Author's Note

Honestly i worked on and off on this chapter for a long time even had one that looked different but felt too rushed with too many events just summarized where they could be good chapters by themselves.

It is also recently I finally have a solid direction on what type of story i aim to tell further helping my ability to work on it

Sorry for the several year delay and i do not guarantee timely releases but i will try to stop procrastinating as much.

Thanks to all that have followed and read this story and please keep ripping me a new one where it is lacking or correcting grammar or asking for clarification. Hell I feel this chapter could have been better but still here it is enjoy

Chapter 31: Pest Control Day 1

Chapter 31: Pest Control Day 1

I woke up to the sun poking its way into my room from behind the curtains. With a sigh I rose from the bed and walked to the bathroom connected to the bedroom. One quick wake up shower later I was in my armor running a system check while cooking an omelet and some bacon.

Minutes later I heard Shadow Rose come down the stairs, dressed in a tank top and sweatpants sporting an almost impossibly bad bed head. She shuffled forward like a zombie. Wordlessly I grabbed a mug and poured some coffee in it. Shadow Rose grabbed the mug and downed the contents.

“Not a morning person are you.”

Shadow Rose shook her head, “Never have been, vampirism just made it worse.”

“Well breakfast will be done soon, you can eat normal food can’t you?”

“Not as filling or satisfying as blood but yes.” The vampire opened the front door and picked up a newspaper on the porch before going back to the couch and sitting down.

The room fell silent as I finished up our breakfast. With the two omelets and bacon finished I brought the food to the living room and we began eating. Shadow Rose was engrossed in the newspaper so I began talking to Nightmare.

“So it occurred to me, is there any way for you to manifest yourself outside my head without switching who’s in the pilot seat?”

I felt Nightmare’s presence stir “You miss seeing me already?” I could hear her smirk.

“No, I just want to see the ponies' reaction to the Boogie Man walking next to a demon.”

“Hahaha… Give me some time, I might be able to whip something up.” I felt Nightmare’s presence fade to the back of my mind.

Soon enough Shadow Rose and I finished breakfast and Shadow went to get ready for the day. As she did that I picked up the mail, and read the newspaper aptly named The Equestria Daily. It was mostly rumors about celebrities. But an article about a high profile thief being caught in Manehattan was there, it even mentioned my presence in Ponyville and that Celestia told the newspaper that I was working for them and that the Demon had seen the error of his way and wished to make amends for past wrongs.

I heard the thud of heavy footsteps and looked to see Shadow Rose walking down the stairs, a helmet under one arm dressed in dark gray plate armor, a sword hung from her hip.

“Well what do we have for today?”

Shadow Rose grabbed a wax stamped envelope in her magic and quickly opened it. “Pest control, monsters have been getting close to the edges of the Everfree lately. Guards have been sent to clean up in other areas, and we are responsible for Ponyville. The Ponyville guards will keep an eye on the Elements while we are gone.”

We spent the next hour packing supplies to last a week. Food and water for me, blood for Shadow Rose, Tent, Medical supplies, poison joke cure and concentrate, along with various other miscellaneous items needed for hunting trips in a magical forest full of monsters.

Packed and ready to go we walked the streets of Ponyville towards Sweet Apple Acres. Not many were out so early, and those that were avoided us. It was not long till the Everfree Forest was in sight with Sweet Apple Acres to our left and before long we made it into the edge of the forest.

The moment we arrived we were alert with weapons drawn. My helmet adjusted to the low light making it easier to see. I mostly ignored my motion tracker, as it lit up for every little critter that scuttled about. Seeing Shadow Rose glide through the forest reminded me she was a vampire, much like the human stories she moved with an effortless grace. Fortunately experience and training kept my footsteps quiet if not graceful.

We walked for fifteen minutes before numorous glowing green eyes surrounded us. I put my magnum on its magnetic holster and raised my fists. The timberwolves charged at once, I met the first one to reach me with an armored fist to the head then all hell broke loose.

Half a dozen of the timberwolves harassed me at once, quickly overwhelming my armor's energy shield as I punched and kicked at the timberwolves bits of wood and sap exploding like shrapnel. The timberwolves claws and teeth failed to find much purchase on the outer shell of my armor, and made a few shallow marks on the armored bodysuit. The fight was an easy one when I was effectively invincible, it was getting used to fighting alongside Shadow Rose that proved troublesome as we had to pull some punches and kicks as to not incur friendly fire and even then a glancing blow from her kick would send me stumbling when I failed to account for her supernatural abilities or vice versa.

I snatched one lunging timberwolf out of the air by its forelegs and with its own momentum threw it into the green glow of one of its brethren breaking the exposed core and dazing the timberwolf that just got used as a projectile. This action was followed by attacking another of the creatures with a straight punch and not fully registering the blurring figure rushing to do the same to that poor timberwolf. Our fists went through the creature and met each other and I felt pain lace through my hand and into my arm as my fingers fractured in a few places.

With that timberwolf obliterated, the few remaining ran off, leaving the area of the forest we fought in full of bits of wood and green sap along with much of the vegetation in ruins from the brief skirmish.

As my adrenaline faded the pain in my right arm came full force causing me to grimace just as Shadow Rose ran up to me, her ears flat on her helmet. “Sorry, let me see if I can heal it.”

I nodded. Shadow Rose’s horn glowed and I gritted my teeth as I felt the bones in my right hand align and fuse back together.

I flexed my hand. “You're used to fighting alone?”

Shadow Rose nodded.

“That makes two of us.”

Drawing my magnum, I stepped past the remains of the timberwolves

The forest was silent, our careful steps sounded like gunshots as we walked. Despite the eerie silence we walked for another hour without incident. After several more hours our path brought us to another clearing where we decided to set up camp. Shadow Rose set up some warding talisman that would keep most of the forest’s inhabitants out. I took the role of setting up the tent

As the night sky shone with countless stars. I sat by the campfire, my hand surrounded by the dark blue glow of my magic. It flickered like a dying lightbulb before I lost my grasp and it disappeared. With a sigh I tried again. Once more I willed mana from my core and into my hand the mana sluggishly obeyed before finally materializing, looking at my hand the glow was fainter but more stable. I couldn't take the strain for long before I released my hold on the mana.

At that point my head was pounding from the many attempts to stably manifest magic and on the last attempt I had managed to partially succeed.

“For only having used your mana pathways for the first time only weeks ago you are making good progress. Given time you will knock the metaphysical rust out of your pathways then it is only a matter of practice and building up your capacity and you will make for a decent mage.” Nightmare complemented

“How did I end up with magic? During the war I was incapable of any magic, lacking the capacity is what Discord’s scholars told me.”

“Simple, between getting blasted by pure magic and well over a thousand years imprisoned by said magic in areas saturated with magic it was only a matter of time till it crystallized into a magical core.” Nightmare explained.

“Simple sure, Just get hit with the harmony laser, turn to stone then wait over a thousand years in magic rich environments and presto magic. I’ll make sure to tell anyone else that ends up thrown here from across space and time.” I deadpanned.

Nightmare’s eye roll was audible “Simple in theory you ass. Now wake up Shadow Rose, your watch is almost done.”

“Okay okay.” I put my hands up in mock surrender.

I put another log in the fire before getting up and walking over to the tent half a dozen meters away. Entering I saw Shadow Rose still in full armor minus the helmet with her sword close by.

“Shadow Rose, it's your turn.” Moments later Shadow Rose stirs and steadily rises off of the bed roll still bleary eyed; she puts her helmet on and fastens her sword to her hip before standing.

I lay down on the bed roll placed next to Shadow Rose’s and close my eyes hearing Shadow Rose say “Sleep well” before I drift off to sleep.