Heart Of The Guardians

by BodhiBRO100

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Big Macintosh, My Little Pony: The Movie, Violence, Dark, Main 6, Changelings, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Mystery
Length: 12558

An ancient legend of very powerful beings has surfaced onto the land of Equestria once again in many moons. And Twilight and her friends meet new heralds of the Dark Lord.

More and more heralds of the Dark Lord are coming to their master's aid, and it's once again, up to Twilight and her friends to stop them from bringing unnecessary evil back to Equestria. And on the other side of things, an ancient legend of near unstoppable creatures with supernatural powers have come back to fit in the magical land.

Published 2018-01-31 05:50:07 UTC
Last updated 2018-07-14 18:20:46 UTC

Prologue/Opening/The Ones

In Ponyville, a young colt with an olive green coat, and a messy red mane is shown sleeping in bed, until he hears a thumping noise downstairs, in his house, and he wakes up, and goes downstairs to figure out what's causing the thumping. To the colt's surprise, in the kitchen, the fridge is open.

"Hello?" the colt said.

Suddenly, a young female zebra comes from hiding in another room, to meet the colt. The pony smiles at the sight of her.

"I'm sorry, I had nowhere else to go." the mare said.

"You don't have to steal." the colt said, walking up to the foal mare. "What's your name? I'm Brainy."

"Poison." the zebra mare said.

Brainy smiles. "If you have nowhere else to go, why don't you stay here?" he asked Poison.

"You..You're not afraid of me?" Poison asked the colt.

Brainy's voice is heard in Poison's mind. "Of course not. I now know that I'm not alone. I know you have gifts like me." he said, telepathically.

Poison gasps. "I never thought there were more of us left." she said.

Brainy talks normally. "Me neither. Stay here with me, Poison." he said to her. "I promise, I'll take care of you." he smiles.

Poison smiles happily. "Thanks Brainy." she said.

Then, at the Crystal Empire, during the Changeling Invasion, multiple creatures like bears, centaurs, rabbits, parrots, humanoid dogs, timberwolves, zebras, and even ponies of all kinds, are being held captive by the changelings, under Queen Chrysalis's orders, and one of the captives, a young male zebra, is being forcefully taken away from his parents.

"No!!" he said in German, as he held out his arm.

"Zeeby!" the young zebra's parents scream to him.

The young colt zebra and his parents keep screaming and crying at each other in plead, as suddenly, the ground shakes. Changelings come to hold the young zebra back, then the ground starts to move and bend, as the young zebra looks in shock, discovering his powers, and sees his parents killed by changelings, under Pharynx's orders, which makes the young colt angrier, and chunks of the ground come up, and he uses them to kill the changelings that killed his parents, until another changeling comes up to the zebra, and knocks him unconscious.

A changeling with a larger horn than usual, comes up to the scene, flying in midair, and sees the damage caused by the zebra, and smiles evilly. He then tells a changeling next to him. "What a scene. Bring him to my quarters, please?" Then he flies away.

Then at the changeling's chambers in Chrysalis's old castle, two changeling guards bring the now conscious little zebra, and push him in front of the changeling's view.

The changeling then speaks in German to him. "Hello...Zeeby, is it?" he asked him.

The young zebra, now revealed to be named Zeeby, nods at the changeling.

"Well, Zeeby, I'm Hopper." the changeling said to him. "I've seen what you're capable of. And I just want to say, I'm very fascinated, cause I have powers and gifts like you." he said. "Abit different from yours, but abit more stable. What I want you to do for me, is to demonstrate your gifts to me, if you will?" he then asked.

Young Zeeby shakes his head, and speaks back in German. "I can't, Mister Hopper, I don't have the energy or know how to do what I just did back there, again. I'm just a colt, you know." he told the changeling.

Suddenly, Zeeby's only family member left alive, his sister, is brought into the chambers. His sister is shown as a zebra, with red and black stripes, instead of black and white, purple eyes, and white colored hooves.

Zeeby turns around to see his sister and hugs her happily. "Helo!" he says as he hugs her.

Helo hugs her brother back. "Zeeby, my baby brother, I'm glad you're okay." she said.

Hopper signals the two changeling guards, and they seperate the two zebra siblings. The changeling then uses his powers to grab Helo's pendant from her neck, and levitates it onto his desk.

"I realize now, Zeeby, that you can really unleash your power when you feel pain emotionally." Hopper said. "Here's what's going to happen: I'm will count to five, and you will move your sister's pendant." he instructed. "You fail to move it, I kill her. But I'm going to give you five seconds to spare her, understand?" he asks Zeeby. He then points his large horn towards Helo.

Zeeby nods understandingly, and looks at the pendant, holding his arms out, trying to move the pendant with his powers. He then looks at his sister worringly.

"One.." Hopper counted.

"Sister!" Zeeby said to Helo, scared.

"Baby brother, if I die, promise me you will never become the bad one. And please promise you'll always remember me. I love you." she said to him, and points at her pendant.

"Two.." Hopper still counted.

Zeeby nodded at her sister, looks back at the necklace, and in his first person perspective, his hooves are seen trying to move it with his powers.

"Three.." Hopper said.

Suddenly, the pendant moves just a tad, automatically.

"I did it!" Zeeby said.

Hopper shaked his head. "Tsk Tsk Tsk, young Zeeby, I need to REALLY see it move. Not just barely budging." he said. "Four.." he continues counting.

"Zeeby, unleash your gifts." Helo said. She continues to say that sentence, getting more and more scared as her brother is.

Zeeby really struggles and struggles to make the necklace move more than budging. In his first person perspective, he tries and tries to use his powers to move it, but nothing works. "Grrrhhh!" he grunts out.

Helo says the sentence, "Zeeby, unleash your gifts, your power please!" for the last time.

Hopper sighs disappointly. "Five.." he finishes counting, and he shoots a green killing spell at Helo.

Zeeby gasps as he hears the spell come in contact with Helo, as she falls to the ground, dead. He sees his dead sister on the floor and lowers his head to cry, then he looks back at Hopper, with tears coming from his eyes, and gives an enraged face, as his powers finally unleash, crushing a steel vase on Hopper's desk.

Hopper looks at the crushed vase in amazement. "Yes, amazing!"

Zeeby then screams in emotional pain in anger, as his powers spiral out of control, and the entire desk around Hopper gets demolished.

"Fascinating!" Hopper exclaimed happily.

The zebra raises his arms towards the two changelings that had his sister restrained, and his powers viciously remove their horns, and shoots them with killing spells, with their own horns.

"NOOOOO..." Zeeby screamed, as everything in the room becomes destroyed by the zebra's powers, much to Hopper's amazement.

The changeling smiles devilishly.

Zeeby finally stops destroying everything in the chambers. "...OOOOO!" He then lowers his head again, covering his eyes with one arm, crying quietly.

Hopper puts his arm over Zeeby's shoulder, happily. "What a wonderful demonstration, Zeeby. Your anger makes you stronger." he said. "Together, we'll change the world for the better, I promise." He then puts Helo's pendant in Zeeby's hoof, pats his shoulder, and leaves the room.

Zeeby looks at his sister's pendant, and then we're taken to space, where the title made of stars, appears.

"MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP VS EVIL 4: HEART OF THE GUARDIANS"

Author's Note

This is the 4th part of Act 1 in my MLP Friendship Vs Evil storyline. Hope you like it as I go on with it.

Revenge On A Changeling/Meet The Private

As the title disappears, back in Equestria, a first person perspective of a stallion is shown, holding a grey and dark pink helmet in the pony's hooves, and he puts it on, covering his face, showing him in third person to be a pegasus with a dark grey coat, with pink bare hooves, silver armor plated scarf and boots, and a red violet and orange tail. He is seen in the apple tree fields, pretending that the trees are enemies, bashing them, jumping and climbing over them like obstacles, and flipping around on them like an acrobat. Apples fall off the trees, as the stallion jumps up high from the trees, and in slow motion, he nods at the readers and viewers, like a 4th wall break, and punches the ground, making many apples fall off trees.

Then suddenly, we transition to a familiar looking pendant moving around a striped hoof, with a very long scar on it. Then a grown up Zeeby is revealed, to be moving the pendant, in a bedroom, with a sinister look in his eyes.

"I can't take it anymore, I need to find him, that monster!" he exclaimed, looking at a picture of Hopper of the wall, using his powers to throw the necklace at it in anger.

Later, in Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Big Macintosh go to a couple apple trees to buck them. To their surprise, many of the apple trees were already bucked for them.

"Huh?" Applejack said confusingly. "What in tarnation happened here? Our job is already done."

Big Mac replied with his signature line "Eeyup." in surprise. "I wonder how, cause I ain't seeing anypony around." he said.

Suddenly, Applejack spots a pegasus stallion with a dark grey coat, with pink bare hooves, a grey and pink helmet, silver armor plated scarf and boots, and a red violet and orange tail, in the middle of all the bucked trees.

"Hey, I see somepony over there!" she said, pointing at him.

The two sibling ponies go up to the pegasus, while still looking around at all the trees he knocked the apples out of.

"Hey you!" Applejack shouts to the pegasus.

The pegasus looks up at the two country ponies and waves hi.

"Did ya do all this tree bucking?" AJ asked him.

The pegasus nods, then writes something on a piece of parchment, and gives it to AJ.

Applejack reads it. "I didn't do this on purpose, I just had to let out all my frustration." she finishes reading then looks at the pony. "Well, why take it out on these apple trees? Me and my brotha were about to buck these today."

The pegasus writes something else and gives it to her.

"Webber and Twilight said I could. I'm in deep depression at the moment." Applejack read, on the parchment. Then she says to him. "Of course, I knew those two were up to this type of stuff. Well, thank ya for bucking the trees for us." she smiled.

The pegasus nods. Big Mac looks at him with a concerned look.

"Who are ya? What's ya name? Why do ya have that helmet over ya eyes?" Applejack asked.

The pegasus finally speaks, revealing a quiet, deep, almost graspy tone of voice. "Take it up with Web and Twi." he said.

Later, in the Everfree Forest, grown up Brainy and Poison are seen walking around in the forest.

"What relation do you have to her, Poison? Do you know her?" Brainy asked Poison.

"You'll see." she told him.

The pony and zebra walk up to Zecora's hut. Poison knocks on the door.

Zecora opens the door, and stands in shock, to see Poison in front of her.

"It's been a while, big sister." Poison said to Zecora, smiling.

Brainy opens his mouth in shock as well.

Zeeby's Hunt For Hopper

Then later, on a boat on the water, near Manehattan, Hopper is seen looking off in the distance, and he then looks around him, keeps feeling Zeeby's presence.

"Why do I feel the presence of somepony that I don't fear?" Hopper asked himself in English. "I have better gifts than he does, I should be happy he's coming for me. Cause at least then, will he get a very good taste of my powers." he then said to himself.

"Why would you care?" somepony said.

Hopper shakes his head, and looks in front of him, to see a stallion with a silver coat, blue eyes, and a sky blue and white striped mane and tail, standing there.

"Because, Bling, I suddenly sensed his presence just now, even though he wasn't here." Hopper said to the pony.

Bling replied. "Why don't you just lure him to you?"

Hopper rubs his chin. "Hmm, never thought of that." he said, smiling evilly.

Later, in Las Pegasus, Zeeby is seen walking around the area, sniffing the air.

"Nothing but magic filling the air here." Zeeby said in English. "The magic I'm looking for, is inside a changeling." Then he starts sniffing the air again, trying to smell Hopper's scent. He then looks east, finally locating the scent, and heads that direction. "I found you, Hopper." he said, grinning sinisterly.

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack is seen talking Twilight Sparkle, Webber Shadow, and Darky.

"Who is this guy, Twilight? Webber?" Applejack asked them. "He said ya both know him."

"You don't remember him?" Twilight asked surprisingly.

Applejack shakes her head. "Nah." she said.

"He was part of the B.A.D. The team that helped us get rid of the Ascension Aliens from moons ago." Twilight said.

AJ then looks back at the pegasus, talking to Big Mac, in surprise. "That grey cloud with a helmet was part of the B.A.D? Wow, must've not have seen him, cause I wasn't around when that team came to Canderlot to fight off some of them aliens." she said.

"That's because he's shy, he tends to hide himself in the back when the rest of the team stands out in front of him." Webber said with a snigger. "But yeah, his name is Goofy Loopy, but he likes to go by his team name, The Private." he then said.

"He does look pretty strong, but honestly, I think he and Big Mac have a lot in common, don't ya three think?" AJ asked with a smile.

Twilight nods. "Yes, they do." she said. "They're both shy, they barely say anything, and they are very strong."

"Not as strong as me, but yeah, they both are." Webber said, giggling.

Meanwhile, Big Mac is trying to chat with the pegasus, now revealed to be called Private.

"So, you're a warrior, huh?" Big Mac asked Private, with a smile.

The Private just nods with no expression.

"Heh, I wish I could be like ya, ya and me do share alot." Mac said.

Private raises a visible eyebrow, outside his helmet, in a questioning manner.

"We're both very strong, we don't have much of a chatterbox, and.." Big Mac pauses, looking away for a minute. "..we're both shy. Heh." he finished, looking back at the pegasus.

The Private looks away as well, shyly, nodding in agreement.

"Heh, eeyup." Mac said with a shy smile.

Back at Zecora's hut, Brainy, Poison, and Zecora are drinking tea.

Zeeby's Bane/Mac's Tooth Horror

"Why haven't you come back to me, sister?" Zecora asks Poison.

Poison replied. "Cause I didn't believe you'd be of help. Especially for somepony like me at that age."

"I'm your older sister, you know. You could've came to to me when you were a foal." Zecora said.

"I'm capable of handling myself." Poison replied seriously.

"Until she met me, for some reason she doesn't trust you." Brainy said.

Zecora sighs. "Remember what I told you before?" she asked her little sister.

Poison rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, I remember. You said to not be afraid of anypony, including your own family, my gift is amazing." she said.

"It really is. I promise. I can heal, you can infect." Zecora said.

"Yeah, but you can heal with potions and stuff, not from your own hooves." Poison replied.

"Which is why I'm so pleased to know that I'm not alone in the world with gifts." Brainy added.

Poison looked at him. "I guess we're both relieved." she said to him. "Maybe the legend of us was right, maybe we ARE the superior."

Brainy looks at Poison with a confused look. "I never said that, Zecora never said that." he said.

"It was just a thought." Poison said, smiling. "What happened to your rhyming speech that you used to do, sister?" she asked Zecora.

"I promised you before you left, that I wouldn't do that when we talk to each other." Zecora said. "And I won't do it for you either, Brainy, since you're great friends with her." she said to the pony.

Brainy talks into Zecora's mind, with his mind powers. "You don't have to, I know what you say and think at all times, trust me." he said in her mind, with a wink.

Zecora smiled and nodded.

"Anyway, me and Brainy should get out of here, we have other things to do today." Poison said.

Brainy opens the door with his mind, looks back at the zebras and smiles.

"By all means, but sister, definitely come back if want to. I'm always here for you." Zecora said to Poison.

Poison nods. "I'll keep it in mind, thanks." she said, smiling.

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Zeeby is shown many feet away from the farm, overlooking it, inhaling and exhaling, and then he walks over to the farm with a lonely and frustrated look on his face.

Sugar Belle is seen next to Big Mac, probably has come earlier to hang out with the clydesdale.

"Private, we must talk to you for a minute, if you will?" Webber asked the pegasus.

Private nods and weakly smiles.

"Let's go behind the barn then." Twilight said.

Webber and Twilight walk with Private and Applejack, to the back of the barn.

Darky looks at Sugar Belle and Big Mac. "We'll be back mates." he said with a smile, and follows the other ponies.

Sugar Belle and Big Mac nod in agreement.

"Ah!" Big Mac exclaimed, and he held the side of his mouth in pain.

Sugar Belle pats Macintosh's back, trying to comfort him. "Poor sweetie." she said to the stallion. "That potion sure did a number on you, and I wish you hadn't taken it."

Big Macintosh replies to Belle. "I had to make myself stand out for once in a long time. The only other time I actually did something loyal and helpful, was to help Applebloom try to win the Sisterhooves Social." Mac still held his mouth in pain.

"Your tooth hurting you, big guy?" Zeeby said, walking up to the mare and stallion.

Big Mac grunts in pain, still holding his mouth. "Eeyup." he said.

Sugar Belle frowned. "My poor sweet Big Mac has had this problem for days." she said.

"Eeyup." Big Mac replied. "Let's just say it is a long story on how this happened..." he said sheepishly.

"Understandable." Zeeby said with a nod. "You know, I can take it out for you if you want? Since it sounds like you don't want to go to an actual dentist. Fear is normal." he offered.

Big Mac looks at Zeeby in confusion. "You may be a zebra like Zecora, but you don't look like a dentist." he said.

Zeeby shakes his head. "I'm not. I actually came looking for you." he said to Big Mac. "I was told from my nose that you know where a couple of my "disguised friends" are."

Big Mac covers his mouth and gasps quietly in shock.

"What do you mean?" Sugar Belle asked Zeeby. "This stallion never told me about talking with changelings." she said, looking at Big Mac worryingly.

"They told me if I could keep a secret, and I said I could." Big Mac said.

Then, a flashback is shown, with Private walking away from Big Mac.

"Private, wait!" Macintosh exclaimed, starting to follow him, until suddenly Hopper is shown being teleported by his right hoof pony, Vanish, who is shown as a dark red, scarred, Earth pony, with green eyes, a black mane, and a thin and sharp dark red tail.

Big Mac turns around to see the changeling and pony, as they come up to him.

"Big Macintosh, what a shy but chivarlrous farm pony you are." Hopper said.

"Uh, how do you know me?" Big Mac asked Hopper.

The changeling replied. "Telekinesis, as always. I understand you're not very talkative, so maybe you can keep a secret for me?"

Big Mac nods. "Eeyup. What kind of secret?" he then asked.

Hopper goes up close to his face. "A secret you might unfortunately not be able to keep for long."

"Try me." Macintosh said with a sassy look on his face.

The flashback ends, as Big Mac finishes telling Zeeby that he kept the secret from him.

"Well, you said that the changeling has told you where he's left some of his bodyguards, that went into hiding." Zeeby said. "You're gonna help me find them."

Big Mac shakes his head, with his hoof still on the side of his mouth. "Nnope." he said.

Zeeby then goes up to Sugar Belle, put his hoof on her shoulder, and uses his powers to put her to sleep.

Macintosh gasps at what Zeeby did, and backs away from the zebra. "What did you just do to her?" he asked. In his first person persepctive, Mac still backs away, looking at an eerie smiling Zeeby, who gets closer to him.

"She'll be fine, don't worry." Zeeby said to Big Mac. "Will you give me info on where Hopper's groupies might be now?"

Big Mac uses his size to stand up towards Zeeby, and shakes his head. "Nnope." he said. "He told me to not tell you a thing, and I promised I wouldn't."

Zeeby chuckles abit. "You're working with the bad guys here, that's not like you!" he replied. "Tell you what, you tell me what I need to know, I'll yank the tooth out for you. You refuse, I'll make it hurt more." he said with a serious look.

Big Mac breathes heavilly in fear. "Why do you have to be so mean and nasty?" he said hesitantly.

Zeeby sighs, giving up on his angry mood. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to, but I'm getting angrier every day I can't find Hopper! I'll END him for what he's done to me...." he exclaimed angrily."

"Well, some changelings came here after the one you're searching for did, and they asked the same questions and told the same info. Probably as a warning from this "Hopper" feller that you'd catch up." Macintosh said.

"How could you side with them?!" Zeeby asked angrily.

"They were reformed." Big Mac said back.

"How would you tell?" Zeeby asked with a raised left eyebrow and inquisitive smile.

Macintosh sighs. "True." he said and giggled.

"Will you give me info, PLEASE?" the zebra asked desperately. "There, I said please."

"If it satisfies you, they said they were going to Canderlot. A restaurant near the castle. Didn't give much details." Mac said.

Zeeby nods his head and smiles brightly. "That's all I need to know, thank you, um...?"

Macintosh grunts again in pain, holding his mouth again. "Big Macintosh." he said in a painful tone.

"Zeeby Stripes." the zebra said, putting his hoof on his chest, respectively.

The clydesdale and zebra shake hooves greetfully. Then suddenly, Zeeby uses his powers to restrain Big Mac, in a leaning position, against the wall of the barn.

"How are you doing this?" Big Mac asked.

"I have a supernatural gift to manipulate any type of magic, including the magic inside of anypony. You have magic in you, even without a horn." Zeeby explained.

Macintosh nodded. "Eeyup, I know."

Zeeby puts his right hoof on Mac's chest, as he looks at the leaning pony in the eyes. "Canderlot, huh? I'll look for those monsters right away." he said with a slanted grin. Then he raises his left hoof, aiming it at Big Mac's mouth. "Now, Big Macintosh, open wide."

Big Mac nods again, and opens his mouth. "Ahhhh...." he said with his mouth open.

Zeeby then uses his powers to locate the tooth that is aching Macintosh, without knowing, and he tries to pull it out with his powers. "Huh? A green tooth?" he said in confusion. "What kind of cavity is this?" he then asked.

"Argh, it nah a cacity, it.." Big Mac started in a muffled tone.

Zeeby stops, to let Mac speak. "What are you saying?" he asked.

"I said, it's not a cavity, it's a side effect from a potion I drank a while back, and it's been a hurtin so darn bad." Big Mac finished saying. "Now you can get it out." he said, opening his mouth again.

Zeeby tries again, using his powers to wiggle the tooth out gently. "Hmm, interesting." he said, gritting his teeth. "I've missed alot during the reign of Nightmare Moon's banishment."

Big Mac groans in mild pain, as Zeeby shakes his head slowly, watching the tooth wiggle, struggling to pull it out. Big Mac shakes very nervously, while still retrained, and Zeeby keeps trying to get the tooth. Zeeby starts speaking in an unknown language that sounded like nasty gibberish to the red stallion. As the tooth wiggles and makes a squishing sound in the socket, Big Mac winches and groans in even more pain. He squeezes his eyes shut and attempts to close his mouth to relieve himself, but Zeeby's power forces it open. The zebra makes a deep, maniacal chuckle, then grunts in frustration as he struggles, while the big stallion begins to scream in agony and shaking violently. A couple seconds later, finally, the tooth quickly ejects from Big Mac's mouth, onto Zeeby's hoof. The zebra looks at the green tooth, then looks back into Macintosh's mouth, breathing heavilly tiredly.

"Ahhh!" Big Mac exclaimed, breathing heavily in relief. The pain was over in an instant. "My goodness gravy, what a relief!" he then said happily. "Thanks."

Zeeby looks at Big Mac with a smile, patting his chest, and unrestrains the farm pony, holding the tooth in his left hoof. "Eeyup." he said with a wink. "That side effect didn't get out without a fight, thanks for the info I needed. Those changelings will pay for what they did to me." He then throws the tooth to Macintosh.

Big Mac catches it with one hoof, and rubs his cheek with the other. Then he smiles at Zeeby. Just as the zebra was about to revive Sugar Belle and leave, Big Mac stops him to ask him one more thing.

"How will you know if they are really evil or not?" he asked.

Zeeby replied. "I also am able to smell all types of magic, including shapeshifting." he said with a smile. He then waves his hoof over Sugar Belle, reviving her. "Thanks again, Big Mac."

Big Mac nods and smiles. "Eeyup." he said.

Sugar Belle gets up from the ground, and looks at Big Mac staring at Zeeby, who's leaving, with a frustrated look on the zebra's face. "Big Mac, sweetie, are you okay?" she asked worringly. "What did that zebra do to you? Who is he?"

"Eeyup, I'm okay." Macintosh said, comforting Sugar Belle, and looking at Zeeby walking away. "He got my tooth out, and he seems like somepony with a terrible past from changelings probably. Who knows what tarnation that zebra's been through."

"I agree. Poor thing." Sugar Belle said.

Suddenly, Webber, Darky, Private, Twilight, and Applejack come back to Macintosh and Belle, and they see the green tooth in Mac's hoof.

"Brotha, how'd ya get that outta ya?" Applejack asked in surprise.

Big Mac stares into the distance. "A long, almost painful story.." he said.

Later, in Manehattan, a mare with a purple coat, white gradient legs and hooves, a wavy white, light purple, and black mane and tail, and white and pink headphones, is seen hiding behind a bush, looking at Hopper entering a building.

The Misfit Club

"What is Hopper doing in there?" the mare asked herself. She then pulls out some binoculars, trying to look into the windows, to locate Hopper.

Hopper finally appears, with Bling, at the second third floor window, talking to each other.

"I see him. I wonder what he and that blue stallion are talking about." the mare said, putting the binoculars away and gets out from the bushes.

A male Irish voice is heard on a intercom from the mare's left ear. "Jelly, if you go in there, don't do anything that would compromise your cover." the voice said to the mare, now revealed to be named Jelly. "Hopper is very dangerous."

"I took precautions before, Whitney." Jelly replied to the male voice. "I'm sure I'll be okay." She then sneaks into the building that Hopper entered, and looked around.

Inside the building, is a casino, with many ponies and animal humanoids from other lands, are gambling, drinking apple cider, and winning bits. Jelly looks around for a set of stairs, and sees an elevator instead, to the east of some slot machines.

"Whitney, I found an elevator east of the entrance of this building." Jelly said on her ear intercom.

"Alright then, go there, which room is Hopper in?" Whitney asked.

"Third floor." Jelly replied. "I'm on my way there now."

"Be careful, he might have bodyguards around." Whitney said to the mare.

Jelly went into the elevator, and later, at the second floor, she gets off the elevator, and looks around, as she stands in an elegant looking hallway, with all brown wavy patterned walls, and 8 room doors on each side of the hallway, and at the end, a 9th door, colored red, with whimsical looking patterns on it. Jelly walks slowly down the hallway, towards the end door.

"Fancy hallway." Jelly said, smiling abit. She talks through her intercom. "I found the odd door out on this floor, I believe this is where Hopper is."

Whitney asked. "Any bodyguards around?"

"I won't know till I get inside, but I know he has another stallion in there with him." Jelly replied. "I don't think he's a bodyguard though."

"If you don't believe that this stallion is protecting him in any way, don't go inside. You have that sonic virtual screen I gave you." Whitney said with caution.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about it. I'll use it against the door, hopefully nopony opens it." Jelly said, taking out a brown rod, that she shakes abit, and a small blue, pixelated screen pops up from the rod.

Jelly then sticks the screen onto the door, and looks at it. The screen visualizes the entire room inside, and locates Hopper and Bling, talking to a stallion with a light orange colored coat, no mane, a jungle green tail, brown eyes, and wearing a formal suit, taking a sip of apple cider.

The mare gasps. "Whitney, Mr. Apricot is in there!" she exclaimed in her intercom.

"What?" Whitney asked in confusion.

"Hopper, I told you before, you can't expect me to do what seems inconsistent for Canderlot." Mr. Apricot said to the changeling. "They haven't even known about the Hippogriffs for a long time, ever since the Storm King broke in half from stone."

Hopper smiles. "I know, Mr. Apricot." he said. "But we need the message to Celestia's royal guard, and we know you're the messenger, since Mercury has retired. You're our only hope for us to get past Celestia's wishes."

Jelly keeps looking through the screen in shock. "Hopper's trying to get him to send some sort of message to Princess Celestia's royal guards. Why?" she asked, whispering.

"I don't know, Jelly, but I don't like the sound of it." Whitney said.

"Maybe I can make an exception, but not today. I have a meeting to attend to in an hour." Mr. Apricot said. "We can make a schedule."

Hopper chuckles sinisterly. "We don't have time to make a schedule." he said, and then looks at another stallion with a purple coat, red bare hooves, short but wavy mane and tail, and grey colored eyes, signaling him. "Octopi!" he said to the stallion.

The stallion points his right arm at Mr. Apricot, and it quickly extends to an unnatural size, and the arm hits Apricot, making him go flying, and he hits the wall hard, which makes Jelly gasp and cover her mouth in even more shock.

Mr. Apricot groans in pain, and in his first person perspective, Hopper walks up to him, smiling evilly. Bling walks up next to Hopper, with a more serious expression on his face.

"But we do have time to get you to your meeting, and tell what we need you to tell." Hopper said.

"Wha..What did your friend just do?!" Mr. Apricot asked, alarmingly.

"Ah, well, let's just say that Octopi, over there, has a special ability. Just like the glamorous Bling, here next to me." Hopper said, looking at Bling.

Bling looks at Hopper, nods, and looks back at Apricot, revealing his power, which makes Bling's body turn into complete diamond. Mr. Apricot looks at Bling in surprise, and Jelly sees the transformation, and sits by the door, mind blown.

"Your friends have all these gifts, and you don't tell anypony but me?" Mr. Apricot asked Hopper.

"That's why I came up with the Misfit Club." Hopper said. "But they are actually survivors of thousands of different creatures, including ponies, that were born with gifts as beautiful as they have." he explained, and smiled devilishly.

Jelly breathes heavilly in shock. "Whitney, you will not believe what I've seen." she said.

"Now, Mr. Apricot, we'll get you to the meeting, and you will tell them what we need you to." Hopper instructed to him.

"What's in it for me then?" Apricot asked.

"I already have plenty of bits for you when this is all over with. I promise you that. Then you can just walk away, like none of this happened." Hopper said with authority. He then looks at Bling. "Where's Vanish?" he asked him.

Bling whistled in an eerie, and very shrill tone, that was so loud, it made Jelly, Apricot, Octopi, and Hopper cover their ears, until suddenly, Vanish appears in the room, smiling at Hopper.

Hopper smiled back. "Vanish, you beautiful illusion." he said to her. "Take Mr. Apricot to his meeting. We wouldn't want him to miss it." he then said, looking back at Apricot.

Vanish held out her hoof. "Sir." she said, nodding her head.

Mr. Apricot takes her hoof, and they both disappear. Jelly gasps, turns off the screen gadget and takes it off the door, and rushes out of the building, towards a taxi carriage.

"Get me to the other side of the bridge, please." Jelly told the carriage pony.

The carriage departs from the building, and Whitney's vocie is heard on Jelly's intercom.

"Jelly, what the hay happened in there?!" he asked confusingly.

"I..I don't know, Whitney..." Jelly started. "...but this is beyond what my powers can do. We're gonna need help from the master mind gamer." she finished, looking off into the distance, with a serious look.

Later, Brainy and Poison are seen walking back into Ponyville.

"That was a good breather for me, and you finally got to meet my sister." Poison told Brainy.

"I know, you both are very extrodinary to me." Brainy replied, with a smile.

Poison chuckled, and from behind them, while they're walking to somewhere else, Jelly is seen, with a fedora on, following them.

Back in Sweet Apple Acres, Private is seen talking with Applejack.

Frankenstallion's Monster

"Now I remember ya, Private." Applejack said. "Ya came to talk to me before, and I said that ya and my brotha are very alike. Ya were part of the Captain's groupies."

The Private nodded, and then sighed, lowering his head, depressingly.

Applejack's smile turns into a frown. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked him.

Private prepares to write something down on parchment, but Applejack stops him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't write nothing this time. I wanna hear the words come from ya peeper." AJ said. "Please?" she then asked.

The Private then grunted, shyly, and shakes his head.

"Ya can talk to me, Private." Applejack said, trying to comfort him, putting her hoof on his shoulder, and smiling. "Ya talk to Big Mac just fine, why not me?"

Private gives up, and sighs, then finally speaks to Applejack. "I'm still grieving from the fall of the rest of my team. Even the Captain's dead. I'm the last of the B.A.D." he said. "They were like family to me, and I never had family till the B.A.D, since my parents passed." he sighed again.

Applejack looks at Private, in a kind of sad look. "Aww." she said. "Tell ya what, Private, why don't ya talk about this subject over dinner tonight?" she asked him. "I'm sure we'd all like to know your story, and help ya through the sorrow."

The Private beamed. "Really?" he asked in surprise. "You'd really be willing to help me?"

Applejack nods and smiles. "Anything for somepony as depressed as ya." she said.

"Thank you, Applejack." Private said, finally giving her a small smile.

"No prob." AJ replied, hugging him.

Then, elsewhere, Zeeby is seen walking through Canderlot, looking around the area, and sees a couple ponies walking into a restaurant, smells the trail of their hooves, and finally smells the stench of changeling magic. He then walks over to the restaurant, and walks in. He looks around, to see only the two ponies that walked in before, and a waiter pony. No other customers, and no chefs or anything, which made Zeeby suspicous.

Zeeby speaks in German to the waiter pony. "Need a smoothie, please?"

The waiter pony nods, understanding the language, and goes to get the smoothie. Zeeby then sits down in a booth, waiting, and suddenly, the two ponies, with gray coats, short, wavy manes and tails, and one with a plain white horn, and the other with a black and blue striped horn, coming up to the booth, and one pony sits next to Zeeby, and one sits on the opposite end.

The white horned pony spoke in German. "Just a smoothie, eh?" he asks Zeeby.

"Ehhh, yes, I've had a rough day, chasing the wind left and right." Zeeby replied.

"Ha, understandable. We just had some apple cider not too long ago." the pony said, and laughs.

"Ah." Zeeby replied, smiling. He then smells the air, sniffing the stench of changelings next to him and in front of him, but he keeps his cover, and stays smiling. "You know, you sound familiar. What do you ponies do?" he asked them.

The waiter pony comes back with a smoothie for Zeeby, then leaves.

"I've been working on construction for a while. Always love doing it." the white and black horned pony said, laughing again.

"Doctor." the blue and black horned pony said. "Flu shots for anypony is always a life saver in my opinion." he then laughs and winks at Zeeby.

"My mother used to be a physician. My sister always wanted to be one." Zeeby said.

"What about your father?" the blue and black horned pony asked him.

Zeeby then sighs. "Died before I could even walk. If only there was a cure to Swamp Fever..." he said, depressingly, and drinks some of his smoothie.

The waiter pony comes back, speaking in German as well. "I couldn't help overhearing. Where's your mother and sister?" he asked.

"Well, that's actually why I've been chasing the wind left and right." Zeeby explained. "They were taken away from me, by....construction workers....and doctors." he then said, with a smile, and drank more of his smoothie.

The 3 ponies looked at each other, confusingly, the waiter pony looking at Zeeby, suspiciously.

Zeeby then looks at the ponies, lifting his right arm up, revealing a large scar, that the ponies recognize, and Zeeby nods slowly, and smiling sinisterly. The white and black horned pony makes a move, but the zebra blocks his arm, and smells him.

"Hello, changelings." Zeeby said in English, as he gripped the white and black horned pony's horn, making him turn back to an unreformed changeling, with orange eyes.

The blue and black horned and waiter ponies turned back to changelings after Zeeby has discovered the other one. The blue and black horned one, as a changeling, had a longer right fang, and green eyes, while the waiter changeling had purple eyes and a longer horn.

"Deceit. I've ran into it before." Zeeby said in German."Especially from Changelings, I knew this was a trap."

"Ho...How did you know we were..." the long fanged changeling started to ask, but Zeeby interrupted him.

"You already know what I can do, all three of you helped Hopper experiment on my powers." the angry zebra said. "No more! All of you took my mother and sister away from me! Well now...you're all on my death list." he finished. He then looked at the orange eyed changeling's horn, seeing words engraved on it. "Change of Heart, Pain or Gain, Long live Queen Chrysalis!" Zeeby read, then looked at the changeling, dead in the eyes. "What should I give you first? Pain? Or Gain?" he asked him.

The changeling looked at him, with abit of fear. "Hopper...told us to find you.." he started saying.

"Pain then, finally." Zeeby interrupted, then grunts in anger, as he uses his powers to make a big burning sensation in the orange eyed changeling's magic, which causes him pain.

"AAAHHH!!" the changeling screams in pain.

"Take this, zebra!" the waiter changeling exclaimed, pointing his horn towards Zeeby.

The zebra looks at him, with a sinister grin, and uses his powers again, to maneuver the changeling's head, to aim his horn at the long fanged changeling, while the waiter struggles against Zeeby, and the zebra makes a deep, evil cackle.

"No!" the waiter said, not being able to control his head, and suddenly, Zeeby makes his horn shoot a green killing blast at the long horned changeling, instantly killing him.

Zeeby then breaks off the waiter's horn with his powers, making the changeling yelp loudly in pain, and the zebra kills the waiter with another killing blast, then drives the broken off horn into the last orange eyed one's right wing, causing him to scream again in more severe pain. Then the zebra rustles his mane abit, and drinking the rest of his smoothie.

"Gaaahhh!" the changeling screamed, then whimpered in pain. "Argh...be..before you end m.me..gah! Wh..Who are you? Wha...What are you?" he asked Zeeby.

The zebra finished his smoothie, and slammed the empty cup onto the ground, looking at the whimpering changeling. "Who am I? What am I?" he repeated in English. "I don't know what I am yet, but for now, how about I'm...Frankenstallion's Monster...." Zeeby then said, and walked up to the window, looking into the distance. "....and I'm ready to meet my maker." he finished, as he used his powers to break off the changeling's engraved horn, hearing a final scream, and grunts angrily, as he shoots a final killing spell at the changeling, his shadow on the wall appears falling to the floor.

Later, in Ponyville, at another restaurant, Brainy is seen doing an apple cider drinking contest, with a bunch of random ponies, and Poison, cheering for him.

The Private's Problem

After Brainy finally wins the contest, he sits down in a booth, all worn out. "Poison, remind me never to get in contests like that again." he said, sniggering.

"Aww, but you are a star at this!" Poison said enthusiastically.

Brainy chuckled. "Yeah I know, but still, I'm certainly whacked out now." he said, laying his head back in a chair.

Poison pats her friend's shoulder, then looks at the other ponies, whom are having a great time, and some are just eating. She then looks back at Brainy. "I'm gonna get us hayburgers, if that will give you some energy?" she asked him.

Brainy shook his head and smiled cheekily. "Nah, you go ahead and eat, yourself." he replied. "I'll just rest here for a little bit."

"Alright, I'll be back." Poison said, walking away.

As Brainy sits there, sighing, suddenly, a familiar voice is heard. "Brainy, your name is, right?" the mare sounding voice asked.

Brainy then looks up, and sees Jelly, sitting in front of him, on the opposite chair. "Oh, hello. Yes, that's me. What's up?" he asks her.

"Well, hello to you too, my name is Jelly, and I would like to discuss something with you. If you're willing?" she asked him.

"Okay, go ahead. What's the problem?" Brainy asks her.

"So, I've tried getting information about a plan that this changeling, named Hopper, has cooked up, right?" Jelly said, and Brainy gave her a nod, so she would know he was listening. "And, I reached this building in Manehattan, and I found out things I never thought I would see for years and years, you know what I mean? That's why I came to you for help." she explained.

"Really? Hmm." Brainy said, putting his hoof on the side of his head, as he uses his powers to look into Jelly's mind.

Jelly looked at him in confusion, as all she notices, is Brainy staring at her, tiredly, but in a concerned manner. "Uh..Brainy? You alright?" she asked in confusion.

Brainy didn't listen, and he fell into a mind reading trance, which he saw Mr. Apricot get thrown against the wall of the room, that Jelly looked into secretly, and he saw Hopper grinning evilly, and Bling turning into full diamond form. Brainy's expression quickly turned to shock.

"Umm.." Jelly started, abit awkward out now. "I think we can wait till you have gotten some rest from all that cider." she finished saying.

Brainy put his hoof down, as he came back from the trance, and looked at Jelly in the eyes. "No need, Jelly, I will do everything in my power, to help you out with this problem." he said. "This seems like very risky business, but if that's what it takes to take this changeling into justice, me and Poison are the stallion and mare you need."

Jelly smiled and nodded. "Okay, thank you. Meet me in Canderlot tomorrow." she instructed.

Brainy nodded. "Hmmm..." he said curiously.

Later that night, in Sweet Apple Acres, The Private is seen dropping down, from out of nowhere, in front of the door to the house, next to the barn, and he shook nervously, but then took a couple long breaths, to calm himself.

"Come on, Loopy, you used to be enthusiastic and happy before." Private thought to himself in his mind. "You've been near Applejack before, she finds you interesting, and so does her brother. You will be okay." He took one more long breath, and knocked on the door.

Applejack opens the door and smiles at the sight of the Private. "Ah, Private, welcome." she greeted him.

The Private nodded and gave a hesitant smile.

"Come on in." AJ said, opening the door.

Private walked in and looked around the place, and saw Big Mac walking down the stairs, then Private slowly tried to move away, out of his sight.

Macintosh spotted him and smiled happily. "Private, great to see ya!" he said, coming up to the stallion and hugged him.

Private kind of hugged back, but not completely.

"Heh, ya both are really great pals, the way I see it." Applejack said, nodding.

Big Mac giggled. "Eeyup." he said.

The Private just nodded, with no emotion.

Suddenly, Applebloom came running down the stairs. Granny Smith stopped her, slowing her down.

"Don't run down the stairs, unless ya wanna roll down 'em, sweetie." Granny Smith told Applebloom, with a smile.

"Sorry, Granny." Applebloom said. "I'm just always happy when it's dinner time." she smiled happily.

Applejack beamed. "Ah, Private, ya haven't met my sister and our granny yet." she said to the nervous stallion.

The Private nodded and hesitantly smiled.

"Private, this is my little sister, Applebloom." Applejack said, pointing at the filly.

Applebloom giggles and hugs Private's leg. "Hiya, Private! Nice to meet ya!" she said happily, greeting him.

Private pats Applebloom's head and nods, without saying a word.

"And over here, in the kitchen, is our granny, Granny Smith." AJ said, pointing at the elder mare.

Granny Smith waved at Private. "Hiya, sonny." she said. Nice to see somepony new come by."

Private finally spoke. "Great to meet the rest of your family, Applejack." he said to her.

Applejack nodded and smiled. "Glad you do, sugar cube." she told Private. "Now, who's ready to eat?" she asked everypony in the place.

"Me!" Applebloom shouted happily, raising her hoof.

"Eeyup, me." Big Mac said, smiling.

The Private nodded.

"The food's ready!" Granny Smith said, with a smile.

10 MINUTES LATER...

All the farm ponies and the helmeted stallion are seen at the dining table, eating apples,bread,cheese and muffins.

"So, Private, why don't ya tell us more bout ya problem?" Applejack asked him.

Applebloom looked at him with a surprised expression. "Ya have a problem of sorts?" she asked.

Big Macintosh nodded, and looked at Private. "Eeyup, he does, and I'd like to know more." he said.

Private sighed depressingly, and took out a parchment paper and feather pen with ink, about to write.

Applejack stopped him. "Ah ah ah, please, talk to us. Don't hide ya voice." she said warmly.

"Eeyup, I agree. Spill the beans, don't keep 'em in." Big Mac said.

Private looked at the Apple family in concern, then gave up, and put the paper and pen away. He then finally spoke. "Well, the gist of it is, I'm alone. Scared and alone, like an abandoned colt or filly." he explained.

Applebloom frowns. "Why would ya feel alone?" she asked.

"Because I lost all I loved and cared about." Private replied.

Big Macintosh's ears go down. "Ya never told me that earlier." he said, frowning as well.

Private looked at all the farm ponies with a sarcastic smile. "Ya'll don't need to know EVERYTHING." he said, with stifled chuckle.

"It's the only way we'll be able to help ya through ya problems." AJ said.

"That's true." Private replied, with a smile.

Applebloom then looked at his helmet and pointed at it. "What's that pink helmet for, Private?" she asked him.

Private points at his helmet. "This?" he asked her.

The 3 other ponies nod. "And why pink?" Applejack asked.

"It's coltly." Private replied. "And at least the visors are gray."

"Well, why do ya have it, sonny?" Granny Smith then asked.

Private sighed. "For a reason I can't explain..." he started. "...but I can show ya'll." he finished, and used his front bare hooves to slowly remove the helmet, to reveal his dark gray face. He shakes his head after taking it off, which makes his pink and brown colored mane, which looked similar to Big Mac's but smoother, wave around swiftly, and he exhaled, as he finally opened his eyes, revealing nothing but whiteness.

The entire family looked in shock and awe, as they looked deep into what remains of the Private's eyes.

"Shocking, I know." Private said, sighing.

"You..You're blind?" Big Mac asked, very stunned.

Private nods. "I lost my eyesight not that long ago, during the invasion of those alien ponies." he explained. "Malevolence's brother, Grievance, knocked them out just like that. I don't remember how, it was all a blur. Literally."

Applejack blinked twice. "I never thought anypony would look this way before." she said in concern.

Applebloom hugs Private. "Ya don't have to hide something like this from us, Private." she said. "Ya and the rest of the B.A.D. are already well known around Equestria cause ya fended off those alien ponies. Hiding things like this will just make life harder for ya. I learned that from my entire family." she said, looking at the rest of the ponies, and smiling.

Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith smiled back at little Applebloom.

"You're right." Private said, while not able to see any of them. "But I have my reasons of hiding away things."

"Ya don't need to tell us about that now, if you're feeling uncomfortable." Applejack said.

Private nodded. "Thanks. Maybe another time, yes." he then said. "You know, even though I can't see any of you without this helmet, I've managed to use my other senses to create this." he explained, and put the helmet back on.

In his first person perspective, he looked at the three farm ponies, straight in the eyes, which revealed the HUD inside his helmet: Three vision meters on the top of the HUD, horizontally shown. Along with a motion sensor, and blinkers, representing blinking eyes.

"Now I can see everything, including ya'll, perfectly." Private said, smiling.

Applebloom squealed in delight. "Amazing, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo have to see ya, Private!" she exclaimed happily.

"Ha ha, don't get ahead of ya self, sugar cube." Applejack said, smiling at her little sister, then winked at Private.

Private nodded and smiled. Macintosh and Granny did the same.

Later that night, back at the Castle of Friendship, Twilight is seen in her room, looking out the window, and yawning, until a knock is heard on her bedroom door. She answered the door, and saw Spike and Webber, standing there.

Twilight looked at the stallion and baby dragon surprisingly. "Spike? Webber? What's going on?" she asked them.

"I let him in." Spike explained.

Webber looked at the princess with an uneasy look. "Twilight, we need to talk. There's a little problem." he said.

Twilight looked at her friends, wide eyed, and in great confusion.

Information For A Price/Reading Minds

In the main room of the Castle, Twilight opens the Cutie Map for Webber. The black coated stallion pointed to a location outside of Equestria, somewhere that was near the Trenches, but underground.

"Where does this supposedly lead to?" Twilight asked. "Have you been inside that area before?"

Webber nodded. "I thought of bringing you, Spike, and the other five girls with me." he said. "I thought you'd like what I have found in there."

"Let me guess, it has something to do with the Dark Lord, doesn't it?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow, inquisitively.

"I hope so." Webber said. "What do you say, Twilight? Tomorrow, we all go there?"

Twilight looked at Spike. "You wanna come, Spike?" she asked him.

The baby dragon smiled at his best friend. "Of course, I'm up for it." he said, with enthusiasm.

Twilight smiled and looked back at Webber. "It's settled then, we'll go tomorrow." she told him.

Webber gave a happy grin. "Great!" he said.

Then, the scene transitions to even later that night, of a middle aged stallion, with a dark red coat, mud brown bare hooves and muzzle, short and wavy chocolate brown and black striped mane, tail and horn, brownish-grayish eyes, and wearing a red collar and tie, leading a young mare, with yellow eyes, long and straight, purple mane and tail, olive green coat, and wearing a similar collar and tie, but black, to Mayor Mare's cottage, and knocks on the door.

"You'll be safe here." the stallion said to the young mare.

"Why can't I come with you?" she asked him, with a worried expression on her face.

The stallion looked at her, with a gentle look. "You need to stay in hiding. Acorn Buttertail could be anywhere, and I don't want her getting you." the stallion explained. "Don't worry, you'll be fine here for a couple days, me and Mayor Mare go way back."

Mayor Mare opens the door, and stands in surprise of the stallion in front of her. "Oh, Kludd, it's you." she said. "It's been a long time."

"I don't have time to explain my absence, unfortunately." the stallion said to the Mayor.

Mayor looked at the young mare, next to Kludd, and warmly smiled. "Hmm, you must be Ivy Snakeroot? Kludd told me about you before, don't worry, I'll keep you safe for now." she said.

The young, green mare, now revealed as Ivy Snakeroot, goes inside the cottage, but turns around to look at Kludd.

"I can't thank you enough for this, Mare. I won't be gone long." Kludd said.

Mayor smiled and nodded. "I'll take good care of her, my friend." she replied.

Kludd looked at Ivy. "Leland said you need that bracelet. I advise you not to lose it." he said to her.

Ivy's right front hoof holds a navy blue bracelet, with a small, glowing orange rhombus in the middle. "You will come back for me, right?" she asked Kludd, even more concerned.

Kludd nodded. "I'll be lurking in the shadows, like I've always have. Nopony of the Dark Lord's herald will get their hooves on you." he promised.

"Dark times are ahead, for sure, Kludd. You're gonna have to run into Twilight Sparkle at some point." Mayor Mare said.

"One day, Mayor, one day." Kludd replied, leaving the cottage.

Mayor Mare closes the door, while Ivy sighs worryingly.

NEXT DAY... MANEHATTAN COAST.

Hopper is shown on a private boat, wearing a completely white suit and tie, Bling is shown on the right side, sitting on a chair with sunglasses, Octopi looks out in the distance, wearing blue sunglasses, and Mr. Apricot comes out in his Canderlot uniform.

"Want some cider, Apricot?" Hopper asked.

"I'm good, thanks." Apricot replied, with a little uneasy look on his face.

Hopper looked at him abit confused, yet smiling. "Hmm, well, so much for refreshing yourself in this summer weather." he said. "Tell me please, whom have you mentioned our talk yesterday to?"

"Nopony." Apricot said, confused on why the changeling would ask that.

Hopper then looks at Bling, while the blue pony replies "He's truthful." to the changeling.

"Good." Hopper replied. "I guess our work with you is done, Mr. Apricot. Let's finish things, shall we?" he said, signaling Octopi.

As Octopi begins to walk up to Mr. Apricot, he is suddenly stopped by the apricot coated stallion, who is holding a little capsule, containing a green killing magical blast.

"Oh, I knew I couldn't trust you after that bargain you promised me." Apricot said. "You will let me walk away with the bits you promised me, or I will slip this capsule to the floor and we all go down." he threatened.

Hopper scoffed. "Go on then. Drop the blast on the ground. Do what you gotta do." he dared.

"I will kill us all, I will not hesitate! If I go down, you're coming with me." Apricot threatened more seriously.

Hopper goes up to the stallion, slowly, Apricot looks at him with a serious look, but doesn't drop the capsule, as Hopper gets close enough to him.

"You're hesitating." Hopper said, and manages to grab the capsule out of Apricot's hooves. "But I won't hesitate this time." he then said, dropping the capsule.

In slow motion, the capsule drops to the floor, as Apricot looks in fear, but Octopi and Bling look relaxed. As the capsule hits the floor, it breaks into many glass pieces, and the killing blast explodes, but only on Hopper, as the blast is seen being absorbed by the changeling, and it disappears into his hooves.

Apricot looks at Hopper in shock. "You're like your cronies too?" he said, abit scared.

"Good job, pointing that out, Mr. Apricot." Hopper replied. "In case you don't know what I just did, I have the power to absorb any type of magic, which makes me not feel anything. But that's not even the best of it all." he explained. "I can do almost anything with even the slightest amount of magic from that capsule..." He then lightly touches Apricot's chest, which makes the stallion completely disintegrate.

Meanwhile...

PRINCESS CASTLE, CANDERLOT.

Brainy, Jelly, and Poison are seen in the castle, talking to Flash Sentry, and the rest of Princess Celestia's royal guard.

"The idea that many of us are still alive, is quite honestly an understatement." Brainy explained. "But we are more than just unique, we're friends and enemies. And we have enemies that could be among us very soon. Thanks very much for listening." he finished.

Flash Sentry sighed and stood up. "Okay, you have got my attention." he said. "If what you say is true, Brainy, do you have any special abilities as well?" he then asked.

"Heh, actually, yes I do, Mr. Sentry." Brainy said. "Of course, Celestia already knows who I am, but I'm not asking for her help, I'm asking for yours."

Jelly raises an eyebrow in confusion. Brainy looks at her.

"I have lied to you this time, love, I'm so sorry." he said, looking back at Flash. "You see, one amazing, and yet very confusing thing, my power let's me do, is that I can read your..."

Flash interrupted. "Mind?" he asked.

Brainy looked at him in shock. "...Exactly right." he said.

"Lots of ponies would say this, and just for the hay of it: Prove it." Flash replied.

"I wouldn't have to, Flash, unless if I know that you are thinking about Princess Twilight Sparkle, which is very lovely." Brainy said, which makes Flash look at him in surprise. "But, I would know that you made a deal with Queen Novo of Seaquestria, during your visit to the underwater land."

Flash Sentry looks dumbfounded by Brainy's fatefully accurate guess. "W..Wow, Brainy, I'm....I'm impressed." he said in surprise. "Why didn't Princess Celestia tell us about you before?" he asked.

Poison raised her left hoof at a guard. "Because of me." she said, as her hoof shook rapidly.

To Flash, Jelly, and the rest of the guards surprise, the guard Poison aimed her hoof at, had started coughing, which they realized that her powers were to infect others with sickness and disease.

Poison lowered her hoof, and the guard's cough went away. "And I didn't even read my friend's mind for that." Brainy said.

Flash looked back at them. "Okay, we'll accept your help. Looks like you know why we need the Hippogriffs?" he asked.

Brainy nodded, as the scene transitions to Kludgetown, with Kludd, looking at Capper's home. He walks up to it, and knocks.

"Coming!" Capper said, and he opens the door, smiling at Kludd. "Ah, Captain Kludd. Come in here." he greeted.

Kludd walks in. "Hello again, Capper." he said.

Capper leads Kludd through his home. "What brings you back from Equestria, to my humble abode?" he asked the red stallion.

"I need abit of information, for a price of course." Kludd replied, with a blank, yet slightly serious expression on his face.

"Really?" Capper asked in surprise. "Information for a price? I mean, that would apply to others who come to me, but from you? We're not acquaintances, we're friends." he said, with a smile.

Kludd became more serious. "It's information that you and I, and many others don't usually give out these dark days." he explained.

Capper looked at him in even more surprise. "Whoa whoa, wait a minute, are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked. "You want me to snoop around Acorn Buttertail? You crazy?"

Kludd looked at the humanoid cat with an expression that figuratively said "What do you think?"

Capper smirked. "Yeah, you have become wacko in the head, my little pony." he said, giving a small chuckle. "Alright, you got my attention, what be your price to me?" he then asked.

"Name it, my friend." Kludd said.

Capper started thinking of a good price, until he eyed down a silver and black striped briefcase that Kludd had by his side. "Your secret waffe in there." he points to the briefcase.

Kludd looks at his briefcase, and then back at Capper. "Alright, I guess it's about time I give it to you, after many months. Treat it with care, and let me know what you have on Buttertail." he said, giving the briefcase to Capper.

The humanoid cat smiled. "I'll keep in touch." he said, nodding.

Kludd did the same and left Capper's home. The cat opened up the briefcase and stared in awe at a emerald coated boomerang that was shaped like a dragon wing. "I will not disappoint you with this treasure of yours, Kludd, I promise." Capper said to himself.

Elsewhere outside of Equestria, Webber, Spike, and the Mane Six are scouting a marshland area.

Enter The Mask

"Where are we supposed to go anyway?" Spike asked.

Webber points to a bunker, not far from where they are. "Over there." he said. "I have noticed a lot of dark magic circling around that bunker when I first saw it on the cutie map."

Rarity gives a disgusted face. "The outside of that dome looks so ghastly! I certainly hope its not that way on the inside." she said.

"Well, let's find out." Twilight replied.

Inside the bunker, the 7 ponies and dragon look around, and the entire entrance path is green and white, smelling like gummy bears.

"Not very nice colors, but at least it's not terrible in here." Rarity said.

Pinkie smiles. "I smell gummy bears!" she said enthusiastically.

"That's probably the wallpaper, it's scented." Webber replied.

"Ooh, scented wallpaper!" Pinkie squealed, and went up to the wallpaper, starting to sniff it all.

Twilight looked at the pink mare, who is literally climbing on the walls and smelling them. "Pinkie, calm down, we're not here to be smelling wallpaper all day."

Pinkie smiles. "You know I can't help it when it comes to sweetness." she said and giggled.

Suddenly, a clank is heard in the distance, which makes the group jump in shock, Fluttershy hides behind Applejack's tail.

"Wh...What w..was that?" Fluttershy asked, shaking nervously.

"Sounded like something fell." Applejack replied.

The group goes through the bunker, noticing pipes around the walls as they transverse through.

"Hmm, maybe one of these pipes fell somewhere." Rainbow Dash said.

"No, it couldn't have been." Twilight replied. "The noise sounded louder. More booming than a normal pipe clanking."

Then in the distance, footstep sounds are heard echoing throughout the bunker.

"Oooh, somepony else is here!" Pinkie Pie said happily.

Twilight grinned abit. "I thought we weren't alone in here." she said.

The Mane Six follow the sound of the footsteps, until suddenly, a dark grey stallion, not noticing the six ponies and dragon, appears coming from another hallway, and walks down the hallway that the Mane Six are in.

"Hey, another pony! Let's go say hi." Pinkie suggested and started to walk towards the stallion.

Twilight stopped her friend. "Pinkie, no." she said seriously. "For all we know, that stallion could be evil and/or dangerous."

"She's right. Even I can't tell whether he's good or bad." Webber replied.

Applejack intervened. "Hun, we can at least follow him, see where he's going."

Twilight nodded. "Agreed, let's go." she replied.

The Mane Six, Webber, and Spike followed the grey stallion, through a couple dark, long hallways, until he entered through an office door and slammed it shut.

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? He HAD to slam the door?" he asked.

Twilight tried to open the door with her magic, but failed. It was sealed shut. "Darn it, it's locked like a safe!" she exclaimed.

Rarity notices a large vent in the wall near the door. "Darlings, I can't believe I'm about to say this, but why don't we go through that yucky, rusty vent over there?" she suggested, with a disgusted look on her face.

Applejack covers her mouth and sniggers. "Ya'd really go inside there without being grossed out?" she asked, smiling mischievously.

"No, darling, but if we want to hear what that stallion is doing, I advise we go through there. Even if it's simply ghastly!" Rarity replied, making a grossed out yelp.

"That's a brave move on your part, Rarity. Let's get in there then." Twilight said.

She then opens the vent with her magic, and then six mares and baby dragon start to crawl in there, one at a time. The grey stallion's voice is then heard, becoming more and more audible. He has abit of a southern accent in voice.

"Acorn, this is no time to get all emotional." the grey stallion said.

Another voice is heard, this time a British female, sounding erratic. "But, Gelatin, the Dark Lord grows impatient." she said. "We might be the only hope he has of returning to destroy Equestria!"

Twilight gasps quietly. "I don't think that they're nice ponies." she said to her friends.

"Always need a backup plan, my friend. And I got one." the grey stallion said.

Suddenly, another door closes, which makes the Mane Six, Webber, and Spike curious, as they move further through the vents. They then notice a thin, wide glass window on the vent, revealing what appears to be an interrogation room. A siren is seen in a chair, while the grey stallion sits on the opposite end. The stallion's face is revealed, with a grey and white striped mane and tail, a grey face and horn, and green eyes.

"Yeah, Gray Gelatin, I know what you want from me, but you're not gonna get it." the siren said. "Taking me out of the water was weak sauce on your part, cause you have no idea how long I can stay on land."

Applejack's eyes widen, and she whispers. "Ain't that a siren?"

Twilight nods in surprise. "I've never seen a siren from this close before." she said. "Only from what I've read in books."

"I've seen them before. Wonder why these ponies captured a siren." Webber said.

Gray Gelatin sighs. "What will it take?" he asked the siren.

"Nothing, but your acquaintanceship." the creature replied.

"That's all you wanted? Then why aren't you telling me anything?" the grey stallion asked.

The siren scoffed. "Because I'm a creature of many personalities. You never know if I'm telling the truth. But I just want to serve under the Dark Lord, cause it might be the only chance I have at making sure Queen Novo and the rest of the Hippogriffs are silenced."

The Mane Six gasped. "Not the Hippogriffs, my friends!" Pinkie exclaimed quietly.

"Well, if that's your only concern, the Dark Lord isn't only targeting Seaquestria, he'll be going for the rest of the world." Gelatin said. "Why should you trust us when you don't have any right to tell him what you want?" he then asked.

The siren scoffed again. "Cause you are all the epitome of complete evil." he replied. "You know that, don't you?"

Gelatin sighed again, as he lifted up a suitcase from out of nowhere. "I've got a question: You want to see my mask?" he asked the siren. "It's a gift that the Dark Lord gave me." he said, opening the suitcase.

Twilight raised an eyebrow in confusion. "His mask?" What does that mean?" she asked.

"I don't know, darling, but I don't like it." Rarity replied.

Gelatin reaches into the suitcase, and pulls out a plastic, white muzzle shaped mask. "You know, many have been afraid of what I did with this thing, but with you, I'm hoping for the same result." he told the siren and put the little mask over his nose and mouth.

"Is this your way of saying that I'm recruited for the Dark Lord himself?" the siren asked seriously.

Webber's eyes widened. "Uh oh."

Suddenly, Gelatin pushes a button inside his suitcase, which makes a yellow light flash in the siren's face, and the Mane Six gasp. The siren looks at Gelatin, and starts screaming in terror, while distorting between a Hippogriff, a red dragon, Big Mac, Noteworthy, Princess Luna, Capper, and even the Pony of Shadows.

"No, this is my way of making you scream in fear." Gelatin said in a lower, echoing voice, and in the siren's first person perspective, Gelatin's face is deformed with scars, green bat-like eyes, and all his teeth are completely sharp. "Looks like it's working now." Gelatin said, with a grin.

The Mane Six, Webber, and Spike look at the scene in horror. Fluttershy hides behind her tail, and the rest of the mares, stallion, and dragon cover their eyes.

Suddenly, the siren stops screaming, and a loud thud is heard. The Mane Six look back up, to see the siren twitching in fear, but Gelatin is gone.

"Where'd the grey pony go?" Twilight asked in alarm.

Gelatin's voice is heard in the other room. "Well, it's interior is tough, but it's in." he said.

The British mare's voice is then heard. "Mask, I don't know how I feel about this, I feel like Twilight and her friends have followed us for weeks." she said worryingly.

"If they were, they'd stop us by now." Gelatin replied. "Go to Equestria, Nuthead. See what those nimrodic girls are up to. The Dark Lord must be kept secret till the opportune moment." he said, walking away.

Buttertail stuttered nervously. "Okay then. Hope...Hopefully t..t..they no nothing about any of this." she said, until she didn't make another sound for the Mane Six, Webber, and Spike to hear.

"That's weird." Webber said. "She's silent all of a sudden."

The door to the room that Buttertail was in, slammed shut.

"Darn it, now we can't get in there and save that poor siren feller!" Applejack exclaimed.

"Can we at least get out of this ghastly vent now?" Rarity pleaded in disgust.

Twilight nodded. "I agree, let's get out of this, those ponies are gone." she said.

The ponies and baby dragon crawl out of the vent, back into the hallway they were at earlier.

"So, what do we do now?" Spike asked. "Since we can't get into that room."

Webber tries to open the door with his magic, but fails. "Magic proof, darn it!" he exclaimed.

"At least now we know what some of the Dark Lord's followers are up to." Twilight replied. "We need to find them."

Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Try telling that to Princess Celestia." she said.

Webber smiles. "She doesn't have to know what we're doing."

"Umm, Webber, she ALWAYS knows what everypony in Equestria is doing." Fluttershy replied.

Webber shook his head. "Thanks to my....powers....I can block Celestia from us." he explained.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "What powers?" she asked.

Pinkie smiled. "Oh, Webber is an al..." she started to say, until a zipper goes across her mouth, thanks to Twilight.

"Pinkie, we can't tell them what Webber is." Twilight said sternly.

"But Twilight, darling, you and Pinkie seem to know what's going with Webber." Rarity said. "What could he possibly be other than an alicorn, such as yourself?" she then asked.

Webber intervened. "Twilight, it's okay, I think it's time that these three know what I actually am." he replied to Twi. "But I can't show them here. All of you, come with me." he instructed, as the Mane Six and Spike follow Webber out of the bunker.

Elsewhere, at night, Zeeby is seen in the water, near the Manehattan coast, and he climbs up onto Hopper's boat. As he sneaks onboard, in a wetsuit, he takes the engraved changeling's horn, from earlier, out of his pocket, and comes out of the shadows to meet Hopper, Bling, and Octopi at the front of the boat.