Dark Alleys, Bright Hearts

I land on the roof of the hospital, with Mid Knight landing beside me. Mark smiles, and gets off my back, “You know, wings make this a whole lot easier than it was back home.”

I grin, “They’re less cool than that grappling hook, though.”

He grins, and nods, “Yeah, grappling hooks are cool.” He reaches to his side, taking his mask off a belt and putting it on.

I smile as he hands me a mask of my own, donning it quickly. The lenses on the mask instantly make the night’s light more bright, allowing me to see as if it was day. I look at Mark, “We really need to thank Smith for making this stuff once Celestia’s gone.”

He nods, “Oh yeah, that dude deserves it. Now, let’s get going.”

We walk up to the edge of the roof. Mark takes out his grappling hook, attaching it on the lip of the roof, and slowly beginning to scale down the wall.

I grin, shifting my legs into those of a spider, and walking down beside him. Mid Knight, meanwhile, hovers behind us.

Mark pauses once we’ve gone three floors down, placing his glove on a window, and looking at the back of it. He looks at me, and nods.

I nod back, shifting a hoof to fit under the window, and opening it wide. All three of us enter into the empty hospital room swiftly and quietly.

Mark skulks to the door to the room, his dark cloak making him blend into the shadows. I shift my legs back to normal, and follow after him.

He places a hand on the door, and nods as a blip appears on the back. He looks at me, and opens the door ever-so slightly.

I shift myself into a spider, and crawl through the small crack in the door. As I enter into the halls of the hospital, I immediately see the patrolling guard, a lamp floating alongside him.

I shift into a smaller version of myself, and rush after the Guard. I quickly make it to him, and bite one of his legs. He collapses without any noise, and I catch the lantern before it has a chance to fall.

I shift back to normal, and drag him back to the empty room. Mark opens the door wide, and helps me with putting the guard on a bed and covering him with a blanket.

Mid Knight shakes her head, and mutters, “Security has gone down.”

Mark reaches over to her, placing a finger over her muzzle. She frowns, but doesn’t talk further.

We then enter into the hallway, closing the door behind us. Another patrolling guard comes our way, but he is far enough away not to matter.

We set off down the hall, until we’ve gone four doors down. Mark places his hand on the door, nodding as a blip appears.

I place my horn against the door, casting a spell to look for any defenses or alarms. With none showing up, I nod at Mark, who opens the door.

The three of us move into the room, where Luna lays on a bed. Mid Knight quickly trots up to her, and hurriedly whispers at her.

Mark and I nod to each other, closing the door behind us. He grins, “Their security really sucks.”

I smile, “You’d think they’d put a bit more protection on Luna.”

He nods, “Maybe they think she’s so powerful that they don’t need too. They are rather arrogant.”

I nod, “Yes, that is probably why.”

The two of us turn our attention over to Mid Knight, who listens intently as Luna whispers at her. After a second of listening, she nods, and draws her twin blade from her side.

She turns to face us, glaring, and rushing at us with a swipe of her weapon.

Neither Mark or I react, still processing what she’s doing.

Right before she reaches us, however, she stops. She twitches oddly, and a faint green aura surrounds her.

The blade falls from her mouth, and she begins to cough roughly as the green aura picks up. After about ten seconds of coughing, she closes her eyes.

Mark and I glance at each other, as he slowly draws his grappling hook and I draw my dagger.

She suddenly shudders, and her back bursts open. A giant tear, like she’s being torn apart from the inside, appears on her. Blood begins to rush out of the wound, and more bursts appear all around her.

Mark gags at the sight, and looks away from it. I watch with morbid curiosity, though, as her body is ripped apart by nothing.

Slowly, something emerges from the tears in her. Something off-white, and thin.

With one motion, her body is split in half. The two halves fall to either side, entrails and blood falling with them. Standing now in her place is her skeleton, glowing a sickly green.

Two green orbs appear in the eye sockets of the skeleton, giving the impression of eyes. It looks at me, and speaks in a low, calm, and completely terrifying male voice, “Ah, finally given form again. Hello there, changeling. You’ve been busy telling tall tales of me, haven’t you?”

I flinch slightly, and Mark looks back at the skeleton. He gags again as he smells the stench of Mid Knight’s body, “What the fuck?!”

I nod, “And why the fuck? And who the fuck? Fuck, I’ll do you one better, how the fuck?!”

The skeleton tilts it’s head, as a chuckle comes from it, “Such surprise from the one who heralded my return. I would have thought you would know my capabilities, since I’m your favorite scapegoat.”

Mark covers the breathing holes for his mask the best he can, “Is that you, mental illness? Or are you greed?”

The skeleton looks at him, chuckling again, “Still ever so sarcastic, even in the face of terror and death. But I wasn’t talking to you.”

I pause, and raise an eyebrow, “Wait... did I seriously bring you back just by mentioning you to Celestia?”

The skeleton nods, “Then you know who I am... Love. That seems to be your new name, isn’t it?”

Mark looks at me, “Mind filling me in, because I’m not only horrified and disgusted, but confused.”

The skeleton chuckles again, “How rude of me, I forgot introductions. You are... Mark. Your soul is bright for a thief. I am Grogar, Lord of Blood and Bone.”