Falling Temperatures

I awoke the next morning to a throbbing headache and a pain in my stomach. Looking around I saw that I was in the Knightwatch barracks. Groaning I muttered to myself,

” For my first hangover this isn’t as bad as I thought,”

“I’ll say dude, you drank us all under the table last night,”

Turning around I saw Shining standing there with an ice pack on his head and a cast on his arm.

“I didn’t do that did I?” I asked gesturing to the cast.

“Well…yes and no. We were both plastered and the boys wanted us to arm wrestle. One thing lead to another and you smashed me through the table,” He said playfully.

“Well at least you know now that vamps have much more efficient livers,” I shot at him.

“Easy there private, taunting your superior officer might get you reprimanded,” he said coolly.

“Sorry sir, but I don’t think everypony is going to as agreeable as I am with a hangover,” I said gesturing down the barracks.

“Thanks for reminding me by the way,” he said with his horn lighting up. A telekinetic blast through the barracks knocking everypony out of there bunks. A mix of yelps and groans filled the room as the stallions got to their feet.

“Ram, Princess Luna wanted to talk to you this morning, something urgent,” Shining said as he walked past me.

“Yes I’ll go right away, but first I’m goanna shower,” I said jovially.

Moving into the group shower I turned on the water. As the warm water ran across my coat I began to get very nervous. Turning around I saw about five stallions enter the shower. My stress causing the water to start freezing against my coat making me turn the water temp up higher.

“So, Demon, how does it feel?” one asked threateningly.

“I need some context before I can answer that,” I deadpanned.

“How does it feel to have no soul?” he said again. The air temperature dropped twenty degrees, causing the group to start shaking. I turned to face them. My eyes burning as red as my rage,

“Do you think I asked for this? No, I didn’t. I gave myself up for three other mares that were being tortured. I was tortured to near death and revived as…this.”  Clenching my fists. Nails biting into my flesh.

“I even offered my life to the princess herself. Did she kill me? No she didn’t.”

“Now I’m going to ask you to leave and talk to Shining, he has the memory sphere that Luna pulled out of my head. Only after you see what I went through and what I did before I became this, will I talk to any of you again. Goodbye,”

Turning back to my shower I hardly noticed the whistle of a fist heading towards me. Ducking; I quickly spun around and grabbed the limb and started applying a hefty amount of force. He sank to his knees crying in pain. I leaned down to his ear and said,

“Now you and your little cretins are going to leave me alone or I will turn you into a living ice sculpture,”

I released him and he ran out of the room. His little group followed him out. I finished my shower twenty minutes later. I found near my bunk a suit of armor. It was a mix of the sun guard and night guard armor sets. Lightly chuckling to myself as I didn’t need it. However I noticed the under suit had a clean black finish with dark blue trimming.

“Now this I like,” I thought as I tried it on.

“Now for the real test,” I thought as I focused on transforming. The shadowy ice began to grow on the outside of the mesh, taking on a sleek and angular look. Satisfied with the under suit as my means of protection I teleported to the throne room.

“Greetings Ram,” came the warm voice of Luna.

“Good morning Princess, how are you this morning,” I casually questioned.

“This morning has not been a pleasant one, I was told this morning that you nearly broke a comrade’s wrist, do you deny this,”

“No princess I do not deny I did, but only after I was provoked and assaulted by said guard,”

“Would you be willing to be subjected to a memory spell to prove this?”

“Yes Princess,” I said confidently

“Excellent,” she said as she walked up to me. Placing her horn to mine the familiar pressure was placed onto my mind, only to be released a second later.

“Thank you my dear. Brick Break you may reenter,” she called past the doors.

“I thought the demon would have been de…,” He started taunting.

“SILENCE! YOU ARE NOT TO ADRESS YOUR COMRADE AS SUCH! FURTHERMORE HE AGREED TO HAVE THE MEMORY SPELL USED ON HIIM WICH YOU REFUSED!” The royal Canterlot voice I full effect. Not to mention highly damaging to vampony ears.

“I-I… Fine; I tried to kill this bastard what of it, you killed your own sist…,” the sentence was never finished. A blue aura encircling his neck.

“You. Do. Not. Talk. Of. My. SISTER,” this was something new. A completely different side to Luna that I had never seen, she was a mere thought away from snapping this guards neck just at the mention of her sister.

“Princess…,” I called softly trying to calm the situation.

Looking back at me she let go of Brick Break,

“You are hereby relived of your duties as a member of Knightwatch. Retrieve you things from the barracks and return home,” she said coldly.

Brick Break simply stared open mouthed at me and the Princess before shuffling out mumbling.

“Now here is your list of targets,” she said handing me a scroll.

Taking the parchment I began to read down the list:

1. Vinyl Scratch: Possible master vampony, observe confirm and eliminate

2. Octavia Melody: Possible Gargoyle observe confirm and eliminate

3. Flitter: Confirmed Bat eliminate at own discretion

4. Cloudchaser: Confirmed Bat eliminate at own discretion

5. Cheerilee : Possible Gargoyle observe confirm and eliminate

6. Diamond Tiara: Possible Gargoyle observe confirm and eliminate

7. Silver Spoon: Possible Gargoyle observe confirm and eliminate

8. Gilda: Possible New Species observe confirm and eliminate

9. Thunderlane: Confirmed Bat: extremely dangerous: priority target

10. Snowflake: Possible Bat observe confirm eliminate

“I know most of these ponies. I never thought most of them would be like me,” I said relatively breathless.

“Trust me, those you know the best turn out to have the darkest secrets,” Luna said quietly.

Turning towards to the door I began to charge a teleportation spell,

“Don’t worry Princess this will most likely be the last time you see me alive,” I called over my shoulder.

After I blinked out Princess Luna, sat down and said, “Yes unfortunately I think so,”