Quest to Zephyr Heights: A My Little Pony / BioShock Infinite Crossover

Chapters

Chapter 1- The Lighthouse
Chapter 2- The Church of the Chosen
Chapter 3- New Haven Square
Chapter 4- Escape from the Raffle
Chapter 5- The Fraternal Brotherhood

Chapter 1- The Lighthouse

Somewhere off the coast of Equestria

Prospect Cover, the pegasus private investigator, sat onboard the raft as the two unicorns rowed further out to sea. Or, at least one unicorn rowed.

"Are you going to just sit there?" asked the unicorn stallion.

"As compared to what?" replied his female compatriot, "Standing?"

"Not standing. Rowing."

"Rowing. I hadn't planned on it."

"So, you expect me to shoulder the burden?"

"No. But I do expect you to do all the rowing." She turned to Prospect and handed the pegasus a wooden box.

Prospect eyed the box carefully and asked, "What's this?"

The unicorns seemingly didn't hear her or were ignoring her. "And why is that?" asked the male unicorn belatedly.

"Coming here was your idea," the unicorn mare responded flatly.

"My idea?"

"I made it very clear that I don't believe in the exercise."

"The rowing?"

"No. I imagine that's wonderful exercise."

"Then what?"

"The entire thought experiment."

"One goes into an experiment knowing one could fail."

"Ahem, excuse me," Prospect raised a hoof, but the unicorns continued to ignore her. "Uh, right." Instead, she opened the wooden box and perused its contents. There was an assortment of random trinkets. A silver key, a blurry photo of her target, a card with some kind of code, and a postcard of some kind, depicting a large statue of a pegasus mare with her hooves outstretched. Also, in the box was something that would be useful, a six-barrel revolver. She smirked to herself, examining the gun, "This could work."

"One goes into an experiment knowing one could fail," the male unicorn continued.

"But one does not undertake an experiment knowing one HAS failed," the female unicorn suggested.

"Can we get back to the rowing?"

"I suggest you do, or we're never going to get there."

"No, I mean I'd greatly appreciate it if you would assist."

"Perhaps you should ask her," the unicorn mare said, pointing a hoof back at Prospect, "I imagine she has a greater interest in getting there than I do."

"I suppose she does...but there's no point in asking."

"Why not?"

"Because she doesn't row."

"She doesn't row?"

"No. She doesn't row."

"Ah. I see what you mean. We've arrived."

The boat knocked against the wooden piers of a dock. Prospect Cover disembarked and looked back. It was raining and dark, and nary a thing could be seen out on the water.

"Shall we tell her when we'll be returning?" the unicorn mare asked.

"Would that change anything?" her compatriot responded, beginning to row the boat away.

"It might give him some comfort."

"At least that's something we can agree on."

Prospect looked around, for she was unsure of what to do next. "Hey!" Prospect yelled out to the cyan ponies shrinking in the distance, "Is somepony meeting me here?"

"I'd certainly hope so," the male unicorn answered.

"It does seem like a dreadful place to be stranded," the female unicorn commented. With that, the light on the boat faded as it was rowed into the darkness.

Prospect shook her head, those two were certainly an odd... couple? She knew that as a pegasus, she was supposed to hate the other kinds of ponies, but she never really harbored those feelings personally.

She sighed and looked up, the lighthouse's own light barely showing through the rain. The job was simple, go to a place, get the pony, bring her to Manehattan. Simple.

Beady-eyed crabs scattered underhoof as Prospect walked up to the lighthouse. There was note on the door with message crudely scrawled on.

"Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt."

Stepping inside the lighthouse, it was quiet, too quiet. Prospect shook out her mane and wings, not that wings were of much use to pegasi anymore; the rain had thoroughly drenched her bright pink mane and dark pink coat. She examined her surroundings. The keeper of the lighthouse was apparently a history buff. A map of old Equestria was pinned up on the wall along with illustrations of the old Princesses.

Prospect walked upstairs and swore under her breath. Not only was the lighthouse keeper a history buff, he was history himself. The corpse of the earth pony was tied up to a chair, a sack having been pulled over his head. Blood dripped from a hole where a single bullet had been placed into his skull.

With no other leads, Prospect went further up to the top of the lighthouse. The foggy sea below provided no view, and the glass dome at the top was locked. Prospect stopped and looked at the locked door closely, the symbols. She pulled out the card from the wooden box, it had the same symbols.

With a touch of hesitation, her hoof pressed the first matching symbol, the shape of a butterfly. An unseen bell rung, indicating that something had worked. So, Prospect continued with the code, two presses of the cloud with the lightning bolt, and two presses of the star.

Suddenly, the sky turned a shade of pink for split second, and did so four more times, matching the tones of the bells.

"What in Equestria?" Prospect asked to herself as the door whirred and clicked open.

The only thing inside the top of the lighthouse was a chair.

"I guess they expect me to sit there," Prospect said to herself. And sit she did, the chair bein

Having been comfortably adjusted for her wings.

In an instant, metals restraints clicked into place, bounding her hoofs to the arms of the chair.

"What the hay?!"

"Stay calm, child of the sky," an electronic voice droned from an unseen location, "The restraints are in place as a safeguard."

Prospect's ears flattened, "This can't be good."

As if it heard her, the lighthouse whined mechanically. The floor beneath the chair fell away as metal walls rose around her. The chair turned and twisted sideways, making Prospect swear as her saddlebag fell off, getting crushed in the twisting gears below.

"Ascend, ascend," the mechanical voice droned ignoring the pegasus's cries of distress, "ascend to your chosen home in the sky. In five... four... three... two... one."

The pod violently shook as it began to rise. Clouds flitted past the singular window as the rocket broke through the cloud bank.

"Five thousand feet...ten thousand feet...fifteen thousand feet," the mechanical voice paused as Prospect was blinded for a second, "Welcome home."

Prospect gasped as the clouds parted, revealing a floating city in the sky. Tiered buildings of white and gold floated on their accord with arched bridges connecting them. Strange flying airships slowly lumbered in between the buildings. And most beautiful of all, a giant bronze statue of a pegasus, her wings and hooves outstretched with love, rose above it all.

The rocket shuddered once more as it began to lower and made contact with a building. The descent was slow and mechanical, giving one time to read the phrases etched on the walls.

"In this faithless world without magic or leadership, why did we get such a pony?
For she has created a place where a pony does not have to worry about being outcasted, because every pony is equal.
Though we deserve not a scrap for our wicked ways.
She has led us to a new haven of peace.
And the Prophet shall lead all the ponies to an everlasting peace."

The rocket stopped with a thud as it reached the bottom.

Chapter 2- The Church of the Chosen

"And the Prophet shall lead all the ponies to an everlasting peace."

Thats what was engraved onto the shape of a scroll on the large stained-glass window. The window depicted a large figure of a pegasus, the prophet apparently, with pink fur and a curved periwinkle mane, standing over a crowd of pegasi. She pointed to a city enshrouded in clouds on top of a mountain in the distance.

"Huh," Prospect said to herself. She stepped a hoof out of the pod and recoiled. The floor of this church was covered with a thin, hoof-high layer of water. Prospect exhaled and exited the room through the elaborately carved stone archway.

The next room had candle-filled alcoves that surrounded a large stone statue of the "Prophet" with her hooves outstretched. Quiet humming could be heard, singing some kind of hymn. Prospect took the opportunity to look around the church. There were two extra rooms, both of which featured more stain-glass windows.

One showed the "Prophet" holding two bundles with pegasi fillies. "The Prophet's seeds shall inherit the great haven and spread peace."

The other one depicted a white pegasus with a serene expression. Her wings were outstretched, and her hot pink mane was styled into a curved point. "The fallen seed shall be renewed by the filly." A shrine had been built around this window, with worshippers leaving pink petals and feathers from their wings as offerings.

"So... this is clearly some kind of cult," Prospect commented to herself. She waded through the water and floating candles, finally approaching an exit that opened up to a staircase leading down. A single pegasus garbed in gold robes stood by, his green wings folded in an angelic fashion.

"Excuse me," Prospect called out to the pegasus, "Where am I?"

The green stallion chuckled, "Why sister, you're home! The safe haven of Equestria, or at least until the great peace."

"Right, thanks," Prospect waved a hoof before exiting down the stairs, "I'd better keep the questions to myself, better not attract attention," she said to herself perfidiously.

As she trotted down the stairs, Prospect took note of more stained-glass windows, each showing symbols that matched those in the lighthouse earlier.

The pink shape of a butterfly, benignitas.

A cloud with a rainbow-hued lightning bolt, humilitas.

And a purple star with white sparkles, potentia.

The spiral staircase ended, leading into a larger room with an even deeper layer of water before. The singing from earlier had grown louder, with words being sung along. Prospect slowly made her way along the channel, suddenly noticing she wasn't alone.

Golden-robed pegasi waded through the channels alongside her, their heads bowed, and their eyes peacefully closed. The worshippers were all congregating at the other end of the chamber, where light could be seen through an archway, an exit.

"And every few moons on this day of days, we recommit ourselves to our city, to our Prophet, Queen Haven," said a preacher, the gray-maned pegasus projecting his voice over the amassed group of worshipers. He continued his sermon, "We recommit through sacrifice, and give thanks through the sweet water of baptism! And lo, may the gifts of the Princess and the Martyrs shine upon the glorious golden heights of our fair city! If our Prophet had merely expelled the hordes of savages from the north, it would have been enough. If our Prophet had merely cleansed the hives of the soul-sucker, who seeked to subsist on our love for our kind, it would have been enough. If our Prophet had only accepted the gifts of the Princess and led us to our safe haven, it would have been enough. If our Prophet had only suffered from the sacrifice of the seed at the hooves of the traitor, it would have been enough. If our Prophet had only committed herself to this glorious day and not to the riddance of the Vox Demissa, it would have still been enough!"

He paused as Prospect entered the circle of ponies. "Is it somepony new?" he asked, staring blankly with his glassy eyes, for the preacher seemed to be blind, "A pony from the world below? Our fellow sister who has come to be cleansed in the sacred waters of Zephyr Heights?"

"Look," Prospect said sternly to the delusional stallion, "I just need passage into the city."

The preacher laughed, "Passage into the city? Fellow sister of the skies, the only way into Zephyr Heights is through rebirth in the water of baptism."

Prospect sighed, "I just need to pass through."

The preacher reached out a hoof, "Will you be cleansed sister?"

The pegasi around her began to chant, shouting for a cleansing.

With reluctance, and no other choice, she took the preacher's hoof, who grabbed her and spun her into his grasp.

"I baptize you," he shouted in an animated fashion, "in the name of our Prophet, in the name of the Martyrs, in the name of our kind! And she shall be born once again in the open wings of Zephyr Heights!"

His hooves grabbed Prospect's mane, and shoved her into the water. She came up coughing and sputtering for air. She flailed her limbs, but the preacher pony had surprisingly strong grip.

"I don't know my brothers and sisters of the sky," the preacher screamed to the cheering worshippers, "But she doesn't look clean to me!"

He dunked her again and again as everything faded to black.

Someone knocked on the door.

Prospect lifted her head off the desk in a stupor. "Who? Who's there?"

"Bring us the girl and wipe away your debt," answered a voice on the other side of the door.

Prospect stood up, "What do want?"

"You made a deal Ms. Cover! Open this door right now!"

"I already told you once... I'm not going to do it!"

"Ms. Cover! This is not up for debate!"

The knocking continued. Prospect relented, and groggily stumbled to the door and opened it, bathing the room with orange light. Beyond was Equestria. An Equestria that was burning.

Prospect woke up gasping for air. She coughed up water, raising her face out of the a reflecting pool. "That idiot priest needs to learn the difference between baptizing a pony and drowning one," she commented, knocking the water out of her ears, "I need to find a landmark and figure out what the heck this place is.

She looked around. The pool she pool she was standing in was the front of a garden. The church tower loomed overhead behind her. Up ahead was a set of stairs that ran up to path that winded between blooming flowers and bushes.

Various golden robed pegasi milled about, most whom were stopping and praying in front of three large statues that stood above the rest of the garden. Prospect walked by, listening in to some of the pegasus pilgrims.

One pegasus kneeled in front of a statue of a pegasus with a curved mane. The statue wore a stone necklace with a jewel in the shape of a butterfly. "Dear martyr of kindness, may you bring providence to us," the pony pilgrim prayed, "With your gift of kindness may we be open to those less fortunate than our kind and spread Zephyr Height's prosperity to Equestria. Sister Fluttershy, hear my prayer."

Another pegasus was crouched in front of another statue of a pegasus with a short, rough mane with many highlights. The statue wore a stone necklace with a jewel in the shape of a lightning bolt. "As paragon of virtue, a rebel against ignorance and tyranny," the pony said quietly, "I ask that you share with us your gift of humility. A gift so that Zephyr Heights may shine like a beacon in the darkness, yet remain steadfast. Sister Rainbow Dash, hear my prayer."

The last statue was the largest of the three, and the stone pegasus had a long, straight mane. On her head was a stone crown, with a sparkle-shaped crystal embedded on top. Multiple pilgrims were crouched around the statue, all of whom were quietly praying. "She who united Equestria, and gave up her magic for our new haven," one pony prayed, "Watch over us, and give us your gift of power, so that our city may be shielded from all fear and doubt. Princess Twilight, hear my prayer."

Prospect rolled her eyes and blew a raspberry upon hearing these prayers, "They might be able to make a city fly, but its still got it's fair share of fools. Alright, still got the girl to find."

She left the garden, brushing aside the hummingbirds that frolicked in the flowers, and approached the large, ornate wooden door at the exit.

"Hear goes," Prospect exhaled to herself as she pushed the door open and exited out into Zephyr Heights.

Chapter 3- New Haven Square

And then, the Princess showed a vision: a city, perched on top of the clouds. I asked her, 'Dear Princess, why do you show this to me? I'm not a strong pony. I'm not a righteous pony. I am not a religious pony.' And she told me the most remarkable thing: 'You're right, Prophet. But if true peace is within the hoof grasp of one such as you, how can anypony else not see it themselves?' ~ Queen Haven

With the door open, Prospect walked straight out, and nearly fell off the edge of the city. She flapped her wings to straighten herself out and watched as a floating section of the city slowly turned itself, the gold trimmed bridge extending and snapping into place. The rest of the nearby buildings were just as dynamic, adjusting themselves automatically as they floated into place. Large crates flew overhead, gliding on golden rails that weaved between the buildings.

The centerpiece of this newly attached island was a large statue of Haven, posing heroically, her cape flapping in the non-existent wind. Prospect made her way through town. Pegasus ponies were everywhere, talking, walking, eating at dineries.

She smiled to herself when she saw some pegasus yearlings playing with a fluffy Pomeranian with tiny wings. Then, her attention was drawn further up the road, where a crowd of pegasi had congested. The crowd cheered and watched as a parade floated past.

"After the victory at Yakyakistan, the spirit of the Princess presented herself to Queen Haven and showed her a vision of the future," a voice blared from the parade floats, "And so our great Prophet led her people up to the great city in the skies. But it was the miracle child, the foal, that is the future of our kind. For the Prophet has said that she in the tower will lead the world below in the great peace."

When the floats had turned out of sight, the armored guard stepped aside and lowered the barrier at the edge as the bridge extended itself to the next island. "All clear, good luck at the raffle folks!" He tipped his helmet to the passing ponies.

Among them was Prospect, doing her best not to draw attention. A lot of the pegasi seemed to be heading in the same direction, though it was easy to find out why. Posters and signs were posted at every street corner, advertising that day's event.

Prospect read a nearby poster, "Zephyr Heights Fair and Raffle, huh."

Eventually, she turned another corner to be met with the sight of a giant bronze statue of a pegasus. Dappled rays of sunlight shone from behind the statue's head, her hooves outstretched in welcome. Prospect looked over the statue, it was a match for the location where the mare was supposedly located.

"Telegram, Ms. Cover!" Prospect looked down to see a little, gray pegasus colt with a cap holding out a folded letter.

She motioned to herself, "For me?"

"Yes siree Ms. Cover!" She took the telegram as the colt gave a hearty salute and galloped off.

She read the note aloud, "STOP Cover. Do not alert Haven to your presence STOP. Whatever you do, do not pick #77 STOP. Lutece," she wrinkled her snout in confusion, "What the?"

She turned her head as cheering erupted down the street, which signs indicated was the direction of the fair. Outside the fair there was an elaborate display with posters and a pony barker yapping to a group of observing ponies.

The pegasus barker gave an animated spiel as two more pegasi in dragon costumes playfully acted out, "What if I told you there was a way a pony could shoot electricity from their hooves? What if I told you that you could give yourself the ability of flight? Well, my curious friends, these are not just mere questions! Thanks to dragon fire and modern pegasus science, you too can bring back a little magic with the new Magic Distilliate from FlimFlam Co! Brought to you personally by Mr. Browsy Gold himself, the Magic Distilliate is perfectly capable of replicating magic with none of the risk!"

Prospect scoffed at the barker, walking right past the presentation and into the fair, "Magic? Phphh, sure..."

The fairgrounds were full of ponies, some were buying goods and others were playing games at the booths scattered around.

One barker pony waved by a display with rumbling carts, "From FlimFlam Co, it's the automated self-driving carriage 5000!"

"Haydogs!" yelled out another vendor, "Get your haydogs here!"

"Come on over and test your skill!" another pony exclaimed by a game booth, "See if your pegasi reflexes are fast enough to catch the Vox Demissa!"

One display had a large, metallic horse standing onstage that tried to hide its head behind its metal wings, "Come on down and see the amazing Alimatic!" The pegasus presenter shouted out, "Part pony, part machine, she's a fine example of our fair city's ingenuity!"

Finally, Prospect had reached the end of the fairgrounds to the exit. Unfortunately, the exit was blocked off by a gate guarded by a metallic orb on a mechanical arm. The orb had two glowing eyes and was styled to look like a parasprite.

"Sorry bub." the automatic parasprite chirped in a mechanical voice, "the raffle is all sold out. Entrance is reserved for dignitaries and very important ponies alone."

"I'm guessing that doesn't mean me," Prospect answered sarcastically.

"Sorry," the auto-sprite winked a glowing eye, "That's not my problem."

A new voice spoke up nearby, "Perhaps I could be of service?"

Prospect turned to see a pink pegasus with a red mane in a nearby tent.

"You wanna get into the lottery? Well, with this Possession Distilliate, you can turn the tables on that mechanical moron. If you want, just say the word."

"I guess I'll take it," Prospect answered as she took the bottle from the pegasus. She popped the cork off the bottle and downed the swirling green substance inside.

The bottle dropped as it suddenly became hard for Prospect to think. Her vision blurred as a translucent green pegasus filly swirled into existence. The spirit giggled as it fluttered around Prospect, eventually flying straight into her chest.

She gasped as everything snapped back into focus, "What the hay was that?"

"Don't worry, its free," the pegasus vendor smirked, "Just flap your wings at that metallic numbskull and the distillate will do the rest!"

Prospect didn't know if she could trust the vendor, but she still walked up the auto-sprite anyways. She began to concentrate and flap her wings. They began to faintly glow green and misty beams of light swirled into the robot. The auto-sprit jolted upright in response and beckoned to Prospect. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Purveyor Hearthooves," the robot happily said, "Your spot at the raffle awaits. Don't know why I didn't recognize you before. Always good to have a gentlemare of your caliber at our fine fairgrounds!" The orb bowed as the gate swung aside.

Prospect walked past the automaton and right into two cyan unicorns waiting by the gate. They both stepped forward.

"Heads?" Asked the unicorn stallion, wearing a sandwich board around his neck.

"Or tails?" Asked his female associate.

"Come on," Prospect said impatiently, "I need to get through."

The male unicorn flipped a bit with his hoof, "Heads?"

"Or tails?" The female unicorn continued.

Prospect sighed, "Fine, uh tails."

The male unicorn flipped the bit. It came up as tails. "Told you," he said to his female companion with a self-satisfied expression.

"Hmm," the unicorn turned and drew another tally on the board, twelve for tails, zero for heads.

The male unicorn sighed, "I never find that as satisfying as I'd imagined."

"Chin up," the female unicorn replied, "There's always next time." They both turned away from Prospect, who continued forward.

"I suppose there is."

Prospect continued along to the raffle park. The streets around here were mostly empty except for a few armored pegasi guards standing around and talking about their new "back wheel". Cheering could be heard in the distance, as she got closer to the park.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. In the middle of street was a posted sign, like some of the many others from earlier. But on it was a familiar sight. "Beware the mark of the false prophet!" The sign had a picture of a pony's flank, with the cutie mark of the initials AD.

"What in the?" Prospect looked down to her own flank. The "false mark" was an exact match for her own cutie mark. Prospect had no idea how nopony else had noticed it until now, but now, she hid the mark with her wings. A bit on edge, Prospect entered the park, where a crowd of over a hundred pegasi had gathered for the raffle and were all engaged in a raucous chorus of a song.

The crowd cheered as they finished the song, stamping their hooves as the pegasus onstage motioned to the crowd. Browsy Gold, a gray-coated stallion with a slick-backed mane, tiny mustache, and an oversized top hat, heartily laughed, "Splendid! All you pegasi could give a siren a run for her money! And now, let the raffle commence!"

"Hey miss!" A hoof tapped Prospect's shoulder, who jumped. She turned to see a little lime-green filly holding a basket full of brown balls, "Wouldn't you like a ball?"

"Sorry," Prospect answered, "no sale."

The pegasus filly giggled, "Don't be silly! There's never a charge for the raffle. You been sleeping under a rock?"

Prospect recanted her statement and picked a ball. She turned it over in her hoof, reading the number written on it aloud, "Seventy-seven."

The filly flapped her wings excitedly, "Seventy-seven? That's a lucky number! I'll be rooting for you!"

The filly skipped away into the audience as the pegasus onstage spoke up to the cheering audience again. "Bring me the bowl!" Gold announced, as a pink filly trotted onstage holding a large bowl. A large portion of the audience awed at the blushing filly as Browsy Gold made an expression of adoration, "Is that not the cutest pegasi filly in all of Zephyr Heights?"

With a flourish, he stuck a hoof into the bowl and pulled out a slip of paper. "Alright then! The winner is," he paused to read the paper, "Lucky ball seventy-seven!"

The audience stamped their hooves as Gold giddily laughed, "Come on up seventy-seven and claim your prize!"

"Over here! She's over here!" The lime-green filly who gave her ball called out, bouncing up and down.

Ponies parted as they let Prospect walk up to the stage. She gripped the ball with her hoof, what was the prize?

"First prize little lady!" Gold announced, "Come and take the first throw!"

The crowd began to chant. "First throw! First throw! First throw!"

Gold began to wave his hooves and mockingly sing as the curtains behind him parted. A plywood set rolled forward, displaying crude depictions of unicorns. In the middle there was two ponies tied up next to each other. A purple unicorn with a black ball stuck to her horn, and an orange pegasus. They both struggled in their bindings staring out with wide-eyed horror to the jeering crowd of pegasi.

The couple onstage met Prospect's gaze.

"Please...please don't do this!" The unicorn cried.

"It was me. It was all me!" The pegasus stammered with fear, "Please, please! No... Please, what are you doing?"

"Come on," Gold motioned to Prospect, who was standing still in place, "are you gonna throw it? Or is a little horn too much for you?"

"Let her go, please!" The orange pegasus screamed, "I'm the one you want!"

Gold laughed, "Time's a wasting! Give it a throw."

Prospect made her decision. She furrowed her brow and recoiled her hoof to throw the ball, "I'll give you something you son of a-"

Suddenly, a hoof grabbed her extended limb, aimed right at Browsy Gold's head. "It's her!" the guard holding her yelled, "The false prophet!"

Prospect turned her head, realizing that in her anger at the pompous bigot onstage, she had unfurled her wings, revealing her cutie mark to the entire crowd of pegasi.

"Now, where'd you get that brand little mare?" Gold chuckled leaning down into Prospect's face, "Don't you know that makes you the back-stabbing lying false prophet?" He stood back up, raising his voice, "And we ain't letting no false prophet into our city, are we?" The angered crowed responded with jeers and boos at Prospect.

Multiple silver-armored guards approached her, one having a sharp saw-like fan extending from the back of his armor.

Browsy Gold laughed, "Show her what we got planned, boys!"

Chapter 4- Escape from the Raffle

I told you, Haven -- you sell 'em paradise, and the customers expect things to be magically done, simple and easy! No menials in the safe haven! Well, I've a pony in Bridlewood who'll lease us as many unicorn convicts as you can board! Why, you can say they're simple souls, in penance for rising above their place. Whatever eases your conscience, I suppose. ~ Browsy Gold

The crowd eagerly awaited the execution of the false prophet. She was surrounded by several guards who held her firmly and pushed her head towards buzzing back wheel of another guard. But unbeknownst to the snickering pegasi, Prospect Cover was no stranger with violence.

She stopped her resisting in the hooves of the guards for a split second, then suddenly twisted her torso, overpowering the guards grip and launching his face directly into the blade. The guard screamed as the saw sliced into his forehead, creating a gory explosion of blood.

"Stop her stop her!" Browsy Gold yelled before ducking behind the lowering curtains of the stage, "The false prophets' come to lead the seed astray!"

The crowd of Zephyr Heights pegasi panicked and scattered, as Prospect bucked her hind leg, the hoof connecting with the snout of the other guard, knocking his helmet off and him onto the ground. The third and last remaining guard stood still in shock as the screams of the guard thrown onto his saw faded into gurgles. The blood-covered pegasi didn't get a moment to react as he was headbutted, promptly getting knocked out.

Prospect, now covered in splotches of red blood, stood still and breathed heavily. She turned and pried the "back wheel" off the unconscious guard. The thing was some kind of self-powered saw that could extend itself from the back of the wearer. Prospect put it on, for she would need some kind of weapon moving forward.

This idea was immediately proven useful as sirens rang out in the distance. Prospect abandoned all pretense of blending in, turning hoof and running out of the raffle park.

Yells came down from above, "There she is! Get her!"

Looking up, Prospect saw guards swoop in from overhead, their wings outstretched. No, they weren't flying; they were using their back wheels to attach themselves to the golden railways that ran overhead throughout the city.

"So those wheel things aren't only good for combat," Prospect commented to herself, readying for more fighting. As if by magic, her back wheel buzzed to life in response.

She unfolded her wings and charged at the guards who landed nearby. Turning her body, she rammed into a green mare, who stumbled back before receiving a punch upside the chin. Another guard swept his saw at Prospect's back, narrowly missing her wings by a feather. Prospect reacted by extending her saw to the right, slicing through the guard's breastplate.

He collapsed to the ground as Prospect ran off towards Angel Island, its statue looming in the distance. However, she was too late, the gate had risen and bridge leading to the island was floating away, it edges packed with fairgoers who watched down at her in horror.

Gunshots cracked out from behind her, one of the shots piercing a wing. Prospect leapt behind a nearby fruit stand, clutching her bleeding wing to her side. In the distance was three more guards, each of whom aimed rifles at her. Prospect swore as more gunshots rang out, tattering the rest of the stand above her.

Suddenly, she remembered the distilliate she had drunk earlier. Maybe it could be useful here. She began to concentrate and flap her wings, gritting her teeth as she powered through the pain. The wings began faintly glow green.

Prospect leapt out from behind the stand and with a final clap of her wings, sent out a spiral of misty green light towards the nearest guard.

The guard froze in her tracks, bolting upright in place. The other two guards paused in a moment of confusion to look at their newly possessed compatriot. The possessed mare suddenly raised her rifle and shot through the yellow guard on her left, penetrating her armor with three shots and knocking her into a nearby bush. The other guard emitted a cry of distress and dropped his rifle. He charged at his possessed companion, giving her a punch with his hoof. The possessed guard reacted accordingly, dropping her rifle and engaging the other in hoof fight.

Meanwhile, Prospect had taken the opportunity to quietly slink away, finally exiting the raffle park through an eschew gate while the guards continued their fierce infighting.

The street that Prospect exited onto was much like the others before, except it was predictably empty of ponies. The previously packed pass had clearly been hastily abandoned, both from being closed due to the day's festivities and its inhabitants fleeing from the violence in the park.

Prospect walked down the curving lane, keeping an eye out on her surroundings. She tiredly dug through a nearby barrel, pulling out and eating an apple, "I don't think I'm gonna make it if I constantly have to fight these guys," she commented to herself, ripping out a strip of fabric from a nearby awning before wrapping it around her wing as a makeshift bandage.

The end of the street was barred by yet another gate, but luckily, it was unlocked, allowing Prospect to push it open. She wiped away the sweat from her brow, "Is it getting hot? Or is it just me?"

She pushed through the gate to discover the sight of another street, except it was fire. Small infernos of flame burned nearby, the burning remains of carts and stands. It only took a moment to see what the cause was.

Standing right before was a pony in a fully suit of charred iron. Orange light and sparks of flame emitted from the eyes and nostrils of their covered face. Smoke poured out from a cone at the top of their head. Makeshift wings of metal and tattered cloth extended from their back, and the only skin visible was their hooves, being charred black and covered with glowing orange cracks.

"You shall burn in the name of our Prophet!" The fiery mare's muffled voice screamed from behind the suit. The suit mechanically flared it wings as the mare reared up and shot balls of fire from her front hooves.

Prospect jumped out of the way, the fireballs exploding against the gate. She furiously flapped her wings, charging up another possession attack. The green light swirled out at the firemare, only to fizzle into nothingness upon making contact with the iron suit.

The firemare roared with fury in response to the flimsy attack, "You shall be cleansed!" She lobbed another fireball at Prospect, which exploded, launching the pegasus upward into a wall.

Her body aching, Prospect grunted as she stood up, her torso flaring with pain. She glanced at some nearby barrels, and using all of her strength, kicked a barrel right at the firemare.

The barrel shattered against the armored suit of the mare but stunned her just long enough for Prospect to dash up and wrap her front hooves around the firemare's neck. The firemare stomped the ground and roared with fury as she jerked about, but Prospect kept her grip. Prospect's back wheel automatically extended, and she positioned the curve of the saw around the iron neck of the firemare. Prospect grimaced as the hot iron burned the fur of her hooves but remained steadfast as the saw began to buzz.

Without warning, the saw powered up, twisting the firemare's head into an unsavory angle with a muffled snap. The fire in the suit's slits faded to black and Prospect let go of the firemare. The mare clunked onto the ground, a small red vial rolling out from hooves as she collapsed.

Panting, Prospect picked up the vial. She read the label, "Flame Distilliate huh? Well, you only live once." She popped the cork and downed the distilliate.

Suddenly, it became hot, very hot. Prospect looked down at her hooves, staring in horror as orange light flared up. She yelled in pain as her hooves cracked and flames trickled out from beneath her skin. The skin charred and blackened, and the fur curled back as the hooves burnt down to the bone.

Then it stopped, as everything snapped back into focus. Prospect looked at her hooves again, they were normal.

"They really don't go light with the hallucinations here, do they?" Prospect panted.

Straightening herself out, Prospect proceeded forward to find another dead end at the end of the street, the bridge and island having left long ago.

Wincing with pain, Prospect turned left and entered into the nearest location to find another way. It was a large restaurant named The Rainbow Receptacle.

Prospect Cover limped into The Rainbow Receptacle. She had her wings shot, her hooves burnt, and probably broke a few ribs, and she needed something, anything to help recover.

She turned a corner to see that the restaurant was not as empty as she presumed. A tan pegasus, presumably drunk, was passed out at the counter, but more importantly were two familiar cyan unicorns standing behind the counter. Prospect did a double take but didn't say anything.

The male unicorn turned to her, "We have company."

The female unicorn nodded, "We do indeed."

Prospect eyed the two suspiciously, "Why are you two following me?"

The unicorn mare's expression remained unchanging, "We were already here."

The stallion looked at Prospect perfidiously, "Why are you following us?"

Prospect raised a hoof. "I-" she began but was interrupted by the female unicorn bringing up a platter with a bottle of another glowing substance.

"Aperitif?"

Her male companion continued, "You'll find that happy in a pinch."

"Difference between life and death."

Prospect sighed, knowing there was no other choice. She picked up the bottle and drank the stuff inside. In an instant, Prospect felt her strength renewed, the aching gone. She flapped her wings with renewed vigor.

"Woah, what was that?"

The female unicorn tapped a hoof at her chin and hmphed, "Hmm, surprising."

"Surprising that it worked?" Questioned her male compatriot.

"Surprising that it didn't kill her."

"But a magnetic-regenerative field around one's body can come in handy."

"If it doesn't kill you."

"A fair point."

Knowing that she wouldn't be getting any answers from these two, Prospect left the duo, exiting the restaurant through the kitchen. She stepped out onto a balcony, looking out to see a small zeppelin fly past. Guards were poised on its deck, looking over the buildings below. One of them was operating a large turret.

"Clearly I'm still a wanted pony," Prospect commented, "Now I just need a way to get to Angel Island..."

Chapter 5- The Fraternal Brotherhood

And when the Great Princess gave unto the Martyrs the tools to build a new Equestria, they did so without hesitation. With these gifts, these elements, they brought forth a great peace for ponykind. But when the forebearer traitor came forth, she brought discord, chaos, confusion. And so, our magic was lost, dividing ponykind from their rightful place and sowing forth the dark age of Equestria. ~ Queen Haven

Prospect Cover looked over the edge of the railing. It was a long way down, in fact, rolling cloudbanks covered up any sign of a bottom. Prospect looked up at the adjoining buildings, eyeing freight hooks sticking out from their sides.

"Maybe I could use this back wheel on those hooks like those guards earlier," the pegasus pondered to herself. Straightening her back, she unveiled her back wheel. She breathed out, "Here goes nothing."

With a running jump, Prospect leaped off the balcony. Her wings flapped uselessly in the air as she began plummet down. All of the sudden, her back lurched up. With a loud clank, her back wheel flew up and attached to the hook.

"Oh," Prospect said breathlessly, finding herself suspended by her back, "It's magnetic. I wish I knew that sooner." The distant rumbling of a zeppelin snapped her back into focus. She turned her head, spotting more hooks nearby.

Prospect grunted as she began to swing her body back and forth, then, as if on instinct, her back wheel detached, making the pegasus fly through the air once more until she clamped to the next hook. Slowly but surely, Prospect made her way hook to hook, building to building. Eventually, it almost felt natural, being a rudimentary form of flight. After many hooks, Prospect landed on a balcony with an accessible door. She breathed a sigh of relief, the "flying" was exhilarating, but it was also very unnerving to do.

The door was unlocked, allowing Prospect to kick it open and charge in. She stopped short, coming to a halt in front of two pegasi who stared at her. Both of the ponies had paused their work, standing in front of a large printing press with stacks of flyers that read, "Friends of the Earth Pony Society"

"It's her!" exclaimed the stallion with ink-stains on his hooves, "The pony they're after!"

"Go," said the mare, "They're looking for you."

"Uh yeah," Prospect answered warily, "excuse me." She ran past the two earth pony enthusiasts and bolted for the front door. She put a hoof on the handle and pushed the door open, turning snout to snout right into three guards.

The front guard yelled in alarm as Prospect slammed the door shut in his face. She flipped around to the two pegasi.

"I don't suppose you have a backdoor perchance?" Prospect asked.

The pegasi didn't answer, instead wordlessly pointing their hooves down the hall. Prospect nodded and dashed down the hall, bursting through the rear door and out into a courtyard. She turned and ran forward, passing the three guards angrily banging on the door.

"Wait! There she is!" yelled the lead guard, spinning around. He pulled out his rifle and shot at Prospect who ducked behind a nearby stage. The gunfire exploded taxidermy on the stage sending cotton floating down as Prospect concentrated. It was time to try out that fire distilliate. She thought hard, shaking her hooves as they began to glow orange.

Leaping out, she thrust a hoof forward, sending out a fireball bouncing forward at the guards. The ball popped, sending out a spread of flame across the guard. Two of the guards dodged the flames as the lead guard screamed as his green coat caught on fire.

The flaming pegasus guard rolled on the ground, ignoring Prospect as she leapt over him and the flames. She swept right, beaning a guard in the head before galloping down the street. Luckily for her, a large cloudbank was sweeping through the buildings, providing the perfect cover to get away.

The shouts of the guards faded as Prospect fled the scene. She skidded to a stop, looking around, but the fog covered everything. Suddenly, a cry rang out, making Prospect jump as a black-feathered crow flew past her head and perched on something in the fog. She walked forward, seeing that it was statue, showing Queen Haven battling what only could be described as a hydra with pony heads. Multiple crows looked down at her from their guano-encrusted perches, flying off into the mist as she came near. Prospect squinted forward, a large building loomed, with a stone depiction of an eye hoisted on top. With no way around, Prospect Cover entered into the dwelling of the Fraternal Brotherhood.

Inside, there was more crows flying about, leaving their droppings everywhere. The birds pecked at rotten plates of food placed in dimly lit cubbies of walls. The lights overhead flickered, casting deep shadows through the thin layer of mist that covered the floor.

Prospect walked slowly and quietly, looking around the Brotherhood's headquarters. A painted portrait of the martyrs graced one wall, on opposite was a painting of a purple-maned unicorn of white, who was depicted leading a fiery horde upon old Canterlot.

Moving forward, there was two sets of staircases with a statue of a frightened pegasus filly in the center. Prospect crept up the stairs, coming to an overlook over what could only be described as a meeting of the Brotherhood.

A large mural was painted on the wall, depicting a luminescent-maned pegasus, her wings outstretched, presiding over a myriad of other species. Down amongst the aisles was a multitude of pegasi, wearing two-pronged hoods, watching their apparent leader. He wore purple robes and carried a white, gold-encrusted coffin on his back.

As Prospect ducked behind the railing, he continued his spiel, "And so, the Prophet lead us into the changeling hives, where we demonstrated to the fallen kingdom the true mission our Martyrs had given us. And when the changelings and hypocrites of Equestria betrayed her, our Prophet did not heel."

Prospect flapped her wings, charging up a fire attack.

"She did not come crawling back for their forgiveness... Like our Martyrs broke apart the Great Apostate, our Prophet broke these socalled royals... and today is the day we celebrate this secession!"

The cloaked zealot looked up, hearing the buzzing sound from overhead. Down from the balcony flew a large fireball, landing in the middle of the aisle. Before the brothers could react, the ball exploded, cratering the floor.

Prospect leapt down through the flaming feathers, kicking a cloaked brother in the head. She attacked again, using her back wheel to slit the throat of another brother as he climbed other the charred body of his brethren. At the front, the lead zealot watched Prospect battle the members of the brotherhood, turning tail and running out through the door on his right as she knocked out another hooded brother with a slam.

In a few seconds, Prospect had hit, sliced, or burnt her way through the members of the cult, except for one. The pegasus ran out the room, intent on following the lead zealot and finding a way out of the dirty, crow-infested dirt hole.

Up some stairs she ran, passing through a study, passing through an office before coming to a halt in front of a large door that was creaked open. Prospect flattened herself against as she heard crying inside. Peeking inside, she saw a creature tied up to a table. A griffon.

The griffon openly sobbed.

"Why do you do this?" he cried, "I just want to go back to my family!"

Prospect winced at the distress of the non-pony and pushed the door open to help him, but she was too late. The griffon screamed in pain as a murder of crows set upon him, pecking at his skin, pulling out his feathers, jamming their beaks into his eyes. The crows scattered as Prospect whipped into the room, turning to face the lead zealot.

Through his purple hood, he looked gleefully at the bloodied corpse of the griffon before flicking his at Prospect. Black smoke silted from his glowing hooves as the hooded pegasus suddenly vanished.

Surprised, Prospect walked forward, turning into a large indoor garden. Crows flew freely amongst gilded cages that hung from the ceiling, pecking at their inhabitants, the rotting corpses of the Brotherhood's various prisoners. She jumped as a crow cackled at her left, another cawing at her right.

Suddenly, the zealot leapt at her, manifesting out of the mist.

"Guide me Sister Zipp and may you judge this heretic in death!"

Prospect yelled as he swung his sword at her, narrowly missing her snout by a few inches. She retaliated, shooting a fireball from her hooves at the zealot, but he merely vanished into a black smoke, the fireball harmlessly flying past into a pool of water.

The zealot's laugh echoed throughout the garden as the crows went into a frenzy. Prospect swatted at the birds as they flew around and pecked at her mane, not noticing the zealot of the sister manifest out the shadows behind her. She screamed in pain as his sword sliced across her back, despite the glowing potion from earlier negating most of the damage. She flipped around, swinging her back saw at the zealot, but he was gone again.

She looked around frantically as the zealots laugh resounded once again. Then she noticed it, the crows. The crows were attracted to the zealot and seemed to be following a path. She ran out into the middle of the garden, keeping an eye of the fluttering crows until they congested at one point.

Sure enough, out of the smoke appeared the zealot, only to be kicked right in the chest as he appeared. The crows screamed and flew away as the zealot flew backwards into a wall, the coffin on his back shattering into splinters. As the black feathers that filled the air slowly glided down, Prospect saw that the hooded pony was dead. The fool had somehow managed to impale himself with his sword when he hit the wall.

Prospect knelt down. On the zealot's body was a bottle with a black substance. "What's this? Some new kind of distilliate?" she picked up the distilliate and examined the ornately carved crow's head on the bottle, "That's one heck of a thing..."

She popped the cork and downed the potion. Her hooves began to shake as a ringing sound filled her ears. A crow landed on her leg, looking at her with its beady eyes as her hooves splintered and cracked apart. Large bird talons seemed to unveil themselves from her legs as the sounds of crows filled flurried around her.

Then it stopped, the sound silencing in an instant. Prospect looked at her hooves again; like before they were normal.

Exiting the garden, Prospect proceeded forward. She covered her eyes as she pushed through a door, suddenly being blinded by the bright light of the sky. Having finally exited the Fraternal Brotherhood, Prospect gave a sigh of relief. She looked forward, spotting the Monument Island gateway.

It was nearby; she only needed to jump a few hooks to get there. And so she did, flying to and through between buildings and hooks until she reached the station for the for the gateway.

The surprisingly little presence of the guard on her way there, merely a single royal guard standing watch outside the entrance of the station. The guard was quickly dealt with after Prospect made a surprise attack on her from above, using her back wheel to pounce on the unsuspecting guard, knocking her out.

Prospect stretched her wings before entering the station, "I'll say it, all this jumping is real pain in the wings."