Hunter In Equestria: Chapter 12

The next few weeks were mostly uneventful. You had managed to get a forge installed in what was now your workshop, though it was outside and away from the main structure. Wouldn't do for an errant ember to burn the entire place down.

 

Said forge wasn't large enough to make things like Great Swords or Lances, but seeing as only you would be using this for the foreseeable future, that didn't matter. You had been practicing with what you remembered of forging by making some small, basic iron knives. You were, in fact, in the middle of making your third when disaster struck in the form of a bubblegum pink earth pony.

 

"HEYANONWHATCHADOING?"

 

You nearly jumped out of your skin, which caused you to drop the tongs and metal. Instinctively and stupidly, you lurched forward and grabbed the hot steel...with your bare left hand. A nanosecond later you dropped it into the flames and howled in pain, plunging your hand into the bucket of cool water nearby. You shot Pinkie Pie a glare as hot as the metal you had just accidentally grabbed, a glare she blissfully ignored.

 

"What in the hell do you want?!" You asked forcefully, your patience with the poofy-maned pony already gone. You took a look at your scorched hand, and were relieved to find the damage wasn't as bad as you thought. You had once again lucked out, though it would hurt like a bitch for a few days.

 

"Well, Twilight wanted me to find you of course! I looked ALL OVER too, you're hard to find Anny!" She giggled at her nickname for you. "I looked in the Library, I looked at the bottom of the lake, I looked in Cloudsdale, I looked in..." You tuned her out as she listed off places you couldn't even physically be at.

 

"Pinkie. Focus. I KNOW that's hard for you sometimes, but focus for just a few seconds." Your voice was a gravelly growl, as you were actively trying to keep the pain out of your voice. Your hand was still submerged in the bucket, but was feeling better. You knew as soon as it dried out you'd be in trouble, but for now it was fine. "What did Twilight need that was so important?"

 

"Oh, she just wants to see you! She got an important letter and an invitation to a wedding while we were all at a picnic, and then we sung a song, and th-"

 

"Pinkie. Stop. PLEASE." That's what you were doing now? Pleading? With what was essentially a god of chaos? Good plan.

 

"Okie Dokie!" The earth pony chirped, and she then promptly and literally zipped her mouth shut. You didn't bother asking how, the explanation would probably set your brain on fire. You know, like your hand.

 

After the pain had reduced from "agonizing" to "throbbing", you stood and shut the forge door with your good hand, depriving it of oxygen and letting it quietly die out. That chunk of steel you would retrieve later, you could melt it down and try again.

 

Pinkie stood and started walking to Ponyville as you locked your supplies in your workshop. Call you paranoid, but iron and steel was expensive to get. You sold the essentially prototype knives you had made earlier to that very same Griffon who sold you meat, and he was happy to have some new cutlery. Something about "Only a carnivore actually knows how to make a good knife." You supposed there was some truth to that.

 

You followed after Pinkie after you were sure the doors were locked tight. To her credit, she stayed quiet all the way to Ponyville, until she split off the path to Twilight's.

 

"Nope, not that way Anny! We're going to the train station! The girls are waiting there for us!"

 

You arched an eyebrow, but said nothing to the now bouncing mare. Her skipping/bouncing/whatever it was she was doing gave her a deceptively quick pace, and she was starting to get ahead of you. In only a minute, she was already way ahead of you, though you didn't exactly need her to guide you to the train station. You had been around long enough to know where almost everything in Ponyville was.

 

Fifteen minutes later, you arrived at the station. The girls were all talking to one another excitedly, except for Twilight. The unicorn looked like she was going to grind her teeth to dust, and her expression was that of someone who was deeply, deeply annoyed.

 

"Stupid brother not telling me anything..." she mumbled, just loud enough for everypony nearby to hear. Her expression brightened only slightly when she spotted you, but she quickly returned to grumbling. She didn't answer your questioning gaze, instead only muttering darkly to herself.

 

"What's eating her?" You asked AJ, who in turn gave you a quizzical look.

 

"Uh, nothin's eatin' her Anon. Ya need yer eyes checked or somethin'?"

 

Fucking literal ponies.

 

"Let's try that again." You said, taking a deep breath to keep your annoyance at bay. "What's bothering Twilight?"

 

"Oh, that. Her brother didn't tell her he was gettin' married."

 

"Oh." You replied, until it sunk in. "OH."

 

"Yeah, she's a bit ticked off." The orange pony continued.

 

"I can imagine."

 

The conductor called for everyone to get aboard, asking for tickets as you went by. Twilight levitated your ticket to you, which you in turn handed to the conductor.

 

"ALL ABOARD! ALL ABOARD!" He shouted to an empty station, probably out of habit more than anything. A few minutes later, and the train was off.

---

 

You had taken a seat across from Twilight, and she was simply staring out a window, horn aglow. You were worried, as you were sitting across from what was essentially a magical timebomb. If she went off, the magic wouldn't affect you...but whatever said magic did to the train WOULD.

 

"Twi, calm down."

 

"I AM calm!" She snapped back, mane slightly displaced. You put your hands up defensively, immediately dropping the subject. You were brave, not stupid. "Anon, what happened to your hand?"

 

"Oh, that? I burned it when a certain SOMEPONY decided to sneak up on me when I was working with hot metal." You growled, looking in Pinkie's direction. She currently had her head out of the window, making 'whooshing' noises as you passed things.

 

"That looks pretty bad." Twilight said, concerned tone to her still grumpy voice.

 

"I'll live. It looks worse than it is." You waved her concern off, and she went back to trying to melt a hole in the mountain with her glare.

 

The train rounded the corner, and you saw the shield from a week ago in place again. You were suddenly worried about another wyvern attack, but if there had been, surely you'd have been notified? Technically they didn't have to, you reminded yourself. They could fend one off themselves, after all.

 

The train passed through the shield with no fuss, as a gap had been opened for it. That was good, because if it relied on magical auras...you would have been crushed into the back of the train, which wouldn't have been pleasant for anyone.

 

Eventually it came to a stop, and the doors opened to let passengers off. Your group were among the first off...and the first thing you noticed was the immense number of guards watching EVERYONE. No, this wasn't a wyvern attack, they wouldn't be watching the ponies coming in if it was.

 

"Twily!"

 

Shining Armor called out, leaning over the wall and in full guard uniform. Twilight marched across the field, and Armor came down the stairs to her. Once in range...the purple unicorn opened up with a fiery barrage.

 

"Why am I only NOW finding out about this!?" Twilight raged. "Better yet, why am I finding this out through a LETTER!?"

 

Hoo boy, you were staying out of this one. Shining Armor's hide, not yours. You walked through the gate as Twilight raked him over the coals. She'd catch up when she was done venting.

---

Twenty minutes later

---

"So hold on, what am I even doing here? Moral support or something?" You asked Twilight, who was currently sitting against a wall, being a grump. A pencil and checklist floated next to her in her magical grip.

 

"That, and Princess Celestia wants an extra pair of combat-ready eyes." The unicorn replied. AJ called something out, and Twilight made a checkmark with a little more force than needed, tearing the floating parchment a bit.

 

"Why, is something up?" You asked, semi-concerned.

 

"My brother says somepony made a threat against Equestria in general, Canterlot in specific. He won't say who though, or even if it's a real threat." AJ shouted again, and Twilight made another check. Something about snacks, you didn't know. Your focus was elsewhere, you were glad Twilight could multitask better than you could.

 

"I'd say the shield would be a clue he's taking it seriously." You said, looking out of the window. Celestia was looking through a telescope at the top of a tower, more than likely on watch.

 

"Yeah, but that's his job. Taking everything seriously." Twilight huffed.  

 

"Apple pies!" The orange mare called out, cramming one into Twilight's mouth. You were too tall, otherwise you were convinced AJ would have orally assaulted you with food too.

 

"Mmmmm, check!" The unicorn hummed through a full mouth. You grinned at her, then turned your attention to the kitchen. The Apple family was busy, as usual. A massive cake, an excellently made ice sculpture...

 

The doors opened, and all eyes went to a pink Alicorn walking in. The Apples bowed to her, so you assumed she was some sort of royalty. If she noticed you not bowing, she made no indication of it. Instead, she made her way to Applejack.

 

She was roughly as tall as Luna, so that would bring her up to just under your shoulder. Her gaze was hard, and she glared at the lavender unicorn at your side.

 

You leaned over to Twilight.

 

"Who's that?" You whispered.

 

"Princess 'Mi Amore Cadenza'." Twilight whispered back, rolling her eyes when the name was said. "She used to be my foalsitter, but...something's not right. She completely brushed me off earlier, didn't even recognize our dance!"

 

You blinked. "Dance?"

 

"I'll show you later. In any case, she's the one my brother is marrying."

 

"Ah."

 

You watched as AJ offered a 'to go' bag of her treats...and then frowned as the wasteful bitch threw them out when the earth pony wasn't looking.

 

"Did you just see-" Twilight started, in total disbelief.

 

"Yeah, I did. Hell, if she wasn't going to eat them, I would have." You muttered, upset more at the waste of food than anything.

---

Twilight split off from you at some point, apparently going to talk to Rarity. You shrugged, going off on your own for a bit. You saw Lyra trailing Cadenza, and she waved to you when she saw you.

 

"Hey Anon!" She called out. "What're you doing here?"

 

"Enjoying the sights, not much else. You?"

 

"I'm a flower mare for the wedding!" She replied, grinning widely.

 

"Hey, keep up!" Cadenza shouted, looking back and glaring at the mint-green unicorn. You returned the glare tenfold, which the princess ignored. Lyra sheepishly fell back into line.

 

"I-I'll see you later Anon."

 

"Later Lyra, good luck." You muttered. She nodded, then quickly fell out of view as she ascended the tower with the princess.

 

"Hey, Anon!"

 

You looked up, and saw Twilight standing in the middle of the road.

 

"Come quick! Somepony stole something from me, I saw them go this way!"

 

Your knee-jerk reaction was to get up and follow, so that's what you did. Probably stole some easily replaced book from her or something. She lead you down an alleyway, and into a deadend.

 

"Oh ponyfeathers, I lost him." She moaned.

 

Wait.

 

"Twi, did you just...curse?"

 

"Oh, it slipped." She turned to you, and her eyes flashed green. "Sorry."  

 

"Wh-"

 

Something blunt and heavy hit you in the back of the head, and you blacked out.

---

 

You awoke on a stone floor. Not cobblestone like the Canterlot streets, but solid stone. Groaning, you clutched your pounding head and sat up, getting a better look at your surroundings. Crystals were on every wall of your cave prison, and you'd have appreciated the beauty more if your head wasn't trying to split itself open.

 

"Oh thank goodness you're awake!" A familiar voice called out. Looking over to the source, a pink Alicorn sat staring at you. She looked roughed up and tired, various bruises and scratches visible under and on her bright pink coat. She was clearly relieved you were awake, but you weren't exactly pleased to see her.

 

"So, I take it they all got tired of Princess Bitch?" You asked bluntly, in no condition to make a witty line. Cadenza's expression immediately flipped itself, going from relieved to hurt and confused in a nanosecond.

 

"Wh-No! That's not me!" She cried. "That's an impostor! A fake! You have to believe me!"

 

As if you had been born yesterday.

 

"Well, forgive me if I don't trust you at all, Miss "Mi Amore Cadenza"."

 

"It's Cadence." She replied tiredly, head hanging low. "My name is Cadence. It's the name I want everypony to use, that official 'title' is just...ugh."

 

"Ah, so my two captives are awake and mingling, how nice."

 

You looked around, with Cadence's voice echoing throughout the cavern. Cadence herself looked angry, while you were busy being confused. Two Cadences?

 

Said second Cadence was reflected in some of the crystals, wicked grin splitting her face. She turned to you, and the grin grew wider.

 

"Enjoying your cell, monkey?" Cadenza said sweetly, the unsettling grin growing almost predatory. You shot back with a withering look, remaining silent. "You'll be sharing it with the princess while I drain both a brother and sister of all their love!" The princess' evil grin remained. "It's interesting, actually. The sister has almost as much love for you as her brother does for his fiancee!"

 

This touched your heart, despite the circumstances. Still, draining love?

 

"Seriously?" You asked, completely incredulous. Fuck you hated magic sometimes. "How on earth do you 'drain' love?"

 

"My brood and I feed off of it, ape. In fact, I've been draining off of Shining Armor for weeks now!" Cadenza cackled.

 

"So...succubi?"

 

Cadenza was silent, staring at you confused. "What?"

 

"Succubi. Demons that feed off of love and lust."

 

"We are not demons!" She shouted. Looks like you struck a nerve.

 

"Parasites then." You smirked, enjoying the angry look she was shooting at you. The fake Alicorn growled at you, while Cadence put a hoof to her mouth to stifle her laughter. Probably the first laugh she had in however long she's been here. "Leech? Bloodsucker? I could go on all day."

 

"ENOUGH!" She roared, before forcibly calming herself with a deep breath. "Well, if you fancy yourself a comedian, then you'll get a laugh out of this, I bet!"

 

The view flipped...a hotel room? No, Twilight's room, you recognized the expanded bed. The view was from the ceiling, and it was kinda creepy that Cadenza was actually keeping watch on the amethyst unicorn in the room. Twilight was sitting in the room and looking out of the window...when the door swung open.

 

'You' walked in, somewhat unsteadily. Seemed that whatever was mimicking you hadn't quite gotten bipedal movement down. Twilight, facing the other way, hadn't seen 'you' enter.

 

"Oh, Anon! What are you doing here?" Twilight asked, turning away from the window.

 

"Oh nothing much, just checking up on my favorite unicorn." Your fake responded. "Haven't seen you in a little bit."

 

"I could say the same about you." She replied, then sighed. "I don't know, something's off. Cadence isn't acting right, Shining is completely defending all of her actions...it's bugging me."

 

"I know. It's...stressful, isn't it?" 'You' replied sweetly, sitting on the bed next to her. 'You' began stroking her mane with 'your' left hand, and she visibly relaxed. "If only there was a way to...cut loose and relax..." Your fake trailed off, and Twilight's ear twitched.

 

"I-I'd like to find a way..." She muttered.

 

Your groan echoed through your rocky prison.

 

"Come on Twilight, you're smarter than that!" You nearly shouted. Cadence put a hoof on your shoulder.

 

"It's only going to get worse from here..." The Alicorn muttered dismally. "She forced me to watch every time she and Shining...did things..." Your blood ran icy cold when Cadence trailed off, and your mind filled in the blanks.

 

Oh fuck no. No way. There was no way in hell that thing was going to...

 

'Your' hand moved to Twilight's ears, and she melted into 'your' lap. Twilight groaned blissfully as 'your' other hand massaged her back.

 

"So tense..." 'You' cooed. "Let's see what we can do about that..."

 

You watched in a mix of horror and sheer rage as the fake's hand went lower and lower. Your blood was boiling, and you were seeing red.

 

"Cadenza, I swear to the gods themselves, if that THING does anything to Twilight, I will gut you SLOWLY." Cadence backed away a bit, likely afraid you would attack her by mistake. In the state you were in, you just might have. "And I will enjoy EVERY. GODSFORSAKEN. MOMENT."

 

Burning fury was all you felt, and you wanted to just tear this thing's head off as you watched Twilight enjoying herself far too much. A light green aura was surrounding your copy, but it was so light you almost missed it. Twilight, with her eyes closed, didn't see it.

 

A cackle was the response, though the view stayed the same.

 

The copy's right hand reached out and stroked Twilight's horn, and she froze.

 

"H-how did you know to do th-that?" She asked, her breathing suddenly very heavy.

 

"I read too, you know. There was one particular book that you had left out, so I read it." Another stroke, and the amethyst unicorn's tongue hung out. She was gone into the land of pleasure unknowable. "It was very...informative."

 

"H-hey Anon?" The unicorn managed to stutter out.

 

"Yes, sweetie?"

 

Sheer loathing overtook you, and you punched the solid rock wall as hard as you could with your left hand. You felt a bone snap and a blister burst under the force, but your sheer overwhelming fury drowned the pain out.

 

"Doesn't that hurt your burn?" Twilight asked, suddenly remembering where your left hand was and what it was doing.

 

"Uh, burn?" Your fake replied dumbly. "Oh that. I had a nurse heal me up, I feel right as rain."

 

Fucking. Checkmate.

 

Twilight was silent for a moment, appearing to have bought it...before bucking your copy right in the crotch. Despite what he was about to do to Twilight, you cringed in male sympathy.

 

"Nice try, whatever you are!" She shouted as she sprinted away. The crystal suddenly went blank, and you lost it. You were rolling on the floor, laughing harder than you had in a long while.

 

"Good job Twilight!" You shouted to no one in particular, overjoyed that your closest friend hadn't bought it. "I knew you were as smart as you looked!""

 

Cadence looked shocked.

 

"How did she know?"

 

"Haha, because Cadence!" You took a breath, winded from your laughing. "I'm immune to magic!  Only Twilight and a very precious few others actually know that little factoid." You also showed her your blistered hand, and the pink pony cringed out of sympathy. "Hurts like hell whenever I touch anything with it!"

 

Tears were in your eyes, both from laughter...and out of relief that Twilight had managed to see through the disguise. You didn't want to know how you would have reacted if it had gone any further, though you had an idea. Cadence joined in on your laughter, glad the Copy Princess' plan with Twilight had failed.

 

"If Twilight saw through that, then she's probably seen through my fake! She has to tell somepony!" The real Alicorn said loudly, suddenly hopeful. "They'll believe her, right?"

 

"They have to!" You replied. "All she has to say is "Anon's not Anon" and something will happen!"

 

Okay, at that point you were deluding yourself. If no one had noticed anything wrong with Cadence's fake in the past few weeks, no one was going to after Twi brought the situation of your fake up. They'd attribute it to either stress or just some strange bit of humanity they didn't understand.

 

You and Cadence passed an hour just...talking. You had gotten to know THIS Cadence much better than that copy, and you liked her more and more as time went on. She explained her special talent was reminding ponies how much they loved one another, and you chuckled a bit.

 

"What's so funny?" She asked, a curious smile visible.

 

"Nothing, nothing. I can see why Shining would want a mare like you."

 

Cadence blushed a bit at the compliment.

 

"What about yourself?" She shot back. "It's a bit...unorthodox, but what about you and Twilight? Inter-species relationships aren't frowned upon here, after all. I myself have seen a Griffon and Minotaur couple get along excellently."

 

This time it was your turn to flush, but for a different reason.

 

"Well, ah...we're just close friends." You said quickly...too quickly. Dammit.

 

"Uh huh. Your defensive reaction to what was going on with Twilight says otherwise. The way she reacted to your touch, even if not really yours, says a lot too." You opened your mouth to argue, but she cut you off. "Special talent~!"

---

 

Your chatting had died down, as Cadence started dozing off. She looked malnourished, it was a wonder she was holding up as well as she was. A steady drip of water from the roof was keeping you both from dehydration, and you alone could handle a month or more without food. Your body wouldn't like it, of course, but you could if you had to. You weren't sure about ponies though.

 

You were keeping an ear out for any sort of rescue, but it seemed like you were just in a room. No way out that you could see.

 

Until you heard hooves. Very faintly, due to the walls, but definitely hooves...and explosions? What in-

 

You didn't finish the thought as the wall detonated and tossed you away. You rolled to a stop as Cadence quickly got up. The dust cleared, and a very, VERY angry Twilight Sparkle charged into the room.

 

"YOU!" She shouted, pouncing at Cadence.

 

"Twilight, wait!" The alicorn cried, before you stepped between them and caught the leaping unicorn. Her immediate response was to hit you in the eye with a spell. You clutched your eye as the bright flash temporarily blinded you, but you didn't step aside.

 

"Twi, what the hell?!" You shouted, vision slowly coming back.

 

"Fakes, the both of you!" She yelled, charging up for another spell and bucking you in the thigh. You staggered back, as Cadence stepped forward...and then lowered herself to the ground and covered her eyes with her hooves. Was she surrendering...?

 

"Sunshine sunshine, ladybug's awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" With that, the alicorn shook her flank and stood up, smiling tiredly at Twilight.

 

Your mind was currently trying to process what just happened.

 

"Cadence! It really IS you!" Twilight was elated, hugging her old foalsitter and soon to be sister-in-law. Twilight then turned her gaze to you. "Hands."

 

"What?"

 

"Hands. Show me them. Now."

 

Knowing exactly what she was looking for, you showed her your indeed scorched left hand. She calmed considerably, then dashed over to you and tackled you to the ground, wrapping her hooves around you.

 

"I don't know what that fake was trying to do to me, but I'm so glad I found you..." Twilight buried her head into your chest. You shivered, glad your mare was being attentive. You were still going to pay Cadenza back in full though.

 

"It's okay Twi, I'm just glad you're safe." You hugged her tightly, stroking her mane with your good hand. "How did you get here, anyway?" You thought for a moment. "Where *IS* here, anyway?

 

"Cadence's fake threw me in down here, we're under Canterlot Castle. My brother's in some sort of trance, and no one can tell the difference!"

 

"Easy Twi, you're with us now." Your voice was low and comforting, and the unicorn calmed down. She broke the hug, then left the exit she had so graciously made.

 

"We need to find a way out and stop the wedding!" Twilight called as she sprinted down a path. You and Cadence followed.

 

Cadence was...singing. How she had the ability to sing and run at the same time was beyond you, but you didn't question it.

 

Your ragtag group came to a cart, and Cadence pushed hard against it. In her state, she couldn't even move it...though those rocks blocking it were also not helping.

 

Another issue: Only room for two. As Twilight lifted Cadence in the cart and removed the rocks, you picked the lavender unicorn up and tossed her in the cart too.

 

"Hold on to something." You said, backing up. You ran at the cart and shoulder-checked it, sending it on its way down the track. "I'll catch up!" You shouted as Twilight's worried look vanished as the cart rounded a bend, and you looked for another exit.

---

 

It had been half an hour at the very least, but you found the long way around. You had to creep along an edge only two inches thick, hanging over a seemingly endless abyss...but you had done it. Your left hand was an absolute mess, and the pain started to get agonizing again. The fact you had broken a bone punching solid rock only added to the collected pain, which you were now feeling in full.

 

You looked over and a group of flowers sat on the ground. A bouquet...?

 

Lyra, along with two other mares, pounced on it and began squabbling, an eerie green glow in their eyes.

 

"It's mine!"

 

"Get off, I saw it first!"

 

"Buck you, it's mine!"

 

You arched an eyebrow, and wisely walked around the fight...but not before grabbing Lyra by the scruff of her neck and dragging her out of it.

 

"Hey, get off!" She shouted, not realizing who grabbed her.

 

"Lyra."

 

The glow had started to fade from her eyes, and she slowly began to be aware of where she was.

 

"Ung...my head..." she moaned, putting a hoof to her skull and massaging it. "Hey, who...Anon?"

 

"The one and only." You replied. "You alright?"

 

"Y-yeah, I think so. I just...don't know where I am. I remember getting into my dress and...that's it. Next I remember is you standing over me. What's this, twice now?" She asked.

 

"Yep." Was your simple response.

 

"Oh sweet Celestia..." Lyra groused. "If you had a cutie mark, it would be in timely rescues. I'll pay ya back, honest. Just need to get rid of this horrible headache..."

 

You laughed, then gestured to the other two. "I'll be right back."

 

After splitting the other two mares up (and Lyra using a bubble to them from killing each other), you went up the stairs leading back into the castle.

 

You were tired and sore, and your mood wasn't very good. With any luck, Twilight and Cadence would have this tidied up and you could go to sleep.

 

Alas, this wasn't the case.

 

As you turned the corner to the throne room, two small black...things were patrolling the hallway. They looked sorta like...bugs? They spotted you and let out some sort of buzzing laugh, charging you and firing off spells.

 

You were so not in the mood for this shit.

 

The first bolt washed over you, but you noticed it felt a little different than usual. It felt...cold, as opposed to the warmth that the unicorns of Equestria had used on you. Still no actual effect, but it was a strange difference.

 

You charged forward and relished in the almost fearful look the buglike ponies gave. You slammed into the one on the left, tossing it down the hallway and into the wall. Shocked at how light they were, you spun on the spot and slugged the other one in the head, and it dropped. You stomped on its horn, snapping it in half, noting the green blood flowing from the broken appendage.

 

That was even stranger. Unicorn horns didn't bleed when they were snapped, several books had told you that.

 

"What are these things..." You murmured. The one you threw into the wall was getting up, droning in anger over your assault. It charged you, throwing another spell. It had much the same result as the first, which only annoyed the bugpony more. It then tried to gore you with that wicked looking spike atop its head, which you sidestepped. You kicked it in the side, and then stomped on its neck. The carapace cracked under the force, and the creature fell unconscious.

 

You made a deliberate effort to snap its horn off too.

 

Rather sharp, and you didn't have your knife. It was the first time in a long while you had forgotten it, but the circumstances of the day had caused you to forget it in the workshop...so you took the horn as an impromptu weapon. Likely wouldn't last long, but should be fine until you can get a new one.

 

There was cackling coming from the throne room, and then a horrible crashing noise, like glass shattering. It came from everywhere, and a quick look out of the window showed the shield coming down. This was...bad.

 

You charged into the throne room, and saw a huge female...bugthing. You had to find a better name for them.

 

She was looking pleased with herself, standing in front of a hypnotized Shining Armor and a snared Cadence. There were no other beings in the room, aside from one other bug and...a giant chrysalis? With Celestia inside?

 

"Hey!" You shouted, which probably wasn't your smartest idea. The taller one turned around and fixed you with an amused gaze.

 

"Mmm, the monkey. I wondered when you would show up." She slowly walked towards you, calling off the drone that came down to aid her. "You realize it's over, correct? I've won."

 

You snorted in reply.

 

"You haven't won, not yet. I'm still breathing."

 

In truth, you were worried about Twilight and her friends...but you had to push that aside. First, kill this thing, THEN worry about them.

 

"Hmm, indeed you are. Perhaps..." She flared her perforated wings out, and hunched down. "...we should fix that."

 

She hurled a green bolt at you, which you didn't even bother to avoid. It smashed into you, causing you to stagger back just a step.

 

The resulting shock you never truly got tired of. You grinned smugly and charged forward, slashing with your makeshift knife. She sidestepped it and kicked you in the head, but her movement caused it to lose a bit of its punch. Your head was swimming after impact, but you quickly shook it off and lashed out again.

 

"Anon!" You heard Cadence call out, which distracted you for just long enough to let the bug run you through with her jagged horn.

 

Your eyes went wide, and bright fiery pain erupted through your very veins. You gagged, suddenly unable to breathe. Blood welled up in your mouth, and you spat it into your attacker's face, causing her to recoil. You pulled yourself closer, the agonizing pain growing as you did so.

 

"You're...MINE...BITCH..." You snarled, bringing the drone's horn down in a stabbing motion. Before it made contact, she flicked her head and brutally ripped her own out of you, before kicking you out of a window.

 

You hit the ground several stories below and immediately blacked out.

---

 

The sheer blinding pain forced you awake, and you shouted in pure agony. How you hadn't bled out yet was beyond you, but that wasn't on the forefront of your mind.

 

This was worse than when Shining had stabbed you. His horn was smooth, and he had managed to miss everything important. That THING didn't. Her crooked horn had torn a much, much larger hole and she had managed to hit your midsection and all of the organs there.

 

You noticed a mint green aura inside the wound, and your internal thoughts that *weren't* just mindless screaming figured that's why you hadn't outright died yet.

 

"Anon! Hold on, help's coming!" Lyra screamed, scared that you were practically dying on her. "Nonononono, please don't die...I still need to pay you back, please don't die! SOMEPONY HELP! ANYPONY!"

 

You had howled yourself hoarse, so you bared the pain silently. You were still conscious somehow, which only made the torment that much worse. You wanted nothing more than to pass out so you simply wouldn't feel it anymore.

 

"Anon! No no no, this can't be happening!"

 

Twilight sprinted over, horn lit up brighter than you had ever seen. Tears were liberally streaming down her face, and her raspberry light reinforced Lyra's, keeping in the blood that would have seeped past the green aura alone.

 

Gods above, so much blood...

 

You were beginning to get lightheaded, and the sweet embrace of sleep took you.

---