"Alright is everyone in position?" I ask the ghosts using the eyeballs in my impromptu command room.

"All troops are in place and the imps are ready."

"The water bombs from the alchemy lab have all been delivered and are ready to go."

"Hear that squirt? That's what mommy made to stop the bad guys!" Blinking I turn to see Berry Punch and more importantly the unicorn next to her holding one of my evil toy minions. I inwardly cringe at this as no one but me knows where they came from and for good reason. Because they used to be children. I've even blocked those nosy Dark magicians from viewing the process. Even if I have to constantly update the security to do it. I block his view, he figures out how I did it and finds a way around it after several hours of prodding and I respond by updating the blocks in an endless cycle. I got all of the corpses from that dead world of Bronze's including the kids and though it's sad that they died, a corpse is a corpse without the soul that once owned it. Unfortunately others won't see it that way. 'Cough cough Celestia cough!' So after reanimating them I dressed them up as toys. Then I dollify them to make them look like simple toys. Thankfully that seems to have worked. I even tore one open to be sure that nothing would show what they were if defeated and all I found was fluff. Thankfully the doll Ruby is holding has had her weapon taken away though so it's fine.

"Berry...Who is this and why is she here?" I ask even though I know who she is.

"Oh hey boss." Berry said and I just noticed that this is the first time I've seen her sober. "This here is my rugrat, Ruby Pinch. It's take your kid to work day at school." Berry said proudly.

"...Take your kid to work day?... Today? During this big operation." I ask disbelievingly while being careful on what I say in front of the kid.

"Ya! I'm going to write a report and read it in front of my class!" Ruby cheered and I prevent myself from cursing. Some of my new minions can only be found in the forest above. Like the tribal cat people as well as the poisonous lizards which I’ve been training as battle mounts. I’ll have to make sure that she doesn’t see anything that would lead anyone here. “Um, miss princess fox lady?”

“Yes?” I asked.

“...Why is there a baby on your head?” Ruby asked in confusion. I look up at the little changeling escape artist who made her way into this place earlier.

“What? Do you mean my hat?” I asked her getting her to look at me funny. “She’s always escaping the daycare. Would you like to play with her? Then later you can take a tour.” I tell her.

“But I’m taking one now! Mommy showed me the potion room and the room with all the chains where the changelings were spanking each other.” Ruby cheered. ...I can only imagine the look on her teacher’s face when she hears that report...

“Yes but your mommy never cleared it with me so it needs to wait for a bit.” I tell her as I create a portal and gently lift her and the little changeling into it. Once the portal was closed I look to Berry Punch. “We’re going to have to discuss this after I’m done here.” I deadpan as I grab my water sword Rusalka and portaled to a massive square pit with some portals at the bottom that was created for just this purpose and I get ready to make some waves.

Elsewhere in the dungeon.

Ruby Pinch huffed as she kicked a toy. “I don’t want to play in here. I want to explore this place more!” She wined.

"OOF!" Ruby's attention was drawn to a changeling that dropped from the sky. The changeling groaned for a moment before pulling herself up and looking at Ruby with a smile but when she looked at the baby her face contorted in the way Rarity's did that one time there was a sleepover at Sweeties when they put a rubber snake on her pillow so that it was right in front of her face when she woke up. "Carmen." She said warily much to Ruby's confusion.

"What's wrong? It's just a baby." Ruby asked.

"Child this is no mere baby. She's Hoofdini in diapers! No mater what precautions we try she always manages to escape! It was for this very trait that Rin named her." The changeling said with a shudder.

"Princess Rin named here? Why?" Ruby asked.

"It is a changeling custom that the queen of the hive names each and every grub when it hatches. That is why most of my kind have numbers for names. This one was named after a master thief that vexed Princess Rin in her childhood." Ruby's eyes widened in aw at hearing this.

"She fought a master thief when she was a filly?" Ruby asked.

"That's what she told us when she named our little escape artist. Her name was Carmen Sandiego. And trust me it fits her w-" The changeling suddenly stopped once she pointed to where the baby was sitting before. "...No." She said as she frantically looked around the room. Darting from one end to the other searching under anything she thought the kid could hide under. "No... no oh no no no no no!" At this pointy the changeling was in near histrionics as her blue eyes darted around. "I-I... I need backup! Wait here." She ordered Ruby before teleporting out. Wow, she must be really good with magic if she can teleport.

Her thoughts were stopped by a clicking sound and she turned her head to see the baby changeling falling from the door, onto her rump before standing up and pushing the door open. “Did... did you just pick the lock?!” Ruby exclaimed as she followed the baby out of the room. Looking around as the door slowly closed behind her she saw the baby starting to climb the wall so she rushed over to grab it… and gave out a squeak as her hooves left the ground. Soon she was hanging from the changeling, who was walking on the ceiling to get past an alarm trap. “How are you doing this!?” Ruby exclaimed causing the baby to look down at her… by twisting her head all the way around. Ruby’s ears fold back and her eyes widened at the sight. “...Please don’t do that.” She whimpered. The baby blinked at her before facing forwards again and continued down the hallway with a tiny grunt of exertion from carrying the older filly.

Outside the Goodly main training facility

Tap, tap, tap, tap went the finger of Bloody Horns on the handle of his war hammer as he waited for the action. His fellow epic Unyielding Blade simply sat there sipping tea.

It's time.

"Finally!" Bloody exclaimed at my command as he stood up and gave his weapon a good practice swing.

"Ready the charges!" Unyielding ordered as she looked to the portal that was set up. After a short moment I swing my sword like crazy and the portal starts gushing water as two foxes quickly dig a path up to the entrance to the Goodly base for it to follow. Once the foxes are out of the way several dragons dig their claws into the doors and rip them off allowing the water to flood in. They waited for a short while before a group of skeletons started pushing small, red barrels into the flowing water and letting them be carried away. The two epics just looked at each other and gave a nod before going their separate ways.

In the underground training facility.

Everyone tensed as music started being projected into their base from outside. Readying their weapons they aimed at the entrance to their chamber ready to attack anyone that comes in. However instead of a monster, dragon or black knight water started flowing into the room.

"Damn them! They're not coming down! Their plan is to flood us out! Quickly, block the tunnel!" A pony knight shouted getting other goodlies to climb down the wall they set up for the first line of defense to help move anything that can block the water. As the head knight rushed forward with sandbags he noticed something odd. The water was parting around him. Looking down at his magic nullifying talisman around his neck he realized what was happening. "The water is conjured! Fire magic nullifying arrows at the entrance!" Following the order every archer on the wall let fly one arrow which covered the entrance. The knight grinned at the sight of the oncoming water vanishing before it could enter the room. "Alright, back into position!" As they moved back to the wall there was a loud explosion and screams of pain. As the knight fought the pain he looked around to see the walls and several goodlies including himself covered in tiny gems sharpened to the point of broken glass and the water was coming back in. Shrapnel? He thought as he saw a red barrel float down into the room. Several pegasi and griffons flew down and collected the injured.

As this was happening some of the archers that weren't hit noticed that the head knight dropped his nullifier talisman as he was being carried away and one of the barrels got within its range. BOOM! More gem shards went flying knocking the rescue team out of the sky and taking down a few more archers.

"They must be kept from exploding by an enchantment! They're made to go off when they get close to a nullifier!" shouted one of the archers.

"Buck! This entire wall was made into a nullifier! Grab the injured and fall back!" Another shouted as another explosion want off taking out a piece of the wall.

In the next room the goodlies were readying the canons when they heard the explosions. They believed that it would be heavy hitters that would be used to break through the first defence and set up weapons to take down whatever they sent in. They were surprised however at how quickly the first room defenders were coming in, some carried and badly wounded.

“Did they start out with a large monster?” One of the canon operators asked.

“No! They’re flooding us with conjured water that’s carrying in water mines with gem frags made to go off when they hit a null field!” The leader of this room blinked at hearing that. He had to admit that was a clever counter for their defense against magic.

“You men, in the back! Throw your talismans in front of the cannons to stop the water and when the mines float in, grab them and secure them to the side walls!” Following the order quickly several ponies and some minotaurs moved up to the entrance as the water was starting to flow in. An earth pony was the first to grab one of the red barrels which activated some runes in the barrel's band conjuring a swarm of wasps which began to sting him and the others on bomb catching duty. Gritting their teeth in pain they power through and secure the barrels. Unable to use nullification weapons to dispel the constructs attacking their comrades as that would just make things much worse other goodlies brought in planks of wood and quickly nailed them over the entrance in bars to block the water mines but let them see when something was coming.

Once the barrels were all secure and everyone waited safely in a null field which dispelled the small, stinging constructs and the injured were being taken to the infirmary deeper inside the alarm was sounded and the army of goodlies could be heard readying for battle. The attention of those in the second room however was drawn to fast movements on the other side of the wood blockade and a sound like woodpeckers as foxes started rapidly taking out the bottom planks allowing the mines to once more flow in. Thinking quickly one of the archers fired a nullification arrow into the barrels setting them off in a chain reaction. This caused many more injuries and a few deaths from the flying gems but it also caved in the tunnel blocking off the water.

“BUCK!” One of the goodlies cursed out loud as their plan to lead the fox’s forces through a meat grinder before escaping through the secret exit were shot. “What do we do now!?”

“...do you hear that?” A griffon asked. Now that the projected music had stopped everyone heard the sound of battle happening deeper inside their base and the sound of… Singing? Yes something down there decided that now that the music had stopped they would make their own. With the main entrance now caved in the healthy fighters abandoned their post to join the battle apparently going on deeper inside.

Deeper in the Goodly base.

A huge grin appeared on Bloody Horns's face under his armor as he marched out of the tunnel dug by the foxes along with his troops. He had a great deal of fun in the games and the Fluffy Dome but it was great to get back to the real thing. He also loved these goblin things among the mercenaries that his boss got from her city prison. They fall in line great with a good show of force. With joy he swung his war hammer which glew with magic right before it struck an enemy minotaur, increasing its mass for just a moment to the weight of a train cart which sent the goodly knight flying into the wall on the other side of the room that they had broken into. There was just one thing that was bugging him.

"Must you keep making those noises!?" He demanded.

"Pew pew pew pew." the T.W. Mark-1s said as they were fired. One stopped to look up to him. "Yes. It was in the instruction manual." She said as if explaining something to a particularly stupid child. He just groaned as he marched forward until he noticed one of the guys assigned to his group was stalking off alone.

"And where are you off to?" Bloody asked the bone claw.

"Hunting." Was Claw's only response before he vanished into the shadows. Bloody just shrugged and turned to the next wave of Goodlies as they poured in through the door. As the sound of battle rang out around him Claw stalked through the darkness and passage ways. Using the heightened sense of smell and hearing he got from his wolf head and the vision he got from the hawk eyes to keep track of the things around him. Once he picked up the sound of more grunts up ahead he checked a nearby door to see if anyone was on the other side and seeing nothing but a hall curving out of sight he crept in and closed the door. He was after bigger fish after all. Moving down the path without making a sound he turned the corner and stopped at the sight. He was looking at a giant goat head with one eye which he recognized as a hunting trophy. Looking down he read the plaque under it.

Arimaspi

Slain by Gotcha the third as it was atempting to climb up the castle of Griffonstone.

Tilting his head to the side Claw moved forward to see the rest of the room. Monsters, the room was filled with stuffed and mounted monsters. There were the occasional pony here and there but mostly monsters. However he did pick up on a few things that drew his attention. Some of the hunting trophies looked very... human. He moved up to one that looked like an undead old man that was taller than him and hunched over. From its arms it looked like it was starting to grow wings. In its right hand it was holding what he assumed was a bludgeoning weapon made from infected flesh covered in boils. He then glanced down at the pedestal.

Orphan of Kos

Slain by Sir Tracker in froggy bottom bog.

Moving over to the next one was a very female looking shape wearing some kind of deep sea dive gear and on one arm what had to be the biggest needle he had ever seen.

Red Eye

Slain by Fast Arrow in the Everfree forest.

The next one made him feel like he was looking at another hunter. It wore strange armor like a knight with what looked like wires comeing out of the back of its head as if to simulate hair. It had a rope with bones and a few skulls hanging from its armor and a strange looking spear like weapon in one arm.

Predator

Slain by Dirty Cheat near the Badlands.

The boss will want to know about this. Claw thought to himself as he moved on to the next one but was stopped by the sound of something snapping shut and the sound of bells. Looking down he groaned seeing that in his moment of distraction he had walked into some kind of bear trap that had been built into and was camouflaged by the patterns on the floor. Extending some of his claws downwards he attempted to pry it open and failing that tried finding any mechanical parts to get to. Unfortunately he was unable to even loosen the trap that now had his leg and he could hear quiet hoof steps approaching. Seeing no other coarse of action he retracted all but one claw and cut off the trapped leg. Leaning forward and allowing his knuckles to act in place of his lost leg he quickly crawled away into the shadows. Not long after that two earth ponies walked into the room. One with a distinct griffin eye looked around before focusing on the trap.

"Booby Trap. What do you see?" He asked the mare who walked up and began examining the leg.

"Undead. Looks like the leg of a panther but the bone structure has been altered for what looks like a bipedal shape. The structure of the paw looks like it was built for stealth and maneuvering through difficult terrain as well as high speed. The cut is clean showing no sign of hesitation." Booby Trap observed as she examined the leg.

"Very good... Booby, do you know where your brother is?" The stallion asked as he scanned the room.

"He left to aid in the battle. Why?" Booby asked.

"We're being hunted." Was his only response and with that the two moved into the shadows themselves. Claw was genuinely impressed that ponies wearing nothing over their hooves to muffle them could move so silently. He had lost track of them as soon as they were covered in darkness. He licked at his chops in excitement of the hunt and just barely moved his head out of the way of the bolt. I need to be careful. That griffin eye will allow him to see in the dark and with better detail than a pony eye will. But still... Claw grinned at this point. Rin had given his body the best parts for hunting that she could get from the animal corpses. His bat ears twitched as he listened for their location.

"-ber to take it alive. We need to interrogate any of them we catch to find out where your mother and the others are being kept." the sniper pony whispered.

"Yes father." The mare whispered back. Carefully moving around the room while using his ears to keep track of their movements so that he knew where to move to stay out of their line of sight. While using his eyes solely for spotting traps. But he knew he had to move quickly as a hunter he knew that they would figure out he could track them without sticking his head out quickly if they can't spot him. Once he knew that he was near the mare by her lighter hoof steps and the father's vision was obstructed by a pillar he risked peeking out and grinned viciously at what he saw. Payback time.

Booby moved impressively. Bouncing around her own traps or stepping in them without touching the triggers to set them off without even looking. Her eyes shifted about in search of Claw, unawars that he had already seen her first as her pony eyes weren't able to see in the dark like her father's could. It happened in a flash, just as her hoof landed in the trap built into the floor something shot out and hit the trigger before retracting at lightning speeds. Through years of honing her reflexes she quickly pulled her hoof up to avoid it. But as impressive as her reflexes were her trap making skills were far better. And the jaws of her own bear trap clamped tight around her leg, right on the joint attaching her hoof to the rest of her.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Booby screamed in pain making her father rush to her aid. Just as he was getting close to her Claw tossed out a grenade manufactured by Berry Punch. Faster than Claw could track the pony took out his crossbow and fired a bolt that struck the grenade so that it went flying over one of their trophy cases so that the bomb would go off safely behind it and hit the thrower. Unfortunately for him it was a knock out gas grenade and the gas quickly seeped over and around the case covering his daughter knocking her out cold just as she had gotten her hoof free. And Claw who got the stronger dose was immune as he was undead. Cursing the pony jumped back and hid again to avoid the gas and continue to hunt Claw.

One down, one to- Claw's thoughts were interrupted by a bolt that dug itself into the ceiling with a lit fuse. Once the sparks hit the bolt there was a bright light and an ear piercing screech. "AHHHHH!" Claw screamed as he covered his ears to protect them from the offending sound. Then a bolt struck him in the calf of his good leg and into the ground. Eyes widening he looked around but the pony hunter was out of his line of sight. Then he saw another bolt shoot off to the side, ricochet off a pillar, then a horn from one of the trophies and then flew at him. He quickly pulled the bolt out of the ground by letting himself fall back to avoid the shot but the moment he was out of cover another bolt hit him in the stomach and pinned him to a near by display case. As it didn't need to bounce off of anything it was much stronger and dug deep enough to pin him down.

"Move again and the next one will be an incendiary." The pony warned as he came out of hiding while holding up his cross bow. He gave a quick sidlong glance to make sure his daughter was okay.

"It was just knock out gas." Claw told him and he appeared to relax some.

"Now, you're going to answered some questions. Where are your prisoners being kept?!" The pony demanded. Claw had to grin at that.

"She got tired of them escaping so she locked them up in a cozy little prison in the Canterlot palace." Claw replied and a bracelet on the pony's foreleg flashed green making the pony frown.

"Where in the palace? We searched that place from top to bottom and no mater how cramped no amount of room could be left to hold that many prisoners...How many did she execute? Who is left!?" The pony demanded.

"The only ones who died did so in battle. The captured are still locked up. Safe and sound." Claw said making the pony's charm flash green again.

"How? Where?" The pony demanded and Claw just laughed. "Where!?" The pony demanded as he moved closer while pointing his weapon threateningly. Which was exactly what Claw wanted as one of his claws shot out and hit the crossbow while several others hit the pony's legs now that he was within range.

"You'll see soon enough. Mistress! I need extraction! And I have a prisoner!" Claw shouted to the sky confusing the pony until Claw, and by extension him were picked up by a giant hand, the symbol of Lyra's order of all things, and were whisked off to who knows where.

Author's Notes:

Well this took way longer than I wanted. I was aiming to get this out by Christmas eve but then things just kept getting in the way. Anyways I hope you all like it.