The work of an engineer

A timid, tan coated, unicorn mare with pink and purple curls plodded heavily through town followed by a massive crowd of unhappy ponies. Eyes squeezed shut as tears now soaked her furry cheeks. She held her cow pony hat firmly to her head covering the magical object that had brought her so much discomfort. Her breath ragged as she sharply turns, skidding on all four hooves and dives quietly into a nearby bush.

She opens her light blue faded to purple, bloodshot eyes quieting her breathing slightly, letting them rush past now dividing in the search for her. She sank back against a corner of the bushes' trunk gently removing her tattered, brown cowpony hat looking up at the still glowing horn. "Stop, stop stop!!" She whispered quietly trying to shake off the energy to no avail. She then stared up at the sky questioning why such things would happen to her of all ponies. She was nice, she was kind, she'd never hurt a single pony! Yet, they all didn't see it that way. Her Wish granting talent was slowly getting in the way in a most unexpected way. Eventually the light faded as she breathes a sigh of relief staring at her dirty hooves in front of her as her expression marred in worry, self hate.

It was true, she hated herself for what she was, what her designated talent was meant to do... All she could do was stare up at the sky and ask, "Why?"

Metal saw a crowd of ponies passing his shop, he went outside to see what was going on out there

Revenant too, was drawn out of the back room by all the noise. He had made sure Star couldn't get up to any mischief before he left though. He scanned the surrounding area, he was quite familiar with crowds, and this one seemed to be searching for somepony. And, of course, he was bedecked in his shinning steel armour with his sword at his side.

The southern tannish mare glanced up at the cloth now fraying at it's ends. The magic salve used to dilute energy quickly fading only to notice two stallions, one grayish black with a red horn decked in armor, the other a much lighter grey, black and yellow streaks. She quieted her breathing yet again closing her eyes. She sat there silently as fear's icy cold tendrils coiled their way around her hoping and praying with all her might they wouldn't find her or make an accidental 'wish'. It wasn't her fault she forgot to re-stock the salve... She waited, the black, speckled veil of the leaves, the sun couldn't shine through spotted her coat as she repeated, "Please don't make a wish... please don't make a wish..."

Metal put on his hoof armor piece that was equipped with a few tools and a blade. He went out and walked quietly through the crowd of ponies to see who they were looking for

Revenant took a deep breath, and focused his senses. He also recalled from memory places he had hid from similar mobs in his past. He then looked over at the bushes the mare was hiding in. He took another deep breath, this was his least favorite spell to use, became a cloud of semi corporal shadow. He slithered into the bush , not making a sound as he retuned to his natural pony form. He acted suddenly, but just as quietly, using his magic to hold the mare's hooves in an attempt to keep her from running. He spoke softly and gently, ensuring that none would hear him "Please do not be alarmed m'lady, I mean you no harm." He was worried she'd try to run. He had no doubt she could get away if she put her mind to it, and he wasn't about to...forcefully subdue her.

Her ears perked up as she noticed the black smoke, thinking it was nothing she continued to stare out of the bushes, tears stained. Upon her hooves being bound and the voice being so near, she kicked, bit and bucked furiously, yet her strength was quickly sapped by the limit of the spell she'd just accidentally used as well as running for her life yet again. She let out a fierce scream as her mind became racked again with fear. "LET ME GO LET ME GO!! AH'LL DO ANYTHIN' YOU WANT! JUST LET ME GOOOO~" She begged for mercy, eyes began to tear up yet again as she looks into the eyes of her captor. She was now nothing more than a terrified captive mare.

"PLEASE... *wheeze* Ah'll do anythin' you want... just pleeeease..." Her sobs came louder and louder, Fear quickly turned into terror as a vision appeared within her mind of them eventually saying "I wish" for something horrible nobody meant... all it took was that and she'd have no choice but to grant it. The blue tape upon her horn now fell off in strands. "D-don't say... Just don't say I w-"

Metal kept making his way through the crowd as he heard something from a bush nearby, he moved closer and listended

Revenant knew he could trust Metal, so he left a hoof imprint in the dirt as he teleported himself and the mare to the edge of town. "Please...do not scream. I mean you no harm, I promise. From the look in your eyes, and the horn bindings...something tells me we are not different." As he spoke, he allowed his dark magic to ignite in his eyes.

"THEN LET ME GO!" She said turning around and giving the grey stallion a look of terrified fight due to the fact she is unable to flee. Upon seeing him do such things she broke free of the spell and backed away slowly, ears pinned squarely to her head. "Don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me..." The tears streamed down endlessly pointing her useless horn towards her opponent. She waited for the dreaded "I wish" statement as it seemed her blood turned of thick black ink. "Ah don't know who ya'll are but please... don't say..." She shook her head slowly back and forth.

Metal saw nothing but a hoofprint between the bushes "What in equestria was that" he said to himself

"You are clearly terrified of your magical gift, or whatever it is your horn does. I was the same way for a long time. I may use dark magic, but I use it to protect people. Please, let me try and help you." He smiled gently, extending his armoured hoof to her. "Please, I only want to help. I've lived a long, long time. I might be able to help you learn to control what you fear." His voice was even, and full of hope.

"Ah Caint control it! Ah've tried... You cain't even understand what Ah've been through. It's impossible..." She backed up some more glaring at him wondering where exactly he took her to. "Are ya here to kill me or throw me in the hoosegow?" Facing him, she raised one hoof, horn still angled towards the stranger wondering if he was even telling the truth.

Metal followed a few hoofprints till he saw 2 ponies near the everfree. He walked up to them and saw it was revenant.

"Yes you can. Just trust me, please. If I am wrong, I will let you go. Just please give me a chance." He shook his head "If I wanted to kill you I would have ran you through with my sword, and if I intended to take you to prison, I;d be doing myself in as well. Dark magic is illegal in Equestria."

Jessi continued to back away, now gritting her teeth and glaring in, not a furious manner, just enough to try to spook him. "Ah don't believe ya! Ah ain't never had any luck controlling the random th-" She instantly fell silent as she felt her horn spark to life yet again. "Oh no, oh no!" She quickly picked up the cowpony hat off of the ground attempting to cover the horn yet the beam shot through the top of her hat and continued it's journey weaving around the different trees up until it stopped in front of a random Manticore gathering up into a ball form then surrounding it and thus blowing it to smithereens!

Jessi looked on in horror as her talent had yet again betrayed her feeling a shrill scream escape her mouth as she dropped down cowering in the nearby bushes. She knew someone made a wish, and a wish for this manticore to just die. She sobbed noisily into the dirt seriously not wanting to be here. It was then she'd noticed the 'clockwork' stallion as seen before wondering if he was here to bring her in as well... She couldn't face what she'd just done nor the torture of what could have been prevented... All she cared about now, was running.

Metal jumped from a tree and landed right infront of them "so thats whats going on here" He said looking at them

"I fear this young mare cannot control her power, and seems to be in a state of extreme panic. I was about to use harsher tactics before you arrived." He frowns "I do loath to do such a thing, but I have an...artifact from my time that could help us, and perhaps her."

Jessi couldn't take the pressure and just fled while they were distracted with their talk. Attempting to be as silent as she could and bolted through the trees. Even the Everfree had to be better than this... right? She had no intentions of finding out weather their little tales were actually truths. Thinking she was far enough away, she acted behind a random tree clapping her ears shut. weather spoken or thought, their language or not, she clapped her front hooves over her ears wishing she could just be left alone and get more magic diluting salve and wrap... As she drew deeper into the forest, it slowly left behind the daily commutes and noises of Ponyville.

She gasped for air upon realizing she was finally alone and sank to the ground panting wildly.

"Um where did she go?" Metal said, pointing to a few hoofprints on the ground

"It would appear that she has fled into the Everfree Forest. This is unfortunate, as there has been a rise in timberwolf activity. We can not waste any time." And with that, Revenant lept into the Everfree. He silently stalked through the forest, following Jessi's tracks as best he could. He wasn't much of a tracker, but she left a pretty clear trail through the Everfree. Unfortunately he recognized this part of the forest, he had been here just a few days ago.

As he saw Jessi slumped against a tree, caught up in her own world. Which means he saw what she didn't, a pack of timberwolves slowly closing in around her. He sighed as he resigned himself to the beating he was about to take, and silently drew his sword from it's scabbard.

Right as one of the timberwolves went to pounce upon Jessi, Revenant burst out of the foliage with a terrible roar. He slammed into the thing's side and drove his sword through it's chest, killing it. He cursed as another dove for Jessi, and pushed her out of the way. As he took her place after shoving her the timberwolf crashed into his side, and there was a sickening crunch from underneath his armour. He let out roar of pure agony as one of his ribs cracked under the force of the impact. His rage and pain manifested itself as a wave of dark magic that burst forth from his horn, tearing the timberwolf to shreds. He spun around, facing down the last wolf.

His breathing was slow and labored, and there was a slight wheeze to it. His eyes darted over to where his sword was stuck in a wolf's corpse. He darted over as fast as he could, the wolf close behind him. He threw himself into a roll, worsening the cracked rib, and spun around with the blade in his magical grasp. They lunged towards each other, and right as one of the wolf's claws cut into his face he swung his blade upward, removing it's wooden arms and head. As he landed, he tumbled onto his side.

He took a few deep breaths before standing, and limping over to Jessi. Blood was slowly seeping out from underneath his armour, and from the cut on his cheek. He slowly knelt down, groaning in pain as he did so. "Are...Are you okay Madam?" His voice was strained

((I do apologize for being so late with this))

Jessi remained motionless staring at the ground with empty eyes, just lost within her own world not really sure what just went on around her. Hearing nothing but her own loud memories, she continued to stare at the ground. It seemed like ages before she lifted her head again to realize what had gone on around her. Upon realization of this stallion's sudden 'mauled' state, she let out a small shriek rearing slightly letting her front hooves do the talking as she kicked them around furiously.

"Don-Don't come any closer or Ah'll.. Ah'll... Zap ya!" Knowing very well it was a lie as she couldn't use her magic outside of a wish but hoping that kind of info was kept from her current foe. The unneeded struggle then paused as she then sat back down continuing to stare into the dirt in front of her. "Oh what does it matter anyways? Mah hat is gone... That hat may seem like just a normal cowpony hat to someone else but ta me, it was special... Now, what do ya want? Kick a mare while she's down?"

Revenant coughed a bit, breathing heavily. "I would just like to make sure, that the mare I just saved is okay." He looked back at his saddle bags that lay on the forest floor, using his magic to pull a crumpled cowpony hat from them. "Though, on the subject of hats, I believe this to be yours. I found it on the forest floor whilst tracking you." He smiled at her a bit and slowly walked to her, not wanting to startle her and cause her to run.