair of hooves that picked her up.

Opening her eyes, she saw her father's back as he rushed her towards the hospital. Confused, she looked towards the Everfree Forest, only to lock eyes with a figure looking back at her from behind a bush... a tall biped wearing a strange mask, and a hooded coat.

Her eyes went wide as the figure raised one of its arms in the air and waved before disappearing in a green fire. Finally, she closed her eyes and let sleep take her again.

Fluttershy weakly opened her eyes, only to feel the strangely familiar sensation that she was being carried. The first thing she noticed was that she was cradled in a pair of huge arms, and that the sunlight was blocked from her eyes by both, the trees of the Everfree Forest, and the shadow of the figure's head. The next thing she noticed was that the sun was up to begin with. She recalled the darkness of the Everfree Forest growing evermore present, signifying that the moon was rising... and yet, the sun was revealing the time to be midday. Finally, realization dawned upon her... the realization of what it was that was carrying her.

And yet... she wasn't afraid. The way how the creature held her, despite its arms feeling metallic, and its face; emotionless, wasn't like that of a predator, but more of a protector... a guardian, of sorts. In a way, it held her similar to how her bear friends would carry her.

Then she noticed a pair of familiar faces rested on the creature's shoulders. On its left shoulder, a chicken with pure white feathers poked her head out to watch her... Elizabeak.

On the creature's right shoulder, Hummingway rested with his eyes closed, seemingly exhausted after his and Fluttershy's recent ordeal.

Elizabeak blinked a couple times before tilting her head to the side. Finally, she turned towards the creature and started to crow.

("It looks like she's up, Vigil!")

Fluttershy slowly blinked before turning towards the creature again. Then she weakly muttered, "V... Vigil?"

The creature first looked at Elizabeak, then turned its head down until it was facing Fluttershy. She meekly lowered her head to her shoulders while the creature tilted its head to the side, observing her.

Suddenly, the least thing that Fluttershy would've expected happened... Elizabeak pecked the back of the creature's head, causing it to turn towards her again.

("Vigil, you're scaring the poor dear!")

Fluttershy suddenly felt Vigil's left arm lower from her body, and saw it hovering over her. She flinched and closed her eyes when he started motioning his hand towards her, but when she felt nothing happen, she opened her eyes again.

Vigil's left hand motioned in different gestures she couldn't recognize, but could understand as a form of communication.

Elizabeak sighed before shaking her head.

("I understand that you're just trying to examine her, but the least you could do is be considerate of her feelings about it!")

Vigil then shrugged his left shoulder before returning his left hand below Fluttershy's back again. Then he continued to carry her towards whatever destination he had for her.

"Um... w-what's going on?" Fluttershy asked.

Elizabeak looked at her again and weakly smiled. ("Ah, of course. Sorry, dear. Vigil here isn't quite accustomed to the pony culture just yet.")

Vigil turned towards her again, which made her snicker. ("Yes, Vigil, I can understand what she's saying. Unlike someone here, we actually decided to learn the ponies' language through each others' knowledge, as opposed to trying to figure it out ourselves.")

Vigil raised his left hand again, but only used one sign; he raised his middle finger up and pointed the back side of it in Elizabeak's direction, which only made her laugh, though it sounded more like a series of squawks.

"Um..." Fluttershy began, only for Elizabeak to quickly look at her again.

("Oh, um... you may not want to know what that sign means.") Then she popped his finger with her wing before whispering, ("Language, Vigil! This is a mare, after all!")

Fluttershy cleared her throat, catching both of their attention. "Um... w-where is he taking me?"

Elizabeak rubbed her beak in thought as she examined the surrounding area. Then she looked at Vigil and asked, ("You're okay with me letting her know where we're going, right?")

Vigil merely shrugged his shoulders as he continued walking through the forest. Fluttershy examined the surrounding area as well.

Like before, the trees in this side of the Everfree Forest were a lot taller than she was used to seeing them. What's more, several of the trees had cuts on them, where a blade made contact with each. Some were simple straight lines while others were two lines crossed together. In the distance, though, a large mountain rested with a cave inside it.

Elizabeak began crowing again, catching her attention. ("We need your help, Fluttershy.")

Fluttershy blinked confusedly at her, only to turn towards Vigil. Vigil, in turn, looked at her and nodded his head.

"W-what do you n-need my help for, though?" she asked.

Elizabeak motioned towards the cave and replied, ("We need you to explain to a pony that we're not here to hurt her. She seems to be shaken up, and won't accept the fact that Vigil here saved her...") she looked at Vigil before adding, ("... well, I say saved, but um... she kinda-sorta already died before he could get to her.")

Fluttershy gasped at that statement before stuttering, "D... died?!"

Elizabeak nodded her head before crowing, ("Indeed... but Vigil managed to bring her back. Please, don't ask me how. It would be a little too complicated to explain at this time.")

The sunlight was quickly replaced by pitch black darkness. When Fluttershy looked around, she noticed that they were no longer in the Everfree Forest, but rather, inside the cave. Her heart rate started to pick up as a distant sound caught her ears... a sound that only grew evermore eerier as they approached, due to the echoes of the cave.

It was the sound of a mare crying.

Princess Celestia trotted through the throne room, eying the newly repaired environment. Normally she would feel a sense of comfort when inside these stone walls, but as of late, they only managed to cause her paranoia to get stronger with each passing second.

After her sister passed out the previous night, she felt like the throne room was no longer safe. As such, she cautiously eyed the surrounding areas, hoping that the "Vigilante" as Discord called it, wasn't in the room with her.

As she sat on the throne, she closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. Her horn lit up, and she began moving the sun towards the proper position once more. Then, once that was finished, she opened her eyes and quickly scanned the area surrounding her... nothing.

Eventually, though, her eyes locked onto Philomena, who was perched inside her golden cage, staring at Celestia with a strange expression on her face... almost like a deadpanned look, but with a hint of concern showing.

She tilted her head confusedly, wondering what could be going on with Philomena, when Discord's words echoed through her mind.

"Indeed... he takes orders from the animals themselves!

Celestia slowly stood from the throne, then curiously trotted towards Philomena. Ever since she found Philomena in the Everfree Forest centuries ago, she managed to pick up on most of a phoenix's language.

"Philomena... what do you know about the Vigilante?"

Philomena continued to stare at her for a long while before raising her right wing up and preening her feathers.

Celestia sighed before weakly smiling and turning back to her throne. "I had a feeling as such... there's no way you'd know about-"

("He is not the enemy.") Philomena crowed, stopping Celestia in her tracks.

She turned towards Philomena with a look of disbelief splayed across her face. Finally, Philomena looked back up and eyed Celestia critically.

("Do not be mistaken, Celestia... he isn't a bad guy. He's just... different.")

Slowly, Celestia trotted closer to Philomena. "H-how... how is he not a bad guy? Haven't you seen what he's done to his victims?!"

Philomena nodded her head and replied, ("Yes... but have you seen what manticores do to their victims?")

"Yes, but-"

("So if anything, consider him as more of a... civil kind of predator, who's also under our control.")

Celestia frowned at her. "Controlled or not, he mustn't be allowed to strike anypony down like that! I... I can't just let him do things like that!"

Philomena shrugged her wings before closing her eyes and crowing, ("Believe what you wish, Celestia... but don't think that you'll be able to protect us all from him... in fact,") she opened her eyes again, facing Celestia, ("it is us who are protecting you, Celestia. Think of it as our way of thanking you for taking care of us.")

Celestia shook her head and turned back towards the throne. Before she could take another step, however, a chilling breeze flowed in through the window. Her eyes shot open as the all-too-familiar sounds of chains rattling through the throne room echoed into her ears.

Not wasting a single moment, she charged her magic in her horn, turned towards the source of the noise, and shot a bolt of light towards the creature.

To her surprise, the human stood there and took the blast to the chest. He flew back several meters until he landed on his back. Slowly, he tried to stand back up, but before he could, Celestia blasted him again with more magic, repeatedly, and with a panicky expression on her face.

Finally, after one last blast, she dashed towards the human and slammed her right hoof into his chest, coating her right foreleg with blood.

The human's arms convulsed for a brief moment, then fell limp. Then, the human's movement ceased at once.

Celestia sighed deeply before shakily raising her right foreleg in the air, staring at the crimson liquid that now coated it. She breathed heavily as her legs quivered. Then she began to question her motives. Tears began to fill her eyes as the recent events just now registered through.

"Oh, divines, I... I've murdered someone!"

She then looked at the dead man's face and eyed the mask curiously. Shakily, she reached her hooves towards the mask and grasped onto both ends of it. Finally, after taking a deep breath, she lifted the mask from the creature's face, then gasped as the figure's eyes shot open from behind the mask. It grabbed her by the horn, disabling any magic she could cast, and stood back up, lifting her with it.

She stared at the creature in disbelief while Philomena spoke to her from her cage.

("In the end, the only one you will be harming...")

The figure lowered its hood, revealing its long, ethereal blue, green, pink, and purple hair. Its tall, purple eyes stared back at her. In Celestia's own voice, it concluded, "... is yourself."

It raised the mask up with its left hand, then turned it around, with first-person images of the victims appearing on the other sides of the lenses. Then, in a blurring motion, it shoved the mask towards Celestia's face, surrounding her vision into complete darkness.

Celestia's eyes shot open. Looking around, she noticed that she was still sitting on the throne. She rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn as the sunlight brightened the throne room. She looked around and noticed Philomena preening her wings, seemingly unfazed by the world around her.

Celestia slowly stood from the throne and began to approach Philomena. Before she could take more than a few steps, however, a scroll appeared in front of her.

Curious, Celestia lifted the scroll up to her face and began reading its contents. Upon noticing what the message was about, her eyes widened, and her mouth began to lower. Finally, in the blink of an eye, she lit up her horn and vanished in a burst of light, leaving the scroll to fall on the floor.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Something awful has happened! Fluttershy, the Bearer of Kindness, disappeared without a trace, and we need your help finding her! I'm sorry if you're busy at the moment. I understand if you're too tired to look... but the others and I have been searching all night, and couldn't find her anywhere! We're worried something might've happened to her.

Anyways, we await your quick response.

Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle.

"Twilight? Are you alright?" Spike knocked on the door to Twilight's room. After asking him to send her letter to Princess Celestia, she stormed off with a trail of tears falling from her eyes.

She replied to him from the other side of the door. "I'm fine, Spike... I'll just... I'll just be a moment."

He sighed before slowly opening the door. The door had a little resistance coming from the other side, as something blocked its path. After turning on the light, he gasped as he saw large piles of books scattered across the room. He knew that sometimes, Twilight would end up forgetting to clean her room and tidy everything up... most of which would be on a bad day, or a day where she would be too focused on something to worry about those kinds of things.

This time, however, there were signs of something else entirely. The room didn't look like she was angry, nor occupied with anything specific. No, it looked more like she was devastated, and searching for something that could mean the life or death of something... or someone.

"Twilight... I've sent that letter to Princess Celestia. She'll have an entire search party for her, so there's no need to panic, okay?"

He crawled up onto her bed, only to frown when he saw her with her head buried in a book. He slowly approached her, and gently placed a claw on the book before lowering it to where he could see her face. His efforts were met with little to no resistance.

Her purple eyes no longer contained that spark of life that they always had. Her mane was raggedy and misshapen. Her cheeks, however, were coated with tears.

Spike's frown intensified when he saw her like that. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

Shakily, she raised her hooves up and returned the hug.

"Don't worry, Twi... we'll find her, okay?"

She slowly nodded her head and whispered, "Okay..."

Meanwhile, in a simple little house in the center of town, Bon Bon placed the grocery bag on the ground before reaching in her saddlebag for the keys to her house. After finding them, she placed them in the door and twisted, opening it and allowing the door to open.

After placing her keys in the saddlebag again, she lifted the grocery bag up and trotted inside.

Like usual, the living room was unoccupied. Ever since the previous month, her roommate Lyra would keep herself locked inside her room, doing Celestia-Knows-What.

This time, however, Bon Bon would confront her about it. She placed the grocery bag on the counter and slowly trotted up to Lyra's room, where the lights only continued to grow brighter.

After knocking on her door a few times, she asked, "Um... Lyra? Are you in there?"

There wasn't a response. Curiously, Bon Bon tried moving the handle of the door. Like usual, though, it was locked.

"Lyra? Is there something you need to talk about?"

Again, silence. Finally, Bon Bon rolled her eyes and pulled a card out from her saddlebag. Then she placed it between the door and the frame, and moved it around in an attempt to find the latch.

Once the latch moved back into the handle, she gave the door an experimental push. With a smile, she opened the door, but froze when an awful odor began to emit from the room. Looking around, she was able to find several jars filled with yellow and brown liquids, with flies floating over each. On the walls and the floor, multiple sheets of newspaper articles were pinned, each with one common subject; the monster from the Everfree Forest.

And there, cradled in the center of the room in a fetal position, was Lyra Heartstrings. Her mane was disheveled, and her horn appeared to be bleeding at the tip.

Bon Bon gasped and rushed up to her friend. "Lyra! What in Celestia's mane are you doing?! You're... y-you're bleeding!"

"I... I... I d-did it..." Lyra murmured.

"Did what?! Hurt yourself?!" Bon Bon sarcastically screeched before trying to lift her friend up. Upon making contact with her, however, she had to force her hoof back, due to the heat that Lyra's body was giving off. "Sweet Celestia! Lyra, you need to see a doctor, now!"

"H-he... he's... b-been here... t-the whole time..." Lyra whispered before collapsing on the ground.

Bon Bon screamed before dashing out of the room, out of the house, and towards the nearby hospital.

Fluttershy slowly looked around the room she was in. Everything seemed much more taller. There was a table on one end of the room that appeared to be nearly as tall as Princess Celestia, herself, if not taller. The chairs were about the size of Princess Luna, though.

On the walls, multiple drawings of diagrams with different creatures and their insides were displayed, each in surprisingly accurate detail. A desk about the same size as the table was below those diagrams with one particular diagram on it, seemingly recently drawn... the diagram of an earth pony.

Fluttershy then heard the sound of a scream, followed by hooves galloping through the cave. Turning towards the source of the sounds, she was able to catch a pink and blonde blur headed her way. Then, before she could react, she was trampled backwards, along with the pink blur, and together they fell over, only to stop in a corner where a candlelight revealed the runner.

Blue eyes met golden eyes, as the tension in the room only grew. Fluttershy slowly raised a hoof towards the pony that mysteriously vanished about one week ago.

"L... Lily?!"

Lily Valley slowly lifted her hoof towards Fluttershy and stuttered, "F... Fluttershy!" She quickly pulled her into a hug and cried on her shoulder, while Fluttershy returned the embrace.

"Thank goodness you're okay... w-we were worried about you in Ponyville!" Fluttershy stated, only for Lily to nod her head.

"Y-yeah... I was... o-on a trip to Canterlot, when I... w-when I was..." She opened her eyes again, only to notice Vigil standing at the entrance where she came from.

She screamed before backing away, attempting to pull Fluttershy with her. "M-MONSTER! FLUTTERSHY, RUN! PROTECT YOURSELF!"

Fluttershy blinked a couple times before sighing and gently patting Lily on the back of the shoulders. "Lily... he's not going to hurt you."

Lily, who at this point was lying on the ground on all fours, shaken up by fear, slowly looked up at Fluttershy, surprised to see a calm expression on her face.

"Y-you... y-you're s-s-sure about t-that?" Lily stuttered.

Fluttershy rolled her eyes before gently patting Lily on the head. "Would I lie to you?"

Lily sighed before slowly turning towards Vigil again. "C-can h-he understand us?"

Fluttershy shook her head before turning towards Elizabeak, who was just then appearing from the other room. "Elizabeak, can you please tell him to sit down? He's scaring her."

Elizabeak nodded her head before crowing the commands to Vigil, who looked her way.

Lily watched in disbelief as the titan listened to the little chicken. He sat down on the floor and crossed his legs, then looked towards the two mares again.

Fluttershy cleared her throat then looked at Lily. "Lily," she motioned towards Vigil, "I'd like you to meet Vigil." She then turned towards Vigil and added, "Vigil," she motioned towards Lily, "I'd like you to meet Lily."

After Elizabeak crowed a translation to Vigil, he nodded his head then lifted his right hand in the air, which only made Lily flinch. When she opened her eyes again, however, she saw that he was merely waving at her.

She slowly raised her hoof at him and waved back. A weak, forced smile formed on her face before the world around her began to spin. Finally, with the fatigue of her running mixed with the information she was just now processing running through her mind, her eyes rolled up towards the back of her head. Her eyelids grew heavy, and before she knew it, she was on the ground, completely passed out.

The Homecoming - Into The Abyss...

Author's Note

I have decided to make this one short, so as to break the huge chapter that approaches!

Life is throwing me curve-balls again, though... not sure if I will be able to get this one done by the end of the year, but here's to hoping! :heart:

Anyways, more will come as soon as possible! Make way, for the next chapter... "Echoes in the Dark - Memories of the Vigilante!"

That's right, folks! This shady character's history is coming up, so stay tuned for more!

Oh, and spoiler alert! There's going to be a huge twist that might leave y'all stumped until I get to that part...

MU WHO HWUH HUH HA HA HAAAAAA! :trollestia: (Dr. Evil Laugh in text format, in case you didn't know... yep. Austin Powers reference in the "Author's Notes"... who hasn't seen that one, anyways?)

The Homecoming - Into The Abyss...

The past three days were hectic for Twilight Sparkle. Despite expecting a quick response from Princess Celestia, everything seemed to have gotten a lot more quiet around Canterlot.

Her friends; Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack, were all with her, along with her parents Twilight Velvet and Night Light, her older brother Shining Armor, her sister-in-law Princess Cadence, and her supportive assistant/half-brother, Spike. Her friends' families were also there, including Rarity's parents and younger sister, Sweetie Belle, Applejack's grandmother, older brother, and younger sister, Rainbow Dash's adopted sister, Scootaloo, Pinkie Pie's three sisters, her parents, and her cousin from Cloudsdale, Surprise.

Fluttershy's family, however, weren't there. With the loss that they must've been going through, however, there wasn't any room to judge, for it was completely understood, and justified.

They were all there to support each other as a whole, for the loss of their friend, and international hero, Fluttershy.

Though there were no bodies recovered the previous night, the investigators were able to find a few strands of pink hair near a puddle of blood... and after vigorous studies, it was confirmed that the owner of the hair was none other than Fluttershy.

"It's not your fault, Twilight." Shining Armor cooed to his sister, who only stared lifelessly at the fireplace. Her friends were also staring off into the distance, unfazed by the comforting words of their family members. None of them were as bright and positive as they've always been ever since the day that they all moved into Ponyville.

Suddenly, there came a series of rapid knocks on the door. Curious, Spike walked up to the door and opened it, only to back up when an all-too-familiar zebra trotted inside in her ragged brown cloak. Following behind her was an unusual mare that they haven't met before... a green coated mare with bright orange locks for her mane style. Her clothes resembled that of a forest nymph, and her eyes were droopy, almost like she barely had any sleep.

"Zecora?" Twilight weakly asked before trotting up to the zebra. "Who's this?"

Zecora didn't answer, but instead motioned for the stranger to speak. The stranger nodded her head and cleared her throat.

"Like, hello. I'm guessing you must be Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight nodded her head and replied, "Indeed... um... who are you, exactly?"

The mare replied, "My name is, like, way too complex for others to say, but... I guess you could call me 'Tree Hugger'. Fluttershy's, like, a friend of mine, too... but I've heard that you've all been gathering here to, like, mourn for her loss?"

Twilight nodded her head, but began to grow uneasy with the tone of voice that this "Tree Hugger" was using. In a way, it almost sounded like she didn't even care that Fluttershy was dead... or that she knew something that they didn't.

Regardless, she replied as casually as she could muster, "That's right... I'm guessing you've come to do the same?"

To her shock, along with a few of her friends, Tree Hugger shook her head and smiled. "Actually, I'm here to ease all of your burdens, instead. I bring you all good news!"

"Excuse me?!" came the voice of Rainbow Dash. She flew mere inches away from Tree Hugger's face and glared daggers at her. "Okay, look! I know that you shamans are always going on about being 'one with the Earth' when a pony departs, but... WHY THE BUCK DO YOU THINK WE OF ALL PONIES WOULD EVEN BE INTERESTED IN HEARING THAT LOAD OF HORSE SHIT RIGHT NOW?! OUR FRIEND IS DEAD! D-E-A-D- DEAD! WHAT KIND OF GOOD NEWS COULD THERE POSSIBLY BE IN THAT, HUH?!"

"RAINBOW DASH!" Rarity shouted, catching the rainbow maned pegasus off guard. At once, the pegasus found herself pinned to the ground by a light blue aura, courtesy of the enraged white coated unicorn. "That is not the way to act towards guests! Especially to guests who have come with the intent to brighten our moods in this grim time!"

Rainbow Dash's anger only intensified. She turned her furious expression from Tree Hugger to Rarity and growled. "YOU'RE SIDING WITH HER, NOW?! A STRANGER OVER A FRIEND?!"

"Volume, Rainbow Dash! We're inside a building, and there are fillies present!" Rarity stated, now feeling her magic wavering from the emotional distress she was getting from her friend.

Rainbow Dash was about to respond, only for Twilight to clear her throat and look towards Tree Hugger, after nearly intervening between her two friends. "Well... we appreciate you trying to be nice about this, but... I don't think there's anything that could make this situation any better."

Tree Hugger tilted her head confusedly before asking, "What? But I thought that hearing about your friend, like, being alive would cheer you up!"

Suddenly all ears perked up, and all eyes were now locked onto her.

"Whoa... that's, like, really trippy, dude! You're all were, like, in-sync with the same emotion for a second there!"

Twilight was the first to speak up. "Wait... so Fluttershy is alive?! What proof do you have?!"

Tree Hugger shrugged before replying, "Like, the trees have spoken. The spirits have answered... she is alive. I can sense her vibrations."

"Liar..." Rainbow Dash muttered, catching Tree Hugger's attention once more.

With a sigh, Tree Hugger sat down on her haunches and closed her eyes, while Twilight looked at her in disbelief.

"Um... right... so again, do you have any proof that-"

Before Twilight could finish her sentence, Tree Hugger began mumbling a monotonous tone, seemingly speaking in a strange foreign language, but slowed down dramatically.

This continued on for thirty seconds, until she went silent again. Everyone stared at her confusedly, only for the silence to be broken when Tree Hugger opened her eyes again.

This time, however, her expression went from calm and relaxed to stern and focused. She looked at Rainbow Dash and said, "Rainbow Dash... I know that you and Fluttershy have been friends for thirteen years now, back when you both met in Flight Camp, during that time she was just moving in from Las Pegasus with her parents. She tripped and fell, only for a group of bullies to start teasing her. You jumped in and stopped them, but only to end up bruised in several areas. Regardless, she applauded your bravery, and helped patch you up."

Rainbow Dash's expression suddenly changed. She was now staring at Tree Hugger in shock and disbelief, now finding it difficult to speak.

Tree Hugger then turned to Rarity and continued. "Rarity, your friend Opal is currently waiting for you at the bedroom door. You haven't fed her in two days, but your younger sister, Sweetie Belle, took care of her yesterday before going back to your parents' house." She nodded her head towards Rarity's parents and younger sister, who looked between Rarity and Tree Hugger in disbelief.

Ignoring Rarity's sudden shock, she looked at Applejack next. "Applejack. You haven't been bucking as many trees as you usually do. You still have yet to buck a single one today, and was planning on just skipping it, should you need the energy to search for Fluttershy any time soon. You entrusted Apple Bloom to help you with that, and she agreed, despite her incapability of doing it all. As such, your brother Big McIntosh is planning to cover for the remaining parts of the orchard, and Granny Smith is unaware of any of it, because you don't want her to worry about your safety, and try to find a way to improvise."

"Is this true?" Granny Smith asked, looking at her grandchildren in slight shock. The three in question tried avoiding her gaze, but Applejack slowly nodded her head.

Tree Hugger turned towards Pinkie Pie next. "Pinkie Pie... during your whole life, you were dedicated to making others smile and laugh... but it wasn't always like that. Beforehoof, you were living a miserable life on a Rock Farm, endlessly harvesting rocks for your family's production line, which has been, and still is, a popular one." Then she turned towards the Cakes and added, "Oh, and she accidentally left a cake in the oven... again. She hasn't done so since her third day on the job."

Mrs. Cake gasped before rushing outside the building. Mr. Cake quickly followed her, while Pinkie Pie's eyes shot open. "Oh, no! I did forget about that cake! Wait... how did you-"

She then turned to Twilight Sparkle, who backed away uneasily. "You, Twilight Sparkle, have to calm yourself before you trot towards a dark, dark path that you will not be able to escape from... and yes, I do know about your thoughts you had leaning towards Prince Blueblood when he insulted your friends at the Gala. You had some... disturbing thoughts... inspired by 'The Crimson Basement', a horror novel you've read three times while nopony was aware. You have a strange fascination with everything there is to know about anatomy, science, life, death, and your most recent one, friendship. Yet your drive towards knowledge will eventually be your downfall, should you start searching for him. You must act quickly... all of you. Change your ways, and approach him in a friendly manner, and you will be spared. Do not, and he will only see the seven, and strike you all where you stand, as he did to them!"

Silence suddenly filled the room. Everypony was at a loss for words at this point.

Finally, Twilight spoke again. "T-the... the seven?"

Tree Hugger nodded her head. "Indeed... an insatiable Lust for knowledge, a Glutton for admiration and Envy for those with more than you... jealousy for your friends' benefits, too much Pride in your own success, yet a ton of Anger in your failures, the Sloth of loss... letting the world go without you paying a tribute to it... if it weren't for the lack of Greed still being here, he would've already been here long ago... after Spike's birthday party two months ago."

Silence filled the room once more. All ponies' eyes were now avoiding the gaze of Tree Hugger, bearing a slight sense of newfound fear of this strange visitor.

"So tell me... who is it that doesn't know a thing about what she's saying, again?" she asked, hitting the final nail in the coffin.

Everypony remained silent, too afraid to answer. Sure, they should be feeling glad that Fluttershy's alive... but why didn't they feel any relief?

Then the realization hit them all in unison. Twilight's ears perked up, and she looked at Tree Hugger once again. "Wait... so if Fluttershy's still alive... that means she must still be out there! We have to hurry up and rescue her from the Everfree Forest, before something does happen to her!"

Her friends nodded their heads and stood back up, but Tree Hugger shook her head and glared at them. "No! If you five enter the Everfree Forest now, then you'll only find your own deaths! Dark spirits are roaming inside, now... Zecora even brought her irreplaceable things from her home, planning to stay here while the threat gets dealt with!"

Twilight shook her head and retorted, "No! If she's out there, then I'm going to go save her... no matter the cost!"

Once more, the Bearers of Harmony nodded their heads in agreement and turned to leave. Before they could even take a single step, however, their family members quickly blocked their paths, and held them down.

Twilight, however, quickly teleported herself outside the house, much to her parents' and siblings' shock. Shining turned towards the window and saw Twilight rushing towards the Everfree Forest alone.

"QUICKLY! WE NEED TO STOP HER!" he shouted, winning a nod from Princess Cadence.

Before anyone else could do anything, Zecora and Tree Hugger sighed and covered their snouts in green cloths, while Zecora reached into her cloak and pulled out a small vial. Then, with a nod towards each other, she slammed the vial into the center of the room, emitting a light blue fog within the entire area.

Mere seconds after everyone inhaled the mysterious substance, their consciousness faded, and they passed out on the spot... save for the two who covered their snouts.

Zecora sighed and shook her head before looking outside the window. "Dark times are, indeed, upon us all. I pray that young Twilight does not fall."

Tree Hugger shook her head and trotted next to her. "She's strong... but I'm afraid the dark spirits that approach her will be far too much for her to handle."

Zecora rubbed her chin in thought. "What of the Vigilante, though? And of her status, does he even know?"

Tree Hugger smiled and nodded her head. "You'd be surprised how much he knows about the world... and how much the world knows about him, as well. He's seen her, and helped them since the beginning... and even before then."

Zecora tilted her head confusedly. "Before? As in, before they were even born?!"

Tree Hugger shook her head. "No... before they were born."

The zebra stood there silently. She pointed towards the window and asked, "Before... the princesses were born?!"

After a moment of silence, Tree Hugger shook her head again. "Before the king and queen were born."

Twilight panted as she continued on her way towards Everfree Forest. There was no turning back now. Her friend's life was on the line, and she wasn't going to let that stand in her way!

"Hang on, Fluttershy! I'm coming to get you out of there!" she firmly stated. "I don't care what that 'Tree Hugger' says about him... he could very well be using you! And I will not let him keep you from your friends, either!"

A solid object quickly connected with her hooves, sending her falling into the muddy road. She grunted in pain as she looked backwards, and saw a large boulder in the way. She then looked at her right foreleg and winced as she saw the nasty looking, bloody gash that formed on the lower half of it.

Wasting no time, she stood back up and continued galloping towards the forest, trying her best to ignore the burning sensation that was forming on her injured leg.

"J-just a flesh wound, Twilight..." she muttered to herself, "i-it couldn't possibly be anything like what he could be doing to her!"

"-And then you clap this hoof with that hand!" Fluttershy happily commented as she clapped her left hoof with Vigil's left hand, which was outstretched with his fingers spread open. He sat cross-legged near the bonfire in the center of the cave room, while Lily sat at Fluttershy's left; a hesitantly uneasy smile was adorned across her face.

Elizabeak chuckled at the scene before her and shook her head at Vigil, who just sat there and copied the ponies' motions, clapping his hands when they clapped their hooves, seemingly enjoying the social interactions, and swapping claps between Fluttershy and Lily.

Finally, Fluttershy looked at Elizabeak and said, "You're right, Elizabeak! He is really nice when you get to know him!" She then looked at Vigil and lightly giggled. "In fact, he's almost like a caretaker!"

Elizabeak nodded her head and replied, ("Well, technically he is a father, so I guess you could say that he works with lots of experience.")

Fluttershy stopped moving her hooves and turned towards Elizabeak again, unable to lift her jaw back up. She stared at her in disbelief before turning back and forth, towards Vigil, and then back to Elizabeak.

"Wait... he's a daddy?!" Fluttershy finally yelped, forcing Lily to stare at her in disbelief.

"But... where's his child at?!" Lily asked, now finding it harder to speak. One human was a challenge to understand, but two?!

"Ugh... my head..." came the voice of an eerily familiar female from a dark corner in the cave, where a hallway rested... or rather, the eerie voices of females speaking in unison.

Elizabeak nodded her head and motioned towards the section in the room. ("It's... complicated, really. His daughter hasn't been herself ever since 'the change'... something that you may not understand without knowing the full story behind them. The two of them go way back, though! Back before any of the world you know of ever existed, in fact!")

The ponies payed no mind to Elizabeak, as their eyes were glued to the figure shrouded in the darkness that loomed over them by twice their height... the light glow from her eyes only gleamed with every flicker coming from the bonfire. Her green wings slightly buzzed and twitched due to the slight pain in her head, as she rubbed the area below her crooked horn with her right hoof. Her forelegs had several holes in them when they came into the light.

What's more, her green crown glowed in the dark, revealing her status to many, and her identity to Fluttershy, who instantly felt another surge of panic building up in her mind.

There, standing before her, was the Queen of the Changelings, herself... Queen Chrysalis.

Chrysalis opened her snake-like eyes when she saw the ponies standing inside the cave, and recoiled when she saw Fluttershy.

"Y-you?!" the two of them stuttered as they backed away from each other. Then, without warning, Fluttershy and Chrysalis passed out on the spot they stood.

Vigil quickly rushed to Chrysalis and caught her before her head could land on the ground. Then he gently lifted her and carried her back into the cave room she came from, cradled in his arms, while Elizabeak sighed and walked towards a nearby well to draw water from it.

By the time the bucket was full, Vigil had returned, and did as Elizabeak instructed... which was to wake Fluttershy up for her.

The moment the water landed on Fluttershy, she yelped and screamed, "QUEEN CHRYSALIS!" Then she looked around nervously, before noticing Vigil standing there with the bucket in his hand.

Immediately, she calmed herself down, taking deep breaths through her nose, and out her mouth. She then looked around, and could barely see the cave room where Chrysalis stood before.

"W-was that... w-was... was..." Fluttershy was unable to speak, as she was now left without a clue on what to think anymore.

Elizabeak gently patted her forelegs with her wings and cooed, ("Don't worry, Fluttershy. All will be revealed soon.") She then looked at Vigil and asked, ("Right, Vigil?")

Vigil nodded his head and sat on the ground cross-legged again.

During this whole time, Lily was confused about what was going on as well. While the rumors of what happened in Ponyville startled her and disturbed her to no end, she wasn't in the area at the time of the invasion, having been at a friend's house, prior to her experience in Canterlot.

Seeing her best friend so disturbed, however, caused her to be on high alert once more, but Fluttershy calming down again has made her less worried... alert, but not panicked anymore.

"I-is she... his daughter?" Lily asked, looking towards Elizabeak, and no longer thinking it odd that she was talking to a chicken.

Elizabeak squawked her answer, to which Lily turned towards Fluttershy for translation purposes.

Fluttershy nodded her head and looked at Lily again. "Y-yes... Queen Chrysalis is... Vigil's daughter."

Elizabeak spoke to Fluttershy again, to which she translated, "And no, Vigil isn't a Changeling... and Chrysalis wasn't always a Changeling, either. She was once a human like him, before..."

Elizabeak spoke again, which made Fluttershy gasp and look at Vigil, who looked down, almost as if he were thinking of a bad memory.

Lily tilted her head and leaned closer to Fluttershy. "Before what?"

There was a moment of silence before Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak.

"Chrysalis was a human named Katie... b-but she... she was the last..."

"Deep breaths, Fluttershy." Lily cooed, causing Fluttershy's tears to finally break from her eyes. She sniffled a few times while Elizabeak looked up towards Vigil, who looked away from the two of them, seemingly upset about something.

Elizabeak gently rubbed his left arm, causing him to look her way and nod his head. Then he stood back up and walked towards the room he brought Chrysalis into.

Finally, when she was able to speak, Fluttershy explained.

"Chrysalis was a human named Katie... before she died."

Lily gasped before quickly rushing up to her friend and gently patting her shoulders. "Shh... it's okay... I... I know how touchy that... subject must be for you."

Fluttershy shook her head. "It's not the fact that his daughter died that upsets me, though! It's... it's what he went through that has me upset the most!"

Lily sighed and nodded her head. "I think it would upset us all, even... to have our young ones taken from us."

Fluttershy shook her head again. "No... it's not that he felt grief over the loss of his daughter... it's the accusations that he gave himself... that he still gives himself to this day!"

"What do you mean? I don't understand that one..." Lily backed away cautiously. Her friend hasn't been this troubled in a long time over a simple message from anything, be it a chicken or a pony.

"What I mean is... he believes that he was the one who did it."

Lily placed her hoof over her mouth. "Did what? Killed his own daughter?!"

Fluttershy shook her head and looked down, letting her tears stream down her cheeks once again.

"No... he believes he's the one who killed his whole race!"

Echoes in the Dark - Memories of the Vigilante!

He was in his daughter's room again. His daughter peacefully slept on the hammock that he constructed for her... the queen, peacefully sleeping in her royal bed.

He walked up to her and gently tucked her into a thin cloth blanket, to which she weakly smiled at the newfound warmth and comfort. Instinctively, her hooves pulled the blanket closer to her body, leaving very little of her body to be exposed.

As he stared at his daughter, however emotionless he would seem, his shoulders slumped slightly down, almost gesturing like he was sighing. Then he gently patted her mane before turning to leave.

On his way to the entrance, he suddenly felt a strange hint of nostalgia before him... of the life he once had. Of the times he once called his own.

As if to be a personal reminder of who he was sent by himself in the past, his memories began to play in his mind.

"Daddy? Can you read me a bedtime story?" A little six-year-old girl with long black hair and emerald green eyes smiled as she looked up at her father from the comfort of her lime green colored bed.

He lightly chuckled before his pale hand reached down and gently patted her on the forehead. "In a little bit, sweetie. Daddy was called into work an hour ago, so I have to get going... but if you're awake when I get back... gladly."

She then giggled as he lightly kissed her on the forehead. Finally, he stood up from his seat and flicked the lamp on her nightstand off, then headed outside the door, leaving it slightly cracked.

As he was about to leave, a young adult lady with light blue eyes and long black hair emerged from the bathroom. She smiled at him and motioned towards the coat rack near the front door.

"It's cold outside, Dear. Don't forget your jacket!" she said with a wink, causing the father to chuckle before walking up to her and gently planting a kiss on her.

"Thanks, Catherine. I would've frozen to death!"

"Ooh! Someone's in a playful mood today, I see..." She then pulled his head in for another kiss, but finished with a whisper.

"Please hurry back, though... I'm kinda in a playful mood, myself."

He snickered before nodding his head, kissing her one last time, and heading outside the door, but not before bundling up in his black winter coat, which he wore over a pure white lab coat.

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Jackson?" the man asked the elder before him, who wore a similar lab coat, with a red logo on it that resembled a white syringe in a red outline. Above it was the title "TeroCorp Labs", and below it was the phrase ""Your Chemical Future, Today!"

Mr. Jackson nodded his head and motioned for the man to take a seat. Once done, Jackson rubbed his forehead uneasily before shaking his head left and right. "Our, uh... our lab results came back in after all... the ones for the cure of the recent 'Green Plague' that's been killing off several people. They were misplaced by someone, apparently."

The man gulped before scratching the back of his head and smiling sheepishly. "Oh... about that. I... kinda-sorta forgot that you recently moved to a different office, while the other one was renovated." His smile died down when he noticed the stern look on Jackson's face. "Wait... something's wrong, isn't it?"

Jackson nodded his head and closed his eyes. "The... the shipments of the cure has already reached the shelves of several different markets. People have been buying it and using it left and right... and, well... that may have not been a good idea."

The man tilted his head confusedly and crossed his arms. "Please, do explain."

Jackson took a seat in his own chair and rested his elbows on the table, but his hands remained covering his face. "The... the cure was more than just a dud... it was meant to enforce the immune system with just enough juice to keep the plague from spreading... but instead, it... had some side-effects to it."

"Such as?" Worry began to grow on the man's face, as a slight suspicion that he held from his coworkers upon development began to rise.

And his suspicions were confirmed.

"The plague has gotten worse."

The man entered his home later the next night. He walked inside his daughter's room, only to smile when he saw her fast asleep. Walking up to her, he planted another kiss on her forehead, causing a smile to form on her lips.

"Daddy loves you, Katie... good night."

In a groggy voice, Katie mumbled, "Good night, Daddy... I love you too."

He then sneaked back into his room and crawled into the bed with his wife, Catherine. Catherine's eyes shot open and she turned her head to face him... but raised an eyebrow at his solemn look he was giving her. "Honey? What's wrong?"

He sighed before firmly, yet gently, gripping onto her hands. "Catherine... there's... there's something I've gotta tell you."

She sat up and flicked the lamp on the nightstand on. "What's wrong? What is it?"

"We... we got the results, today."

She stared blankly at him before a slightly amused smile adorned her face. "That's good, Sweetheart! You're going to be a hero! You found the cure, didn't you?"

He only responded with a silent stare. This made her smile slowly lower, as panic began to build up in her eyes.

"You... did find the cure to the Green Plague... didn't you?"

Finally, he sighed, looked down, closed his eyes, and shook his head. "No... in fact, according to Mr. Jackson... we've screwed all of humanity."

"Screwed? W-what do you mean?!"

He opened his eyes and looked up, revealing the tears that fell within the shadows. "The... the plague has only intensified thanks to the supposed 'cure'. It now kills its hosts within twenty-four hours... and it's gotten highly contagious, as well. Now, if someone so much as breathes it out of their system, the infected cells will fly through the air, contaminating anyone who goes near that area within five minutes. While it has no effect on animals, the virus still lives within them as well... so you could easily catch it from anything, from gnats to dogs, to lizards, to cats, birds... anything. Even the water could be contaminated!"

Her jaw dropped at that statement. "Oh, no... h-how much-"

"Every store across the nation has been given about a hundred boxes of it. Many more have been shipped overseas, as well. It's been sold at a low suggestion price, too. They've sold out in hundreds of thousands of those businesses already, with more selling out by the minute... and each box contained two thousand shots; one per package."

She covered her mouth with both hands. "S-so... h-how long until-"

"They gave me a rough estimate, depending on whether our screw-up gets published... at least three days, but at most... seven. Well, six now, considering the time."

She said no more. With a heavy heart, she cried in his shoulder as the two embraced in a long, warm hug.

"S-so... what do we do, now?" she asked.

He tightened his grip on her before pulling back from the hug. Then, with as much determination as he could muster up, he replied, "We prepare for the apocalypse."

"P... prepare?"

He nodded his head and gently caressed her cheek. "Yes... because I promise you... I'll find a way to stop this mess. I'll find the real cure to this mistake... and then, I'll try to save as many lives as I can."

"B-but... this could be-"

"The last week we have left... I know. I'll find a way to make it up to both you and Katie. For now, though, I'll be staying at work all day, helping the others with the cure."

"But-"

"Catherine... do you trust me?"

She blinked slowly, unsure of what to think of at the moment. Finally, she smiled and nodded her head. "Y-yeah... of course I do, love." She wrapped her arms around him again. "Please, though... promise me you'll return home every night."

He closed his eyes, a small hint of fear in his mind at the thought of returning home with them unprotected.

"... I promise."

Several news reporters were speaking to the cameramen as countless bodies littered the streets in Metro City. As they spoke, countless people stood at the front entrance to the lab, while police forces tried to keep the citizens from breaking in.

From inside the lab, the man hurried inside. His lab coat was tattered from the people who managed to grip him. Luckily, however, his history in the military gave him an upper edge as those who gripped onto him were met with crippling blows.

Checking his vital signs, he was thankful that he wasn't infected by anyone, but regardless, he asked for a new coat to work with, just in case.

Inside the main lab, a tall monitor hovered over the computers, revealing a red strand of DNA, with a few green splotches here and there.

"So as you all may know, we must find a way to get the entire DNA sample green without a single drop of red! Understood?" Jackson asked the staff inside.

"Yes, sir!" everyone replied in unison before heading to their stations.

The man gathered as much information as he could, when his best friend, James, whispered his name.

"Hey, man! Since the world's about to end and all, how about we go to the bar tonight, after work's done?"

The man shook his head. "Sorry, James... but I've already promised Catherine I'd be there with her and Katie."

James seemed disappointed at that, but smiled and nodded his head in understanding. "Yeah, I hear you, man... tell you what. How about we just try to get that cure done first? Then we'll celebrate?"

The man smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah... now that I could agree on. And hell, we could form a group or something like that once the apocalypse kicks in."

James chuckled before Jackson called the two of them out, forcing them back to work.

James snickered before muttering, "Pfft... asshole."

The man chuckled and agreed with him via a simple nod.

"Daddy? Why am I not going to school today?" Katie asked the man as he walked past her bedroom door.

He knelt down to her level and weakly smiled. "Well, sweetie... a lot of teachers are sick right now. Since there's no substitute teachers nearby, they decided to give you the rest of the week off."

She sighed and turned around. "Yes, sir... then am I allowed to play outside?"

He quickly shook his head and replied, "No, sweetheart... Daddy needs you to stay inside the house for now... at least until I have that special medicine ready that could make the teachers all better. I don't want you to get sick either, do I?"

She shook her head. "No, sir..."

He rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Tell you what... how about I allow you to play that video game you love so much all day?"

She gasped before muttering, "P... Pony Land?! You mean I can play it all day?!"

He nodded his head with a smile. "You sure can!"

She screamed happily before leaping up and hugging him tightly. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Daddy!"

He chuckled and patted her back. "You're very welcome... and who knows? Maybe after I make that medicine, I could buy us a pony that you could help raise!"

She giggled before replying, "Oh, THANK YOU, Daddy! You're the bestest dad in the world!"

He smirked before his watch began to beep. Looking at it, he read the numbers "5:30 AM".

"Darn it... I'm going to be a little late if I don't hurry up!"

He gave her a quick peck on the forehead. "Love you, Katie."

"Love you too, Daddy! Hurry home!"

"And don't forget about tonight, Honey!" came Catherine's voice from the bedroom. "It is our anniversary, after all!"

He smiled before turning towards the bedroom door. "Don't worry, Dear! I'll be there!" He stood back up and began backing towards the door. "Love you both, goodbye!"

And with that, he stepped outside the door...

...only to find Mr. Jackson, James, and a few more of the staff members.

"What's going on?" the man asked.

Jackson looked at him with a solemn frown before replying, "Half of our staff members are missing... and I doubt if it would take a genius to know what happened."

The man's eyes shot open. "What?! B-but..."

Jackson nodded his head. "I know. It means that we'll all have to work double-shifts today."

The man sighed and looked back at his house uneasily. "S-so... that means that..."

Jackson nodded his head. "Yes... that means you'll have a twenty-four hour shift today. You're going to be returning home at about this time tomorrow... I'm sorry."

The man sighed before turning back around and walking up to his house. "I'll... I'll go let my wife know-"

"No time, man! We need every single second that we've got!" James interrupted, gripping onto the man's arm. "Please! Just come with us! I... I'll give you a ride back tomorrow morning! We'll have someone leave them a letter so that they don't worry!"

"It's just a quick word, though! I can-"

Before the man could answer, James pulled a pistol out from behind his back and aimed it at the man's forehead.

"What the hell are you doing?!" the man demanded.

James shook his head and replied, "Whatever is necessary... now, get in the fucking car, and we won't have to worry!"

"James... we were friends since elementary school! So WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU HOLDING THAT GODDAMN GUN UP IN MY FACE, MAN?!" He gripped James's wrist and curled it away from him, causing the trigger to be pulled, with the bullet flying inside the window of the man's bedroom.

Suddenly a blunt object found its way across the back of the man's head, and before long, his consciousness faded completely.

Ever since he woke up, the man was forced to continue working in the lab. His former friends were now noticeably showing signs of illness, as every so often, someone would start coughing. Their fates were then quickly sealed with a bullet to the head by either Jackson or James, followed by a cleanup by the hazmat team inside.

He also noticed that the riots were far smaller than yesterday... and it's only been five days. It only made him feel far more motivated to correct his mistake, hostage or not.

He must find a way to stop the plague... otherwise, humanity is as good as dead.

Finally, after his shift was done and over with, he was given a chance to leave. He left with only a quarter of the team remaining inside.

Five of the seven hazmat workers were shot, though. The air filters just weren't enough to keep the virus from seeping inside it, so their only potential source of protection from the elements were blown out of the water.

He finally made it home, only to find a note posted on his door. It was from Catherine.

Gone shopping! Will be back at about six PM tonight!

He winced as the way how the ink was on the paper looked, she must've been upset with him.

On the bright side, though, as his memories recalled James's bullet flying inside their window, at least it didn't hit her.

He stepped inside the living room, where Katie was sleeping with the game she was playing still left on, and the controller in her hands.

With a light chuckle, he silently turned the TV off, then carefully wrapped her up in a blanket from the basket near the couch. He then concluded his "greeting" with another kiss on the forehead and a rub on the scalp.

Finally, he walked back upstairs to his bedroom. Along the way, however, he noticed that the dryer was left on inside the laundry room, but he paid it no mind.

For now, he just needed some sleep.

Stepping inside the bedroom, he noticed that the window was boarded up, and his old varmint rifle was left by the door with a box of ammo next to it. He sighed, hoping that he would be able to make up for his absence, and the drama that he just went through.

He was stirred up from his sleep when Katie burst inside the room with a look of panic on her face... though the look was barely noticeable, considering the time was around six at night.

"DADDY! MOMMY'S HOME, BUT SHE'S CRYING!"

"Hmm... hm? What?!" He quickly sprang out of bed and rushed into the living room, with Katie following right behind him.

"Catherine?! What's going on?!" he asked as the door slowly slid open.

Catherine slowly stepped inside in a panic. "I... I t-think I..."

"MOMMY!" Katie called out before rushing up to Catherine and wrapping her arms around her.

Catherine yelped and quickly shoved Katie back. "NO! DON'T-" Suddenly she was at a loss for words as Katie fell on the floor, no longer worried, but rather, sad, hurt, and confused.

Catherine covered her mouth with both hands and started to breathe heavy, with tears quickly falling from her eyes. "Oh God, Katie! I... I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't-"

Katie quickly ran up to her dad and hugged him for protection. He, of course, glared at Catherine.

"Catherine! What in the hell was that for?!"

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could even say a word, her hands firmly pinched her lips shut, and her cheeks inflated, causing the man to gasp.

Then, once Catherine opened her mouth again, dark green bile spilled out, leaving a large puddle near the front entrance.

Time froze as realization dawned upon him. She shoved Katie out of self-defense, yet she made contact with her... and Katie was still hugging onto him, also!

There was no more denying it. Their time in this world was set in stone...

His wife and his daughter were now infected... and now, with Katie coming into contact with him... now HE was infected!

With him being infected, merely going to work was guaranteed suicide, due to how the people were getting there... if there even were people over there anymore.

Snapping back to reality, he noticed Catherine stumble a little, before she completely fell flat on her back.

"CATHERINE!" He quickly rushed up to his wife and lifted her head up. Her eyes focused on him and she weakly smiled before reaching into her shirt pocket and pulling out a small note for him. Curious, he picked it up and began to read.

I'm so sorry, Dear... but I didn't want to tell you this in person. I was shot yesterday morning, and had to rush to the hospital.

Once there, however, I learned that I've been infected with the 'Green Plague'. They told me that the open wound from the bullet only made it easier for the virus to get into my system.

I wish there were another way, but I don't think I can go on anymore. Don't give up, though! I know you can find the cure!

Remember that I love you... always have, and always will.

Please take care of Katie for me.

Love, Catherine

He couldn't hold it back. He knew the symptoms of the infection through the reports... the green vomit was the final stage that lasted, at the most, one hour... but considering the condition she was in, it was clear that she wouldn't even last another minute.

He pulled her in for another hug while Katie rushed up to them and joined with them.

"K-Katie... I... I-I'm... s-sorry..." she managed to say, though in a raspy voice.

Katie nodded her head and replied, "D-don't worry, Mommy... I forgive you."

She looked up at him and weakly smiled. "Please... d-don't... don't blame... yourself..."

Her eyelids grew heavy. She breathed out a single breath; her eyes dull, her expression, blank.

He closed his eyes and shook his head before reopening them. The tears fell from his eyes as he called her name in a loud, pained cry.

His wife, Catherine, was gone.

The rest of the day, he didn't even get any more sleep. He and Katie both stood atop the hill with a newly crafted wooden grave on top. The word "Catherine" was chiseled onto it.

Katie hugged her father and asked, "D-daddy? W-why isn't Mommy in bed?! W-why is she sleeping in the dirt?! She'll get dirty that way!"

He said nothing. He only stood there, staring at the grave of the one he failed to save... a promise he never wished to break. Had he been there with her, maybe he could've saved her.

But he had to work the extra hours... and now, with only his daughter left in this world, and perhaps a couple strangers here and there, he had to ask... was all of the hard work even worth it, anymore? If he were to develop a cure, he would also have been remembered as the one who doomed humanity.

"Don't blame yourself." Catherine's voice echoed through his mind.

How could he not blame himself?! If he didn't try tampering with the plague, perhaps people would've still been alive to tell the tale! Maybe if he didn't try working on the cure, the plague wouldn't have made it to his front door!

Maybe if he didn't release the cure, Catherine would still be alive!

"Daddy? I don't feel very good..." Katie said before rubbing her eyes.

He looked down at her and lifted her back up. "Don't worry, Katie... I'll get you some medicine..."

He looked at the grave and frowned, before his saddened expression showed his determination once more. "Don't worry, Catherine... I'll save her. It's... it's the least I could do..."

And with that, he carried Katie over to his car and placed her in the passenger seat. Then he quickly ran into his house and grabbed his keys, the box of ammo, and his rifle. He knew that if either James or Jackson were there, which was an extremely high chance, then he would be on their list without a doubt.

The minute he drove into the city, he gasped. The streets were void of all life. Countless corpses littered the streets; some he recognized as the reporters from a few days ago. A few of them lied on the ground with TV Recorders beside their bodies.

Cars were crashed and burning, while buildings were damaged from vehicle collisions. There were animals roaming around the streets, from dogs to giraffes from the local zoo.

What's more, the second that he drove in, he noticed that the animals stopped moving, and looked at him in unison... almost as if they were expecting him.

He dismissed it, though, and continued driving onward. Katie, however, smiled at the scene and pointed at the giraffes. "Daddy... look! Giraffes!"

He looked her way and lightly smiled, then nodded his head. "That's right, sweetie... giraffes."

Finally, when he made it to the lab, he opened the door... but once the outside air reached his lungs, he felt intense pain build up in his stomach. Knowing fully well what it meant, he tried to hold the bile in his system for as long as he could... but in the end, he couldn't.

Upon vomiting the green liquid out of his system, his eyes shot open. His time was cut very short, now. He had to get the cure, and he had only one hour left to do so!

Quickly, he rushed to the other side of the car, but found that Katie also vomited the same liquid out of her system. He quickly picked her up and carried her up the stairs of the lab... but his muscles were getting sore. He grew evermore tired, as the virus began to build up in his body.

His eyelids were getting heavier and heavier through the passing of each second... but his sheer determination and willpower kept him from stopping. He had to reach the lab! If not, then his efforts would be wasted, and all hope for humanity would come to a sudden closure.

Once inside the main entrance, Katie started to squirm out of his arms.

"Katie! What... what are you doing?!" he asked her, trying to keep his grip.

She smiled at him and replied, "Y-you... you're going too slow, Daddy... I don't want to slow you down..."

He shook his head. "Katie... I can get us both in there! I can save us both if-"

She shook her head and interrupted him. "Daddy... I'll be fine. Just hurry up..."

He looked her in the eyes, and found that, despite being only six years old, she was right. If he continued carrying her, he would be lucky to make it halfway there.

And so, he knelt to the floor and gently placed her there. As expected, though, her legs were too weak due to her age, so she wound up sitting with her back against the wall.

"Alright, sweetie... but stay awake, okay? If you sleep now... you might not ever wake up again..."

She nodded her head. "Don't worry, Daddy..." she hacked and coughed a little bit of green bile onto her shirt. "I... I'll stay awake. I... I'm not even sleepy, yet!"

He nodded his head and smiled. "That's my girl." He then stood back up and began rushing towards the main room, with his rifle on hand.

But once he made it inside, he gasped at the scene before him. Bullet holes were in several of the monitors, including the main one. The screens were all black, save for a single one, which had the body of James lying next to it, with the back end of his head blown clean off.

Below the main monitor was Mr. Jackson, who had a similar bullet hole in his forehead.

They must've gotten in a fight... and whoever won must've taken his own life.

The man shook his head at the two before hurrying to the monitor. On it was the main DNA Scanner Program, with a note added onto the address bar.

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head again before rushing to the chemical station. There, by some miracle, the fluids were still intact, and the vials were still warm.

Not taking a moment to lose, he began mixing and matching, before dripping a single drop of the concoctions of the formulas into an infected blood sample within a microscope's cover slip. Then he slid the slip into the computer's reader and hit enter, causing the reader to scan the sample.

CURED: 80% | INFECTED: 20%

"Shit!" he swore to himself before pulling the slip out and discarding it over his shoulder and hurrying to the lab table again.

He continued several times, feeling a growing dizziness take over his mind.

CURED: 90% | INFECTED: 10%

He ended up running out of blood samples. Without hesitation, he quickly wrapped his arm in a leather strap and drew blood from his own arm, then began using it, instead. He drew two more, leaving him with a total of three samples to use.

CURED: 85% | INFECTED: 15%

Next slip went in. His eyes were beaming as the bar continued to read positive results... but at the last second, a red dot appeared on the strand of DNA.

CURED: 99% | INFECTED: 1%

Finally, he fell to his knees as soon as he slipped the final slide into the system. His hands developed a spastic shake, and his eyes were starting to blur. This was it... the final chance. If all else failed, then he would not have enough time, nor energy, to make the cure.

The scanner continued to read as he struggled to stay up, using his hands to hold his head level with the monitor. His body was begging him for a chair, but his mind knew that it was the discomfort that had him still awake, anyways.

And then, there was hope. The scanner finished, and the monitor made a vaguely familiar beeping sound. Looking up at it, he gasped at the sight before him.

CURED: 100% | INFECTED: 0%

He looked over at the lab station, where the cure was still resting in a beaker, and began crawling his way up to it.

The green liquid began to drip from his mouth and his nostrils, but he pressed onward, determined to get to the cure before it was too late.

He reached his hand up then grabbed the beaker, along with a needle. Drawing the cure from the beaker, he shakily raised the needle up to his chest, took a deep breath, and pierced it through flesh, through muscle, and directly into his heart.

He screamed in agony as the foreign object found its way up to his heart. In an instant, however, his vision cleared up, his energy returned, and his muscles found strength again.

Quickly, he yanked the needle out of his chest and drew more of the cure in a separate one. Then he sprung into action again, dashing through the hallway, and towards the other person who needed this cure the most... Katie.

He was in for a shock when he saw her sitting there with her eyes closed. Not wanting to waste any more time, he quickly rushed up to her, knelt onto the floor, and pierced the needle into her heart, then drew it back out of her chest.

"Katie... c'mon, sweetie, wake up! Katie!!!"

He carefully pulled her off of the wall and began pressing onto her chest and blowing air into her system. He continued on for one minute, giving her CPR, hoping to see her bright green eyes shining once again.

"Hmm... she has your eyes, you know?" Catherine's voice echoed through his mind.

"Yeah, but most of her DNA is yours, though. She's B Positive... I'm AB Positive."

He pressed his mouth to hers, blowing more air into her system.

"Yeah, but who knows? Maybe that little bit of B in yours could make all the difference, should anything happen to her!"

He pressed on her chest once more, unable to stop the tears from falling from his eyes.

"Yeah... but hey, don't think that way! You know as well as I do that nothing's gonna EVER happen to her when I'm around!"

Suddenly, her eyes shot open, as she was woken up with a hacking cough. This made him jump up in surprise, then smile as he saw her awake, and alive again.

"Katie! KATIE!" he shouted happily before pulling her in for a hug.

"Oh, thank God you're okay... I... I thought I lost you, sweetie..."

She giggled before shaking her head. "I... I wasn't sleeping, daddy! I was just... resting my eyes, that's all!"

He chuckled before nodding his head. "Of course you were, sweetie... of course you were..."

They just sat there for about a minute, enjoying the company of the other. Then she let out a long yawn and asked, "Daddy... c-can we go home, now?"

He nodded his head and picked her back up. "Of... of course we can, sweetie... we can go home, now... we're safe."

And with that, he carried her out of the lab, and into the car.

"What do you mean, 'it won't work for everyone', James?!" came the voice of Jackson inside his office, as the man stood outside the door, listening in on the conversation.

"With the DNA of every person being so different, we've found that, while it may work on some, the others have different results! Some are better, and some are worse!" James's voice replied.

"Well, we need something that could fix everyone up!"

"Sir... that would take a miracle! And we aren't necessarily equipped with the right tools for that kind of job!"

"Well... then get to finding those tools! We need to find a way to fix this plague before it gets worse! Trillions of lives are counting on us, James!"

"I... I'll get to work. My partner and I might be onto something."

"Great! So who gets the credit, then?"

"To be fair... it was a suggestion that he made, so I'd say he deserves the credit for it. I just agreed with him, and we got to work."

The man and his daughter were sitting on a bench that rested on the front porch. They agreed that they would stay awake to see the seventh and "final" sunrise, before the estimated human population dropped down to "zero".

He held her in his right arm while she rested her head on his chest, with her arm still around his back.

There was no doubt about it... he was afraid, despite his seemingly comforted smile he gave her. He knew that, deep inside, it was only through his DNA that she was still alive... but even then, his wife's DNA was dominant, meaning that, while the cure worked on her for now, it was more of a vaccine... and it was going to wear off at some point.

"Daddy... the sun! It's... it's rising!" Katie murmured as her hand reached his peripheral view, pointing at the bright yellow orb in the twilit sky.

He smiled and nodded his head, continuing to stare at the ray of light... the symbol of hope.

"Yeah... it is, sweetie... we did it! We made it through... we made it past the seventh day..."

She smiled and nodded her head, before relaxing on his chest even more comfortably. "It's... it's beautiful..."

He lightly chuckled and nodded his head, before intensifying his grip around his daughter's shoulders. "Yeah... it is, sweetie... it is..."

They continued sitting there silently, until it happened.

Her arm's grip on his back loosened up, and her pointing finger fell onto her lap. Her eyes slowly closed, and the comfortable smile that the sun illuminated remained.

She was... peaceful.

He didn't even stop staring at the sunrise... he already knew what he would see beside him, and couldn't dare muster up enough strength to do so.

His eyes closed, and his chest quivered, as the tears fell from his eyes. He then pulled her head below his chest and rested his cheek on her scalp. He cried in agony, in bittersweet sorrow, as the last of his family in this cruel world was no more.

Katie... had passed on.

"Oh, God... Katie... I... I-I'm sorry... I-I'm... I'm so... so..."

"...sorry."

The memories echoed through the back of Vigil's mind, as he turned around to look at Chrysalis's sleeping form one last time for the night. Then, ever-so-slowly, he pulled the curtain of the cave shut, leaving it slightly cracked, so that the light of the bonfire in the main room remained inside her bedroom.

Interlude - "Vigilicious"...?

Author's Note

Sorry, I just couldn't resist! :fluttershbad:

Interlude - "Vigilicious"...?

A camera screen appears to flicker to life. Vigil is sitting there, facing the audience, while Twilight speaks in the background.

"Okay, so you saw what we did... can you think of something?"

"..."

"Oh, come on! I've enhanced your mask so you can talk again! Can you at least say something?"

"..."

She sighs before the camera moves to Queen Chrysalis, who was sitting next to him this whole time.

"I'm the K, to the A, to the T to I to E! And my father is the infamous 'Vig-i-lan-te'! I'm Katieliscious!"

She giggles before turning to Twilight. "You're right! This is fun!" She turns to Vigil. "Try it, Daddy!"

"..."

She puckers her lips up and stares at him with pleading eyes.

Finally, a sigh comes from Vigil.

"Fine." he says in a deep, groggy voice that slightly resembles the Master Chief's.

"I'm the V, to the I, to the G, I, L. And if you piss me off, then I will drag you straight to Hell."

Everypony stares at him in shock, all while he slowly turns to Twilight again.

"... I'm Vigiliscious."