(Waterfall Overlook)
(1 hour later)

Zeko was in a state of meditation trying to take his mind off of what happened earlier in the day. “I can’t believe she wanted to lock me up for protecting the Harmony girls. In hindsight you should’ve been expecting rainbow colored pony people world to be harsh on those who aren’t nice.” He internally debated but didn’t show any outside distress at his own conflict.

“So that’s the target... I’ve seen what that weird eye thing can do but he’s not paying any attention. I’ll get that eye myself and then Queen Chrysalis will conquer all of Equestria and She’ll make me her king.” The Red Claw double agent thought, dagger in hand he prowled towards Zeko who didn’t seem to notice the assassin. “The poison on this dagger will knock him right out, then I get him to the hive and we take his powers!” The drone slowly crept closer to Zeko as to not alert him, slowly raising the dagger as he prepared to stab his target.

“So should I just stay still and wait for you to kill me or something?” Zeko said in a blunt way aptly making his would be captor jump back.

“How did... I’m as quiet as a mouse and you heard me!” He was angered that his known stealth wasn’t able to get him what he wanted

“I was meditating, y’know when you focus on your surroundings as a whole?” The Red Claw member was confused at Zeko’s questioning; “Whatever, so why are you trying to kill me, need some money?”

“I-I’m on a mission to get you and your powers back to my leader so I can be her lover and we can rule Equestria toge-“

“Let me stop you right there.” Zeko interjected. “You want to take me to your superior and take my power so you can take over... and you think she’ll just make you her lover because of that?” The assassin nodded dumbly and raised his dagger

“She’s going to reward me since I’ve figured out your powers, you need to see me to move me with your magic and if you can’t move you can’t fight. He didn’t bring that sword either and all I need is one cut for the poison to win!” The Red Claw member got into a fighting position

“So before we get to this can I get an idea of who you are or will I just have to figure that out myself?” Zeko asked the slow approaching assassin

“Like I’d ever disclose information like that! Either I’ll die here or you get captured!”

“Well then I’ll let you know something... I’m not going to get serious, in fact I’ll disrespect you with some nice raps.” Zeko moves his hands to match his wordplay. The RC member rushed to him

“You’re gonna lose.” He lunged to Zeko who dodged the thrust

“I’ve got a quirk your words made me smirk but you should know I’ll bash you into the dirt.” Zeko practically danced around the poisoned blade as his foe only got irritated

“Stop doing that!” The assassin said, shooting a spell that acted as cover letting him move to Zeko’s side and throw a smaller dagger at his target and follow up with a stab

“Only thing that’ll kill me is a jinchuriki, so get back before your spine gets cracked.” Zeko caught both weapons and kicked his enemy into a tree. “You started this fight with a major oversight, your pursuit of power will end with you in a cower.” Zeko juggled the daggers and sent them back to their owner fast enough to crack the tree

“I can’t do this alone can I? I might have to fall back and contact the others.” The assassin got up and pulled a small red crystal out.

“Is that some kind of a secret weapon? If that’s your plan then you should be stepping.” Zeko rhymed once again causing the assassin to point the crystal to the sky and shoot off a flare; “Hold up did you just send a signal up? Was that a warning so your allies can come running?”

“That... rhyming... it’s pissing me off... But when some of the family gets here you’ll have to die, maybe I can get your powers in death.” As if they were listening to the very call of their ally, four assassins leapt from the forest canopy. One was a tall male Griffon with red plumage that Zeko figured was dyed and was holding a large sword, two of the new arrivals were twin earth pony stallions with hoods and masks covering their faces and both had one sword that looked as if they were halves of a whole weapon. The final member was a Unicorn mare with a mane that was red much like the Griffon’s

“So Pod, you needed us to take on that kid that the higher rank got paid to tail?” The mare asked the assassin now known as Pod

“He’s better than he looks Mist and he’s making some terrible rhymes to distract me.” Pod spat to the mare who was scowling at her name being revealed

“If you’re just gonna argue, Pod and Mist, maybe relieve your tension with a passionate kiss.” The two in question stopped glaring at each other and blushed, the Griffin started laughing and the twins looked as if they were holding back their laughter

“Did he just... *cough* I can’t stop laughing, it’s hard to breathe!” The Griffin said between fits of laughter

“S-Shut up Rhyken, he’s just a dumb kid acting funny!” Mist said to the Griffin who was past his laughter for the moment and sported an expression of playful doubt

“Hey fool you don’t have to be a tool, be as nice as I’ve been like your good friend Rhyken.”

“Here he goes again, he has no lyrical talent either!” Pod took his knife back out and his allies were wielding their weapons excluding Mist who was simply standing with her hands on her hips. “Yes I needed help, he’s better than I thought so let’s just kill him it was the job right?”

“If you can’t decide who will make an incision then allow me to make that final decision.” Zeko sprung at Mist with his arm cocked back, fist ready to strike but his mark vanished into a cloud making him slam into the ground; “That must be why they call her Mist.” Zeko looked around and saw Mist behind the others

“I’ll shut him up!” Rhyken charged at Zeko with his blade and slammed it into Zeko’s shoulder, the force put a crater under the two as well. “Pod you needed our help when he just stood there and took it? Talk about a waste of time.”

“Call that a sword? Better used for striking chords, my blade would make your life fade maybe you should stay away to elongate the arrival of your final day.” “Zeko’s” shoulder dropped and turned to sand that held Rhyken’s weapon leaving him to be struck in the chest by the real Zeko and knocked away

“How *cough* did he do that?!” Zeko grabbed Rhyken’s sword and tossed it back the Griffon who was holding his chest

“Thinking you can win, you’d be surprised by my grin. Knowing that you’d die
I can see the amount of intelligence between you isn’t very high.” Zeko twirled in place while taunting his enemy making the two stallions step forward

“Your end will be met-“ One started

“By our blades” the other finished as they rushed to Zeko, preparing to cut both of his arms off but nearly killed each other when he ducked under the blades and slammed his fist into the ribs of one and grabbed the other’s sword

“Only thing that’ll kill me is a true jinchuriki, go get back unless you want your spine cracked.” He broke the sword and threw the hilt at the twin on the ground, rendering him unconscious

“Dusk!” The other twin tried to get to his unconscious brother but was stopped by Rhyken

“He’s still alive, we need to figure out a way to beat him and fast.” Rhyken looked at Pod who had been following Zeko the most and had the most knowledge on him

“If we all go at one he won’t be able to process it, there might just be a chance if we work together.” Pod said causing the other three to get into fighting positions

“I hope you guys are ready to fight because the sand shark is preparing a killer bite, one of you won’t go the same as the rest cause I have something that I need to test.” Zeko looked smug and there was only the sound of the waterfall until Pod rushed forward and tried to cut Zeko but his wrist was grabbed rendering him helpless

“Agh! Rhyken now!” Pod caught Zeko’s other arm and held him while Rhyken prepared to cut Zeko’s head off

“If it’s my head you want to slice I have to say that won’t suffice!” Zeko fell back and kicked Pod into the oncoming blade, forcing him to the side with a large slash on his back

“Daybreak!” Mist signaled causing Zeko to be stabbed in the stomach from behind and slump his head down; “YES!” The unicorn thought once she realized this wasn’t a replica of sand

“We have won but I must admit you were a strong adversary.” Daybreak said as he removed his sword from Zeko who somehow still stood

“Here I thought I wouldn’t get hurt that bad...” The Red Claw members paused once they heard that voice; “But this has to be something rad.” Daybreak got ready to fight but ended up with a hand around his throat cutting off his air supply.

“H-How is he still alive?” Mist asked no one in particular

“I-I don’t get it... the sword went right through him.” Pod added while Rhyken remained silent

“It was a really good attack but you missed my vitals so I managed to heal some of it so I could still fight, having some tailed beast chakra really gets useful.” Zeko thought as he thought about his next lyrical insult.

“Daybreak’s still getting held, we have to-“

*CRACK* *THUD*

Rhyken was interrupted by the sounds that came from Zeko’s direction and the group saw Daybreak laying on the ground with a loose neck. Pod seemed the most shocked since he never thought anyone who wasn’t an assassin or soldier would be able to kill another without hesitation. “H-He just...” Mist started before turning to vomit

“The fight you initiated in good health will leave you humiliated in death, now I’m ending this prolonged scrap with a dangerous attack. My chakra rods will pierce your bods and leave you lying, then you’ll understand the pain of dying.” Zeko brought a hand up and drew a sharpened chakra rod from it as he walked over to Dusk and stabbed him through the chest making Rhyken drop his weapon and take a step back

“How c-could you? They w-were brothers a-and they...” Mist couldn’t form a full sentence after seeing two of her partners die with such little resistance

“So unlike me they’re probably trained to face those who aren’t good fighters. That explains the sloppy movements in their attacks.” Zeko thought as he gained two more rods and began walking towards the remaining assassins. Rhyken began to sweat and did something his allies thought unthinkable... he tried to run away

“I DON’T WANNA DIE!” He yelled as he got to the edge of the trees letting his allies feel abandoned but were brought back by Zeko summoning a Cragadile and sending it after the fleeing Griffin

“That’s quite the embarrassing show to display, just shows who your real ally was today.” Zeko said before throwing his chakra rods through Mist’s legs, pinning her in one spot and making her shut her eyes from the sheer pain

“Why does it feel like my head’s burning!?” Mist thought, thrashing as much as she could to distract herself from the crippling pain

“That’s because I’m influencing it.” Mist hears a booming voice but realized it came from inside of her mind and she’d noticed the haunting sight before her; “Having me push straight into your mind is a privilege but Pod will face an equal fate.” Mist looked back and saw that she was now on the ground with holes through her legs with blood coming out

“AAAH!” A scream from the woods had interrupted everything and Pod realized that the Cragadile caught Rhyken but his issue was Zeko standing over him when he grabbed the top of his head and Pod felt his mind being pulled away, his memories and knowledge leaving him slowly

“So you really have been watching my exploits, wanting to- Ok! That’s enough rapping for today. Wait, I knew something was off about your chakra... you’re a changeling? The hell is that supposed to be?” Zeko had gotten further into Pod’s memories and had seen what he’d been hiding, it was at that moment that Pod changed from a stallion to a bug like pony creature making Mist gasp

“Y-You’re a changeling... you were just using the family for information so you... you never cared about us.” Mist looked extremely dejected over Pod’s betrayal but by this point Pod was beyond the state of speaking as Zeko pulled his hand away and only he could see that a soul was coming with it

“I wouldn’t say that about him.” Mist looked up and saw Zeko coming towards her; “From what I saw he really cared about you guys but he was torn between the orders of his queen and what he felt for the Red Claw, you in particular.”

“You-You don’t mean that he?” Mist broke down and cried over the loss of her team and her inevitable demise

“Your team is dead and someone who loved you was a traitor, now Mist, you have to die.” The Cragadile had returned at this point with Rhyken’s body coated with bite marks and teeth. Zeko removed the teeth and threw them into the forest, then put a hand on Rhyken’s corpse and walked in her direction

“Why...?” Mist said through tears but stopped once Zeko took the rod from Daybreak’s body and walked over

“It’s time for you to die.” Zeko held the rods firmly and Mist was feeling something she hadn’t felt in some time... fear had been running through her then

*Squelch*

She opened her eyes and saw the rods piercing Rhyken, she prepared to say something but she then noticed that he was changing and turned to an exact copy of her, wounds and all; “Mist you are dead, and now you’re a new... person, pony, pony person? I’m still getting used to that.” Zeko looked back at Mist and saw that she was unconscious so he picked her up bridal style and leapt into the trees

==============================
(?????)
(?????)

A tall changeling was sitting in a throne among many eggs holding her head in pain; “AAGH! The hive mind has been broken, something happened to one of my elites!” The figure said in a warping feminine voice making other, smaller changelings run to her aid

“Queen Chrysalis are you ok?!” They said in unison

“I’m fine, go back to your posts.” They left at her order leaving her thinking

“How was the hive mind infiltrated? Only I can communicate through it freely.”

“I’ve found an infestation haven’t I...don’t worry I won’t be attacking you anytime soon...” A single eye said to her through her mind leaving her in a panic

“What’s happening to me, why is a link shattered?!”

==============================
(Everfree Forest)
(Zeko’s home)

“My legs and head feel sore but I feel like I’m laying on something soft like a bed of sand?” Mist thought before she snapped awake and saw that she was on a bed of soft sand with bandages on her legs. “How the buck did I end up here?” She tried to remember but only felt an empty pain in her head and stopped once a door opened revealing Zeko holding a bowl

“You’re up, perfect timing since I just tried a recipe a friend taught me.” He walked over to the bedridden mare and handed the bowl to her

“How did I get here, and why can’t I remember what happened?” She asked with a bit of caution

“You’re a Red Claw member who they believed betrayed them so they tried to kill you, I helped but you still wound up hurt.” Mist held her head and remembered fighting and other Red Claw scouts being killed but she felt no attachment to them so the boy before her was telling her the truth

“But The Red Claw is one of the most dangerous syndicates, they’re gonna Hunt me down now!” She started to panic but stopped when Zeko looked at her and said something reassuring

“I made them think you were dead and you don’t look exactly like you did before the fight.” He gave her a mirror and let her see her new appearance and the only difference was her injured horn and now pink mane she looked back and saw that he was leaving the room and uttered a simple

“Thank you...” Zeko walked out and shut the door meeting Zecora outside of the room

“How is she after your warping of her memory?” Zeko looked at the Zebra with a smile

“I can only hope that she can be happy not knowing exactly what happened and that we can give her a better chance now.”

Zecora smiled back at the shinobi who showed mercy to a broken mind but immediately wondered aloud; “We have befriended one but when shall the remainder of the Red Claw come?”

Zeko walked towards the door to leave the house of sand in silence but turned back to Zecora and said with confidence; “I don’t know when they’ll come but they should be ready for major losses.” He left the Zebra alone with the unicorn as he went off to do something else

“You always amaze me with your decisions, hopefully your goals will come to fruition.”

Author's Notes:

This... I’m truly proud of having Zeko taunt his enemies with those lyrics is an accomplishment to me

Also I don’t own the image of Tempest or “Mist” as I’ve named the character but she is a new person and we’ll learn a bit about her soon

Yes Zeko can now take souls and knowledge... it was either that or shifting his body into various weapons