The Journeys of C

Chapter V

Shades of terror

                               It was well past midnight in the great city of Maris, a city that rivals even Canterlot in size and beauty. A city known for its great artists and museums, filled with relics from all over Equestria. The museum of Colvre being the most renowned one, a building with a troubled history behind it, but that’s not important, what’s important is what is about to happen inside that place.

                             A black suited mare entered the museum through the sewers and was now heading towards the artist’s wing. As she stealthily moved through the building she was surprised not to see any guards. The past three nights there were a lot of guards stationed inside it, but what happened to them now? The mare kept moving, even though a guard is the greatest enemy of a thief, to be no guards inside a museum at night, was nothing to be taken lightly, especially in Maris.

                         The museum was huge, but the mare was lucky that the artist’s wing was nearby the place she came in trough. She couldn’t wait to put her hooves on the greatest artwork of their time, “The moon over the city” by Rainbow Heart. The black suited mare was already grinning to how easy this heist was coming together. After a few more steps she was in front of the painting, and again, there were no guards. She was cautious though, she moved very slowly towards it. As she reached the painting, she was sure to check around for any guards, but there were none.

                          She took it off the wall, but when she did that a guard fell on the ground. He was behind one of the red curtains that had the symbol of the city on them, but what could he be doing there? The mare approached the guard, and turned him over, on his back. When she turned him, she jumped back scared of what she has seen. The stallion was completely gray and his eyes and mane were white, and his mouth was opened like he was screaming. He was dead.

                          The thief knew what happened to the guard. She was scared, she was trembling very badly. She rose up, but moved slowly, with the painting on her back, but as she moved, she heard a shriek coming from the tableau. The mare turned around breathing heavily, but when she turned around, only a scream was heard. She fell on the ground, her orange skin now gray, and you could see her mouth opened to scream through her mask. She now joined the guards in their grim fate, whatever was going on, was keeping the ponies of Maris inside their homes at night. The days when they could go outside at night were gone. Now fear and terror filled the empty streets.

                          Next day, on the main road C and Inky were getting closer to the city, their one month journey was finally coming to an end. Not much has happened this month, they entered two small villages, but instead of a timber wolf attack last week, nothing interesting happened. Well, something did happen that made Inky a bit concerned related to C’s health.

“As soon as we arrive in this city you’re going to the healer.” said the white-furred mare after C sneezed.

“No, I shan’t. “ C sneezed once more, the sound of him sneezing echoing through the plains. “I’m the very symbol of health I just have problems with autumn, winter and half of spring. Plus it’s called a doctor.” said C smiling at Inky.

“I don’t care C. You shall go. You haven’t breathed through your snout for three and a half weeks already!” Inky yelled at C as she looked straight into his eyes.

“But, Inky. I’m healthy and you can’t force me. Saying this, I won’t move from this place until you apologize to me.” C sat down refusing to rise up anymore until Inky apologized to him and agreed not to get him to the doctor.

“C, why are you so?! Not even the kids from my village act like you. You’re a grown up changeling for the ancestors sake!” Inky kept yelling at the white changeling that refused to even look at her.

“You don’t even know my age. How do you know I’m not two months old or even better, a week old?!” the white changeling returned Inky’s words and stared into her eyes.

“C that’s the most idiotic thing you said since I met you and you said other things. We’ve been traveling for two months together already! And you never tell me anything about you! You don’t even know what a changeling is!” Inky yelled at C and turned around to calm down.

“I’m a changeling and of course I know things about us. Like… uhm… we are insects! We insect-like ponies with holes in their hair, hooves, wings and can regenerate our wings.” C replied to Inky almost rising up from the ground.

“If you know what your species is then tell me, where is your horn?” Inky asked C looking into his eyes. C rose his right hoof up, but couldn’t find any explanation for his missing horn.

“Touché, Inky. Touché. You know what?! When we enter the city I’m going to buy a book about changelings then show you how much I know about my own species. We still have money, right?” C asked Inky finally rising up from the ground.

“C, you spent fifty bits on that plush toy you carry on your back.” Inky replied to C looking at the bear toy he was carrying on his back.

“I bought you one too. And I spent one hundred bits on your badger plushy.” C smiled with his mouth open revealing his teeth.

“You spent one hundred bits on Bursucel?” Inky replied looking at her badger plushy.

“Of course you silly filly. Toys are things you should love and care about, they bring joy. And look at mine! So fluffy, who’s a good bear? You’re a good bear. Yes, yes, you are a good bear.” C took the plushy off his back and tickled its belly like it was alive.

“Yes, they are cute. Let’s hope we have enough bits left to spend inside the city.” Inky replied with a smile looking at C.

“Don’t worry Inky, it’s not like there’s a tax for entering Maris.” C replied to Inky then took her right hoof and ran towards the city and were greeted at the entrance by the royal guard:

“What do you mean we have to pay a tax to enter?! One hundred bits is outrageous!”

“We are sorry sir, but thanks to the harvest festival being bigger this year, our king Blanche Noir ordered a tax of fifty bits to be taken at the entrance of the city from every pony that doesn’t live in Maris.” The guards responded staring at the two travelers.

“Why don’t you chase us then? Oooo, look at me I’m a changeling and my companion here is an unknown species. Chase us so that we can run into the city without paying!” C yelled at the guard grabbing his cape.

“Sir, you’d better leave my cape alone and nice costumes. I’m sure you’ll win this year’s costume competition.” The guard responded to C staring at the two travelers.

“Costume competition?” Inky asked the guard.

“Each year during the harvest festival, we have a competition for the best costume. During the time you enter the city until the competition is over you have to wear your disguise. If you’re found taking off your costumes outside where you live for the time you stay in the city you are disqualified. You look like you don’t know the rules.” The guard moved his right hoof to grab his sword, but C intervened.

“There’s no need for violence. She’s new and doesn’t know about the competition and I forgot to tell her about it.”

                              The guard stared better at the two, but eventually gave up and C gave him the one hundred bits required to enter the city. The two entered smiling and C started laughing very hard when he saw the huge crowd. Inky turned to face C and found out he hates being inside big masses and this mob was more than big, it was huge. Inky barely calmed C down and managed to move through it.

                           The two didn’t have a fixed location to visit first, but Inky was happy anyways, because the architecture of the city was astonishing. Living all her life in her village and now seeing this was something. C stopped suddenly in the middle of the crowd and grabbed Inky by her left hoof and ran towards a location the voice inside C’s head was pointing.

                         No matter how much they struggled to run through the multitude, it took them half an hour to reach the museum of Colvre. Inky was the first to come out of the mob, but C was crawling out of it and his mane was completely destroyed and he was barely breathing. Inky helped him rise up from the ground, but fell back and kissed it, thanking some sort of god that only he could pronounce its name.

                         C rose up after a few seconds and shook his head restoring his mane then ran towards the entrance of the museum, but to his misfortune there was a tax to be paid. C shouted so hard “Flish!” his voice echoed around the entrance.

“I flish you tax. I flish you guard. I flish you ball pen, that I call pix. On second though I don’t flish you! But I flish you guard! I flish you with a spoon!” The guards were confused seeing C raging, but Inky came next to him and calmed him down a bit and paid the fifty bits tax to enter the museum.

“I’m watching you fliiiiiiissshhhh.” C said glaring at the guard at the left of the entrance while he and Inky entered, or better said Inky pulled him inside.

“Well, there went our last bits, but at least we are here and didn’t get in any trouble.” Inky turned to look at C, but he wasn’t there.

“Inky! Don’t just stand there, we have a museum to explore! And I found the ancient history wing!’’ Yelled C from a distance then ran into the corridor leading to the ancient history wing.

                                Inky stared at the direction where C headed then went after him, she was admiring every centimeter of the place while C was just rushing towards his favorite subject in the museum. Inky was amazed by the building, but wondered why C was so excited about the ancient history part. Truth be told, shape-shifters don’t have museums, only stories passed from a generation to another and the shaman is the one that records their past, but most of it is only legends and myths.

                              The white-furred mare entered the room and saw a big statue depicting a soldier with a spade in his left hoof and a shield in his right hoof. Its armor was very beautifully carved, a hawk being the symbol on his shield and armor. It was astonishing, but something that caught Inky’s attention was a mosaic representing a huge city with aqueducts and an architecture that rivals Maris’s architecture. She looked at the sign that described it. It seemed the medley was representing the capital city of the ancient Colman Empire, the city of Colme at its apogee.

                          Inky kept looking at the mosaic, but was scared by C that moved his head to her left and whispered in her long pointy ear. C laughed a bit and asked Inky if she saw a ghost when she jumped up a bit. Not known to them, in the main gallery of the museum a young pegasi thought he saw the shadows painted inside a painting ,called “The temple at midnight” by Bleuchan ,move. Too much candy , nonetheless the young pegasi thought.

                      Inky gently hit C’s right shoulder then giggled as C’s right hoof shook and he fell down. Inky was sorry if she hit C too hard, but he simply said to her that his right front hoof has a small problem and from time to time he can’t fell it and can’t control it, but it was nothing, it only lasts a four seconds.

“Now, now, where could the voice want me to go?” C turned to look around the room.

“It’s close, I can feel it, the voice tells me, but where? Well, I can always check that Mergitian room. See you in a few minutes Inky, I have exploring to do.” The white changeling told Inky then went inside the room very happy.

                     The white-furred mare was left alone in the room and did some exploring of her own. She moved through the room and saw something that caught her eye. It was a tablet depicting three creatures that stood on their back legs only, but the first one couldn’t be understood, it was carved like in a rush or something. Inky looked at the sign describing it and found an entire story about it.

                    The tablet was found in the middle of a field two months ago. The exact date of it couldn’t be determined, but it was most certainly over six thousand years old, dating back to the end of the cavern age. From the translations done upon it, the inscription spoke about how the world was created at the end of a great war between the last spirits of good and the overwhelming spirits of evil. The unrecognizable creature was the leader of the spirits of good and by sacrificing his own spirits, it created the world through a girl and a shiny liquid filled cube.

                       On the tablet it’s said that the first creature, now known as the Spirit of harmony and creation survived the burst of light at the beginning, but his body was destroyed and fell in a long sleep, never to be known where he rests for eternity. The second creature was gruesome, claws coming out of its back legs, with sharp teeth that could easily rip flesh off ponies. It’s said that the creature was the leader of the spirits of evil, representing madness, destruction and all the sins. It’s said he didn’t die, but instead was imprisoned in a dark cage, where he could never see anything, but darkness, in the end he fell asleep and now brings nightmares to ponies.

                      The last being was the strangest. Pony like legs but some sort of small tentacles on the long legs that hanged from its torso. Also the creature didn’t seem to have any body, except the torso there was only the spine that could be seen. That thing was the mysterious spirit of death and life, nopony knows what he is exactly, it’s said on the tablet that it is a skeleton, but made out of a shiny grey material. At the end of the sign Inky could read a prophecy that was written on the tablet “One day, they will wake up and walk once more on this world.”

                         She stepped back to turn around, but bumped into a colt that was wearing a red robe and had a hood on his head. Inky apologized to the colt, but he didn’t say anything and kept going leaving Inky to look at him as he walked away. After the colt disappeared C came out of the room and told Inky that the voice stopped meaning he found what he was looking for, but what? He didn’t find it inside the room he was in and he looked everywhere four times already, he was confused and left Inky to go back in the room and look again.

                          Inky was left alone in that room once more, but this time she went in another room that contained statues and mosaics from ancient times. As she entered the room she couldn’t believe her eyes for what she saw before her. It was beautiful, mosaics of incredible colors and statues of the greatest stonemasons ever to exist were inside there. She couldn’t decide where to look first, so she began with the left side of the room. As she moved and studied each masterpiece she bumped into a white unicorn with blue spots on her hooves and some parts of her body.

“Excuse me for bumping into you, I don’t know what I have today.” Inky told to the white unicorn as she helped her up.

“No problem dear. It happens, but where are my manners, my name is Rainbow Heart, but you can call me Hearts.” The mare said looking at Inky.

“Hi Hearts, my name is Blue Ink, but you can call me Inky.” She said to her smiling, but before Hearts could say hi to Inky and ask her about her costume, C entered the room.

“Damn voice! Why don’t you tell me more?! You only bzzzt me that’s all! Inky let’s get out of this museum, I’m going insane in here. You flishing voice!” He yelled at the air like there was a pony watching him.

“Is this your boyfriend?” The white unicorn asked her.

“What?! No, no, no, it’s nothing like that. We’re just traveling together.” She replied blushing a bit.

“Oh, you think you’re better than me voice? You ain’t, you’re something inside my head, I’m here! I’m alive! I’m still a… live.” He stopped from saying anything and a cry fell from his left check, from that tear came screams of regret, C saying he was sorry and kept crying, soon his cries being accompanied by sneezes.

“Excuse us Hearts, I have to take care of him.  Don’t know what got into him.” Inky said as she approached C to help him stand up on his hooves.

“Is your friend okay?” The mare asked Inky.

“He hasn’t done this before, but I can help him.” She responded looking at C.

“They are screaming Inky! They are screaming inside my head! Can’t you hear them? Can’t you see them? Make it stop! Make it stop!” He said to Inky grabbing her and crying harder.

“My skin Inky, it’s moving on me, can you see it moving? I can see it. My head hurts, it hurts! I’m burning inside Inky, I’m burning! I can feel their pain surging through me! What a magnificent pai…” before he could finish he fainted and fell down on the floor.

                            Hearts was confused and didn’t know how to react, but Inky grabbed C and put him on her back and barely managed to stand on her legs, but tried to move and help her friend. She had to stop a few times before she could exit the museum. The guards were curious of what happened, but decided not to intervene. The white-furred mare looked around for a place to lay C down and try to wake him up. She saw an empty narrow road and decided to carry the changeling to that location. She barely managed to squish through the crowd and take him to the road.

                         When she did it, the mare fell down and leaned on the side wall of one of the houses that were connected to that road. She put C next to her and after a few minutes of catching up her breath she turned to C and tried to wake him up. She tried shacking him and gently slapping him, but nothing worked. C was still unconscious and barely breathing through his mouth.

                      Hours passed, Inky looked at the plushy C bought her and thought about the past two months and thinking better about them she started to wonder how did he know how to fly a zeppelin in the first place? And what exactly was that power he used to fly in the city and rescue her and Snow.

                       “Poor Snow”, she said to herself. She didn’t think about Snow the past month, but now remembered how she lost her father. Maybe she didn’t want to show it, but her father was everything for her. Inky remembered that before the party, she saw Snow crying in front of a painting of her father. She tried to be though, but inside she was soft and her father meant a lot to her. Thinking of her, Inky remembered about her family back in the village. She remembered about the good old times when she was younger and used to spend time with her uncle Azul Sueño, the village’s shaman.

                          He’d always travel to other villages and ruins close to them, and he always took Inky, maybe that’s why she ran from her community in the first place, to see other places, cultures learn new things, but never expected to meet C, a changeling that doesn’t travel with his kind and doesn’t wish to kill her. She didn’t want this to end, she could manage to travel on her own, but it won’t be the same without C, only two months and she already talks like he was with her all her life. Truth be told, they did have some complicated situations that couldn’t solve without one another and she doesn’t want it to end, traveling with him may be dangerous, but it’s exciting.

                        The sun was finally settling and Inky opened her eyes after keeping them closed for ten minutes, the crowd disappeared and the ponies that still were on the streets were rushing either to their homes or to the inns that they were booked in. This scenery was very strange, what could make ponies so scared? Inky stared as the ponies on the streets got scarcer and scarcer, until there was only her and C.

                      Inky rose up to give a better look to the city and saw that even the curtains were closed, at each house, the same,  nopony dared to open them. As she kept looking around, C suddenly rose up and breathed heavily. Inky approached C very happy he was alright, but something was wrong with him.

“C are you okay, why are you so scared?”  She asked the colt which stared at the stones from which the road was made.

“I’m alright Inky. It’s just that… this voice inside my head. I don’t know what it is, or what does it want, it just calls and tells me to go somewhere, then stops for a while and lets me relax, but then it starts once more. Inky promise me, as long as you travel with me never bring up two things. My past or death… Do you promise Inky?” He looked at the white-furred mare with a very sad face.

“C, I promise you. I’ll never bring them up to you. I don’t care what you were before, only what you are now.”

                       She smiled at C, but before he could reply to her, a blue mare ran in front of them, she was screaming. The two rose up and went after her and Inky noticed that nopony would look outside their windows, the curtains were closed everywhere, without any exception. The two followed the mare up until she couldn’t run any further. The two approached the mare trying to talk with her, but the mare  screamed harder when she saw the two. She was barely breathing, while Inky tried to speak to her, but then she let out a final scream and her skin turned grey, eyes and mane turned white. Her face was now frozen in time as she screamed in fear.

“What happened to her?” C asked looking at the body.

“I don’t know. What could scare a pony so much and kill her without even being here?” She asked closing the mare’s eyes.

“What are you two doing here?” A familiar voice was heard coming from the entrance of the narrow street.

“Hearts? What are you doing here?” the white-furred mare said looking at the unicorn.

“You’re that pony in the museum. Ahh! My head! Why won’t you stop?” C touched his head with both of his front hooves and turned away not to face the unicorn.

“It’s dangerous to stay outside at night.” Hearts told the two making sure her oil lamp was pointed at them.

“Why is it dangerous?” the white changeling asked her.

“You have it in front of you. Ponies have been dying the same way for the past three weeks, nopony knows why or what causes it. The only thing we know is that it strikes at night. You should go to your inn.”  She said to the two then turned around to go home.

“We ain’t going to no inn. One because we have no bits left, but I have a lovely bear plushy, look at him so fluffy… Uhm… and two because you seem to know something about what’s going on and I won’t let you go nowhere until I know everything you know.” He said to the white unicorn making sure to jump in front of her, but when he tried to jump over her, but his wings didn’t help and fell down on her.

                        C rose up from Hearts and helped her up and said he was sorry for falling on her, but his wings don’t work. Hearts stared at C then at Inky and after seeing how Inky moved her tail she realized that they didn’t wear any costumes, they were the real thing, at least C was, she didn’t understand what species Inky was. C implored her to let them come at her house, after all, he was curious what was going on. After a moment of thinking, she agreed and let the two come with her, but with the condition the two would act like wearing a costume, meaning Inky would have to stop moving her tail and C… just had to be normal.

                           The two travelers went with Hearts leaving the body behind, but as they left that place a strange gray fog surrounded the body for about three minutes. After these three minutes, the fog disappeared and so did the body leaving behind no clue regarding to what happened.

                         Hearts house wasn’t far, so after ten minutes of walking they arrived. Something that made that domicile special from the rest were the two trees from the back small garden. The other houses had gardens too, but only with flowers and bushes, not with trees. Hearts told the two that she somehow managed to convince her neighbors to plant trees as well, after all Maris had to keep up with the title of the jewel city of Equestria.

                       The three entered the house and were greeted by a blue mare that had bat-like wings and eyes like a snake. C didn’t give the blue mare much attention thinking she was wearing a costume. Inky looked better at the blue mare and though something was strange, but couldn’t figure out what was strange.

“Hi my name is Shiny Spade, but with two e.” The blue mare introduced herself.

“Hi my name is Inky and this is my friend C…” Inky turned around to look at C, but he was nowhere, a scream was heard from the kitchen and the three mares ran to see what happened.

                         Inside the kitchen a yellow mane colt was on the floor and tried to rise up while C was looking inside the cupboards for something to eat, but he didn’t find anything he could eat and Hearts got angry on C rummaging in her cupboards and punched the white changeling after he came with all his hooves on the ground leaving the beautiful chair alone.

“What did I do?” asked C staring at Hearts and holding his hoof over his left cheek, but Hearts didn’t say anything and went to help the unicorn rise from the ground.

“Are you alright Frost Chrystal?” she asked the colt as she helped him rise up from the floor.

“Yes, but that beast came out of nowhere while I was writing and scared me. Now I have to start over.” He said looking at the papers that also fell on the floor.

“Hey! I’m not a beast. I’m C and I’m brilliant and most certain not a beast as you describe me. Of course I’m not a beast you damn voice!” he looked at the colt then at the air with an angry face.

“Please excuse him. I really don’t know what got into him today, the past two months nothing like this happened.” The white-furred mare said approaching C.

“Don’t blame me Inky, blame this damn bzzt in my head.” He looked at Inky, but then rushed to the window looking towards the direction the Colvre museum was.

“What should I find in that museum?! I’ve searched that damn room eight times and nothing!” C kept yelling at himself while staring towards the museum.

“Are you sure he’s alright Inky?” Hearts asked the shape-shifter staring at C.

“Alright?! Of course I’m alright! What?! Now you stop?! Really, you damn voice! Stop the bzzt next time and tell me what you want from me?!” C yelled as hard as he could and looked at the ceiling then moved his head down breathing angrily.

“C please calm down. The voice isn’t real, concentrate on what’s real, just like my uncle used to say, ‘Close your eyes and try to find the difference between what’s real and what’s an illusion’.” Inky approached C touching his left shoulder with her hoof and managed to calm him down.

“Thank you Inky. I’m sorry for this, but… I haven’t been the same since I woke up two months ago.” He said looking at the ponies inside the kitchen.

“C, you keep telling me since you woke up, but how long did you sleep?” the white-furred mare asked him with a worried face.

“That’s not important. What’s important is the present and the future, and right now something has been killing ponies at night for the past three weeks, and that’s important.” C said taking the chair he stood with his hooves on to look for food a few minutes ago.

“C, I really like how you change the subject.” Inky said to him with a sarcastic voice.

“Inky please don’t change the subject, ponies have been dying and we’re here for pieces information.” The white changeling told Inky then looked at the three ponies that sat down and started telling the two what they knew.

“Three weeks ago when it all started, I and some friends were walking to a restaurant at ten o’clock in the evening, when we heard screams coming from every direction possible. We were scared, one of my friends thought he saw a shadow moving. Since then, nopony dares to go out at night and neither do I.” Shinee told the two and the thought of that night scared her a bit.

“Interesting, you now… what’s your name?” C pointed at the colt with a wondering face.

“My name is Frost Crystal and all I know is that a week ago when I was in my room trying to find my inspiration I heard a scream coming from outside. I opened the window to see what happened, but there was nothing. At least I was somehow struck by inspiration to write. Idea!” He said staring at C then went back to his writing.

“I guess it’s my turn now.” Hearts said, but was stopped by C.

“I don’t need information that you chose Hearts. I want to know, what were you doing outside at this hour?” C asked the mare staring into her eyes.

“If you want to know, I went outside to get some paint and a canvas to paint my new creation I call “The lady in the dark”.” She said showing C the canvas and the paint.

“Do you want to know what I figured out? Of course you want to know, why do I ask you if want to know, I know you want to know? I learned absolutely nothing of importance.” The white-changeling told the ponies and put his head on the table.

“Every piece of information is important C. Hearts you said you paint, does this mean you’re an artist?” The white-furred mare asked the white unicorn.

“Yes, but I don’t want to brag about it, but I’m the most famous artist in Maris and it took me a lot of hard work to become one.” She said to Inky with a smile on her face.

“I got it!” C suddenly rose his head off the table.

“We ain’t going to find any information in here we must venture inside the mouth of the beast, outside.” C said to the ponies in the room.

“C are you sure?” Inky asked him with a worried face.

“Of course I am. Plus, do you three know any of the victims’ houses? I think we’ll find more clues there.” C said looking at the three ponies.

“A friend of mine died yesterday, his body is still in his room where he was found.” Frost told the two travelers.

“Great! Can you tell us where his house is?” C asked him with a smile.

“I suppose I can. He lives ten houses to the west of here. I hope you know what west is right?” he asked C staring at him.

“My left hoof! The west is my left hoof and the east my right hoof.” C smiled showing the ponies his hooves.

“Why do you have holes in your hooves?” Frost asked C staring at his holes.

“That’s not important! I mean, we can look at the moon for guidance.” Inky said to C after putting his hooves down.

                            C and Inky bid the ponies farewell and went to Frost’s friend house. As the two moved through the streets, Inky admired the oil lamps that lit the beautiful stone streets. C burst into dance thanks to the fact there was no crowd, for him this was the only way to walk in a city. C was so happy he grabbed Inky and danced, if they knew how to dance, neither C nor Inky knew how to dance.

                          The two kept dancing until they reached the destination. C knocked at the door and told Inky not to say anything, he’d take care of the talking. The house was bigger than Hearts’ home, but didn’t have any garden only some flower pots at the windows. C kept knocking until the door opened and a brown earth-pony put a sword to C’s throat.

“Who are you? What do you want?” the colt asked C making sure not to move the sword from his throat.

“We are here to investigate the death of your son.” C told the colt with a big smile.

“He’s not my son, he’s my brother and nopony can see him.” He told C glaring all the time at him.

“I admit that sounded better in my head. But, we are specialized in such case, look at our identification if you don’t believe us.” C showed the colt his pix.

“I haven’t seen such a thing before.” The colt told C after putting his sword down.

“That’s because we are special agents, nopony knows about us, but hear this. We were behind the solving of paranormal mysteries like… like… Inky.” C turned his head to Inky and asked her with a high voice.

“Like the scarecrow in the Yellow Fields a month ago.” She told the colt with a smile.

“I never heard of the Yellow Fields before.” The colt glared at C.

“That’s because of us, see how good we are, imagine how bad it would have been if you knew. I mean look at her, does she look like she’d lie?” C grabbed Inky’s cheeks and stretched a bit while smiling.

“You are good then. Alright, I’ll let you see my brother, but I’m coming with you. I want to see how good you are.” He told the two letting them enter.

“Who is it son?” an older colt’s voice was heard coming from upstairs.

“A special team that came to help solve the death of Etoile.” He told to his father as he came down to see C and Inky and hug them.

“Thank you for coming. Please tell us everything you find.” He told C with a happy voice almost crying to the fact somepony came to help them.

                              C promised the colt he’ll tell everything he finds and the two travelers alongside the brown colt went upstairs to the dead pony’s room, but not before C took his pix back. The three entered the room and saw the dead pony, his body didn’t decay a bit, but it had the same similarities as the pony they encountered early that evening.

“How can this be possible? They have the same symptoms. Grey skin, white eyes and hair.” C gave the pony a closer look.

“They all have the same symptoms, the doctors say it’s a disease, but nopony believes them.” The colt told C while Inky explored the room.

“If it was a disease you’d be dead by now, I saw diseases in my life, but this ain’t a disease it’s something else, but… Damn you voice, stop! Sorry, I’m a bit insane, but don’t worry I can do my job.” He told the colt while searching the dead pony.

“Hey C look, this painting is made by Hearts.” Inky told C when she found a beautiful painting representing a garden at night.

“Yes Inky very nice. Maybe we’ll give it a look after we find out what happened here.” C told Inky while looking around the bed on which the dead pony was.

“This painting is so beautiful I can’t take my eyes of it.” She said to the two colts while staring at the painting.

“Neither could my brother. He stared at that painting for hours, who could blame him, it’s just too beautiful. We found him staring at it even when he died.” He told Inky staring at the painting.

“He stared at the painting even when he died?” C asked the colt after coming out from under the bed.

“Yes. Now that I think of it, a friend of mine was found dead staring at a painting by Hearts four days ago and yesterday one of my father’s friends was found dead with a painting done by Hearts in her hooves. Even my fiancée was found dead with a…” the colt told the two, but when he was about to say painting he was joined by C saying “… painting by Hearts.”

“Inky! Move back from the painting!” He shouted at Inky which dropped the painting and moved back.

“It’s the paintings isn’t it? They killed my brother and my fiancée!” the brown colt shouted staring at the painting with his sword out.

“Paintings don’t kill ponies, but all these ponies died possessing such a painting.” C told the brown colt.

“C! I think I saw a shadow moving.” Inky told him while staring at the painting.

“Shadows can’t move Ink, that’s impossible.” C replied to Inky looking in her eyes.

“I wasn’t talking about the shadows in this rom. I was talking about the painting.”

                                 As Inky told this a shriek was heard coming from the painting, the three ponies turned their heads to see that a shadow from inside the picture was moving and in a few seconds it came out of the canvas taking the form of a black pony without any eyes, nostrils mane and with nothing below the torso. Instead of having anything below the chest a grey gas was pouring outside it. The pony let out shrieks, but it had no mouth to do so, but the shrieks were heard in the entire house and the brown colt’s father came inside the room.

“Is everything alright in here I heard shrieks coming from he…” the old colt said while opening the door.

“Father no!”

                             The brown colt yelled at his father, but the old colt already entered the room and got scared at the sight of the black creature pony. The creature moved his head towards the old colt in a flash then open his snout like opening a mouth, a very big mouth, the inside of it being darker than its skin.

                                      The old colt was terrified and screamed as hard as he could, at that moment the creature pony let out a shriek and jumped through him with its mouth large enough to swallow him, but it didn’t. When the creature pony passed through him, the skin of the old colt turned grey, his eyes and mane white and his face frozen in terror. A grey mist appeared from his body and the creature pony reappeared and stared at the three ponies. C and Inky were shocked and a bit scared, but the brown colt was crying and was angry.

                                   The earth-pony took out his sword and jumped at the being trying to stab it in the head, but the sword passed through it. The brown colt was shaking and moved his head to stare at the creature’s head. The black skinned monster put both hooves on the head of the colt and from the grey gas was sprayed from its hands on the ponies head.

                                The brown colt started screaming and trembling as hard as he could. At that moment, the creature pony opened its snout once more, but instead of jumping on the colt, it let out a terrible shriek that made the colt’s head tremble in all directions and giving the same symptoms to him like his father and brother, meaning he was dead.

                                Inky and C stared this whole time, C was scared, but was more amazed, while Inky was very terrified. When the creature finished with the colt it stared at the two and stretched its hooves and moved his head to stare at the ceiling and let out a shriek while the gray gas was pouring from its hooves and head filling the room. Inky grabbed C and ran to the window behind them. To their misfortune the window was locked and the room was filling faster and faster with the gray gas.

“Inky remember I told you that my pix is very useful? This is one of those things it’s useful at.”

                                 C took out his pix and put its covered top inside the window’s locker and tried to open it, but he didn’t make it and the room was almost filled with the gray gas. Inky pushed C aside and broke the window with a chair she found next to her.

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

                                C told to himself, but Inky grabbed his hoof and jumped outside the window. The two jumped from the first floor and landed on the stone street. Inky easily landed on the street, shape-shifters can easily jump from such a distance, but C got scared and fell on Inky.

                                  He didn’t have enough time to apologize for that the head of the creature pony stretched outside the window and stared at the two as the gas was pouring out of the room’s window. The being let out a shriek and moved its body out of the room and chased after the two and seeing that ,they started running away as fast as they could.

“Run Inky! Run!”

                                   C yelled at Inky while running, Inky’s back hurt a bit, but the white-furred mare still managed to run. The creature was stretching his head and hooves towards the two while its body let a trail of the gray mist behind. The thing was shrieking all the time waking up the ponies inside their rooms that went at their windows to see what was going on.

                                When they opened their curtains some of them only saw the gray mist and nothing more and others saw nothing and went back to sleep. Some of the ponies opened the windows to see better through the mist, but by doing so they started to scream and jumped outside the window killing themselves or breaking their legs.

                               Inky and C ran towards Hearts house hoping to get rid of the creature and also find out what was Hearts planning to do with it. The being wouldn’t stop chasing the two although the mist it emitted was weaker now, it still used its stretching arms trying to catch the two friends.

                             Hearts was inside her house speaking with her sister and her lover when the three heard ponies running outside and the shrieks the creature let out. Hearts cautiously opened the door and saw C and Inky running towards her. C jumped inside the house hitting the wall while Inky simply ran inside. The white unicorn saw the black monster approaching her and got scared. The creature seemed to have renewed powers and moved even faster. Hearts screamed and her horn glowed freezing everything in front of her, including the being.

                             Inky turned her head to see Hearts which fell on the ground exhausted and saw the creature frozen in front of the house. Inky rose up and helped the white unicorn rise up as well, the two ponies from the kitchen also came and helped Hearts rise up.

“What is that?” blue mare was surprised at seeing the frozen creature and opened her bat wings, at that moment Inky knew she wasn’t costumed.

“Did anypony take the number of the zeppelin that hit me?” C asked everypony inside the room after moving from the wall then fell on the ground.

                                   Inky gave Hearts to Frost Crystal and went to help C rise up from the ground. His head hurt a lot and the fact that the voice was speaking didn’t help his headache. C put his left hoof over Inky’s neck and tried to calm down his headache, but he only managed to sneeze feeling the cold air created by Hearts that came from outside.

                                    With all his headache C ran and closed the door breathing relieved, but then his sight started spinning and fell on the blue mare. Hearts was taken to her room and Shinee Spade took C and Inky to a guest room where they’d stay overnight. Shinee left Inky to take care of C which blacked out.

                                     She stood up for about two hours, she wanted to sleep, but the fact that C blacked out again didn’t let her and also the frozen creature outside didn’t help either. She watched through the window as the ice surrounding the being was cracking and the black skinned monster came out of its icy prison then went back from where it came.

                                       At that moment Inky couldn’t stay awake anymore and fell asleep on the bed next to C. During these two hours, Frost Crystal was arguing with Shinee Spade if the two travelers were to stay with her and her sister. The blue mare didn’t know on who’s side she should be, but in the end they both decided to let the two stay until they woke up and explained to them what happened. The light-brown colt said good night to the blue mare and went home. Shinee went to her sister’s room to watch over her, but fell asleep after half an hour.

                                     Next day the ponies in Maris were terrified at hearing what happened last night. They wondered how could this happen? But in the end they carried on with their lives leaving the families of the victims to worry about the dead ponies.

                                      After all the end of the Harvest Festival was today and the city was even more crowded than before. A great show was being prepared in the middle of the city, on the small island where the Royal Palace was. Everypony was invited. There were rumors that Princes Celestia herself and her former student Twilight Sparkle, now the greatest librarian and wizard in Equestria were to come this year.

                                       Throughout the cities, entire parades were held, jesters, jugglers, sword eaters, fire breathers and many more came from every part of the region of Mance to entertain the crowd. Even the merchants came to the city, during this time of the year their profits were enormous, but also came to see their old merchant friends that they haven’t seen for months or even years and enjoy the shows.

                                     But, the jewel of the festival was the art exposition held each year inside the old manor of Rouge Noir, the cities greatest actor. The master piece of this year’s expo, were Hearts’ paintings renowned throughout the region and even Canterlot.

                                  Hearts herself was to attend to this event, but she was still sleeping in her room alongside her sister. Even Inky and C were sleeping although they had to find out what did the creature they encountered want and what did Hearts have to do with it.

                                 Time went by in the city of Maris, the ponies were glad to see the parades and shows organized for them, but this night they were not to hide, this night they were to party and forget about their problems. At dusk the manor where the art expo was to be held was opened and nobles alongside normal ponies entered and waited for Hearts to arrive.

                                  Meanwhile, in the middle of the city, ponies were gathering to view the show organized by their king and to their surprise Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle came to attend the show. The ponies went to meet the two and get some autographs from them, after all the two were opened ponies. Twilight left the Princess to show a group of young ponies some magic tricks.

                                    In the other side of the city, Frost Crystal was heading to her girlfriend’s house to wake her up. She was going to be late if he didn’t wake her up. The light brown pony had quite a  time getting past the crowd and reaching Hearts’ house.

                                  When he entered the house Shinee and Inky woke up hearing the unicorn enter. Inky turned to C and woke him up, he touched his head the headache finally faded away and remembered they had to talk to Hearts about the creature.

“Where is Hearts?” C asked the blue mare then sneezed.

“She’s down in her workshop gathering four paintings she prepared for this year’s expo.” She said to the white changeling that turned his head towards Inky very worried.

“Shinee, I’m afraid your sister is in great danger.” Inky told her with a worried face.

“Stop chatting and let’s save Hearts!” C yelled at the two mares then ran downstairs.

“What’s going to happen to my sister?” the blue mare asked C while running.

“She’s going to die like the other ponies the past three weeks, but smile she didn’t die yet.” He replied arriving in front of Hearts’ workshop.

“Now stand back ladies, I’m going to break the door.” C kicked the door with his right hoof, but didn’t break it, instead he screamed and jumped on his other hoof.

“C you killed an entire legion of ponies and you can’t break a door?” Inky asked her friend.

“I just woke up back then, now I couldn’t kill even a boar, plus doors are evil!” he responded to the white-furred mare.

“You know you could just open the door, right?” Shinee said to the two then opened the door.

“Oh, right.” C laughed a bit on how dumb he was.

“Shinee what are you doing in here? Go get ready for the expo.” Hearts told her sister.

“I’m afraid you ain’t going nowhere, Hearts, tell me. What was that creature?” the white changeling asked her.

“That creature from last night?” she asked him with a wondering face.

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know unicorn! You’re paintings have been causing this. I don’t know how or why, but I’m going to stop you.” He replied to the white unicorn.

“How dare you speak to me like that? This is my house and I can assure you I’m not behind these deaths and most certainly not behind that creature!” she replied yelling at C.

                                        Inky wanted to stop this, Hearts seemed like she didn’t know anything, but the creature came from her painting. That pointed at Hearts being somehow involved, the white-furred mare tried to think how could she decide what happened exactly, as she was thinking she heard C mention shadows. Somehow that word made Inky think about an old story she heard from her uncle while in the Frost Bite village.

~FLAHBACK~

“What are those paintings uncle?” a filly Inky asked a blue-furred colt.

“Those paintings depict an ancient and terrible creature.” Her uncle replied petting the hair of the filly.

“Indeed. A long time ago, longer than we can remember those creatures roamed the night bringing fear and terror to our people. So terrible they were that they used artists to hide them in their creations.” A sturdy shape-shifter with a scared eye that seemed to be the chieftain explained to the young filly.

“So much fear did those creatures bring to these shape-shifters that they eventually killed them in fear.” Her uncle continued the story, the filly being very curious.

“That was a terrible time for our shape-shifters, but one day the shaman Frosset Den found the beings’ greatest weakness.” The chieftain continued the story.

“What was their weakness uncle?” the filly asked her uncle.

“Hard to believe, but the very weather they lived in was their greatest weakness. The legend says that one day Forsset was gathering plants for a medicinal soup, but a blizzard left him stranded in the forest. He lit a fire and took out from his bag the drawing of his wife, but there was something strange.” He told his niece.

“What was strange at it?” She asked him grabbing his robes.

“The drawing had a shadow.” The chieftain replied then left the blue-furred colt to continue.

“Indeed, but that wasn’t a normal shadow, it was one of the beings. These creatures hide in shadows and wait for their pray to get scared and Frosset got very scared seeing the shade. The entity jumped out of it trying to kill Frosset in fear, but it didn’t check its surroundings and even though it wasn’t very close to the fire, it burned.” Her uncle replied.

“Frosset lit his staff in the fire and forced the creature to back away. He pushed the being with his lit staff away from his camp, but he took the staff away from the entity. Right then the being returned to normal and jumped towards the old shaman, but the entity froze before it could kill Frosset.” The chieftain said.

“What did Frosset do next uncle?” the filly asked.

“Next day Frosset returned to his village and armed the warriors with torches. He gave the warriors a potion that made them see their worst fears. By doing this, every last of the creatures came out from their hiding place, but when Frosset saw the beings surrounding the warriors, he gave the order to the few fighters that didn’t took the potion to attack the creatures.” The blue-furred colt stopped to catch up his breath.

“Most of the entities were killed, but those that remained were too clever to be killed with fire, so Frosset tricked them and by sacrificing his own life, trapped the beings inside a glacier from where these monsters would never escape again.” The chieftain continued the story.

“What were creatures called uncle?” a scared filly asked her uncle.

“They are called…” the colt said, but nowadays Inky opened her eyes and realized what really happened.

“… Shades!” Inky yelled stopping Hearts and C from arguing.

“C, Hearts isn’t responsible for the killings. That creature we saw last night is called a Shade.” Inky said approaching him.

“Shade?” C asked.

“The Shades are creatures that use artists to hide in the shadows inside their work and then attack when the prey gets scared.” Right when she finished the shriek of a shade was heard coming from behind Hearts.

                                 Hearts turned around and saw the being. She got scared seeing the shade and at that moment the being opened its snout and produced more gas. Inky grabbed Hearts and the four ponies ran outside the room.

“Wait! We have to close the door!” C took out his pix and used it at the locker.

“C what are you even doing?!” Inky yelled at C which somehow managed to close the door.

“Job done! A pix can solve any problem-o!” C smiled balancing the pix in the middle of his left hoof.

“Uhm… C.” Shinee pointed at the door locker from which gas was pouring outside.

“Things could be so much worse.” C said smiling after looking at the gas that was pouring out.

                                   C shook his head a bit then suddenly ran away from the locker towards the kitchen alongside the three mares. Inside the kitchen. Frost Crystal was writing something when the four entered and barricaded the door.

“What’s going on?” the light-brown unicorn asked.

“Nothing special, just a normal day barricading the door so that a pony eating shadow won’t kill us.” replied C placing a chair in front of the door.

“Ok. Do you expect me to believe that? Hearts, Shinee what did this two do to you?” the unicorn asked the two mares.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true and right now we have to survive.” Hearts replied to her lover.

“Uhm… Frosty sorry for interrupting, but why did you write shadows again and again in this poem?” C asked the colt after glimpsing for a second at his papers.

                                    At that moment shrieks were heard coming from the paper and four shades came out of it and the shade locked out managed to enter the kitchen through the bottom of the door. The five ponies were now stuck inside surrounded by five shades that opened their snout.

“Inky did I ever tell you about the legend of Rambo?” C asked his companion after looking at the window behind him.

“No, but I can’t see how could that help us?” she asked her friend.

“Close your eyes and follow my lead.” After he told this to his companion, C jumped through the window breaking the glass that cut him a bit.

                              The other ponies, with Inky being the first, followed C, but Frost had to be pulled outside the window by his girlfriend right when the five shades launched themselves at them, only a few millimeters separated the tail of Frost from the ravenous monsters.

                            The shades hit the wall and the other beings created a huge gray mist, but restored their bodies pretty fast and shrieking ran after the five ponies. The five ran as fast as they could through the crowd that blocked their way, unfortunately for them and to the resentfulness they couldn’t save the ponies that were killed by the five shades.

                             Inky and C yelled at the crowd to run inside and close anything they could, but the mob didn’t listen to them and seeing the five shades the ponies panicked and ran in all directions. Two of the beings lunged at the crowd of ponies feasting on them while the other three kept chasing C, Inky and the three ponies.

“Hearts, you mentioned an expo you were supposed to go to, how far are we from it?” Inky asked the white unicorn trying to run through the crowd as fast as she could.

“We are close to it, why?!” Hearts yelled loud enough for Inky to hear her though the screams of the crowd.

“If these shades come from your paintings we must stop them and you are the only one that can stop them!” Inky yelled back at Hearts.

“How am I supposed to stop these creatures? I’m only a simple unicorn!” Hearts replied to the white-furred mare.

“That’s exactly it! Last night you froze that shade with your powers and you must freeze them all, but now you have me and C to help you!” Inky yelled as the five approached the expo.

“You four go inside I’ll distract them!” C yelled at the four after he stopped in the middle of the crowd.

“C, you can’t!” Inky yelled at her friend.

“This is your only chance! I’m only one out of many changelings after all! You go inside and save this city!” Without wasting any time C turned to his left and jumped on top of the crows ruing on their backs, barely managing to hold his balance.

                                Inky was pulled inside the manor by Shinee and Hearts and Frost closed the door. Outside the three shades stopped to decide where to go. The one in the middle went after C while the other two were left to feast or enter the expo. Inside the manor Inky hit the door wanting to go outside for C, but she was stopped by Hearts and Shinee.

“Inky don’t be a fool. C sacrificed himself in order for us to live and stop the shades.” The blue mare told Inky.

“You are right. And by Bursucel I shall honor C’s sacrifice.” The three ponies went to the main gallery while Inky stood behind and looked at the door.

“Goodbye C, may you rest in peace alongside the stars.” Inky closed her eyes, a tear moving down her left cheek.

                                          Unknown to her though, C wasn’t going to die without a fight, but the fact he offered himself as bait was a lie, just like he lied about him piloting the zeppelin back in the Steam-City. The voice was calling for him, not far away, in the museum of Colvre. C thought that there would be no better time than this to find out what was calling for him.

                                         While running C fell from the back of a pony and hit the ground with his belly. He saw the shade lunging at him, but with all the pain caused by the fall he rolled around screaming after rolling. He kept telling himself he’s been tortured far worse and the pain of this fall was nothing, but it still mattered.

                                        The white changeling forced himself up from the ground and saw the shade reforming itself. C didn’t have time to loose and ran ignoring the pain coming from his chest. The crowd didn’t make it easier for him to travel, but somehow managed to squish through it and end up in front of the museum.

                                         Not far behind, the shade was feasting upon the crowd in a frenzy only a piranha would have. The gray mist emanated by the shade got bigger and bigger and seeing this. C rushed inside the museum and caught his breath a bit.

“Damn my body… Why must you only be strong two weeks after I wake up then fail me? I don’t want to hear any complain from you heart!” C put his left hoof on his chest where his heart was and tried to calm it down.

“Okay, I’ll be careful next time, just stop... now to find the voice.” C stood on his four legs and went inside the museum in search of the voice.

                                      Unknown to him, the shade outside saw him moving inside the museum and entered it as well. Inside the building C was getting closer and closer to the voice which intensity was getting stronger and stronger, until he reached the middle of the museum.

                                   He looked around trying to find the voice’s location, but he couldn’t manage to find it as the shade’s shrieks were approaching him. Indeed, the shade was behind him. The white changeling saw the shade and moved back trying to stay alive.

“Damn you necklace why did I use you in the Steam-City? Yeah I know it was to save Inky! Look at me, speaking to myself to the very end. I never imagined this would be how I die, but if this is it, I will die thinking about you… sister, I’m sorry.”

                               The shade was right in front of C and prepared to jump, but at that moment a burning arrow passed through the shade’s chest making it burn until it was nothing left, not even ashes. C opened his right eye and was surprised to still be alive. He then opened his left eye and saw as a red robe wearing pony carrying a bow approached him.

“Wait a second. You are it! You are the voice! What do you want from me?” C asked the red robe wearing pony.

“I don’t know what you are talking about. I’m here to give you a message.” The robe wearing pony said approaching C and putting the bow down.

“You are right. It began once more! Now I have to go elsewhere! But it wanted me to find you, tell me, what’s your message?!” C yelled at the pony with anger in his eyes.

“Please calm down.” The pony said.

“The message… now!” C yelled breathing angrily as the voice drove him insane.

“I ran from my temple two months ago when we were attacked. I ran before seeing the true face of the attackers.” The pony said making sure not to approach the changeling any further.

“What does this have to do with me? I barely woke up two months ago in that blasted city of Canterlot!” C yelled at the pony.

“So it is you as I suspected. Listen to me my friend. I don’t have much time. I took a poison two hours ago and now it’s taking its effect.” The pony screamed and fell down, but C ran at him and rose his head up a bit.

“Listen to me. Go to the Moon Crater Village inside the valley of the moon. Seek my temple and all your questions will be answered…” The pony was about to say a name but died before he could say it, it seemed that he took the potion exactly to stop himself from telling the name.

“Rest now pony, I will seek that village.” C put the pony down and headed towards the exit of the museum taking the pony’s bow and arrows.

                                              At the expo the four ponies entered the main room and everypony inside applauded and greeted their great artist, but she could say anything for that the organizer grabbed her and took her to meet other nobles.

                                        Inky didn’t want to waste any time and jumped on the stage where hearts was about to give a speech. The ponies inside shouted at Inky for doing this, but she shouted at them and told those foolish ponies to get out before it is too late.

“Too late? Too late for what? Your tastes are dead already, just look at you.” A noblefilly said from the crowd then the ponies started laughing as hard as they could.

“What’s with this gray mist? Who’s the unicorn res… “

                                           The noble that grabbed Hearts begun screaming and having hallucinations of the things he feared. When he let out his loudest scream the shades that were waiting inside the pictures begun shrieking, in a few seconds the room filled with fifty shades. The ponies were shocked and surprised. The shades seemed to study the ponies and after a few second of not doing anything they all shrieked and begun feasting.

                                            Around two hundred ponies were inside the main room of the expo, only twenty managed to be escorted in a safe room by Inky, Hearts, Shinee and Frost. Those that remained were screaming and having hallucinations, the shades consumed each one of them, from time to time leaving one alive a bit longer to feast more on his fear.

                                        Inside the room the survivors were, the four rescuers made sure to cover any crack that would allow the shades to enter. The room was more of a hallway that only led to three rooms, a bathroom, the janitor’s room and to the basement of the manor.

“Hearts, how do you feel?” Inky approached and asked the white unicorn.

“So what? So that you can use my powers?!” she asked the white-furred mare.

“That’s not what I meant to say.” She replied to Hearts.

“But, that’s what you want to do. Look I can’t use them, I don’t even know how to use that freezing power I have, it just happens.” Hearts replied to the mare sitting down on the floor.

                                        Before Inky could say anything, the shades in the other room shrieked so loud that their voices were heard in the entire city. From every painting and book the shades where were hiding they came out. In the entire city one hundred shades woke up from their slumber and begun the feast creating a complete panic in the entire city, even in the middle where Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle were attending to the show.

                                         Inside the room the survivors were stranded. A shriek was heard coming from the janitor’s room. Gas came inside the room through the bottom of the door and the Shade quickly restored its form. The being stretched its hooves towards the ponies and gas was rising from those hooves. It was preparing to throw gas at the ponies, but at that moment a burning arrow head came out of its chest that made the shade scream so loud that it was heard in the entire city.

                                       The shades heard the scream of their brother and with a furious shriek headed towards the manor ignoring the feast at hoof. When the shade inside the room burned completely the ponies could see C with the burning arrow in his mouth.

                                  He smiled, but the fire from the arrow reached his lips and he spit out the arrow and ran inside the bathroom to cool his lips. After he cooled his lips, he returned in the room and said hi to all the ponies inside.

“Why aren’t you ponies cheering? I saved you.” C said staring at the ponies.

“C, you’re alive! Where did you get those arrows?” Inky smiled at C then stared at the arrows and bow.

“Long story Inky, I don’t have time to explain nor shall I ever explain, but I’ll say this, how do you ponies use bows and arrows I tried out there and believe me, hell broke loose out there and I won’t ever explain what hell is, so don’t ask.” The white changeling said showing the bow then pointing at with his head outside.

“C, I’m glad I see you and I’ll show you later how to use a bow and arrows, but right now there are fifty shades in the other room, that want to kill us and Hearts doesn’t know how to use her powers.” Inky told him pointing at the door leading to the main gallery.

“Please Inky, let me handle this.” C approached Hearts and grabbed her shoulders with his hooves and started shaking her.

“Come on! Work you flishing powers, work!” Hearts stopped C then punched him making him fall down.

“What did I do?” he asked staring at the mare.

“Uhm… guys.” Crystal said to C and Inky as the door leading to them was hit by every shade in the other room.

“It won’t take long and they’ll breach the door.” The blue bat-pony mare said.

“You know what, I give up! If Hearts won’t use her powers I’ll be the first to go.” said C approaching the door leading to the ravenous shades.

“What?! C you just came from outside and you want to die?!” Inky yelled at C.

“You three take the survivors to the bathroom! Inky you come with me! We’re going to save the day.” The white changeling said pointing at Hearts, Shinee and Frost.

“Is there any time when you don’t have a plan?” Inky asked C staring at him.

“Perhaps, but it isn’t today. Come on ponies! More life into it, this night you will live!”

                                            C yelled rising his left hoof in the air as the three ponies escorted the survivors in the bathroom. When there was no pony left inside the room he turned his head to see Inky and smiled then opened the door and yelled at the shades to come after him.

                                             The white changeling grabbed the shape-shifters hoof and smashed into the door leading to the basement. Luck was on C for that the door was half open, but still had problems walking down the stairs seeing how fast he ran inside there, but there was no time to lose and he somehow managed to walk down until he slipped and fell on his butt a few stairs.

                                                 The shades were right behind him so he rose up and ran with Inky until the two didn’t have where to run anymore, truth be told, they didn’t even run much, the basement was very small and the shades from the entire city surrounded the two.

“Ok C, what’s your plan?” Inky asked C smiling very nervous.

“Do you know when I said there are days when I don’t have any plans?” C told to Inky while staring at the shades.

“Oh, no, no, you don’t mean you…?” Inky stared at C.

“Yes I lied to you. But, look at the bright side, you trusted me and that makes me happy.” C replied still staring at the shades that were slowly approaching the two.

“So the fact we’re going to be killed isn’t important?”  she asked C staring at the shades with a nervous smile.

“Meh, I’ve seen worse. And the worse is soon to come if that stupid unicorn Rainbow Harpy up there won’t save her stupid bat-pony sister.” C yelled as hard as he could the basement helping his yells echo though the manor and reaching Hearts ear, and she wasn’t very happy about this.

“C! You now I’d beat you if you insult me, but NOPONY INSULTS MY SISTER!!” Hearts yelled from the entrance of the basement and her horn glowed.

“Duck Inky.” C smiled as Hearts’ horn glowed stronger and Inky sat with her entire body on the floor.

                                                After Inky sat down on the ground with her entire body Hearts unleashed a blow of magic that froze every shade in the room and froze C’s front side a bit, but not too much, the shades guarded C’s body from getting frozen.

“Good job Hearts.” C muttered thanks to the fact he’s face was half frozen, then he fell on his front side.

                                            Inky rose up from the ground and dragged C upstairs making sure to close and seal the door. Everypony that survived the initial attack were escorted outside by Hearts, Shinee and Frost, while C and Inky were still inside, the white changeling being able to move a bit of his body.

                                             Hearts, her sister and Frost stood outside waiting for C and Inky to come out, but the manor burst in flames and there was no way to get inside or outside. The three ponies watched as the mansion burned and along with it, C and Inky. Frost bowed his head at the building thanking C and Inky for saving them. Everypony that survived bowed their heads, those that wore hats took them off and then bowed to the two travelers that saved their lives.

                                               Unknown to them though, C and Inky got out the manor through the window C broke in order to enter the janitor’s room. The two stealthily moved away from the mansion and in the end away from the city. But, also unknown to them, Twilight Sparkle sensed C moving outside the city.

“Princess, he was here.” Twilight said looking at the Princess, that closed her eyes for a second.

“He must be responsible for this attack. Too bad sending guards after him would make the city panic even more than they did by now.” Celestia said to her student.

“What shall we do then, Princess?” the purple unicorn asked the Princess.

“For now, nothing, but we’ll make sure these ponies continue their festivities, but I want you to tell me where is he going?” The white alicorn asked her former student that closed her eyes.

“Apparently they are headed towards Manehattan, but I might be mistaking Princess.” Twilight responded after she opened her eyes.

“So be it. Tomorrow I want you to travel to Manehattan and alert the guards there, I’ll dispatch an elite group to search the road for him.” The white alicorn replied to her former student.

“Understood my Princess.” Twilight bowed her head then turned back to watch the ponies as their festival began once more.

“We should’ve said goodbye at least.” Inky told C as they moved on the road leading to Manehattan.

“It’s better this way Inky trust me. Such a festival might’ve attracted an enemy of mine, plus I don’t want to get beaten by Hearts. Do you know how hard she punches?” he replied to Inky while petting his right cheek.

“Hey Inky, what do you say if we don’t go straight to Manehattan and see another place instead?” the white changeling said at a crossroad.

“Your voice tells you doesn’t it?” she asked looking at C.

“Nah, the voice tells me to go straight there, but who likes straight road? I know I don’t, so what do you say?” He asked Inky with a smile.

“You know what my uncle used to say?” Inky replied to C closing her eyes.

“I’m curious, what?” C turned his head to look at Inky and smiled.

“There are new things to discover and the most fascinating of them don’t lie on straight roads.” Inky opened her eyes and turned to face C, the two smiled and took the road leading to the town of Coltwall, where a new friend was waiting.

Next Chapter

“My name is Tenebris welcome to our town.” A purple mare greeted the two.

“What’s this holiday called” asked C after sneezing four times.

“It’s called the Hearts Warming Eve. And this year is going to be the greatest one.” Tenebris said showing the two the town.

“What’s going on in here?” Inky wondered as the lights inside the theatre were flickering.

“I’m the Hearts Warming Eve Phantom and tomorrow night I’ll claim my revenge!” a masked pony on the stage yelled at the ponies gathered inside the theatre.