So, Shining Armor had come to help train the troops, but I told him to let me show him how to do it, American style. Putting on a snarl, I began pacing in front of the newbies to my training course from hell.

"'If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight! Even if your ruler forbids it.' Sun Tzu said that, and I'd say he knows a little more than you do pals, because he wrote the book on it! And then perfected so that nothing could beat him on the field of battle! When I'm through with you sorry sacks of scum, you will become an instrument of divine retribution, and rain down judgment upon our enemies!" Shining had pulled out a notepad and was writing down my speech.

Wendy raises a hoof. "Whats a zoo got to do with this?"

I give her a flat glare. "What you just said, is the most insanely idiotic thing I have ever heard. Everyone here is dumber for having listened to it. May Celestia have mercy on your soul." She visibly deflated. "Now the first thing on our agenda is psychological warfare, do any of you maggots know what that is?" Silence. "You scumbags are more hopeless than I thought! Sometimes, your greatest weapon, is your foes own imagination. The phrase nothing is scarier, is more literal than you think! By remaining unseen, you can neutralize targets, and leave your does scrambling to figure out what the fuck just happened! And then you can isolate them, and use their worst fears against them, to obtain whatever info you need, as well as leave a quivering husk of their former selves for their allies to find!" Surrounding myself with miasma, I took the form of what I had beaten Chrysalis with. "Let their nightmaresss come to life, and watch assss they sssscream in absssolute fear..." before turning back, and savoring the looks of absolute terror on their faces... Before Wendy began laughing, her mane having visibly deflated, and her eyes narrowed psychotically.

"Hehehe... oh, we are are going to have so much FUN together... ravaging both their bodies and their minds until they WISH we had killed them... It fills my heart with joy..." I heard a faint 'buck she went Wendygo again' but couldn't figure out who said it.

Turning to Lyra I smirked. "Their all yours..."

She smirked back knowing where this was going. "With pleasure... So which one of you punks is gonna fight me first?" Impulse, predictably, was the first to step up... and got wrecked within twenty seconds.

Wendy, or i guess Wendygo right now, leapt at Lyra, and dodged the first few blows, before falling for a feint, and getting destroyed within a minute.

Flint lit himself on fire and bum rushed her, hoping to catch her off guard, only to be knocked out by a buck to the face.

Larry shook his head, and attempted to attack from the air, but was grabbed and plowed into the ground.

Rushdown charged her, and LET himself be hit, before spinning and delivering a cross counter to Lyra's gut, causing her to double over in pain, and then uppercutting her, only for Lyra to use the momentum to flip, and deliver a double hoofed kick to the chest, knocking the breath out of him, before pinning him, and placing a hoof on his neck, saying "you're dead."

Lyra rushed Dovah, who steeled herself, before launching a crippling counter offensive, striking Lyra in every join she could reach, and leaving her moaning on the ground. She hefted her up gently, before putting her on her back. "It should take about twenty minutes for the pain to subside, you'll be perfectly fine after that." Damn, she's a kirin, and a COMBAT medic! I watched as she gently roused the others who had been knocked out, and applying some kind of salve to their bruises, all while humming a happy little tune that reminded me of rainbows and pop tarts. I couldn't help but 'dawwww' at the sweetness of it. How can she be so cute, yet so badass.

"At least SOMEONE can defend themselves in hoof to hoof, unlike the rest of you nutjobs, and Larry..." Larry raised his hoof to object, but then realized what exactly I had said, and kept quite. "Now then, lets really begin..."

So after a month doing the training from hell, which included waking up at two in the morning, and running through the Everfree...

"ALLRIGHT CHUMPS, GET YOUR SORRY FLANKS UP AND LOAD UP, WE'RE GOING FOR A RUN!!" My declaration was met with multiple groans. "QUIT WHINING AND START RUNNING, OR DO YOU WANT TO RUN A SECOND LAP THROUGH THE EVERFREE?" They shut up after that.

as well as an explanation to Shining...

"Chi, don't you think you're being too cruel?" Shining had become rather concerned over my training method.

"Thats the point, they will put aside their difference and unite over their hatred of me." Shining paused for moment.

"I never thought of like that... it's bloody brilliant!" He began scribbling down more notes, muttering about putting Blueblood though this, which i agree with wholeheartedly.

And that was just me. Lyra's sparring sessions usually ended with dislocated limbs.

God, Lyra can be vicious when she wants to be, so far I've seen her dislocate Impulse's front right hoof, dropped Flint onto her knee hard enough to leave him crying, and she REALLY hates Rushdown, she sacked him AND THEN dislocated his left wing,and twisted it to inflict even more pain. Dovah still won against her half the time, using her anatomical knowledge to her advantage, not to mention she could tell what was dislocated at a glance, and not simply sprained.

The sword training with Courage resulted in a lot of cuts, especially after Wendy stopped using a sword and started using a hatchet, that she dubbed 'Mr. Choppy.'

Wendy was nuts, she had tossed aside her sword, and was laughing. "Ohhh Courage... Mr.Choppy would like to have a word with you..." and then pulled a hatched out of nowhere, and started going at him with exponentially more skill than she did with a sword. They kept going, and going, until they both collapsed, covered in cuts, from exhaustion, much to everyone's shock.

And lets just say that letting Tavish, Impulse, Wendy, and Flint work together resulted in the training field looking like the result of a Michael Bay movie.

"You're saying that you made an incendiary cluster bomb? And set it off in the middle of the goddamn training grounds?!" They all smile innocently.

"Because why the buck not, we did it for SCIENCE!" Oh god why... At this point Larry walked in, and upon seeing the destruction, walked over to wall and began slamming his head into.

"Why *slam* do I *bam* put up *wham* with you *smack* PSYCHOS!!!!" *CRACK* he had headbutted his way through the wall, and was now unconscious.

"Uhhhh, someone should get Dovah..."

This torment had finally gotten our little group up to snuff, and we were preparing for our first raid, on a den disturbingly close to Ponyville. For some reason I swear I heard someone doing a Vader impression.

Larry had become unbelievably snarcastic, and had started using a short sword as well as throwing knives. Dovah had developed a bit of a sadistic streak, as she claimed she made her first aid hurt 'so they would think before doing it again.' Wendy had apparently developed a seventh sense, that seemed to warn her of incoming attacks moments before they happen. (fun fact, changelings can sense emotions.) Rushdown had dedicated himself to close quarters combat which combined with the clawed gauntlets he wears, allows him to fight like goddamn Wolverine, and stealth, as he was now able to sneak up on Wendy and Pinkie without being noticed. Impulse could use nearly anything as a weapon, be it a wooden 2X4, a frying pan, or even a sandwich. (you do NOT want to know...) Flint had apparently managed to start delivering flaming punches shaped like a phoenix, at which I told him was a very good thing, as it meant his masculinity was so awesome it caught fire.

It was around this time that Spike burst in, hyperventilating. An incoherent stream of words flew from his mouth, before I placed my hoof over it. "Now when I remove my hoof, you are going to speak calmly and clearly, okay?" He nodded rapidly, and I removed it.

"Rarity... Gem hunting... Diamond dogs... Captured... Again..." he was still breathless from running all the way here. Well that both simplifies and complicates things.

"Changelings and gentleponies, there has been a change of plans, the diamond dogs have gotten one of the Bearers. We're moving out tonight!"

-Ribbon, things have taken an unexpected turn, the mutts got Rarity. I'm going to have to mobilize Tenchu squad early.-

'Rarity? She was one of my best customers. I haven't heard anything from her since the wedding.'

-More than likely trying to figure out what a changelings idea of fashion is.-

'We don't have one, we can change size, weight, and color. No, I think she is maybe avoiding us.'

-Perhaps after, we can sit down with her and talk about why she's been avoiding you.-

'I know why. I was feeding off her and her sister for... awhile, and she knows it. every Spa visit, every sitting for Sweetie, and every time I gave her an order she liked. '

-Well, shit, that makes it very complicated, at least with me around that isn't a problem for you anymore.-

'I wonder how Ponyville has been since Pinkie's full of energy again.'

-Everything she bakes is somehow imbued with happy. And no, I have no idea how she does it either...-

I get no response. I think Ribbon just BSOD'd.

The moon had begun rising, it was time. "Okay, heres the plan, Dovah, you work on freeing the captives, and providing them medical attention, Flint, I want you to keep the diamond dogs off Dovahs back. Impulse, Rushdown, and Larry, you three make sure that the captives get out safely."

Larry piped up. "What about you and Wendy?"

The two of us smiled wickedly, and shifted my form to bone white changeling that had destroyed Chrysalis, managing to get the black eyes without using dark magic this time. Meanwhile, Wendy had changed into the form I had told her about, she had taken the form of an apparently, petrified pegasus, covering her face with her forhoofs, before with the sound of stone grinding on stone, they fell revealing her face twisted into a demonic snarl. Heh, seventh sense that allows you to tell, among other things, when you're being watched, and the ability to shapeshift, means you can do a spot on impression of a Weeping Angel. "Letssss jussst sssay we're going to sssstir up a ssshitssstorm...."

-hey Ribbon, how do you walk on walls, because I just had a crazy thought. If I transformed into a changeling, would I be able to walk on walls like you do?-

'Uh, if you thought to give yourself that then, I guess so. among other things.'

-Among other things... You have my interest...-

'Well, what do you think your basic drone can do? I can tell you if you're right or missing something.

-What about that gel stuff? It might come in handy.-

'Alright, Changelings, instead of a 'normal' stomach, have sac used for gel. Anything we eat is turned into gel and kept there. If the sac needs emptying, we throw it up.' meh, could be worse, it could come out the other end. Letting my miasma enshroud me, I made the necessary changes, before letting it dissipate.

We made our way to the gem fields, where after me and Wendy out of sight, Dovah slammed the ground with Kaminari, trying to get the dogs attention.

It worked, and a paw rose from the ground to grab Dovah, before Rushdown grabbed it, and yanked the dog out, before slamming it headfirst into the ground, K.O.ing it. Now that we had our entrance, the pony jumped down, while me and the changelings simply walked down the sides of the tunnel. After everyone got out of the way, Wendy plummeted down, before landing on the ground, and kicking up dirt. With the plan already discussed, me and Wendy went on the prowl, Wendy leading while I followed on the ceiling, looking for someone to interrogate.

When Wendy suddenly froze, I pulled myself up against the ceiling, where I was hidden by the shadows. Three sets of footsteps echoed down the corridor. "We got whiny pony again, this time we muzzled it, so no annoying sounds." The voice was coming from the large black one. They must be talking about Rarity.

"Hey Lupin, when we get pony statue?" This one, small and brown, turned to the black one, looking confused. Using telekinesis, I made a rock tumble from the wall behind them, causing them to spin around in fright...

Wendy bolted up to the third one, this one lage and grey, before audibly snapping his neck. The noise caused them to spin around again, just as I positioned my self over head. "Wha- IT KILLED FANG! IT KILLED FANG, GROWL, IT KILLED HIM!" Lupin screamed, causing the one named Growl to begin trembling. Lining it up, I dislodged a small portion of my glands contents, which felt weird as all hell, and hit Growl in the eyes. "ARRRRGH, MY EYES!" Lupin spun to look at try and get it off him, but Wendy was upon him almost instantly, and with a feral snarl on her face, she broke Lupins neck, before Growl managed to pel the gel off. "NOOOO IT GOT LUPIN!! YOU MONSTER!!!" I channeled a small amount of dark magic, not enough to form any crystals, but enough to cause the bleeding eye effect.

*Drip* A droplet of blood landed on Growls snout, and his eyes widened greatly. I motioned to Wendy to leave this one to me.

*drip* Growls head slowly turned up. Upon make eye contact with me, I hissed, and pounced, putting him in a chokehold before he could scream, and waited until he passed out before releasing him. Holding him against the cavern wall, I regurgitated more of the glands contents, shuddering as I did so, and adhered him to the wall. Wendy made sure to stand right over my shoulder, before covering her face, while I slapped him awake.

"Huh, wha-" he froze, noticing me and Wendy, and struggled momentarily before realizing he was stuck to the wall.

I began laughing madly. "Now then..." I gently caressed his face with one of my forehooves. "You are going to tell me where you're keeping the poniessss and changelingssss you've abducted." I began crushing his face against the wall. "And I may jusssst let you live, otherwise..." to prove my point, i caused a spike of crystal to erupt close enought to his face to cut him slightly. I lean in and lick the cut, faking a shudder of arousal. "I going to have sssso much FUN with you..."

"I TALK, I TALK! THE ENTRANCE IS IN IN THE ALPHAS DEN, ITS CONNECTED TO THE CENTRAL CHAMBER!" Having gotten what I wanted, I ripped him loose, and held him up to my face, and roared, before dropping him and watching him flee.

"Run little mutt, run! Tell them that the Blood Moon has risssen, and will rain divine retribution upon you for your crimessss!" I began laughing, and watched as Wendy laughed silently, before reverting to her changeling form, out of breath.

"That took... A lot more... Energy... Than I... Expected... Needed... A lot... Of extra... Mass... For something... My size... Totally... Worth it... Though..." she paused, letting her breathing calm, before resuming. "We know where they are keeping the captives now, we need to tell the rest of Tenchu squad." I nod my agreement, and we walk up to the ceiling, and began trekking back to inform the squad on the captives whereabouts.

Upon getting back, Wendy dropped from the ceiling, and moved down to meet them. "We got the captives location everyone, behind the alphas den, which is connected to the central cavern, lets move it!"

We met no opposition on the way there, because as it turns out, every last diamond dog was there. Our strategy was simple, we would go for shock and awe, hopefully scaring them into surrendering. The plan is simple, once we determined who the alpha was I was going to go old-school on their asses. "Guys, when I transform, I want you to get on my back, and start blasting stuff." They gave me looks of 'what the deuce?' "You might want to back up..." when they saw the amount of miasma I was surrounding myself with, they backpedaled rapidly.

From the cloud erupted a beast the likes Equestria had never seen. When I said old-school, I meant old as in 65 million years old... I was now a motherfucking T-Rex. Seeing what I was going to do, they clambered onto my back, before I began charging.

*THOOM* every single diamond dog turned towards the source of the noise, confused.

*THOOM* when they realized It was getting louder, they began panicking.

I came barrling from the shadows, roaring, Dovah adding her own roar as well. It was abouyt now I realized that I was tiring extremely quickly. Following the sound of screaming ponies and changelings, I plowed through the rather narrow entrance to the alphas den, before bulldozing my way through like a freight train hitting motorcycle, not even slowing before reaching a large cavern full of cages, contain ponies, and changelings alike. Unable to take the strain any longer, I reverted to my normal form, me and Impulse skidding along the ground, while the others simply hoverd. Dovah immediately got to work, and began bringing Kaminari down on the cages locks, breaking them, and setting their occupants free. Larry looked down the tunnel we had emerged from, and froze.

"Oh buck! That has got to be the entire pack!" Crap! And I'm nothing but dead weight right now! I can even lift my head... I could feel darkness encroaching upon my vision, when I heard the sound of crying, children crying... Something in me broke, and an inferno of hellfire flooded my body. I HAD to get these ponies and changelings to safety, even if it kills me... When I opened my eyes, I was viewing myself, yet when I tried to move, nothing happened. I watched as the very shadows of the cave flowed towards my body, before puddling around it, and seemed to disappear. My body rose off the ground, floating.

That was when things went to hell.

My eyes snapped open, bathing everyone in the same bluish-green as my magic, and a wraithlike scream emerged from my throat. Ponies and changelings were enveloped by the glow of my magic, before disappearing. When It was just me and the diamond dogs, my screaming intensified, and my body arced, pain beyond pain shooting through my body, and I released a shockwave of magic, knocking the diamond dogs over, before releasing a second shockwave of dark magic, causing crystal to erupt from every available surface, impaling a large majority of the dogs.

*Rumble* nooooo, not good, not good at all. Suddenly, pieces of the cavern ceiling began tumbling down around me. This is very bad, I don't want to get crushed... I had no magic left in me, and was on the verge of blacking out, when I saw the weirdest thing, my body seemed to dissolve into miasma, and the cloud just hovered there, as I felt rocks and dirt pass through me, scattering me, it did feel weird, but it didn't hurt. I finally passed out after that, the stress and fatigue finally taking its toll.

God... I feel like an overstretched rubber band, really overstretched. I could FEEL multiple forms moving within me, as well as spikes and what felt like a pile of something, suddenly, one of the forms bolted to the pile, and began digging at a frantic pace, before the other forms swiftly joined it. When they didn't find what they were looking for, the first form collapsed to the ground., and appeared to begin crying. Goddamit Chitsuki, pull yourself togeth- suddenly memories of the cave in came rushing back, I had dissolved into a cloud of miasma, and had been more than likely scattered by the falling rocks. I literally needed to pull myself together... focusing on my original form, I felt myself beginning to shrink, and heard a familiar gasp from the sobbing form. It was Ribbon! She must have been looking for me! As I shrunk to my original size, things began becoming clearer, as I began solidifying, upon finishing the process, I was Glomped by Ribbon, and but in an ungodly strong death grip. Can't breath!

"Too tight... Need air..." can't oxygen, need think...

"Don't... Care." She slackened her death grip, and I inhale sharply, before the pain hits.

"Ohhh gooood, my heaaaaaaaad..." I clutch my forehead, right below my horn.

Ribbon gives me a sympathetic look. "Magical exertion will do that. Come on, lets get you out of here."