Chapter 16 new abilities along with new enemies

-----------------------------*canterlot castle*-----------------
After breakfast, the main six and Celestia had already made plans to send a small detachment to ponyville to try and uncover where the dark threat was much to luna's disapproval of this action as she had said multiple times that this dark creature that twilight and her friends were labeling as evil wasn't evil at all.

But after all that was said and done, Celestia summoned a guard to get a flying Carriage ready to take the main six back home.

Finally, after the main six had left the two royals luna began to talk to her older sister "Sister! wherefore doth thee not trust me?" Asked luna.

As she had been holding back her discontent with her older sister's resolve "because Luna I've seen that level of magic before and you have to remember?" Asked Celestia as she looked at her sister as well as drank some tea she had requested from the servants.

"Aye, I doth t wast at which hour we combated discord." Luna said as Celestia rubbed her face with her hooves "I might have to teach you how to speak more modernly as not many ponies speak in the old ways, Lulu." Celestia said while rising from her seat

"But that will be for another time sister I have day court to maintain," said the sun princess as she left luna alone in the dining room she began thinking about how to prove that this thing wasn't evil?

Maybe if it dreamed she could make contact with this being as luna got onto her hooves a small idea popped into her mind as the princess of the night went to her old chambers as she roughly remembered the way so many things had changed before she was sent to the moon.

But after exploring the halls that seemed so alien to luna she managed to find her chambers as she took off her royal regalia and climbed into her bed she managed to enter the dream realm as she was rusty as this was the first time she could enter it but she began searching for the evil creature so her older sister's student claimed.

"I wilt disprove this I doth not believeth this claims," said luna after she appeared in the dream realm these very halls felt so welcoming to her as she looked threw the many hallways and towards a few doors some had chains on them.

Showing that the owner was awake and a very few had no chains at all showed that they were sleeping and there weren't any nightmares that luna could see or sense but first the hairless monkey was her first problem to solve.

---------------------------------*frank's pov*------------------
After the long wait frank had to endure because of his friend wanting to keep hidden secrets away about forging the new armor set talion finally appeared to take him back "you ready to see the new armor I created?" Asked talion as frank simply nodded.

"The faster I get out of this room the better talion," Frank said having enough of the empty large room as suddenly was back in his body as he felt arms around him and draped over him 'was this supposed to be a surprise?'

Frank thought before opening his eyes not aware of the mask on his face as he looked down seeing a dark cloak on and covering his whole body.

"Talion what kind of armor is this? That requires a cloak?" Frank asked while pulling the black cover off his body.

"It's to cover your body from wind and makes you look bigger than you already are"Talion would state with a small hint of pride at his newest form of armor " and you do know you're wearing a mask right?".

He said in hopes of making his living companion aware of what was currently on his face

" how much armor did this whole new set cost?" Frank said while reaching up to touch his face and there was a mask on his face "surely the old set wasn't enough?".

" well your old armor mostly covered everything that you needed but if any more metal was needed I would have gathered it while you were stuck in your mind," talion said before speaking again.

"We also had some visitors as well frank..."

This caused frank to jump slightly "was the six ponies from the town?!" Frank asked unsure as talion answered "no but three smaller ponies? Came from the forest and tried to explore this castle. Something about getting their cutie marks? And treasure but I managed to scare them off without being seen they do think however the castle is haunted now."

"And if they are young which I think they were none of their adults would listen to them so I think we're in the clear for now," Frank said putting the pieces together In his head

"But for now I think we should get ready to scout that town finally." Frank had said to the wraith as he gripped the sword and placed it into the makeshift sheath he had.

"How about we hide in a tree? If these horses are prey animals they never think about looking up" Talion asked as frank answered

"Then that's where we shall go for the time being and if we're lucky we can scope out the town if the tree is tall enough and use the cover of darkness to get a closer look," Frank spoke as the armor seemed to move very swiftly almost nonhuman like speed.

"Talion...is there any magic in this armor because I feel like my movement is a little bit too fast?"

"No that's just the armor frank it was made to help the wears be well-protected as well as fast on their feet currently there's also no magic in the marks yet just given time they will be because this area is just full of magic somehow" talion answered as the two left the whole castle heading towards Ponyville as the sun began to set off in the distance.

Soon after getting close to the very edge of town, they both heard the voices whereof a few members of the main six and the cutie mark crusaders "what did I tell ya about going in that forest without an adult apple bloom?!" Yelled a very upset set pony.

"Yeah! You three could have been eaten! Or controlled by that two-legged monsters! Ooo! Or could have been controlled then eaten!" Pinky pie said hyper while the three fillies got yelled at by their siblings or guardians Twilight spoke up.

"Pinky, you're not helping plus don't forget we had a reason to come here it was to try and find the creature at least have a rough outline of where it might be a that when those royal guards arrive we can assist them the best we can!"

As the ponies talked frank was just about to say something to talion when talion spoke first "this isn't good frank if they are going to use magic to find us the ring and armor would give us away."

"Then what do you suggest? We just go to them and introduce ourselves? Maybe tell one another a secret?" Frank answered with pure sarcasm knowing that somehow magic was real in these 'woods'

"Frank...now is not the time for sarcasm this could ruin our plans" Frank shook his head the armor covered his field of view still but thanks to sunlight he could somewhat see "then what should we do?"

" Would it not matter if I took the ring off? If they track the magic that it gives off it's like a fire in a dark forest let alone it's still daylighted out!" frank continued to speak before a bug stung him on his side to show his turn was over.

"Now as I was saying before you went into a rant frank I suggest we move trees we have the advantage they don't know which way we are in the forest and if I'm studying them correctly the larger horses...I mean ponies are going into the woods and the little ones are going to the town.
So if we just move trees we should be good"

"Plus the town doesn't seem to be that big or largely populated" as talion spoke frank rolled his eyes " whatever the case maybe we need to move and fast that blue one is very active with flying " with that frank got ready to jump

as his ring glowed the same green as before as his body felt like a feather and after jumping off the tree there was an audible snap of a branch or stick breaking from the magic boost.

"Shit we need to hide!" Frank mentally told talion as the clear-headed man wraith spoke: "easy frank just stay calm and don't move in the leaves they won't think we are here believe me this worked on orcs and Olog's it can work on these ponies."

--------*Main six and cutie mark crusaders pov*---

"What the hay was that?!" Yelled rainbow as she looked towards the tree that made said sound while her friends did the same

"I don't know? Maybe a squirrel? They do live in trees I hope the little guy isn't hurt" said flutter shy as applejack butted in

"That had to be one massive squirrel if it was to break a branch of that size!" Applejack said trying to look into the trees after seeing the branch that fell down

"GIRLS! Focus I'm sure the little guy is fine but for now, let's get a move on as for you three head to your homes now" said twilight not wanting her friends to fight over how a small animal broke a piece of a tree.

After a few grumbles and a few awwww's from the younger fillies the main six entered the forest while the cutie mark crusaders headed back to town

"How did this even work?" Frank asked the invisible friend who was currently using his body as a vessel

"there prey animals that's why they aren't prone to check above them usually but if what the purple one...twilight I think her name is the best course of action is to take this ring off and do not worry I'll still be able to see what you see."

Frank nodded and with a quick pull the ring was off and he no longer had the powers of a Nazgul as the ring was placed into his other hand he death gripped it as he took the helmet of it limiting his line of sight as frank began scoping the town out from a safe distance in the trees.

After about an hour or two frank had sighed putting the helmet on as it was getting dark and those ponies surely had no idea where he was that's for sure as he slid his head into the helmet and strapped it on one-handed while also hanging onto the tree by wrapping his other hand around it that still held the ring.

Finally, the helmet was secured and after a quick motion the ring was back onto his finger, and immediately talions voice echoed in his head "what have you seen?" He asked wanting to know what frank had scouted while he was away.

"The town isn't that large I would roughly guess maybe...50 ponies live there? And they seem to be peaceful living there I couldn't see much because I didn't have your wraith vision."

"Well, let's take a closer look then shall we?" Talib asked as frank was able to see into the unseen realm as they looked they were able to see all manner of ponies some with wings others with horns.

And just normal ponies without any wings or horns "I'm seeing 50 frank good guesses on that. It is a small village town." Talion spoke before they left the unseen back to the physical world.

"Do you think it's time to head back now talion?" Frank asked as he looked around blinking his eyes to shake off the feeling as it felt like he looked directly at the sun.

"We can not take a direct route back plus we don't know where those ponies went so I think it's best to move a bit west towards the mountain over there with the...."

Frank was confused only knowing talion for a little while he wasn't sure why he stopped speaking so frank asked about it "is something wrong?"

As the ranger spoke back "there's a castle in the mountain..." He said simply

Frank was stunned but not confused "is it in the mountain like someone dug it out to make the castle?" He asked as talion answered bluntly.

"No it's hanging off the side of the castle...how do you not see it in the physical world look!" He said trying to point it out as frank saw the mountain then finally he saw it as he was very much dumbfounded.

"How is it not falling off the mountain? That isn't stable enough to hold all those stones and whatever it is over there on it."

"Look I can't answer everything frank for now let's just move near that end of the trees and you can take a short break if you want I'll keep us safe," Talion said as frank agreed as a nice break would do wonders.

But after finally getting to a sturdy enough tree frank more or less got hijacked by talion who dumbed him back into the main hall to sleep and relax.

------------------------------*princess luna*-------------------

Finally, she had found his doors she thought looking over the doors were odd-looking they reminded her of the caterlot castle design but seemed so different, and to be honest, she had gotten lost more times than she would admit but finally, the door chains were falling away now was her time to try and make things right

As a princess of Equestria, she softly knocked on the door as if she was entering a foreign place and to her shock, a voice came threw "come in"
It sounded male from what her ears were picking up.

But after a quick breath she steady herself and entered the room and looked nothing like her and her older sister's castle it was a true masterpiece but something was wrong the building was falling apart? No, it was under attack was she in a war zone?

"It seems you are in my dreams luna how is this possible?" He asked as she spoke

"I am the guardian of dreams and the princess of the night it is my duty to protect my subject's dreams but to prove my sister wrong I wish to speak with you," Luna said her voice nice and soft not trying to seem threatening

"Oh? What does your sister think of me?" Frank asked the night princess

"Well she believes your an evil being here to harm us and our subjects because of your magical signatures" luna responded as she gave him hid undivided attention to the ape creature

"That is reasonable of her I see she leads with a level head? I assume?" Frank spoke as she nodded with a soft chuckle

"She does do what's best by her subjects but I think there is a way to prove your good sir if your willing to listen," Luna said strained as she tried to speak normally as her ears moved towards him to listen better

"First off why do you trust me? I'm a stranger to you an unknown and yet here you are talking to me to see if your hutch is right?" He asked as she started shaking her head
"Nay nay ape I wanted to show the same kindness you did for me in return for saving me from corruption and starting my life I wish to help you"

This had stunned both frank and talion as they didn't expect to have a pony want to help them from past experiences it was just them running and helping them the one time to save luna from the nightmare as talion appeared scaring luna as she thought there was only one of them.

"What is your game horse? No one offers aid for nothing what do you expect to gain from me and frank? A hook? Information? Our loyalty?" As talion tries to scare the princess into spilling it while she flared her wings and shouted at talion.

"Nay! I am showing thee not all ponies art aggressive!" She didn't seem scared at all but mostly in defense of talion's outburst as frank spoke this time "talion, please relax let her speak her peace at least before you tear into luna" frank said before looking towards her.

Your name is luna correct?" He asked as she nodded at him before closing her massive blue wings "Aye t is I can see thou art the level headed one"

Luna spoke with confidence before clearing her throat and continuing " Most ponies believeth thy a being straight from Tartarus with any chance of being turned valorous but if 't be true thee showeth those folk thou art not a being of ill intent then my sister and I can help thee"

Said luna but for frank, it was a bit of a challenge understanding what she was saying as no one had spoken like that since the middle ages.

"I guess we agree on that right talion?' Frank asked confused as talion didn't look amused
As he had something to say to luna

" so you give us a list of demands without giving a grantee that any of this might work?" He asked before princess luna could answer she was cut off by disappearing from the room.

Which caused talion to snort slightly "she gives us a list of demands then leaves...I've seen better from orcs and ologs than that horse" stated talion while they stood there frank didn't seem to be kind about him being unkind to luna

"at least she's giving us a chance to show the others we aren't evil so don't drill into her because of her speech," frank said

As talion sighed while rubbing his face "very well but I don't trust any of them...for now" after saying that frank woke up in the tree he was still on the outskirts of town and the sun appeared to be rising? were they there all night? Whatever the case frank placed the ring tightly onto his finger to not lose it as he jumped down.

"You do see how this can backfire right?" talion asked as they fell threw the air but

After a solid thumb and no broken bones, he began walking back towards the castle "I know but I'm willing to try and fix things and hopefully not be chased down for the rest of my life." as the sounds of bugs could be heard very large ones. "We have company!" Yelled talion to warn him

As a result, Frank pulled his sword out gripping it lightly as they got closer soon a swarm of bug ponies appeared some flying others on land very few had a strange bug pony armor others had none as they seemed to surround frank while talion spoke.

"These things are like ghouls! Endless in numbers" as they hissed and spoke in their own language one entered the small circle that they had the human inside of as this one had a few scars here and there showing they were a veteran among the swarm as it spoke to him.

"My queen needs your presents dark one." It said as frank looked at it then around at the large group of bug ponies frank looked back and responded "I don't have much of a choice now do I but let's say I refuse?" Frank dared to say as it shook its head

"That wasn't a request dark one either you come with us peacefully or unconscious," said the bug pony as frank took the first option much to talions relief "very well I shall go with you?"

He said as the bug pony nodded as it turned around "excellent sheath your sword dark one and we will escort you there and if you are not aware of what to call us we are known as changelings dark one" as the swarm followed him and his wraith friend to an unknown location.

Author's Note

Holy cow! I completely ignored you guys! I'm sorry about that I was so focused on school but on the bright side I have only four months left then I'm free from that place! So expect chapters coming out every so often. And if there is anyone that knows a lot about changelings would very much appreciate a message or telling me where to get more info about them