(The Past)

A familiar black colt laid on his stomach on a cliff near Canterlot Castle. The grass was cool and it relaxed Revenant Hunter as he gazed out into the opened valley where he could see a small town in the distance. He remembered Celestia say something about the town being called 'Ponyville'. Although he never shared this with anypony, that little settlement was supposed to be his first stop when he actually somehow successfully got away from Canterlot. It seemed like a nice place to lie low for awhile until the heat went down.

Revenant was interrupted from his thoughts when he felt a pair of small forelegs rest on top of his withers and a chin lay on top of his head between his ears. He didn't even have to look to see who it was. He kept his expression indifferent as he addressed the filly.

“Greetings, Fleur de Lis.” The slender, blank flanked, white coated, pink maned filly with eyes of deep pinkish gray giggled at Rev's response, her head not even moving from her spot. “No need to be so stoic Rev. We're not in the streets right now, are we?” Revenant Hunter only sighed. “I guess we aren't, Fleur.”

Fleur de Lis finally lifted her head up and got off of Revenant. She stood up briefly before deciding to lay in the grass next to Revenant with her leaning against him. Rev again sighed, but this time in irritation. “I'm not in the mood for your flirting right now, Fleur.” The filly pouted at his response, but then she gave a realization look. She smiled in sympathy. “Get caught again?”

She didn't see his expression change, but she sudden;y felt more warmth radiating off of him. She knew he was blushing in embarrassment right now. Rev didn't like the thought of losing something, though he was always more humble about it. But it still bothered him.

“Do you know where Star Searcher and Sky Runner are right now?” Fleur de Lis knew he was purposely changing the topic, but she went with it. “Nope. ...Come to think of it, I haven't seen
Maverick, Eclipse, or Rain Dance anywhere either.” Revenant brought his hoof up in contemplation. “I wonder where they are?” Fleur stood up and stretched herself out before looking around with a suspicious gaze. “They better not be spying on us again.”

Fleur and Rev were still upset with their friends when the two had caught them sitting in a tree while Revenant and Fleur de Lis were enjoying the moonlight. All it took was Rain Dance's clumsiness and a weak tree limb to send the entire group crashing down on them.

Even though the spying ponies were embarrassed about being caught, they still had more than enough teasing material for Rev and Fleur.

Revenant Hunter looked up at Fleur de Lis. “Wanna go look for them?” Fleur shrugged. “I guess. I got nothing better to do.” Revenant stood up and the black colt and the white filly soon began walking into Canterlot in order to locate their missing friends.

Back at the area Revenant Hunter and Fleur de Lis had previously occupied, the leaves of a lone tree suddenly began shaking in the strong wind that was picking up. There was a loud snap, followed by a yelp.

A small group of colts and fillies suddenly came crashing down into a tangled mess of limbs. A few groans collected before a dark blue, almost black as night, unicorn filly stood up, her dark blue with white spots mane and tail frazzled from rolling into the dirt. She shook her head back and forth to get the stray strands of her mane out of her deep blue eyes.

“That could've gone better.” she mumbled as she stretched out. A sky blue pegasus colt with a bright red mane and tail that was cut short stood up and flapped his wings. “What do ya mean, Star Searcher? If you ask me, I think it actually went better than before.” The unicorn filly looked Sky Runner straight into his vermillion colored eyes. “Oh, shut up Sky Runner.”

An Earth pony colt with an olive green coat and a messy brown mane and tail stood up from the pile and walked towards the pegasus and unicorn, scanning them both with his brown eyes. “I'm starting to question why we even spy on them. We're invading their private moments by doing this.”

“But don't you want to know if they're in love or not, Maverick?” The colt turned towards a filly unicorn that had a dark blue coat with a short and messy gray mane that was walking towards him. She straightened out her dark gray vest before smiling a big smile.

Maverick only shook his head. “I just don't feel right about doing this, Rain Dance. If you ask me, I think they're just staying friends.” A red filly pegasus with a gold mane and gold tail lightly patted Maverick on the back. “I wouldn't worry Mav. All we gotta do is see Rev and Fleur kiss and then we'll KNOW that we were right all along. We'll just keep following them until they do.”

The olive green colt gave her a deadpan look. “I can't even count how many holes there are in your plan, Eclipse.” Eclipse put a hoof to her chin in thought before she suddenly shot her head up in realization. “You're right Mav.” Maverick smirked. It seems that Eclipse was finally starting to understand. “We can't just see them simply kiss. They have to add a little tongue to it to REALLY show that they are in true love.” Maverick's smug smile fell and he gave an irritated sigh. He didn't bother to continue arguing with Eclipse, there was no reasoning with her. It was like telling a dragon to stop eating gems.

“HEY GUYS!” Everypony looked up at Sky Runner. “They're getting too far from us. We gotta catch up to them!” He then starting flying in the direction that Revenant Hunter and Fleur de Lis had headed with Eclipse following after him in the air. Rain Dance and Star Searcher ran after the retreating pegasi, leaving Maverick behind. The Earth pony sighed.

“This isn't going to end well.”

(The Present)

Twilight Sparkle sat on her haunches, continuing to watch over the strange black pegasus stallion that she and Fluttershy had found. Twilight had earlier told Fluttershy to go and look for the rest of their friends so that they could move the stallion. There was no way that Twilight alone could lift him with her magic.

The lavender unicorn couldn't keep her eyes from looking all around her. She was still struggling to keep her composure as the charred bodies around her laid there. It was very unnerving for the bookworm.

About a few minutes later, Twilight heard the sound of wooden wheels running across the dirt and chatter from a group of mares. The wheels slowed and all went silent as she saw her friends walk through the brush. Applejack had a harness around her and she was pulling an empty cart. Rarity was on Applejack's right with a look of fear, while Rainbow Dash hovered above them.

The rainbow maned pegasus was trying to keep her cool, but the dead ponies were a sight that she would never forget. Pinkie brought up the rear with Fluttershy next to her. For once, the pink party pony wasn't bouncing around or even smiling.

Applejack was the first to voice what everypony was thinking. “What the hay happened here?!” Twilight immediately stood up and got near the stallion. “We'll figure that out later, Applejack. Right now, we need to get this stallion out of here.” Rarity walked forward and looked over the unconscious pegasus. “Twilight, darling, do you think that's a good idea?” The lavender unicorn looked up at the white mare. “Like what Fluttershy told me, I don't think a pegasus is capable of doing all of this damage.” She and Rarity began focusing their levitation spells on the stallion. “Besides, Princess Celestia told me to report and possibly bring back whatever is causing the magical disturbance in the Everfree Forest. And the fluctuations seem to be radiating from this stallion.”

Rainbow Dash began pushing the levitating stallion into the empty cart. “Well, if the Princess wants us to do this, then I guess we have no choice.” The levitation spells disappeared and the black pegasus fell gently into the cart, his head facing the back side of the cart. Applejack then began pulling the cart. She was struggling a bit to get it going.

“Whoo Nelly, this stallion sure weighs more than he looks.” When Rainbow Dash starting giving the cart a small push, it began to move more easily. “Thanks sugercube. I mighty appreciate the help.” Rainbow only smirked. “No prob, AJ.”

Once they left the clearing full of dead ponies, Pinkie Pie soon became her happy self again. “Oh, oh, oh, he's a new pony which means I don't know him and I know every pony in Ponyville which means I can throw him a party!” A loud pop sounded and confetti somehow flew through the air as Pinkie threw her hooves out in excitement.

Twilight looked at the random pink Earth pony. “Uh, Pinkie, I think we should figure out who he is and find out what he was doing out in the Everfree Forest before you start planning a party for him.”

Pinkie looked crestfallen before perking up again. “Okay, I can wait to plan his 'Welcome to Ponyville' party.” All of the other ponies let out a mental sigh. They were afraid their friend was going to be upset about it. Ever since the incident that happened when they were planning that surprise party for Pinkie Pie for her birthday, they made sure their party pony would never think they had abandoned her again.

Rarity soon began looking the stallion over again before sighing. “Oh dear, how can such a ...good looking stallion get covered in so much dirt. It's as if he rolled in it for days!” Her gaze settled on the black pegasus's hat. “And how can he get so much filth on such a delightful hat. A black 'Monster Hunter'-style fedora with an extra long, flat brim and a black band with silver inlays. My, this stallion sure has a nice taste in headwear.” She hopped onto the cart and brushed a hoof across the hat. “And it compliments his coat color so well. It's screams 'vengeful spirit'.”

“Rarity, ya mind gettin' off of the cart. You're just addin' weight and makin' it harder ta pull.” Applejack said with a strained voice. Rarity just 'hmphed' and hopped off the cart, but not before readjusting the stallions hat so that it sat perfectly straight on his head.

Fluttershy, meanwhile, was trying to find a way to identify the stallion. He wasn't wearing any form of identification, and the area where his cutie mark was supposed to be was covered in so much dried mud that it looked like the mud was his natural coat color.

A loud groan startled all of the mares as the stallion began roll around in the cart. His eyes were tensed and he was mumbling incoherently. He began to kick the sides of the cart as if he was trying to fight something.

“Consarnit, he's gonna break mah cart if he keeps doin' that.” Applejack voiced in annoyance. “An' we can't afford ta replace any carts right now.”

The stallion pegasus soon stopped moving, but now he was starting to mumble a bit louder in his sleep. Rarity and Rainbow Dash, their curiosity piqued, placed their ears close to the stallion's muzzle.

“Pa...ssion. ...Must find...Passion...”

Rarity pulled her head back and 'tsked' sadly. “The poor dear. He must feel so unloved if he went into the forest to find love from somepony.” Dash shushed her with her hoof. “Quiet, he's still talking.”

“Passion... ...They took Passion.” He began to flail violently now, almost hitting Rainbow Dash. “They took her! I must find my Passion Spirit!” A strong kick made a crack in the wood on the cart's side. “My Spirit is gone!” Tears began to form in his closed eyes and began to flow freely down his face. “My Soul is gone and now they took my Spirit!”

The cart stopped as everypony turned their heads to look at the still unconscious but now crying stallion. Applejack glanced nervously at Twilight Sparkle. “Wha did he mean by 'Ma Soul is gone an' now they took ma Spirit.', Twi?”

The unicorn only shook her head at the orange earth pony. “I don't know, AJ.” She then looked back at the still crying pegasus. Fluttershy was fluttering in the air and gently rubbing his back in a soothing manner, trying to calm him down. “Once we get him to Nurse Redheart, maybe then we'll get some answers.”

Rainbow Dash flew ahead slightly before flying back. “At least we don't have much farther to go. We're only a few yards from the edge of the forest.” Applejack began pulling the cart again. “Well then, let's get to it.”

As the group exited the forest and, Twilight kept glancing at the stallion. She didn't want to scare anypony, but the magic she was sensing off of him was...different. It wasn't evil, but it was just different.

As she looked the pegasus over again, something clicked. She felt like she had seen him before. The black coat, the silver mane with the red stripe, and the short silver tail with the tip highlighted red. It was a strong feeling of deja-vu that was too insistent to ignore. When they get to Nurse Redheart, hopefully all of their questions would be answered.

Twilight only hoped it wasn't a mistake to save his life.

to be continued