Venus Rising

by DWhay

Rating: mature
Tags: Tragedy, Sad, Romance
Length: 86914

An alicorn appears with a dark past and Fluttershy has to figure it out, but will she fall for him?

This fic was my first and the writing gets better every chapter as I get more experience.
A mysterious alicorn appears from the confines of the bitter North to take up a place at the twin alicorn's side, but he has a dark, complicated past and It's up to Fluttershy to figure it out… but will she fall for him in the process? Nightmares plague him and the shadows of his past don't rest. It's up to her to help him… or, should she fail, watch him destroy himself…

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-06-10 08:50:42 UTC

Cold Winds and Dark Guests

All wasn't quiet in the royal palace. Guards ran from room to room, searching for the source of a poorly timed cry of fear. No pony knew what had happened, nor the source of the dilemma, but still they searched the castle halls for the pony in distress. The atmosphere in the palace was bleak and the usually vibrant colors that adorned her walls seem faded and dull to the panicked crowd, who did their best to make themselves scarce. Eventually, the source of the scream was located, but by then it was far too late for the pony. Guards scrambled about in a frenzy trying to find a doctor. The occasional voice of "That's the third time this month" or "Why is this happening?" was heard from a terrified servant or royal. Finally, the voices were quelled and the crowd dispersed as Celestia herself ran into the kitchens in her night robes.

"What happened!?" She yells to the bystanders.

"Another servant … err" A guard tried to let it down lightly, avoiding her fierce gaze.

"Well?" The princess pressed

"Another servant was poisoned."

The usually stoic princess was struck silent. The news itself fell and struck like a hammer blow. Very few had the audacity or the resources to do this three times in one month. All the killings were aimed toward her and every one had the same grisly toxin involved.

"Do you think it's the same pony as last time?" She asked the Captain.

"Same poison, same liquid, same target and the same awful method of killing." He shook his head. "Slowly and very, very painfully. Whoever wants you dead has a very bad history with you, milady"

Celestia looked at her hooves and tried to think of who would possibly want her dead this badly. She was on good terms with all the royals and diplomats, as well as the ambassadors, as annoying as they were with their accents. True, there was the occasional political rival or rebellion, but those were poorly funded and were always found and crushed before they gained any real power. Besides that, they were all headed by a pony who was either poorly educated or just lacked the intuition of a true ruler.

"Close the castle gates. No pony gets in or out until dawn."

Later that evening the ruler of Equestria lay in her quarters. Her mind raced at a breakneck pace. until a sudden revelation appeared. All of these killings had happened during her royal address to the courts. A very momentous event that happened every week in which the ponies of her kingdom could freely converse with her about politics, current affairs, taxes and more .

'So, the killer needs me to be occupied before he strikes and knows I prefer some tea after court.' She infers. 'Clever, to figure my preferences and schedule.'

The news of the continued murders would prove to not be the only thing weighing on the Immortal mind that night. A letter was delivered to her by a messenger later that evening. The pegasus mare who carried the letter looked tired, dirty and sore from a very long flight. Thanking the weary messenger, she opens the old parchment and begins to read. At first her eyes were wide in wonder and excitement, and then she was torn between wanting to forget the letter and jumping for joy. But when she reached the last sentence on the page, she felt like shredding the paper, burning it and sprinkling the ashes over Discord's statue. This made things so much more complicated

Celestia burst into Luna's rooms.

"Have you seen this?" She asked, holding the letter up to her sister.

"No." A frown creases Luna's flawless complexion "I most definitely have not."

The two alicorns looked at each other and the older sister sighed.

"Any other time I would throw a gala so grand it would last a year and be sung about for all history. But… I can't feel good about this. No good will come of a third. "

"But sister… he's a " Luna began, but was cut off rudely.

"We'll take care of that later. For now we must prepare. I'm contacting my student and the rest of the elements. I want them here for this."

"Why? They aren't all as… couth as Twilight, you know." The younger sister mused, remembering her own trip to Ponyville.

"I may need that. Neither is the pony I'm negotiating with. And sister…" Celestia looks directly at Luna. "She' from the north and there… they own slaves. It's a very alien place with strange customs. Try to understand the situation I'm put in by this culture while we figure this out. I don't agree with it, but I must respect their customs for this exchange to be a success."

"You mean… they own other equines…"

"Mostly males." The sun princess finished her sibling's thought.

"We can't just take him?" said the rambunctious young alicorn.

"Not without angering our neighbors to the north. And I wish to not to start any war, especially with you adjusting."

"I'm not helpless!" Luna protested, suspicious that her older sister was coddling her.

"Maybe not" Celestia said sarcastically. "Regardless, our guest will be here tomorrow at midnight. Meet us in the throne room." She strode pompously out of the room. Luna scowled and shut her doors in an angry flash of magic.

The next day in the throne room the Elements stood in their line of six. Starting with Applejack and ending in Rainbow Dash, the line was in full royal attire (all by Rarity's make of course) and each looked up at the two princesses' on their thrones. Celestia's throne was the typical gold and red, but Luna's was silver with navy blue, with slightly more height to be level with her sister's. The windows depicting Equestria's history cast a miasmic spectrum of colors onto the room. In the dark, enigmatic glow of the moons distorted light the two rulers' eyes seemed to glow with an unearthly spark.

AppleJack squinted in the dim half-light, trying to make out the shapes of her companions.

"Pardon me, princess, but ah can't really see nothin." She commented.

"No, pardon me." Celestia responded. "Our guest is very important and her culture demands we only light the room once she is present."

"Not to be that pony," Pinkie spoke up. "Buuuuuuuuuut why are we here?"

The two alicorns look at each other in the gloomy moonlight.

"We can't really explain it all in the limited time before our guest arrives." Luna responded first. "But know that whatever happens, don't betray any emotion. No matter how… awful things get."

"I will be forced to act very… immoral for the duration of this ordeal. Know that I'm only doing this because it's necessary. Our guest is from a place where males have no standing in society and I need to barter for one very important colt..."

Twilight knew the culture her teacher spoke of. "The Northern Counties."

"Exactly." Celestia agreed.

"You mean we need to buy him from her?" Twilight inquired.

"Yet again, you are absolutely correct."

"But why do you need a slave?"

Luna scowled and spoke over her sister in annoyance. "We plan on liberating him as soon as he's in our care."

A guard burst into the room and flew like a flash of white and gold to the sun princess's side. After a hastily spoken message, he left as fast as he'd entered the gigantic room. With an unimaginably bright flash of magic, three thrones appeared on each side of the long carpeted aisle.

"Seat yourselves, my little ponies. Betray no emotion during this exchange and whatever you do, maintain constant focus on me and the ambassador."

Just as the six were seated the huge doors at the grand opening exploded open violently. As the lights brightened, they saw a single pegasus standing in front of the doors, still in the posture of opening them. The doors were easily three-hundred times his mass and usually took a dozen guards to push open, yet the blonde and blue colt simply stood there smiling at them, his wine red eyes reflecting no emotion except a morbid, putrid curiosity that made the mares feel exposed, as an antelope before a lion rips into it to savor every sinewy pop of gristle and flesh.

"Now presenting her highness, the fair lady Medley." The startlingly strong colt announced in a voice that conjured images of frost creeping over bones.

Applejack and Rainbow were the closest to the doors and both of them tensed at the disturbing presence. Applejack shifted on her throne and the slight movement caught the colt's eye. He went up to the chair and flashed a toothy smile that held no warmth or sympathy. Feeling threatened, she flexed her strong muscles, built from countless days on the farm.

"What's the matter, miss?" He chuckled "Do I…" He was leaning closer. "Unnerve you?"

She was ready to shove the creepy pegasaus away, but the gleam of his unnaturally long fangs stopped her. She was about to look up into his large sanguine eyes, but a swift shout from Twilight stopped her from making the awful mistake.

"Don't look at his eyes! He's a vampire!"

The nosferatu scowled "Ugh, had to ruin that for me didn't you, wench?"

He went back to the center of the aisle and stood as still as a statue. Pinkie and Fluttershy were the next two down the row, while Rarity and Twilight were closest to the dais where the two alicorns observed the happenings with an almost bored expression. The room was fully lit now, but not in the normal, harsh white lights. Candles cast warm yellow light from chandeliers onto the ponies below. The vampire looked totally out of place in the soft, comforting glow.

Another pony entered now, a white pure unicorn with snow white hair and slate gray eyes. She observed the gathering in pure contempt, as if she could hardly be bothered to look at ponies of such low birth. While everpony was distracted by her entry, the vampire was approaching Fluttershy, stalking her like a lion or tiger would. He licked his thin pale lips and she looked to her friends in fear.

"Jakben!" The white unicorn scolded. "Leave the pegasaus be."

He cringed at his name and turned around grudgingly. "Oh come now miss, it was merely a jest. I wasn't going to really harm her." He turns around and traces her form with his sanguine eyes. "Unless she wants me to…" he chuckles.

Fluttershy was shivering at the disturbing interest Jakben took to her.

"Pardon my manservant," Lady Melody spoke. "Despite his age he still hasn't outgrown his gender's folly."

"Leash him, or I'll have a stake in his heart before even he could stop me." Celestia threatened. The threat wasn't idle, either.

"Jakben!" Melody barked. "Fetch the boy."

With an irritated sigh and a grumble of dissent, the vampire disappeared in a blur. The royal then strutted up the aisle and stood at the base of the stairs, looking up at the two princesses.

"And now for the terms of our deal. First, who am I selling him to?"

Both of the sisters stood. With an awkward glance, Celestia sat back down.

"Luna." Melody smiled. "I think that after a thousand years of loneliness you'll appreciate him." She winked.

"What do you?" The meaning of what the royal had said dawned on her. "Oh! I… Err..." her cheeks reddened. "No! I."

"No need to explain yourself, I understand. It's one of the very few things males are good for. Why one of such… low birth I don't understand, but who am I to judge?"

Twilight was fidgeting nervously in her seat and kept glancing at the door. Everything about this felt wrong, from the way the ambassador's servant was a supernatural apex-predator to the way she spoke of colts. As she sat there restlessly tapping her hoof she caught Celestia's eye. An unspoken signal went between the two. Adjusting her posture, the princess smiled and spoke sweetly to the guest at the base of the stairs.

"While we wait, could you tell us of your country? I'm sure you have a lot to say about such a prosperous kingdom."

Lady Melody narrowed her eyes. "No I am forbidden to speak of my homeland. Ask me something else."

Twilight couldn't help stop her curiosity from getting the better of her. She blurted quickly. "How do you treat colts?!" She clamped her hooves over her mouth. Celestia gave her a look that would flay a guard alive.

The Lady shrugged. "I suppose there is no harm in that."

Melody strode over to the curious purple mare just as Jakben returned, a bundle of red-black colored blankets slung over his back. With a careless toss, he bucked the bundle into the aisle. It didn't move.

"Forgive me Madame, he was having an episode and I had to knock the wretch out." The vampire apologized.

Melody's nostrils flared in fury. "You are a thousand times stronger than him you idiot!" A wild look was in her eye.

"But Madame I" He was cut short

The proud pegasus was thrown to the floor in a resounding 'CRACK!' of the vampire's stone skin hitting unyielding marble. He struggled in vain to retaliate; his limbs were pinned spread-eagle to the cold floor. The Lady walked over calmly.

"Now Jakben, we've discussed this many, many, many times." She knelt, a false tenderness in her voice and eyes. "I own you. And anything I tell you is fact, or I am free to punish you."

Jakben looked to the mares around him. "Stop her! Please!"

They all looked to the princesses. The two sisters shook their heads. He looked at his master despairingly.

"Do you have a place where I can put him?" Melody asked.

Luna motioned toward the door to the left of her throne. The Lady levitated the vampire as if he weighed no more than a jug of water. He flailed helplessly and beat his wings, revealing a fanciful tattoo of a crest in between the feathered patch of skin.

"While I deal with this can you fetch me two glasses of wine? I prefer cranberry." Melody asked.

Celestia sent a servant to retrieve one of the finer grades while the ambassador slammed the door shut to the side room. Then the princess turned her attention to Twilight. A deep disappointment was emanating from her.

"I understand you were curious, but now you might have made this whole ordeal a lot more painful for us."

An ear piercing scream of agony deafened the entire gathering of ponies, causing them to screw their eyes shut and cover their ears with their hooves.

"And Jakben, for that matter." She added

Fluttershy stared at the unmoving bundle of covers on the floor.

"Celestia." She murmured.

"Yes?" the princess replied.

"Not to, y'know, be a bother or anything but I was wondering if I could look at him, if it's okay with you, of course."

"What do you… oh, of course dear." The princess nodded.

Fluttershy stepped toward the covers hesitantly. With her knees shaking nervously, she prodded the bundle. With no response, she gently undid the knot holding the covers over the colt. All the mares were struggling to get a good look when she pulled the cover off him. A small maroon coated alicorn with soft black down wings and a matching horn lay there, blindfolded, with his legs tied so tightly together they could see the ropes digging into his soft skin.

They all let out a gasp of disbelief and looked toward the Sisters in awe. All, except Fluttershy. She still knelt by the youngling; lost in a trance. The colt's gender hardly showed at all, for he had the soft jawline of a mare and was easily smaller than Sweetie Belle. He had fluffy down wings and a small horn perched on his head with a long black mane of shaggy hair covering one blindfolded eye. Fluttershy was lost in him the moment she'd looked at his diminutive frame.

She cradled the young colt in her arms lovingly. Seeing this, Luna cleared her throat softly to get her attention.

"Dear, I know you're having a moment, but you can do this later."

Fluttershy returned from whatever far-off place she had been.

"Yes, um, of course." She stuttered.

"What is the meaning of this?" Melody screeched, cantering in with blood coating her hooves.

Every pony froze. Thinking fast, Twilight thought of an excuse.

"Lady Melody, this is Fluttershy. She is merely examining him for any medical problems. After all, any issues will have to be considered when we purchase him." She bluffs professionally.

"You won't find anything wrong with him. I have him see a doctor every month and I have my other servants groom him far more than the stupid waste of life deserves." She huffs. "He is the crown jewel of all my servants. He is merely for looks; he doesn't do any real work. I specifically chose him because of that nice, soft jaw." She explained, eying the boy's mare-ish face.

"Is he educated?" Twilight asked.

"Of course not! And waste time teaching a stupid colt?" She scoffed. "I am not one to exercise practices in futility!"

"Anything else we should know?" Twilight growled irritably.

"Ah, yes. He has the 'Pulverum Nueterus' of course. I put it on all my servants so they aren't tempted into doing something stupid."

Twilight bit her bottom lip and looked up at Celestia. They were the only two who knew what the purpose of that inhumane, illegal tattoo was.

"Is… um… there any way you could remove it?" She asked.

"Yes, undo the enchantment so it becomes a meaningless ring of tattoos, then remove it, or cut the skin off him." Melody responded.

Fluttershy still knelt with the young colt in her arms, a loving expression in her eyes.

"He's adorable." She cooed, brushing his wild mane out of his face.

"Now to discuss what I want in return for this… waste of life." Melody said.

Fluttershy looked up, a hurt look about her. "W-What do you mean? He's amazing." She said, confused.

"Oh, surely you don't care for that thing. It's disgusting and will grow up to be a typical, hormonal, dominating, abusive, and moronic colt. There is nothing remarkable about any of those pathetic, instinct driven, animalistic brutes."

Fluttershy looked at the Lady in shock. Every pony was getting just how sure the mare was that males were the lesser of the sexes.

"Now." She continued. "I want a plot of land in the north, a thousand square miles will do. A few million bits and a construction team to build me a château on my new estate."

Just then a servant returned with two glasses of wine.

"Took you long enough." The Lady spat irritably. "Can some pony revive the boy?"

Twilight cast a quick spell and Fluttershy untied the ropes binding his legs. Immediately he jumped to his hooves and looked around blindly, for his blindfold was still in place. The young colt jumped to his hooves and, scared senseless, he darted to the left and nearly ran right into Twilight's throne.

"Dammit boy!" Melody spat. "Stop or I'll beat you within an inch of your purposeless life!"

The colt stopped dead in his tracks. Melody levitated him over to her side and took off the blindfold, roughly scraping the fabric against his already bruised eyelids. Again the boy bolted toward the doors. She retrieved him yet again, this time he didn't run. He looked at the surrounding mares in confusion and fear. His eyes were a deep amethyst and were set at a slight angle, much to further the curiosity of the six friends.

"Here, take a sip of this." Melody offered the boy some wine.

"But miss Melody!" Fluttershy interrupted. "He's too young! That could stunt his growth or-"

"He's my servant, may I remind you. And besides, I've made it so he'll never grow beyond his height now. Now here, take a drink." She had an awful grin.

An awful cry of pain came from the colt a second later. She had brutally shattered the glass into the boy's face. She laughed at him as he spat glass shards and blood out onto the floor, tears falling from his bruised eyelids soon after. Fluttershy was mortified that she could be so senselessly cruel to something so young and innocent. No pony else laughed, most stared at the mare in shock.

"Anyway, those are my demands" She got out once she'd stopped laughing.

"Done" Celestia said hastily, not wanting to make this any longer, for the colt's sake.

A contract was quickly signed between the two.

"Somepony fetch Jakben." The Lady ordered.

The Lady of the North left soon after, taking her servant and three-million bits with her. Celestia let out a long sigh and slouched in her seat. As much as they all wanted to relax, there was still a problem to be dealt with. The young alicorn crouched in the corner of the room, terrified of them all, cuts scoring his lips and face and blood running into his tear-filled eyes.

Every pony turned toward Luna.

"What?" She said.

Celestia nodded her head. "Sister, he's yours now. You decide his fate."

The gravity of that responsibility crashed over Luna. She shook her head in denial and disbelief. After a long silence, she sighed and levitated the colt into the air. He drew his hooves close to his chest and folded his wings, making him seem even smaller. Holding him steady in front of her, she looked into his fearful eyes and said.

"Do you have a name?" she asked.

His eyes darted right, then left. Then he spoke softly. "Seamus"

"Pardon?" she leaned closer

He winced and whispered "Seamus."

Luna nodded and announced to the rest of them. "Seamus. That's a good name. Now, you're safe, so you don't need to be afraid anymore. No pony here will hurt you."

Seamus gave a nervous, cracked laugh that was immediately followed by a squeak of pain. Shards of glass were still embedded in his lips and smiling was painful for the young colt. Luna set him down and he looked about up at her.

A long silence once again settled over the room. He continued to stare up at her with searching eyes.

"Um…" Luna murmured uncomfortably. "Why won't he…err…?"

Fluttershy answered Luna's silent cry for help. The mare flew up onto the dais and looked down at him.

"Hi, I'm Fluttershy." She whispered gently.

Twilight appeared on the dais in a loud flash of magic; Seamus nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Oh my gosh! I have so many questions to ask you! What was it like? I want to hear everything!" she blurted

The colt hid behind Fluttershy in fear.

"Was it something I said?"

Rarity walked up the steps and sighed dramatically. "For a smart mare you can be a bit touchy, Dear." She said. "Just imagine what the poor boy's been through."

Fluttershy piped up. "He probably needs some space."

Pinkie jumped out from behind Twilight in a flash of bubblegum pink.

"Forget about that! Who gets to have him!" She shouted.

The room descended into chaos. Each of them wanted to be the guardian of the young colt. Celestia narrowed her eyes at Luna. Her sister hadn't given the boy his freedom yet. She may have them foaled, but she wasn't. Meanwhile, the rest of the mares were still arguing over Seamus. Order needed to be restored.

"Luna." Celestia said; the room went quiet. "First, I need to talk to you later. Second, I believe you have an argument to resolve."

Luna sighed and looked at each of them. She knew Twilight the most, but Fluttershy was amazingly kind. Rainbow… well… no. AppleJack wouldn't have the time and Pinkie would… do… something Pinkie-ish and make some form of chaos or another. Rarity and Fluttershy seemed the most qualified.

"He can stay with Rarity." Luna decreed.

"He can visit, right?" Fluttershy asked.

"Of course." The princess confirmed.

Celestia interrupted. "But he must return after a month. And…" A smile spread across her face" "I think the discovery of another alicorn is worthy of a celebration."

Pinkie's face lit up in a huge, ecstatic and mischievous grin. "Party?"

Celestia nodded. "However you want it."

"THE WHOLE CASTLE!" She yelled in unfathomable excitement.

"Anywhere except the private rooms." She confirmed, sharing Pinkie's joy. "As long as there's no permanent damage, you can make it as wild as you want."

No words can describe the look on Pinkie's face.

"But Pinkie, try not to invite half of Equestria." Celestia said, glancing down at the shy colt below. "Invite friends and important ponies. It's your choice on whom you choose and you can invite any pony you please, but stick to ponies you know."

"Okey dokie lokie!" Pinkie agreed.

"For now you can all sleep here." She finished. "A guard will show you to your room."

A guard walked out with a bored, stoic expression and bowed. With a brief motion and a quick nod to another guard, he led them through the door to the left of the throne. They passed a dark, messy splotch of blood on the polished marble floor and they heard Seamus whisper the name 'Jakben'.

The bored looking guard led them through a myriad of passageways and hallways; some were blue while others were the usual white and gold. Seamus walked with his head down and a piece of his mane covering one eye. Occasionally he would lick his tender lips to remove the blood, as they were still bleeding. After a long excursion through the castle, they arrived at a single door with a golden placard that read simply 'Guest Room'. Bowing curtly, the guard left the mares to themselves.

Twilight opened the door and nodded at the immaculate condition of the room. Six four poster beds were in the circular room with an eloquent chandelier painting the room in a warm sunset golden glow. The eggshell color of the walls furthered the sense of comfortable retreat. The center of the room was a silver-blue carpet with a trim of sunflower yellow. The cavernous room had thick carpet and the walls were adorned in banners and a multitude of pelts from creatures unknown, but still held the earth tone or gold colors that tied the rest of the massive room together.

Rainbow Dash frowned at the lack of skylight or windows. "No windows! How am I supposed to sleep in here?" she complained.

Twilight sighed and answered factually. "We're a mile underground. We'd get a good view of dirt and groundwater at this depth."

Rainbow suddenly seemed very nervous. "A mile underground!" she exclaimed fearfully, her phobia of depths showing obviously.

"I think this room is drab and needs to be lit better. Is that chandelier lit by candles? No wonder it's dim in here." Rarity complained.

Fluttershy entered last, followed by Seamus a moment later. He looked at the floor and headed to the small door directly across the room. Although she was concerned about the colt secluding himself, Fluttershy joined the rest of the group.

"So why do you think she picked you, Rarity?" Twilight asked, surveying her bed as well as the large trunk of sheets and blankets by the bedside.

Rarity looked puzzled by the question. "I don't know, dear."

A long silence ensued were the mares made their beds (well, most did. AppleJack just jumped onto the mattress and passed out). Rarity made hers so neatly it put military style bed etiquette seem Stone Age. Rainbow was still trying not to panic at the extreme depth of the room they were in. Fluttershy had her bed made and was about to get under the covers when Seamus left the bathroom.

He must have been wearing makeup, because purple rings were around his eyes and one eye was black with remnants of a massive bruise. His lips still looked painful, but the cuts were scabbing by now. Overall he looked awful, his eyes fixed on the floor under him and wings slack at his sides.

Twilight pitied the poor colt. "Seamus." She called; he looked up at her briefly, but looked down again quickly. "I'll heal your cuts if you let me."

He trotted over slowly, exhaustion dragging his hooves. Twilight made short work of the small cuts, but one laceration was deep in his cheek, so that one took a few moments to fully repair itself. Once she was finished, she smiled in a hope he would return the gesture. He smiled, but it looked cracked and painful, as if he was putting on a positive face for her, but was actually covering a deep seated agony that he tried to hide unsuccessfully. Looking at the mask he was putting on was almost as awful as looking into one's own soul, a practice known to drive some mad in anguish towards their true nature.

The second he turned away the smile faded into a look an unending depression. Twilight wanted to comfort him, but she didn't want to alienate the boy the first day she knew him. After all, this might be something he needed to resolve himself. Seamus looked around for a bed to sleep in, wanting nothing more than to escape into the thoughtless oblivion of sleep.

No beds were available, since there was only six. Fluttershy walked over and tapped his shoulder. He recoiled in fear.

"You can um, sleep with me, if you'd like that. I mean, um, not with me… but in my bed. We'll be across from each other, y'know what I mean right?"

Seamus looked up at her with questioning eyes. "Do you want me to?"

It was the first real sentence he'd spoken that night. His voice was soft and had a slight singing, lilting tone to it.

"I just don't want you to sleep on the floor." Fluttershy explained, averting her eyes.

He looked at her with something bordering confusion. "Why do you want to share with me? I'm a colt. You shouldn't need to share with me."

"But Sea, This is Equestria. Colts are equal here."

He frowned. "Why? We don't deserve it." He said

"Why not?" She asked.

"A lot of very obvious reasons." Was his only reply.

He sighed and yawned. Fluttershy felt her heart leap at the adorable sight of the small colt stretching his long limbs and wings. Looking closer, she actually saw that he looked like her when she was that young. Long limbs with a sleek body and large, yet not exactly useful wings. The one strand of hair that covered his right eye and the way he walked with his head down all reminded her of herself.

"Are you asking me to sleep with you or telling me?" He asked

Fluttershy sighed patiently. "I'm only saying it would make me feel better if you have a nice place to sleep." She explained.

A smile flitted across his mare-ish face. A real smile that actually made him seems truly happy inside.

"Yes, Madame." He said. "If it makes you feel better."

Rarity perked an eyebrow from across the room. "'Madame'?" she questioned.

Seamus averted his eyes and responded shyly. "Melody told me to address mares with either 'Madame' or 'Miss'" he explained.

Rarity shrugged and Seamus jumped up onto the bed. The bed was as tall as him, so he had to leap in order to surmount the bedframe. Once he was under the covers and Fluttershy was across from him, he fell into a deep slumber.

Fluttershy woke an hour later to find Seamus grinding his teeth and digging at his pillow in his sleep. She felt great pity for him and her first inclination was to wake him, but she decided against it. Instead, she sidled over and- with the utmost of care- she began to sing a lullaby. As she sang he relaxed and stopped grinding his jaw from nerves and stress.

What happened next wasn't expected and at first Fluttershy wanted to pull away from the sudden contact. He wrapped his hooves around the nape of her neck and nuzzled close to her, his warm breath fluttering her hair. An uncontrollable shade of scarlet blush spread across her cheeks and through her yellow coat. Not aware of what he was doing, he rubbed his cheek against her, oblivious to the embarrassment he was causing her.

Her instincts and her head told her to push him away, but her heart prevented her. A content smile was on his face, a real smile of comfort and happiness. The first smile she'd ever seen on him. She couldn't bring herself to disturb the resting young colt, even though he was invading her space. Nothing disturbed the two and after a long while his hair began to drift down over her neck and his face. Not thinking, she brushed his hair back behind his ear. He looked more like a mare than ever before with his mane behind his long ears.

Smiling, she fell into a deep slumber.

Just a Nightmare...

Celestia wakes up freezing, goosebumps and sweat coating her forehead. No nightmare should ever be that vivid or that scary. With shaking hooves, she checks every inch of her and opens her mouth twice to make sure it's still attached. Exhaling, she takes in another ragged breath and another, trying to recover from the lucid hallucination. She springs out of bed and looks around her dark room. With a flash of magic she lights the turret suite. Seeing everything is as it should, she runs to the window to make sure it was truly a dream.

Shivering violently, she pulls the rope by her bedside. A moment later a blue and red mane pony enters the room.

"Yes, milady?" She said.

Celestia, rattled by the nightmare, shook her head. "Fetch me Luna, would you." She orders.

"She's in the middle of cou-" Celestia gave her a bone chilling look. "Yes milady."

The princess levitates a flask of whiskey from above her mantle and eyes the alcohol. Yanking the stopper off, she takes a huge swig of the scotch. Wincing at the taste, she puts it back in place. She walks over to her desk and organizes the papers and documents neatly.

"You wanted me, sister?" Luna said from behind her sibling.

Celestia's heart nearly gave out. "Don't scare me like that!" She growled.

"Sorry. You wanted me?"

"Yes. I want you to free the boy."

"What do you mean?" she evaded. "I freed him."

"That is total bulls-"

"No." The younger alicorn refused. "I don't have to."

"WHAT!" Celestia roared. "Slavery is illegal!"

"Here." Luna replied coolly. "But actually he's a citizen of The Northern Counties. All laws there apply to him here. I have legal ownership of him, according to their statutes."

Celestia was furious. "But you aren't a citizen there so" She was cut off.

"Did we ever re-file those papers to make me an Equestrian citizen?" Luna smirked.

Her older sister's jaw dropped. She hadn't, and by a law she herself had passed, Luna had full right to all legal status as Seamus' master.

"You told me to study law, sister." Luna said smugly. "And there is nothing you can do about it!"

A guard ran into the room covered in blood. Everything stopped. The two alicorns stared in horror at the gore covering the white coated guard. He was breathing heavily, a glassy, distant look in his eyes.

"The vampire… he's... in the gardens demanding he see you two." He panted.

"Is that blood… yours?!" Luna asked.

"No! It's my entire platoon's!" He wailed. "He was so fast! We couldn't stop him!"

Without another word, the two disappear in a flash of magic.

Jakben stood in the middle of a field of bodies, laughing madly, flashing his monstrous, gore covered fangs to the circle of guards around him. Well over forty bodies in varying states of dismemberment and decapitation lay in a sixty hoof wide pool of blood around him. Dark clouds filled the sky, covering Luna's moon. Statues with weapons had the occasional guard impaled on them.

Celestia herself was petrified by the brutality of the vampire. And yet, he stood in the midst of a thousand guards, laughing in insane mirth.

"What Hell spawned that monster?" Celestia whispered in genuine horror.

A foolish guard ran at the vampire, bringing his sword down in an arc to cleave Jakben's skull open. It sunk into the blood-soaked earth. Suddenly the vampire grabbed the guard by the back legs. He looked at Luna with fear-filled eyes, let out one pitiful whimper, and torn in half from the base of his spine all the way up to his skull, which popped off and landed with a thud by Luna, the look of terror still on his face.

Jakben cackled in insane pleasure, holding a half of the guard's body in each hoof. He dug his face into the corpse and tore off a rib, which he chewed on like it was a pork rind. Swallowing his snack, he laughed again and gestured for more to move towards them.

"I'm going to be sick!" Luna wretched.

"Stay strong, if he really wanted us dead he would have tried at us by now." Celestia explained.

He saw them from across the gardens and smiled.

"About time. I tore through at least half your guards, as you can probably see." He chuckled. "I have a package for you two, as well as Seamus."

"Present it and leave." Celestia demanded.

Shrugging, the vampire gestures toward the statue beside them.

"It's by the head." Jakben said and disappeared.

Just like that, the monster was gone and the guards were standing in puddles of their comrade's blood. A pack about the size of a barrel was sitting by the statue and the head was staring directly at Luna. She shuddered and threw it away with a disgusted flick of magic.

"You there!" Celestia barked to a soldier. "Open that pack!"

Fluttershy woke up to a poorly suppressed, rather childish giggle.

"That's hilarious!" She heard Rainbow Dash giggle.

"I think it's cute." Rarity sighed

"I really don't know what to think." Twilight muttered

"But seriously! She's spooning him!" Rainbow broke into a fresh fit of laughter

.

Fluttershy opened her eyes to find herself curled around Seamus, her hooves around him and one wing placed possessively over his smaller frame. She didn't move, but sat there and let her cheeks flush scarlet while Rainbow laughed her flank off. Twilight shook her head and Rarity scolded Dash for her rude comments.

At that moment Luna charged in, levitating a large pack behind her. She looked angrier than any had ever seen the moon princess. She took one look at Fluttershy and screamed.

"Get off him, you filthy harlot!"

Fluttershy didn't know what that meant, but she jumped off the bed and hid behind Twilight. In a rage, Luna threw the bag onto the bed, startling Seamus. She grabbed him by the horn and hoisted him up to her eye level.

"That bastard vampire friend of yours just killed sixty-two guards to deliver that package. I want to know what in the gods' names was so important about a bunch of damn sheet music and some instruments!" she screamed into his face.

Seamus hesitated and Luna threw him across the room. He hit the opposite wall with a resounding thud of the wind being knocked of the helpless youth. Luna stormed towards him, but Celestia appeared in front of her, barring her path.

"Leave! Now!" Celestia ordered.

Luna backed away slowly, but didn't leave the room. Celestia turned to Seamus and held out a hoof to help him up. He looked at it and recoiled, hoisting himself up off the floor.

"Now Seamus…" The sun princess said. "What Luna said is true, but it's not your fault Jakben came the way he did."

She undid the string on the bag and a myriad of string instruments fall out. "Does any of this mean anything to you?"

Seamus's eyes watered, but he said. "She made me play music; she would always compliment my voice."

Celestia drew some sheet music from the sack and put it in front of him. He took the music in his hooves, read a few lines, and tossed them away. Before anypony could stop him, he ran into the bathroom and locked the door. Muffled sobs could be heard from inside. Luna charged at the door, nostrils flaring in anger. Celestia placed herself in front of the door and knocked. There was no response.

Twilight picked up the stapled sheets and read a few lines.

"This isn't music. It's a note made to look like music."

"How, when there are only so many letters on the bar?" Rarity asked.

"It's hard to explain, but I can read it for you guys." Twilight offered; they all nodded.

"Here we go." She took a deep breathe.

'I must say hello to you, my most appreciated of servants, as you have served me well while I had you. You are still the only true one to be at my side and Jakben misses you too. The one that has taken your departure hardest is without a doubt Sky, he was so distraught he couldn't work and I had to throw him to the…' Twilight squinted at the page. 'Sautelus?'

"I don't know that word. I think I pronounced it right, though." Twilight explained, and then continued.

'We all know how lonely he can get, so I gave him some company. I sincerely hope your enjoying yourself. I wouldn't trust any of the ponies around you, by the way.'

A loud, remorse filled wail stabbed their ears as she read the last few lines. A new bought of sobbing could be plainly heard by everypony there.

"What the heck is a 'Sautelus'?" Rainbow exclaimed.

"It doesn't sound pleasant." Remarked Rarity.

"Maybe Seamus will tell us, when he dries the waterworks and grows a pair!" Luna spat.

Rainbow Dash flew up to Luna and looked right into her eyes and growled.

"You have no idea what he went through! You have no right to judge him!"

Luna blinked in astonishment; nopony had ever before had the sheer gall to stand up to her.

Celestia as fed up with all the fighting and bickering.

"Enough!" She yelled "Everypony go to breakfast in the Dining Hall!"

Everypony began to move towards the door.

"Except you, Fluttershy." She added "Close the door."

After it was shut Celestia sighed and leaned against a bed. She hadn't slept all night and the stress was eating away what energy she had left. Fluttershy looked at her leader and asked.

"Um, why did you ask me to stay?"

"Because I need a pony who he trusts and I'm fairly sure he doesn't trust me." She explained.

They both looked at the threshold to the bathroom. They couldn't hear him crying. Fluttershy tentatively knocked at the door. He didn't respond.

"Sea, are you okay?" She whispered through the door.

"I'm fine." He replied, his voice hoarse.

"Can you come out? Celestia wants to talk to you."

A small click came from the doorknob and he appeared to the two mares. He shuffled over to the bed and jumped onto the too-large mattress. The bruised purple rings around his eyes were more pronounced than ever before. Celestia walked over to the young colt and tried to put a hoof on his shoulder. Seamus recoiled in fear. The sun princess sighed again and walked farther away.

"Why are you so afraid of me? I never did anything to you." She asked.

"I don't know you." Was his usual short response.

He was literally looking directly at the princess now, but even on the high stacked mattress he was a horn shorter than her. He was long limbed and had a build reminiscent to Fleur-De-Lise's, the same long, skinny muscle of her in a smaller, far more fragile form.

"Okay, what is this... Sautelus mentioned in the letter?"

Seamus grew pale under his maroon coat and his pupils shrunk to pinpoints of fear at the very mention of the thing's name.

"A… spirit… or maybe a boggart… or some other thing." He stuttered in his light accent.

"Why are you so afraid of it?" Celestia asked.

He sprang up and stood to his full height. "No reason!" He yelled.

She raised her eyebrows and he still had the look of denial on his mare-ish face.

"So you don't know what it is?" she continued.

He shook his head and lay back down. He looked almost like a cat as he paced a circle and settled down into the soft sheets. Fluttershy stepped into the bed beside him and he gave her an alienated look. She did exactly as he had done and mirrored his pose perfectly as she lay down across from his smaller frame. Celestia was intrigued at the add exchange, but shrugged.

"Moving on from this… creature." The princess continued. "Who is Sky?"

Seamus looked up at her in surprise. An intense focus neither of the mares had seen before was in his eyes, partnered with a tender, warm emotion that he also radiated at the mention of the name.

"She mentioned him? How is he? Is he doing okay without me? Is something wrong?" he said, all in rapid succession.

"She said he was so upset she might have to turn him over to this Sautelus."

"She can't do that! We had a deal! She had to turn him free if you paid more than a million bits for me and you did! I want to write back! She can't break the rules like that." He yelled, standing up.

"Calm down!" Celestia ordered. Seamus stood his ground. "Who is Sky?" She demanded.

"We… were..." he began to trail off; a long silence filled the room.

"Was he your friend?" the princess asked.

"Yeah… we were best friends back North." He responded quickly.

Celestia knew there was more to the story than that, but decided that it wasn't worth arguing about. She sighed and set the letter down.

"I'll have my fastest messenger deliver a letter back."

She stood up and got ready to leave. Fluttershy and Seamus did the same and followed her to the dining hall. The breakfast was tense and Luna looked angry. The whole meal she glared at her sister in loathing. Nopony talked or even tried to start a conversation in the awkward atmosphere. The animosity was so thick it felt like the air would set fire if one lit a match. Finally, Seamus spoke up.

"I need to say something." He began. "I have a friend that I think might be in trouble back in The Northern Counties. I'd like it if maybe Celestia could go get him."

Luna slammed both her hooves onto the table, causing the plates to rattle. "Absolutely not! We don't have time to go gallivanting into the Counties to retrieve one unimportant little friend of yours! He's probably having fun, busy, off being used in some way or another by that hag of a mare!"

"But it said in the note she'd torture him to death if he didn't behave for her! I caused that by leaving and I won't let him die because you're too selfish to help me!"

The distraught colt ran from the table, his eyes watering. Everypony looked at Luna in disappointment. Celestia looked livid.

"You didn't have to be so inconsiderate, sister! You could have at least sent somepony to barter for his best friend! Those two probably got through day by day during their servitude just by talking and laughing! Next time don't act like Melody!"

Luna was stunned when Fluttershy pushed herself out from the table and ran after the young alicorn.

Revelations

Fluttershy wandered through the corridors searching for the young alicorn. She'd seen him run off in this direction and she could only guess he'd run in a straight line, so she poked her head into every room she saw that was unlocked. Finally, after a long descent down a frighteningly tall staircase, she saw the room they had slept in the night before. The door was open and she could hear somepony inside sobbing. With some hesitation, she pushed it open to find Seamus on one of the beds, his head covered by a large goose feather pillow.

Stepping lightly as to not scare him, she went over to the colt.

"I'm sorry Luna was so mean to you." She whispered.

He stopped and looked up at her. His eyelids were so raw and bruised from crying the skin looked thinner than tissue paper.

"Why are you sorry? I never did anything for you." He said his voice was cracked and high.

"I'm sorry that Luna won't help your friend, but Celestia will. She said she'll try to bargain for him tomorrow."

He looked relieved, but not greatly so. "Melody won't give him up. We were her show ponies; we were the ones who looked pretty while the others slaved away at whatever she had them do. With me gone it's just him. Alone… forever."

Fluttershy looked at the small colt and felt so much pity for him it nearly choked her. Seamus blinked and fresh tears rolled down his mare-ish face.

"And the last things I said to him were… awful. I feel like I killed him with my own hooves."

"What did you say?"

Seamus hung his head and bit his tongue so hard it nearly bled. Breathe came to him in shaky bursts that were unsteady and sporadic. A long pause lingered in the air and Fluttershy moved on.

"What was it like… there, I mean? Where did you stay?

He looked at her and sighed. "It's a long story."

In the northern spire of Melody's castle, Seamus lay in his bed and grimly looked at the roof of the canopy bed. It was an enormous bed, to be sure. But Seamus's eight hoof wingspan covered half the sixteen hoof wide bed and the silk sheets were amazingly comfortable. He lay there pondering what would happen to him, it was the first day of his enslavement and the auction had been awful.

The heavily advertised public slave auction located in the northern countryside four years ago was a hotbed of the rich and the curious that day. All the royals wanted to have their hooves on an alicorn that afternoon and were more than willing to spend half their fortunes on such a novelty. All had gasped as the curtain was pulled back and the crowd saw Seamus standing there. He'd felt exposed, like an exotic animal at a petting zoo. The bidding began in the hundreds of thousands and worked its way into the millions.

Most had left by the time the hundred-million bidding started, but finally Melody had been victorious and bought him for a massive fee of two-hundred-million bits. The curtain was drawn and two huge mares had knocked him out and thrown him into Melody's tent, which she had set up just for the occasion. Jakben and The Lady of the North sat there, observing the beaten young colt as he lay on the dirt floor, unconscious with a burlap sack over his head. Finally she got up and kicked him brutally in the side.

"Jakben, fetch some wranglers to help me." She'd ordered. Melody knelt to his height and smiled. "You are handsome aren't you? I spent my money well."

Jakben returned with a mare just Macintosh's height, with the monstrously muscular build to match.

"Now look, boy. I'll tell you what you should do and you should trust me to do it. Understand?"

Seamus nodded his head feebly.

"Now stand up and hold still, we have to get your measurements."

She levitated a heavily decorated bag of fabric and multiple measuring tools over to her side and pulled out a long strand of measuring tape. She ran it up his front legs first, and then his back and soon she'd measured his neck, tail length and the length of his horn. After she was done measuring his horn, she went behind him.

"Hold still" she commanded.

She ran the tape up the inside of his back leg slowly until Seamus yelped and jumped away.

"Why are yo-" The alicorn began.

The massive hoof of the wrangler had picked him up by his mane and shook him until his skull rattled. Then he was dropped and Melody ordered him to be still again. He felt her hoof run up his back leg and soon run up his flanks. He cringed at the sensation but held still just enough for her to finish.

"Why did you need to do that?" He asked once she was done.

"Because I need to know how to tailor your clothes." She replied.

"Do they need fit me that well?" He asked again, feeling alienated.

She looked at him like it was a stupid question. She retrieved a small cylinder with notches ingrained in the surface to mark centimeters from her bag and fit it around his horn. She narrowed the tool until it fit around his horn tightly, then threw it away and got out a measuring placard. She moved behind him looked at his rear with a critical eye.

"Hm, you have a good frock, your posture is amazing and your legs are long and muscular, but I need to ask you to bend over."

"Why?" Seamus asked, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

"I need to measure your underside." She replied like it was a totally normal, non-invasive situation.

"Why?" He asked loudly, his voice giving a slight crack.

Melody looked increasingly annoyed at the young alicorn. "Because! Bend over!" She ordered. He stood stock still, rebelliously defying her.

The wrangler back hoofed him and pushed his head down until his horn sank into the fresh spring dirt. His eyes watered from the blow and a rainbow of pastel colors were dancing in his vision. He felt the measuring placard pressed to his rear and then slip down against his most private area. Melody growled, annoyed.

"If you could make this a bit easier, please." She brushed the side of his flank delicately; the meaning of the sentence immediatly dawned upon him. Embarrassment and shame scorched his pride.

"No!" He refused to do anything that demeaning, especially with another pony and a vampire looking at him.

"Jakben, fetch the chemicals, would you?"

Seamus tried to move, but the ridiculously powerful hoof pressing his forehead into the dirt was far too strong for the small alicorn.

"If you won't show me yourself, I'll make you." Melody growled into his ear. "One more chance."

He shook his head proudly and fought against the massive wrangler holding him down. An explosion of pure, molten agony ripped from his genitals to the tips of his hooves and reverbrated between the two as Jakben stabbed a needle into his flank. Soon the feeling turned into numbness, a total lack of sensation in his loins.

A very long, awkward silence filled the room until it was broken by an amused Jakben."That's it?" He said mockingly. "That is honestly all you have on you?" He guffawed loudly and laughed so hard his sides hurt.

"It's just so…" before he could finish he broke into another fit of laughter.

Seamus was scarred by how shamelessly he was being bent over and examined, then judged by ponies he didn't even know. He vaguely felt the placard being pushed to his full length and Melody holding in her own cruel bursts of laughter.

"Seven-and-a-half inches." She confirmed, her lewd, insensensitive laughter poorly concealed behind her mask of mock empathy.

Seamus felt something hot and wet running down his cheeks when he realized in shock that they were actually tears, he was crying right in front of them. This made Jakben laugh harder.

Seamus couldn't do anything but sit there and take their soul-crushing insults. Nothing he had ever experienced so far came close to the pain he felt at that moment. Melody saw his distress and stopped laughing just long enough to say.

"Oh, don't get too torn up about it, I know ways to fix that… condition." She said. It didn't lessen the embarrassment.

Finally they stopped and he was let up. He wanted to curl up and die right there In the tent, but soon she was asking tons of questions to the wrangler, who answered them all.

"Has he been nulled?" She asked. "What about the 'pulverum nueterus'? "

Each question was a no and soon she became angrier and angrier with the wrangler. After a huge rant about how dangerous a non-nulled alicorn could be, she reached into a large suitcase and retrieved a case designed to fit over the horn. She poured some form of sticky resin into the case and summoned Seamus over to her side.

"Hold still or this will burn your skin off forever." She warned.

She tightened the device to his horn and then ordered him over to a center space in the massive tent. Five loops of rope lay on the floor and a painfully bright light was wired overhead the restraints. She motioned for him to stand in the middle of the pool of harsh, white light. He obeyed hesitantly, expecting somthing awful to happen at any moment.

The ropes sprang up with a flash of magic and fastened around his legs and neck. He tried to kick them off, but the more he moved his limbs away from his body, the less he could pull them back in. Soon his legs were stuck spread wide and Melody smiled a sweet, mocking and contemptuous smirk.

"I'll make this as painless and fast as possible." She grinned.

She pulled out what looked like a tattoo stencil and needle, and then pressed it neatly to his underside. He tried to close his legs, but the ropes prevented him. She turned on the machine and began to whistle absentmindedly as she stabbed the needle into the skin around his genitals. He yelled and kicked in agony, but she just kept working and whistling. She made a ring of runes around him, a neatly done charm permanently burnt into the fabric of his skin.

"There, now you won't have any silly ideas from there." She smiled sweetly.

Melody unclasped the horn case and set it aside. She smiled more broadly now.

"Perfect! Now you can't perform any of that silly magic! Was that hard? I wouldn't think so."

Seamus was exhausted from the pain of the tattoo and felt violated by the mare, but reached up to feel his head. His horn felt the same as before, but something was covering it with a thin, slick film.

"We're leaving for your new home now." She stated. "Come on."

He hatefully glared at her,endeavoring to not move any farther.

Suddenly her horn flashed and his limbs began to move to their own accord. Melody laughed in her own dark, tasteless mirth and grinned.

"You don't have that normal magical protection around you anymore. If you don't want to do something, I can make you." She chirped menacingly.

He looked at her in horror and fear. She had him walk outside of the tent and then up to a pair of oxen waiting a yard away from the extravegant tent. They departed and Seamus cast one last, longing look at the countryside. His last glimpse of anything that Melody didn't own or could steal from him.

The carriage they took was spacious and the entire interior was basically a lounging bed. The 'floor' of the carriage was so plush Melody's hoof sunk into it a centimeter or so as she stepped onto the red 'floor'. Seamus found it hard to stand on the plush material and actually fell over once the oxen lurched forward. Melody was already lounging confortably with a pillow tucked neatly underneath her neck. Seamus wouldn't have been surprised if he'd torn the material to find feather down filling the entire 10x12 space beneath.

Melody laughed when he fell over again from trying to stand up in the seatless carriage. With all the sleek grace of a tiger, she worked her way over to him. He tried to crawl away, but she pulled him close and cruelly dug her knee into his crotch. He expected it to knock the wind out of him and make his eyes smart, but he felt nothing at all. He looked at her in complete shock, she had her back legs crossed seductively now and was pressed right against him, but he wasn't even remotely excited. That curse of a tattoo had worked.

She ran her hoof down his mare-ish cheek, lingering on his neck, and then began to run it over his long, sleek side. His nether may not have betrayed his emotions, but his wings were trying to spread wide as they twitched madly at his sides.

"Nice, soft jaw structure, quite the set of wings… a smooth, silky mane." She drew her hoof through his soft hair; she was still pressed to his side.

He pushed her away in terror and began to cast a spell to defend himself, but was stopped by whatever she'd done to his horn. She barred her teeth and pulled him so close their horns nearly touched.

"I don't care what you want, do what I want and probably I won't kill you." She hissed.

He tried to escape from her iron grip again, but she was far stronger than him and held the young colt close. They stayed like that for the remainder of the five-hour journey, pressed to one other. Neither would dare say a word. One was too afraid to speak; the other was lost in the countless number of ways she could get off on torturing him. The entire time Melody looked down on him. She had a ravenous, sadistic look in her eyes the entire ride. With her new toy clutched to her, the carriage made a final turn down a sparsely traveled path into the pine forest surrounding the Lady of the North's massive estate.

Solitary

Melody jumped forth from her carriage and cantered up to two monumentally large gates. Unlocking them, she motioned for her new servant to follow her onto the grounds. Seamus didn't move a muscle from where he stood by the ox-drawn carriage. The Lady looked so angry a vein pulsed in her temple. The young colt hesitated, and then decided it wasn't worth being punished later, especially with how he had been treated so far. He set off with her, the mare's strides confident and sure, while his were unsteady and he would wince as his bruises ached from the ropes he'd been bound with.

The pathway was narrow and led up to a staircase framed by two massive statues of mares in armor holding spears that vaguely resembled fishhooks. The statues looked ready to impale Seamus as he trotted up the unreasonably large stairs, looking tiny in comparison to the building he was walking up to. The double doors themselves were huge enough to fit a dragon through them, let alone the stained-glass windows beside them. Melody strode up to the door and knocked three times at a far smaller door in the left hoof side of the larger door. It was opened immediately by a mare in armor reminiscent to what the statues wore.

The guard gave a smile and moved aside for Melody as she strode in. The overhead lights turned on slowly as she walked, adding a theatrical and slightly dramatic flair to her entrance. Seamus quickly followed behind, trying to keep pace with her long legged strides.

"Behold the south-wing of my palace! I call it the entrance wing because it's closest to the visitor's gateway." She talked as she walked.

All the guards looked after Seamus with curious stares and the occasional angry look of jealousy. Another staircase was climbed before she began to talk again. This hallway ran the entire length of the palace and all down it were suits of armor fit to ponies past. The occasional painting of Melody's ancestors would also appear on the gold trimmed walls. The carpet was red with more golden trim and bore not even a hair to sweep.

"Way down there is the North wing were you and I will be. That turn up there, you may not be able to see it well, is the West wing, guard's quarters and the east is the servant's quarters. Fairly simple, isn't it? I designed the entire castle myself." She boasted.

He nodded to placate her and continued to take in the extravagant, high-class decoration. It was a long trek down the hallway and soon Seamus' legs were even more sore than they already were, making him even more exhausted. Eventually they made it to the exact center of the palace. A vaulted ceiling and two guards met them at the junction. One of the mares was tall and had a somber, long face. The other had an attractive, yet mocking and contemptuous complexion with a normal body set.

As The Lady walked up to them, the two nodded to her and only then did they look at the young alicorn.

"Could you two watch him for me, I need to check to see if his tower is ready." The Lady asked.

The two nodded. The fair-faced mare had a grin on her face. Melody walked off down the Northern corridor and the smirking mare turned to him.

"Now that's a piece right there, huh." She said to the guard beside her, who caught on.

The two smiled at him, making him even more uncomfortable.

"What I'd give to borrow that for a night." The shorter continued. "It'd be a night, wouldn't it?"

The guard next to her snorted in agreement and stamped a hoof. Seamus began to back away from the two. The shorter began to circle around him and the taller leered at him with a knowing smile.

"It's too bad Melody has him." The taller sighed, still smiling. "Unless she gets bored with him. Then maybe she'll pass him our way, huh?"

Seamus realized that they weren't talking to him; they were only addressing each other. To these mares he was a toy, something to be used, and then passed to another.

"I gotta say, wouldn't mind a month of bathroom duty for a piece of that." The shorter chuckled.

He shuddered at how they were circling him, no matter which he looked at, at least one was behind him at all times. He could feel the shorter behind him, staring at his flanks with hungry, starving, lustful green eyes. He tried to turn to position his sides to each one, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't break their direct line of sight to his ass.

"Smooth coat, with supple skin, but I know that just underneath that is firm muscle." The taller mused, still eyeing his flanks. "What I wouldn't give… say… Melody shouldn't be back for another half-hour." The mare looked at her partner, who returned the malevolent glance.

"Oh no." Seamus whispered under his breath, terror making his voice shake.

The shorter began to move closer. He backed up and ran into the other.

"Aww… poor kid's scared shitless." The taller said from behind him. "Just hold still, we might be gentle." She grabbed his wings.

He let out a terrified yelp and broke free of the mare's grip. He ran to the left but found only a solid gold-trimmed wall.

"Didn't anypony teach this runt to listen?" The shorter growled in irritation. "I think we might need to show him how."

The shorter grabbed him and viciously twisted his wing. He squealed in pain. She gave a darkly amused laugh, allowing the taller to run her hooves down his sides slowly, tracing them over his hips.

"Mmmm…" she purred. "His coat is soft."

He couldn't move without popping his wing out of its socket, so he stood there, helplessly pinned against the wall. He closed his eyes and bit his lip.

"When's the last time you had some?" The shorter asked the other guard.

"What is going on here?" A voice came from behind them.

Seamus' head was pressed to the wall, so he couldn't see who was speaking.

"Well? I asked you two a question!" The voice barked.

They released him and he turned around to look at whoever was speaking. He didn't know for sure, but judging by the golden armor and large helmet, the white mare in front of him was the guard captain. He looked at her gratefully.

"We were just showing him the wall panel." The shorter snickered and the taller nodded.

"Go clean the latrine, or I'll have you both assigned to field monitors for a month." The captain commanded; the two walked off, casting hateful, yet longing and desperate glances back at him.

"Thanks." Seamus said gratefully.

"Shut up, whelp." The captain spat. "Wait until The Lady comes back or I'll finish what they started."

His thankfulness faded immediately to dread and even more fear. A long wait ensued were he did very little but scuff his hoof and look at the floor. Finally, Melody returned and sighed.

"The room isn't done, so I can show you the West wing while we put the last touches on it."

He paled.

It was a long tour and all the guards looked at him in an extremely jealous, covetous hate or a total disinterest. One actually said hello like a civilized mare, but soon after she yelled at him to only speak when spoken to. Soon his depression was deepened when a guard smiled at him, but when he smiled back she looked disgusted and it turned out that she was smiling past him at Melody.

At long last the tour was over and they walked back to the junction in the center of the palace. Melody smiled and began to spout praises at her own sense of decoration for the Northern wing. The color scheme changed from the warm golden and red to a colder, darker pallet. Soon all the colors were a shade of blue or silver. On occasion Seamus would see a splash of dark purple or a gray, but the sparse lighting and the darker colors made everything seem chill and distant.

The two arrived at a massive doorway at the end of the hallway and she opened it with a careless flick of magic.

"My room is on the right and yours is on the left. Go look at it, I think you'll like the view."

He was immediately suspicious of her. Everything she'd done so far had been to break him to her will. He would learn that any suspicion around this mare is always a well-founded suspicion. There was another set of doors, one leading left and the other right. He opened the one she had claimed was his and groaned at the thought of exercising his sore legs, but began to climb a winding stair.

Soon the staircase curved and he realized he was climbing a tower. As a winged creature, he loved scenic views and heights, so he climbed slightly faster at the thought of fresh air. Soon, though, he began to tire and slow down from his long trek through the mile-long corridors and his entire day of walking. After nearly stopping to rest twice, he saw a huge steel trap-door in the ceiling overhead. As he approached it he saw at least seven steel rods built into the wall next to it. By the looks of the latches, he concluded they were actually locks to the door.

He pushed it open and collapsed onto hard blue-silver tiled floor, panting and lungs burning from the exercise. Only after he'd recovered did he look up at the room. His eyes widened in the expense Melody paid to make this turret suite. There was a balcony surrounding the entire tower and the pointed roof of the turret was supported by massive marble pillars with runes emblazoned upon their surface. He looked at the blue tiles he lay upon to find the silver tiles made huge runes that actually heated the room, even though it was open to the elements from all angles.

A warm summer breeze brushed Seamus' long black mane back and he closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh alpine air. He walked outside to see the pine forest for miles and a cliff directly in front of him, dropping down into a seemingly bottomless chasm. The tower was thousands of hooves in the air and a thought suddenly occurred to him. He could fly. Smiling, he ran towards the edge of the rail-less balcony.

He was deflected back, sending a jarring thud reverberating through his skull and making his ears ring. Cursing, he went back under the roofing to look at the room's interior. In a ring around the center of the suite was a dip in the floor about as tall as him. Replacing the surrounding tile in the wrap-around lounge area was thick red carpet and a couch also stretched the entire circumference of the area. Stepping down a smaller set of stairs, he looked in amazement at the huge flight of stairs leading up to an 18x25 canopy bed in the center of the area. It was set to where he could view the entire 360 degrees of sky by merely turning his head.

He climbed the steps to the landing were the insensibly large bed was set. It was as tall as him so he surmounted the frame with a well-timed leap. Once he as on the bed it seemed even larger, the sheets seemed to cover acres to him and even his full wingspan only covered one-fourth the massive headboard. He felt the soft silken sheets and all the events of the day rushed back to him.

Tired beyond any sense of weariness he'd ever felt so far, Seamus collapsed on the pillows and began to sleep….

Until the thoughts of the two guards wormed its way into his head. He bit his lip and shook his head in annoyance. He tried to think of anything else besides those two. But the sensation of the mare twisting his wing and demanding he hold still while the other ran her hooves over his back and hips lingered still. He lay there for hours wrestling with the thought, it was a fearful memory that made him feel helpless and violated. Eventually some dark, festering part of him awoke and began to tell him he'd wanted it and that he should have let them.

He nearly bit his tongue off trying to permanently erase that train of thought. He hated it and everything about the thought of being so easily bullied into something so intimate with mares he didn't know and would probably never be allowed to know. Soon that part of him began to sow all sorts of awful ideas in his mind; like that maybe they treated him better here than they had in his actual home.

In his home he was ignored mostly, but at school it was terrible. He was ostracized from the rest of his age by maturity and his intelligence, most either were annoyed by him, just disliked him because it seemed everypony else did or were jealous of him. Those who were annoyed by him felt that way because of his slight accent, the way he spoke or both. The ponies that were jealous hazed him because he either looked better or that he was an alicorn, which they deceived him into thinking was something to be shunned. A freak of nature with both wings and a horn.

He was even excluded socially from his own gender because of how feminine he was. With a slight, sleek and long legged build he challenged the conception of what a colt should be. He rarely spoke to another male and even if he did it was a short sentence that was usually a question. Those males who spoke to him more than a sentence at a time noticed his intelligent vocabulary and his fanciful descriptions that made him seem even farther from an ideal male.

Males in the northern culture were to be strong and listen to what both their wives and, above all, their master, told them. To be obedient, not question and to take interest only in practical, worldly and useful skills. Some would challenge that some arts are useful, but the students around Seamus did not have the intuition nor the patience to see that. In their narrow minds he broke the norms of what they were born into and they judged him as strange because he didn't conform to their expectations.

So was it better to be mostly ignored and only have attention paid to you at certain times, or to be shunned by all your fellows and only be ignored some of the time? Seamus was quickly losing the argument with his own logic. The answer was obvious. The answer was that it was better to be ignored than to be hated.

And the endless insults that the students would call him! Awful things that made him want to just die somewhere out of the way to spare someone the hassle of burying his body. So was he treated better here? They valued him a bit, at least. At least he held some form of identity unlike his days of being a ghost at school. At least they liked him for something!

Even with those making him feel better, he knew that it was only material like and that the moment that they found a more handsome colt they would move to him and leave him to be miserable and lost. But another thing set him apart from all others. He was an alicorn; one was only born once every three-thousand years or so. That meant he would be eternally treasured and would always hold value. Those made him feel slightly better.

But then the truth crashed on him and the hard reality set in. That feeling he'd felt on stage, that he was merely and exotic animal to either be used for diverting entertainment or simply treated as a novelty possession, was nothing but the truth. He was nothing but a diverting game to these mares, a simple toy with simple needs that they could use however and whenever they pleased. He wasn't a pony; he was a possession of Melody's and was no more important than the crown jewel on Celestia's tiara. There were many like it, but that jewel was hers and that made it special, otherwise it's just another pretty trinket to be worn about, owned, and put away when not in use.

He wasn't important and he didn't matter to these mares, they didn't care about him, they cared about his body and his appearance, no less and most certainly no more than that.

Seamus concluded the tale of his first days with tears running down his face again.

"The worst part was," He hiccupped. "Was that I went to bed thinking I should have let them do what they wanted."

Fluttershy was shocked by the story and looked at him in a totally different light now. He wasn't only sensitive and docile, but he had been through things foals his age should never have to worry about happening to them. This young colt had been violated and had his emotions duped into thinking that the near-rape had been perfectly okay.

She stretched out a hoof to put on his shoulder. At first he looked at it like her hoof was a venomous pit viper, but then he did something Fluttershy didn't expect. He lunged at her and wrapped his hooves around her neck, sobbing like a foal into her chest. She was shocked at how much he trusted her. No more words passed between them, he just lay there with his face buried in her warm, soft coat, enjoying a moment of well deserved peace.

Soon, though, Fluttershy began to feel something else. A feeling she usually reserved for the animals she tended to, but this was far brighter and far more passionate a feeling. The emotion warmed her inside and made a silent blush rush to her cheeks. He didn't notice, he was too tired and the steady rising and falling of her chest was lulling him to sleep. Not even three minutes after, he was comfortably using her neck as a pillow and he had the some innocent, content smile on his face he only ever had when he was asleep.

He was so unspeakably, indescribably beautiful. Fluttershy had an idea, an intrusive, insensitive idea that she would usually discard and forget. But her love blinded her. She made a slight chirping sound, a sound pegasi mares make only to their foals. He stiffened under her, but relaxed again. She smiled and made it again. This time he instinctually nuzzled under her hooves and laid his head against the nape of her neck. Fluttershy smiled and kissed his horn.

With her arms around him, she lay there. Whenever his mane would drift down into his face, she'd brush it back and if he ever began to wake up, she'd comfort him.

She let her head rest on a pillow.

"Goodnight, Sea." She whispered lovingly.

The Pony of His Dreams

Twilight appeared in the doorway to the comfortable bedroom and saw Fluttershy and Seamus lying there under the covers.

"Fluttershy what are you doing!" The librarian nearly screamed.

The shy mare nearly jumped out of her skin at Twilight's voice.

"Um, he was tired and I, um, he just kind of fell asleep and he started to cuddle and I…" She let out a small squeak.

"Do you know how angry Luna would be if she saw you?"

Fluttershy remembered the last time Luna had found them sleeping in the same bed.

"Never mind." Twilight continued. "The train is ready to leave and you need to get outside right now or both the princesses will be mad at you."

Fluttershy looked down at the small colt. With a gentle nudge, she woke him up and let him stumble sleepily to his hooves. She smiled at him and he returned the friendly gesture.

"Sorry to rush you two, but we have to leave now."

The ride from the castle was silent for most of the way. Seamus had a saddlebag with the instruments Jakben had delivered stowed safely inside. The entire cabin sat in an awful, simmering silence that made the ponies skin crawl. Although the cabin was spacious, the walls seemed to close in on them as they rode away from the castle. Soon it became unbearable for Pinkie and she had to talk.

"Okay, so I have a ton of questions to ask you." She said to Seamus.

He smiled and nodded.

"Okay, so how was the cooking? Any recipes you teach me?"

"Well… I never really got to see them make the food. It was pretty good, though." He answered in his strange, implacable accent.

"Okay kid, there is no way you really talk like that." Rainbow said.

"What's the matter with the way I talk?" He asks.

"I don't know, it's just pitchy, weird."

Seamus tilted his head to the side. He'd always talked just like this and nopony ever thought it was strange. He decided to not respond.

Rarity saw his predicament and decided to help out the young colt.

"I quite like your accent, dear."

He smiled at her and thought the conversation was over, but Twilight pulled out a book and began to read.

"It's called a lilt, ponies of the isles just off the west-most coast of the Northern counties talk like this." She read.

Everypony looked at her a rolled their eyes. Again the cabin lapsed into a tense silence. Pinkie began to fidget and the mountainside flashed by in a blur. After another ten minutes of this, Seamus opened his saddlebag and retrieved a small flute. He tested the instrument with a small half-note and all eyes turned to him. He saw everypony looking at him and put the instrument away.

"What was that? A clarinet?" Rarity asked.

"No… it was a flute."

"Well? Why not play a bit?" she asked.

He shyly scuffed a hoof and looked at the floor. "I usually don't play in front of other ponies."

She nodded and respected his choice. Soon Twilight began to look at Seamus and observe every movement he made. The alicorn began to purposefully avoid her staring. He moved behind a seat and took out the flute again. He blew a quick, high pitched note and the cabin went silent. He didn't notice and began to play long, mournful tune to pass the time. The notes weren't fast or bright like most flute music, but the notes dragged on and sounded like birds screeching in agony.

The sorrow that he put into the music was awful, yet hauntingly beautiful. Nopony dared interrupt the awful keening of the enigmatic song. It made them all stop and their minds clear. The loneliness and loss that he put into the music was depressing and still majestic somehow.

Suddenly he saw them all staring and stopped. There was a collective exhale as everypony let out their held breath at once. He covered his face with his wing to avoid their gaze.

The train pulled up to the station and Scootaloo, Sweetie belle and Apple Bloom waited eagerly for their sisters and idols to step off the locomotive. As Rarity stepped off onto the platform her younger sister embraced her. The others step off and Rainbow Dash was smothered by Scootaloo.

Seamus looked at the others and sighed. He didn't have any siblings to greet. He picked up his saddlebag and walked over to Rarity.

It was a quick walk from the station to Rarity's boutique. Once inside, the young alicorn looked around in wonder at the gallery of amazing clothing. Sweetie Belle had walked by him the entire way home and couldn't stop staring at him. He saw her intently inspecting his flank and grew uncomfortable.

"You don't have a cutie mark!" She finally exclaimed.

He nodded, slightly wary of her enthusiasm.

"None of my friends have theirs either!" She yelled in excitement, shaking his hoof roughly. "I'm Sweetie Belle! Rarity's my sister and I'm sooooo glad to meet you! I have got to show you to my friends! They won't believe it!"

He smiled at how easily excited she was. She ran into the kitchen were her sister was preparing some tea to wake herself up. He heard Sweetie Belle ask her sister a question and an excited squeal. She ran back into the store and grabbed his hoof to pull him towards the door.

"Where are we going, exactly?" He stuttered nervously.

"School, duh. It's eight in the morning." She rolled her eyes.

Seamus had failed to notice the time and immediately pulled away from her.

"Uh,-I would rather stay here." He stuttered, his awful memories of his school days rushing back.

"Awww! Rarity said I could take you and I want you to meet all my friends. Please?" She stuck out her bottom lip.

She held the pose for another long, cuteness filled ten seconds before he caved. She squeals excitedly and pulls him behind her.

They arrived at the school thirty minutes later. Nopony was outside or around the school, so that meant they were both late. He desperately wished he was invisible as he walked in and all the students stared at him in dumbstruck awe. Cheerilee looked at them and raised her eyebrows.

"Sweetie Belle, you're late." The schoolteacher scolded. "And who's your friend?"

"This Is Seamus, he isn't from around here." She responded, putting her arm around him

.

All eyes were fixed on him now. He wished  that it was possible to become invisible, or just sink into the floor. He purposefully jerked his head so that his hair fell in front his eyes, hiding his embarrassed face.

"It's nice to meet you, Seamus. If you could both take a seat." The teacher gestured to one specific desk, the one that was unfortunately located directly between Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

He didn't know about the two bully's reputation, so he took a seat and tried to pretend nopony was staring at his wings and horn. Cheerilee resumed her lecture on Equestrian history, but most were riveted on him. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were in the very back row, with Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle lined up from left to right, Scootaloo was right behind Seamus, while Apple Bloom was behind Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle was behind Silver Spoon.

Silver Spoon saw him and her eyes widened. With a single deft movement, she threw a small piece of paper at her tiara wearing partner, who woke up from the short nap she had been taking to read the note. Scootaloo, being a pegasaus, had very keen eyesight and read the note from where she was. She was immediately suspicious of the two school bullies.

'Do you see that alicorn? You missed him coming in, but I kinda like this kid, do you?'

The tiara wearing troublemaker looked at Seamus with an amazed, starstruck expression and stared for at least a half-minute before she broke the trance. With all the speed she could muster, she scribbled a response and passed it back. Scootaloo eyed the piece of paper intently now; Seamus was supposed to be their friend, not theirs.

'Uh, yeah! He's kinda cute too.' The note read.

Scoot's jaw dropped dramatically. She scribbled a note of her own and passed it to Apple Bloom.

'Those two are trying to steal Sweetie Belle's friend! Watch!'

The junior farmhand nodded and stared intently at the two troublemakers. The note was back to Diamond Tiara now and it had slightly more length to it.

'But he has a blank flank?' Silver spoon wrote.

'So, it'll mess with those dorks and get me a really, really cute date, wait till the end of the day.'

'Don't let the two mares next to you kid you, they are nothing but trouble!' It read.

He looked at Diamond Tiara, who winked at him. He wrote back and hid his face behind a long, luxurious wing stretch. But as he did he accidentally knocked the tiara wearing troublemaker's tiara right off her head. Apple Bloom giggled immaturely and high-hoofed Scootaloo.But then the young pegasaus looked at the note and nearly let out an audible groan.

'What's the matter with them? They seem nice.' It read.

Seamus looked at the tiara on the floor and smiled back at Diamond.

"I'm sorry about that." He apologized politely. "Let me get it."

He got up and kicked the small trinket up and landed it directly on his head. He smiled at her charmingly. The usually rude mare was struck silent by his showponyship. He took off the trinket with his wing and, balancing it on the tip of his feather, set it on gently on her head. He sat back down with a graceful flourish. The snobby rich girl was starstruck by him; she just stared at him for a minute. No colt was ever that nice to her.

Now Scootaloo wanted to hurl. Why was he being so nice to her? She didn't deserve it! The annoyed pegasaus passed another note to Apple Bloom.

'He doesn't think she's a total jerk! And do you see how she's looking at him!'

Diamond Tiara was staring at him, a dreamy, lost look in her eyes. Her facial expression said it all; she had a gigantic crush on the alicorn. The two looked at Sweetie Belle and shook their heads. How would she take the news? How complicated would this get? Apparently, very complicated.

The four young ponies were walking home when Scootaloo suddenly grabbed Seamus and poked him in the chest. She was an inch from his face and wore a feral snarl on her own.

"Look, stay away from those two mares, okay! They are total, rich, annoying, snobs who are just being nice to you to get at us! Stop flirting with Diamond Tiara, too!" She growled.

"Flirting? What do you mean? I was just being nice." Seamus said, confused.

Apple Bloom walked up to the two and sighed. "So you were just being polite to her, right?"

He nodded and added. "Why do you think I was flirting?"

The two fillies looked at each other. Scootaloo let him go and groaned.

"You seriously didn't see Diamond Tiara swooning at you? Are you blind! She was practically eye-raping you!"

"Scootaloo! Language!" Apple Bloom scolded.

"Well! She was!" the pegasaus huffed.

Seamus looked at them in confusion. "What's the big deal?" he asked.

Scootaloo threw her hooves in the air. "Those two are the biggest jerks in the school! They bully us constantly for not havin' cutie marks!"

"Well maybe she's mean because nopony is ever nice to her? Did you ever think about that?" Seamus said back softly.

Apple Bloom was dumbstruck. She always counted herself a very nice pony, but she had never been nice to her. Not once had she ever even considered it. But just as she had thought of a response, Diamond Tiara herself ran up behind them.

"Speak of the she-devil herself, her she is." Scootaloo muttered under her breath.

The rich filly went up to Seamus and caught her breathe for a moment before she spoke.

"Hi, um, you picked up my tiara earlier and I, er, was wondering if I could come over to your house later? Just, y'know, get to know each other?" She gave a nervous smile.

He smiled back at her and she visibly relaxed at his gesture.

"Sure, I'd love to." The handsome young colt responded.

Later, after the Sweetie Belle was home, the two crusaders told her what had happened. Rarity walked into her kitchen where they sat, all glumly resting their heads on the table.

"So how was our guest's day?" The fashionista asked

"Popular." They all said at once.

"Well what's the matter with that?"

Seamus himself walked into the kitchen at the moment and Scootaloo groaned.

"Hey, Romeo." She mumbled.

He gave her a sarcastic sigh. "I'm just being nice. Please act like this isn't killing you."

"But it is! I can't just pretend she's not a jerk!" The young pegasaus growled. "Besides, you look like you have more on your mind than just 'being nice'."

Seamus was actually very neatly groomed and his usually shaggy, untamable mane was styled perfectly over his left eye and the rest ran wildly down his neck and shoulders. He shrugged and went over to the stove, where Rarity was preparing a delicious looking meal.

"How long is she staying?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"She leaves at eight." Seamus responded.

"What!" The filly complained, looking at the clock. "That's two full hours of her being here! In my house! With my stuff!"

"It won't kill you, I promise." He joked.

"You sure?" Scootaloo said, cocking and eyebrow.

He had just shrugged when a knock came at the boutique door. The young alicorn went out into the salon and opened the door to find Diamond Tiara smiling nervously. He smiled back and she visibly relaxed. She wore a nice purple evening dress and had a blue-diamond tiara perched on her head. He moved aside and held out his wing in a graceful, polite flourish to invite her in. She nodded, surprised at his good manners and entered.

"How was the walk over?" Seamus asked her.

"It was very nice, thank you." She responded cheerily, dropping her usual rude façade.

She walked into the kitchen and smiled awkwardly at the Crusaders.

"Oh… hey Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo." She said to try and ease the tension, which lay so thick in the air one could feel it in their wingtips.

The three fillies glared at her like she was the pariah. Seamus gave them an annoyed look and then they finally spoke to her, a simple, unanimous.

"Hi." Was all they said, one single syllable that held a thousand words of loathing.

He rolled his eyes and turned to Rarity, who was levitating the amazing dinner over to the table. The meal was tense and the only words said were the questions of if who could pass the occasional food item or condiment. Seamus had finally had enough and started a conversation, despite the harsh silence emanating from the three fillies next to him.

"So Diamond, why don't we start some games, or maybe tell me a bit about yourself?" He asked politely.

Scootaloo gave a huge, malevolent and mischievous grin.

"Or how about both?" She said, that cocky, overconfident swagger creeping into her voice. "Let's go upstairs and play my favorite game."

The three looked at each other and smiled gigantic evil smirks. Seamus looked at Rarity, who didn't catch the ill-will in the air and so said they could go to Sweetie Belle's room. He groaned and looked at Diamond Tiara. This wasn't going to end well.

Say, doesn't Diamond Tiara kinda look like… No, that's impossible. Seamus shook his head as he went upstairs. There was no way she could look like him, ever. As they reached a landing, he saw Sweetie Belle open a door and head inside. With no other real option, he went inside after Diamond Tiara.

An exact replica of Rarity's room was inside, down to the same curtains. He saw four beds in the room and them all positioning around a circular rug in the center of the room. He gulped down some air and sat down on the rug.

"Here's the game." Scootaloo said boisterously. "No holds barred Truth or Dare."

Diamond looked from Seamus to the three fillies in near panic.

"The rules are simple, you can't hurt anypony and you can't say no. Anything else goes. We start with me, then we go to Apple Bloom, then it's your turn." She pointed to the guest. "Then it's Seamus's turn and then it's back to me. Any questions?”

Diamond Tiara raised her hoof.

"No, good. Let's start." She continued, totally ignoring her.

Scootaloo looked Diamond Tiara right in the eye. "Diamond Tiara, truth or dare?"

She gulped and said. "Truth."

"Have you bullied us in the past? Give an example, too."

"Yes. About your cutie marks. Constantly." She admitted.

"Mah turn!" Apple Bloom said. "Diamond Tiara, truth or dare?"

"Truth"

"Are you sorry for bullying us?"

"Yes. I'm really sorry." She admitted again, swallowing her pride.

"My turn! Hmm…" Sweetie Belle thought. "Seamus, truth or dare?"

"Truth." He said

"Have you ever had a really big crush? And who was it?"

He looked flustered. "Um… yeah."

"Well? Who was it?" She pressed.

"I forget their name. Something long and complicated." He evaded.

The game went on for another round until it got back to Scootaloo. In the last round Seamus asked Diamond how much she liked him. She spouted some mushy nonsense to him that the young pegasi didn't understand. At this, she got a devious plan to mess with Seamus.

"Seamus, truth or dare?" She asked.

"Dare." He said, accepting the challenge.

"Kiss Apple Bloom, full on the lips for an entire minute, with tongue." She smiled. "Oh, yeah, and then kiss each other's necks for another minute."

Everypony looked at her in shock. It usually didn't get this intense until round ten or twelve. Apple Bloom looked at him, her cheeks flooding in a bright scarlet. He looked back at her and he felt mental locks on his repressed memories unlocking. Something that he really didn't want to remember was trying desperately to surface.

He looked at Scootaloo in a pained expression. "Do I have to?" He asked.

She nodded and suddenly her eyes became deathly slate gray to him. He blinked and shook his head. They were their usual purple. What had just happened to him? He looked back at Apple Bloom. Why were her eyes now an electric blue? He shook his head and looked back at her. Again, they were their normal color. He decided to get this over with.

He sprung at the filly, flying swiftly across the carpet, he landed on her in a way that didn't hurt her, but pushed her to soft carpet. He gently looked at her mystified expression. Without any more delay, he closed his eyes and pressed his smooth lips to hers. She melted underneath him and let out a small sound, it vaguely resembled a moan of pure ecstasy. She slid her soft tongue into his mouth and let out more weak gasps of approval. She ran her hooves over his shoulders and neck, through his long silky mane as she gently pressed his soft pink lips to hers.

Suddenly he felt something else… something he knew but thought he'd long since left behind and forgotten. He opened his own eyes to see two electric eyes piercing him. He pulled away. His thoughts were flying at a million miles-per-hour and he looked elsewhere and around. He saw his old turret suite, and under him lay a pony whose eyes had looked at him like that only once, a long time ago. Until now. The blue pegasaus blinked at him and smiled, its legs pulled close to its small, delicate body that so resembled Seamus's. Its massive wings were spread over the bed and the calm, loving look made Seamus's grip on reality unhinged totally.

He fell on the pony in pure erotic lust, he gently kissed It's neck, licking a line from its nape to it's ear, where he nibbled at it teasingly. Soon he felt it's wings close around him and he lovingly rubbed himself against it's soft stomach, lost in his lucid euphoria. It wrapped it's hooves around his neck as he offered his long horn to it. The pony smiled and took his horn in it's mouth, sucking and moaning in immeasurable pleasure. He let pure magic flow into his horn and it moaned and gasped on him.

Suddenly a massive blow knocked him off the pony. He jumped back up with an enraged snarl on his face. All at once, reality returned in a flash of pain. He wasn't in his old room; he was in Sweetie Belle's, who was looking at his like he was some sort of monster, a terrified look on her face. He looked back to where he was and saw Apple Bloom lying on the floor, a slick line of her coat he's licked from the nape of her neck to her ear. She lay there, still panting and moaning from the need. He looked at Scootaloo, who held a lamp in her hooves, brandishing it, ready to bring it down on his head again.

They all looked at him in fear and confusion. He looked down at his own hooves. What just happened to him? What hellish monster was he becoming?!

Allow me to explain...

Scootaloo kept the lamp above her head, ready to club him with it. Apple Bloom's sides were heaving from the sudden shot of raw eroticism that Seamus had accidentally given her. Diamond Tiara just stared at him in shock at what he had just done.

"I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened!" Seamus yelled.

"Don't know what happened? You just about got it on with my best friend right in front of me!" Scootaloo screamed, her voice cracking.

Apple Bloom finally opened her eyes and looked at Seamus. The emotion in her eyes was a strange mixture of alienation and a nearly bottomless innocent curiosity.

"What the buck just happened?" She said, panting. "That was… amazin…"

"Wait, so you have no idea what you were just doing with him?" Scootaloo asked.

"Well… no… but ah kinda wonna do it again!" She smiled, furthering her faux pase. "Why, was it wrong?" She asked.

Scootaloo face-hoofed. "Never do that unless you talk to an adult, okay?"

"Why, did ah do somethin wrong?" She asked again.

"Talk to Rarity, this isn't my job." The young pegasaus sighed.

Seamus was glad the attention was being drawn away from him for the moment, but just as he thought the whole infraction would just slide, Diamond Tiara got up and went over to the door. He willed the door to shut and just as the thought formed in his head, the door slammed shut with a loud clap. He looked up at his horn and smiled, despite the situation. He could finally use magic again.

"Open the door! I'm leaving you freaks right now! And I'm telling my dad!" Diamond Tiara ranted in anger, but her voice shook from fear of him.

"If you're going to tell, then no.” Seamus stated.

"I'm going to tell and you can't stop me!" She meant to yell it, but it came out as a terrified squeak. "You're dead when my father hears about this!"

Seamus looked at the Crusaders. "Will any of you tell?" he asked desperately, a pleading look in his large amethyst eyes.

"If you never, ever do that again, fine." Scootaloo said, still holding the lamp like a mace if he tried anything else.

"I will, but I want to know what he was doing" Sweetie Belle said; Scootaloo groaned in annoyance at her friend’s cluelessness.

"Okay, but ah wanna know too." Apple Bloom agreed with the young unicorn.

He turned to the pompous, spoiled brat of a foal that stood before him indignantly, trying hard to look imposing, but was failing miserably. "It's just you." Seamus said, offering her the choice.

"I'm going to tell no matter what you say!" She growled through grated teeth, unable to set aside her pride.

Seamus looked at her and sighed. He wanted to let her go, but her telling he nearly took advantage of an innocent foal wouldn't sit well on his already highly… controversial record. So, with a very difficult choice before him, he chose the path of least resistance, the Occam's razor, per se. With a nearly effortless flick of magic, the bully's eyes began to drift shut.

"What did you do?" Scootaloo asked as the bully stumble once to the left, then the right, her eyes drifting lower, and then she sank to the floor, unconscious.

"A very heavy sleeping spell. Totally harmless, really." He explained nonchalantly.

"Where'd you learn that?" Sweetie Belle asked curiously.

"A book I stole from Jakbe-…. I mean… my dad's library." He started, and then lied to keep them from asking another question.

They looked at Diamond Tiara's unconscious form and Seamus nodded. "She actually seems kinda nice when she's asleep." He observed, tilting his head to the side.

Apple Bloom spoke up. "Well what do 'we do with her?"

"I say we throw her in a ditch." Scootaloo grinned, wanting revenge for the countless times the other filly had insulted her.

The other two fillies stepped away from the young pegasaus nervously.

"Let me handle it." Seamus said and cast another quick spell, his horn surrounded by a pale blue aura. "If she asks, she fell asleep on her own." He said, erasing her memory of his infraction.

Sweetie Belle smiled. "You should teach me how to do that!"

"No." Was all the young alicorn said back, scared to think of what chaos that would sow. "That book I took had some nasty magic in it. Figures, I guess, It's Jakbe-er… my dad‘s." He corrected himself.

He shook his head to clear it and tried to grasp at what had made him do that. He was suddenly in a totally different place and time, he could feel everything like it was reality and he had gotten his magic back. He needed to see a professional, and he wanted to talk to somepony about this. Why had that memory come back all at once? It had been that one night… that one amazing night that haunted him.

His first thoughts were to tell Rarity, but he shrugged the idea off. He needed a pony that would understand and help him, not scold him to the point where he would feel worse. He thought of Sky and how he had always understood him perfectly, they were two of the same problems, even though they were both slightly different. Sky was thoughtful and would accept any viewpoint or opinion that had a decent amount of rationalization behind it, while Seamus was always tolerant, but he wouldn't ever change his own views on anything.

Except that one time, but that's a whole different story for later.

Once the two didn't talk to each other for an entire night because they couldn't come to an agreement on how, if they could, escape. Every time Seamus would formulate a plan, Sky would bring up why they couldn't because he worked in the Northern wing, which had the most lax security because Jakben called that wing his home, even though he would never come out during the day.

Seamus smiled at the memory, Sky had been so cool and he had been so angry, it was always like that. He was always so temperamental and Sky was the one who wanted nothing more than to resolve the conflict in the most peaceful manner possible. He knew how to have fun, too. The other colt loved nothing more than to see how they two could mess with the force field around their turret and trick the pigeons into trying to land on the tower. Seamus learned peace and patience from him, and he was eternally grateful for the lessons in tolerance and acceptance.

Seamus missed the Sky so much his chest hurt and his heart clenched. Would Melody really throw her prize pony to that… thing? The Sautilus, he'd never seen it, but he knew exactly what it did. It eats sanity like a delicious entrée to your actual body. Sometimes Melody would pull the victim out of the chamber before the spirit could do any physical harm and send the broken pony back to work to scare the others into obedience.

The occasional female prisoner of war would be bought and kept exclusively in Melody's tower. Seamus cringed at the thought of that last summer night. That night Jakben fed well.

Scootaloo brought him back from his thoughts. She clapped her hooves right next to his ear impatiently. He shook his head again to clear out the slight ringing and looked at her, slight irritation in his voice.

"I need to talk to Fluttershy." He said

Diamond Tiara woke up and went home later on. Seamus went downstairs and looked up at Rarity, trying to think of how to ask her. After an awkward moment of just staring up at her he said.

"Can I go over to Fluttershy's?" He asked.

"It's nearly nine o' clock, dear. It's not the time to be asking me that." She responded.

"Please?" He begged, sticking his bottom lip out and widening his purple eyes.

She groaned. "Why?"

"Because you don't have enough beds here." A long silence settled on them.

"I'll walk you over." She caved at last.

Seamus closed the door and smiled at the cozy cabin. It was homey and reminded him of his house back in the Northern islands of The Counties. He looked around at the interior and couldn't help but feel at ease, even though he'd nearly lost all inkling decency an hour ago. Fluttershy walked downstairs and saw him. He smiled warmly t her and she did the same.

He joyfully skipped over to her and looked up at the mare with bright amethyst eyes.

"Hi." Was all he whispered, one syllable that held a thousand words of warmth and adoration.

She looked down at him and he looked right into her eyes. They could have stood there for hours drowning in each other‘s irises, but he had come there for a reason. Maybe she could help him with his problems.

"I wanted to talk to you." He said.

She went over to her couch and settled down. He followed and sat down at the opposite end.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked softly.

"Earlier I started to do something and I was suddenly in my past doing the same thing, but to a different pony and in a different time. I don't know what happened." He explained.

"Who was the pony?" She asked.

He looked at his hooves and bit his bottom lip. He wanted to tell her, but that would seem so wrong if he just went out and said it. He needed to explain a lot first.

"Okay. It's a long story, but I hope you understand…" He begins.

Seamus sat alone in his gigantic turret suite, alone and bored out of his mind. He would occasionally try at magic, but the cover on his horn always stopped him. He tested each and every curse Melody had place on him yesterday. All were intact and his tattoos in between his legs still ached. He threw a glance at the stars outside his bed and felt like screaming in frustration. Why do this to him? Why was he so important to that monster of a mare?

'You know exactly why she values your adorable little body.' He thought.

'Nice, now I'm talking to myself. I'm insane.' His consciousness confirmed.

'Maybe, but why ask yourself questions that you already know the answer to?' His sub-conscience asked.

'I don't know for sure, do I now?' He thought smugly.

'I know, therefore you do, idiot.'

Seamus frowned and wanted to hit his head off the headboard. That didn't help him at all, and was, quite honestly, confusing. Finally, he rolled over and dropped the five hooves to the floor. There had to be something better to do than to argue with his own sub-consciousness. Looking around, he saw only the wrap-around couch fifteen hooves below him and the tiled floor beyond, and just beyond that was the balcony surrounding the tower. He liked the room, but it wasn't furnished to one of his stature. The bed he had to struggle to get onto and the couch cushions were just huge and the lounge pillows on it could be a pillow to him.

He saw the trap doors on both sides of the tower, one led to the palace and the other to a ridiculously lavish bathroom that held a bathing pool he could swim in on one side. The sink was gold and brass and the tub itself was marble and built into the floor. There was no limit to the expense Melody would pay for her prize-winning show pony.

He heard a slam from behind him and saw a brief flash of movement as the door shut behind a servant. A large tray of food sat on the tiled floor with a small note next to it. The alicorn knew in his gut that the door was locked with all the seven steel bars from the other side. He jumped off his steps and glided to a stop at the tray. He looked closely at the note.

'Eat the meal in the following order.' Was all it said.

It listed the exact way and in what order he had to eat the meal. He scowled at the letter and wanted to throw it into a fire, but as he couldn't use magic, that was impossible. He thought about disobeying the note and eating it how he pleased, but something told him that wouldn't be wise. He picked up a small apple that was so large he could barely grasp it. Shrugging, he followed the order and bit into it. He wanted to vomit.

The apple tasted like the strange, disgusting pulp it was filled with. It was gray on the inside and tasted like iron. The note said to eat it all or else Jakben would spend the afternoon with him, which was all the incentive he needed to choke it down. The next was a bowl of oat-cream that tasted like pure copper. Why did this food taste so bad? He picked up the note again and flipped it over.

'The food is highly enhanced with nutrients and vitamins and a very high abundance of protein and iron. If it tastes bad than be grateful you're not Jakben, he has to deal with the taste all the time.'

Seamus crumpled up the note and threw it at the force field. It ricochet's off the invisible wall and hits him in the forehead. He finishes his foul tasting meal and paces circles around the massive suite. Directly across from his tower he could see Melody's room, which was a pure white that hurt to look directly at. Shaking his head and blinking, he grabbed the note and studied the neat writing. It was the writing of a machine, so perfect it could have been typed or copied. Only one creature could write like that.

The vampire that called this palace his abode, Jakben. Seamus hated the vampire; he seemed to be ruled by his emotions and his impulses. He had very little self-control and he wondered why Melody let him live. He was more of a hazard than an asset. Then again, there had to be something besides the rogue spirit to scare the servants into obedience.

Lost in thought, Seamus didn't notice the door unlocking or the vampire enter the room.

"Bonjour." The creepy vampire whispered.

The colt nearly screamed in terror. Jakben laughed.

"You're needed downstairs, boy. You have and appointment." He chuckled darkly.

Seamus went downstairs and to the servant's wing. It was furnished in earth-tone colors with ugly splotches of gray where the floor would fall away on occasion and just dirt would cover the floor. The doors themselves were just curtains or an assortment of things that the slaves could throw together to earn some form of privacy. No lights were in this wing and no heat was present. Unlike Seamus's turret, the wind wasn't warmed or cooled by an enchantment, so a bone- dry chilling breeze stole any warmth from the place.

Eventually they arrived at the end of the long hallway. A huge iron door stood on hinges that looked like not even Jakben could break. They saw a slit in the door at three different heights. A huge pair of eyes regarded them spastically from the other side. A number of locks clicked and a loud boom, like a huge barricade board being lifted from the door, sounded. The door swung open slowly on loud hinges and a maddened, royal purple unicorn colt looked at them from small, dirty spectacles perched on the end of his nose. His eyes flicked around the room constantly and a huge smile was on his wizened face.

"W-why hello my friends!" He wheezed. "Is this who you'd like me to see?" He stared at Seamus with yellow, insane eyes that never stood still; they always quivered or shook in their sockets.

"Yes," Jakben said. "But none of your usual crap, just put the spells on him and don't do anything else."

The old quack looked crestfallen. "Why not? My treatments have a 40% success rate!"

Jakben leered at the doctor and growled. "We already took your advice on the food. Give him the spells and let us leave or I'll rip you limb from limb and chew on your femur when I get bored."

The mad doctor recoiled and muttered. "Fine, mutt."

The vampire suddenly had his hoof on the unicorn's throat. "What was that, Quack?" He spat.

"Nothing." The doctor choked out; Jakben let him go and shoved Seamus forward.

"Ah, fine specimen." He observed Seamus. "Lift your wings, please."

He obeyed the doctor and he began to poke at his sides. Soon he was squeezing his legs and demanding he jump in the air. The already confused alicorn was only more annoyed at the old quack.

"Okay, you seem fit, no apparent tumors." He stated. "No muscle problems and healthy. You said you followed my diet, correct?" He looked at Jakben, who nodded.

"Ah, you've had all your shots, no?" He asked; Seamus nodded. "Good boy. Now, are you pure-bred?" Seamus shook his head.

This put a look of confusion on the elder's face. "Those looks and you're not bred for it?"

Jakben gave a small, crude-humored chuckle. "You can tell." He nodded downward.

"Ohhhh…" The doctor said. "Well… how big is it?"

Jakben leaned over and whispered a hasty reply in the doctor’s ear.

The doctor whistled. "That is small for an equine colt. Now, don't feel bad, boy, keep to my diet and give it some exercise and you'll be big as or larger than a pure-bred in no time."

Seamus bit his tongue to keep from spitting in their faces. He hated how he had no privacy whatsoever. Not even his body was his own.

"Okay, what spells do you want put on him?" The doctor asked, moving on from the subject.

"The body lock spell." Jakben stated.

"Where? His whole body?"

Jakben pulled out a note and handed it to the doctor.

"Ah, so everywhere but his wings, mane, tail, horn and frock. Seems easy enough." The doctor said and threw the note. "Okay, let's get this done, eh?"

He went farther into the room and pulled back the curtain around his office. The floor was filthy and had stains of blood and ash covering it. A furnace was open in the far corner of the room, which he flicked shut and smiled.

"Sorry, I had to toss in an idiot who tried to go at me with a scalpel. T'was a sight."

Seamus didn't like anything about this supposed doctor. He looked mad as a hatter and his neon-yellow eyes scared him.

"Okay, just hold still and hold your wings out to your sides, please. It won't take but a moment."

A small flash blinded him and his suddenly entire body was numb. After a few seconds the affect wore off and Jakben shoved Seamus towards the door. The vampire didn't say goodbye and didn't look back as they marched in silence back to the Northern wing.

Melody waited for them at the junction between the four palace wings.

"Well?" She asked impatiently.

Jakben grated his teeth and nodded.

"Good, we don't want those good looks to be marred by time, do we?" She said to Seamus.

"I'm not a foal." The colt growled proudly.

The mare slapped him brutally across the face and said casually. "You are what I say you are."

He massaged his cheek in pain and Jakben dismissed himself. She turned on a dime and marched down the West wing. The halls were the same red and gold of the entrance halls and the doors were ornate and had the occasional golden symbol of a spear on it to represent a captain's rank. Seamus hurried to keep up with her. As they walked, she talked idly.

"These two guards were very interested in you the other night. They said they wanted to see you and the one looked very happy when I agreed."

Seamus stopped dead in his tracks. He paled and began to panic.

"What are you doing, boy?" She barked. "Get over here!"

He moved forward like a death row inmate to the electric chair.

"She looked nervous, too. I guess I would be, too. You are, after all, my own personal little assistant, aren't you?" She chirped.

He looked his entire body over and purposefully began to stretch his legs further than they needed to be, readying the muscles to fight. He wanted to be ready if he was going to do this.

They approached a door that looked no different from those around it. Redwood with a golden handle and a silver trim, fanciful, but not exactly ornate. Seamus looked at the door like this was his last glimpse at any relative dignity or pride. He swallowed the lead in his throat and faced the door. Melody opened it nonchalantly and gestured for him to enter.

He looked at the inside of the room and memorized everything. From where the lamps were to how he could fastest get to the door. The room was cozy and had and eggshell color to the walls. The two lamps on both sides of the bed cast the room in a warm, faded yellow that almost made the alicorn relax, but he remained vigilant. The queen sized bed in front of him had a golden frame with red blankets and white sheets made military style. The door on the left side of the room led to a large walk-in closet and the one on the right led to an extravagant bathroom.

The room was so clean he was confused as to if anypony even lived here.

"Hm," Melody hummed. "She doesn't seem to be here. Oh well. I'll be down the hall if you need me. I need to clear up some issues with the interior decorator."

"You're just going to leave me?" He exclaimed in terror.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "You'll be fine." She left and shut the door.

He looked around at the walls which seemed to be closing in on him. He began to hyperventilate and sweat. What was she thinking? Was she that daft that she didn't see that half her guards couldn't stop staring at him when he walked down the halls?

He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Surely this wasn't going to be as bad as his imagination made it out to be? A knock came at the door and the pegasi guard came in drenched in mud. She had a furious scowl on her face and her usually brilliant silver armor was covered on grime and slurry. She saw him and looked galvanized by his appearance. She looked outside the door and shut it. She didn't look happy or even unhappy to see him, but she moreover tried to act like he wasn't there.

The pegasaus opened her closet and stepped in. From where he was, Seamus could see that there was only one garment on the rack of clothes. She growled and put her head against the wall. She pulled it and a towel from a shelf and strides across the bedroom to the washroom. She shut the door and he heard a shower being run.

He looked at the door curiously. Surely if she was going to abuse him, she wouldn't really care if she was clean or not? He tapped his hoof and thought about it. Surely she would get right down to it, right? The young colt mulled it over and guessed that he wasn't all out of the woods yet. She could just want to appear decent for him, which was all well and good, but did this situation call for it?

After a long wait where he did very little but stand there on the nice white-tan carpet. Finally, she came out in a tunic or skirt that guards often wore under their armor. It was a maroon that complimented her red-copper mane nicely. She had a pure white coat, but the thing that drew Seamus's gaze was her eyes. Those same pair of his eyes that had looked at him so lustfully yesterday looked at him now with a guilty, repentant expression. She looked at him and walked over to her bed and sighed as she lay down.

Seamus realized why she didn't want to wear the skirt-gown. It was too short in the back and every movement exposed her entire sleek, muscular legs and a portion of her flank. He focused on her shockingly green eyes to not be rude. She looked at him and gave him a smile. Not a 'funny ha ha' smile, either, but an 'I'm going to swallow my pride and tell you something I'd sooner die than tell you if I didn't have to.' smile. He knew this was nothing like he'd expected and things were very serious.

She took a deep breath and looked right into his eyes. "I'm sorry." She whispered softly.

He felt the wind leaving his lungs. This proud mare was apologizing for that?

"You probably think I'm a monster. I lost control and wanted to act tough in front of my partner. I just saw you and I couldn't stop myself… I really am sorry…" She trailed off.

Seamus was at a loss as to what to say. He could only imagine the sheer will it had taken to swallow her pride and admit she had stooped so low. He looked at her and didn't know if he should even talk. She looked at him and bowed her head in shame.

"There. I said it. I am truly sorry and ashamed of what I did."

He finally thought of what to say. "You could have just talked to me and I would've been your friend." Her eyes began to tear. "It's not like any other of the mares here are nice to me."

The word 'friend' struck her to the core. Her eyes were watering and her mane hid her face. He saw her in a different light now, another pony under the iron hoof of Melody, like him. What impressed him the most was how she spoke, her tone was soft and she didn't speak facing him.

"Melody made me apologize and she's making me do something else, too." She said. "Melody figured out what I did so she… she asked me to convince you to do something."

He nodded and looked at her curiously. She gave him another very nervous, embarrassed smile.

"She… I need you to… Melody asked me and I told her…she's making me… then she said how young you were and…" she trailed off, but managed to finally get out her message. "She wants you and me to… well…"

He put his head in his hooves. What was with Melody? Just when somepony finds some thread of moral fiber she burns it and stomps on the ashes.

"She wants us to bed each other, doesn't she?" He sighed.

She nodded and looked at the floor.

"Why you, though? Why not her? She must want me too?"

"But I found the gall to act nicely to you, a colt and her servant, the exact opposite of what she wants. And I… she… told her I…" She fell silent again.

"What? I promise I'll understand." He assured her.

"I…" she took a deep breath like it hurt her to say it aloud. "I've never… done that before."

Seamus was at first stricken, and then he grew angry. Melody had no right to violate something so symbolic and sacred just because she unintentionally disobeyed her. She had no business and no right to take something like that away when it was the only thing the mare really had of her own.

"What will she do if you don't?" He asked, fuming.

"Feed me to the Sautilus." She whispered.

He cringed inwardly and tried not to vomit. The stories he'd heard of the monster at the end of the West wing just in the short two days he'd been here were mind-numbingly disgusting and horrible.

"Will she check?" He asked desperately; she nodded and muttered something about the doctor. "Is there any other way?" He pleaded.

She shook her head and looked at her sheets.

"Why me? Why not some random servant?" He mumbled.

She gave him a grim smile and suddenly thought of how to explain something that would change the colt's life forever.

"She picked you to break your will. You resisted when I went at you, her mantra is that I could come at you with a knife and you have no right to defend yourself. Another reason she wants you to do this is to teach you that… the act is nothing more than a physical release that means nothing. There is to be no emotion behind the act. It's not intimate and you can do it with anypony you see.

But she's wrong. Sex is not something you do with just anypony. You have to know them and there is a load of emotion behind it. It is the most intimate act you can do with anypony. The amazing surge of passion and intimacy is what makes it what it is; otherwise it's just a total, absolute lie. It can be just a simple thing you do with no strings attached, but when you begin to feel more… It's all downhill."

She smiled and looked at the ceiling, a soulful, pensive look on her face.

"I'll tell you a secret, though. A secret she'd die to keep hidden. She's abused her body so many times that she takes no pleasure in the act. The second she gets excited, she caps off and that's it for her. She wants something she can't have and that is the mental, emotional part of the act. She can't have it, so she gets off on making others do it for her. She longs for the release so bad that she's started to just throw pairs of ponies into bed and have Jakben kill them if they refuse. But I hear that isn't even enough for her now. She wants it to be real and the sex to be real; she wants to see the physical and mental act of making love. She wants it so bad she's started to throw ponies in a room and hope they have that deep, intimate connection. She's abused herself so badly she can no longer perform, so she desperately tries to replicate what she once had."

He was shocked at the sudden revelations. Now he had to revise his view on the pony he hated most in his life. In a way… he actually, felt bad for her.

"Of course," She continued. "You have to feel bad for her on some level. I pity her, how sad."

He was struck silent by the tragic story. But a sudden thought came to him.

"Are we one of those pairs?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, this is to desensitize you to this."

"Do I still have to…?"

She sighed and looked at the floor again. "I guess so… she said we could take all day if we needed to. Oh yeah, she gave us some wine, too."

The pegasaus rolls off the bed and kneels to get the two bottles beneath her nightstand. The short skirt she wore didn't cover her at all and, being the shy gentlecolt he was, Seamus' cheeks burned and he looked at the ceiling instead of her totally exposed flanks. She stood up and saw him staring at the ceiling fixedly. She pieced it together and blushed embarrassment herself.

"Sorry." She muttered and popped the bottle.

She took out two fine crystal glasses and poured them both a full cup. She offered him the drink and he looked at it wearily. She rolled her eyes and put the glass in his hooves. He looked at it for a second longer, and then downed a huge gulp of the high-proof alcohol. He puckered and closed his eyes as the bitter-sweet liquid burnt his throat for the first time. She smiled and took the glass from him.

"Never drank before?" She asked.

He nodded and looked at her. He liked it, it put a fire in his stomach and made him feel... better. She was a nice mare at heart, but this place was the corruptor of many pure, innocent souls. He looked at her and tried to make up his mind. Would it be selfish to be too proud and refuse to perform? She would undoubtedly be punished harshly or put to death by slow, agonizing torture if he didn't. It would be selfish and inconsiderate of him, but how many times would this happen? How many times would Melody throw him at a mare to reward or punish her?

He thought for a few minutes and arrived at a solution. It wasn't perfect and didn't solve his problems, but it at least it made this somewhat right. He looked at her. Physically she was to die for and mentally she could be even better, but he wanted to know her first. He wanted to follow her words and know her before he did anything that intimate. True, Melody would be irate that he didn't do it without asking questions, but he felt that she would have the patience.

She looked at him, lost in thought. After she observed him for a moment, she spoke up and said.

"Will you help me?" she asked. "I won't make you if you say no."

"I will." He confirmed and she relaxed. "But tomorrow. I need to know you before I do this."

She looked confused at first, but then nodded. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"What's your name?" He asked and leapt up onto the bed beside her.

She smiled and lay down next to him, her wings twitching slightly. The two looked into each other's eyes and she spoke so softly Seamus could hardly believe he'd heard it.

"Silver."

Fluttershy yawned and gave a small smile at the heartwarming story.

"Was it her? Was she the one in your memory?" She asked Seamus.

"Well… no. The story gets worse after this." He explained forlornly.

She looks down at the small alicorn for a moment in confusion.

"Why tell me all this, then?" She asked.

"Because the reason I was with that pony from my memory is because of what happened next."

Hey everypony! I would like it if you commented... just sayin...

Down a Different Rabbit Hole

Seamus lies on Fluttershy's couch; he'd fallen asleep shortly after recanting the first part of his strange tale. Fluttershy went in her kitchen and grabbed a salad she'd kept from the castle visit. She went back into the living room and saw the young alicorn his back, smiling pleasantly with his huge wings spread, dwarfing his small body, which had been stopped from growing by the strange doctor he'd mentioned. He looked small, delicate, if not even fragile.

Her heart softened at the sight of his long legs and soft, mare-ish face. He seemed peaceful there, happy almost. Angel ran into the living room and tugged at her tail. The mare turned around and found him pointing at her salad. She gave him a piece of the lettuce and he went upstairs. She looked back at him to find him mumbling slightly in his sleep. She leaned close to him and she heard him whisper the one word she would dislike the most form that night onwards.

"Jakben." He whispered softly.

She stood back up and turned her head to the side.

"Why would he whisper…"

"Jak-ben." A disturbingly familiar voice crooned into her ear.

She remembered something she'd learned once, a long time ago. It echoed in her head faintly as she turned around to see a blue and blonde vampire staring into her eyes.

"Two syllables." He said nonchalantly. "I own the name, why do you speak of it so…" He was suddenly in front of her, a hairsbreadth from her face. "Reverently?

He brushed her mane out of her face and smiled, flashing long, dagger-like fangs. She was paralyzed in fear.

"I saw you that night at when they made they're deal for the whelp. You were so… beautiful." He puts his forehead against hers and lets out a long exhale that reeked of carrion. Fluttershy tried not to gag. "I saw you and knew you were perfect…" He whispered and leaned forward.

She leaned away, but he was so adept at anticipating ponies' movements he moved with her and had his lips by her neck, his hot, and rancid breathe wetting the fur right next to her artery. He kissed her neck and traced the vein with his tongue, letting out an animalistic growl of hunger. She tried desperately not to panic, but him that close to her, that close to being able to take her life was driving her heart to beat so fast it hammered in her chest like a drum, provoking him even more.

He licked a slow line from her neck to her ear, wetting the fur and making an icy chill cut her.

"Don't be afraid…" He whispers sensually. "I'll be gentle as I can."

He pushes against her and she moves backwards to keep her balance. He does it again, and again, backing her farther into the house. Before she knew it, she was between the kitchen counter and the vampire. He licked his lips and leaned in to kiss her. She pursed her lips to deny him, but faster that she could even think, his tongue was in her mouth, teasing her's, trying to get her to play along.

She wanted to gag; his tongue was dry as sandpaper and was like having a mouthful of ashes. She bit down on it and nearly broke her teeth. His tongue was hard as corded steel wire. He growled again and she tried to move to the side. Just as unthinkably fast, he blocked her.

All at once she was pinned to the counter, and he was forcing his disgusting tongue down her throat. He grabbed her mane and pulled at it so hard her eyes watered. He pulls her hips close and ground against her, snarling. She drew the line and kicked him right in the area she would think his genitals would be. He released her lips and frowned at her.

"That wasn't very nice." He chirped. "Maybe you need to get a better view."

Her eyes shrank to pinpoints and she kicked at him and tried to scratch his eyes. He looked at her with an expression that bespoke total boredom. He'd had enough. He slammed all four of her legs wide and turned his head to the side, smiling.

A soft, fleshy pop sounded and suddenly Jakben lost his smile. He went limp and fell off her to the hardwood floor. The blade of a butcher knife, broken from the handle, was sunk right between his third and fourth vertebrae, severing his spine. She looked toward the door to see Seamus, his sides heaving in anger and his horn glowing, a red aura still surrounding the blade. He looked at her and nodded his head to acknowledge her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She nodded, her mouth too dry and bruised to respond. Seamus went over to Jakben, who looked up from the floor with sanguine eyes that held a bottomless abyss of hatred. The vampire still had control over his body above where the blade had severed his spinal cord.

"Having fun?" Seamus asked.

"I was, teasing her succulent flank. Let me up so I can finish with my dinner and a show. I might let you live afterwards." He spits.

"Nah, I don't really feel like it." The young alicorn gave him a sardonic grin.

The vampire's nostril's flared. Seamus went over to Fluttershy and looked up into her eyes.

"Did he hurt you?" He asked gently.

She nodded and opened her mouth; her gums and tongue were cut in several places. Seamus looked at Jakben and shrugged.

"I hope you don't mind if I borrow some of your energy." He said.

A red glow surrounded Jakben and Fluttershy. Her cuts were healed immediately and the wounded vampire looked even more furious.

"Keep you magic to yourself, you pathetic, inbred runt."

Seamus shrugged and looked at him. "I learned what I know about magic from your book, so it's your own fault. Here's another thing I learned, too."

He levitated Jakben's motionless body and moved to the living room. Fluttershy followed behind them, licking her now flawlessly smooth teeth. Seamus dropped the vampire in the center of the room and stepped back a few paces. He closed his eyes and began to chant in a language that was probably long dead and forgotten in the backwaters of history.

A small flash lit the room and Seamus drew the blade out of the vampire. As soon as the blade was out, he sprang for them. He hit an invisible wall and spat at them in frustration.

"Stupid waste of life! Let me go!"

Seamus looked at him and sighed. "Why are you here?"

"For my next meal and to give you a message." He growled.

"What's the message?"

"Sky is growing more and more uncooperative. Melody is beginning to question his worth and, by the way, she refused to bargain with your pathetic excuse for an ambassador. He's not for sale."

Seamus's eyes flew wide, and then he narrowed them and asked. "What exactly did she say?"

Jakben cleared his throat and blinked a few times. After his vocal warm-up, he began to speak in an exact replication of Melody's voice, down to the condescending, contemptuous tone of her voice.

'How are you Sea? Good? I hope you are. Your… friend is becoming more and more distraught with each passing day. He tried to take his own life last night."

Seamus' amethyst eyes flooded with tears as she told him of the tragedy.

'He is fine now; the doctor put an instant healing charm on him in case he tries it again. It truly is a shame, he has your looks and the same slender, long-limbed build as you. He begs to see you day and night but we can't, because you are there and we are here.'

Seamus felt like screaming at her, but he knew it wouldn't make a difference.

'As upset as he is, I can't bear to part with the cute little pegasaus. He is too near and dear to my heart. Anyway, I hope you are well. Have a good time being free. Sky will be here... totally alone… without you… forever.'

Jakben cleared his throat again and resumed speaking in his normal voice.

"I hope that you had a better idea than a knife to kill me." He rolled his eyes.

Fluttershy was looking down at Seamus, who was trying desperately not to cry. She felt so bad for the young colt, but even on the brink of tears, he was unbelievably beautiful. His long black mane covered his face as he bowed his head. He hated this vampire almost as much as he hated Melody. Almost. She put a comforting hoof on his shoulder, but that upset him even more.

Jakben saw the mare looking down at him with such compassion and he smiled.

"Oh, no." He chuckled humorlessly. "Oh my gods. You care for him, don't you? You have no idea what exactly you love? He is far too deep for you to even comprehend. You would never be able to keep up with him. How do you say 'out of your league'? Besides, you only care for him because you pity him. If he wasn't so cute and hurting so badly, you wouldn't be interested at all.

The emotion you're feeling, is not love. It is pity. You pity the boy and you're instincts tell you to comfort him. How pathetic are you?" He jeers. "I can count on one hoof how many times a relationship based on pity succeeded. Because there isn't any. In all my seven-hundred-sixty-two years, none ever have. Besides, he's an alicorn; he'll just outlive you and move on eventually. You would be one of his many exploits through the ages. I'd know, from flicking through your dearest ruler's journals. She has had, if I'm correct, six-hundred seventy-two. Most of which were guards or royals she courted discreetly for their favor. Once it was her own sister…"

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes. "How did you get into the castle?"

"I have ways, whore."

Her eyes grew wide as she figured it out. "The poisonings! You did that!"

"Bravo, you aren't completely devoid of wit." He mumbled. "Your ruler's a slut, by the way. Sometimes she manipulates her servants with seduction. And do have any idea what happens in that secret room of hers? Sick things I would think about after a year of concentrating. I envy her, almost. It takes a true innovator to think of that many ways to torture."

Seamus didn't care and wasn't listening. He was too busy thinking about Sky. How could he get him out of there without giving himself back to Melody? He tried to think about it and came up blank. The estate was a fortress, even if Celestia sent her entire army there, Jakben would cut through their ranks like a hot knife through butter.

That train of thought was the worst part. Going back. To the room, the place that was the source of all his nightmares. Melody's tower was the place he never wanted to be again. But that seemed to be the only way he could think of. He shook his head and changed his thought process.

He needed to figure out how to get rid of Jakben. He thought for a second, and then went up to the cage. He concentrated for a moment, and with a loud snap, the vampire was gone.

Fluttershy looked at him, confused. "Where did you send him?"

"Six miles below the crust." He answered nonchalantly,yawning like the entire situation was no cause for alarm.

They sat on the couch an hour later, Seamus was sleeping again and Fluttershy was thinking about the words of the enigmatic vampire. Was Jakben right? Did she only pity the colt, not really love him? She looks over at him, his small, sleek body surrounded by his large, silky black wings and his long mane in his eyes. Her heart fluttered in her chest at the sight of his tiny chest rising and falling rhythmically. But he wasn't smiling, he had a scowl on his mare-ish face and his wingtips twitched. He mumbled and his horn would spark on occasion.

She didn't care if this was just a temporary love, it was real right now. She moved closer to him and wrapped her hooves around his small frame. A small spark of magic leapt from his horn and hit her skin right beside her nose. She felt an amazing electrical energy course through her, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Why did it do that? He wrapped his wings around her tightly and she felt her heart melt.

His horn sparked again and it hit her nose this time. It sent roiling waves of soul-crushing grief and pain through her. His emotions were literally held in the sparks of pure magic. She felt curious and decided it wouldn't hurt at all, so she reached up and touched his horn once, prodding it gently with her hoof. She felt the floor pitch out from under her and her vision become an abstract painting, a random wish-wash of colors that blended into one unreadable blob of gray-yellow. She felt the floor become the ceiling and the walls become the couch she lay upon, like the earth itself was melting.

The world gave one last enraged pitch, like a ship in a storm on the high seas, and everything faded to black.

Tragic

Fluttershy woke up on a floor made of tile that was so cold it felt like fire. She sits up and looks at the scene before her. The room looked like Seamus's turret suite and the sky was filled with stars all around her. A figure stood ten hooves away from her, a cruel grin on his face. She recognized Jakben and leapt to her hooves. She expects him to pin her to the floor and try again, but he just stares fixedly at the center of the room. Suddenly, looking at the center of the turret, she realized that it wasn't Seamus's room. It was Melody's

She felt something touch her side and both of them yelled. Seamus looked up at her and his eyes widened.

"No…" He whispered. "You can't be here."

"Why, what's going on?" She asks, confused.

"Leave. Now, please. I like you too much. You can't be here."

She looks around for some way to leave, but no matter what she tries, she sees no way out. She looks down at him and he has more tears in his eyes. She senses that this is something he didn't plan on ever telling her. Something was about to happen that was so agonizingly painful he would never tell a soul. But she was stuck here.

He looks at the floor and chokes back his tears. "This is the day after me and Silver met. This is Melody's tower, and I want you to promise me that you'll never speak of this."

She looked down at the young colt. What could be that bad? "Why?" She asked.

He looked up at her with hot tears flooding his eyelids. "Just… watch."

At the center of the room was one huge seven-hoof drop in the floor. At the bottom of the pit was a solid mattress with twenty or so massive pony sized pillows. To the west side of the pit was a staircase leading to a throne, and upon it sat Melody, the moon behind her. She had an amused smile on her face and Jakben stood next to her on the podium.

Fluttershy saw Seamus come in through a trapdoor to the right, escorted by a sad looking doctor. There was no light, save for the dim glow given off by the stars. Fluttershy looked from the Seamus next to her to the one being walked over to the podium. This was obviously a memory.

The Seamus from the memory looked around the room fearfully; his eyes still half-closed from sleep. He looks up at Melody and Jakben, the latter looking down on him with such contempt it was nearly palpable. Seamus looks from the vampire to the Lady, who begins to speak.

"I hear you didn't do as I asked this afternoon." She said. "Is this true?"

He looked up at her, still half asleep. "What are you talking about?" He mumbled groggily.

Her nostrils flare and she stands up on her throne in fury.

"Allow me to refresh your memory." She hissed in impatience.

The floor of the pit begins to rise with thousands of cold mechanical clicks. Fluttershy looks at the monstrous contraption in wonder. The entire section of the floor rose slowly to meet the other and a curtain descended into place around the now rising platform bed.

"Allow me to offer you another chance at this." Melody continued. "What did I ask a guard to do earlier this afternoon?"

Seamus looked up at her and let a small gasp of air fill his lungs. "Silver."

"Correct, boy." She chirped.

"It wasn't her fault!" He tried to explain. "I insisted we wait a day!"

"Too bad, I told you to do it right then. You and her disobeyed. She will be punished."

The curtain slowly rose and Fluttershy gasped in horror. Silver was tied to the massive circular bed by ropes descending from the ceiling, biting into her sin where she had struggled in vain to escape. She had her legs tied wide and a gag in her mouth to keep her from speaking. She saw Seamus and struggled at her bonds, screaming through the gag.

"Since apparently you like to make choices, boy, I'll give you a few options." Melody grinned. "Bring them in." She ordered the doctor.

He left the room and brought back two young foals, a colt and a filly. The male was an earth pony colt directly on the cusp of stallion-hood, far taller and stronger than Seamus and the unicorn filly was as slightly taller than Seamus and definitely looked older than him.

"I'll give you some choices. You get to choose one of these two to have… fun with Silver… all night… as brutally as they want or can think of. The other you get to have for yourself.." She smirked.

He looked at her in fury. "That isn't fair!" he screamed.

"Cry me a river." She yawned. "Pick one."

He looked at the two young foals before him. Both were children about to become adults, but there was one thing that he knew the Lady had done on purpose. The white colt was huge, in more than one, way, if you catch the hint. Fluttershy looked at it in disgust. It was large in all the wrong places, too. It hung all the way down its thigh and it dangled limply. The tip was huge and the base was as well, but the space in between was pencil thin. The entire thing looked grotesquely bruised and the skin looked like it would resemble sandpaper.

The filly was gorgeous, her entire body was muscular and her purple coat was so sleek it reflected the moonlight. She batted her eyelashes, drowning the alicorn in her pink-violet eyes. Her tail was neatly groomed and her mane flowed down her back and shoulders like rivers. Seamus narrowed his eyes and looked up at Melody, who was smiling mockingly at him.

"Well? What is your choice?" She smirked.

Fluttershy knew Seamus' answer before he spoke it. The length and girth of the male foal would be too much to take even to a mare that's been at it for a while; the pain would be unbearable for a virgin like Silver, and he wouldn't put her through that if he could prevent it.

"The mare can have Silver." He answered selflessly.

The colt beside the unicorn mare growled angrily. "I will not go with this! We are both colts!" He protested in a deep, gravelly voice.

"Too bad." Melody jeered. "Do it."

The mare was about to set off for the bed when the colt interrupted again. "I've waited a year for this! You can't just take that away!"

"Yes I can! Any more lip and I'll have Jakben show you how it's done."

The colt shut his mouth. The attractive young unicorn mare looked at Melody and did something that blew Fluttershy's mind. She blinked up at her, cleared her throat in a polite gesture, and opened her mouth to speak.

"Mother, I would like to bed the boy, if you don't mind." She said in a soft, yet commanding voice.

Fluttershy's mouth dropped open so hard her jaw nearly dislocated. That monster of a mare had a child? The mare on her throne looked from Silver to Seamus, trying to figure out what she wanted to do.

"But… dear… I was looking forward to this. I even said you could involve yourself since I rigged his decision." She tried to reason with her foal. "And besides, if you bed him there will be… complications, you know I wasn't going to let the mare live."

Seamus looked at the ruler in outrage. He was doing this under the assumption that this would save both their lives, but she was saying that was a lie and that it didn't matter, she was going to kill Silver anyway. He looked from the ruler to the filly, trying to figure out what they would say next.

"I know mother," The daughter continued. "But he's cute and I'm sure he's sweet." She winked at Seamus, who only scowled back. "Besides, you only ever tell me all the time that I should claim a colt for my own. He has looks, he seems nice and I'm sure he will be kind to me. After all, anypony who chooses to bed that monster over an actual mare like me is loyal as can be in my book."

The young colt by her growled in anger at being insulted by the royal.

"But he's a mutt!" Melody protested. "And he… doesn't deliver, if you know what I mean." She gestures downward.

The young mare sighs and takes a moment to think of a rebuttal. "You and I both know that I don't care if he's a mutt. He'll be my mutt. And besides that he's an alicorn, mares would kill to have somepony so…" She let her eyes graze down his long legged, sleek body, making the colt feel exposed. "Exotic."

"But he's still smaller than you. No self-respecting mare has a colt who can't defend himself." The leader countered. "He probably can't even do real work."

The mare arched a brow at her mother and sighed. "I can take care of myself, mother. And before you go on about his size again, we both know that I am 'new' as you so loosely use that annoyingly foalish term for 'virgin', so that won't be a problem. I hear the doctor is working as fast as he can to better his nutrition schedule to help him along with that so it won't be a problem, trust me."

Melody looked at her daughter and tried one last time at talking her out of it.

"But… he's so… mare-ish. He is intelligent and he asks questions about everything. He is annoyingly clever and the way he speaks sometimes… ugh. Gag me with a spoon when it comes to how much romantic nonsense comes out of his mouth. He talked to that mare over there for hours, praising her and spewing rhymes just to make her blush." She complained.

The mare looked at Seamus with new interest. "I like that in a colt…" She said softly. "That mysterious, romantic spark to light the fire of a relationship." Seamus did blush this time.

The leader was beat. "Fine. Do as you wish with him, he's yours."

Seamus opened his mouth to speak, but the mare looked at him so sternly that he decided it wouldn't be in his best interest. Until Melody began to speak again.

"Okay." The leader sighed. "Jakben, kill the guard. Magnus… go back to the servant's quarters."

The male foal looked outraged. "I've waited over a year this and you said tonight I would get my chance! You can't just send me away like that!"

"Yes I can." She ordered forcefully. "Leave."

He looked at the Lady once and made his decision. "No." He refused.

He took off at a dead sprint for the bed and Silver struggled at her bonds with renewed fear. He leapt up onto the bed, but misplaced his jump and fell a foot short of where she was. She screamed and fought so hard her wrists began to bleed from the taught rope cutting her soft skin.

The mare saw this and began to try to herd Seamus towards the door. He evaded her and saw a lot of things happen all at once. First, the colt moved behind Silver to try to mount her. Then, Jakben took one deep inhale, the smell of blood filling his vampiric senses. His usually slatted pupils dilated to swallow his iris and the whites of his eyes, leaving them one huge black orb of hunger. Then the worst happened. Jakben jumped off the podium and landed with a crash next to the colt, who was trying to now scramble away from the feral vampire.

The mare levitated Seamus and he struggled desperately to escape and save his friend. But her intervention was too late; Jakben fell on Silver. The vampire stopped for one brief moment before he put his hooves on both sides of her head, almost gently as to make it easier to see that she was about to die. She looked at Seamus, her eyes full of regret and terror, gave one last pitiful whimper, and Jakben snapped her neck backwards. The agonizing sound seemed to echo throughout the room for hours.

Seamus went numb inside. He just felt nothing. His soul simply disappeared at that moment. He stopped struggling and looked blankly at Silver's corpse, which the vampire was now tearing into, snapping her ribcage like toothpicks to get at the her still-beating heart. Fluttershy saw the two leaving and moved to follow.

But as she looked back, she saw present Seamus by Silver's side, grieving and crying, screaming like a wounded animal while Jakben tore her apart. She never wanted to be in the room again, and she saw why he never wanted tell any of this to her.

Fluttershy followed the two down the tower and then up to his turret suite, where the mare set him on his bed and lay down next to him.

He was in shock. He wouldn't move or even scarcely breathe. She lay next to him, trying to comfort the colt, but to no avail. He looked at her on occasion, trying to figure out if maybe this was all a nightmare he would never wake up from. But soon he began to come out of the initial shock and grief crashed down on him. He cried and said things that Fluttershy and the mare have both decided were either merely him saying things out of grief or it was just incoherent. They both discarded his words because they knew that he was stricken and that he wouldn't truly be in his right mind.

He lay there for hours, sobbing into his pillows, blaming himself for her murder. He tried multiple times to jump off the high platform to the bed, but each time the unicorn mare would stop him with a quick flash of magic. He begged her to let him do it, to let him join Silver, whose death he had ultimately been the reason for. He asked her for hours and even after the sun had risen over the eastern horizon.

Eventually he just lye there, his thoughts trying to grasp at why she was dead and he wasn't. He had been the cause for all this, after all. His tears were spent and his eyes were bruised. He was tired beyond any belief, but he didn't want to sleep. He saw it as the biggest disrespect he could ever make to Silver. But soon he began to drift off, his body overruling his mind, telling him that he needed to recover and that he needed to rest.

Eventually he fell into and unwilling, fitful sleep. The mare, feeling awful about the tragedy that had just taken place, pressed against him and followed him into unconsciousness, hoping that, in some way, she could maybe make up for the tragedy her mother had now wrought.

The next morning Melody didn't call for Seamus. The mare that was the Lady's daughter had claimed him and now he was under her rule. Not that that registered to him. He lie in bed, unthinking and unmoving, trying to forget about the death of the beautiful mare that he had wrought. Why hadn't he just made things simple and just bedded her and forgot about her? He knew that even then, he wouldn't have forgotten.

The mare had been the one pony here with morals and that he could talk to. That mare had been his one vent, his one and only moral beacon. But that was over now. Jakben had taken her from him and she would never be seen again.

The mare that was Melody's daughter lay next to him, stroking his mane, trying to get him out of the bed somehow. But no matter what she tried, he just lay there, ignoring her and her words. He had simply lost all incentive to do anything. He slept sometimes, fitful bouts of slumber that she would always leave the room for. He would mumble and cry in his sleep, his nightmares destroying him further.

At last she left, unable to watch him decay further. She knew that he needed a reason to live. He hadn't bathed or eaten in the entire five days he had been in the palace. She didn't know what to do. Anything she said he wouldn't listen or respond to. It was as if he found no reason to speak. He would listen, yes. But he would never respond.

Once she saw him almost get up, but he was just rolling over.

"Wait…" Fluttershy pondered. "Why isn't he waking up?"

She was in his dream, so he should be waking up. But this nightmare wasn't ending, and she was still here. She sees the mare enter the room again, but she moves to leave almost as soon as she enters. Fluttershy decides it's worth it to follow her this time. She follows her down the tower and into through the door into the next room.

Melody sits on her throne, her massive bed being cleaned by a multitude of servants. She looks bored and Jakben stands next to her, not breathing or moving. If one didn't know he was a vampire, he could be mistaken for a statue. The mare cantered up the steps to her mother's throne and looks down at her.

"I'd like to talk about my second colt." She said to her mother.

The Lady nods and waves the servants out of the room. "What did you have in mind? I'm thinking tall and strong. Magnus is still looking."

The mare rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I'd prefer a male that doesn't have mutant genitals, thank you. I was thinking something like Seamus. A pegasaus, maybe."

The Lady groaned in annoyance. "You need a colt that is strong-willed and has the stones to do real male, physical work. Your second should always compliment the other's flaws."

"Okay, but not physically, mentally. Seamus is strong willed and has a lot of opinions. I need a colt that has the same build, but will compliment Seamus's weaknesses. Do you know any auctions that are going on?"

"No… I do know a pony, though…" Melody mused. "He deals in wartime slaves. He might have something for you."

The younger mare arched a brow. "Wartime slaves? Sounds more like kidnapping."

The Lady shrugged. "The foreign ones are always the best. Most don't speak our language, so they don't talk much, how I prefer it. The only problem is that they aren't bred for a specific purpose. They just let their males breed all over the gene pool."

"When can I meet this pony?" The mare asked.

"I can have him here by next month. Should I tell him to bring his entire inventory?"

"Yes. I need a very specific pony." She said.

The lady smiled. "Picky, like her mother."

"Kind, unlike her mother." She countered; the Lady scowled.

"Hypocrite, you have a slave mate, too. So you have no right to talk."

"I would never treat another pony like a slave, especially a brilliant, handsome young colt like him." the daughter snapped back.

T he royal mare left without another word.

The mare opened the door to Seamus's suite and nearly screamed. The walls were covered in massive paintings, drawn in blood and anything else the alicorn could get his hooves on. He sat there in front of the paintings, smiling while his wrists bled out onto the floor. He looked at it with a lost expression, his eyes glassy, as if he were looking past it and at something totally different only he could see. He actually looked peaceful, almost content.

She ran over to him and healed his wrists. He didn't notice, he was lost in whatever waking dream he was drowning in. He looked at her with a small, innocent smile.

"Hi." Was all he said, one syllable housing a thousand words of unrequited love.

His breath and voice was airy, light. He didn't know her and neither did he care to. He merely smiled and looked at her like he was surveying some sort of strange animal. She feared he had finally gone mad, but she suddenly realized that he was completely calm. He was never more at peace with himself than right then, in a pool of his own life's blood, staring at the mural he'd drawn on his domed ceiling.

A single drop of blood hit her on the head and she looked up at the mural and nearly screamed again. Until she saw what the portrait was. A massive portrait of Silver, her long copper mane flowing out onto the bed that Seamus had lain in yesterday. The lamps cast an unearthly, unnatural light on her, making her long, white coated body seem to breathe and live right upon the wall. It looked as if she could reach into the wall and be in the room with the mare. The short maroon skirt she wore exposed her smooth, muscular flanks and her long sleek legs looked as if she could run her hooves down them. The painting was unearthly realistic, as if there was an element of mysticism about the scene.

The rest of the walls were covered in paintings of her from every angle and every pose, her muscles flowing majestically beneath her coat. In one it was her last moments, her, tied up and on the bed, trying to scream something, but it never made it out. Everything was so realistic it scared the mare, the scenes were all drawn from Seamus's perspective, so all of them appeared as if Silver was in the room with them, like windows into different times.

She looked back at Seamus, who was once again staring passionately at the portraits. She wanted to say something, to get him to wash them off, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Fluttershy stared in awe at how skilled he was, every detail of the paintings were done in magnificent, tediously extravagant style, her shocking green eyes so realistic that they seemed to look out at them. As that was how they were made, every one had her eyes fixed on the viewer, making it as if she was looking directly at you.

She reached her hoof out to touch one, but she heard Seamus take a sharp gasp of air and lowered her arm. She looked at him and he looked back at her.

"Could you leave me alone for a bit?" He whispered.

The mare nodded, respecting his decision. She left the room and Fluttershy stood alone in the suite with the colt. He fell to his knees, he couldn't stand any longer. He looked up at his portrait and his eyes were filled with tears. He didn't say anything, but just looked up at Silver.

Fluttershy felt she was intruding on something private, so she turned around. Present Seamus looked up at her with bruised eyelids and a confused expression. She looked from the alicorn in the memory to the one in front of her.

"Why didn't you wake up?" She asked him.

"I was wondering that myself. I should be waking up, but apparently my subconscious has other plans."

Fluttershy wondered why, what would be so important that his own subconscious would rebel to show her? She shook her head. So much had just happened in so little time. But more was about to. Suddenly, as if to its own accord, time began to fast-forward itself. In a blur, the paintings on the walls disappeared and the sun began to set and rise rapidly. Seamus suddenly seemed to realize something while the events were taking place.

He looked at her and looked at the rapidly changing scenery.

"One month passed." He explained. "I hope that you don't judge me for any of this." He said

"I won't. What's next?" She asked.

"Sky." Seamus said softly, as if the name was so sacred he could barely say it out loud.

"Didn't you say Sky was your best friend?" She asked, hoping things were about to get better.

Seamus nodded. "And a lot more than that."

The scenery settled and she saw Seamus on his bed, reading a book nearly as big as he was. He looked happy, content to be able to relax and just read. The mare walked in and set another book down by him. He smiled at her and returned to reading. She looked at him and cleared her throat to get his attention.

He looked up from his book to see her looking at him with large, excited eyes. He tilted his head to the side as if to ask her what was going on.

"The trader is here today." She chirped merrily. "I can get another colt as my birthday present."

He looked at her in annoyance. "I know why you want to get another pony in around here. You think I don't talk to anypony enough."

She dropped her façade of jovial excitement to look at him seriously "You never leave this room. I had to drag you out of it the last time and that was for a monthly checkup. You have to go out of this room sometime. And yes, you never really do talk to anypony. You need a friend."

"You're my friend, and I'm talking to you right now. And I get all my meals delivered up here by that nice old guard who likes radishes and avocado for breakfast."

"But you need a pony you can relate to. I can't relate with you since I'm not a colt and I'm not at all like you. You need to think of other ponies sometimes."

"I'm fine up here." He denied stubbornly, then continued reading his book.

"You've been like this ever since Silver passed. You never leave and you never want to do anything but sit up here and read dusty old books on old, meaningless magic. What type of magic is that anyway?" She looks over his shoulder. "Alchemy? Kid, you have got to go talk to the doctor about that stuff because I have no clue."

Seamus just ignores her. "I am perfectly okay and you don't need to worry about me."

She slides onto the bed and pulls him down onto her, their lips a hairsbreadth from each other's. She'd tried this twice, and each time he had done this. He pushed away from her and looked back at his book, irritated by her advances. She grew impatient and grabbed his head, trying to glean one kiss from the handsome colt.

He bit her bottom lip so hard it nearly drew blood. She fell backwards, shocked that he could be so averted to touching her. He looked at her with dark, hate-filled eyes and resumed reading. She got out of the bed and cast one longing look back at him. There was more damage done in that murder than she could even fathom, and she knew it. He was scarred, and he needed somepony to help him, or else he could just recede farther away from everypony.

She leaves the room and Fluttershy looks down at Seamus. He looks angry, furious as he reads the book. But soon he begins to slow down, his breathe began to come out in muffled sobs and he turned away from the book. Tears spilled out and rolled down his cheeks, dripping like small rivers onto the bed sheets. He buried his face in the pillow and cries pitifully into the feather-down.

Fluttershy looks at to her side to see if present Seamus was still by her, but he was nowhere to be seen. She looks back down at the sobbing young colt from the past, his maroon coat stained with tears and his black wings clenched to his sides. She felt like crying herself at this nightmare-ish, tragic story.

Little did the shy mare know, the tragedy was about to be doubled.

Any feedback is good feedback! Read and review... please?

That Handsome Stranger

Melody's daughter walked through the castle corridor, trying to imagine a pony that could help Seamus get over his problem. He did have a problem, he was receding form the outside world and he was become more and more antisocial. He was becoming more and more rude and inconsiderate; the mere thought of physical contact to him was repulsive, if not taboo. He was becoming hateful and his thoughts were being clouded by darker, far more disturbed enigmas she couldn't understand.

She walked towards the south wing, where this supposed unicorn was. She wondered what his problem was, that he would turn to such a career. Maybe he just had the mindset. She hoped he was a reasonable colt, her mother had described him as a caring pony, but she had doubts. She saw a guard ahead and recognized the taller one, the one who had worked with Silver before…

She walked past and put the thought out of her head. This wasn't the time to ponder the tragedies of the past. It was how to make Seamus's future better. If not, he might carry on this road and become the one thing she dreaded most, a being as powerful as an alicorn, yet filled with hate to the point that he would see his power misused to do things that would destroy the ponies and all that he should hold dear.

That thought only made her more determined to pick correctly. This was the pony that Seamus would be spending most of his days with. She knew that Seamus was brought up in a very tight, conservative environment, so a more free spirited, liberal pony would help to round out that little flaw. Another thing that she didn't know how to react to was how Seamus had never had a father. He had never even once mentioned him to her and when she had asked he had told her he had never been there. He simply disappeared one night.

She also knew that Seamus was without a doubt the most artistic pony she knew, but he had no interest in music, so a pony who maybe knew an instrument would be good. Then again, these where foals, maybe young adults she was dealing with, she doubted that one would be all that educated. She finally saw the monumentally large staircase and cantered down it.

The unicorn was standing at the entrance in a formal, yet very tattered suit. He wore a straw hat that looked southern. She tried to think of who had dressed this colt. He either had no sense of what matched, or had no idea how to dress formally. He smiled at her and she saw that he was missing one fang. He tried to look charming, but he was falling far short of that goal. He had an earth-tone mane and his coat was red-orange. He had had a long line of ponies behind him.

Some were the most unattractive ponies the royal had ever seen. Some were tall and some short. Most were either unicorns or pegasi, although there were a few earth ponies, most were one of the two. There actually was a hippogriff towards the back, looking around in wonder at the entrance hall. She smiled, ponies were usually awed by the opulent splendor her mother put into the front wing.

The unicorn colt cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Howdy." He greeted her. "And your name might be?" He asked in a deep voiced southern drawl.

"Amethyst Amore, pleased to make your acquaintance." She greeted far more formally.

"There ain't no need to be formal, now. Say, what did that devil-mare say 'bout me before I arrived? Su'tin awful? Call me a slave trader? Ah'll have you know that I rescue these children from war-zones and find'em good homes, ah do. None a 'that nonsense about slaves." He defended.

The mare relaxed at that, at least he had a heart. "That's good to know. I was trying to find a colt, unless a mare will be just as appropriate." She began, but was interrupted.

"Look, I know your lookin for a very specific pony her and ah understand, but each one 'a these foals are their own pony, and there ain't nothin that'll change that. Ah'll do mah best, but I can't promise an exact match."

Amethyst nodded and tried to think straight. This pony was nice… but his grammar and speech left a lot to be desired. His slow, droning way of speaking made him seem even less intelligent than the way he dressed.

"Anyway…" She continued. "I was looking for a pony with a nice attitude, understanding, a bit of a free bird, but is also sophisticated and intelligent. I need this pony to be smart, clever and be able to really think. It would help if they were a colt, but I'll take a mare."

He nodded and thought. "Ah have a pony for ya. A colt, but he's a little… well… strange. Boy's shy an' don't like to talk much. He trusted me enough to tell me his story one time an'… well… Ah didn't sleep right for a week. He's got a bad past, he does. This boy's parents… the mother was awful and the father offed himself… the rest ah don't wanna tell you unless you're really interested."

She looked at the old colt with renewed interest. "Why?"

"It's…er… a little scary." He pursed his lips and looked behind him. "Anypony seen Sky?"

The crowd murmured to themselves and came up blank. After a few long minutes of mumbles and shrugs, the hippogriff in the far back raised his claw. The crowd parted around the creature as it stepped closer. The pony-falcon towered over Amethyst and its cold eyes regarded her with relative malevolence. The creature cleared it's throat and spoke.

"Sky is in the gardens." Was all it said, then it walked to the back of the room and stood there.

"That boy, always wandering off. No wonder what happened to him happened. Can't even done think straight. I'll meet you later once I've found the foal. Where?"

She pieced together what he had said and answered. "Um, the tower on the north side of the palace. I'm not interested in anypony else, just bring this pony."

The colt nodded. "Ah'll meet ya there."

Amethyst charged into the turret suite and looked at Seamus, who was still sitting on his bed, reading a book. He scowled at her and buried his face in the dusty old tome. She levitated it over to her and he let out an annoyed growl.

"Bathe, do something with your mane, and get ready to be polite. I'm getting another colt and you are going to be spending most of your days with him, so make a good first impression."

He looked at her and his eyes narrowed. "Why do you do this to me? I don't need a friend; I need you to get your mother to lift this magic ban on me."

"I may be her daughter, but she still has control over me. I can't totally disobey her. Now go in that washroom and shower."

He looked at her and said the one syllable that she hated more than any other word. "No."

She levitated him and walked over to the trap-door to the extravagant washroom. He kicked and struggled, but she threw him into the washroom and locked the door from the outside.

"Shower and brush your mane, then I'll let you out." She said and looked at the room before her. It was a mess, books and papers were strewn from one end of the suite to the other and the bed was a mass of tangled blankets and pillows.

She decided where she wanted everything to be, and with an experienced flash of magic, she put everything in its place. With the room now spotless, she smiled and went to look at the dresser. It was where Seamus kept a thing that he would always deny having. He had a sketchpad full of every pony and everything in the castle. It had so many sketches of Silver it put any other devoted artist to shame. He drew everypony, from Amethyst to Jakben, he had drawn them all. Though he didn't acknowledge it, he drew Silver so much it worried the royal mare. That sort of obsession wasn't healthy.

She looked in the bottom drawer and under it, he kept everything he tried to keep secret there, from the small piece of cork that Silver had once popped off a wine bottle to his paints, he kept all his prized possessions there. She felt bad about rifling through his private things, but she was concerned for his mental health, and this was one of the few ways she could make sure he wasn't getting worse.

A sudden knock at the chamber and she hastily put the drawer back. She drew in a sharp breath as the door opened and the most feminine colt she's ever seen walked in, his long silver-blue mane blowing lightly in the breeze. The colt was a pale-sky blue and his eyes were electric navy, but the emotion in them didn't match the intense color. The mood given off by the eyes was shy, nervous with touches of cautious curiosity. It reminded her of a foal, so did his build. It was reminiscent to the long-legged, sleek structure of Seamus, but his posture was bowed, he walked low to the ground, almost to be as un-intrusive as possible.

His mare-ish facial structure made her wonder whether it was a colt or not, and so did the rose tucked behind his ear and soft, caring voice he spoke with. His face looked totally reflective of his mood, laid back and understanding, calm and empathetic.

She reeled as he smiled at her. The colt was smaller than her and Seamus, standing up he would be a forehead shorter than the alicorn. The softness behind the movement made her reconsider this, she needed a colt that would discipline Seamus, not talk to him with this gentle expression and tell him it was okay. She was still confused as to why a colt had a rose tucked behind his ear, making him even more mare-ish.

She shook her head and tried to fathom why she had chosen this colt. Of all the colts, she disliked this one the most. He was a total pansy. She could tell form the way he walked and how he looked at her.

"Pleased to meet you." She held out her hoof.

He gave her a smile and took her hoof. "Sky." He said softly.

She shook her head. She didn't like him, but she was going to leave this to Seamus. The alicorn knocked at the washroom door and she unlatched the lock. He walked out into the room and looked at the two, confusion plain on his face.

"Who is she?" He asked; she gave him a look.

"This is a he, and I want you to meet him." She scolded. "I'm going to leave and you two are going to get acquainted. I'll be back."

She got up and shut the door without another word. The two sat in a tense, awkward silence for a moment. Seamus stared intently at the sky-blue pegasaus, who was doing his best to avoid his gaze. The two didn't talk for at least seven minutes, but just stood there, one trying to think of what to say and the other waiting for the other to say something. After ten long minutes of simmering silence, Seamus broke the mile-thick ice.

"Hi, my name's Seamus." He said.

The pegasi smiled and held out his hoof, still not looking directly at the alicorn.

"Sky. "He answered quietly.

Seamus was dumbfounded by the strange guest, as much as he wanted to take his hoof and shake it, some other part of him held him back. Sky held his hoof up for another moment, then his smile faded and he put it down.

"So... this is your room?" Sky asked, trying to get Seamus to say something.

"Yeah." Seamus looked at the other colt in annoyance at the obvious question "That's the washroom over there and the tower across form here is Melody's. Stay away from her and you'll be fine." He spoke sullenly towards the end, then recovered some level of stoicism and pulled a totally straight face. "Amethyst wants you to be my friend, so I guess we should get used to each other."

He walked over to the other side of the room and looks back at the visitor. He rolled his eyes and tried to imagine why she had chosen this colt of all colts. This colt was a spineless coward; there was no point in even keeping him around. Despite that, he couldn't be rude to the guest.

"Sky." He tested the name. It conjured images of sunsets and springtime.

He shook his head in annoyance. He'd just met the pony and now he was already thinking about how his name affected the context of his mind's eye. The alicorn shook his head once more, making his long mane whip about. Maybe Amethyst was right, maybe he was lonely. After another moment of thinking, he chuckled and removed the thought from his mind.

"I'm tired." Seamus lied, he was, but not enough to justify going to bed.

Just then he realized that there was only one bed and two of them. This thought struck him as strange, then inconvenient, and finally his emotions settled on annoying. He looked back at the pegasaus, who was now twirling the rose between his hooves to busy himself. There was something in the way he moved, something in the way he held himself that made him seem... attractive to him.

He shook his head again, disciplining himself. That was ridiculous to even contemplate thinking about. Why would he be attracted this awkward, backward colt. Maybe it was the way he spoke, so softly that one could scarcely believe he was even saying anything. Or perhaps the way he walked and the way his mare-ish face caught the light.

'Do I look like that?' He asked himself, and then he rolled his eyes in denial, of course not.

He leapt up onto the bed and tucked himself comfortably under the covers. He wasn't in the mood to meet a stranger try to figure out why this stranger was strangely attractive. He fell asleep almost immediately, leaving Sky to ponder what he had done wrong. He scuffed a hoof and went over to the washroom, trying again to think of what he had done wrong. Maybe it was the rose.

He'd thought it had looked… nice. He knew that everypony looked at him strangely when he did things like that, but he didn't care. He liked it and how it made him look, that was enough reason to ignore them. He was called a lot of things for his looks, mostly strange things, made up names. But the ones that cut the deepest were the ones that he knew were true, though he would scarcely admit.

The one that had taken it too far once, that was what gave the ponies shivers when he told them his story. The one that took her insults too far and had crossed that line where one's decency is stripped away and you're true colors show, that line where one is broken and put back together, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. She had tackled him over that line and closed the door, locked it and took what she wanted. She had wanted proof of the insults, and though he begged her to stop, she kept hitting him until he had said it.

She had made him scream and had done unspeakable things to him that he didn't want to remember, but the marks she had left were seared into the back of his wrist. Literally, she took a brand, heated it, dragged him up in front of the entire town that had assembled just to see this, tied him to a post and branded him, there in front of everypony. The brand was an old Northern punishment for the sin of bisexuality.

He had never actually done anything with or even been attracted to another colt, but the bright red kerchief he kept tied around his left wrist reminded him always. He hated that kerchief, it was a constant symbol of what he was pinned as… but some part of his brain said.

'If it is so wrong, what drove them to think you were? There was obviously some reason she had done it. Maybe I am…'

He shook his head. He closed the door to the washroom and began to run water into the sink. He splashed ice water in his face to shake his thoughts away, but they persisted. Sky looked at his reflection and immediately felt hate for it. That was the face of a colt that had disappointed his mother so much and led her to believe the… untrue? That had led her to drag him into the middle of the town square and publicly brand him. He hated that reflection and began to think of why Seamus had been so put off by him.

Maybe it was because of the rose, or the kerchief, or his mane, or his face, or his body, or his eyes… he began to pick out every flaw he could about himself, every part of him that he loathed. Every part of him was a mare's save for the obvious. Of course he couldn't be tall and broad shouldered like his father, he had to have the tiny frame of his mother and her huge electric-navy eyes.

He drained the sink and sighed, taking off his kerchief to see his brand for the six-hundredth time. It was a fanciful B with another G burnt underneath it. It was old lettering and each had been agonizing. The spot had eventually healed and the coat had grown over it, but the fur was black and charred even though it had been two years. He looked at it like it was the one thing he hated most in the world, one of his two marks. The other was the tattoo his father had given him after the branding.

The 'Pulverum Neuterus' was spelled in painful runes in between his legs, negating all feeling in his nether. He's forgotten the place, so he didn't think about it often, but now it was just another reminder of what he was dubbed. A freak and an outcast due to a conclusion everypony had jumped to because of his appearance. He hated his family for everything they had done to him. How disappointed his parents had been to even have him, a colt, let alone that they both thought of him as…

Sky couldn't even think the word. He hated the insult, it was burnt into the fabric of his memory in the voices of a thousand mocking ponies, spitting on him while he marched through a crowd to school the day after the branding. He lost track of time while he sat there and thought and hours past in a blur.

Finally, snapping out of his self-loathing, he opened the door to find that he was actually very tired and the trip over to the palace had been very tiring. The sun had long since set and the stars were out. He looked at the bed and Seamus sleeping peacefully, his wings spread wide and his small chest rising and falling rhythmically. He had to admit, there was something… peaceful about him sleeping. Almost... beautiful. Sky shook his head to clear his mind of the thought. Maybe his mother was right.

He rejected the thought and crawled into bed on the opposite side of the mattress. He looked at the alicorn. The longer he stared the more handsome he became, the soft moonlight glancing off his silky black mane and gently sloping facial structure. The longer he stared… the more he liked Seamus. He thought about this and… the more he did… the more sure he was that… this was his friend. Maybe he could be more…

Have fun with this one! Comment!

Steamy...

Sky opens his electric –navy eyes to Celestia's harsh morning sun hovering on the eastern horizon, casting the clouds and landscape in a haunting sepia tone so strangely beautiful that animals stopped and looked at the scene. Sky looked at the clouds and longed to be out there among the morning lights, staring at the sunrise and maybe, just maybe be sitting on that cloud with the pony next to him. Just as soon as it started though, a grey cloud covered the sun and the landscape was once again shrouded in darkness, the animals took cover and the storm began to set upon the palace.

Sky let out a sigh and reached over to pull a pillow over his head and go back to sleep, he was having the most amazing dream about Seamus and him in the rain, a rainbow in the sky and the smell of cinnamon and roses filling the evening air. Why couldn't that be real? Why was he having such a dream about the alicorn in the first place? He reached over and nearly pulled out a clump of the other colt's mane. He stiffened and let his hoof fall, accidentally hitting his horn and brushing his ear. He felt the alicorn's wing over his side, the feathers brushing his stomach.

The pegasaus felt a burn in his cheeks at how close the colt was, his leg was against the small of his back and his hoof was hard against his tail. He couldn't imagine how this had happened, but he was literally and inch away from him. Sky felt warm all over, the feeling in his hooves was fading and the heat in his cheeks was intensifying, the scarlet blush burning through his pale blue coat. This was one of his dreams come true.

Then, a drop of rain hit the balcony and he heard the slam of a door in the distance. It seemed distant, but he then heard the dull clops of hoofsteps coming toward them. The steps grew closer until Melody came into view, her white mane and white coat blending into the clouds behind her. She had black eye shadow on that made her eyes seem as black pits, hollow and devoid of all sympathy or care. She turned her head to the side and smiled, the black makeup on her lips making her seem even more unnaturally… dead. Her eyes held no warmth or sparkle, they were opaque, lusterless.

"Aww… isn't that just… adorable. I must say, your face is the most vivid shade of red. Getting a little… excited, are we? I would think you would know better."

Sky was getting redder and redder as she spoke, he could feel her eyes tracing over him and Seamus together and the gears turning in her head, she had a plan to torture him.

"Okay, let me get this straight. You like him, though he is totally oblivious to this?" She asked rhetorically. "That is most unfortunate. I would go so far as to say tragic."

Sky's blush was fading and he was getting more nervous by the second. He knew that she was planning something and it wasn't going to be at all pleasant for him. The look on her face said it all, she was thinking of how to get him in serious trouble.

"You do know it's against the law for two colts to be close in such a manner?" She sneered. "Oh, wait, he probably has no idea you're a queer, does he?"

Sky snarled at her; she backed away two paces and looked back at him in disgust. "I'm sorry, did I hit a nerve? I must have for you to take such offense. Allow me to test this… WENCH!" She screamed so loudly it echoed. "Get up!"

Seamus blinked once, twice and then three times. He looked at the position he was in behind Sky and looked at Melody. He felt the warmth of Sky's back and side on his wing and began to flush himself, but he couldn't show that emotion in front of her. He took one more look at her and pushed Sky out onto the hard stone floor with a dull thud. The wind rushed out of the small pegasi and he coughed as his side impacted the ground at Melody's hooves. She sneered down at him in corrupt enjoyment. He recovered and glared at her from his new place on the cold floor.

Seamus looked down at him in guilt, but still held onto his mask of mock anger. He had to hide the emotion somehow, if Melody figured out what he had almost done he could be branded, or hung, or even fed to Jakben. He tried to think of a way to tell the other colt he was sorry, but right now that was impossible. He leapt down and gingerly stepped over Sky, who was still trying to recover his breathe. Melody looked into his eyes one moment longer and then barked.

"Both of you reek, go bathe!" She ordered.

The two colts looked at each other, one on the floor and one standing up. The exchange was awkward, with traces of confusion and dread.

"Well? GO! Or do I have to watch the two of you?"

Seamus looked at her and the once more at Sky and asked. "You mean both of us… together?"

"What do you think? Of course that's what I mean! Both of you pathetic, short pieces of dung could equal one real colt, so I may as well preserve water."

The two looked at each other one more time and then Seamus marched off to the washroom. Sky followed and Seamus waited for him by the door. The two colts began to march down the stairs until they heard the door slam behind them.

Seamus looked at Sky and apologized. "I'm sorry, it was a reflex and if she saw us like that together there might be a bit of a misunderstanding."

"What do you mean a 'misunderstanding'?" Sky asked.

"Y'know, she might think we're together."

"What would be the problem there?" Sky pressed.

This struck Seamus silent for a moment, then he said. "Well… It's illegal… and it's wrong I guess…" He fumbled to find an argument, some form of rebuttal.

"So you think it's wrong just because it's illegal?" Sky asked, trying to lead Seamus to the right answer.

"Well… no… I mean… err… there has to be a good reason if it's a law, right?"

Sky shook his head. "Sea, just because it's a law doesn't mean its right. I mean really, if two ponies are truly in love with each other, who is anypony to get in their way and say that they're wrong in that?"

Seamus looked at the tile floor. "I guess I never really thought about it like that…"

Sky was trying not to force this onto him, but he was going to have to. "Sea, I hope you know that anypony can be together, even if it's 'wrong' by the world's standards."

Seamus could think of no other argument, so said. "But it's a law! Don't you understand that?"

Sky narrowed his eyes in fury. "For a pretty smart colt, you can be pretty thick, you know that?" He held up his left hoof and ripped off the kerchief, revealing the brand. "Not a day goes by that I don't understand it's against the law! This is what they accused me of and now every day I live with this mark that was put on me by my stupid, pig-headed, narrow-minded parents and their idiotic, homophobic law!"

Seamus stepped away from Sky and averted his face in guilt. "I'm sorry… I didn't know…"

Sky sighed and set the kerchief on the counter by the sink. "No, I'm sorry. I should've known that you would side with what you were born into. Just… don't talk to me about it of you don't agree with me, okay?"

Seamus didn't have anything else to say, so he walked over and turned on the faucet to the huge tub. Imagine a small public swimming pool, but the bottom was polished marble and it had a huge tap at one end that could put out water as fast as a hydrant. Seamus turned the knob to the stopper and stepped out of tub to let it fill.

"So… we still have to wash in front of each other, huh?" The alicorn asked, not looking at Sky.

"I guess so." Sky answered.

Even though neither of them wore clothes, there was something about bathing in front of another pony that didn't seem right to them. Sky looked over at Seamus, his long black mane concealing his face. He tried not to think of being in the water with him, his long mane wetted down and out of his face, his wings sodden and his silky coat… the pegasaus stopped the train of thought before he could do anything that might make things awkward. Steam began to fill the room and it was all he could do not to remember his dream.

After a long while, Seamus stepped into the water and turned off the tap. Sky jumped in and immediately began to reach for the shampoo, trying to bathe and get the whole ordeal over with as soon as possible. The two's hooves touched as they both reached for the bottle at the same time. Sky looked away and withdrew, looking at the wall to hide his intense blush. The heat of the water and the thoughts of the alicorn were overwhelming to him, the steam clouding the air around his and his wings trailing out behind him. He washed and Sky did his best to avoid all visual contact, he looked at the ceiling and walls, trying desperately not to look at the other colt. Seamus did the same, but soon he looked at the bottle in confusion. There was next to no shampoo left, but he could have sworn that was a new bottle.

He looked at the opposite end of the pool, where the bar of regular soap lay. Sky picked it up and looked at it for a moment, then he heard Seamus ask.

"Could you pass the soap?' He said quickly, as if he could barely speak at all.

Sky went to hand it over, but the bar slipped from his hooves and flew high into the air. Both of them lunged to catch it at the same time. Their heads smacked into each other and they both began to stumble around the tub, knocked senseless by the impact. The bar of soap landed in the water directly in front of Sky and he slipped forward into Seamus, knocking them both into the hot water.

It took a moment for the two to come to their senses, but when they did they were both a hairsbreadth from each other, their long silky manes flowing into the rapidly cooling water. The smell of warm cinnamon and fresh roses filled the air as Sky blushed a deep shade of scarlet. This was exactly like his dream. The two colts lay there in the bathwater for another moment, then Sky began to notice Seamus blushing deeply too. He smiled warmly at him and he returned the sensual gesture. The alicorn was nervous, but not so nervous that he would back away from the other colt. Sky leaned forward, closing the distance between them. He felt himself getting excited, but held himself far back in case Seamus decided to back out of the escalating situation.

The alicorn held back another moment longer, then pressed his forehead to the pegasaus and closed his eyes.

"I don't know, Sky. What if somepony figures this out? You'd be tortured and I'd get branded."

Sky paused and grated his teeth. "Nopony has to know. I swear I won't tell."

"But Melody's onto you and you know it." He said, opening his amethyst eyes to look deep into his partner's electric-navy irises. "If she figures us out it would be… awful. The last pony I was interested in she… killed right in front of me…"

Sky leaned away from Seamus and ignored the smooth, wet feeling in between his legs as he slid away from the other colt. "I'm sorry… I didn't know."

Seamus got to his hooves and picked up the bar of soap, careful to keep his grip this time.

"We can still be friends though, right?" Sky asked. "After all, maybe one day we'll be free and maybe… y'know… to celebrate we could…" He hinted.

Seamus smiled. "Maybe one day. I'm glad you opened my eyes to this. In hindsight I kind of feel like an ass for telling you off."

"You were a little inconsiderate, but it's okay. I forgive you. After all, I guess we can all learn form each other. Love and tolerate, right?"

He nodded and the two finished their bath., eventually they went back out into the room, where Melody waited. She eyed them, looking for signs of a recent affair, maybe a jostled mane or a limp, but she saw nothing, much to her irritation. They heard a door slam as Amethyst walked into the turret suite. The mare looked form her parent to the still damp colts and narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Mother, what are you doing to these fine young colts?" The royal's daughter snapped. "I never told you that you could came in here, either. It's their room."

"First of all it's my castle, second, these mangy vermin were cuddling each other when I came in. So, I told them to go bathe, as they both reeked of death. That is when you walked in, spouting nonsense about these foals owning anything, especially a suite in my castle."

"Mother, leave. I need to talk to these two in private."

The ruler looked annoyed, but cantered out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Amethyst eyes them and sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Hold up your left hoof, Sky." She ordered; he did so proudly. "Well… that's fine. Sea, do you know what that means?" the alicorn nodded. "Are you okay with it?" He nodded again. "One last question… would you be able to wear the same brand?"

This gave Seamus pause, was that all it took to convince him of something? One quick bath and he was now changed? He'd always liked mares and he still did… but this was different. This was between him and another colt that he shared so many qualities with it almost scared him. They both understood each other and they had that click, like a piece of a watch that lets it run smoothly. The one gear that finished a continuum.

"I'll let you think about that, okay." She finished and left the two alone.

Seamus and Sky lay in bed later that night, Luna's moon shining through the canopy bed's lilac curtains, bathing the two in a light purple tone.. They were on separate sides of the gigantic bed again. Despite this, they both looked at each other right in the eyes, longing to be closer.

"Sky… do you think that… maybe I could… move over to your side?" Seamus asked.

The colt nodded and moved to the center and meet the other. The smaller pegasaus wrapped his hooves around the alicorn's shoulders and buried his face in his partner's soft neck, inhaling the scent of warm cinnamon and fresh roses, gratefully nuzzling him.

"Sky? Can I ask you something?" Seamus asked; Sky nodded. "Should we maybe… limit ourselves? So we don't lose control too soon?"

"What do you mean, Sea?" Sky asked.

"Like.. Let's not bathe together anymore, I came really close to kissing you and after that we both know we wouldn't stop. And let's not think about each other in that way yet… I think that if we do that it'll be a lot easier, y'know?"

"We have to do some things together." Sky replied.

Seamus smiled, wrapped his hooves around the pegasi's and nuzzled him in return. He smelled of fresh pine and tea leaves, the smell of the Great Northern woods filled his senses. He looked at the softly glimmering stars for another moment and then let his held breathe out, trying to think of a more quintessential, perfect moment.

"We sleep together, that should count, right?" He said.

Sky leaned back and put his forehead onto the alicorn's , their noses touched and he had a sad smile on his mare-ish face. "I guess so. Can you make me a promise?" Seamus nodded. "If we ever get free of here, we'll give it a shot. And if you ever get free, you have to help me and if that happens in reverse, I will too."

The alicorn saw the bottomless lakes of sympathy and love that were Sky's eyes and nodded, unable and unwilling to say no. That was the one time that Sky had been able to look at him like that, and so Seamus would remember it for as long as he lived.

Fluttershy woke up on her couch. Seamus looked at her curiously, but with small hints of nervousness and regret in his eyes. She took a moment to collect herself, then took a deep breathe and asked.

"So that was the pony from your memory?" She asked.

He nodded and stared at her pleadingly. "Please don't tell anypony I'm a colt coddler! We only slept in the same bed for one night, then she separated us and we hardly ever saw each other except on Sundays and Saturdays when we didn't have to work! And we really did love each other, I can show you the countless time we worked together in the gardens or when we would just relax in my suite and read books and laugh when I told a joke or he would berate me about philosophy or social issues that we would argue about. Sometimes we'd plan a way to escape, but things just never… things just never took off, I guess. Then came the night to leave and I… he asked me to help him escape and I said yes… then he asked me… in case he never made it out… you know what I mean. I told him no… but he got so angry and eventually we started to scream at each other… I've never fought with him like that before… ever… I told him that I never really loved him and that I never really cared. I told him I'd lied and that he never meant anything to me."

Seamus' eyes watered and he buried his face in a pillow. " I want to take it all back. He looked at me after I said it and ran away firm me crying. I wanted to run after him, but I was so mad I just left… I want to shoot myself for it… we lived as promised friends for three years under Melody's iron hoof. I don't even think he would ever trust me again…"

Fluttershy looked at him and tried to think of anything to say that would make him feel better. She couldn't think of anything, nothing would come up in her mind. After all that and to say something so awful… he did look genuinely sorry… but still. She sighed and finally said to him.

"You need to help him escape, it's the only way to let him know you still care." She said gently.

He looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "How? He's a thousand miles away and she won't accept any trade unless she gets me back."

She was yet again at a loss of what to say.

The night dragged on and Seamus fell asleep. Fluttershy went upstairs and crawled into bed, unable to shake the feeling that she was being watched. Soon the feeling lapsed for one that she liked a lot more, the image of Seamus and Sky on the floor of the washroom, their lips a hairsbreadth apart and their sheaths almost touching. She was so turned on by that thought it scared her, but it also sent a wild spike of adrenaline through her, exciting her beyond anything she could imagine before. The thought of him, so close to her… she wanted to be right where Sky was, pinning him down and his hot breathe fluttering her mane, his sheathe pressed to her stomach and his eyes… gods, those eyes! She wanted to drown in those eyes as she finished… have him kiss her lips as she moaned and gasped, their fluids leaking out of her and onto the floor…

She tried to sleep, but the unbearably horny, erotic thoughts persisted and soon she couldn't stop herself. She got out of bed and went into her bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Okay, that is all I submitted to Fanfiction.net to the letter, so I will leave it to the reviewer to decide if I should write more.

Let the contraversial hate mail come to me! I hope you comment!

Removing Curses and Cursing Yourself!

Seamus lay on Fluttershy’s couch, trying to think of any way he’d ever see Sky again. None sprang to mind and after he had lain there for an hour. He grew calmer and decided that it would only serve to irritate him, so he flung himself off the couch and went into the kitchen, hoping that he could find some food to help him forget. He opened her fridge and found nothing in there but light foods. He wrinkled his nose and slammed the door. He wanted a meal, not a snack.

It had been four long days since he had left the Northern Counties and he was growing weary of his constant need to think about Sky… gods! Sky! Why couldn’t he be here, right now so he could hug him and kiss him and say that he was sorry?!  Every time he had ever talked to him he had been nothing but nice and understanding, if he was acting like a total jerk, he would politely tell him he was acting like a jerk, then explain why. He had logic and had depth and empathy for everything and everypony, he could stand at any point on a topic and immediately be able to argue for the more free, tolerant side.

Seamus missed him so much it hurt him to think about what hell he must be going through back in the North. He wanted to fulfill his promise and free him, and after that… fulfill his other, more… sensual promise.  He shook his head to discipline himself. Why couldn’t he stop and think about anything that didn’t relate to Sky? He began to pace, as he always did when thinking.

He thought about a lot that night, he thought about magic and the forbidden spells (the Need It, Want It spell is one!) and how he knew how to cast the worst of them without even blinking. He liked that he was an alicorn, but he hated a lot of things about himself. The tattoos on his loins were still there and he couldn’t break the charm no matter how hard he tried.

“Damnit!” He cursed. “Gods-damned mother-fucking inbred waste of fucking white-unicorn trash! That cunt-slurping, slutty, cock-sucking murderous bitch!”

He screamed every profanity he could to the world, not caring if anypony heard at all. She had killed his former best-friend, cursed him to be this tall forever and made him numb in his most personal of all places. She knew no shame and neither did any of her servants. Jakben was just as bad when it came to the murder and the heinous things he’d done.

Fluttershy woke up with the fire in her quenched and a warm smolder to sustain her. She smiled at the memory, she’d thought of Seamus the whole time. She got out of bed and went over to her door. She heard him screaming the massive amounts of racial and flat-out awful slurs about Melody and her vampire and she cringed. His voice held so much hate it physically made her want to cover her ears and forget some of the things he wished on them. He wanted Jakben castrated and killed and he wanted the same done to Melody, except longer and with a much duller blade.

A blade of pure silver, dipped in acid and the spice of a ghost-chili would do the job nicely. Plenty of pain, and maybe he’d have a mule go at them before he killed them. They deserved it, after all. She couldn’t listen anymore so she walked downstairs and smiled at him, causing him to stop and check his language.

He gave her a cheesy smile, hoping to make up for the things he’d just made her hear. She went into the living room unlocked the door. She gestured for him to follow her into the bright morning light. He gave her a curious look and she nodded towards the door again. He shrugged and went into the bright morning light.

Seamus looked around in wonder at the massive assortment of books. If there was one thing he liked, it was books, especially old, dusty tomes that sat on Twilight’s shelves. He liked books, but he loathed one thing… the searching for the right book. It took hours to find things and he hated it. The librarian skipped happily down the stairs and saw him and Fluttershy standing there. She looked at her, then him, then once again back to him.

She trotted the rest of the distance to them, smiling the whole way. She lets off a flash of magic and a couple books fly off the shelves and land in front of the small colt. She looks at Fluttershy and takes advantage of the distraction to give the pegasaus a cold look. The mare looked at the librarian in confusion and she face-hoofed. She looked back at Seamus and smiles when he looks up at her.

“I found those books on breaking curses in the basement. A little dated, but they should work.” She chirps merrily. “Is it okay if I talk to Fluttershy? Thanks.”

She yanks the confused mare into the kitchen and closes the door behind her.

“What is between you two? Tell me now or I’ll tell Celestia, not to be mean, but for your sake.”

The mare blushed an extreme shade of rose red and smiled shyly. “Um… I kinda… sorta like him…” She stuttered.

“Jakben said otherwise.” Twilight leaned closer and narrowed her eyes, staring the other mare down menacingly. “I cast a monitor everything spell on him while I healed his face in the castle two days ago… I know his story… and those little moments in his sleep were you like to ‘cuddle’”

Fluttershy’s assertiveness training returned to her and she feinted toward her friend to get her to back off. She did slightly, surprised by the move.

“Look… I like him… a lot, what’s the matter with that? He’s amazing…”  She trails off; she was doe-eyed and staring into the distance dreamily.

“A lot is wrong with that! He’s a future ruler of Equestria and you’re… y’know… a commoner… and a pegasaus. You can’t be with him, as much as you want to, it can’t happen. The princess’ won’t allow it and I don’t think he’s interested.”

“What makes you say that?” Fluttershy asked, fully knowing the answer.

“That dream you fell into last night…”

“Oh…” She muttered, averting her face, crestfallen. “You saw that…”

“Remember the promise he made to Sky? He won’t break it. At least I definitely don’t think he will…”

The librarian looked at her friend and pitied her greatly. She had made it very apparent she really did care for the young colt, but was it puppy love or the real thing? And then there was his vow to Sky that made that entire situation a pipe dream. He would never break that vow, even if it killed him.

“Look, I just don’t want to see you get hurt.” Twilight admitted. “Just… just don’t do anything too personal with him or attach yourself too much, okay?”

Fluttershy blushed a deep red again and Twilight gave her an irritated look. “What did you do?”

She scuffed a hoof and refused to answer her. It made her cheeks blaze so red it felt like she was on fire. The thing she’d done last night while thinking about him replayed in her head, making her sweat, only causing Twilight look at her with a disappointed expression.

“You didn’t.” Fluttershy gave her a shameful, guilty look; Twilight groaned and slapped herself in the face. “And… you did… wow… that is… un-believable.”

Fluttershy looked at the floor in minor shame and major embarrassment. The jumble of emotions she was trying to sort through was impossibly vast. On one hoof she really loved him, but on the other is the fact that he was oblivious to her affection. There was the awful emotion of helplessness at the situation as well, for there was no chance that they could truly be together. Twilight tried to think of any way to help her friend, but it was too late, she had fallen head over hooves for the alicorn and it was probably futile to even try.

“Fluttershy… I don’t’ know how to tell you this… but…in lay pony’s terms… he’s out of your league.”

Fluttershy shrugged, she simply didn’t care. This was the colt of her dreams,, shy and sensitive and deep… she didn’t care that he probably wasn’t interested or that he was taken, she wanted him and that was the bottom line, period. Twilight could tell this was a lost cause by the lost, dreamy look in her eyes. She had warned her and that was all she could do.

“Look, give it a try and be subtle, if he rejects you… no harm done.”

She nodded and the two opened the door to see Seamus reading the books at a fevered pace. His eyes flew over the words at a breakneck speed that rivaled even Twilight’s record. He absorbed the information and flipped the pages, looking for the one spell, the one that he needed more than any else. He finally arrived to the page he was looking for and began to read the counter-curse aloud, memorizing it for later. Fluttershy looked at Twilight with a curious expression.

“Why did you let him borrow those books?” The pegasaus asked.

“There is a spell he needs that I think he’ll appreciate.” Twilight was very aware of the curses Melody had placed on him, especially the on that struck him where nothing should.  “It’s about the tattoos…” She explained. “Once he removes the enchantment there is also a spell to make the ink fade away forever, like nothing ever happened. I think that after everything he’s been through, he more than deserves it.”

Seamus had effectively burnt the spell into his memory. He looked at her with huge watering eyes. He walked over slowly to her and wrapped his front hooves around her shoulders in an embrace that Twilight felt unnecessary, but it did make her feel very warm and fluffy inside, so she returned the hug. He sighed deeply, grateful that the scars Melody had inflicted upon him weren’t all permanent. He let go, eager to talk to Twilight about magic and how it worked, for with all the advanced spells he knew, he didn’t know any of the basics.

“It’s simple, the horn of a unicorn acts as a magnet for magical energy. Now, emotions and thoughts affect magic, they oftentimes make it stronger or weaker, but you must learn to clear your mind when casting a spell, otherwise it will have too little, or in your case, too much power to achieve the desired function of the spell… Let’s start by levitating books…”

The lecture continued until slightly after noon, when she decided that he needed to absorb some of the vast amount of information she’d given him. He looked around and sighed, he was content with how the day was summing up so far, but while he was there he had a sudden idea, running over to the bookshelf that Twilight had labeled  ‘FORBIDDEN SPELLS’ in large, striking letters. He ran his hoof over the spines of the old tomes until he found the spell book he was looking for. With a flick of magic, he retrieved a book titled ‘Scrying for beginners’.

He read the first six pages as fast as possible as walked into the library’s bathroom. He looked into the restroom mirror and flicked ahead a few pages.

  ‘The mirror can be made to transmit sounds, images across any distance as long as there is another mirror to tether the other end of the spell to.’

Seamus’ eyes glittered as the possibilities sprung into his mind. Cunning genius struck him on the head and he looked from the mirror to the old book. He had a crazy idea, one that was not only very unlikely to work due to the spells warding against magic, but that he would be able to convince Sky that he wasn’t crazy and just talking to himself in a bathroom mirror. But this had to work, it just had to…

Comments? Anypony? No takers, oh well. More for me.

Under The Water... Again

Seamus ran into Twilight's room, scaring her senseless as she read her favorite book. She looked at him form warm her bed, wondering what the young colt was up to. He teleported up to her with a pale blue flash and smiled; she knew right then, when he was looking up at her with huge purple eyes and his lip stuck out, that he was going to ask her permission to do something that would land her and him in a load trouble. He smiled up at her, widening his amethyst eyes and scuffing his hoof. Twilight looked down at him, unfazed by his antics, Spike acted like this when he wanted to do something she dissaproved of.

"What do you want?" She sighed

"Can I use your bathroom mirror?" He asked, still in the begging pose, swaying slightly form side to side.

"Why?" She asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"To… talk to my friend in the north." He smiled at her again, his brilliant white teeth glistening in the lamplight.

She sighed again and closed her book with a clearly audible snap. "You got into the forbidden section didn't you?"

His smile faded as he looked away and he tapped his hoof again. "Umm… yeah, sorry. I couldn't pass it up. I just really need to talk to this one pony. He's a close friend…" He muttered.

"Is this pony's name Sky?" She asked knowingly.

His mouth dropped open and he looked at her anxiously. Sweat beaded out on his forehead and his wingtips twitched, cold dread chilling him. "How'd you know?" He squeaked.

"That's not important, Sea, but I know you and Sky are very close friends and that you slept in the same bed on Sundays and that you and him wanted… well… a bit more."

His breathe came in short, fearful bursts and he was shivering even though it was rather warm in the room. He didn't know what to do or how to tell her about what the two had always wanted to have together, a relationship that was more than cuddling and the occasional kiss on the cheek.

"Did you tell anypony?" He blurted, unable to control himself in his desperate hysteria. "Please don't judge me! I can't help how I feel and gods please don't turn me into the guards!" He yelled in rapid succession, his eyes beginning to tear and his bottom lip quivering.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but he was so frantic and terrified that he interrupted her.

"Please, ponies like me don't work well with other ponies as it is! If everypony knew I'd-"

"Sea!" She yelled to stop him from panicking any more. "I won't tell, and there is no law against liking other colts here, Equestria has tons of colt-coddlers in some places."

"But…" He stuttered, still shivering and rocking to and fro on the tips of his hooves. "I like mares too…"

"That's okay, too, there are no laws that limit who a pony can or can't love. And I understand… I once liked a mare at your age and… she moved away before I could tell her how I felt. I never forgave myself and ever since I've stuck to what colts I could get. None worked out…" she sighed longingly, lost in her memories.

Seamus was dumbstruck as to why she, of all mares would have trouble finding any colt to take her. She read it in his eyes and answered him, pain and hurt showing in her voice.

"It's not that none ever like me, It's just that I never like them. They are all either shallow or full of themselves or just… ignorant! I can't stand them all, I wish that there were more colts like you, with all your mare-ish face and how your smart and eager to learn. You have the right heart and you have more love and empathy than most colts have in one hoof than most in their whole body! Most just care about my body and I hate them, they are so… typical! That should be the seventh thing on your list of things you look for in a pony!" She ranted, letting out years of pent-up anger.

"They can't just like me for my brains and my personality, every colt I've ever tried to be with has always only ever cared about getting between my legs and they are shallow, inconsiderate pigs that I can't stand! They never care about ME either, they only ever care about what they get out of it. They all look for the physical things, like money, one tried to get with me to get close to the princess, good thing she scared him away. I wish I could find a pony like you…"

He was flattered at her compliment and scuffed a hoof at how she revered him for his personality and not because he was an alicorn. He opened his mouth to ask her a quick question, but she covered his mouth with a gentle hoof.

"No, I won't ask you to be with me, you're promised to Sky and if that doesn't work… I'll tell you a secret." She leaned close, a sly grin on her face. "Fluttershy likes you a lot. I mean A LOT. She said she doesn't want to tell you and impose, but I thought you should know."

He nodded and shrugged. "I'm promised to Sky, and that's all I can say."

"Good, you're a pony of your word, and that means a lot in my books. All of them." She added jokingly, if only to lighten the mood.

He smiles and nods to show that he was grateful she held him in high esteem. He looked at her for another ten seconds, then he remembered why he had went into the room in the first place. He once again stuck out his bottom lip and mad his eyes widen into two huge amethyst orbs.

'Well… can I use your mirror?" He asks, looking up at her with huge sparkling purple eyes.

She nodded in agreement and he smiled ecstatically before disappearing in a flash of pale blue magic. She set her book aside and decided to follow him, he might need help, after all.

He re-appeared in the washroom a moment later, grabbing the book off the edge of the cold bathtub and flipping to his page. He read the spell aloud and followed the instructions to the letter, doing everything as the book said. He looked into the mirror and lit the room with a flash of magic, focusing and trying his best to pull off the extremely compicated spell. At the moment Twilight walked into the room and interrupted his focus. He cast her a annoyed look and resumed his work, lighting up the room again. He grated his teeth and a vein pulsed on his temple as he stared at the mirror intensely. Twilight saw him struggling with the spell and lent him a hoof, completing it with nearly no effort at all. He looked at her in wonder at how she could just perform it so easily when he had struggled so much. After all, he was a thousand times more powerful than her, being an alicorn.

He shrugged and looked at the mirror, which had gone completely opaque. He looked from her to the mirror, trying to anticipate what would happen. Maybe the spell would fail and all this wasn't worth it... maybe he would never see his partner again. As soon as the thought had formed in his head, the mirror became clear again and it was like a direct window into Seamus' old washroom. The young colt's face lit up and he gave an excited hop, beaming at Twilight. His wingtips twitched and his hoof tapped rapidly against the cold tile floor, he couldn't wait.

Twilight snored in her bathtub, having fallen asleep after the fourth hour of waiting for somepony ot appear in the mirror. Seamus stood in front of the looking-glass, devotedly staring into it with a nearly endless endurance of mind and body, his legs stock rigid and his eyes only moving to blink or to look at the occasional drifting dust mote. He looked over to see Twilight asleep in her porcelain bowl and smiled. It was kind of cute, actually, her sitting in the tub, snoring and a small amount of drool creeping out of the corner of her mouth onto the tub's cold floor. The room was rather unseasonably cold, as the door was closed and the lights were out as to look into the other room better. Seamus returned to his task, still grinning at the thought of Twilight snoring loudly behind him.

Just as Twilight was beginning to come to, a voice came from outside the door through the mirror. Twilight leapt up and stumbled over to the looking glass, blinking away sleep and listening intently. Seamus had his ear pressed to the glass and his eyes were lit with sparks of hope and determination. He recongnized the voice of Melody and his blood turned to ice, cold dread making all color drain from his lips.

"You know that my daughter won't be able save you forever... I know you loved the boy you filth! It was right there in your eyes every time you two ever looked at each other! I know it!"

Sky's voice was heard now, making Seamus grind his teeth and wish he had better hearing.

"I don't know what you're talking about! We were just friends!"

The door to the other washroom flew open and Sky flung down the flight of steps, his wings opening to slow his fall. He landed with amazing grace and agility, despite being pushed down the stairs. It was as if this had happened plenty of times before and Seamus knew for a fact that it had. Next they heard Melody screaming at him from the top of the landing.

"Whatever! Bathe and brush your mane, put on some cologne and meet me out here in an hour. I have a dinner to go to and I won't have my servant looking like street trash, even though he is." She spat and slammed the trap-door shut.

Sky sighed and went over to the sink, taking off his kerchief and laying it in a neat bundle by the towels. He went into the shower and turned on the faucet, stepping out to let it warm up. He went right over ot the sink and began to do something that puzzled Seamus. He knelt and opened a drawer, looking far into it to find what he had hidden there. He retrieved a single black feather, one of Seamus'. It was the feather he had accidentally pulled out one day while he had been grooming the other colt's starboard wing, the outermost of his plummels, in fact. Sky smiled lovingly and took a deep inhale, savoring the fading scent of his partner, warm cinnamon with the lingering smell of fresh roses. He ran the feather over his soft cheek, smiling and letting his wings unfold and his feathers twitch as he thought of his friend's wings running over him, lingering on his lips. He kissed the feather longlingly and put it back from where he had hidden it, a soft smile on his mare-ish face and a warm glow in his heart.

Seamus had tears in his eyes and he he couldn't stand to stay silent any longer than he needed to, so he looked at Twilight, who nodded.

"Sky. It's me, in the mirror, Seamus."

Sky whirled around and his eyes widened in shock. "Sea!" He yelled as he ran over to the looking glass and pressed his hoof to the barrier, the only thing keeping them apart. "Were you here the whole time?" He asked, a deep blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Well... yeah" Seamus said. "It's fine... I would too of it was you... is it true that you tried to... you know..."

Sky nodded and looked away. "I'm not proud of it, but when I heard that you were gone, I lost hope for awhile... Amethyst helped, but I found your journals and that's what's kept me going since then." He looked again through the mirror, deep into his parter's eyes, his love unstoppered by seeing the other colt. "I want to see you again Sea, face to face and kiss you, run my hooves through your mane and whisper into your ear that we'll never be apart again..." He sighed, tears forming in his navy eyes.

Seamus blushed and his eyes began to tear as well. "No day in my infinite lifetime will be complete without you, Sky. I promised you that the moment I was free I would help you and I will. I'm trying to find a way to convice the ponies here to send a rescue party to sneak you out. The best part is that us being together isn't illegal here in Equestria... once you're here we can have that night we always wanted... a long night with just me and you, on a cloud with candles, you, me and the stars for company, the moon shining on us as we finally get to kiss... I get to run my hooves over your hips as we-"

"Ehem." Twilight had to end this or she would end up getting far too aroused in front of them. "I'm here too."

Seamus smiled and his cheeks turned a deeper scarlet out of embarresment. "Sorry, I forgot you were there."

Sky turned to her and asked curiously. "Who are you?"

"I'm Twilight Sparkle and I put this whole enchanted mirror thing together. It wasn't hard really. Anyways, continue, but try to keep this PG-13 please?" She asked politelly.

Sky nodded and looked back at Seamus. "You mean it? You'll come for me and we can both get out of here?"

"I swear on my wings, Sky. Me and you here, in Equestria with a bottle of wine and whiskey with a basket of cinnamon rolls. I won't care if i takes me until the moment before the end of time to muster up the courage to, but you and me will escape that place, forever." He put his hoof on the barrier and Sky did the same, tears in their eyes and bottomless love in their hearts. "I found a way to remove that tattoo without you having to use magic."

Sky's eyes lit up and he put his forehead on the mirror, "How." He asked, his lips parting in a smile.

Seamus returned it and looked from Twilight to his partner. "Sky, don't you have to take a shower?"

Sky raised his eyebrows and looked from Twilight to the alicorn at what Seamus was suggesting. "there's a mirror in my shower, y'know...

The alicorn looked at the unicorn and asked. "Can I move your mirror and use your shower?"

She nodded and moved out of the way. Seamus teleported the mirror to a stand in front of the shower. She took that as her signal to leave. She did leave, but as she shut the door she pressed her ear to it to eavesdrop, given her nosy nature. 'It's my bathroom anyway' She reasoned. She heard faint whispers from inside, barely audible over the shower running.

"Please, Sky? We could just look at each other when we do..." She heard Seamus plead.

"No, I don't want to do it like that, it'll be face to face and we will actually be able to touch each other."

"But can't we just... maybe I could..."

"Sea, no. One day soon we will, but not now. I learned my lesson from last time and I want the first time to be special, not like this..."

Twilight's face burned hotly at the thought of continueing to listen to the rather personal, intimate conversation, but she couldn't stop, her ear was glued to the door and strange fascination drove her. As ashamed as she was to admit, the thought of the two in the shower together, their sleek bodies sliding over each other adn their lips connecting... turned her on...

Seamus sighed and nodded, seeing the wisdom in his partner's words. "Okay... I won't ask you again." Twilight groaned and mentally willed him to change his mind.

"Come on! Clop to each other!" The horny unicorn hissed impatiently.

"Good... you know I love you Sea. No matter what happens, I will always love you."

"No! Please! Celestia please clop! I'm dieing out here!" She growled.

"I love you too, Sky." Seamsu said, ending the conversation, much to Twilight's dissapointment.

She went to bed later that night, still fantasizing about the two colts in the shower together. She bit her lip and turned her gaze to the nightstand. She opened it and took out a book on the current economic situation of Equestria, anything to get her mind off those two, steam in the air... their hips grinding against each other, Sky sucking lovingly on Seamus' horn...

"Gah! Why is this so impossible!" She yelled. "This isn't even fair!"

After a long wait were she did little but imagine being Sky... Seamus' wings around her and his horn in her mouth... his sheathe under her tail... pressing against her... the friction making them both moan...

"I give up!" She cried and went downstairs to have a long, preferably alchoholic drink and hopefully forget all about the sensual daydream.

Aww... how adorable was that! Okay, read and review, as always!

Brace Yourselves...

Sky steps out of the hot shower and sighs, his long silver-blue mane dripping wet and his wings loose at his sides. Seamus stared at is long legs and his flanks through the mirror, making the shy pegasaus blush and look at the wet floor. He pulled out a towel from the shelf and the other colt sighs dreamily, his long wings out to his sides and the hot shower still running over his young form. Nothing made him happier than to see Sky blush, that shy, almost coy motion that drove him crazy every time. He felt himself suddenly unsheathe and he himself turned beet red. In order to conserve some privacy and save himself some pride, he flicked his tail over his now throbbing length, his face glowing the deepest shade of scarlet possible.

Sky didn’t notice the obvious discomfort of his best friend and slowly ran the towel over his long legs, extending each one out to their full, sleek length, his supple young muscle moving like water underneath his silky coat. Seamus bit is bottom lip and tried desperately to calm himself down, but he couldn’t. The other colt was helpless to watch as he saw Sky stretch out his entire long, extremely hot body, arching his back like a cat and throwing his pale blue wings in the air, revealing his thin hips to the excited alicorn, his hips swayed slightly as he stretched his rear into the air, driving the alicorn crazy, a slight gasp escaping his lips, sweat beading out of his face to be immediately washed away by the suddenly extremely hot water.

The pegasaus straightened and tossed his long mane to the side, walking over to the sink, his muscular flanks moving like liquid steel under his velvet coat. Seamus let out a slight whimper, imagining running his hooves over the other colt’s supple skin and his waist, the same noise coming from his partner. There was nothing he wouldn’t give to be there in that washroom with Sky. The things he could do with him now… he shuddered to think of the night they would have. Someday he would, someday soon. He stared at Sky, in a trance, the other colt’s movements so lithe and graceful he found it impossible to look away. Sky looked back at him and saw the lost, dreamy look on his mare-ish face.

Sky blushed so intensely Seamus felt his heart skip a beat and the ground under him pitch. It was maddening to be this far from the other colt, his partner. The pegasaus he had spent three years of imprisonment with. The colt he had played countless games of cards with. The one pony who understood him perfectly. Why couldn’t they be there, together again? He wanted more than anything in the world to be there in that room and to run his hooves through Sky’s silky silver-blue mane, his soft lips on his neck…

He stopped himself. This wouldn’t help him and the water was turning colder. He had been in the shower for three hours, so it was a miracle the hot water hadn’t given out by then anyway. He wanted to move, but seeing as he was in a very revealing position, it wouldn’t be wise to move his tail. Sky gave him an estranged look as his friend began to shiver and the water began to feel like ice on the alicorn’s skin.

“Sea, you need to get out. I’ll still be here, I promise.”

At last the icy water did its job and he fully relaxed, the brilliant red blush fading from his mare-ish face. The alicorn jumped up from the shower floor and turned the water off, frantic to be out of the shower and dry. He levitated a towel over and dried off as fast as he could, shivering violently. Sky watched with a transfixed expression on his own mare-ish face. Seamus began to do something along the lines of what he himself had just done, except the alicorn strutted gracefully, seductively over to the fogged mirror and smiled at him, drawing a heart in the condensation from his breathe. His wet mane clung to his sleek frame, hugging every corner and ripple of his wiry muscle. Sky’s breathe came in short bursts and his wings were trying desperately to fly into the air rigid, but his willpower prevented the action.

“Well?” Seamus whispered. “Still want to wait?”

Sky swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded, sticking to his previous decision.

“Oh Sky…” The alicorn sighed, letting his wings rise into the air and his hips sway more that he would usually allow. “One day we are going to have a very special night, and when that happens… I swear I’ll look into right into your eyes every moment.”

Sky shook and his wings were completely horizontal, the feathers twitching and his eyes were half closed. “Sea… I need to get out or Melody will have a fit. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He got out and left the room.

Seamus watched desperately, longingly as Sky grabbed his towel and left all in one graceful movement. But just as he opened the trap-door, though, the handsome young pegasaus flicked his long tail aside, revealing himself to the alicorn’s curious eyes. His eyes widened to the size of moons and he fell backwards onto his rump, his breathe labored and his wings flaring high into the air. Nothing else he could have done could have shocked or aroused him more than Sky showing himself like that. The image was burnt onto the back of his eyelids, the tight pink ring with the cutest little freckle right next to it. It looked plump, loose and ready for him. Like an offer he should have taken, the lips were puckered out and the ring itself was so amazingly red and moist it made the alicorn moan to think about it. It was still there to him… loose… tantalizing… succulent flanks swaying from side to side, ready for him….

Seamus whimpered and slammed his hoof onto the wet tile in frustration. Sky had left and he was once again alone in the washroom, the mirror was just a window into an empty, hollow memory. He was there on the bathroom floor, lonely and desperate. He sighed and looked down at himself in annoyance and slight disgust. He was long, painfully long. The strange spells and the diet he had been put on made him so long that his head stopped right over his heart and his member was as thick as his tail. He hated the alterations, they weren’t natural and the skin looked miserably thin. The doctor said his body would soon cope with the change, but he doubted it would. He looked at himself as a freak, he could hurt somepony easily, but what if he hurt Sky? Would he be able to live with himself?

He turned away, refusing to be aroused unless it was for Sky. Sky was all that mattered and he was saving himself for his partner. Until then he would refrain from anything he could. With iron will and firm resolution, he stood and walked over to the sink. With mental strength unheard of, he splashed cold water onto his face and occupied his mind with the basics of magic, reciting Twilight’s words over and over in his head to discipline himself. It was late and he needed to sleep, in his excitement he had forgotten just how tired he was. The brilliant sun was on the morning horizon and what sleep he could get was better than none.

Seamus woke up the following evening with a very light head and a slight skip in his step. This was a brand new night and he would use it well, or at least he thought so before Pinkie came blundering through Twilight’s front door, her mane even crazier than usual, and a party dress making her disheveled mane seem even more ridiculous. She hopped up the stairs in usual cheery manner to find Twilight, her mane bouncing in rhythm with her gravity-defying jumps. Seamus felt that her dressing up in a formal dress could only mean that absolute chaos would ensue. It was too bad he was right.

A moment later she ran downstairs with Twilight and they both had their Gala dresses on, jewelry sparkling in the last light of the setting sun. He was confused and it must have been fairly obvious, because Twilight answered his silent questions just after he thought of them.

“Your Party, remember? At the castle?” Twilight said like it was common knowledge. “Don’t you remember? We have to go and announce you to the public of Canterlot, otherwise ponies won’t know there’s another alicorn and when they see you it’d be a riot. There is only one born every couple thousand years or so, after all.”

“What is the big deal about being an alicorn? It’s not like I’m any different form anypony else, right?” He asked, hoping the answer was a no.

“Actually… yes. Your magic and my magic are two totally different things. I use the magic of the energy in the air around me; you harness every type of energy from everything around you for miles. Living things, kinetic, potential, atomic, etc. The amount of magic you can channel and the amount of magic I can channel are long shot from each other. And besides that, all alicorns are charged to control a celestial body; we just don’t know what yours is yet. Maybe it’s Mercury. I could see that. Maybe Pluto… oh, never mind, that would be bad… um… I really don’t know. Perhaps…”

She stood for another moment with her hoof on her chin, trying to think of what he could possibly pertain to by his character..

“There is Venus, but by astrology she is always a female. That makes it very unlikely. There is a chance, but a very slim chance. You couldn’t be Jupiter, that’s for sure.”

Seamus shook his head and tried to think of how the whole thing somehow applied to him. All of this couldn’t possibly be about him. He was born in a tiny, insignificant village off the lush green coast of the westernmost peninsula of the Northern Counties. He was no more important than the rest of his race, wasn’t he? He was a strange outcast loner of a child and more than a tad off on his moral compass. How could he be this important? Parties, Hearings, Galas? This was too much attention for his comfort.

“Oh well.” Twilight continued. “It’s just a dress rehearsal. You don’t even have to be there, you can just stay in the guest room.”

Seamus sighed in relief and settled down, his heart rate lowered and his wings stopped twitching nervously. He couldn't stop thinking about being in front of a crowd of thousands. Would Equestria accept another alicorn?

Seamus scuffed a hoof on the soft carpet of the guest room, a book in front of him and a blanket over his shoulders. He was at total peace, the candles around him lit and the rest of the room cast in a dim yellow light. He sighed and tried to imagine a better moment. He wished he hadn’t, because the moment he tried Sky appeared in his head. The alicorn buried his face in the blanket and mumbled a hasty curse; the image of Sky was burnt into the back of his eyelids. Every time he closed them or blinked, he would see his partner in the bathroom, his hips swaying and his eyes luring him into their depths, seeking to swallow his innocence and relieve him of that irresistible, carnal, animalistic urge.

Seamus whimpered pitifully and tried to stop the chain of thought, but found it near impossible. Such things were only impossible when the other colt was involved; forgetting was the one thing he couldn’t do. Nostalgia and regret clawed at his stomach and the eternal talon of loneliness ripped at his throat. Nothing he could do would ever make up for what he had said to Sky last time. The pegasus had forgiven him, but it didn’t take way the fact that he had said it, screamed it into the other colt’s face.

He couldn’t wait until he could finally make it up to him. He would do anything for him, he wouldn’t care how demeaning it was, and pride wouldn’t be a factor. Whatever he wanted for that amazing night he would do. He could only imagine the colt’s wings around him and his length on his soft stomach, the soft fur and the friction coaxing him over the edge, the look on Sky’s face as he came…

Seamus slammed his hoof with a dull clop down onto the side table and shut the book with a loud smack of paper binding. He had to stop this, he would go absolutely insane or worse. Maybe he could go out to the dress rehearsal and socialize with the VIP’s, after all the guests were all there and he was the honored host, so that made it his party. Maybe a crazy party like Pinkie’s would take his mind off the pegasus. His long horn glowed faintly and he disappeared with a snap to join the festivities, eager to distract himself from the arousing thoughts that plagued his mind’s eye.

Strobe lights were strung into the rafters and a DJ table was set up where the musicians usually played. Guests from afar had arrived early and were looking about the room in wonder. Pinkie was hopping in between glitter and confetti cannons, a huge smile on her face and a disco ball in her mouth. She handed the sparkling orb over to a pegasus and the mare flew up to the high ceiling to fasten it in place. The smile on the party mare’s face was so big it engulfed her entire head and her nose seemed diminutive next to the display of bottomless glee.

She skipped merrily over to Rainbow Dash, who was lounging in a chair in the VIP section, a drink of punch in her hoof.

“Hey Dashie!” The bubblegum pink mare chirped merrily, still bouncing up and down so fast her mane was a blur of tangled curls. “I was just thinking, should we start the party here now and keep it going until tomorrow night, or wait? Because that would be one heck of a party, y’know! So then I”

She was cut short as Celestia walked into the huge room and shook her head.

“The party is tomorrow night and it will stay that way. Besides, all of the guests haven’t arrived and I’m afraid we might alienate a few of them with all of… this.”

She gestured around at the scene that was beginning to look like the inside of a Ke$ha video.

“Oh silly! What’s a party of it isn’t a little outside your comfort zone?” Pinkie asked and skipped up to the princess.

“Besides, if they don’t like our party then they can join Luna’s stuffy party back at the main hall.” Rainbow Dash added, recalling the last time the pink party mare had taken control of a Canterlot gathering.

The ruler of the sun still looked wary, but nodded, hoping this would attract the younger guests. “Who all did you invite Pinkimena?”

“Oh just call me Pinkie! I invited a lot of popular ponies! I managed to book DJPON3 for the night! How awesome is that!” Rainbow Dash spat out her punch and choked at the mention of the DJ. “Oh yeah, and I also invited Soarin, I hope you don’t mind.”

Rainbow Dash could feel her heart seizing up and the muscles in her wings going into spasms of pure shock. “Soarin! The Wonderblolt, Soarin!” The super-fan gave off a fangirl-esque squeal of excitement. “’Oh my gosh! When does he get here! I have to meet him! Is he here now? Never mind, I’ll figure it out by myself!” She disappeared in a blur of motion and color.

“Does she always…?” Celestia asked.

“Oh, she’s a huge fan, that’s all!” Pinkie responded.

Seamus walked into the room and nearly fainted at the huge array of rave equipment. There was no way he could be there at the party, especially with all that attention. He started to slowly back out of the room when a certain pale blue Wonderbolt saw him. He saw the young alicorn and the handsome pegasus gave him a smile from across the room; Seamus averted his mare-ish face and nearly held his breathe. His body brutally betrayed him and a slight flush leapt to his cheeks. Without his suit the performer looked too much like Sky for the alicorn’s comfort, maybe not the same face or the same legs, but the color and the wings were still the same.

The alicorn was about to leave with all possible haste, but Rainbow grabbed Soarin’s hoof and began to ask him tons of questions about who-knows-what, aerial flight moves that’s meaning escaped all meaning except theirs. With the pale blue flight performer distracted, the young colt let out a sigh and crossed the dance floor as fast as he could without running. With the intense blush fading from his face, he began to work out a way to avoid everypony and still be cordial about the event. He had everything figured out when Celestia strode up, easily a head and a half taller than the colt; she had no reason to dress up.

She opened her mouth and shot down any hope of him enjoying tomorrow night. “You have to be seen by the guests and I expect you to mingle. I have multiple ambassadors coming to this party, you need to make a good impression and try to be polite.”

Seamus deflated and groaned. “Why? I didn’t even want this party?!”

“Because, as a future ruler of this fair kingdom you will inherit some of Luna’s and even my own problems. I’m not doing this to bother you. It is just necessary.” The ruler lectured.

He sighed and tried to think about something else. Rainbows. Things that tasted like rainbows. Tasting the rainbow. Running on rainbows. The multiple colors in a rainbow. What created rainbows. How rainbows affected Cloudsdales economy. Rainbows, rainbows, rainbows…

“Are you listening to me?” Celestia asked; he nodded, a wry smile on his face. “Just remember to act like yourself.” She walked away, leaving him to think about rainbows.

He dropped the subject in his head and rolled his eyes. It couldn’t just go his way for once, could it?

Oh, yet how wrong he was. Things were about to get so much better for him. The night continued and he did little but pace and avoid everypony, a scowl on his face. Pinkie finished the preparations and eventually the energetic pony crashed on the couch in the VIP lounge. The rest of the mane six headed to the guest room to crawl into their beds. Seamus remained in the lounge, pacing and muttering to himself, unable to stop his constant racing thoughts. Maybe tomorrow would go better than he thought. He was wrong, mostly.

Ah, another satisfying chapter. I hope you all enjoy it while you can! The next chapter has clop! Ye be warned!

Please leave any thoughts in the comments, please!

Check out my other fic of you like this one!

Hellparty: Part 1

Seamus tapped his hoof against his table, the dull music playing in the background and the sparse lighting of the room making him want to fall asleep. The party hadn’t even started yet and he was already depressed. In a way the gathering was just another reminder that he was doomed to a life of servitude no matter where he went, either directly as Melody did, or indirectly, as this society he was now in expected him to be. He was to be bound to the wants and need of the people. He was to be a ruler, just as Luna and Celestia were.

He looked at the performer’s podium, Octavia was strumming at her instrument professionally, her hooves moving across the bridge of the strings so quickly and fluidly it was as if the instrument was a mere extension of her body. His eyes welled up as he thought of Sky and how he could play flute like that. Compared to pale-blue pegasus, he was an amateur that fumbled to find even the slightest thread of musical coherence. Sky could play any sort of instrument with a reed, be it an oboe or clarinet or even a saxophone, the colt could play just as Octavia could play her bass, as if it was a mere extension of his mind and will, the music a direct reflection of his thoughts and emotions.

Seamus buried his head in his hooves, heartbreak and headache mixing into his misery like cyanide into a punch bowl. He wanted to drink some so badly, if only to not have to face the fact that he had abandoned, no, sacrificed his friend and partner to his worst enemies. He could just feel the colt’s feather’s running over him, warming him  as he would lay  there in bed. Sometimes Seamus would curl around him, just to feel protected and safe, especially when it had been a rough week. The feel of the other colt grooming his wings, brushing the fine down with his hooves and whispering sensual, deeply arousing things into his ear while he massaged his back and sides made Seamus want to puke. He didn’t deserve any of that, but here he was, free, and Sky was still in the North, imprisoned and probably twice as miserable as him.

Luna trotted up and slammed her hoof onto the table, startling the colt and rattling the fine silverware.

“Get ready to…” She stopped as she looked at his face, the tears in his eyes threatening to spill out and run down his face.. “Suck it up and get ready to look nice for the guests.” She rolled her eyes apathetically. “I don’t have to sit here and counsel you over you and your damn colt-friend.”

She walked away, leaving him to cry in relative peace. He buried his face once again, shielding himself from the eyes of others with his wings. Tears ran down his cheeks, soaking the tablecloth below. He sobbed and tried to stop himself, but every time he thought of Sky, well meaning, sweet and innocent Sky… he felt another piece of his soul crumble to dust and fall into the black pit that was becoming his heart.

“Sky… I’m sorry… I just wanted to be free… I love you…” He whispered.

Luna slammed her hoof onto the table again, scaring the daylights out of him.

“Get up and dry the waterworks. I don’t care if he was the god’s damned colt of your dreams!  Get up, wipe your eyes and lets get his party under way.” She hissed, completely uncaring and insensitive to his heartache and misery.

He did as he was told and dried his tears, wiping his eyes with his wing and arranging his feathers to look neat, formal. The guests were arriving at the front gate now, many were in very formal attire and some didn’t speak any Equestrian, so understanding them was next to impossible. Seamus shook each of their hooves and meekly introduced himself to some, not putting any real attention on any specific pony. Luna leaned down to his level and hissed into his ear during a lull in the line to scold him.

“Put a little enthusiasm into it, or I’ll show you how I used to be punished when I was a foal…” She threatened.

The evening carried on and Seamus spoke to each and every visitor, even Soarin, which was an uncomfortable affair. He got it over with, though. Eventually he found himself at his own table again, he was grateful to be alone and away from Luna.

“Greetings foal.” A disturbingly familiar voice whispered.

Seamus froze and lifted his head to see Jakben, his blue coat groomed and contained under a fanciful tan suit, his blonde mane in a ponytail. “I just thought you could use some company.” He chuckled, smiling to reveal his long, dagger-like fangs..

The alicorn glanced around him desperately; there was nopony near him, nopony to call for help. Although he was at a party, he may as well be on a desolate island for as much good the crowd was doing him. Jakben fit in perfectly and he could slip away at any time he pleased, even if the young colt yelled for help, the vampire would be gone by the time anypony made it to the table.

“Guess who else is here, boy.” The nosferatu teased, toying with him and eyeing him with his dark, almost black sanguine irises. “I’ll give you a hint… his name rhymes with pie…

“Did anypony say anythingabout pie?!” Soarin was at the table faster than anypony, even Jakben could react.

“Dammit! NO! Begone, you bothersome pest!” Jakben cursed and waved the pegasus away, startled by the other ponies’ sudden appearance.

Once the Wonderbolt had left he resumed. “Anyway, your little colt-whore is here to see you. I suggest you get to the guest bedroom if you’d like to meet him again. It might be your last chance, after all….”

Seamus didn’t need to hear any more than that. He got up and left the table, his mind only fixed on the one thing he wanted most, seeing his partner again. He ran down the corridors, paying no mind to anything that was going on around him. Jakben followed, an awfully amused grimace gracing his vampiric face. The way Seamus ran like it was his sole purpose on earth amused him, like it was merely all a game or a sport to be enjoyed.

The alicorn skidded to a halt in front of the guest’s bedroom and looked up at the locked door, his feathers were ruffled and his breathe gone from his uninterrupted sprint. He broke the lock on the door magically, much to Jakben’s surprise, and charged into the room.

Fluttershy tapped her hoof on the washroom sink, contently reading a book. Parties weren’t much of her thing, so she had decided to just take a bath and read a book on the many types of forest plants while she relaxed. Her mane was in a towel and her hooves were polished to where they gleamed in the faint light, she had her hooves crossed and propped on the tub as she sat on the toilet, leaning her back against the basin. She had cinnamon scented candles lighting the small room, enhancing the relaxing atmosphere. Not a lot made it better than this, the only thing missing was Aloe massaging her shoulders and this would be one of her best spa days ever.

She heard a crash and the deadbolts on the bathroom door ram home, the locks permanently breaking into position. She rose from her comfortable seat and checked the door handle. It was locked and the mechanism wouldn’t work from her side. She thought about yelling for help, but she heard whispers from the other side of the door.

“Well, should I go get him?” A cultured male voice hissed.

“Not yet, I have a little gift for the boy.” A female voice commanded.

Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hoof to muffle her gasp. She recognized the voices of Melody and Jakben, the two must have snuck in when among the guests. She froze; if she was detected Jakben would undoubtedly torture and kill her in the most brutal way he knew. She remained silent and looked through the keyhole, trying to get a better view of the situation.

“I don’t care about your games with these foals, my prey is at the party and I want to sink my teeth into her flank now!” Jakben hissed, licking his lips. He looked paler than usual and his lips were white; Fluttershy knew he was starving. “That bitch is going to beg for it… her last act is going to be begging for me to finish her.”

Fluttershy fought back panic, knowing that if she did panic her heart would betray her, he would hear it beating and that would be the end of the line.

“I don’t care, go find the boy so we can get started. After all we only have one night. Ah, the things I have in store for that wretch…” Melody sighed. “Go, find him so we can finish both of them, you did hide the boy, right?”

“He’s under the bed and blindfolded, helpless as a newborn. I’ll be back momentarily.” The vampire disappeared in a breathe of wind.

Fluttershy looked around for any way to get out and warn somepony, but the vents to the room were far too narrow and there were no other exits. Next she looked around for anything that could be used to defend herself, a razor or maybe even a silver rod. No such luck. She was alone and helpless in the washroom. Moments passed… then minutes… after a while it felt like hours… the only thing she heard was her heart hammering blood into her ears as she crouched on the tile floor, terrified that she would be found.

“I have to warn somepony…” She whispered to strengthen her resolve.

Her determination failed, miserably. Panic set in. She was doomed. If Jakben came back and found her she was worse than dead. If anypony came to find her they would be killed and she would be killed as well. If somepony managed to overpower both Jakben and Melody then it would probably be one of the two’s dieing acts to kill one of the young colts. She was in the worst place at the worst time, as usual. Something in her clicked at that moments, an almost natural reaction to knowing you’re confronted with certain death.

She relaxed, if it was going to be her last moments on earth, she didn’t want to diminish the chances of somepony else surviving. So with grim acceptance, she leaned back toward the door to look into the room.

Melody was pulling a sack out from under the bed and untying it. The ropes were thick and her dainty hooves had to work to undo the knots, but eventually she succeeded and pulled the bag off the young colt, who was similarly tied, his wings bound to his sides and his mane untidy and in his mare-ish face. She gave him a jolting smack; Fluttershy winced at the blow, it resonated off the walls and made her think hooves on a chalkboard. The sound was so sharp her ears rung afterwards.

Sky jolted awake, a huge hoof-print on the side of his head and a trickle of blood running from his ear.

“What was that for!” He yelled, his voice cracking.

“To wake you up, you waste of life.” She spat.

His eyes watered and his skull still wrung with the reverberations of her cruel backhoof. He buried his face in the mattress and mumbled something unintelligible to himself.

“What did you just say?” She hoisted him to her eye level by his mane, causing him to whimper in pain. “Tell me what you said, wretch!”

“I want to see Sea.” He said, his voice hardly a whisper.

She threw him back down onto the bed and rolled her eyes. “You’ll see him in due time, I assure you. I made you a deal and I’m a mare of my word….

Sky sighed and sat down on the pillow, which to him was massive, and took a small black feather out from under his wing. He ran it over his cheek and kissed it lovingly, his eyes half-closed.

“Sea…” He sighed, imagining seeing his love again.

“Stop fantasizing, queer.” Melody spat. “I have half a mind to put you down just because of that. You’re damned lucky you talked me into signing this agreement with my daughter, otherwise you would still be performing cunnilingus for the guard captains.”

Sky shuddered at the memory. He had been locked in a room with the guard captain and she had pinned him down... she'd made him…. The colt shook away the thought, focusing on Seamus. He was going to see him again, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do to be able to just touch the other colt one more time, to apologize and to say that he had always loved him. Even if it meant he had to do… ‘that’ again.

Jakben  strode into the room with Seamus close behind him. The vampire slammed the door shut and Sky jumped off the bed to embrace his partner. Each of the two captors seized one of the colts to keep the two apart. Jakben pulled out a magical sheathe and tied it over Seamus’ horn to keep him from using any spells to escape. Melody pulled a vial of red liquid out from under a pillow as this happened, unstoppering it.

“Now, you two can go on your merry ways once Sky drinks this.” She held up the vial of poison.

Seamus screamed and leapt at her to be caught again by the vampire, who held him back by his horn and wings, applying constant leverage.

“If you want to ever do magic again, stop struggling or I’ll snap it off.” The nosferatu applied pressure to his skull, causing the alicorn to go limp and stare at the venom in Melody’s hooves.

“You can both go free, but Sky must drink this first.” She smiled, shaking the glass and holding it out to Sky.

Sky looked at it and then to Seamus, who shook his head before Jakben could stop him, his eyes were huge, begging him not to. The pegasus looked then to Melody and asked.

“How long will I have?” He said, his voice barely audible.

“Twenty-four hours, then you slip into a coma and die.” She said sweetly, a mocking smile on her face.

He looked at it one more time and downed the venom in one gulp.

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Hellparty: Part 2, Act 1

Seamus froze, his blood turned to ice and his vision hazed red. The entire world seemed to cease all function, his mind went numb. His entire paradigm shifted, the world turned on a dime and the ground writhed under his hooves like an enraged bull. He wanted to scream at the unfairness, the sickening, pure paroxysm of agony that shot through his entire body. Denial, skipped to anger, furthered by fury and finally descending into berserk rage. His entire life he had dealt with Melody and Jakben, their tyrannical, degrading treatments and their total lack of respect for all life. Nothing was sacred and everything was theirs.

Something in the alicorn’s head snapped, his ken was stretched too far. Nothing in his mind could comprehend a world without Sky. And yet… he had just seen his friend down an entire vial of poison to spend one day with him. After that… it was over and Seamus was alone. Utterly, truly alone. No remnant of his previous happiness would be left. No trace of the days he would spend with the pegasus, laughing and on some occasions… sharing extremely sensual moments. His friend would sometimes preen his feathers and tell him things, make him laugh and sometimes make him shiver from the effort it took to contain himself. The urge to break his vow and make an attempt at the other colt was sometimes so great he would have to read for hours on end just to distract himself.

Now that was over, that time he had with Sky was done. The luxury of being able to wait and enjoy the moment was gone. The young colt’s life was going to be cut short by Melody. His pupils shrank to pinpoints as his mind obliterated itself. A surge of relentless force shot through him. It started in his hooves and his muscles, then it traveled from his legs to his chest, constricting his breathe and making him hyperventilate. Finally it ended at his head, his horn glowed a malevolent red under the horn sheathe Jakben had forced onto him. Sky saw him and his reaction and shook his head, warning Seamus to not follow the instinct. Regardless, the alicorn continued to build magic.

The vampire stiffened and looked down at the young alicorn. He felt the energy, it crackled in the air and set the predator’s hair on end. He knew that this was going to be one thing he couldn’t contain, one thing beyond his infinite strength. He turned to Melody and weighed his loyalty to her with his value of immortality. Obviously, he couldn’t give two bucks about her, she was his captor and he had wanted her dead from the moment he had met the unicorn. He shrugged and dropped his grip from the alicorn, no longer caring about his next meal or even finishing his job here. He knew that if fate took it’s course he would perish in this room. So he walked out, much to the Lady’s shock.

She scowled and turned her attention to Sky.

“Whatever. You two can do as you please, but you must stay in this room.” She growled.

“What!” Sky screamed, his voice cracking. “You said we could go free!”

“You are free. In this room.” She sneered.

Seamus twitched, his rage growing and the magic contained in his horn building. Sweat beading at his brow. Sky saw his friend and smiled, knowing he would finally get his revenge.

“I wouldn’t be so smug, Melody.” he said, inspecting his hoof nonchalantly.

“Why, neither of you can do anything! Jakben may not be here, but I have magic and you don’t!” She mocked. “You can’t even  touch me!”

A flash of light lit the room and Seamus stormed over to the unicorn, the sheathe over his horn shredded and no longer in use. The mare’s smirk faded to a look of horror.

“I didn’t mean it! I treat you two no different than any other of my  servants! I swear!” The despot begged, knowing that she was helpless before the might of one of the most powerful creatures in Equestria. “I’m sorry! I have children! “

The alicorn was heedless and his eyes were a blazing red, his mane and tail billowed and something about the way he moved bespoke total, raw power. Even though he was smaller in stature than Melody, the mare knew one thing, she was the lesser here. All those years spent dominating him and stripping away his pride were over and it was her time to be judged. She dropped to the floor in a low kneel, knowing that begging was the only option now. The alicorn didn’t stop advancing toward her until he stood over her and his horn was once again glowing malevolently.

A huge snap hit the ears of everypony present  and Melody doubled over, unable to breathe. Her windpipe was snapped shut and her face was turning red, her lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. She writhed on the floor, grasping at the invisible force on her neck desperately.

“Please!” She gasped, her face turning purple under her white coat. “There’s an antidote!”

Seamus let off some pressure, but threw her against a wall in arcane rage, his nostrils flaring and his wings taught at his sides. He leaned closer to her and spit directly into her eye before he spoke.

“What is it? I’ll let you live if you give me the antidote.” His voice was strangely sweet, almost mockingly so. “I promise, you can trust me.” He was smiling at her now, his mind cracked and sanity gone.

She was terrified of him, she knew that he wasn’t in his right mind.  “It’s very hard to get but if you just-”

Her voice gave out as her throat closed again. Seamus grinned sadistically and brushed her mane from her face, tucking the long strand behind her ear as she suffocated.

“No more words, just tell me the antidote.” He whispered, letting his magical grip on her throat loosen.

“Phoenix tears!” She gasped. “It’s the only cure!”

A sheathe sprang into existence on her horn and he threw her into a bed, where five loops of rope suddenly appeared. The loops fastened around her limbs and neck, pinning her in place. Seamus jumped onto the mattress next to her and conjured a branding iron from thin air, his smile only growing as he continued. Her eyes widened and she tried to scream, but a gag appeared to block her mouth at the exact instant she opened her jaws. The alicorn focused on heating the rod while he talked, his voice was smooth, soothing and had all the gentle caring of a mother to her foal.

“Do you remember the first day we met? He sighed, a nostalgic grin on his young face. “I know that I do. You took the time to tie me up and brand me forever. Now… I think that, as it’s been three years, I should return the favor.”

He twirled the iron in a silhouette of himself, making the air crackle and shimmer form the heat of the hot piece of metal.

“Now, I heard from a little bird a long time ago that you’re incapable of sex? Is this true?”

She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. The iron was turning blue from the impossible amount of heat he was administering.  Seamus stroked her side, a look of empathy and slight pity marring his flawless complexion. She relaxed at his touch and almost stopped breathing, his hoof was so steady and gentle she wanted him to just keep at repeating the comforting movement forever. But he did, and he tightened the ropes grip around her back legs, widening them. He snapped back to reality and screamed into her gag, tears streaking her face and the makeup she was wearing running down her cheeks.

“Now… Allow me to relieve you of your… urges….” He whispered into her ear, placing the rod directly over her most sensitive area.

She felt the heat near her opening and knew right then, that every male she had ever gelded or castrated, every mare’s womb she had sown shut and circumcised, every last unspeakable sexual torture she had performed, was coming back to her. This was her fate and this was what she deserved.  Tears stopped flowing form her eyes and an utter calm settled over her. This was fate at it’s finest, revenge in it’s most quintessential form. All those years of degrading and demeaning all of her servants and guards, all these years selling and trading sex slaves were now going stab into her and end it. The heat in the air around her slit was unbearable. Sweat on her brow rolled over her neck and out onto the bed. Seamus leaned close to her and stroked her clit one last time, to relieve her of her urges before she never felt them again. He drew back the iron.

She closed her eyes, made her peace with her gods, and fell into oblivion.

Fluttershy fell away from the door and vomited into the toilet. The smell was sickening, a mixture of love and burnt, cauterized flesh mixing into the cinnamon-scented candles she had lit. She cringed and heaved her dinner, that was foul, disgusting. Even after she had nothing left to give she dry-heaved senselessly, still gagging from the smell and the heat, the image of Melody‘s…

The mare shook her head and closed her eyes. This was too much. Too much had happened tonight.  Yet, it was only the beginning. The night was still young and Jakben was still on the loose. The party was still on and she was still there. Sky was still poisoned and only cure known was Philomena’s tears. The race was on to tie up the night. Twenty four hours was the limit and the clock. Was. Still. Ticking.

(*Laughs insanely*) Okay! Any questions?  Comments? I urge you to comment, the next chapter is exceedingly long and I don’t want to run low on fuel here… Please?

Hellparty: Part 2 Act 2

Seamus dropped the branding iron, satisfied with his work. He had left all her vital organs untouched, but everything else was totally fried. He had destroyed all of her sexual organs, form her uterus and ovaries to the clit, it was all burnt. He had made sure to make it as thorough as possible, like she had never even had anything there. He sighed, mentally exhausted. But he still had a long night ahead.

Suddenly the reality that his friend had venom in his veins crashed on him. At first he panicked, but then he sighed and relaxed, thinking of a plan. He turned to Sky, who had calmly averted his face while Seamus had performed his deed. He threw the iron aside, disgusted with what he had done. He wished he wasn’t the one that had to do it, but somepony needed to teach her a lesson. The Lady had fallen unconscious after he had started. He sighed, he didn’t want to look at her any longer.. With no further delay, he leapt off the bed and looked at Sky longingly. He wanted to repay his debt now… to carry through with his vow, but now was not the time.

He embraced his partner, tears in his eyes. “I missed you so much.” He sobbed.

Sky returned the hug, but leaned away to not become to caught in the moment. “Sea, I need to find a phoenix soon.”

Seamus jumped away from him to the door hastily. “Come on. I know a friend that knows a zebra and a nurse. We need to get to the hospital and we need to get that phoenix.”

It didn’t take long to round  Celestia and the mane six up, it was actually rather simple once they found Rainbow Dash in a room with Soarin swapping spit. Although Rainbow was very mad, they managed to get all of them in the to the guest bedroom. Seamus had untied Melody and put her in the bed, tucking her in gently. The mares looked at her in confusion, wondering what that awful smell was. Seamus had disintegrated the branding iron to spare the back-story. The young colt looked at Twilight in confusion.

“Where’s Fluttershy?” He asked.

“Um… in here.” She responded meekly from the behind the washroom door.

Seamus nearly choked on his own tongue. She had been there the entire time?! He regretted doing his foul deed even more now. Fluttershy had seen his act in all it’s disgusting glory, and he was ashamed. He unlocked the door with a massive burst of magic. To be as brief as possible, he started immediately.

“Melody and Jakben snuck into the castle and tried to torture me and Sky. She made him drink poison and we need a hospital and about a quart of phoenix tears to keep him from dieing.”

Everypony looked at him dumbly, all except Celestia, who was used to high-pressure situations. She stood up tall and looked at him dead in the eyes, she was totally calm, cool-headed even though a life was at stake. The princess was thousands of years old and she knew how to handle herself.

“Seamus, let me take Sky to the hospital, you and Twilight need to get Zecora and Nurse Redheart. AppleJack, Rainbow Dash, I need you two to find and locate Jakben. Do not confront him, no matter what. Rarity and Pinkie, get the guests out. Is everypony clear?” She asked; they all nodded. “Everypony except Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie meet me to find the vampire after you’re done. You three need to stay with Sky.”

The six leapt into action, each heading to their own jobs Celestia had just explained. Once the room was clear, the sun empress strode up to the bed and looked at Melody, curious. She didn’t know exactly what he had done to the Lady, but she knew that he had punished her. She wasn’t about to question him,  either. She looked to Sky, who was pale as a sheet. As much as she wanted to just teleport him straight to the hospitalPhilomena was fickle, especially this time of the year. She would need to convince the extremely proud phoenix that it was absolutely necessary she cry.

The princess sighed and let out a small explosion of magic, sending them to her quarters.

The two alicorns and the pegasus appeared in a huge turret suite, it was an amazing suite to be sure. Extravagant, decorated in gold and red, hints of pink showing on occasion. With a sudden epiphany, Seamus realized that this entire room was devoted to the phoenix Philomena. Celestia strode over to a nest the size of a queen sized bed. Before the ruler was at the nest, though, the phoenix let out a screech and flew forth, her talons barred. Celestia stopped the bird with a slight twist of magic, bringing her to a gentle rest on her back. She looked at the phoenix and considered scolding her, but decided that the bird was an animal, and animals were understandably instinct driven. After all, in the wild phoenixes had tons of creatures after their much-valued feathers.

She nodded empathetically and said. “Philomena, I need you to do something. I know that you are a very proud independent bird, but I need you to cry for these foals. One is poisoned and needs your tears as an cure. If could you do this… for me?” She asked, being as respectful and unimposing as possible.

The phoenix turned her beak skyward with a squawk, refusing.

“Philomena… please?  I know you don’t want to demean yourself, but these young foals need your tears. I’ll give you fire rubies for a month.” She bribed; the phoenix looked at the princess now, interested at the offer. “For… a year?” Philomena’s interest was piqued now, but she wanted more.

Seamus had enough, he slammed his hoof on the floor and his horn glowed threateningly. “Just cry already!” He yelled. “A few tears! Please!?”

The phoenix sighed and looked to themoon as if to say ‘why me?’ and squeezed her eyes shut. It took a few moments, but a single crystalline tear rolled out of the bird’s eye and teetered on the hook of her beak.  Seamus levitated the tear away form the bird and collected three more, adding up to a small, marble-sized globule. The alicorn conjured a straw and held it out to his friend. Sky gratefully sipped up the tears, pulling a face form the taste.

“What did it taste like?” Seamus asked.

“Cider.” The pale blue pegasus coughed. “Really sour cider.”

Celestia cast off the bird and strode over to the two. “Are you two ready, because you still need medical attention.”

With another nod, the three disappeared.

Meanwhile…

If you would mind turning the backround to "Dark" on the options tab in the top right corner, do so now.

AppleJack and Rainbow wandered the dungeons, meandering through the endless stone corridors.

“So Rainbow, y’all saw the way that creep looked at me, right? Really freaked me out.”  AppleJack said, her eyes nervously darting along the empty stone cells, lingering on the pitch black shadows.

The corridors were only lit by a few lonely torches suspended above the cold granite floor, casting a plethora of shadows that danced like insane dervishes between the endless rows of iron bars. The cells were all empty, cold, barren. Nothing moved, the only thing that was seen in the shadows were rats and the occasional skeleton laying in the abandoned cells. The quiet was haunting, the two’s hoof steps echoing off the walls, resonating back to their ears in a deafening, cacophonous din.

“Oh, you’re just a chicken.” Rainbow laughed nervously. “He‘s probably harmless.”

“Oh, really?” Rainbow jumped into the air and screamed like a frightened foal, prompting a mocking laugh to explode off the walls, bouncing form the many flat surfaces, making it impossible to tell what the source was. “Oh, you amuse me Rainbow Crash.” Jakben chuckled.

“Don’t call me that!” The terrified pegasus screamed back, hurting her own ears when the sound ricocheted back to pierce her eardrums. “That isn’t my name.” She said, more softly.

“Well, those colts form your old flight camp seemed to like the little pet name… especially when they cried it in their last moments of life. I love it when they whisper me things just before they pass… it reveals their true nature.” The voice of Jakben mused. “I love how pegasi die, they jerk and make this little chirping noise.”  He erupted into another fit of mad laughter.

Rainbow shrank back in fear, the vampire was mad. It went through no question, the pegasus had gone mad in his old age. The ancient had lost his mind, and now he was going to do his best to make their lives as miserable as possible  before he killed them.

“Now…” He chuckled. “I must say, that hat is very becoming of you, AJ. I honestly think it brings out your tail.”

“Show yourself so I can buck you right in your smart mouth!” The furious earth pony yelled.

A huge force knocked the mare to the floor. “Oh, tut tut. Know your place, mare.” Jakben mocked.

Rainbow flew up in the air and grabbed a torch. With a twist, she threw it down the corridor. A moment later it flew back and hit her in the face, knocking her to the cold stones and splitting her lip. Another massive burst of laughter echoed down the corridor.

“I suggest you two be a little more polite.” Jakben chuckled. “After all, it would be a shame to waste such…” Rainbow was suddenly slapped on the flank.

The mare jumped up indignantly, swinging a hoof to try and hit the vampire, but he was yet again gone.

“Come out you creep!” She screamed in frustration

“As you wish.” The vampire appeared to them, nonchalantly posing on the floor, mocking them with a long-fanged smile. “Now what? Any other requests?”

Rainbow lunged at him with all her speed, closing the distance between them in a blur of motion. The vampire wasn’t prepared for her, so she managed to get a hold on him. She managed to hold him somehow while he was still stunned.

“AJ now!” The pegasus yelled.

A huge two-hoofed buck knocked the vampire from Rainbow’s grip and into an open cell. AppleJack slammed the cell door, high-hoofing her friend in victory. The vampire grabbed the bars of the cell and heaved with all his might. The bars didn’t give at all, further angering the vampire.

“Let me go you sluts! I’ll leave now, if you don’t mind.” Jakben spat.

Rainbow gave the door a victory kick. Her hoof was caught by the vampire, that twisted the entire leg right out of it’s socket. The pegasus screamed in agony. Even then the nosferatu didn’t let her go. AppleJack kicked his foreleg, breaking it backwards on the rod of iron. The vampire looked at his leg and shrugged.

“It’ll take a lot more than that to faze me.” He chuckled and broke it back into place with a disgusting snap.

Rainbow looked at her arm, her pain exploding in blinding waves. She looked at it in shock, it was totally out of socket. Not only that, it was backwards, her hoof was scraping the cold stone from the opposite direction.

“Ooooh…. What a shame. I hope you don’t cry. Are you going to cry, little filly? Should I get you a tissue? Maybe I could rip out my tail, would that suffice?” He sneered.

AppleJack wanted so much to kick him directly in the jaw, but didn’t want to risk her limb, he may have bitten it off that time. The mare looked at her winged friend and sighed, she would have to get a medic while Rainbow watched to see if he escaped. Rainbow could fly, but she didn’t know if there was internal bleeding or not, so it was best the pegasus not exacerbate the already sever break.

“Ah’ll be right back.” The farmhand said. “Ah’ll just go find Luna and she’ll get us all right out of here, you watch.”

The farmhand walked away, leaving the vampire and the athlete alone.

Hours passed. Jakben smiled at her in the dim light, his fangs glinting. He posed in on the floor, arranging his limbs provocatively. She averted her eyes with a sniff, she wasn’t in the mood for his deceptive advances. He just kept smiling up at her, his head in his hooves and his eyes half closed.

“I apologize for that. I have to keep up appearances in front of certain mares. You seem like the mare to know, though.” He said softly, seductively. “Now… I just wanted to get out of the castle to escape Melody. If you could just let me go I will heal your wound and you’ll never see me again.”

Rainbow wasn’t listening... She had her head up and her ears down, not paying any attention to the vampire’s soft-spoken words.

“Please, I’m very sorry about that. You two were blocking my way and when you began to yell at me I just reacted out of temper. Please just hear me out.”

The rainbow maned  mare rolled her eyes and made the mistake of looking at him. He was so handsome, yet deadly, his muscles rippling like corded steel under his deep blue coat. The shadows that were cast made his eyes glint in the torch-light, his sanguine irises drawing her in. He was on the floor, asking her politely, begging almost, giving her genuine reasons to leave him be. She drew closer to the cage, mesmerized by his eyes.

“Please dear, I wish nothing more than to be free and leave not only Melody, but all of this behind, start over, maybe. You will never see me again.” He purred, stretching across the floor of the stone cell like a wildcat. “I beg of you. If you let me go I will heal you and more. Imagine flying at your speed, but a thousand times faster. I promise you everything of that nature and more…”

He was leaning close the bars, smiling at her and holding out his hoof invitingly. She was leaning close, too. She was intrigued by his offer… and something else in his words, the way he was positioned on the stone floor, his inviting eyes, the way he was treating her.

“What do you mean, it’ll make me fly faster? And what do you mean, more?” Rainbow asked, leaning close to him, curious.

He smiled at her yet again, it was sad, yet still extremely handsome. “I just meant that if you want to be the best, you need only trust me for a moment, then I’ll be out of your mane forever.” He was so close to her now, his face just an inch from hers. “Just let me out and I’ll make it worth it.” He put his hoof under her chin, lifting his lips to hers.

He smoothly pressed his lips to hers, tracing his tongue along her own. She broke away, an intense blush on her cheeks.

“No! You’re just trying to trick me!” She yelled, much to Jakben’s disappointment.

“Please dear. In no way am I deceiving you. I’m telling you the complete truth. I can make all your dreams come true… and more if you care to accept it. I will serve you tirelessly if you please, in any way you please. You’re are a mare to be served, after all. Beautiful beyond all comparison, fit, sleek body… cute face… tight flanks…”  He had his eyes half-closed again, luring her, seducing her. “I’ve never seen another mare that takes such excellent care of her body.”

She couldn’t look away and her own body was killing her. An ache in her, long forgotten, was radiating from her hips. Sweat was beading out of her face, betraying her intentions. Her wings were twitching madly at her sides, wanting to fly up in the air. He was offering to heal her, make her a better flier and never bother her again, no strings attached. She just had to help him escape.

“Okay…” She grabbed the door and undid the lock.

He stood up, his grin growing. “That’s a good girl. I must say, you are the gem. Now, just please step over here.”

She took one step closer to him looking up at the colt, drowning in his wine-red eyes.

“One step closer, dear.”

She moved closer. He put his hoof under her chin. Their lips met. Rainbow held up a leg and let a gasp escape her lips, her wings flew up in the air. He chuckled. This would be interesting. For him.

Does anypony want to comment? I would really like a comment....

Hellparty: Final Act

Zecora walked out of the patient’s room, a grim look on her face, her jewelry glinting in the soft light. Most hospitals have harsh, unnatural lighting, but Zecora had specifically requested the lights be dimmed, as was her preference. She was used to working in the natural light of the jungle or forest, not the painful, unnatural fluorescent glare. She had a saddlebag with tons of potions in gourds, glasses and assortment of powders and herbs. The herbalist looked unusually grim, she usually wasn’t this solemn, but her face was expressing both helplessness and frustration, two emotions that Twilight had never seen on the usually confident zebra. Nurse Redheart followed the zebra out a moment later, her expression equally as estranged. The nurse looked to the zebra, new and old medicine beside each other. Zecora practiced Alchemy and Nurse Redheart practiced Medical Science. Despite that, two totally different views on healing, both looked at the unicorn and alicorn with graven expressions.

The Nurse began. “You have solved the poison problem…” She faded off.

Seamus knew it was coming, so he just said it. “ ‘But’?”

“But while he had the poison in his system, it ate away a large portion of his fibrous muscle tissue. He can barely move without exhausting himself and his heart keeps him from doing anything for long.”

“So Sky had next to no muscle in his body?” He asked, panic showing in his eyes.

“Well… It’s there, but it is, for all sakes and purposes, useless.”

“Can he get better!? Is it fixable?!” Seamus leapt up and grabbed the mare by her crisp white lab coat.

“Yes, he just needs to slowly increase the amount of exercise he does every day. Eventually he will be healthy again., but for now he just needs to not get out of  bed.” She pushed the alicorn away.

“Can I see him?” He asked desperately, guilt plain on his mare-ish face.

“Just don’t make him get up.” She replied, Seamus was already pushing past her.

He ran by them and into the comfortable room. Sky was in bed, even paler than usual under his already faded cyan coat.  He had his large wings resting at his sides and his front hooves on a thickly bound book, which lay, unread in his lap. Seamus leapt up onto the bed, scaring the other colt so badly he threw the book at his friend. Seamus dodged swiftly to the side, avoiding the massive book by a feathers-breadth, which flew back to hit the darkly painted wall. The alicorn smiled and turned to Sky, who was nervously grinning himself, slightly guilty.  Seamus crawled up  to his partner, his secret crush. The alicorn tucked himself in beside the pegasus, scooting closer to under the covers.

“ Sky.” He whispered, it was all he needed to say.

The pegasus wrapped his forelegs around him, burying his face in the soft nape of his partner’s neck. He then planted a gentle kiss right over the alicorn’s artery, gently brushing his tongue over his pulse, which pounded just beneath his skin, rhythmic and soothing. He released the alicorn with tears in his eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Sea.” Sky whispered. “I just wanted to see you again.”

This time Seamus grabbed his friend and planted a kiss on his cheek, his own cheeks turning a deeper shade of scarlet under his coat. He held onto the contact for a moment, but then released to look into his friend’s eyes.

“Don’t be sorry. I should have known that Melody would try to kill you.” He could barely hold back the tears threatening to spill out of his eyes. “I just… wanted to try something.”

Seamus smiled and felt is heart give a twinge. His wings were in the air, he couldn’t wait for his friend to make the move, to perform the simple act of letting go. To let his passion loose and abandon his pride, to give into his urge, the unspeakably powerful need to relieve the fire in between his legs. It was killing him, every brush of wind, every slight brush of fur and every shift was like an explosion of euphoric, orgasmic pleasure. He started to slide his forelegs lower, off Sky’s shoulders and down his back. Sky saw the look in Seamus’ eyes. They were half-closed, his amethyst irises glinting softly. He ran his hooves over the pegasi’s waist, pulling him in closer. Their stomachs touched.

Sky pulled away, his electric navy eyes widening.  “Sea, I’m not sure this is safe! My heart won’t be able to take it!”

Seamus wanted to cry in frustration. “Sky… please. I’ve been waiting three years. I haven’t done anything to myself in that entire time. If I don’t do something soon I’m afraid I might lose control.”

“Sea, I swear… in a week Zecora said I could leave the hospital. Then, I swear. I don’t care what is going on, on this day next weak we will fulfill our promises to each other.”

“Okay… can we kiss? I’ve always wanted to kiss you. Full on the lips, too. Not a little peck… but a long kiss with tongue and everything.” He said, already leaning closer.

Sky nodded. That much he could do. He leaned close, brushing his mane back out of his mare-ish face. Seamus put his hooves behind  his soon to be lover’s head, pulling him closer. The alicorn parted his lips to let the other colt in. The first contact was like a shot of adrenaline, Sky’s lips were softer than velvet or silk, smoother then olive oil with twice the taste. Sky let is tongue part his friend’s lips, slowly, apprehensively exploring his friend’s mouth. It tasted like cinnamon, with the faintest trace of ginger. Seamus had his eyes closed, holding as still as possible to let Sky do as he wished. The pegasus suddenly contacted the alicorn’s tongue.

Sky backed away, nervous. At first he avoided the other colt in an awkward dance around his mouth, each colt trying their best to avoid each other, like two animals shyly regarding each other. Just then, Seamus smiled and slid his tongue over his partner’s playfully, like a kitten goading another into play. Sky was still unsure… he avoided his friend, wondering what to do. Seamus took control, much to the pegasi’s relief. Seamus pulled Sky in with his lips, inviting the other colt farther into his mouth. Sky felt his friend’s other hoof trailing over his neck, petting him, prompting him relax.

Seamus let his teeth pull his friend even deeper into him, he felt his friend’s tongue tracing his tonsils now. He let his tongue slide under Sky’s, brushing the extremely sensitive tissue gently. Sky let his hoof caress his partner’s cheek and his other run through his silky mane. A small gasp escaped  the pegasus, minty breathe brushing his partner’s mane back. Seamus let a moan slip out, furthering his partner’s excitement. At last Sky pulled away, a small strand of saliva still trailing between them.

“Wow…” Sky gasped. “That was… was…”

“Do you want to do it again?” Seamus smiled.

“Do you even have to ask?”

The two met in a tangle of limbs, which resolved itself when Seamus pushed him over and  shoved his tongue into the other colt’s mouth, a small rivulet of saliva breaking from them and running down Sky’s cheek.  Sky swallowed his partner’s tongue, letting it explore his mouth freely. His lips tasted of mint, but his breathe smelled of pine. Seamus giggled ecstatically, this was a perfect moment.

Celestia walked in. The two stopped. They looked at the princess, then at each other. This was going to be very, very hard to explain.

Luna strode down the  dungeon corridor, her mane billowing in nonexistent wind.  Her eyes shone unnaturally in the half-light.. She had heard the screams of a mare in the throes of agony, so she had come to see the source of the commotion was. She strode at a leisurely pace, not hurried at all, even though the awful screeches nearly perforated her eardrums. She had a solemn expression, not interested in the screaming, but still saddened by what she heard. Yet she made no attempt to hurry, she just walked along as if nothing was wrong. Finally, the screams stopped.

That is when she broke into a canter, and nearly ran right into Jakben. He was stunned momentarily, all she needed to give a simple flick of her horn to trap him in a box of blue-green magic, giving him pause and causing him to think fast. She looked at him in rage, he looked at her in curiosity.

“Well, what are you doing in such a place, Princess?” He smile at her charmingly.

She conjured an extremely ornate, highly polished silver spike. He paled at the weapon, it glittered beautifully in the torchlight, reflecting his terrified face in the polished metal. He knew that he needed to either pull a fast one or be killed, so he grinned at her, trying to pull the same trick he had pulled on Rainbow.

“So, you have me caged. What do you want to do with me now, Miss?” He sat down on the cold stone floor, trying to trick her with his deceptive charm. “I’m at your…” He licked his lips, lowering his eyelids. “Service.”

She smiled herself, not at his advances but at her own amusement. “Oh, stop it you.” She waved a hoof at him, blushing. “You flatter me with your offer.”

He snickered, he had her. “Well I just wanted to-”

A disgusting, spine chilling,  fleshy splash resonated off the walls. Jakben looked down at himself in horror and disbelief, he was impaled through his chest, straight through his heart. Luna laughed at him.

“Did you honestly believe me that daft as to trust you?!” She guffawed. “I’m over two-thousand years old! You stood no chance form the start!”

She dropped the barrier now, allowing him to move in his last moments of life.

“Any last words?” She said, returning to her usual unimpressed tone.

He  dragged himself over to the cell, over to Rainbow Dash. Luna went to stop him, but she was too late. He sunk his fangs into the already bleeding pegasus, who lay on the cell floor, her eyes open, but she wasn’t breathing. Her side was ripped from her ribs to her hips from his hooves and her wings hung from her by strands of wasted muscle. Luna had not noticed her until now and wanted to scream, but the look in the pegasi’s eyes stopped her. It was apologetic, like she had done something wrong. They moved, confirming that she was indeed still alive. She suddenly caught onto what Jakben was doing and knew that it was too late.

It was his dieing act to leave his mark, his legacy on the world, and Rainbow would do nicely. He released her, specks of gore hanging form his serrated fangs. He looked her in the eyes and began to speak, like he was reciting lines he had once heard before, like he had heard those same words being spoken to him once, long, long ago by somepony in the same position.

“Look at me and listen well, little foal, as I cannot repeat myself. Remember this, as it will define the rest of your life. You’re soon to join the ranks of vampires, creatures of the night, matched in power by none. Find a source of feed, as I have with Melody, and you shall live forever. Remember this, you must feed off the blood of your own race, as much as it will pain you. You are alone, you must walk the night forever, doomed to watch any friends you have pass, die and fade into dust in the sands of time, while you walk on, condemned to walk this earth for the rest of infinity. Welcome, little foal, to eternity.”

His tone changed now, his demeanor mocking, aiming to do nothing more than to infuriate her. “I enjoyed it, raping you. Destroying your innocence. I loved deceiving you and lying to gain your trust, just to destroy it. I loved violating you in every shape and way, and now I damn you to my own endless torture. Bonsoiur, bitch. I’ll see you in Hell.”

His head hit the ground in a hard knock, echoing off the walls. Rainbow had tears in her eyes. Her wounds stopped bleeding, her flesh was sealing, her cuts mending. Her strength returned slowly, allowing her to move away from the corpse of the vampire. Jakben still stared at her sightlessly, a small smile mocking her even in death.  Luna grabbed the vampire and closed his eyes, following the respectful gesture with a swift kick to his ribs, checking to see if he was merely feigning death. She gestured to the mare to leave the cell, but she crouched in the corner, traumatized. She was crying now.

Her tears were doing the strangest thing, once they dripped off her face they dissipated into smoke midair, not ever touching the floor. Luna strode over to the mare and laid a hoof on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. She stood up slowly,  her eyes hollow and glassy, unseeing. She was numb to the world. Her mind didn’t think and her ears didn’t hear anything around her. She didn’t want to hear, or see, or even breathe. She could refuse all of those actions now, but she would still live on. Luna sighed, she had seen this before in a lot of traumatized ponies. She was in shock and needed to get to a hospital, or a therapist.

Seamus pulled away form Sky, a long strand of saliva still trailing between them, causing them both to wipe their mouths and look at the shocked princess. Celestia just stood with her mouth wide open, her jaw nearly dislocated in shock.

“You… I… you two were….” She stuttered, dumbfounded.

Seamus knew he had to do a lot of explaining to do, especially with how she was reacting right now. He jumped off the bed and looked up at the princess with huge eyes, sticking out his bottom lip.

“Could you just let me explain?” He asked, still holding the adorable pose.

“You had better explain why I just saw you two trying to swallow each other!” She exclaimed, completely flabbergasted.

“I think you should talk first.” He said, wanting to know where he should start.

“When did this start?” She asked, eyeing Sky, who averted his face in embarrassment.

“Well… three years ago. When I met him I was just a year old and we  became great friends. Soon though we kind of became a little bit more. After that we decided that when we escaped we would be together if we could. So… that is the short story, if you want where’s and why’s then… I can’t answer that. I don’t know why I like him, but I do.”

“You are going to be a ruler of Equestria! The people will revolt if they figure out you’re… well, gay!” She exclaimed, her eyes still wide.

Seamus held up a hoof. “I’ll have you know that both of us have courted and been attracted to mares before, we’re both bi.”  He clarified. “And nopony has to know about this.”

“But everypony is going to figure this out,  or you will have to surround yourself with only the ponies you trust to keep the secret. Regardless, everypony will find out.” Celestia fired back. “And there is no such thing as bisexuality.” She sniffed. “You always have a preference or you’re mostly attracted to one or the other.”

Seamus was about to argue, but decided it wasn’t worth it. “Never mind. This is how it is, and you can’t stop it.”

“Yes I can! There is no way I can just let you just fornicate with another-”

“We have not had sex!” He screamed in fury. “I have too much respect for him.” He continued, his tone slightly calmer. “We will not, either. Even if we do, you will never catch wind of it, and neither is it any of yours or anypony else’s business. It’s my body. That seems to be lost on the world, but I have the right and the will to enforce it now. I will do as I wish with my own body and emotions.”

“No, I will not let you be with another colt.”

“But… I just…I… I really do like him. We spent years together, just talking. It’s just like you said, we got by, day by day just talking and laughing.”

“But it is wrong!” She protested.

Suddenly Sky leapt out lf bed, multiple sinewy snaps were heard from his brittle muscles. He jumped down and glided to a stop in front of the princess, wincing from the agonizing retort from his stiff limbs. He looked up at her with tears in his eyes, not just from the pain, but the emotional stress he was going through.

“I just want to say this. I love Sea, he won’t say it because he thinks it’ll just turn you off to the idea more, but… I do, I love the way he moves, the way his muscles flow under his maroon coat and how silky his mane is. I love how he’s always so assertive when it comes to me, but any other time he’s so shy It’s almost coy. I love how he’s so smart, but he refuses to say he is. I love him for his paintings of me we left in the North, the way he‘s so poetic and deep, the way he preens my feathers and the way his mouth tastes like cinnamon. I love the way he kisses me, the way he pets my mane sometimes and how he tells me everything will be okay. I love the way he talks, he tries to hide his accent, but he can’t really do it right. I love how gentle he is with me, how he can never take his eyes off me and how he loves me for my personality with all it‘s flaws included. I love him, and that’s that.”

Hey everypony! I love it when we get to these parts in the story when the tension starts to rise again.

Feel free to review if you’re feeling up to it!

If you can’t get enough of Seamus, he’ll be in this fic by racerghost, the link is below if you want to check it out!

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8003695/1/Death\_City

Take A Deep Breathe

Luna slammed the mahogany door to the room, startling the arguing ponies. Rainbow was still fully conscious, draped over the alicorn’s side, a small line of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Seamus looked at the pegasus mare in shock, she wasn’t breathing, or blinking, or moving at all. She just occasionally shifted to look at something else in the room, staring at them all apathetically. She didn’t know what was going on, neither did she care. She was lost to the world. Jakben had done an extremely thorough job of destroying her will to live.  But no amount of holding her breathe, not moving or refusing to eat would cure her of life now. The royal alicorn with the pegasus on her back continued into the room, disregarding the tension she had stumbled in on. She bucked the mare onto the bed and looked to them, her face dead serious.

“Forget whatever frivolous, pointless argument you three were having. I need you all to talk to her while I go and arrange some things.” The moon Princess barked, then clicked the button beside the luxurious bed.  “REDHEART! Get in here and bring the blood supply! If it was fresh it would be better.” She paused for a moment, then clicked the button again. “Say, do you a have anypony on death row?”

Celestia looked at her sister in confusion. “What is going on?!”

“Oh, Seamus’ vampire friend got a little frisky and her a hickey.” Luna rolled her eyes.

Sky’s eyes widened in realization. “You mean he… transformed her into a…”

“”Congratulations, kid. You have a medal in the obvious. Yes, she is now a vampire. She  now drinks blood and can move extremely fast and is hurt by sunlight.”

“That fuck!” Seamus screamed, causing the two other alicorns to turn around and say, simultaneously.

“Language!” The two goddesses scolded.

Seamus didn’t apologize, but continued. “Did you kill him at least?!”

“Yes, I did.” Luna assured. “I just want to know that I can release her from my care once she is healthy. That is why I brought her here, for her first meal and to get my sister’s advice.” The moon princess turned to her sister. “Do you think, from what you have seen , that mare is mentally fit to be independent as a vampire? Will she be safe?”

Celestia nodded immediately and with the utmost of confidence. “She has amazing friends and I’m sure she will be responsible with her feeding.”

Nurse Redheart cantered in with a large cart of bagged blood, just to sniff the air and drop her grip from it, hurrying to push the cart back out, fear in her eyes. The reaction from the Nurse was immediate, her eyes widened, her instincts took over and fear gripped her.  She pushed the cart back out, just to be stopped by Celestia, who barked in outrage.

“What is with you! She needs this blood!” She yelled.

“I know that smell, like blood and dust!” The Nurse exclaimed, her eyes darting to Rainbow. “I know she’s a vampire.  I had to give blood to one a few days ago, he was blonde and blue, he had creepy red eyes and he reminded me of dungeons. She doesn’t, but I know the smell. He drank… and drank… gallons at a time, two nights in a row. I don’t know why you brought her here, but I can’t treat her. There isn’t a cure.”

Seamus piped up now. “But she needs to feed, if she doesn’t she’ll have less and less control over herself. I saw it in Jakben once, he lost it. Screaming insanity. Eventually he ate an entire stallion in one sitting, bones, muscles, organs, everything. She can still be civilized and be a vampire. It’ll be fine as long as she stays fed. She’s still Rainbow, she just has different needs.” The sympathetic colt said, gesturing to the mare. “So maybe she needs to only go out at night, maybe she has a thirst for blood and maybe she needs to not be around open wounds. She can move really fast, she can see in the dark and she’s even  more awesome now! Just please let us use your blood bank.” He pleaded, looking up at the Nurse with huge eyes.

The nurse looked from him to the princesses. “I could get fired for this.”

“No you can’t.” Luna said with a wink. “I’ll pull some strings.  You won’t get into any trouble. I promise.”

She gave one defeated sigh. “I… fine.” She caved, leaving the cart in the room. With a twist, she left.

Seamus looked under the sheets covering the cart to find gallons of blood in packs, ready to be hooked to an IV. He pulled one out, looking for the opening. Luna grabbed it from the young colt and tossed it on the traumatized pony’s lap.

“Drink up.” She chirped, waiting for the mare to rip into the package.

Rainbow looked at her, her eyes hollow. She didn’t talk, she still wasn‘t breathing. After a few moments she pushed the blood away, sliding it down the sheets, refusing to even look at it. Sky hopped onto the bed next to her,  his eyes large. He had a look of compassion on his mare-ish face. He put his hoof on her shoulder and she shrugged him off, not desiring any attention from him.

“Rainbow.” He said, causing her to wince and turn to the sound of his voice. Her eyes were deathly white and her irises were fading from their wine-red shade to bright pink, losing their intense palette. “Dash, I don’t know you, and Sea never told me about you, but you seem like a nice, honest, loyal mare. I don’t know a lot about vampire’s, but you are one now. You probably wish that you weren’t, but you have to eat. You’ve got to keep going for your friends, they don’t even know what happened, they will want to make sure you’re okay. I want to make sure you’re okay. I know it’s bad, but please understand that I’ve been there.”

“And how in the gods names do you know what it is like to be violated like she was?!” Luna barked, furious.

Sky turned to her, his fury so great it dwarfed that of even Luna’s. Seamus was also livid, but he was going to  let Sky have this one. “What makes you think I don’t know that it’s like?!” He growled.

“You are a male, you have no idea what it is like to be raped.” She sniffed

“Well I have! So shut up and don’t be so god-damned sexist!” Sky shouted back.

“How the hell do you know what it is like to be raped? It’s impossible if you enjoy it.” She sneered.

Sky gasped, eyes widening as he looked to Seamus, who took the cue. “Have you ever heard of a tattoo, a very strange magical, runic tattoo that prevents sensation in an area of the body, yet doesn’t negate it’s function?” The alicorn asked, his tone deathly quiet.

“Never heard of it.” Luna replied, looking confused. “Where are you going with this?”

Seamus suddenly appeared in front of  her, his teeth barred and his eyes narrowed. “Look,  both me and Sky got that tattoo around our privates, first, and second, we were both abused even before we could perform, so I’ll be damned before I hear you spouting crap about how you can’t sexually abuse a male. It’s bull. I was forced into oral with ten different mares, all the while I had their horn shoving into me, so I will sooner be burned at the stake than listen to your sexist shit.” He backed away from her, leaving her shocked .

Sky cuddled back up to Rainbow.  “As I was saying, I know the feeling, that you were violated, that you’re helpless and that you’re not in control. You think it’s your fault, but just try to either forget or forgive… or not. If you can better get along with forever holding a grudge, more power to you. Something that I think he did, though, and I’m no vampire expert, was return your body to it’s natural state once you’re bitten. There isn’t even any trace left that he did anything. You are free again, you are unscathed and fresh as a blank slate. It might just be a blessing in disguise.”

She looked at him with tears in her eyes, but a small smile curling the corners of her lips. “How?” She croaked, her voice dry, cracked and hoarse.

  “You’re faster, stronger, you have night vision, you have cool fangs, you have pinkish eyes and… was there always a black streak in your hair?” Rainbow reached up and pulled her mane so she could see it, where the yellow used to be there was a pitch black streak. She grinned as Sky continued. “You’re a new mare, make the most of it. I like the change.” She had a grin, ear to ear.

“Kid, I like you.” She tousled Sky’s mane playfully. “I came in here thinking that I was a monster and that my life was ruined. You’re all right.” She hugged the young colt, who returned it with a happy smile, glad he could help.

“Sky! Your flank!” Seamus yelled in awe.

On Sky’s flank appeared a Cutie Mark. The room stopped in shock. It was so out of context, so absolutely unbelievable considering the circumstances. Sky looked back and his eyes widened in awe and joy.. He gave an excited yip and leapt at Seamus, not thinking in his excitement. The alicorn was totally unprepared for his friend to jump at him, so he toppled over when his partner landed on his back. The alicorn twisted to look at his friend. Adorning his friend’s flank was now was a silver coated lily, in full bloom. Seamus had no idea what it meant but he was overjoyed for his friend.  Sky turned Seamus over and, before he could react, pressed his lips to the alicorn’s. He melted under the pegasus, letting his eyes close.

“Ummm… this got awkward.” Rainbow commented.

The two were oblivious to them, they just wrapped their tongues in knots shamelessly, occasionally breaking apart for air, but they never truly separated, as they still were connected by their bottom lips.

“Would you two stop!” Celestia barked. “It’s disgusting!”

They separated finally, a long strand of liquid holding them together even still. Seamus looked at her irritably, his face growing red with embarrassment.

“He just got his Cutie Mark, can’t you just be happy?” He retorted. “Jeez, it was just a kiss.”

“And? He is another colt and besides that, you weren’t ‘just kissing’. That was full blown making out. And for the love of the gods wipe your mouths!”

They got off each other, untangling their limbs gently. Rainbow picked up the packet of blood, which was now warm and ready to tear. She eyed the sanguine liquid apprehensively. Sky saw her face and jumped back onto the bed.  He settled down by her, she let him lean his head onto her shoulder. She still eyed the blood, it smelled amazing to her. It glistened in the lamp-light like a feast, she would gladly  rip into it but… everything told her not to. Her body wanted the life giving blood, but her mind was completely against it. It seemed wrong, she couldn’t drink what had been inside another pony.

“Look, Rainbow, if you want to give it a moment.” Sky said, trying to make this as easy as possible for her.

She eyed it for another five minutes, nothing but the clock ticking on the wall met the waiting pony’s ears. Until finally she tore the bag slightly and put one small drop on her tongue. It was over, like the first time a drug addict tastes their fix. She needed more.

The mare ripped the entire bag open until the whole gallon flowed through her jaws. Suddenly she was at the cart, ripping into the bags ferociously, growling like a feral animal, only content when she was chugging mouthful after mouthful of the liquid. She didn’t tire, either. It scared them, she was lost in a wild, heedless abandon, like an alcoholic, or a predator ripping into it’s prey.  She never tired, she never stopped to breathe, she never swallowed. She just let gallon after gallon slide down her gullet. Celestia and Luna were both disgusted, Sky and Seamus were both used to the manner of which vampire’s fed; ravenously.

“That is vulgar.” Celestia commented disdainfully. “She could control herself.”

“She is.” Seamus shot back.  “Pre-prepared blood is awful to them, Jakben complained about it constantly, he said he far preferred fresh. So be glad she isn’t tearing into you.”

“Is that a threat?” She countered, glaring.

“No, I’m just saying that she is controlling herself.” He said, but then saw her insane abandon  and added. “To an extent.”

At last, she ran out, the entire cart was empty and she still looked at the it, like she was waiting for more to appear out of thin air. A moment passed, then she turned to the four, her eyes full of tears.

“Is there more?” She asked with a pleading voice.

Seamus honestly felt really bad, she was on the verge of tears.  She sulked on the floor, licking her lips, eyeing the floor for any drops she had missed. She scuffed a hoof, a single red tear running down her face.

“It was… so good… I just…” She broke into muffled sobs, her eyes were red and her tears were the same sanguine tint. “It was amazing… the best thing I ever tasted and… it’s all gone now…” She cried, burying her face in her hooves.

A knock was heard at the door and they all turned in just enough time to see Twilight canter in. She looked from Rainbow to the four ponies and then back to the crying pegasus.

“Is she crying?!” Twilight exclaimed; Seamus nodded. “But Rainbow never cries… ever…” She stared in disbelief. “What happened?”

“You know about the first part of the story, right?” Sky asked, gliding from the bed to the unicorn, eager to shake her hoof. She took it and nodded, still staring at Dash, dumbstruck. “About the rape or her being a vampire?”

Twilight nearly dislocated her jaw when it dropped so far it hit her neck. “She’s a v-vampire! Like Jakben was!” The startled lavender unicorn yelled. “You mean… she has to d-”

“Look, Dash is having a moment. She just had her first meal. She’s taking it… badly. If you could just hold off with the obvious questions, than it would be greatly appreciated.” Sky said, cutting her off.

Rainbow was bawling now, her bloody tears running down her face and onto her wings, streaking her  coat and feathers with red lines. “It was so… amazing… I just…” She wasn’t coherent.

“Is she going to be okay? Because I have to get to court and this is soap opera is taking forever.” Luna scoffed, looking at the clock.

Twilight and everypony in the room cast her a dirty look. She just shrugged and left, walked out like she had far better things to do. Celestia soon followed her, she needed to sleep and do some other princess related duties before she retired for the night. It was just Twilight, the colts, and the newborn vampire. Rainbow wept while the three watched, not willing to approach her for their own safety. Nopony wanted to be around a hungry, bloodthirsty, ravenous and grieving vampire. Finally Seamus stepped toward the pegasus. Her head snapped around as soon as his hoof touched the floor, a maddened look in her eyes. Seamus may have not understood the emotional turmoil of an addict, but he could well imagine the dependency. The feeling that you couldn’t live without something, he knew that.

“Rainbow,” He said, maintaining distance. “I need to ask you something, but I need to be closer to you to ask it. Can I come towards you without you biting me?”

Her expression softened and she nodded, her eyes clouding with her unique sanguine tears again. He walked up to her slowly, as to not alarm her. He was treating the mare as one would treat an extremely dangerous animal, with the utmost of caution and respect for her.  He finally reached her, his eyes themselves were soft, sympathetic.

“Dash.” He whispered, she turned to him. “Do you want me to stay up tonight? Because if I need to we can just play a game or tal-.”

The pegasus wrapped her forelegs around him, bawling pitifully. He was hesitant at first, but he returned her embrace, careful to keep his neck far from her teeth. As if on cue, the other two joined in the, adding up to one huge group hug, all in an effort to comfort the newborn vampire.  Rainbow gave a smile, showing her long fangs. She felt better, it took  her mind of it for a moment, at least.

“I love you guys.” She mumbled.

D'awww, cute chapter endings are the best, they make you feel warm and fuzzy.

Comment, please! I know that everypony is reading this, the stats are right there. Please comment!

And Let It Out

A week passed. The rest of the mane six figured out about Rainbow‘s condition. It was okay until a certain  mare named Rarity caught wind of the event. That drama party had lasted days, and soon Rainbow herself had to tell her to put a lid in all the exaggerated, whining and overall pity-fest dialogue. The week was long at the hospital, soon the blood store began to run dry, even with it being Canterlot hospital, the biggest hospital this side of Equestria. For the most part they all left the room when she fed, it was bad, more often than not. She became more and more distraught with each feeding, soon she complained that the blood tasted like metal and she was less and less satisfied with the pre-prepared medicinal, donated plasma. At last, the blood supply was gone and Nurse Redheart told them to go back to Ponyville.

The trip was awful, the train ride was tenser than the one with Seamus the first time. Sky couldn’t go anywhere without support, so the alicorn held up his partner when he walked any farther then the length of a room.  At last they reached Ponyville, their warm, cozy houses greeting them. Everypony headed to their respective abodes… except an insomnia ridden Rainbow. She headed to Fluttershy’s house, alone in the night. The others had left her behind, not noticing the vampire’s sulking. She just scuffed a hoof and looked up at the moon, pondering her new place in the world. What was the point of her life now? She had always wanted to join the Wonderbolts, but now that was quite impossible. Maybe she could find a stallion for herself? Again, who would want a blood-sucking predator as a wife, let alone a lover? Perhaps she could just devote her time to more trivial pursuits, like reading? Nah, lame. Maybe she could ask one of her friends? That was possible, and that was exactly what she intended to do.

Seamus let go of Sky, who flopped onto the guest bedroom’s bed, panting, exhausted from walking all the way from the train station. Seamus dropped into the sheets beside him, equally as winded, smiling as the bed bounced like elastic under his diminutive weight. An older oil lamp cast the room in a soft yellow light, sending the entire room into a warm, comforting relief. Seamus had been counting the long days, and this was the one. It had been a week, the exact day he and Sky had planned for as their day. The day that he would finally fulfill his vow. He wanted to dive right into it, but… he wanted this to be natural. He wanted the moment to be absolutely perfect.

Seamus wrapped his hooves around Sky’s shoulders, pulling him closer. He had his eyes half closed. This was going to be great. He leaned closer…

This rest of this chapter is clop, so if you have problems with it, just leave it alone and wait for the next one.

Rainbow flew over Cloudsdale. It had been a quick flight, even before she was a vampire. Now that she was it was a piece of cake. She was looking for one specific Wonderbolt, he usually hung out near the stadium she herself had performed a Sonic Rainboom in a while ago. She saw him, doing lazy loops over the stadium, his tight latex suit like a second skin, displaying his sleek, toned muscles. He didn’t see her, so she decided to take full advantage of her new, preternatural abilities. She appeared by him, seizing him by the mane in midair and forcing him into a kiss. Soarin’s eyes widened, then closed as they hovered there, their lips pressed to each others. He just melted under her, lost in the euphoria of  her lips.

He pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes. “Well well, Dashie. You came back after the party. Whatcha here for?” He winked, his hooves still around her.

“Um… I need to tell you a couple things and… I was hoping that maybe we could go somewhere.”

He smiled wider now. “A club? I know tons. Or do you want to go someplace private?” He asked, leaning closer, his breathe brushing her mane back. “Whatever you want, Dashie.”  He met her lips again, trying to coax her tongue out of her mouth and into hi, tracing her smooth lips with his teeth.

She leaned away, her cheeks blazing red. “Well, um.. I’d prefer that we just go to your place.”

He arched brow, his grin only growing. “Well, whatever you want.”

A half-hour later, the two stumbled into a hotel room, lips locked and wings spread wide, lost in each other‘s throats. Rainbow gained enough control to break away. She had come here for two reasons. One, to tell him that she was now a member of the undead. Two, to see if, even after that news, he would stay faithful. The Wonderbolt fell onto the bed and let his wings fall onto the bed wide, displaying his long, sleek body to her, flaunting his toned muscles and smooth coat, his legs crossed and his hooves drawn closer to his body, drawing her in with his eyes.

She just stood there, wondering how to tell him. She had never slept with him before, she had thought about it getting this far, but not exactly how she would perform. It was her dream to, but she wanted to know if he would love her for her, even if she was a blood sucking monster of the night. She fell onto the bed next to him, turning on her side to face the Wonderbolt. He pulled her closer, by her waist, making the bulge underneath his tight suit very noticeable, especially when it was pressed to her lower stomach. Her eyes widened at his sudden advance. She could feel his heartbeat through his skin and the suit, he was rock hard and throbbing, waiting for her. She pulled away from him, puzzling the stallion.

“What’s the matter, Dashie?” He asked, putting his forehead on hers. “Am I going too fast for you? I can slow down if you need me to.” He sounded concerned, genuinely worried for her comfort.

She sighed and smiled, revealing her long, serrated fangs. His eyes widened and he backed away from her. She knew that it was now or never, scare him senseless, or explain it calmly.

“Soarin’… I’m a vampire.”  She said.

The look on his face went from confused to shocked. This was it, when he would yell at her to get out, to tell her to leave him alone and to never talk to him again. She expected him to call her monster and to try and drive a stake through her heart… but he leapt back at her with renewed ferocity, moaning into her mouth as he did, caressing her cheek with his hoof. She pulled away, confused.

“You’re not scared of me? You don’t mind?” She asked, overjoyed that he was completely at peace with her condition.

He didn’t even open his eyes, but just pushed her back down onto the bed and brushed her mane out of her face. “Mare, I would do anything for you. I don’t care that you’re a better flier, or that you’re stronger than me. I don’t care as long as I can kiss you at the end of the day and call you mine.” He nuzzled her nose against hers, causing her to nearly cry from his near-poetic words.

“So you still love me?” she choked out emotionally.

He opened his eyes, and she drowned in them, tears spilled out of hers and ran down her face, just to have him brush them away. “Rainbow, I have never met a faster, more intense, tougher mare in all of my travels in Equestria. And I’ve met a lot as a celebrity. Eventually I learned that a mare is more than looks, she’s gotta be a good mare, inside and out. You take care of yourself in here.” He put a gentle hoof over her chest, petting her, making her breathe come out in short gasps.  “And in here.” He ran his hoof through her mane, pulling it back out of her face.

She smiled and nodded. He was the one. He was deep and kind and he had been with his fair share of mares. If he was saying that she was the best he would get, she knew he would be hers, loyal, no matter what.

Rainbow met his lips again, this time she wasn’t shy, either. She let him in completely, his tongue teasing hers, trying to lure her into him. She rolled him over so fast he couldn’t even react, pinned by her far-superior strength. He looked up at her and pushed her away for a moment to breathe.

“So… how do you want to do this?” He asked. “Fast or slow or do you just want to-”

She shoved her entire hoof into his mouth, silencing him. She leaned close and whispered to him. “Do you have any ropes?”

He closed his eyes and sucked on her hoof, nodding. He marveled at how smooth it was, like it was polished. He sucked at it, whimpering, exciting Rainbow even more. Let him suck at her, let him moan and pleasure her hoof.

“Where is it?” She asked, pulling her hoof away from him.

He looked at her desperately. “Under the bed.” He was scared now, sweat beading out on his forehead.

The thick coil of rope appeared in her hooves, she had moved so fast that the equine eye couldn’t detect or even process the movement. She pinned Soarin’s hooves above him and spread his legs wide with her own. She tied the knots so quickly it was again a blur. He was completely restrained in a matter of seconds. He looked at her, his breathe unsteady, nervous.

“Um… Rainbow. What are you doing?” He asked, his fear poorly hidden.

“I’m going to give you a night you’ll never forget.” She purred, drawing her hoof down his chest, in between his legs and over the lump in his suit. She lingered on his quickly relaxing rod, which was withdrawing into him due to his sudden burst of terror. “What’s the matter ‘Rin “Rin?”

“Please don’t kill me.” He asked, closing his eyes.

She tilted her head to the side and laughed. “’Rin ‘Rin, I wouldn’t hurt you. I’m just trying to make this fun.”

He let his breathe out and relaxed. Suddenly Rainbow felt a renewed burst of in his rod, much to her content. She rubbed his length through the skintight suit, a loving moan came from his lips. She slipped off him and went into the washroom.

“Dashie? Where’d you go?” He asked looking over his chest. She came out with a razor, causing his pupils to shrink into pinpoints and his heart to skip a beat, then start to hammer so loud it was all he could hear. “Oh gods! Please don’t hurt me!”  He looked away, preparing for the inevitable pain.

She set the straight-razor on the bedside table and straddled him, leaning close to his lips. “I was just going to make a tiny cut. I want to know how you taste.” She said, as quietly as she could manage, trying to gain his trust.

A single tear slid down his cheek as he smiled. “You have no idea how much you just scared me.” He breathed, his voice shaky.

“I’m sorry, ’Rin ’Rin.” She ran her hooves over his sides. “Let’s get this suit off.”

Rainbow kissed his neck, his pulse fluttering underneath his  skin. She wanted to bite into him now, but she knew that she wouldn’t be able to stop once she started. So she grasped her teeth around the zipper to his suit and pulled it lower… lower… At last she slid it up and over his rear. She saw the problem immediately, she couldn’t truly pull the suit off him with him bound. She shrugged.

“How many of these suits do you have?” She asked.

“Three.” He gasped. “One for practice, one for walking around and one for formal stuff.”

Dash ripped the suit of him in one clean sweep, exposing his thick, throbbing length. He moaned as slid fully out, the suit had been holding him back. She looked at his length longingly, wanting to mount him right then. But she knew that this needed to be longer than a few minutes. So she picked up the razor and put it beside his head, right on the pillow. He smiled nervously. She saw his erection wane at her move, so she comforted him by caressing his cheek and straddling him. He moaned as her tail brushed him.

“Don’t worry, It’ll be fast. I promise.” She grabbed his mane and pushed his head to hers. “ Now, who’s a naughty pony?”

He smiled and bucked against his restraints. “I’m a naughty pony.” He giggled.

Rainbow suddenly threw her hooves in the air. He looked at her questioningly. “Why did you …” He faded off as he realized that there was no skin on his lips.  He was about to scream, but she pressed her lips to his, licking at his blood frantically. He was upset, but he wasn’t going to deny a good kiss. He let her into his mouth, just to be met by her fans sinking through his cheek. He screamed into her throat, until he saw how happy she was. She was actually crying, her tears mixing into his blood, which would break from his lips and run down his face. He allowed her to keep at him, until she broke away and reversed. She fastened her lips around his head; he nearly screamed. She put him fully into her mouth, her throat constricting around his shaft.

Soarin’ whimpered like a desperate puppy and bucked into her mouth. She gagged slightly as a shot of molten precum slithered down her throat. She swallowed and shifted off of him, separating from his rod with a small, sloppy, wet popping sound, small rivulets of his seed and her saliva still running down his shaft and dripping off of his sack. She put her hot, dripping love into his face expectantly. He smiled and traced a line from her clit to her all the way to her moist, plump lips. She screamed and let a tear fall off her face. It splashed right into the cleft of his member; he let out a small gasp. That one small, cold tear had hit his cleft was now running over his length. He let out a fervent, devoted, desperate squeal, it was driving him over the edge slowly… so slowly it was torturous.

He was right on the edge of climaxing, that beautiful edge, the euphoric, blissful oblivion. The world pitched and his mind imploded. Soarin’ couldn’t ken this, it was so slow, so amazing it overpowered his will and made his eyes water. He always considered himself a very masculine colt, but this was breaking him, siphoning all sanity from him. He had never felt this way before, he had never been on the edge this long. Tears ran down his cheeks as he buried his face into Rainbow, stretching her labium with his lips and sinking his tongue into her hot, plump love so far she herself almost went over the edge. He teased her swollen clit with his lip as she screamed, muffling her cries pf ecstasy by biting the sheets.

Soarin’ kept plunging into her, lapping at her so fast he already felt her entire body stiffening, flexing in preparation to climax. She turned around so fast that he couldn’t even react before she sunk her entire plot onto his thick length, her ring squeezing his base so tightly it was threatening to drain him of all his juices. He gasped and bit Rainbow’s ear as hard as he could. Suddenly he realized that she hadn’t put herself down on him correctly, she had opted for anal. He looked at her and she smiled.

“J-just keep thrusting into m-me.” She gasped, smiling, her head turned to the sky, lost in her near orgasmic abandon.

Soarin’ just obliged. He had been edging away from his climax, but now it was coming back up again, the muscles deep inside him already flexing in preparation for his final huzzah. She looked down at him and saw him close his eyes, tilt his head to the sky and  letting out a soundless scream. She grinned, she wanted him to have the best orgasm ever. Suddenly he managed to escape his ropes and reached across her, all the way to her flanks and spread her legs as far as they would go. Dash opened her mouth, a small amount of her drool leaking out of her just to be caught by his bloody guzzler.

“Yes Soarin’ yes p-please do it! I‘m so c-close!” Dash screamed to the heavens

He pulled out of her anus and thrust into her vagina again, her walls were so tight it was nearly impossible to get all  the way inside. She screamed and drooled more onto him, a small puddle now building on chest.. He held her labium wide open until he was fully in, buried all the way to his thick, meaty hilt, then pulled her lips to his.

“Oh R-Rainbow! I love you!” Soarin’ sobbed, then pressed his lips to hers.

He was so close now. He felt his seed inside his shaft, eager to erupt from him and onto her tight walls. He wanted to let go, but Dash wasn’t there yet. He held on for another minute or so, thrusting into her so hard a dull slap could be heard each time they collided. She let go of him and looked into his eyes. Rainbow gave him a nod, giving him the signal that she was ready. Soarin’ let go and he bit her ear so hard that if she want’s a vampire he would have made her bleed. But to her it was a playful nibble. He came for what felt like forever, there was so much that their cum that it spilled out of her and onto the sheets. She squeezed him so hard that he felt his ribs crack. He just let her scream, it was so unbelievably loud that the entire hotel heard her cry of love.

Soarin’ finally stopped, panting from the effort to not match her yowling. They both collapsed into a panting heap on each other, still tied to each other by their loins. She was almost unconscious from her orgasm, so was he. His head was completely blank, his entire mind wiped away by the strength of his climax. She looked at him once, then twice, until she finally grinned and reversed. Her love was in his face again. He smiled and took the cue. He took a mouthful of their cum and let her reverse gain. He pressed his lips to hers, swapping their seed between their mouths. He smiled as the make-out session commenced, the hot liquid and Dash‘s tongue burning his mouth. At last, he had done it, he had done the unthinkable. He had just made love to a vampire.

Well, there it is, the clop. I’ve promised it for awhile, but held off until now. A present from me to you, have an f-ton of it! Now comment or perish!

The Ultimatum

This is from Seamus' point of view.

I shall not mince words. I shall not lie. I shall tell the entire truth to my master. I shall always ask permission before I engage in any activity. I shall respect the ground, the food, the will and all belongings of my master. I shall obey all commands of my master and all mares, for they are my superior

Just a few of the many, many lines burnt into the fabric of my skull, my mind, my skin. The tattoo in between my legs will always remind me of those monotonous, droning, false proverbs. Melody. Her very name was a lie, she was more of a disgusting screech, or the wail of a vile creature of the void. Her name, a lie. Her looks, a lie. All the nice, sweet expression she puts into her words, lies. She lied to me for years, she branded me, nearly neutered me, destroyed my will to live on more than one occasion. She gelded, neutered, maimed, raped, castrated and tortured thousands. So, I will not mince words, I shall tell the entire truth. I have done the work of karma, and I have neutered her. I am not proud of it, nor will I boast, nor shall I take any pleasure in knowing that I have done such a horrendous thing to her. I did as what needed to be done, no more, no less. Now, she rots in the Canterlot dungeons, fed a meal a day by the best, most well mannered, cultured and respectable stallions in the guard.

I laugh to think, every kind word, every compliment, every last moment of being catered to by those male guards will be hell to her. Her mantra, that all males are servants to females, that we were naturally evil and that all males needed to be controlled, that ideology shattered to pieces every day by the kind guards and the food that should be served to royalty, or at least those who deserve it. She now sits in a cell, very unlike all the others, cushy, lavish with decorations that should have gone in Celestia’s very own boudoir all around her. I almost laugh to think that every day she is visited by a male psychiatrist, another male psychologist, and finally a male counselor. Her mental and physical being is monitored to the last detail, and every word she says is documented by a scribe. She sometimes breaks down and screams her past sins to the world. It is sad, to hear the proud mare’s sanity crack and cry like that, but it is the price she must pay for her crimes. She shall deal with her past for the rest of her life.

I remember Amethyst Amore, her daughter. She now runs the North far more fairly. It is becoming almost like another Equestria. The gender discrimination is nearly non-existent now, both male female and the tiny, yet equally as important ‘others’ are all considered equal. I applaud this, I knew that Amethyst would make an amazing leader, and she is addressing religious freedom, the right to be independent and not have to owe anything to the current ruler ’The Lady’ at the time. Melody, if one had a son, would immediately have that son taken, have his entire genetic background checked, and if he wasn’t a pure-bred all the way down the lines of his gene pool, he was castrated, made to be her servant, or to decorate a repast for Jakben. Why I was spared such a fate… a couple of reasons.

First, I am an alicorn, and by that default I am at a genetic disposition to breed more of my race, just was Celestia has Cadence on her side. To  the best of my knowledge, Luna has no children. Second, I was  given the forbidden tattoo, the ‘Pulverum Neuterus‘, a magical brand that prevented all feeling in my extremities. I have since undone the enchantment, but the lines of ink still run in between my legs. Third, I was medically altered before I grew to be mature in my extremities, both by my diet and my medication structured to increase my size and girth. I was to be a sex slave to Melody, luckily Amethyst took me away before anything happened along such lines (although there is a few situations that I was forced into before pubescence, but I prefer not to talk about it). I guess I was just lucky I didn’t suffer the same fate as many others.

Now, at last my mind returns to the present. I forget my past and all the pain, the suffering and the injustice. I cast off my inhibitions, I am only now, this one, singular moment. I lay on the bed, the warm lamplight bathing me and my partner in her soft yellow glow. The curtains are drawn, the entire house quiet, Fluttershy is asleep two floors above us. The room we are in is a simple cottage room, the floor is a thickly woven dark green that swallowed the light, making us seem like we were alone on our own island of pure white sheets and blankets. The walls are an appealing eggshell, shaded a lovely copper-gold by the warm lamplight. The curtains to the bed are white, the pillows are white, the sheets are white, all of it is pure, unbelievably flawless fields of snow white.

Sky lay across from me, his eyes closed, his chest rising in gentle rhythm. I want to touch him, to kiss his lips and run my hooves through his mane, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I couldn’t disturb him. As much as a I wanted to… he was too peaceful. He was adorable, his light blue mane that faded to silver near the end of the long strands drifting down into his mare-ish face. I watched as he spread is wings in an adorable yawn. My heart skips a beat and I feel a twinge in between my legs, desperate for relief. I was excited by the very mention of him, his mane, his face, his long, elegant wings and how they made his body seem small, delicate in comparison to their sleek, muscular length. I wish that there was a way to wake him without disturbing his tranquil rest, to bring him back to consciousness without corrupting the natural beauty, but alas there wasn’t, so I lay there and ponder our past.

He was amazing to me, no matter what. For so long, I have wondered why I was attracted to him, I have long been trying to figure out… why I loved him. Maybe it was one moment, one pure moment that made my love for him take root. Or maybe it was all the time I’ve spent with him, the endless hours we’ve been together. We’ve bathed, lived, worked together and slept in the same bed for three years. That may be part of it, that may be the entire reason, but it was something else. Like fate had twined us together. Like me and him were of the same mind and soul. I love him, and he loves me.  So I respected him, especially when it came to his sleep. So I gently sidle closer to him, his pine-scented breathe filling my nostrils and setting the hair on the back of my neck on end. I soon fall asleep, him a mere feathers-breadth from me.

I wake an hour later, the feeling of sweat trailing down my back and my wings. It had been the same dream again, with Jakben, the same night Silver died. I’d later figured out that Jakben had not only eaten her, but he kept her hooves as a trophy. They now hang in his dungeon, that fetid pit under the Lady of the North’s manor, gathering dust. I hated that he was so senselessly cruel, and I’m glad he’s dead… but was he truly dead? I had to know, I couldn’t believe that he, a sadistic, dark creature of the night, could possibly be so easily defeated. It wasn’t realistic, I’ve seen that… monster rip through diamonds like a skilled blacksmith tore through sheet metal. I’ve seen him disappear and reappear a mile away in the matter of a second, I’ve seen him… use necromancy, the most forbidden and blackest magic in the known universe besides soul-weaving, the artificial creation of the most sacred, impossible thing, life. I’m pretty sure he could, but was content to just stick to destroying life in the most brutal manner possible.

I get up, there is one thing I need to know, is that beast dead? Is the mysterious monstrous J really gone? I get the most sickening feeling that he isn’t, so I roll out of bed and look at the wall. It was a completely clear wall, the corner was perfect, crisp. I looked at it and cast a spell, one of the darker ones I found in the vampire’s black book, the one scribed in blood and bound in unicorn skin. The one I stole from him the day before my departure to Equestria, and it has served me strangely well. So now I’m casting a spell that locates a pony, no matter where they are and no matter what state they are in. It can even locate a soul if it still wanders this realm. So I cast the spell and grinned as the wall split into two, a portal right where the two corners met. It was pure black at first, I supposed that Jakben was dead, truly this time. Then, to my horror, I see him, sitting by a fire in the middle of a stone courtyard, stamping a hoof in impatience. I waste no time jumping through it, I was going to end him this time, even if it meant my own death. For Silver, these nightmares had to stop, I needed to sleep one night without my past haunting me, I needed closure. In a flash of pitch black, I disappear.

I integrate right next to a massive fire and back away, the hot cinders burning my hooves.

“ Well hello, hello, hello.” Jakben chuckled, then stood up. The walls of the courtyard are gray with soot and ash, the sky is black and clouded with the smoke given off by the burning and burnt dead. “I knew you would come. So, what do you want, seeing as how I can’t hurt you and you cannot hurt me, we may as well talk. Unless you came here for something else?” He arches a brow.

I try for magic, but some invisible barrier stops me, like a wall I just hit face-first.

“Curious, isn’t it? You know, little foal, that I’m not really here? This is my soul. And that is yours, you are, in fact, standing in the exact same spot you cast this spell.” He chuckled. “Now, I need you to know one little detail. I’m not dead..”

My pupils shrink to pinpoints, he wasn’t dead, he was just temporarily suspended from his body. He was guaranteed to come back.

“Yes, foal. I am not dead. Now, my body should be along any moment to be burned. Ah, there it is.” He spoke as if the situation was completely normal, like he had done this all before. “Of all my deaths, burning has always taken the longest to return from.”

A guard dragged the motionless body of the vampire out into the courtyard and threw it nonchalantly, almost like he was bored, into the inferno. Jakben sighed and tapped his hoof again, appearing almost stymied by the flames licking up around his body, still impaled on the silver spike.

“Well… did you want something? Say, I wonder…” A sudden, brutal backhoof scored over my face and lights popped in my eyes.  “Hm, I can hurt you , but I can’t kill you…” He grins. “You are going to regret coming here, boy.”

“No, I won’t. You are nothing more than a bully and a disgusting creature of the night. Whatever hole you crawled out of, you deserve to be put back in and have the entrance sealed off forever.” I spat, staring indignantly up at him. “You’re going to pay for what you did to Silver.”

“Oh, am I? That is interesting. Now, another thing you need to know.”

He stops suddenly, his eyes begin to grow opaque, lusterless and the whites swallow all hints of the iris and cornea. He stares at me sightlessly, swaying too and fro, chanting an incantation in the long dead language of the Before Ages, when strange apes and other such creatures inhabited this earth.. I’m about to run, or maybe muster some sort of defense, when all at once he speaks in a thundering bellow that echoed in my skull like the remnants cymbal clash. It hurts my ears and burns my mouth and my eyes water like I was being pepper sprayed. He laughs and roars.

“Come the night before the solar eclipse that The one who was Vanquished has his vengeance on the Venus  through his Firstborn by the taking of The Venus’s love.” The vampire recited the prophetic lines. “And so The Venus shall make the decision to harness his potential or follow down the road of The Vanquished himself, the result of either ultimatum shall determine the fate of the known world, for the freedom and good of all, or the death and destruction of all that is held dear to both The Venus and the world.”

The vampire cleared hi throat and looked at me with his usual elegant, yet mischievous grin. “Any questions? No? Then get out of my face!” He turned and walked away from me, disappearing like he had such a bad habit of doing, leaving me in the stone courtyard.

“Wait I-” He was gone and I was alone.

I sigh. What had that meant ‘The Venus’? or ‘The Vanquished’  shall enact revenge through his ‘Firstborn’? What had any of that meant? He mentioned an eclipse and the fate of the known world in there, but he was so brief and it was worded to be meandering and to cause confusion, like a riddle. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. So with a heavy heart I cast the counter-spell and return to my room, jump up next to Sky and resume my sleep. The nightmare doesn’t come to this time, much to my relief.

Third Person P.O.V

Rainbow rubs her partner’s chest with her hoof, stroking his muscular shoulders and dreaming in the only way she could of what she would try with him once he woke up. Her next idea was experimenting with a trick she had come across when she was reading and old dirty novel. She wanted to try saddles, maybe bridles and bits, just to test it out. This would be fun. There was one saddle she had heard of that was a saddle that doubled as a strap-on. She wondered, was he into such things? Maybe he was, if so she would have to try it out. Her plan formulated that she would warm him up by first putting the saddle on him, put the bit in between his teeth, mount him, then when he was nice and desperate for her, she would finish by clopping him. She grinned and let her hoof wander down and tweak his nipple, causing him to mumble and roll over in his sleep. She arranged him into the correct positions and settled over him, curling around his sleeping form, pressing every inch of herself over him, draping her leg over his flank and placing her wing over him protectively. Soarin’ was hers now, like a falcon protecting her smaller mate, she put her hooves around him, counting his every last heartbeat.

Something interrupted her longing, though, some odd scuffling noise. Her ultra-sensitive ears perked and swiveled around to locate the sound, it was the sound of hoof steps, but so fast that she was sure it wasn’t natural. It was getting closer… closer… she leapt out of bed and threw out her hoof out, crushing somepony’s nose with a sickening (*!crack!*) as the bone broke. She put her hoof down on the intruders neck, just to get her entire leg swept out from under her. She yelped as she was put on the floor a hoof pressed to her own neck. Strange how her situation was changed. At first she was happy and rather content, but then she was forced to injure somepony. Then the tables were turned on her and she was the one being assaulted.

“Who the buck are you! Get out of my colt-friend’s room, you creep!” She yelled up from the floor.

Suddenly she felt a hoof on her flank, enraging her beyond anything I can legally write. A voice hissed in her ear, her blood chilled and her ears flattened to her head, her now snake-like eyes shrink to slits.

“Jakben, at your services. I know you, mare. I made you. You owe me a favor. Now get up and don’t even bother to run. Stay your tongue and I’ll stay my hoof from killing you, as I do know the way, it is hard, but It is possible.” He released. she scurried to the corner, where she crouched in terror; he smirked and looked at Soarin’, who was still snoring. “I need you to give your word on your life that you must take a certain pony out of existence for me. He is a blue pegasus, short, about five years old, just on the cusp of stallion-hood and has a gilded lily as a Cutie Mark.”

Her eyes were just tiny slits of black in her sanguine eyes. “You mean Sky?” She squeaked, scared witless. “But he’s Seamus’ best friend…”

“Don’t care, explain that I made you do it, the little puss won’t do anything to you.” He rolled his vampiric eyes and ran his hoof down Soarin’s side, grinning. “You’re lover here is so loyal, he would do anything for you, I wonder if he would die for you…”

She leapt at him, snarling, feral and wild,  just to be caught by her neck. “You lay one hoof on him and I’ll kill you! I don’t care if I don’t know how you die! I’ll keep killing you until I figure it out!” She hissed through her teeth, still being held in the air.

He just rolled his eyes again. “I can tell right now you’re too stupid to do this on your own, and even if I coerce you, you won’t do it. You’re just too loyal.”

He tossed her to the floor and put his hoof on her forehead, a small mark appearing, meandering down one side of her face and out onto her neck. He grins madly at his handiwork, the long black leafing tattoo twisting like a serpent under her skin, magical runes in between the lines of  ink. He leaned down and whispered to her, raising his wing to block her view of Soarin’.

“You have two choices, kill your dearest star-crossed lover, or kill the whelp.” He grinned. “If you see him, you kill him, if you see the whelp, you kill him. If you make up your mind to just avoid both, you kill them both almost instantly. Make up your mind.”

With that, the vampire was gone, his haunting ultimatum still hanging in the air.

Okay, any other questions on foreshadowing? No, class? Fine, leave your comments on this chapter in the box, please.

Fulfilling My Vow

Seamus woke to his partner snuggling against him, his wings over the alicorn and his own narrow hips being pressed between the other stallion’s legs, his hard morning wood throbbing against his back. The maroon colt felt a deep blush spread over his face and cheeks, setting them on fire when he was already struggling to contain himself. The pegasi’s member was rock hard and pressed to the small of his back leading to his hips, Sky’s hooves wrapped around his shoulders and his mane partially in Seamus’ face. Seamus had to think of something to do, the urge was nearly unbearable. Doing nothing sexually for three years and never having  sex ever before was adding up to an almost impossible lust that choked the alicorn, made his adrenaline spike and his wings strain to fly out into the open air. He reacted quickly, it was now or never.

“Sky.” He jostled his friend slightly, waking him.

Sky looked at his soon-to-be lover and smiles contentedly, still unaware of the situation. “Oh, hey Sea.” He mumbled sleepily, smiling softly. “When did you get up?”

“Umm… just now.” Seamus stuttered, his cheeks still flushed a rosy red. “Could you get off me?”

“Why…” Sky grinned. “Why can’t I be like this?”

Seamus looked at Sky and nearly fainted. He had the look in his eyes, his lids fluttering at him, his wings half erect and he sure was erect against Seamus’ side.  The alicorn could feel his soul-mates’ heartbeat through it, every wavering thud sent a jolt through him. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment. This was perfect. Well… almost perfect. There was something strange about the texture of the pegasi’s head….

“S-so are you saying that…” Seamus stuttered; it was too good to be true, the other stallion was finally going to do this to him. “You’ll… let me…”

Sky nodded, tucking his mane behind his ear as he did so. He had a smile of pure joy on his mare-ish face, his pine-scented breathe filling the air with an amazingly sweet, perfume-like musk. Seamus let out a breathe, his smelled of cinnamon, like a dough-and-sugar-filled pastry, just as sweet to taste, too. Sky rolled away from Seamus and did something that puzzled the other colt, he jumped off the bed and went into the washroom,  his tight, muscular flanks bobbing rhythmically with each step, beckoning the alicorn to follow. Seamus leapt down and headed into the washroom to find Sky holding a razor in his teeth. The alicorn halted and gave him a wary look.

“Sky… what do you want me to do…?” He asked, curious, but not afraid.

“I think that we should shave ourselves, it will be better that way.” Sky winked mischievously, the straight blade reflecting the alicorns’ estranged expression.

“Why? I don’t want to put a razor in that… particular place….” He tried to explain without perturbing his to-be lover. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, I do… I just don’t see the use.”

Sky rolled his eyes and advanced towards him slowly, using simple movements as to not alarm his friend.  “Look, just let me do this and then we can do what you want, okay?”

Seamus had just nodded when he felt shaving cream lathered over his nether, the cool, chilling foam made him feel wrong, but he tolerated it, especially since he knew this was coming next. Sky massaged him gently, coaxing his length out of it’s sheathe. Seamus whimpered and began to move when he lost  his self-control and slid out, the breeze from Sky’s breathe causing him to whimper again. Sky stared in wonder at his lover’s thick, moist member.

“Sea… wow…” He whispered. “I don’t think that… I.. um…” He trailed off, but began to draw the razor down the alicorn’s shaft, removing the bristles and other excess from it, leaving it shiny and the same color as his coat, red. Sky then slid the razor over his base, leaving it so smooth it was like the skin of a newborn. Sky sighed and wiped a bead of perspiration from his forehead, being this close to his muse was causing him to sweat, that and the constant focus this required was nerve-racking. He moved on to his sack next, tugging at Seamus’ skin and then drawing it down the then taught, slick scrotum. He sighed once he was done, now was the worst/ best part. He rubbed his partner’s side and said, as softly and as comforting as he could.

“Sea, I need you to spread your  legs.” He was caressing the other colt’s flank now, calming him.

Seamus did as he was asked and widened his stance, closing his eyes as to not worry himself. A dab of the shaving cream was ran from the base of his scrotum all the way to his anus, causing him to wince, but not become afraid. He trusted his friend completely as the pegasi touched up a line from the base of his sack to his ring, clearing a circle in the fur around it, leaving it puckered and pink. Seamus smiled as Sky took a step back and surveyed his work.

There.” Sky chirped happily and skipped to the front where his to-be lover could see him. “Now you do me.”

Seamus cast a spell and all the fur he wanted just fell away from his partner, leaving his loins perfectly smooth, the stubble cut closer than any razor could ever get. Sky just gave him a sour look and said.

“I wanted you to do it the normal way.” He grumbled, annoyed. “I wanted that to be special.”

“Sorry.” Seamus looked away, unable to stare the perturbed pegasi in the face. “Are you mad?”

“No, Sea, you know that I can’t get mad at you.” He sighed, letting his irritation dissipate. “Let’s get back on the bed, Okay?”

Seamus was only too happy to oblige to his friend‘s request. He ran in and leapt onto the springy mattress, Sky soon following him, nearly crashing into him in the process. The pegasus settled down like a cat would, pacing a circle, finding a spot, pace some more, then finally laying down. Seamus went to move towards him, but Sky shook his head and gestured to the bedside table.

“I’d like some wine, please.” He asked in his soft voice.

Not even a moment later did a large bottle of vintage appear and was poured into two ornate crystal glasses. Seamus levitated the glass to his lips, just to have  it snatched away by the other playful colt. Sky held it out and the alicorn leaned forward, playing along. The pegasus put the glass to his partners lips, letting him take a long draft from the sweet, savory wine. Sea broke away and conjured a smorgasbord of food, buns, whiskeys, rolls, pancakes dripping with syrup and butter, cupcakes, pies, and more. It lay in between them, them. Sky grinned and giggled like a foal.

“Really? You’re bringing food into this?” He chuckled, “Is your stomach all you worry about?”

  Seamus turned away, blushing. “Um… we could not do the food thing if you don’t want to…”

“I’m not really mad, Sea.” He sighed again, reliving the stallion greatly.

The pegasus rolled his eyes again and picked up a cinnamon bun, the sweet pastry covered in sugar and coated in the melted spice. He kept his eyes locked and Seamus as he took a long bite, chewing slowly, his eyelids fluttering seductively. Seamus wanted him to make the first move, he wanted him to pounce on him, let the other pegasus bite into him like a sweet caramel apple… or that sugar-coated cinnamon bun. He wanted to have his cinnamon bun bitten like that…

“Sky… I’d like a cinnamon bun…” He giggled, inching closer.

“Sky caught on and grinned. He put the cinnamon bun on his chest, inviting his friend over with a flick of his tail.

Seamus pounced on the other colt and kissed him lovingly, his mouth tasting of cranberry wine, his tongue snaking down Sky’s throat,  caressing his tonsils and petting his side passionately. He ran his hooves over the pegasi’s wings and massaged the base of the muscles, making Sky moan in his euphoria. The alicorn broke from the stallions lips and snaked down to the cinnamon bun, eyeing it lustfully. He looked farther down and licked a line all the way up his chest, lingering on his nipple and just over the nape of his neck. Sky whimpered and wrapped his arms around Seamus, beckoning him closer. Seamus snapped up the pastry with a playful chuckle.

“Sea… I hear something.” Sky gasped.

Seamus separated from him and perked his ears, then, hearing nothing looked back down at Sky. “I don’t hear anything. Must have been the wind.”

The alicorn leaned close to kiss him again, but Sky turned away. The colt wound up kissing the stallion’s nose, sticking his tongue in his mucus-filled nostril. Sky gave him a look and laughed out loud, snorting into Seamus’ mouth. The colt separated with a blush, feeling ridiculous. Sky smiled for a moment longer, then decided to alleviate his embarrassment. He leaned close and pressed his nose to the colt’s mouth, smiling, giggling coltishly. (ß It‘s a word, look it up.)

“Sky, what are you doin-… mmmmmmm….mmm…” Seamus moaned and made out with the stallion’s nose, the latter suppressing the urge to laugh from the strange sensation of having his friend stick his tongue in his nostril.

Seamus broke and shook his head, his blush the deepest rosy red. “Ummm… that was a little weird….” He averted his face to hide his flustered expression.

“Oh, you can make out with my nose whenever you want.” He giggled, running his hooves through his partner’s silky mane.

“Sky, you are so weird.” Seamus commented, shaking his head. “Did you actually like that?”

The pegasi ran his back leg up the inside of  the alicorn’s thigh, a gasp emanating from the latter. “Sea, you can do anything you want to do to me with your tongue….”

Seamus blushed again, exciting the pegasus even more. Suddenly Sky was on his back, pressing his plot against the other colt’s sheathe and swaying left and right, to and fro rhythmically. Seamus gasped at the contact and felt the immediate urge to buck against him, but exercised control. He bit his bottom lip and looked up to the ceiling.

“I thought we would take this slow.” He gasped, trying not to unsheathe… if he did he wouldn’t stop until he was satisfied.

“Sorry, but I need it now. I can’t do this anymore. There will never be a better moment. We’re alone and Fluttershy is probably still asleep. I’m here and I want you… let’s just do it now….”

Seamus argued with himself. They had saved themselves for each other so long, maybe they should keep waiting for that perfect moment. But he was here, now, and he couldn’t resist. He unsheathed, his long 15 inches rubbing against Sky’s flank. Sky smiled and resumed his swaying motion, bringing a soft sigh to escape the alicorn. He couldn’t take it. He let himself fall back and offer his rear to Sky, closing his eyes, submitting to his urges. He couldn’t wait for the pegasus to take the hint, so he gasped and shook impatiently, sweat running down him, his entire coat was slick with the perspiration. He wanted it so badly, he nearly fainted as he held his breathe.

“Um… Sea, I’d like it if I was on the bottom…” Sky asked, scuffing a hoof on the bed sheet.

“Bu-………… okay.” Seamus hopped back onto his friend and began to move behind him, but then noticed that his partner wasn’t in the least bit excited, he was still sheathed.

Seamus pushed him over and, using his height as an advantage, pinned the stallion. Sky bit his lip as the alicorn stuck his tongue into his sheathe, his soft pink tongue rolling around inside the insensitive skin, lingering on the his unresponsive, cauterized head. Sky looked down and wanted to shoot himself. He had to tell him. He needed to know the truth. It was time to tell his lover his secret, the one he had kept from the alicorn to make sure he would love him for him and nothing else.

“Sea, stop.” Sky sighed, perfectly calm, not excited at all.

Seamus separated from him with a sloppy trail of spit and wet popping noise, smiling happily. He looked up at the pegasus, his wings flaring straight in the air and his horn sparking profusely. Sky wrapped his back hooves around the colt’s neck and put his front on his cheeks, directing his gaze right into his eyes.

“Unsheathe me.” He commanded; Seamus’ horn flashed and it was done.

The alicorn tilted his head to the side, puzzled. He felt a heartbeat through his friend’s member, as he had when he had been sleeping, but now it was flaccid, lifeless against his neck. Sky let go of Seamus, who looked down at his  lover and gasped. Sky was hard now, but not because of any physical stimulation. The entire length was cauterized and blackened, the skin taken and burnt to assure no sensation in the area. The alicorn turned to the stallion and nearly cried, a tear stuck in his amethyst eye.

“You… can’t… feel me?” He sniffed, fighting the urge to wail is frustration and to the world.

“Well… vaguely.” Sky admitted. “But I still remember when it was so sensitive that all it would take was a poke and I would go off.” He smiled nostalgically. “Remember the time I had a wet dream on you, when it was about you? That was awkward….”

Seamus didn’t want to remember, or reminisce, he wanted to cure his friend of his ailment. Seamus seized Sky’s length and put his horn to it, chanting quickly. The pegasus looked down questioningly, trying to pull the alicorn away from his task.

“Sea, It’ no use. It’s done.” The stallion sighed without hope.

Seamus continued, his chanting growing more and more frenzied, frantic in his haste. He was soon speaking so fast it scared Sky, his eyes were rolling into his head and his horn was glowing a strange black. A sudden flash lit the room and Sky nearly screamed. It was so agonizing he wanted to tear gashes in Seamus’ skin, but he bore through and let out his held breathe, the pain being replaced with pleasure. Seamus was sucking at his length, clenching the head with the back of his throat, the occasional drop of saliva leaking out onto his sack. Sky almost went off right then and there, but the alicorn stopped and slithered up his chest until they were yet again face to face.

“Better?” The alicorn asked, tears still in his purple eyes.

Sky responded by grinding his hips against his, their blue and red members pushed to each other, bumping, sticking, and rubbing, the heat from each other made them both pant heavily as they stared into each others’ eyes. Seamus  did the strangest thing then, he stuck his nose into the pegasi’s mouth, a smile tweaking his lips upward. Sky took the hint and gladly began to explore the inside of his friend’s nose with his tongue, tickling his lover’s sinus with a grin. They really started then.

They began to move in harmony with each other, Seamus opened his mouth and began to pant louder, whimpering and grinding as much as he could, his hips moving so fast the momentum he produced shook the bed and moved Sky with each return. Sky felt it before his mind figured it out, so he grabbed Seamus, stopping him on the edge of his climax. A spurt of precum shot out onto their rods, coating them in the alicorn’s seed.

“Sea…” Sky smiled and petted his friend‘s mane, caressing his cheek with the other hoof. “You are a good little colt, you know that? You know what good little colts get?”

Seamus tilted his head to he side curiously, not understanding what Sky was playing towards. The pegasi took the hint and wrestled himself out from under the alicorn. The stallion walked across the mattress slowly and picked up a pint of warm syrup, sticky and viscous, yet still sweet and savory.

“Good little fillies get treats…” Sky winked at him with his electric blue eyes.  “Do want a treat?”

Seamus nodded eagerly and lay down to let the pegasus do as he wished. Sky poured a line of the warm liquid on his member and stomach, wetting his fur and running slowly down his shaft, some already trailing out onto his sack, caressing the sensitive skin with it’s sticky goodness. Sky began to lap up the syrup, licking happily at the alicorn’s scrotum. Seamus wriggled in pleasure as his friend rolled his jewels between his lips, caressing each one with his tongue to remove all the viscous maple extract.

“Oh… Sky…” He panted, his eyes closed and tongue lolling out of his mouth. “That feels amazing…”

Sky began to move up his shaft , wrapping his tongue around his lover’s member and sliding upwards, pulling the skin over his head and the biting the skin and pushing it back over the flaring tip. After two minutes of this Seamus was making the noises that a pleased desperate puppy makes, a whimpering, whining sound, begging for a release. He bit his bottom lip as a tear spilled out onto the sheets and was quickly absorbed.

“Yes! Gods! Sky I can’t take it anymore! Please! I love you!” He sobbed desperately, hot tears now freely running down his cheeks.

Sky switched positions, turning Seamus over and pouring syrup all over his 11 inches, lubricating it so he wouldn’t hurt this lover. The alicorn put his flanks in the air, his body was ready and he wanted nothing more than to have Sky’s thick, swollen member meet his lips and push into him. He wanted to feel every inch of his natural length, every bump, groove and crease in his loins, stretching him, sheathing his juicy navy-blue head into his anus. The alicorn cried out loudly like a lost foal in his impatience, his face a shade of pink from holding his breathe in preparation.

Sky mounted his lover and parted his cheeks with his front hooves, stretching the skin in the virgin alicorn’s loins. Seamus let out a scream as the pegasi’s head slid in, his ring crushing the deep-blue head and causing a gasp to emanate from Sky, who spread Seamus’ legs and leaned over him, planting his hooves on either side of the alicorn, pushing farther into him. At last he was in, completely buried all the way to his meaty hilt in the stallion, so Sky stopped, sweating and breathing like a winded cheetah, flexing occasionally to get he feel of what exactly the inside of Seamus felt like.

Sky put his hoof under the alicorn’s chin and asked airily. “Can I have your horn?” The colt nodded, he would do anything for the stallion.

The alicorn himself was bawling like a foal in pure joy. He’d dreamt about this for years and now he was here, his partner inside him, his heart beating into his and his prostate squeezed between his insides and the colt’s smooth as butter skin. He let out a triumphant, very feminine scream when Sky thrust into him, gaining momentum as he sucked at Seamus‘ horn, savoring the burst of ecstasy that rushed through him as the alicorn poured magic into his mouth, reducing him to a weakened, hypersensitive magical addict.

“Yes! Sky I’m so close!” He panted. “A little to the OH!” Seamus had the wind knocked out of him when the stallion found his sweet spot, just beyond his prostate in a little flap of flesh he didn‘t know existed.

Sky thrust into this niche, Seamus squeaking and panting under him. Moving in complete harmony with the other stallion. Sky twisted and moved side to side every now and again, resulting in a muffled scream from the alicorn, who cried into the sheets as his lover thrust into his cavity. Soon, though, his thrusts became more frenzied, more and more rapid as he glided in and out of his lover. Seamus knew it was time to let go. He was so close that it was mind-destroying to hold on any longer.

Fluttershy ran into the room and stopped, her vision focusing on their plots and how one colt was mounting the other, the others seed leaking out of him in a long strand of hot cum steaming, almost boiling in the open air. Sky was too busy climaxing himself to notice her and closed his eyes. He bit the alicorn’s horn instinctively and let a tear run from his cheek, down the spiraling horn and onto the alicorn’s cheek, which then flowed out onto the bed. She was paralyzed, she didn’t know what to do, she was in shock. She felt like fainting, but she was too numb to do even that. She just watched as the two basked in their afterglows, each just holding each other tight and listening to the other’s heart beat.

La de da! I'm back, after a short break.  Okay. Comment plz?

Beginning Of His End.

Fluttershy just stood there, shocked, unable to move. Seamus and Sky had long since separated from each other, but still she stood like a statue, her eyes flitting from one colt to the other. Seamus and Sky looked away, extremely embarrassed. She had just walked in on them, she hadn’t knocked, she didn’t give any warning whatsoever, she’d just barged in. Now she was paying the price, the image of those two in the throes of their passion was now burnt onto the inside of her eyelids. She still wasn’t talking, it had been ten long minutes of simmering awkward. Seamus finally piped up and said.

“Um… did you want something?” He stuttered, his voice meek.

She looked at him and took a moment, but finally said. “Twilight wants you two.” Was all she said, then she turned and walked out.

The two looked at each other and shrugged. “Well,” Sky began. “It was her fault for walking in. She should have knocked.”

Seamus nodded and looked at Sky, his mane was disheveled, his backside was coated in syrup and other bodily fluids, but he had a smile on has face, and that made it all worth it. So, with a flick of magic, Seamus erased all evidence of the recent affair, their manes became clear and silky again,  neat and brushed, and the feathers on their wings perfectly arranged. Everything was at it was before they had sex… well, it was a little different. The constant urge to hump each other was gone, for the moment at least.

Seamus leapt down, soon followed by his partner. He put his wing over him and Sky did the same, the pegasus equivalent to holding hands. They left the room looking as it had before, save a tray of food and a large stain on the bed.

An hour later they all met in Rarity’s boutique . The entirety of the mane six was there except Rainbow Dash. The two young stallions went inside with their wings over each other, smiling happily. The six just looked at them like nothing was wrong, save for a certain apple-bucking farmhand. AppleJack regarded them sourly, her eyes narrowed and her tongue in between her teeth to keep it from throwing out a nasty comment. The rest of them thought nothing of it, Rarity and Pinkie actually though it was cute that the two handsome stallions were wing-in wing. Twilight knew about the whole thing, so she was happy for them, it was better than them being miserable.

The librarian cleared her throat and began. She held out a signed note from both the Princesses, it had the alicorn’s signatures at the bottom-left hoof of the scroll. It was very formal and written in old Equestrian, so only Twilight could even hope to read the fanciful calligraphy. At once, the studious mare began her lecture.

“I have received a letter from the princesses that you two have to make a choice. She is offering you two options. The first is that you be educated in Canterlot with them, Seamus will be in the castle being tutored by Luna and Celestia, he will live there. Sky, you would go to a regular Canterlot school. The other is that you two remain here in Ponyville and I’ll tutor Seamus after regular school. You can live with anypony you want to, Sea.”

The two looked at each other and Seamus asked. “Where will Sky live?”

Twilight looked at the letter and bit her bottom lip. “Celestia said that you aren’t an alicorn and you hold no real value to her. She will either send you back to the Northern Counties or have you put in an orphanage.”

Sky blinked in shock, he knew that the princess frowned upon him, but did she really loathe him so much as to deport him? Seamus grew furious and his voice rose to a startling volume, his accent made him seem even more angry. He stamped his hoof on the floor and snatched the scroll from Twilight, then, after a moment’s reading, he dropped it and stormed back over to Sky.

“Sky is going to stay with me, no matter what! Tell Celestia that she can shove her scroll up her pompous arse, because if I’m going to get special treatment, he does too!” He roared.

Twilight had just picked  up the scroll again, but she dropped it and stared at him. “Did you just say that Celestia could-”

“You heard me. Tell her I said it, I won’t care. She isn’t laying a hoof on Sky.” He embraced the pegasus tightly to prove his point.

“May ah ask why you two are so darned fond of each other, now?” AppleJack butted in.

Twilight looked to the farmhand and replied. “Just please, please don’t ask that. I don’t want to explain this yet.”

“Why? Is it that bad?” She asked. “It’s not like they’re queer or nothing’.” She laughed.

“Well um…” Twilight turned to Rarity, who was actually riveted on the dramatic situation. “Can you lie to the Element of Honesty?”

The overly dramatic unicorn gasped and fainted backwards onto her favorite couch, holding a hoof to her forehead. “Oh! The drama! The suspense! The strangely fascinating plight of two young colts, doomed to be partners in this cruelly fated plot!” She wailed theatrically. “I must know why, Twilight, why would one lie in this situation?”

“Well… well… because… um…”  She stuttered and looked to the two colts, who were shaking their heads frantically.  “Well…”

“Because they are! They DO love each other!” Pinkie crowed and hugged the two together, smiling. “How CUTE is that! It’s adorable!”

Seamus teleported them across the room and turned away from them, embarrassed. Sky stood tall, though, proud… until AppleJack narrowed her eyes again, her tail switching back and forth like an agitated bobcat, her voice was low and menacing.

“Is that really true?“ She spat the last word out like it was some foul piece of food she had eaten, trotting closer, leering at them threateningly.

Twilight appeared in front of AJ and tried to stop her. “AppleJack please! So what if they like each other? It’s fine!”

The stronger farmhand pushed her aside. “So what?! So everthin’! It’s wrong! A violation a’ nature is what it is! It ain’t nature’s way to have two stallions together. It was meant to be a mare and a colt, nothin’ else! Besides! How’re the two of ‘em gonna get along if the princesses find out, huh!”

“AppleJack, they already know, Celestia doesn’t like it, but it’s not like she wants to kill him over it. It’s just you that’s acting like this! Nopony else wants to hurt them, just you.” Twilight retorted. “Besides, what will beating him solve?”

“Everythin’!” The enraged farmhand yelled. “When Cousin Braeburn got the idea to like other stallions, we had Macintosh beat the hay out of him and he ain’t so much as looked at another of ’em since.”

“Well that wasn’t right!” Twilight argued. “I have half a mind to talk to Braeburn right now! That poor guy… you really beat him?”

“Eeyup! Had Macintosh kick him in the jewels after he was done, just to make sure he got the point. And that is what it’s gonna take to get them two to listen.”

Seamus was beyond angry now. He was absolutely berserk. He wanted to grab the mare by the throat and slam her into a wall. “You beat another pony, a family member, just because of who he liked!” He screamed. “You are disgusting! If you are so correct then why do you have to prove it by kicking ponies in the groin?!”

“’Cuz that’s the only way to get you fags listen!” She yelled back, stepping toward him again.

“STOP!” Fluttershy screamed. “Just stop! I can’t stand to see you all fighting! It doesn’t matter! They really do love each other, and you can’t change that!”

They all froze. When Fluttershy yelled, you know it was the end of that argument. AppleJack backed away and stood with her hat low over her face, brooding and spitting derogatory terms under her breathe. Twilight took a deep breathe and let her nerves settle. Back to business.

“Okay, “ She resumed. “Moving on. I‘ll get Celestia to keep Sky with you, Sea., but do you want to stay here or move to the Canterlot Castle?”

“I like it here.” Sky piped up. “It’s not like in the city. I didn’t like it in the hospital. There was always noise and things going on and I couldn’t sleep.”

Seamus nodded in agreement. “I want to stay here in Ponyville too. I’m already friends with the Cutie Mark Crusaders and I know all of you, so we’ll just stay here.”

“Aw no! That ain’t happenin’!” AppleJack protested. “Ah ain’t havin’ AppleBloom hanging around either of ’em! Two little miscreants ’ll corrupt that filly’s mind!”

For once, Twilight ignored her. “Okay. I’ll send the princess a letter back right now.” The lavender mare responded.

The farmhand was enraged, but she held her tongue as the unicorn got out a quill and wrote back.

Meanwhile

Rainbow pulled at her chains again, straining every muscle in her super-strong body to break free. She was starving, she hadn’t eaten in over twenty-four hours and she was ravenous. She was in the Canterlot dungeons, she had remembered that only the bars of this cage had contained Jakben, so she locked herself in here, knowing if she broke free she would kill somepony. She’d left a note on Soarin’s nightstand. Explaining her plight, she hoped he understood.

She tried to break the manacles again, but to no avail, the metal was magically enhanced and she wasn’t going anywhere. She cursed herself and the cell, her life and especially Jakben, that conniving, traitorous monster that put her in this position. She hated him with every fiber of her supernatural being. She was almost white, her coat had lost it’s color and she her lips were pale. She didn’t cry because she needed to preserve every bodily fluid she could.

To set the mood...                                                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv8mytA0pN0

Outside the castle, a cloaked figure stood on the ramparts, his long blonde mane blowing in the gale. Soon, a guard wandered along to see the figure. With a shout, the guard lowered his spear to him. The worst mistake he would ever make. He seized the spear, reversed it and drove it through the guard. He smirked and trotted over the body as it lied in it’s death spasms, ignoring the blood spilling out onto the stone walkway. He looked over the wall to the castle and chuckled. With a heave, he jumped off the wall.

He landed on another guard, pulverizing every bone in his body. The guard didn’t even have time to scream, he died instantly. The figure stood and continued into the castle dungeon, a smile still on his gaunt face. Two guards by the gates to the prison lowered their weapons at the figure; they collapsed a second later, the weapons embedded in the bases of their skulls. He continued on his path into the prison, any guard who dared blink at him, he would destroy them with a careless flick. At last he arrived at the maximum security cells, he tore the diamond-reinforced hinges from the wall with the ease of a blacksmith bending sheet metal. He lit the torches on the walls with a whispered spell, then proceeded down the hallway.

He came to the cell he was looking for. He finally pulled back his hood. Jakben grinned down at Rainbow and held up the corpse of a guard.

“You’ll need your strength.” He opened the cell door and unlatched her chains. “No more putting it off. He dies tonight.”

Pulverum Universa

Please switch the settings to Dark, please.

Rainbow fell on the dead guard as Jakben watched her, grimly amused at how she tore away at his chest cavity to eat out the helpless stallion's heart. She didn't stop until she had eaten the entire torso. With a whorl, she moved to knock him out in one back-hoof blow to the skull. He feinted deftly, anticipating her every move. With minimal effort, he kicked her into the air and slammed the helpless mare to the wall, smirking. He was turned on by this, her struggling, fighting him, her hate, her loathing of him... it aroused him beyond words. He pinned her to the wall and headbutted her, nearly knocking her unconscious. He let her slouch to the floor, her head still ringing from his blow. She was barely conscious, her vision hazed and she couldn't think. He'd left her defenseless. The nosferatu grinned and picked her up again, just to watch her stumble a few paces and fall to the cold stone floor.

"Get up." He chuckled. "You have work to do for me."

"Never!"

He sent a bone-cracking kick to her ribs; a scream escaped her. "Get. Up."

She got to her hooves, tears in her eyes. She wanted to cry in front of him, but she needed to be strong, he fed off her fear, hate and misery. She swung at him, her reflexes dulled so much he just caught her hoof and uppercut her in the jaw. He made a noise, a noise that sounded like a laugh, but it was deformed by his vocal cords to sound like a purr. She stumbled backwards and fell to the ground yet again.

"Give up?" He whispered in her ear.

Rainbow couldn't move, she was so tired, her bones were like lead and her head a brick of diamond. She slouched against the wall, indignantly glaring at the far more powerful vampire.

"Why do you do this?" She asked. "Why hurt me? Why not just get it over with?"

"Because. I want you to be alive. You have no idea how proud I am of you, Crashie."

She leapt to her hooves, rage boiling in her veins. "My name is Rainbow Dash, and I'm gonna kick your-"

He roundhouse kicked her in the mouth, sending her sprawling into a cell. He picked her up and threw her out back into the hallway, his games not yet over.

"I will do whatever I want with you. You are mine." He hissed. "I created you!"

"No, my mom and dad created me." Rainbow croaked, her lip split but healing quickly. "You just killed me and restarted my heart."

He finally looked her dead in the eyes and chuckled. "Do you not believe me? Do you doubt that I own you?"

She spat a mouthful of blood into his face. "No. I don't belong to anypony."

"We'll see."

He reached up and tapped her forehead. Her tattoo writhed under her coat, morphing and shifting into the hex it was. He backed away and said something in a far-dead language. She rose to her hooves, her eyes flying wide in terror. He gave another command and she jumped, then she turned a circle and tapped her hooves three times. He roared in a raucous guffaw, his amusement at her horror limitless. He beckoned her closer and made her turn her face to him. Jakben smirked and exhaled into her face, his breathe smelling of carrion. She tried to turn away, but her body would not obey her. He was right, he controlled her.

"What did you do to me!"

"I made you obey, like all mares should. Now, if you would be so kind." He kissed her full on the lips.

She wanted to scream as her body returned his affections, her tongue traitorously allowing him to orally molest her. She was helpless as he pushed her over into a cell and turned her over. She stuck her flanks in the air, offering herself to him. A tear slid down her cheek, how sad was she. The old phrase begged repeating. 'Foal me once, shame on you. Foal me twice, shame on me.' it echoed in her head as he caressed her rear covetously. She close her eyes, it was the least she could do. He licked her dry slit, curiously invading her. She started to cry outright now, sobbing miserably. He noticed and sighed.

"Shhhh... It's okay, little filly. I'm here..." He coaxed. "I'll be gentle."

Rainbow wailed more and more as he began to mount her, letting his head touch to her anus lightly. She tried to scream, but her vocal chords wouldn't function without his permission. Jakben place his hooves on either side of her, preparing to sodomize the mare. He looked down at her and gave a grimace, his long white fangs flashing. He gave a single thrust and began to stretch her painfully, her tail fighting to keep him out. She nearly swallowed her tongue as he embedded his entire shaft into her, explosions of agony racking her entire body. He began to thrust. She closed her eyes and escaped the world, escaped him, escaped everything. She retreated to the depths of her own mind, the one place she was safe. She just sat in her subconscious, thinking. She just sat there, her mind placid, still. She didn't care what was going on, this was her happy place. She sat on a cloud with Soarin', his arm around her and her wings around him. She relished the moment... it was... nice.

Rainbow came to when Jakben withdrew from her, grinning ear-to-ear. She realized with great shame that she had lost control of herself and she had coated the entire stone bench in her excrement. He sat here in a pool of her slime and his own semen, reminiscing. She wanted to move, the smell was awful and being face-down in it was worse, but again, he wouldn't let her. At last he had her sit up and he cast a quick spell, cleaning the mess up from them and the bench.

"Come, my child. Did you not enjoy having me inside of you?" The vampire asked. "Was it really that bad?"

She wanted to look away, but he made her answer with a curt. "Yes, I loved it and I love you."

He smiled and led the way to the door. "Well, I believe our work has just begun, Crashie."

Seamus paced a circle around his bedroom. Something wasn't right. He could feel it in the air and how the moon was placed in relation to the stars. Something in the universe was amiss. Something was going to happen, he could feel it in the tips of his hooves and wings. Something was setting him on edge.

"Sea, what is with you?" Sky asked, leaning over the side of the bed. "You've been like this all night. get some sleep."

"Sky, I can't. Something's wrong. I can feel it."

Sky sighed and uncovered himself, posing and flicking his tail to cover his loins. "Well... if you come to bed now... I could... maybe find a way to help you relax..." He purred.

Seamus smiled, he was probably just being paranoid. Sky was usually right about things like that. So he hopped into bed and met him in a passionate kiss, letting Sky's tongue chase him down his throat. He gasped as he felt his member slide out and meet Sky's.

"Wait. I'm hungry." Seamus interrupted.

Sky laughed out loud and let him up. "Okay, hurry back, me amore."

Seamus jumped out of bed and trotted downstairs. He went into Rarity's kitchen, happily skipping to the fridge. With a flick of magic, he opened the door and peered inside. What would make a good meal for him and Sky during their usual midnight sex session? He peered through the contents of the fridge, unable to decide between the marshmallows and the pie. Eventually he remembered that Rarity was supposedly part marshmallow, so he giggled and picked up the pie. It was pumpkin, his favorite. He closed the door and trotted back upstairs.

"Sky! I got some P-"

Rainbow tore Sky's throat out.

No. Words. Unless you have some. Share in the comments.

Shell Shock

Seamus sat in a room with green walls, a dark cyan carpet and a large desk to his left. To his right was a couch and directly in front of him was a large chair, seated in it was a bright green unicorn with a purple mane. The colt looked at the unicorn, complacent, almost bored. He had a Cutie Mark on his flank, the astrological symbol for Venus, The Goddess of Love. He watched as the unicorn picked up a notebook and scrawled a note, swapping to magic to hold it to the side as he talked to Seamus directly. The colt looked absolutely fine, except he had dark, almost painful looking rings under his eyes and his legs looked as if he hadn't walked anywhere in weeks. He was emaciated and tired, yet his mind was alert and his eyes flickered almost madly between the unicorn and the notes he held.

"So." Began the unicorn. "Seamus, you have been taken to me, the castle therapist, because Celestia and Twilight are concerned with your behavior. Why do you think that is?"

"I don't know. I feel fine."

The doctor scribbled a note, then continued. "You look tired. And it also seems you haven't been outside for some time. Why is that?"

Seamus shrugged. "I don't like to go outside. Only on cloudy days."

"Why?"

"I don't like the color blue. It hurts my head and makes my temples hurt."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

The doctor scribbled another note. "Well, what if I told you that your favorite color was blue?"

"Then you would be a liar. My favorite color was always maroon."

"But not even a month ago, according to Twilight and Celestia, your favorite color and weather was blue skies and you loved the color indigo. Besides that, does this have to do with Sky? Was your favorite color based on his coat or mane?"

"No. I don't know anypony named Sky and I love the color maroon."

The doctor raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment. "Well... Sky did die a week ago and you seem to be taking it rather well. You knew him quite well, you were the best of friends."

"I never knew anypony named Sky."

The doctor sighed. This was going nowhere, fast. "How about his real name? Did you know that? Indigo Sunset? Does that ring a bell at all?"

"Not even faintly." Seamus replied.

The doctor flicked his purple mane out of his face an gave another long, drawn out sigh. Every time he would ask it was the same answer. He was beginning to come to a fairly accurate conclusion, but he needed more information first.

"How about this. Have you ever met anypony named Jakben or Melody?"

"No. I would probably remember with those names." Seamus responded, inspecting his hoof.

"Hmmm.... Where did you grow up?" The doctor knew he had something here, it had been three long days of questioning the colt and finally he had a nibble at what may be wrong with Seamus.

"The Northern Counties, I spent most of my life there and I came here to be Twilight Sparkle's student."

"What about that Cutie Mark? How did you get it?"

"I don't know, it just appeared one day."

The doctor left the room soon after, pleased with himself. Almost immediately he ran into Twilight, who grabbed the notepad off of him and read his scribbles at breakneck pace. She kept reading until she came to the diagnosis. She dropped the notepad and looked at the doctor in confusion

"What do you mean he's in denial? He loved Sky for three years of his life! He couldn't have just forgot about him?"

"But he did." The doctor sighed. "He has buried and repressed all memories of Sky and now he's painted a more ideal, almost perfect past for himself. He's rejected all of his memories of Jakben, Melody, Sky, Silver, all of them. He is in total denial."

"How? The evidence Sky existed is right on his flank?! The mark appeared when he saw Sky die."

"I asked him that, he said he had no idea where it came from or when it happened."

"But why would he do this? He loved him for so long and they even... well..."

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Well... I know this is weird, but I know for a fact that they were a bit more than friends. You've got to remember that they grew up together in an abusive environment and they only had each other."

"Do you mean that... they were a couple?"

Twilight scuffed a hoof. "Well... yeah. I know it seems odd..."

"Actually, it explains everything. He remembers, he just doesn't want to face it. The memory is too painful. I can see it in his eyes that he knows he saw it. He knows he loves Sky, even in death. He wishes he could just forget."

Twilight grabbed the doctor and shook him violently. "I already knew all that! He hasn't slept in four days and he hasn't left his room at Rarity's for a week! Ever since this happened he just sits where the bed used to be and cries. Sometimes he whispers things... it's usually in some different language. When we asked Rarity to translate she just walked away, crying herself! Something is wrong and I don't know what it is or how to fix it! that's why I came to you!"

He pushed her away and brushed himself off. "There is nothing wrong besides post-traumatic stress. It's just something that takes time. He'll get better, but it will take patience."

Twilight looked at the floor solemnly. She wanted to do something, anything to help Seamus through this. But every time he would push her away. He hid behind denial and regret, trying to hide the fact that he was now truly alone in this world. Nopony knew him better than that blue pegasi. He was gentle and caring, loyal and proud. He would always be remembered as the one who saved Seamus from becoming a reclusive hermit. But now he was gone and somepony else had to take up that job. That pony happened to be the one eavesdropping on the two studious unicorns.

"Well..." Luna chuckled. "I think that I'll cheer Seamus up myself."

Seamus kicked a pebble he had found down the hallway, looking at the floor and trying not to think. He desperately wished there was some way to forget. He wanted to escape this torture. If only he had gotten upstairs a second sooner. If only he had taken the necessary precautions and put spells on Sky to protect him. It would have saved his life. But no, it was done and he was alone. The only reason he was walking down this hall alone was because he had been to late, he hadn't been fast enough. As he passed a table of flowers he saw a rose, a rose just like the one Sky had behind his ear the first time they met.

A tear leaked out from the corner of his eye and down his cheek as he picked up the flower. It had thorns on it, but he didn't care as he tucked it behind his ear, a memory of his past lover surfacing in his head. He wanted so much for the pain to end. He wanted to tie his wings down and jump off a cliff. Anything to make this stop. It hurt, every waking moment knowing that he was the reason Sky died. Like the thorns in his ear, but in his gut, in his throat, everywhere. It was a personal, isolated Hell. He lost the will to stand, the colt fell to his knees in the middle of the hallway. He lost the will to hold his head up; his face met the floor, nearly breaking his nose. He lost the will to hold back the tears...

Seamus sobbed,  his wings limp at his sides and his long legs tucked under him. He put a wing over his face; he didn't want everpony to see him like this. Why couldn't he just have died when he was born and spared Sky? Why did life have to be so cruel? Minutes passed... then an hour... It seemed like forever... but the tears just wouldn't stop.

Luna smiled as she saw the miserable colt. She had on a fanciful lace and silk evening gown, a necklace of sapphire and onyx and her usual blue-pearl tiara adorning her shapely blue figure. She saw the rose behind his ear and arched a disapproving brow. This colt was gayer than a double rainbow all the way across the sky. She knelt by him and gave a fake smile, brushing his wing away from his face. Seamus looked at her streaks of tears running all the way down his neck, soaking his fur. She picked him up gently, trying to gain his trust, being as helpful as possible in his time of need. It was all she had needed for that wretched pegasi to die. Now she could take full advantage of his misery and desperation.

"Come back to my quarters. I have something to help you forget"

Seamus sipped another shot of whiskey, tears dripping into his drink, held by his shaking hoof. Luna laughed at him, this was great, absolutely hilarious. This was his eleventh shot and he was fall-down drunk. She wanted to pull her trick now, but she wanted to see how this kid acted while shit-faced. He tried to stand, just to fall again, shaking like a newborn dear. His eyes were bloodshot and his wings kept opening and closing, the muscles contracting and retracting rapidly. She enjoyed this, he might die of alcohol poisoning and his young liver giving out, but anything for a laugh. He took another few unsteady step just to fall over again. It was time to put her plan into effect.

The princess reached under her necklace and retrieved a small bag of a powder she had ordered be made just for the occasion. She poured half a shot and tipped the drug into a drink.

"Seamus, I do believe that another shot may knock that memory out of your head. Here."

The desperate colt took the shot and dropped the glass, almost passing out. She watched in grim amusement as he managed a few more steps, then fell to the floor, unconscious.

The Stage

Attention People! I’m in need of images and artwork depicting my OC’s! If anypony would be ever so kind, I would give you my eternal thanks and a chapter dedicated to you. Again, any images of Seamus, Sky or Jakben would be greatly appreciated, as I lack the software to create any images. I won’t be updating Venus Rising until I get images. Thank you for your time and good day.

I'm Back!

"Luna. Luna, are you paying attention to me?"

Luna snapped to attention, she had been lost in her imagination. She looked over to Celestia, was staring at her suspiciously, her eyes narrowed. The moon princess smiled cheesily and adjusted her position on her throne.

"Excuse me sister, could you repeat that?" She asked.

The sun queen sighed impatiently "Have you seen Seamus?"

"Why no, sister. Have you?"

"No. I asked you."

Luna strode down the hallway later on that night, the moon glistening like a drop of molten silver in the pitch black sky. She was going to her favorite hobby, her most amusing of pastimes. A guard passed her and gave the princess a look that resembled shock. He'd never seen the princess that happy. She was smiling and almost giggling with pure excitement. Luna gave a chuckle when she spotted her bedroom door. Impatient, she tore open the ornate threshold and ran into the suite, praying that a servant or some other nuisance wasn't busy in there cleaning or organizing one of her thousands of books. No such luck presented itself, the suite was completely vacant. Skipping over to the bed, she slammed the doors and retrieved a key form her bedside drawer.

The giddy princess waked over to her closet. Rooting through the mile-long wardrobe impatiently, she found an ornate keyhole at the back, golden and glistening in the half-light of her horn. The frantic princess shoved the key into the lock and gave a twist. The back of the wardrobe opened into a black, almost cavernous space that had no light, just a single candle that flickered pitifully against the tide of darkness. She looked to the hole in the cave floor and then to the candle. With a quick huff, she extinguished the flame. Without any further pause, the princess opened a trapdoor in the floor of the cave, revealing the maw of a deep, long forgotten chasm. She dropped down the pit, using her wings to slow her descent.

It took her five minutes of falling in the absolute darkness to reach the bottom. Luna brushed herself off, arranging her mane to be presentable, then proceeded further into her gauntlet. She unsealed a few hundred thousand curses she'd woven into the cave, smiling with the ease in which she walked through her obstacles. The next was a few thousand foot gap in the earth that led all the way to a fiery, magma induced death. She flew over the gap, pleased that nopony but an alicorn could have possibly made it this far into her private quarters. She landed on the cliff, trying desperately to contain her mounting excitement.

At long last, she reached her destination. A massive door, similar to the entrance to a bank vault, was the last thing preventing anypony from getting to her most prized of possessions. With another dull, unamused flick, she punched in the combination and opened the vault door. She was met with a wash of golden light, cast by thousands of candles, the scent of cinnamon and beautiful tea leaves greeting her. The princess waltzed into the warm, almost fantastically decorated suite. The walls were decorated with the most lavish and rich of old world rugs and charms, jeweled and painted gold. She had put a charm on the place that made the air recycle itself and there was a washroom and even running water. She had created this place to hold one thing, a young alicorn.

She proceeded to a bed that doubled as a cage, the top, bottom and sides were all barred with magic resistant diamond plates. She could see thought the plates to a young, starved alicorn. He was sleeping. Time to fix that. With a flash of magic, he collapsed into paroxysms of agony, screaming silently; she couldn't hear him through the walls. He arched his back and nearly swallowed his tongue, his wings jerking and flailing as the electricity shot through him. She laughed and pounded her hoof against the chamber floor, amused at his pain.

She cast another spell, abandoning her electric shock torture. Seamus collapsed and crawled over to the side of the cage, tears streaking down his face and feathers dropping off his unkempt, unwashed wings. She looked at him through the cage and grinned.

"Having fun, my little pony?" She chirped.

He looked at her, but said nothing.

"I said are you having fun?" She sent another jolt of pain through him, forcing him to sob and nod his head. "That's better."

She looked at him through the bars of the cage, thinking of what she could possibly do to break him. She had starved him, beaten him, shocked him, burned him, branded, shaved him twice, and finally plucked every pummel from his wings. He had recovered from every one and still he resisted her. If anything, she had to respect the fact that he had a will of iron. But it was time to end this. The princess shoved a sheathe over his horn and teleported him outside to her side. He was filthy, even though she had offered to let him bathe multiple times. He had refused every time.

She moved to a room off the main bedroom. It was a cavern again, the only light cast by two torches on the stone walls. She grabbed him and shoved him towards four chains, shackles bolted into the stone ceiling. The chains sprang to life and yanked him four feet into the air, nearly disjointing his legs. She twisted him upside down and looked through her many, many, many instruments of torture. There were razors, muzzles, there was a hoof remover, there were a few instruments designed to pull his teeth. She finally settled for a bone saw. She advanced towards him, giving her usual speech.

"All of this could stop if you just swore eternal obedience to me. I wouldn't have to torture you, we could even be friends."

He looked away from her, refusing to lay eyes on his captor.

"Well then. I guess that I'll have to do this. I'm going to remove your horn."

His eyes shrank to pinpricks at the thought. A unicorn's horn was full of thousands upon thousands of nerve endings, there was only one other place on a unicorn's body that sensitive. He struggled and kicked at his bonds, trying desperately to get his magic to work. She put a hoof on his cheek and smiled kindly.

"I don't want to do this. You can quit now and I can be your best of friends." She was getting closer to him, her breathe smelled of tangerines.

He turned away, just to have his mane snatched and his lips pressed to hers. He kicked and struggled, just to have her force his teeth apart, shoving her tongue into his mouth. He tried to hit her or bite her, but she held his mouth apart as she explored it. She let him go, a strand of spit still stubbornly connecting them and her cheeks flushed red.

"One last chance. It's your choice." He shook his head, a tear spilling out and running down his cheek. "Don't say I didn't offer you a way out."

She placed the saw to his horn and began her vile work….

Blood dripped down Seamus' face and lips as he dangled there in the dark cavern. His horn was now mounted on a pedestal in front of him, mocking him. Luna had left to wash up, he had bled out more than she had expected. He sobbed miserably. Had that even been worth it? Was there any point now? There was only one more logical step, and that… he didn't want to think about. His horn was the only thing separating him form total helplessness. He was a small pegasus now, he was of no use to the world. He was no more important then any other short, weak, unimportant pegasi. He stopped crying, pulling himself together. He had made his decision, he would swear obedience to Luna. It wasn't worth it anymore. She was going to break him eventually, whether now or later, it was better than having her destroy him. He sighed and laughed. He began to crack up, despite the situation, his rollicking mirth was so loud that it echoed off the stone walls and hit his eardrums like a thousand needles. It was done. Had that been so hard? To just give up? No. He was free of all responsibilities. He just needed to do what she said and he would be fine. How easy? He guffawed madly, his mind fractured and will gone He was going to kill himself tomorrow. Right after he gained her trust… a piece of glass or a mirror would do nicely.

Rainbow eyed the room, looking for where the princess kept Seamus. She knew he was here. She had watched the princess shut her door and lock it. The determined cyan pegasus looked about the chamber, wondering how the buck she could do this. Then she remembered that she was a vampire. The animal closed her eyes and took a deep inhale, devouring the scent of the princess. The mare followed the scent to the wardrobe…

Ten seconds later the mare impacted the bottom of the chasm, cracking the stone and sending an explosion through the entire cave. She felt magic in the air. The vampire strode through the curses like they were nothing more than annoying flies, flicking her ears in discomfort. She crossed the pit in the blink of and eye. The mare looked at the open vault door and smirked, her fangs glinting in the half-light. She strode into the room and then into the open door to the torture chamber.

"Hey kid."

Seamus' ears perked and he smiled at her. "You're a little late."

"Sorry… I got a little caught up in killing a certain other guy."

Seamus heart stopped. "You… killed… him…"

"I'm sorry, but I was forced to and besides, I made up for it."

"HOW! I loved him, you fuckin-"

"I killed Jakben kid."

Seamus switched from being upset to absolute mirth at those four words. He tilted his head up and crowed. "FUCK YEAH! DING DONG THAT BASTARD'S DEAD!"

"Kid! Keep it down! Luna may not be able to kill me, but that doesn't mean that she can't give me a run for my bits."

As she spoke she seized his chains and twisted them like they had no more substance then string cheese. As each one broke she began to smile from ear to ear. She had learned a few things before she'd killed that bastard, now she could used them all. She noticed a spell on the chain holding his head. She smirked and focused on a part of her she hadn't known existed, then she ripped through the spell and the chain like it was paper. Seamus dropped to the floor and massaged the chafing skin on his wrists. Rainbow looked around the chamber, trying to find a way out.

"Let's go kid, before she comes back."

"Wait!" Seamus protested, running over to the pedestal. He grabbed his horn and ran after the vampire, eager to be rid of the prison in the earth…

Rainbow tapped her hoof on the windowsill at Twilight's library. She was repairing Seamus' horn, Rainbow was busy being bored while the egghead herself-ever so slowly-magically welded the horn back onto his head. Twilight had asked a lot of questions, they had all been answered. There was only one thing to do now.

Twilight finished and grabbed a quill and feather. Taking a deep breathe, she wrote.…

'Dear Princess Celestia…'

I Need reviews!(*Gets up on hind legs and gives uber-cute kitten eyes*) Pwease?

Probably... Maybe... No

This chapter was proof-read by my favorite little racecarghost, racecarghost. Enjoy this chapter of explanations.

It had been hours since they had written to the princess and there was still no response. Twilight tapped her hoof on the desk and watched the sunrise nonchalantly, thinking of what Celestia was doing at the moment. Rainbow herself was about to leave when she glanced past the unicorn. The vampire scowled at the light in the sky and kicked a book, underestimating her powers. The book flew through a wall and into Twilight's room, hitting Spike in the stomach and sending him into a wall. The cyan mare smiled, guilty, and looked at Twilight, who was far from amused at her recent property damage. The mare rolled her eyes, retrieved the book and her assistant, who was knocked senseless by the paper projectile.

"Way to go, Rainbow." Spike grumbled, rubbing his temple. "You almost took my head off."

Rainbow just gave an apologetic grin and shrugged. "I guess I don't know my own strength yet."

Seamus laughed and fell on his back. "Sure, you just kill a thousands of years old vampire that has tons of dark magic at his disposal and you 'Don't know your own strength'?"

Rainbow gave him an annoyed look. "Ex me' on the pirevam'e"

"What? You should be proud."

The mare looked at the clock and sighed. "But I'm not... that's just it."

Twilight interrupted them, seeing the time. "Seamus, where are you staying today?"

The alicorn gave an indifferent shrug. The unicorn looked at the rapidly rising sun and then to Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow... don't you have to go home about now?"

"Why? I've only been here for a-" She saw the sun creeping up over the horizon and almost screamed. "Oh no! I can't go out there! You guys have no idea how bad it hurts to go outside."

The mare jumped up and landed on the top of a bookcase, hissing like an irate bobcat at the sunlight creeping across the floor. Twilight rolled her eyes and drew her curtains shut with an experienced flick of magic. The cyan mare still looked at the window like it would explode open and fry her at any moment. It took her a few minutes to muster the courage and get down; even then she kept well away from any sort of glass panel. Twilight rolled her eyes again and said.

"Sea, you can go to Rarity's. The girls are there."

"But I'd really like to stay he-"

"Seamus. Go."

"Twilight, no."

Twilight balked, she hadn't expected him to deny her command. "What? Seamus, I have things to do and I have to get started trying to study Rainbow Dash. I can't have you here messing around."

"Twilight, this is a little more important, no offense, Rainbow."

"None taken, kid. What is it?"

"I think I know why Luna suddenly started to act all crazy. I had a book, it contained a lot of dark magic and if she got hold of it then I don't think that she would be able to resist it. After all, Jakben didn't."

He began to pace circles on the floor, his wings clenched to his sides so tightly that they could see the muscle underneath. He had an eye tic acting up and he couldn't stay still for even a moment. Twilight interrupted his pacing by stepping in front of him, blocking his path.

"Sea, what is so bad about a book? It's not like it will hurt anypony?"

"But it will!" He yelled. "That book is the reason that when Luna killed Jakben, he came back. That book taught him everything he knew about magic, and he wasn't even a unicorn. That book is not just a book, it's a real, living, breathing monster that grew its own consciousness."

Twilight looked at him dumbly then burst out laughing. "Sure, a book can just become alive and have a mind of its own. You've been reading too much yourself."

He leapt up and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. "Listen to me! It is made of unicorn horn and a pony's skin! Every page is written in dragon's blood and it has some of the most vile, disgusting magic ever written! It talks to you, tells you things, tempts you with magical powers reserved for gods. I know, I tried to read it. It's held the magic in it for so long that the spells have woven themselves into something alive, a sort of hive mind created by magic. It's evil. That is all I can say to describe it. Just pure evil.

"Well then why aren't you evil and killing everypony?"

"Because I stopped. I found no more reason to learn from it and I closed it. It offered me power I didn't want, so I just shut it. Luna wouldn't close it. She's jealous of her sister; she would use the book to get more power than Celestia."

"But what purpose would it serve to torture you?" Twilight interrupted his lecture.

"I was getting to that. From what I've figured out, and from what I've read, the book feeds on negative emotions. Due to that, it would use Luna as a source of misery, all the while Luna was securing my obedience and fealty to her. Do you follow?"

Twilight nodded. "Just one more question. How did she get the book?"

"When you brought me to the castle after... you know. You brought my saddlebag. It had the book in it, Luna must have gotten it and it corrupted her, simple."

The entire room stopped and looked at him for a moment. It was a lot to take in, and quite frankly it sounded ridiculous. But it did explain some things. Like how Jakben had been able to cast magic when he wasn't a unicorn. And how he had come back to life after being eviscerated and burned. But one thing weighed on Seamus' mind. One little problem that he couldn't understand.

"Rainbow, how did you kill Jakben? I and Luna tried and we both failed. How did you do it?"

The cyan mare smiled, flashing her long fangs. "Well, when I left, he wasn't dead. I tore off his wings and threw him down a pit he had in his dungeon. He said to me, well, he kind of bragged. "This pit is bottomless. If I were to throw anything down there, they would starve to death before they ever hit the bottom". I just kinda put two and two together, waited until he had his back turned, then BAMM! I tore off his wings and threw him down. Try your fancy magic down there! Ya stupid feck!"

Seamus was impressed. So the only way to kill a vampire was to starve them. Fairly simple, easy, and didn't involve too much effort.

"So what now? We know why Luna went crazy, how exactly Jakben died, and now we know how to kill vampires should we ever need to. But where do we go from here?"

This left the room silent. Nopony had thought of that. What now? Continue life as normal? Move to Canterlot that way psycho Luna didn't track them down and kill them? As if to answer their questions, a scroll from the sun princess appeared in front of Twilight, landing on the floor with a rustle. The unicorn lifted it to eye level, cleared her throat, and began to read.

'I haven't been able to confront my sister. She is nowhere to be found. I've searched her caves, the castle, the crystal chambers and even the dungeons. She is nowhere. I cannot locate her and neither can the guards. I will keep you posted, but I cannot guarantee that we find her anytime soon.

~ Your faithful mentor,

Princess Celestia'

Twilight sighed and closed the scroll. "Well, I guess we all saw that coming."

Rainbow wanted to kick another book, but she decided putting an another hole in the wall wasn't worth it. This sucked, that hag of a mare had sawed off the poor kids horn and now she couldn't even make her pay for it because she had no bucking clue where the coward was. Woe betide the princess the next time the vampire saw her; she was going to beat her skull in, rip her horn off and shove it where the sun never shined until she ripped it open.

Comments are, as always, appreciated. I love you guys!

This Is How To Die

Twilight jumped nearly ten feet in the air, so high her horn nearly scraped the ceiling. Her blood ran ice cold for the third time that week; this was getting old. She rolled out of her bed and stormed downstairs, her horn glowing as a light in the darkness of the library. She found the door to her basement and flung it open so hard that the hinges nearly buckled. With another furious slam she raged down the steps, rings around her eyes, her mane tangles and frizzy, all the result of a grand lack of sleep. It had been an awful three days for her, looking into this 'dark book' Seamus had told her about. She had unearthed an entire documentary about it and she had been studying up, leaving her very little time to sleep. She would sleep, but there was one little problem with that. The alicorn that slept in her basement.

Seamus sat up straight in bed, his face coated in sweat and his wings clenched to his sides. He had the same nightmare every time. It lingered in his mind like the faint traces of venom. He wanted nothing more then to forget. Why couldn't he forget? Would it be wrong? No. It wouldn't. It would help him relax and maybe get some well deserved rest. But every time he woke with a scream, just as he had just done. Twilight stormed downstairs and looked at him with wild, sleep deprived eyes.

"What was it that time?" She asked.

"Same one."

"About what that I give a buck about?"

He looked at her, slightly hurt from the stinging blow her words carried. "What's the matter with you?"

"You! I haven't slept in days! Every time I get to sleep you have to have a nightmare and wake me up! So tell me, what the hay is so awful that you have to scream?! Your colt-friend dyeing? How sad. Truly tragic. Deal with it, go the buck to sleep."

He looked at her in shock. She was being awful, punctuating each sentence with a hint of dark sarcasm. She was approaching him, her mind cracked from lack of rest and completely irate.

"Or, wait, was it Silver that time? Or maybe Melody torturing you. It's always something with you." She was an inch from him, prodding him in the chest. "Deal with it. It happened. You can't change it. Get over it and go the buck to bed. If you wake up one more time and scream or so much as peep, I will zip your lips shut, because I don't give a buck! Nopony does! I don't anymore since all you do is mope around and be miserable! Only you care about any of that now, and you need to get over yourself and realize that life goes on!"

She backed away and let that sink in. Until she realized what she had just done. His eyes were flooding with tears and he shook like a leaf in the fall breeze.

"Sea I'm sorry. I'm tired an-"

He shook his head so violently his long black mane whipped. His wings were so tight to his sides the joints strained under the pressure. Every muscle was tight. He leapt up and pushed past her, hiding his face. Twilight winced as he slammed the door to the basement, the entire house shaking from the impact. What had she just done? He was a traumatized youth that was trying to cope with his past and she was mocking him for it? What had she been thinking?! Why be so awful because you didn't get enough sleep?

"I'm sorry, Sea. I know you loved him." She whispered, her voice shaking with regret.

Seamus sat on the top of Fluttershy's house, crying hysterically. Why was he so attached to Sky? Why couldn't he just get over it? It didn't make sense. Logic said that he was dead and that was that. Nothing more. His heart, though, screamed and bled rivers out into his mind. His death was more violent and scarring then the crack of a whip. Silver, she had been slightly less painful. She had, at least, not suffered. Sky had bled out for an hour. Seamus held him the entire time, trying frantically to heal him. He slipped away and...

The alicorn screamed in pain. The light leaving Sky's eyes... his body going limp in his arms... his eyes still staring into his, even in death. It hurt. Wailing in pain, he disappeared.

He appeared in Canterlot, just outside the castle. A guard shouted at him and asked his business. Seamus ignored him and teleported to the castle dungeon entrance. The gates behind him were meant to keep out any intruder, and he had just breezed through the anti-teleportation hexes like it was nothing. But he was in no state to be happy or sense his accomplishment. He wanted to hear from the one pony who knew misery better then any other. The only remaining pony who had taken part in his childhood.

He trudged down twenty sets of stairs to reach the bottom of the mountain. The maximum security cells were an odd mixture of prison and vacation site. The rooms of each cell were blocked with doors that looked like the bulkheads used on bank vaults, thousands of locks and a massive handle on one side, with a polished smooth backside. He wasn't here to enjoy solitude, he was here to end it. The alicorn finally reached the cell he wanted. With a flash, he apparated through the door.

The suite he entered was lavish, absolutely royally furnished and full of plush carpet. There was a huge bathroom to one side and even a jacuzzi in the same bathtub. The bed was curtained and had the fur of manticores as blankets. The domicile was poorly lit, so he cast a spell to give him a little light. Melody lay in her bed, her chest rising and falling slowly, a soft, gentle expression on her face. He snarled and threw a glass at her, which met it's mark and broke over her head.

She blinked and looked at him, then lat back down, completely calm.

"If you came here to kill me, then do it fast so I can make it to breakfast in Tartaurus."

He shook from the rage that filled him. With a blast of magic, he picked her up and slammed her against the wall. She remained completely cool.

"I understand. You want to end me. Go ahead."

He grabbed a shard of glass and held it to her neck. "Why? Why did you bring Sky back to me? You knew that Jakben wouldn't stop, didn't you?!"

She nodded. "I've been in this same room for three weeks. I've had so much time to think... and I've come to realize I am a monster. Go ahead, it's what I deserve. Kill me."

He pressed the shard to her neck, her pulse beating under he soft pelt. He wanted to... so badly, more then he wanted to wake up tomorrow. But the look she had... it was one that had realized her nature and was trying to repent. She was hoping to make him feel better by dyeing. He looked at her for a second more, then dropped her to the floor. Two separate parts of him waged war, the empathetic one that wanted to not kill her and let her live out the rest of her days knowing and living with what she had done, then the one that wanted to slit her neck and bathe in her life's blood.

He finally lost his mental battle to the former. He threw the piece of glass at the wall beside her.

"Damn you!" He screamed. "DAMN YOU! I hated you from the moment I met you. You are the most sick, demented monster of a mare on earth. I want to kill you so badly... but I know that it will be a better punishment to let you rot here."

"Whatever you decide." She said with a bow of her head.

Wait... had just been submissive to him?! "What did you just say?"

"I said whatever you decide. I spent years of my life bossing ponies around. Now I suppose I can let you guide my hoof-steps."

His jaw dropped. Was she... being polite?! No... it was impossible... that was against her nature. This wasn't real. This was a dream. This was madness...

"No! You're supposed to be rude and vile and cruel! You're supposed to be awful! Why are you being nice to me after all these years of hating me?!"

"I have realized the error of my ways. I am trying to repent my old ways."

Seamus blinked. This... didn't compute. It was, frankly unfathomable. His hate, all his loathing had been directed at his one pony for so long that she was the repository for all his negative emotions. She was what he thought about when he thought of misery and death. Now she was being polite, almost a decent pony being. He couldn't handle it. His entire world began to spin on a dime. The fragile world he had constructed was being broken apart.

The alicorn blinked once, then twice, staring at Melody numbly.

"Boy, is there something wrong?"

He tilted his head to the side, smiled, and lit his horn.

"Melody. I want you to know something."

"What?"

"For so, so many years I've hated you. Now you're a nice mare with decent manners."

He opened his eyes; they held a mad, razor sharp glint in them.

"I liked you better when you were a bitch."

He dove forward and sank a piece of glass into her neck, her life's blood soaking his hoof. She looked at him in shock, then grabbed his hoof and twisted, widening the wound. He looked at her and his smile faded as she looked up at him, her eyes apologetic. She nodded, then collapsed on the floor, dead.

Seamus stood on a cloud an hour later, his wings tied to his sides. Melody was dead, he had no more reason to live. Jakben was dead, Sky was dead. All the ponies he wanted revenge on or loved were dead. He was so tired, his eyelids heavy and ready to close. He comforted himself with the thought that he would be resting for a long, long time. For eternity, in fact. The colt eyed that dark city below. The stop would kill him instantly. He chuckled humorlessly. Life was the joke he mocked. Little more then distilled pain mixed into the fire-whiskey that was his entire existence. He gave the ground another look, smiling at how soft it seemed. A swift drop and a sudden stop awaited him.

He stepped off the cloud.

"I'm coming, Sky."

I'll see you all in the comments.

I'm Sorry

You're probably wondering where the Hell I've been on this story. Well, Arguing with myself. They say it's the first sign of madness. I say it's the best one. Enjoy the chapter written by the boy who loves to hear himself talk!

Celestia closed her bedroom doors, locked them, and set binding spells on them that Discord couldn't break. She knew what was happening and that all she could do right now was wait. The injury was... severe, to say the least, but he would live... probably. The gift of the alicorns would kick in and restore his body to pristine condition, but how that would leave him mentally was yet to be seen. She would need time... so much time. But even more than that she would need to keep him safe while his body restored itself.

"Princess Diane Celestia why was I not told that he's her-"

"Shutup!" The ruler barked at Twilight. "I need to think."

The unicorn's jaw dropped. Never in all her time as the mighty alicorn's apprentice had she flat out told her to shutup. The command held all the authority of a cracking whip, sharp, reinforcing the will to obey. While the unicorn stood dazed, Celestia's  mind raced at a mile a minute, carving out so many scenarios that might happen, good bad and the worst. Sadly, she knew that Seamus was probably not going to make it out with his memory intact. He would either be a spitting mad nutter or a dazed, innocent but confused foal. No in between, just those two options.

"Gather your friends, tell them... come here and guard this room with their lives. Nothing gets in or out unless it is me or my own personally assigned guards. Anypony else, kill them. I am not one to take such drastic measures under soft circumstances, this isn't any sort of soft circumstance. This is life and death for Seamus. Nothing leaves or gets into that room besides me, you and that boy. Understood?"

Twilight reeled; this was a part of Celestia she had never seen before, this was the Celestia the country feared, the hard edged warrior face of the great ruler. This was the mighty Celestia who had destroyed half a million miles of land for her people and settled it, nurtured the country with her firm, iron hoof.

So the mare nodded, feeling as if she had the best job in the world. Keep the most precious living being alive safe. Seamus was the third alicorn, and nothing in the universe could change that. Celestia began to walk away, but stopped and turned back to Twilight, an unnatural gleam in her eye.

"You... you can go in. Just do not touch him at all. It will be the death of him. Now... I will give you one more job, it is a job I wouldn't entrust to anypony else. His mind is rebuilding, but in the wrong order. His memories, his past is happening now, he is living it. If you can do one thing more, shepherd him through his memories and make sure he retains his sanity. It will be all he has left once he wakes up. Don't touch him, just guide him and be there for him. Good luck."

Twilight stood in front of the bed, sweating and trembling like a leaf in the harsh winter wind. This was... awful. Half of Seamus' skull was torn off, small edges of magic were creeping along the edges, repairing the wound. That was a wound that would have killed any other living thing besides an alicorn. So his entire brain was repairing itself, resetting. Purging.

"Wait a minute..." Twilight said to herself. "That doesn't make sense. His memories wouldn't-"

Suddenly it made sense, it all made perfect, absolute sense. She was the pony the princess trusted to guard him. She had said she would be there for a long, long time. She had told her that this was going to be a long process. And then it clicked. The doors slammed shut with a bang and locked, impossible to open. The windows were covered by slabs of concrete and every entryway to the room was barred. Nothing was getting in or out. She would be stuck there with him until he woke up. Nothing would get in or out. Not even air, she would have to produce her own. Sadly, it was going to be a few months before anypony opened the doors to that room. And during that few months, she decided to go poking around in Seamus' head.

What she found was that the Princess had lied. His memory wasn't repairing itself, it was doing the opposite. In order to keep him from diving deeper into his depression,  Celestia had set a curse on him that would erase all of his memories. Everything, Sky, Melody, Jakben, all of it. She could raise him to be how she wanted and there was nothing even Twilight could do. Well, almost nothing. In a few places where the memory was strong enough, she could save it from being burned like the rest. It was a long, painstaking process, but having nothing else to do and months to get it done, Twilight got it done post haste.

With nothing else to do she decided she would live a bit in his past, looking at his memories with Sky. It was so sad, seeing him die after sharing all those wonderful moments with him. Eventually she had to pull back to her own body and recuperate, having been traumatized herself from living that foul, untimely death. Dust settled on the room, and Twilight decided that she would put herself to sleep until somepony came to get her. Who she got was the last pony she wanted to see, the pony that she had trusted. The pony that had trapped her in this room for months on end.

"I'm so sorry." Celestia whispered. "I needed a protector and a pony who would preserve his most important memories."

"Why didn't you just do it yourself!"

"Because I... I would have restored it all... and he would have suffered even more. I had to make sure that only... only a few memories were preserved. Just... forgive me."

Twilight just shook her head and walked out, eager to see the light of day again.

Waking Up

Celestia paced a circle in her office, chafing the lion-pelt rug beneath her hooves like it cost no more than a few bits. Snow fell outside the window, frost creeping along the sill with it's icy talons. The Princess was beyond irate, she was beyond angry, she was having the absolute worst of luck and her eyes sparked with the beginnings of Hate. Rumors were flying around that Seamus had been assassinated, others that she had sent him to the moon (*Something she was considering*), and the worst one yet was that she was keeping him trapped in the castle. The latter-most of those was, in fact true, she had pinned him up in here until he recovered, but it didn't help that somehow her private affairs were being leaked to the public. There was a hole in her barrier, her wall of ponies she kept around her and trusted with the most important secrets, a spy. One of her most trusted advisers was lying to her and giving all the happenings of the inner court to the press.

A guard ran in, his eyes wild, but a smile on his face. "Madame! There is something that you need to hear!"

"Shush, Silver Helm. I need to think."

"Miss, the other alico-"

"Silver Helm the Second, leave me be! I need to think of a very delicate matter."

"But Princess-"

"Leave!"

"Seamus is awake."

The goddess was on her hooves and walking toward him in a flash, her eyes wide.

"When did this happen?! Is he still in his room? Is he panicked? Is his horn sheathe still on?!"

"It happened just an hour ago and he's still in there. He's scared witless because he had no idea what's going on, but he isn't violent. He hasn't said anything, he's just kind of sat there..."

"Take me to him, Is he still awake?"

"He's asleep. Ma'am, I was told to alert somepony else before you, your student said she wanted to be here when he woke."

The Princess narrowed her eyes. Twilight was the last thing she wanted near Seamus on the first day he was awake, especially since the mare might still be upset at her for the whole locking her in a room for a month thing.

"Take me to him, and don't let anypony near him besides the guards."

"There are no guards on duty right now, it's Sunday."

"What?! Are you sure? There must be somepony you can drag in to watch him."

"There isn't, ma'am... well, there is one, but he's on suspension."

"I don't care, it's better than nothing."

"But Ma'am he was suspended for taking unnecessary risks, he made a mockery of the royal guard by performing a stunt while coming to work drunk! He was wasted!"

"As long as he's sober, he'll do."

WindSnap the pegasus guard was not the most stable stallion, he was more of a free spirit, a loner and a roamer. Very few really knew him, not even his own parents. He spent his days grooming himself and partying, Alternating those between his job as a guard and his social life. He was physically fit and of medium build, like most other guards. Unlike most other guards, he was a tan color, the color of bleached sand. He had a copper mane he groomed into a lock over his forehead, curled over his left eye in a single gold/russet swoop. He was overall handsome, but his attitude was overall confrontational. If he felt something was better than him, he would go to prove it wrong.

So when a guard ran up to him and nearly crashed right into his left side, he stuck out a hoof and stopped him dead in his tracks, scowling. He sat at a table in one of the fanciest restaurants in all of Canterlot, his food eaten and his waiter ready to come and take his money, hoping he would tip her well. He looked over at the white unicorn mare with complete disinterest, she saw the expression on his face and looked away, thinking she had done something wrong. He just rolled his eyes and waved her over, throwing the tip down on the table like the money was borderline worthless. In truth, to him it was. He wanted adventure, and if money got him adventure, he would get money.

WindSnap turned to Guard Captain, letting out a huge, bored exhale.

"I thought you put me on suspension, captain. Come to me with a job?"

The Captain opened his mouth to speak, then shut it and nodded.

"What is it?" WindSnap sighed.

"We need you to guard the new alicorn."

The stallion looked at him skeptically. "Sure, you're just going to mob me like every other prank you've put me through."

"No, this is dead serious, Snaps. Celestia wants you to be the kid's personal guard. She'll pay you."

"How much?"

"A hundred-fifty bits a day."

The young stallion's head snapped around. "I'm only seven and she wants me to guard on of the most important beings in Equestria? For that price?"

"She has confidence that you're the best for the job."

WindSnap got up from the table, smiling. "I knew she'd come around."

Celestia looked down at WindSnap, scowling. "You didn't mention he was so young."

"I'm sorry ma'am, but he's the best we've got. The fastest, too." Grey Helm answered.

"I don't like it. Are you sure there isn't another guard I could get? Older and less..." She gestured to the whole of the stallion. "This."

"You just gestuered to all of me."

"Well, I don't like all of you."

He made his eyebrows flat, displaying his annoyance. "Thanks, that make me feel so good about myself."

"You're welcome!" Celestia chirped, giving him a sarcastic smile. "Now, get in there and alert me when he awakes. And don't do anything... stupid."

She slammed the door after him, locking it with magic and sealing the very frame in so not even air could circulate under the polished redwood. WindSnap sighed; he just had to get stuck with this boring old job. All he got to do was sit here and watch some twerp breathe. On hindsight, maybe it wasn't so bad, at least he wasn't on northern border patrol, freezing his flank off and waiting to be killed dead by refugees. So he decided to buck up, look around and see what there was to do. A bookshelf sat against a wall on one side, full to the brim with non-fiction books and reference guides. On the other, a hallway that led to a dingy old washroom. Straight ahead was an extravagant canopy bed, silky silver sheets and curtains with a single candle flickering on the oak headboard, casting it's lonely glow over the room.

Just under the candle, bathed in the warm light of the flame, was Seamus, the Venus Alicorn. He looked fine, fit, healthy as a horse as he slept. But sadly, his muscles were deteriorated, he wouldn't be able to move even if he came to. His wings were lashed down with belts and his horn was covered in a sheathe of leather to prevent him from panicking and taking out somepony. He looked... beautiful, serene in the candlelight. It took the stallion a moment to stop staring, the alicorn had a sense of unearthly grace about him, even in sleep.

"So that's what all that fuss is about... this little scrap." WindSnap sighed. "I guess that it's worth fighting for."

He pulled up a chair and sat down, getting comfortable. It was probably going to be quite awhile before Seamus woke. up.

The next thing WindSnap remembered was hearing a scream.

"I can't see!" Seamus wailed.

The sleeping pegasus leapt out of his chair, scared senseless by the sudden outburst. Seamus was sitting straight up in bed, looking around the room frantically with sightless purple eyes. He passed over the spot where the stallion stood three times, blindly seeking somepony, anypony to tell him what was going on.

"I can't see!" He nearly screamed again.

WindSnap leapt over to Seamus without a plan, he really had no clue what to do, but it was better than letting the poor colt sit there alone, shaking like a leaf in fear.

"Kid, kid. What's the matter?"

Seamus tried to locate the noise, grasping around the bed for something he could hold onto. Nothing came to him, so he fell back down onto the sheets, a tear leaking out of his useless eye.

"I... I can't see. Where am I? Am I... dead?"

"No. You're in the castle and my name's WindSnap. I'll keep you safe, okay? Just don't panic."

"But WindSnap I can't see! It's dark and I'm scared... I don't want to be alone. Don't go, okay? Just don't leave me here."

"Kid, I have to tell the Princess you're awake. I'll be right back."

"No!" Seamus cried, mortified at being left alone with nopony to talk to. "Don't go. I'm scared and I don't know what's going on... who am I? Why am I here?"

The stallion felt like leaving the helpless colt to his blind prison, but something in his usually dry heart gave a pang, a twitch in his heartstrings that made him reconsider. This poor defenseless colt was alone, he had no idea what was going on, he didn't know his name or who he was, why he was there or even what he was.

"Kid... you're name's Seamus. You're here because you got in an accident. You're an alicorn and you're a future ruler of the great country of Equestria. Stay here while I go get the princess, she'll take care of this little problem."

He dashed away before he could reconsider. Immediately it was like a blanket was ripped off him on a cold winter morning. Leaving the scared, lonely colt was like abandoning a puppy. It hurt, somewhere deep inside. He blinked and left to get the princess, eager to be away from Seamus. He didn't like emotion. He ran from it at all costs. It led to pain, and he couldn't afford pain.

The guard at the door told him Celestia was busy, so he flagged down a medic, who healed Seamus and left like he had something else more important to do. So there he was, alone yet again with the miserable colt. WindSnap wanted to hit his head off a wall, maybe dislodge this meddling emotion he felt. He didn't want to be there, this alicorn was dangerous. It made him feel something, a tenderness that made his head soft soft, exposed. The pegasus bit his bottom lip and sat down on the side of the bed, cursing his luck.

"It's me again kid. The princess is busy, but we got your eyes healed. I'm sure you can open 'em now."

Seamus blinked, his amethyst irises gleaming royal purple in that candlelight.

"You left me..."

"I'm sorry, kid, I had to it's my-"

Seamus tackled him over, his hooves wrapped around the larger stallion. The startled guard toppled to the floor, startled. The colt buried his face in WindSnap's neck with tears running down his mare-ish face, eyes squeezed shut and wings around his protector.

"D-don't leave me! Don't ever leave me again!" He sobbed. "I was so scared that y-you wouldn't come back..."

"Seamus, what's the matter, kid? I left for five seconds."

"It felt like years! I don't want to b-be alone. It's cold when I'm alone, like I'm in th-that place..."

"What place?"

"I h-had a dream about an alicorn like me, she was bigger and she.... she... took my horn. She was s-so scary and I was cold there, so cold by breathe showed."

"It's just a dream, Sea."

The alicorn just shivered on top of the larger stallion, his eyes shut tight. He never wanted to be alone again. This pony had been there for him and he was going to be there for that stallion. at that moment something happened, something that would have sent the pegasus packing if he'd know it happened. Seamus had imprinted on him, like a wolf cub to his parent. He would have followed WindSnap into a pit of snakes right then. The colt trusted his guardian completely.

"Okay, kid, enough with the snuggles n' stuff."

The stallion pried the colt off him, leaving a hurt-looking alicorn looking up at him with gigantic, pleading eyes.

"Who am I?"

The sudden question shook the pegasus to the bone. It was just too deep a question. He didn't personally know the colt, so he couldn't answer. From what he could tell the colt was a kind-hearted, innocent foal, but he had no idea who he was outside what he had seen in that last few hours.

"Um... well... you're name is-"

"I mean what am I like? How do I act around other ponies?"

"Er... I don't know. I just kind of met you."

"Who do you think I am?"

A long, rather tense silence ensued. Seamus looked up at the stallion, desperately searching for an answer.

"I think you're a nice little kid with a big heart." He confessed.

The alicorn nodded and hugged the stallion's leg, smiling. "So... do you like me?"

The stallion sighed. "Sure, kid. I like you."

Seamus nuzzled his leg contently. "So... what now?"

"I wait until Celestia get back, then I leave."

Again the alicorn looked hurt by WindSnap's words. "Don't leave. I like you too much."

"Kid, I've got to leave. I have other jobs. I'll see you around, but I can't be here 24/7."

Celestia strode in and shut the door behind her, abruptly cutting WindSnap off. She locked the massive deadbolt, turning to them. She looked like she'd seen a ghost, her wings stiff at her sides and hair limp, almost dragging along the floor.

"Did you explain to him that he is to be ruler? Yes, good. I need to talk to the colt in private, if you don't mind."

Seamus grabbed the stallion's leg and wouldn't let go, stubbornly glaring at Celestia. "I don't know who you are, but he's not going anywhere. He's my friend."

The Princess rolled her eyes, dismissing the statement. "Fine, not like it makes a difference. My name is Princess Celestia and I will be teaching you about, well, everything really. I would like to get off on the right hoof with you. Guard, did you tell him his name?"

"My name is Seamus, and I don't like how you keep talking to him. He has a name, it's WindSnap, and it's a great name."

"He's a guard and you will address him as such. He is below you, Seamus."

"No, he's my friend and he's right here next to me."

The Princess was annoyed by how stubborn the colt was being, what was this youngling's obsession with this stupid guard? He was just some stray they'd given a job to fill the spot. He hadn't even wanted it at first.

"Did you make sure to not talk to him like I told you?" Celestia asked WindSnap.

"Um, I sort of had a little conversation with him, see his optical nerve wasn't healed and he couldn't see. He woke up and he was panicking and so I talked to him, got him to calm down until I could get a medic."

The mare was furious; the boy's first memory was one of him, a very dangerous thing to be sure. The reason was an instinct called imprinting, the instant trust a helpless young adolescent has to a pony when in distress. Much to Celestia's irritation, Seamus had imprinted on WindSnap, not her. Her plan had been to make the colt trust her, not this stallion. Besides, this Stallion was obviously going to be a bad influence.

"I specifically told you to not talk to him! What good are you?!"

"Leave him alone!' Seamus shot back. "He was just being nice!"

"Don't back sass me! And you will be fired and court marshaled! Both of you are in trouble!"

"I won't do anything you say if you're going to fire him!" The colt clung to WindSnap tighter. "He didn't do anything wrong."

"You aren't in any position to be making decisions!"

"Yes I am! I don't care what you say I'm not going to let you lay a hoof on him."

An argument proceeded long into the evening, neither side gave heed to the other and it was more of a war zone. Celestia wanted to see WindSnap fired for disobedience as well as ruining her chances at mothering the colt. She wanted to be the authority figure he clung to, not this stallion. So it went back and forth and forth and back. After three hours Celestia herself was getting worn down by how stubborn Seamus was being. He just wouldn't give. It was like trying to move a mountain with a pebble, it was impossible. She was even considering giving up, when suddenly she found the perfect way to punish WIndSnap. He didn't look like he was having fun at all around Seamus, especially with how prone to snuggle the colt was.

So she hatched a dastardly plan on how she could punish him while appeasing the alicorn,

"Fine, tell you what, Seamus. I'll let him be your personal guard, how's that? He can be around you all day and you can be the best of friends."

The colt gave a yip and a hop of joy, beaming. "I knew you'd come around! Thanks Celery!"

WindSnap felt like he was having a stroke. "What?! I have to be around him all day? I have to live with the kid and follow him around everywhere all the time?! This has got to be illegal!"

"Actually, I have one and she does nicely. Now, WindSnap, you know where the room I set up for Sea is, show him to it. Seamus, I will be there in about an hour with a few guests I'd like you to meet. You used to know them and one's name is Fluttershy."

The End

Seamus trotted down the hallway, happy as could be to have Windsnap as his personal guard. The stallion, on the other hoof, couldn't look more annoyed. This was a worse than a prison sentence to him. This colt was innocent, pure-hearted and trusting. He knew that he would end up hurting the colt's feelings in some way or another. He had a life, a job and friends. He couldn't just throw all that away to be a guard for a sensitive, mentally fragile alicorn. But just by the way Seamus pranced and skipped down the hallway, he just couldn't help but be slightly paternal over the colt. He was small and young, easily frightened and vulnerable. His first instinct was to protect him, and that was what he was getting payed to do. So the emotionally conflicted stallion marched after the colt, dutifully looking around for anything out of place.

The room they were heading to was none other than the room that they had slept in the night the Mane 6 had met Seamus, on the night Melody and Jakben had arrived and sold the colt to Luna for a hefty fee. Now Celestia was sending him back there to help him reclaim memory over his friends, and hopefully not the other, more tragic things she'd forced him to forget.

"Okay, so I have an idea!" Seamus said. "You and me can go flying together in a year during the eclipse! How cool that be?! I mean, just you and me up in the sky with an amazing astronomic event happening right in front of us! Sound fun? Will you take me? I'd love to be up there with you."

"Yeah, yeah." WIndSnap wasn't really listening to Seamus, he was still badgering himself if he was going to quit his job disappear.

The colt stopped and hugged him, smiling broadly. "Thanks."

The guard pried him off his leg. "Okay, rule one, no touching. No hugs, no touchy feely gunk. I'm your guard and you know that."

Seamus looked hurt. "That isn't what you're thinking."

"How the hay do you know what I'm thinking?!"

This gave the colt pause. "I don't know... It's just that ever since I woke up I can kind of feel this... pulse coming from you. And every time I hug you or touch you your heart acts up and that pulse turns red, with little licks of blue just above your coat. I don't know how or why, but something tells me that you like me and you just don't want to say it."

"I do no-"

"Then why is your nose bleeding?" Seamus grinned smugly.

It was very true, a small trickle of blood was leaking out of WindSnap's nose. The Venus alicorn arched a brow and grinned mischievously. Wiping a hoof over the inconvenient nosebleed, the guard continued marching down the corridor, the colt following behind him, basking in the fact that he had been right the whole time.

"So is that a yes on the ecliipse thing or no?"

"NO!"

Rainbow was in the room, all by herself. She was picking at a sore on the inside of her cheek, nervously tapping her hoof and fidgeting. She couldn't shake the sixth sense that told her something was wrong. Horribly wrong. She just felt like There was something eating at the edge of her neck. Her old bite was acting  up, the scar where she'd been bitten by Jakben. She hated that name, and just as she thought of it she cringed. A feeling of pain and deep psychological trauma followed that name. If there was anything she'd wished didn't exist, it would be that vampire.

But just as she thought of the vampire she heard a voice in that back of her head.

"How dare you." It hissed.

Rainbow fell off her bed and crouched, a feral snarl revealing her dagger-like fangs.

"Damned wench. You've killed me. I'll die soon of starvation at the bottom of this pit."

"Wait, so you're not dead yet?!" She gasped.

"Does it sound like I'm dead?! No? Then listen well. These are the last words of a god."

"Pfft, sure. That's funny. I killed you, idiot. You're not a god."

"I brought you up to my level, made you who you are and you just killed me. You are a traitor. I even thought of making you my servant. Ingrate. Now you're going to do me a favor one last time. I was going to do this sooner, but seeing as how you've been occupied with your new, disgusting, pie-eating den-mate..."

"Don't you dare talk bad about my Soarin'! You are way more disgusting than him, anyway."

"Silence. You're in no place to talk."

"Really?!" She mocked. "It's my head, and I don't have to do anything you s-"

Her hoof suddenly rushed up and hit her square in the jaw, knocking her senseless.

"What was that? Were you saying something?"

The mare looked at her hoof in horror; he was going to make his last act through her.

"So of course you finally piece it together. I'm going to make my very last act through you. You're going to be my puppet one last time, Crashie. You will soon do me a favor of astronomical proportions. By the way, I know you read the letter about how the boy's memory was wiped. You were glad, glad you didn't have to feel awful about killing Sky and ruining his life. Admit it, you monster."

"I am not a monster! You're the monster! I never did anything to deserve this and you know it!"

"But you're here now, about to finish the job that I made you start. What do you think it is?"

"You're not going to make me do anything!" She raged. "I won't do anything you say!"

"Really? Look under your wing."

She looked at the crook of her limb, angry, but curiosity got the best of her. She withdrew a knife, a brilliant venom-coated blade with a snake's eye fossilized and mounted on the end. The weapon glittered and hummed in her shaking hoof like it was alive. The eye peered at her from the handle, filled with cunning malice.

"That'a girl. It's coming together in your head... Kill the boy. He belongs to me, and I want him dead. The moment he walks into that door you will kill him. You'll live, he'll die a slow, painful death. I'm not Melody. That blade is coated in a venom that will kill him within a day. Each second will be Hell and there is no cure. No loopholes. No way out. Stab him, he dies. Do it."

"No." She hissed, furious but terrified.

"Hah! I'll watch you do it. Now tuck the blade under your wing again."

She performed the order flawlessly and her body didn't even attempt to resist. A tear slipped out of her left eye, hitting the carpeted floor and leaving a red stain.

"Come to peace with it." Jakben ordered. "You shall escape via the rear of the castle into the maze. Then you will never come back to this place again."

"But... my friends... they'll be here soon. I need to at least say goodbye!" She cried, tears building in her slatted eyes.

"No! You will never tread in the land of Equestria again! Final! I'm right on the brink of death, I'll leave you soon. Remember me. And by the way, Bonsoiur, bitch."

Rainbow looked down at her wing, unable to move it.

"I'm sorry, kid." She sobbed.

Seamus smiled up at WindSnap.

"Soooooooooo... why do you like me, really?"

"I don't, kid." The guard growled.

"I'm six years old! Practically a stallion now! It's not my fault I'm short!"

"Don't care. I'm your guard, you're the thing I protect. It would be completely improper even if I did like you."

"I know, I just want to know why you like me. You do. You cannot deny! I'm the Venus alicorn and I know when you feel something in that cold little heart that sits in your chest."

WindSnap grated his teeth. This colt did stir his heart in a place he hated. The part that could imagine him sitting on a blanket with a bottle of wine and the sunset behind them. It made him angry beyond anything he could fathom. But he was the guard Celestia had chosen, and he had to tolerate Seamus to get payed.

"Shutup. Just shutup."

He saw the door at the end of the hallway, gladly picking up the pace. He wanted to drop Seamus off and get a drink at the bar later, hopefully forget about it. Just drown that fuzzy feeling in his chest with a little acidic vodka. He approached the door, turned the handle, and stopped. Rainbow ran out of her room, having sunk the blade into WindSnap instead of Seamus. She'd regained control of her body just once she'd released the knife.

"WindSnap? Is something wrong?" Seamus asked trotting over.

The guard turned around. He had the silver dagger in his neck, draining blood down his front.

"Well, figures you're the one to kill me."

The colt's heart cracked in two. He'd been awake for a few hours. That's it. And now he was witnessing another pony, a pony he'd bonded to like he'd been bonded to Sky. Just... dead in front of him. It didn't take a lot to make a mentally fragile colt faint, and this did just the trick. Seamus dropped on all fours to be next to his guard.

"I just met you! Hold on I-"

"Kid."

"What?"

"Shutup."

He slumped against the wall, dead as the stone under his hooves.

That is IT. VR is over. I'm done. If I do anything ever again with this it will be a sequel.

And even then, I won't do that unless I receive ridiculous pressure. Just leave a comment.

Bonus Chapter: Starting Over

It had been a year. One year since that awful incident. Twelve long months of learning everything again. For what felt like an eternity Seamus lay in his bed and thought of himself. He was an alicorn, a young colt becoming a stallion, and a future ruler of one of that greatest countries on Earth. He was overwhelmed at first, and depression had settled in well before he'd even started his formal tutoring with Celestia. He was alone in the universe, socially and mentally isolated from anypony he met by how cold his heart was becoming. It was all he'd known. Death, destruction, torture, tragedy and loss. He was becoming a sociopath. He couldn't feel anything anymore. If he like a pony it was in a purely as their physical being, not for who they were. The colt was loosing himself to the thing he feared most.

Love, friendship, connections, family, friends. He had none of those. All were dead and he couldn't make any more. Like a ship trapped in an ice floe, he was incapable of moving forward in any sort of relationship, platonic or otherwise. He just couldn't deal with the fact that everypony around him seemed to die awful, tragic deaths and he could never do anything about it. He thought it was him, something about him was making ponies go insane. It must be a problem with him since if it was anypony else, they would have died by then. He was the sole variable in this mad equation that didn't equate.

Seamus sat up in bed, thinking of WindSnap. "I killed you... I was the one who was supposed to die and you got in the way."

A tear rolled down his cheek, hitting the sheets. The colt reached over to his nightstand and grabbed a bottle of wine, seeking to drown his woes in the bittersweet cranberry vintage. He'd tried this many times before with no results. It was Saturday, so he didn't have to wake up the next morning. He knew a spell for hangovers and he didn't plan on doing anything important. He never did. He just lay in his room in his spare time and thought of those long dead. He'd been filled in on his past and what he'd done in his young life. The only conclusion he could come to was that he was a monster.

"Maybe... one more drink will make me feel better." He muttered, taking another long draft.

It always went that way. 'One more drink, maybe.' was the thing he always said before he drunk himself to sleep. He didn't care, either. He knew he had a problem, he was antisocial and shy, he drank too much and he sat dwelling in his room for most of his days. He didn't read, he didn't have a hobby, he did nothing but drink, learn a few things from his tutors, drink some more and sleep. He didn't see the value in all of it. He didn't even see the point in living.

Seamus had a massive room in a turret tower, far away from the rest of the castle. The suite was simple, but cozy. He had a fireplace and a large canopy bed, a bookshelf he never used and a closet full of clothes he never wore. There were thick red curtains that he never opened to the light of day and a trapdoor he hardly ever unlocked. He never left that room, he didn't want to.

The alicorn had heard tell of Luna being captured and brought back, by her sister, and her eventual rehabilitation. She'd sent many, many notes to Seamus expressing her deepest apologies for what she put him through. Seamus knew it wasn't her fault and that she was under the control of an ancient Dark Artifact, so he'd written back to her saying that he accepted her apology. He didn't care to see her again. He hadn't in fact. She never visited in that little corner of the universe. He was completely alone in his little bubble. Celestia wouldn't raise a hoof to help him through his trouble, so all he did was get worse.

The worst part was that he drew pictures of those he had lost. Sky, WindSnap and Silver were drawn onto is wall with artistic precision. He'd spent a month on each, and now all he did was stare at their faces and cry. He'd brought the death of each one by just being there. Sky, killed by Jakben. Silver likewise. WindSnap was killed by Rainbow Dash being controlled by Jakben. Seamus stared at them all night sometimes, unable to do anything but cry and mutter his prayers of forgiveness to each one. He couldn't bear the psychological torture that he was put through by having them stare at him day after day, even as he tried to sleep. He didn't want to destroy the drawings, either. He thought he deserved it, the pain.

The colt took another sip. it was going to be a long night. He reached out with his hoof and touched Sky's face, a tear running down his neck.

A bang awoke him, startling the hung over alicorn. "What?" He mumbled into his pillow, his mane disheveled.

"Get up and get down to the throne room! Pack your bags with your best clothes and meet the Princess down in the Grand Hall!"  A guard yelled through the door.

"Why should I?" Seamus sniffed. "It'll be awful anyway....."

"She gave me the orders to physically remove you if you didn't comply, sir."

Seamus glared at the door. "Why don't you try?"

The guard burst through the trapdoor, lunging at the colt to try and wrestle him down. Seamus smirked and let him come, gripping his bottle of wine under his pillow. Just as soon as the guard came close, the nimble alicorn jumped over him and over to the trapdoor, still holding the bottle behind his back. The guard ran at him again, but this time Seamus slid between his legs, putting him behind the confused stallion. The colt threw the bottle at the back of the guard's head, breaking it over his helmet.

The guard, completely incapacitated, fell all the way down the tower stairs.

"Serves him right." Seamus snapped, slamming the door and locking it with magic. "Damned guards. Can't just leave me alone."

The colt sighed and crawled back into bed, smiling at his accomplishment.

"You are going to get up now or so help me I will wrestle you down and take you to the Throne Room myself."

Seamus' eyes snapped wide open at the sound of Rainbow Dash's voice.

"Umm... hey Rainbow.... what's up?"

"Don't 'what's up' me! This is an intervention. We can't stand to see you like this anymore. Get up, I already packed you, let's go! You're coming with us to Ponyville to live with Rarity."

"Hell n-" He couldn't even make out the last syllable before Rainbow tackled him out of bed and grabbed him by his horn, lifting the small colt in her arms. He weighed as much as a paperweight to her, and it didn't really matter if he tried to use magic or not, it didn't affect her anymore. She dissapeared in a blur of motion, grabbing his things just as impossibly fast. And heading post-haste to the throne room.

"This is colt-napping! This isn't legal!" Seamus roared as he sat in the throne room, arms crossed. "I don't want to leave! I want to be left alone! You all need to just leave me to my own pastimes and go home."

The mane six looked at him with the greatest of pity, wondering how they would convince him. He looked absolutely livid sitting on the throne room floor, pure rage flaring in his eyes. He didn't want to leave, he wanted to wallow in remorse.

"Dear... " Rarity began. "I don't know how to tell you this, but you're going to Ponyville for a little while to be with regular ponies, ponies that want to be your friend."

"I don't want your disgusting, fetid friendship! I want you to leave me be! I don't even deserve to have friends..."

"Oh my..." Fluttershy murmured.

Twilight stepped forward. "You're going to spend your first three days of the week in Ponyville and the rest here in Canterlot. You'll go to school there and here you'll be tutored. How does that sound?"

"It sounds like an egghead mare trying to say I'm an idiot that has to engage in talk with common, petty foals every day and answer questions on things I already know and you want to keep an eye on me because your soft, squishy conscious' can't allow you to do otherwise."

Twilight balked, enraged. "Do you have any idea how hard we've tried for you? Do you know what Rainbow has been through after you came here? Do you know what I've been through and Luna's been through?! You owe it to us to just give it a bucking try, or I swear on Celestia's mane that you are never going to hear the end of it from me or anypony else! There is a carriage outside waiting for us, now haul your sorry, ungrateful plot out there or I'll personally take you there myself in a coffin!"

Everpony around the unicorn stepped back, scared by Twilight's sudden rage. Seamus' eyes were watering.

"I'm sorry... It's all my fault for what happened to you and Luna and Rainbow... I should... just leave you all alone. You're better off without me...."

"Twilight." Fluttershy scolded. "None of these things are his fault, he's just a victim here."

The mare knelt beside Seamus smiling. "Look, Sea. We know that you're a good colt, bad things just keep happening to you. But not anymore. You can live a life and have friends and everything, now that you're free from Melody and that vampire you can make your own decisions and love who you want. I don't care if you're a misfit or you are a little unusual, you're a good little colt and I love you."

"But... I made Rainbow into a monster, I killed a pony, Rainbow killed a pony, I corrupted Luna and I caused the death of dozens more... I'm a freak. I care about you too much to hurt you, Fluttershy. That's all I do to the ponies I love, and I don't want you to be the next one."

Pinkie was sniffling and the back of the group, drying her tears with a handkerchief. "This is so beautiful..." She squeaked.

"Oh, little colt, why do you tell yourself such things?" Fluttershy smiled. "You aren't a freak or a monster. You're a colt, a little foal that I love very much. Don't tell yourself that you're worthless, you're the Venus Alicorn, and you're going to grow up and be a kind, passionate stallion like you are now."

Pinkie broke into tears at the back of the group while Rarity wiped her eyes. Even AppleJack, who had a very serious dislike for Seamus, felt moved by this heartfelt reunion. Fluttershy already had a few droplets running down her cheek.

"Now, I want you to go to Ponyville with us, you'll love it there. Rarity has a whole room for you and I do too if you want to come over. You'll always be welcome. Will you come with us? For me?"

Seamus nodded and embraced her, ready to start a new life.

It was going to be better this time.

Much, much better.

Nothing more for a month, so fasten your belts, fill up on VR now and prepare for the wait. I hope you enjoyed this. Leave a review or comment so I can look at it later and think "Wow, I think I broke the 'I Suck' Meter again like last chapter".

Ashes

Dust drifts lightly on the bone numbing breeze. No life is to be seen. Fields of ash stretch as far as the horizon and beyond. Nothing is alive, and nothing will live here, ever. The sun doesn't shine; it is merely a blank sheet of gray with a small slightly brighter halo of light on the eastern horizon. The only thing marring the never ending sheet of black ash is the structures that once held life, burnt to their foundation; their inhabitant's bones litter the ruins. Dust falls from the sky endlessly, choking anything that would ever dare to try to call this wasteland home.

A lone figure stands amidst the shells that were once buildings and homes, his black cloak flapping in the wind. He casts it off and looks around at his handiwork. An insane, genocidal madness is in his pure black eyes, they held no iris. The tall figure is sanguine, his black mane blows in the dry, lifeless breeze and he towers above you.

Finally, after taking it all in, he looks down at you. His eyes are an endless pit of hatred and loathing beyond any rational cause. He is beautiful beyond all description, rippling liquid muscle trapped under a soft silk maroon coat. You want to bow down and kiss the hooves of the demi-god in front of you. To beg him not to destroy you.

You realize your lips are gone and that you aren't really there. He smiles at you, but it looks like a feral creature barring its fangs. You fall to your knees and look up at him desperately. You hear a resounding snap as your own neck breaks. Your last sight is him looking at you, observing you in your last moments of life, smiling madly.