Author's Note

Here you guys go!

I have been wanting to get this chapter out as soon as possible so its a little rough around the edges. I'll polish it when I get some more time but for now hear you go!

Chapter 10: The Reach of Shadows

This forest is wonderful. Shendu thinks to itself as it brushes past the fear-inducing shrubbery, the strange magic having no effect on the monster. The moon has just risen and hangs low in the sky, a waning crescent, the new moon would be soon. When darkness fell the forest came alive, much to Shendu's delight. Shendu feels at one with the dark forest as it passes by forest denizens. Manticores and cockatrice and timber-wolves. oh my

I need to find a pony princess, what better place to start than a pony village? Visions of the last pony village it visited flashed through its mind. Namely the gore, the tasty, tasty gore. But this time there could be no gore. A dead pony does not talk. But after they talk... Maybe a little gore.

The trees begin to thin and through them the monster can see a small two-story cottage in the distance. The last of what appears to be a small army of animals making their way inside the small cottage.

From a small shack looking building to the side of the cottage a yellow pegasus comes floating, a trail of chickens heading into the small shack. Shendu slows its pace as it reaches the forest edge, its natural camouflage still in place. Shendu begins a slow creep toward the pegasus, who seems to be singing a song to the animals.

Yes, this one will do.

The pegasus finishes her song and closes the small shack door. She then trots over to the cottage and steps inside, the door clicking soon after it shuts.

Shendu contemplates its next move. It could barge in, demanding answers; or it could be stealthy and sneak in before getting the answers it needed out of the pony. The latter will do.

A grumble sounds from Shendu's stomach.

Shendu remembers the birds the pony had been herding. But first, a snack.

Shendu hums as it approaches, going first to the small shack. The small building being completely wooden, a small, seemingly makeshift door guarding the occupants within. Shendu unlatches the simple door with its flexible tail and gazes upon the avians within. A dozen chickens clucking softly to one another.

They begin to cluck louder as Shendu opens the door fully, in confusion the hens and lone rooster rise from their perches. One brave hen venturing toward the door. Shendu deftly makes way for the hen as she walks just outside the shack, and then it slowly latches the door when the hen turns and walks to the left.

With the door safely shut, Shendu thrusts a claw through the chickens neck, silencing it immediately. Shendu opens its mouth wide as it raises the skewered hen to its jaws, then engulfs the dying bird in one chomp.

The meat is sweet and tender. The chicken was well cared for indeed.

With the snack out of the way, Shendu searches around the house for an opening. The front door being a last resort. After less than ten seconds of searching it sees a window on the upper level.

Shendu takes great effort to quietly climb the wall, making sure not to puncture the stone too deep. Upon reaching the window Shendu simply grabs it from all four directions and pulls gently. After thirty seconds or so the window 'pop's quietly and Shendu shifts it to its tail, gently lowering it to the ground so as not to break it.

With the window out of the way Shendu takes a good look inside, is sees a large fluffy bed, several dressers, an open door to a bathroom and a closed door to what Shendu can only presume to be the hallway. Shendu crams itself through the window into the room. Shendu being several times larger than what the cottage was designed to house.

It crouches low next to the bed, with two claws reaching upwards to the ceiling and its long tail laying on the ground in front of the bed.

The monster clicks its tongue.

And now I wait.

It did not have to wait long.

The door finally, slowly opens. Twenty minutes after Shendu took position. It creaks open and the yellow pegasus pony comes into view, a small rabbit at her hooves. She goes to take a step before the small rabbit stops her by grabbing her hoof. The step would have landed her right on Shendu's waiting tail.

"Whats wrong angel?" The pony asks the rabbit. Angel looks up at her with his ears twisting this way and that. He looks out at the room, at one point coming close to locking eyes with Shendu, who slowly raises is crouched form to a standing position as the bunny looks fervently around.

"Angel, I am very tired, can this wait until morning please?" The pony asks the rabbit. The rabbit grabs her hoof even more forcefully when she tries to raise it again.

"Come on Angel, please?" The rabbit ignores her and returns to searching the room.

I am growing impatient. Shendu thinks.

The pony, seemingly fed up, lifts her hoof again before stopping as the rabbit lets out a small squeak. The rabbit points and both the pony and monster follow his paw.

He is pointing at the window.

Shendu curses itself silently before moving into action. First the rabbit dies, then the pony shall be questioned.

Shendu strikes out with a claw, however the strike being from across the room the distance causes the strike to err and the claw to penetrate the floor just in front of the rabbit. Who immediately and without a second thought turns tail and runs, making a short attempt to pull the pony with him before just running for his small, furry life.

Shendu abandons all attempts at stealth, and releases its invisibility.

To her credit the pony does not even scream. Her jaw drops and she freezes completely, locking eyes with the monster.

"I am going to ask you a question pony, if you give me a good answer I wont hurt you." Shendu tells the pony. It had meant the message to be intimidating, but the fact it has the voice of a filly negated much of the venom in its words.

".............."

The pony is still frozen, still locking eyes with Shendu, but her mouth has begun to open and close.

Shendu is not amused. It takes a step toward the mare and brandishes all six of its claws, tearing a bit into the pony's ceiling.

"I wish to know where Princess Luna is. And you shall tell me or die. Do you understand pony?" Shendu asks, louder and angrier than before. The pony continues to stare and open and close her mouth like a fish before snapping her jaw shut and blinking.

"What are you?" She asks timidly. Strangely, even in the face of such a terrible monster, to Shendu the pony seems more curious than afraid. "And what do you want with princes Luna?"

Shendu, while on one claw admires the pony's bravery in face of certain death, is on the other five angry that she is wasting its time.

"Tell me where she is pony..." Shendu encircles the pegasus in its claws, bringing its face right up to hers. The smell of chicken blood still on its breath. "....tell me or die." The monsters slitted eyes finally manage to bore the seriousness of the situation into her head, because she finally begins to truly panic.

The sound of animals begins to rise around the cottage home. Bird cries and the calls of other small animals sounding in every direction.

"W...w...w....what..?" She stammers. Her breathing coming in short and rapid breaths.

"Tell me where Princess Luna is.." Shendu traces a claw along the mare's cheek, the razor-sharp edge drawing blood. "Or you die."

The pony shakes her head slightly and shudders.

"Th...th...th...th...the farm." She finally stammers out.

"What farm?" Shendu girlishly asks.

"S..S...Sweet apple acres." She sobs.

"Where is that?" It asks Sweetly.

"O...On the other side of town." Shendu retracts at once. As fast as a four meter beast can in a 2.5 meter home anyway. It turns toward the window and moves to it, becoming translucent quickly. It leaps out the window, claws slicing deep into the window frame as it passes.

Shendu is fully invisible by the time it hits the ground. It turns and begins to stalk toward Ponyville proper, leaving behind a traumatized Fluttershy.

Luna Lowers herself back to the ground proudly, the night sky shinning above her. Twilight gives Luna a smile and stomps her hooves. Wrath nods in appreciation and claps his hands together a few times.

"That was all well and good Luna, but was this the only reason you brought us out here?" Wrath asks, looking around quickly.

"Well, yes!" The princess responds gleefully. "And was it not worth it?"

"It was Princess it was, I just think it best not to be out lurking in the dark." At this the princess raises a brow.

"Do you fear the night, Wrath?" She asks.

"There is nothing to be afraid of out here!" Twilight chips in. The three are standing in a circle upon the top of the hill. Wrath continues to swivel his head, both ponies can see his eyes searching.

"I do not fear the night, I fear that which lurks in it." Wrath says dully.

"No manticore nor timber-wolf would dare approach an Alicorn! You have nothing to fear." The princess chides. The human begins a slow walk down the hill, the two ponies begin to follow the seemingly distressed human.

"You think there are creatures that would not attack you?" Wrath asks the princess, who curtly nods.

"We hold the power to move the celestial bodies, no creature of this world would dare challenge us!"

Wrath is silent for several moments.

"Have you ever fought a creature not of this world?" The princess is caught off guard, and her disposition turns curious.

"No....I have not, are you referring to yourself Wrath?" Twilight simply looks from the princess to Wrath as they talk, content to listen and mentally take notes.

Wrath chuckles humorlessly.

"No princess, I would not challenge you either even though I am not of this world."

"Then to what do you refer?"

Wrath looks at Twilight a long time, breaking his unusual scanning of the surroundings.

"You are the same rank as your sister, so you have the right to know. But I ask that you do not speak this to anyone other than her, and Twilight, speak this to no one."

Twilight nods enthusiastically and Luna looks skeptical.

".....Very well Wrath, we shall only tell our sister. Now what do you speak of?"

The withered human returns to scanning the landscape.

"Last night I meditated..."

"Really? Thou meditated?" Luna interrupts. "How is this relevant at all?"

"My meditation allows me to reach out with my spirit, and see the magic of the world from a, different, point of view. It was in this point of view that I investigated the happenings with the sudden ghost town on the edge of the dessert."

Luna and Twilight both give the human rapt attention as they begin winding their way back into Ponyville.

"What I discovered was evidence of something I hope with all my being is not true. You see, every living thing leaves behind a magical......residue wherever it may go. This residue had the magical properties of the being that left it. It is how I so easily found Celestia when I awoke after the invasion."

Both ponies nod to Wrath as they pass over the bridge into Ponyville proper.

"In that village was the residue of 200 or so ponies, but I could not find any actual souls. This can mean one of two things. Either all the occupants teleported a massive distance in one night, or they were all slain in one night."

Twilight grimaces and Luna scowls.

"I don't suppose you think they teleported?" Twilight asks quietly. The sad hope in her voice tears at both Luna and Wrath.

"I'm sorry Twilight, but I don't think that is what happened."

"What......What beast could do this to our subjects? The only thing short of an Alicorn that could kill that many ponies that fast is a dragon. But if that were the case the village would be burned to the ground." Luna's scowl deepens, and Twilight shrinks into herself as they pass by the carousel boutique.

"T'was no dragon Luna. For there was one more thing I sensed in my meditation. Though by all that be I hope I sensed wrong. There was a faint trace of pure magic left in the village."

"Pure magic?" Twilight asks. Wrath looks again to Luna, trying to garner permission to continue. At his glance Luna nods once.

"Yes, pure magic, though it comes in many forms. What I detected was pure, unadulterated Malevolence, and only one creature I know of leaves that particular magical residue."

The town hall building passes them by, they are walking in the very center of town.

"What is it?" Luna asks gravely. Wrath looks to her briefly and sees horror on her face.

"They have many names, but my people called them the Uttuku."

Twilight mutters the name under her breath lightly. Wrath shivers and looks around hurriedly. He sees the magical blue lights the ponies use to illuminate the street, as well as the surrounding buildings illuminated in the cold glow of them. The blinds and doors are all shut and all the residents seem to be asleep. Everything seems peaceful. Then what is eating at me? He wonders.

"What ARE they?" Luna asks.

"They.....are creatures of pure malevolence. There are several different types of them. There is the lowest, a type of grunt or minion called the Ani. They stand around the same height as a pony. They walk on four long blunt but rounded legs, and have an outer carapace that is almost as durable as dragon scales. They have no real mouth and do not eat in the traditional sense. They extract magic from animals they clubbed to death with their limbs as food. They travel in packs and are attracted, as all Uttuku are, to anything that could be considered innocent as a preferable food source."

"How horrible!" Luna barks, aghast. Twilight seems torn between horrified and intensely curious.

"It gets worse, there are two other breeds. They are much better known than the minions. They are the Ekkidu and the Shedu. Or in equestrian, Reaper and the Maiden respectively."

A magical pop and a brief flash or purple light surprises both Luna and Wrath who hurriedly look to Twilight, who has summoned a quill and paper. She begins to rapidly scribble on the paper before looking up and seeing her companions staring at her.

"*Ahem* please continue?" She asks shyly as she continues to rapidly transcribe what she has heard.

"That can only be for your eyes Twilight." Wrath warns.

"I know, but I cant just remember all of this." Wrath shakes his head before resuming.

"Anyways, I'll talk about the reaper first. It is a massive thing, easily as tall as a hydra and just as wide. It has a massive, fang-filled maw, it could eat me whole in one bite to give you some perspective. After that it has two massive scythes for arms, each as long as one of your train 'cars'. It, like the minion, walks on four legs. Though instead of the stubs the minions have, they posses massive taloned feet. Like a bird of prey. They are known to siege entire cities and have hide even more durable than dragon scales, in fact, they are known to prey an adult dragons who are foolish enough to go near them."

The three walk by sugar-cube corner as they continue their talk.

"Ummm, neither the....Ami?" Twilight starts.

"Ani." Wrath corrects.

"Thank you, neither the Ani or the Ekkidu seem like they could be responsible for what happened. The Ani would have left blood splatters all over the village if they.......bludgeoned ponies to death. And there simply would be no village if it was an Ekkidu."

"You are correct, but I do not think either the grunts, nor the Reaper is responsible. No, I believe we are dealing with a Maiden, the most terrifying of them all."

"We are unsure Wrath. The two you have described thus far are very horrifying indeed. What could be more so?" Wrath takes a deep breath and another look around them, the blue glow seemingly eerie now. A bad feeling gnaws in the pit of his gut.

"The Maiden could. I have fought grunts in my time. I have slain more than a few. I once participated in the defense of a town where a Reaper was attacking. It took several days and at least one hundred great warriors, but it was slain. However in my many years I have never, ever seen a dead Maiden, I have only heard tell of them being slain. I fought one once and I barely survived; even the most hardened of my kind congratulated me for that fact alone."

"How are they so deadly?" Twilight asks

"They are deadly for several reasons. The first is their biology. A Maiden stands roughly four meters tall. It has a wide jaw with teeth the size of a ponies forehoof. It has a long, nimble tail at least two meters long that ends with a single spike and It walks on two very slime and agile legs. Their feet have two claws that go forward and one that goes back, making them almost lithe in their movements. They have six upper limbs that extend out of three sets of shoulders. All six limbs end with long claws. This is what they look like. However this is not what makes them deadly."

Wrath scoffs.

"Hell, they are not even that resilient. Their carapace is weaker than both the reaper and the minion. Though you would still need something harder than steel to pierce it. No, what makes them terrifying is that they posses a unique ability. They bend the light around them in such a way that they are rendered almost completely invisible, they also bend any kind of light magic around them as well, making any kind of spell that functions via light useless on them."

Wrath sighs and lowers his gaze, the Tree-house is within sight.

"But even that doesn't make them as deadly as they are. What makes them a walking nightmare is that they learn. Both the grunt and the reaper are little more than beasts. The grunt is a simple predator and the reaper though it CAN talk is so maddened by bloodshed it does little more than cackle and make threats." Wrath takes a breath and looks around again, more rapidly.

"No, the Maiden is intelligent. That is why it is such a threat. It is an intelligent creature that is cruel. Imagine what evil Celestia could cause if she was suddenly enthralled by malevolence alone?"

"I....I see." Luna says after a long while. The three walk and contemplate in the quiet of the night until they reach the Tree-house.

"Oh yeah, I never told you why they are called Maidens did i?" Wrath asks just short of bemused.

"No, you didn't." Twilight answers quickly, unlocking the door with a spell.

Wrath snorts once and strokes his beard.

"They are called Maidens because they posses the voice of a young girl."

Twilight unlocks the door, but for some reason it wont open. Her magic begins to burn more brightly as she pries at it.

"Its.......its stuck!" She shouts. Both Wrath and Luna lean in to take a closer look.

A girlish giggle comes from above them