"Have you finally come up with a name to call you by? I wish not to call you 'human' by time's nigh."

"... Scorn, Zecora... Call me Scorn."

-----

Sunset loomed over Equestria, blanketing it with a beautiful orange hue in the sky as the town was working into its evening hours and shifts. Ponies still walked about as if it were daytime, but now they were only just getting the last remaining bits of items and shopping wares they wanted and/or needed before heading home and turning in.

Standing where he was before earlier today, Scorn looked over Ponyville, his ribs and veins lashing and flowing from his arms and chest. His cape was wrapped around him like a cloak, giving the impression that those chains and wires made from his bones and veins were parasitic tendrils. With his white eyes focused on the sunset, he walked forward, kicking up a little bit of dirt with every step of his boots. Stopping at the top of the hill, he turned his gaze down to Ponyville, glaring into the town as he threw his arms out, the chains and wires slithering back into his body as two spheres of red, electrifying magic engulfed his hands. Throwing his cape back, he jumped into the air and dove for Ponyville, cruising over the shopping district with his cape turning back into wings.

His aim was simple: look for any evildoers to help solidify the want for these creatures that pushed him around to fear, yet revere in his name. Hovering up to the peak of Town Hall, he grasped the tip of it as he surveyed the town. Given his costume, he was able to blend with the shadows nicely, only ever visible when his stripes would glow in response to magical usage. Keeping his eyes to the ground, he watched as everypony packed in and called it a day. Workers left, and soon managers did a well, leaving the stores to be locked up for reopening tomorrow. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary yet, Scorn sat back, taking a breath as he watched the sun set.

'So much for this town being a hotspot for trouble.'

"C'mon, c'mon; hurry...!"

"Quiet down, sister. We're comin'...!"

Scorn perked up as he stood on his feet again, looking towards the sounds of voices. He blinked as he watched several mares, all disguised or masked, going into Ponyville Bank a block down.

"Finally..."

Scorn grinned under his mask as silently flew over Ponyville, landing on the roof of the bank. Looking in through a single-paneled skylight, he watched as these mares used their magic to cut open the ABTM (Automated Bit Teller Machine), tossing the panels aside and gathering the gold coins from within. There were four ABTMs in total, one for each of the robbers. Knowing his opening when he sees it, he gently opened the skylight and used his cape to lower himself in. He didn't make a sound when he touched the ground, and remained there behind the masked mares as the shadows gave him a menacing edge to his appearance.

"Hehehe.~ Magic makes this too easy."

"I told you this was worth it."

"With this at our disposal, we can hit five other places tonight."

"Read my mind, girl!~"

Scorn hummed as he rose his head, his veins coming out and hardening into tangible wires once more.

"Is that a fact now?"

All four mares spun around instantly, their eyes widening behind their masks when they saw him.

"H-Holy shit...!"

"Who the hell is this?"

Scorn chuckled as he lifted his hands, letting the wires writhe.

"Your Angel of Death awaits.~"

They stood up and advanced on Scorn immediately, making him smirk as he was finally gonna get some action. Throwing his wires forward, he wrapped them around the crowbar one of them was holding. Tugging it to the side, he checked two of the four mares with it, snapping the second one's jaw with the force alone. Raising his other arm, he blocked the elbow strike from the third mare, wrapping his wires around her arm and forcing her to send a punch to the fourth, dropping her to the floor.

Lunging into the air, the cape suspended Scorn as he used his feet to literally pedal the mare into the wall. Pressing himself against the surface, he hung himself upside down whilst reeling back, dodging a fist flung at him from the first mare that tried to seize him. Grabbing her arm as she flung another haymaker, he spotted the second mare charging her horn. Using his wires, he threw the first mare into her, tumbling them both to the floor as the third ignited her horn, ripping him from the ceiling and holding him in the air.

"Hmm... Very sneaky of you. I can see you're the smart one."

The third mare smiled at that, happy to get the compliment enough to be distracted. Stringing his wires across the ceiling, he tagged them through a lone desk in the corner of the room, yanking it back and shattering it to splinters up against her back. Landing back on the ground, he approached the downed morsels he planned to use as examples. Grinning, he manipulated his cape to cover their faces. Bursting his chains from his chest, he let them poke and prod them, drawing down their stomachs and legs as Scorn's grin only widened at the possibilities.

'What way could set the best foot forward...?'

In his musings, he was unprepared for one of them to start firing magic wildly. Ducking under a shot, he kicked her back as the others were flung into the corner of the room, knocked unconscious as his wild attacker shot several dozen beams of magical energy everywhere. Leaning back from the last one, he turned to face her, only to stop when he heard an explosion behind him. Spinning around, he saw that the bolt of magic had struck a bakery across the street, most likely hitting something flammable as the whole place went up in flames.

Tensing at the sight of the burning gingerbread house, he looked down at the only awake crime mare. Stabbing one of the chains through her leg, he dragged her along with him as he sprinted out the door of the bank, rushing towards the bakery known as Sugarcube Corner by the sign. Dumping her at a fountain, literally, he amped up his speed and launched himself through a window. Rolling to a stop, he heard multiple screams and crying coming from upstairs. Running up to meet whoever was in here, he came across a chubby blue mare in the hallway above the bakery's main floor. Behind her was a lankier yellow mare, someone who appeared to be her wife.

'Same sex couples. Considering this world, I'm not surprised nor against it.'

He rose up his hand.

"You two, to me, now."

The two adults followed his voice, not caring about how it sounded. Pointing down the stairs, he directed them as he ushered them along.

"Go through the main door and do not look back. Are there any others inside the building?"

"Y-Yes! My babies!! I couldn't get to them! The door is blocked!"

"And Pinkie Pie! Help her, too!"

Scorn nodded as he rushed down to hall, finding the blocked door first and violently kicking it open. Seeing two foals in a smoking crib, he took them out before the fire could reach it, bringing them to his arms whilst gently wrapped in his wires. Hearing coughing coming from the door, he saw a pink mare with a fluffy mane stumble in. She wore charred pajamas that were decorated with multi-colored balloons. Her blue eyes were tearful and red, the inhalation of the smoke causing her to cough violently. Once he had the two foals in his arms, he backed up to her.

"Wrap your arms around my shoulders."

The mare attempted to speak, but only coughed some more as she complied. Lifting her up so she could do the same with her legs, Scorn ran for the window, shattering it as the roof burst with another explosion. Unable to glide through the air with his cape restricted, Scorn could only brace as he hit the ground with enough force to kick up a lot of dirt. Standing up, he shook the mare holding him off, letting her stand on her own as he handed the couple their children. Stepping back from them, he watched as the couple cried over their foals, and even letting the pink mare join the hug and patting her back as she continued coughing. The blue mare looked towards the bakery as it collapsed.

"O-Oh... Sugarcube Corner... It's ruined..."

The lanky yellow mare frowned sadly.

"All of our hard work... Gone..."

Scorn gave them a sympathetic look beyond his mask, lowering his head before turning it to the last crime mare awake. Storming towards her as she tried to crawl away, she looked up and gasped as Scorn stood over her, feeling his eyes burning a hole through her own as he shook with unbridled rage.

"You threatened the lives of the Ponies around you... all for a few petty bits...!"

His cape flew over his head, snaking around and wrapping around her head and lifting her up into the air.

"You threatened the lives of foals...!!"

He smashed his fists into the ground, staying knelt as his wires went through the dirt and up under the mare, wrapping her up tightly and cutting into her skin. Her screams were muffled under the cape as he ripped up his arms, tearing back his wires and skinning the poor mare whilst dropping her from her cape. Retracting the tangible cloth, he flared it out as it came back to his backside, encasing the skinned mare with it and hiding her from the world. Another scream came as a pulse of red flashed, then he released her, revealing only a skeleton with flesh and chunks of meat slushing onto the dirt. Glaring down at the dead mare, he lifted up his mask and spat on her bones.

"Your life's not worth a bucket of piss..."

He lowered his mask as he flew up into the air, landing on the rooftop of a nearby building just as a crowd began to form. Luckily, they didn't see him there, nor leave. They were horrified with the corpse, though, so that was the first step to getting the message across. Watching them all converge and express concern for the mares Scorn rescued, he turned to leave, but jumped as he found the pink mare behind him. Jumping backwards and almost attacking her, he stopped himself once he recognized her. She no longer wore her pajamas, and instead opted for a pink tank top with black shorts. Casual clothing, it seemed. She was nervously poking at her index fingers, looking up at him for a second before looking back down. Her fuzzy mane was deflated somewhat, and her coat's color had a grey tint to it.

"How did you...?"

"U-Um... I wanted to thank you. What you did was super-duper nice."

"Nice? There's nothing nice about this situation. Had I not have been there, you and your family would be roasted meat crammed under gingerbread wood."

She nodded.

"Y-Yes. We would, and that would be a major bummer, especially for Pound and Pumpkin."

We both looked down at the street, seeing the twins now relaxed and unharmed, though I doubt this won't scar them for the rest of their childhood.

"M-My name is Pinkie Pie, and I would throw you a party, but..."

She motioned to the building.

"I don't think any of my party favors and equipment survived..."

Scorn observed her as she seemed to deflate further. Humming, he motioned to himself.

"I do not have an official name, but most now call me Scorn, and if that building means so much to you..."

Scorn glanced at her before staring at the destroyed building. Looking down at his hand, he held it out towards Sugarcube Corner, closing his eyes as his hand glowed with a gentle red aura. The building quivered, then a bubble of sparking crimson magic surrounded it, a loud crackling boom startling the residence as it appeared. All the Ponies watched as time within the bubble seemed to go in reverse, going back to the fire when it raged, then back to the time before it was hit by the beams of magic the mare he killed sent towards it. Once he was sure he had the right moment, he released his spell, looking down at the building as he could hear the couple crying down below, exclaiming how their home was back. Pinkie's mane inflated once more as she, too, had tears in her eyes.

"I believe now you will be able to find your 'party equipment'."

He turned to Pinkie Pie, then jumped away immediately as she tried to jump at him for a hug.

"Heeeeeeey!!"

She jumped after him, chasing him through the rooftops before the two of them got back on the ground. Pinkie kept running after him, arms reaching for him as he kept jumping away.

"Your appreciation is not necessary...!"

"Come baaaaack! I wanna hug yoooooou!"

Scorn jumped away again, this time backflipping over the crowd as Pinkie ran through them.

"Scooooorn! Wait! It's just a hug! Please stop running from affection!!"

"Didn't ask for it! Don't need it! You're welcome! Go f*** yourself!"

He turned and accelerated, leaving the tailing Pinkie in the dust as he retreated from Ponyville, rushing back into the Everfree and towards Zecora's hut. As he was coming to a screeching halt, Zecora was outside collecting the last of her plants for a brew. She jumped and screamed as Scorn zipped past her, putting a hand on her chest as she watched him stop at a tree.

"Goodness me, what a fright! What has caused you such a plight?!"

Scorn grunted as he flicked the remaining blood away from his hand, using the Amulet to dismiss the suit.

"Sorry about that, Zecora. Just got back from stopping a robbery and saving a family from a fire."

"A robbery, you say? Tell me what has happened, what events transpired in this play?"

Scorn shook his head.

"Isn't really anything special, but it was the hook-line-and-sinker I needed to jumpstart my reputation. Now, Ponies will revere or fear me."

"And why were you running like you caused an uproar? You looked as if you were chased by a wild boar."

Scorn rose an eyebrow as the two collected the plants Zecora dropped.

"Is a boar pink, overly affectionate, and will stop at nothing to hug you?"

Zecora fired the look right back before realizing who he was talking about. Laughing as they went back into her hut, she dropped the ingredients off at the side desk near her cauldron.

"Ah, Pinkamena Diane Pie. A brash pony who's insistent on partying till she dies. If you are the one to rescue her, then Ponies will most definitely label you hero and villain in a blur."

"Really?"

He sat down on a stump remade as a seat.

"Why would saving that mare boost my rep?"

"She is known as the one to always bring laughter. An Element of Harmony she bears to make everypony's day brighter. Everypony loves her, and thus in turn, they will love a hero who can hold his liquor."

She handed him a glass of green liquid, which he downed with a few scrunches of the face.

"Gak-... Ugh, your taste in booze IS powerful, Zecora. I'm surprised you don't go to the local pub."

The Zebra shrugged as she went back to work. Yawning after a night like tonight, Scorn figured he could sleep in peace knowing he got what he wanted. Laying back in his cot, he closed his eyes as his gaze was fixed on the moon. Slowly falling into slumber, Zecora watched him a small smile on her stretching on her face.

"A hero you try to be, yet a villainous streak you leave. A Dark Guardian is birthed this day, and your name, from all mouths of Ponies, will they say..."

-----

"I'm tellin' ya! This guy came outta nowhere!"

Pinkie Pie bounced around the interior of Ponyville's residential library, her friends all gathered to hear the story of what happened at the bank and sugarcube corner.

"He was super-duper-terrifically amazing, but also dark and broody! Like Batmare!"

Her best friend, a cyan Pegasus, hovered above her.

"It's true, Twi! I saw this all myself! The gal was fighting off some mares trying to rob Ponyville Bank, then when one of them shot a beam of magic into Sugarcube Corner, she jumped in to save them! It was so wickedly awesome how she moved!"

A white Unicorn crossed her arms, showing an uncertain expression.

"While I agree with you, Rainbow Dash, darling, I simply can't approve of what has happened after."

Rainbow Dash blinked before remembering the slaughter that occurred after Pinkie's rescue.

"O-Oh, right... I forgot about that..."

An orange Earth Pony tipped her hat back, the same expression as the white Unicorn: Rarity donning her face as well.

"Ah gotta say, with everything that's happened, Ah can't tell if this feller's rotten or not. She saved the Cake Family, and Pinkie. That much Ah'm forever grateful for, but-"

"There has never been a single murder in Equestria for years..."

A purple Unicorn sat alongside her friends, her hand pressed to her chin as she looked down.

"The law made such a hideous crime punishable by execution in the past. Now, it's banishment to the moon for a year."

"Banishment to the moon? Can anypony SURVIVE up there?"

Twilight hummed as she leaned back.

"I can bet that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna could. After all, the Elements of Harmony WERE going to banish the latter to the moon herself, but they only changed her back whilst dispelling the spirit of Luna's grief into the Everfree until about two years ago. However, I don't think normal ponies would survive without their intervention, so it's possible."

The purple Unicorn shook her head as she stood up.

"But that doesn't matter. Ponyville, and by extension, Equestria, is being greeted with some sort of new neutral force. Many say she is a hero, some say a monster for what she did to that mare."

Rainbow tilted her head.

"So, like, an anti-hero?"

"I would say more along the lines of a lethal protector, yes, but without seeing her, I wouldn't be sure myself."

She turned to the desk she sat at.

"I should write to Princess Celestia about this. She may know more about this than we do."

Pinkie jumped up again, raising her hand high into the air.

"Oh! Oh! We should throw a party!"

"Pinkie, don't be silly."

"Actually, sugarcube, that might not be such a bad idea."

Applejack scratched the back of her head.

"Despite killing that poor girl, she did save many more lives today and yesterday. If it ain't for that, at least celebrate her heroism a bit. Plus, if yer so keen on pulling the Princess into this, y'all can invite her down ta meet her if she comes."

Pinkie stared at Applejack with a bewildered expression.

"Wait, what do you mean?"

Applejack turned back to Pinkie, confused as well.

"Huh? What do Ah mean by what?"

"You're all calling him a 'she'. He's not a girl."

A collective chuckle came from the group, save for a shy yellow Pegasus in the corner.

"Ah, Pinkie. You're such a card! Of course this hero's a girl. There's never been a stallion in Equestria for, like, thousands of years."

"Really? Well... she had a penis."

The laughter died as all eyes were on Pinkie now.

"What? I saw it under his suit. I'd say, maybe... six or seven inches, and his voice didn't sound feminine."

Twilight narrowed her eyes.

"Pinkie, are you ABSOLUTELY sure?"

"Cross my heart, Twilight!"

The purple pony said nothing for a moment, then spun around.

"Barb!! Take a letter! Quickly!! This must get to the Princess immediately!!"

Next Chapter: Chapter 2: Picnic In The Everfree {Edited} Estimated time remaining: 39 Minutes