It was early morning. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, illuminating the office. On the walls hung portraits of the ponies that held authority here before, former captains of the Solar Guard. The castle had been a hive of activity in the pre-dawn hours after the guard had been roused to a theft in the night. The current captain of the Solar Guard, Captain Skyfire, had returned to her office after organizing patrols to find the thief, leaving most of the details to her subordinates. Waiting for her was a navy blue unicorn, that introduced himself as one of Luna’s couriers. It only took a moment, but it was all that the unicorn needed to slam a dark leather collar around the neck of the unsuspecting captain.

Fear shot through her as she froze mid step, cut off from ability to control her body. Her heart slammed in her chest and warm air moved through her nostrils, each breath rapid and short. Her eyes were unable to move, or even refocus; her gaze locked onto the dark blue unicorn in front of her that had donned the collar that had robbed her of control. She wanted to run, fight, fly, flee, or scream and call out the two stallions standing guard outside her office; but she remained paralyzed as the unicorn secured and inspected the device.

“Please, sit at your desk Captain.,” his warm friendly voice commanded. Her body obeyed and calmly sat itself in her chair. Her eyes stared ahead of her, unfocused. “Good. If I ask you speak you will do so in voice just loud enough for us to have a quiet conversation. Please, verbally acknowledge you understand this,” he asked kindly.

There was a pause before the Captain’s thoughts aligned to not only speak the acknowledgement, but to also think it, to feel it, to accept it. “When asked to speak, I will speak so we may have a quiet conversation.”

Her will returned and with it, panic. Even her mind was not her own now! Her breathing increased, her heart hammered in her breast threatening to burst forth from her rib cage. What did this unicorn want? He said he was a messenger from Luna, he just wanted to relay information on Celestia's stolen crown.

“Look at me…”

She looked into his eyes, light green like the sun shining through a cresting wave, unobstructed by his shiny black mane held in a neat braid that hung down his neck.

“...and calm down.”

Skyfire’s panic subsided. The beat of her heart slowed and her breathing eased into a relaxed rhythm. Her fears dissolved into numb acceptance. She knew that she should be scared, petrified at the notion that she was his to do what he willed, mind and body; but the emotion refused to well up.

He smiled. “Thank you Captain Skyfire. Now, I know you are scared, and you have every right to be, because at the end of this you are going to die.” His voice was calm, quiet and measured. “But as my sources have it, that is the way it likely would have ended anyway, even without my involvement; regicide being a capital offence.”

They knew! How did they found out!?

“What I want to know is who put you up to this and why. Could you please tell me?”

Captain Skyfire’s thoughts organized themselves. She tried to fight it. Tried to will her mouth shut, her tongue to still itself, and her throat to dry up until the only utterance she could make was a croak. But the collar paid no heed to her will and she sang like a songbird. Fucking magic.

“The Order of The Eternal Sun, I can’t tell you anything more specific because I do know know who in the Order assigned this honor to me. I received an anonymous coded message that matched a one-time pad given to me by the Shadow Council.” She was screaming in her own mind. She can’t tell him this, nopony must know the Order’s intent or even the existence of the Shadow Council! But the collar compelled her on.

“As to why; my husband has rather a rather traumatic brain injury, frontal lobe, he’s currently under constant medical care, unable to do more that look out a window. I gladly sacrifice my life so he may have his again.” Captain Skyfire continued in a calm clinical voice.

"How was The Order intending to return your husband's life?"

"They said they have a warlock who could help him." She was compelled to say.

“So you would kill the Princess of the Night to give your husband the life taken away from him.” He gave the mare a smile. “And nopony would suspect the Captain of the Solar Guard until there was nothing that could be done. Credit goes to whomever thought this plot up. Do you know of this warlock?"

"Only through rumor."

"Given the nature of the message I imagine you trusted the source, this Shadow Council?" He asked as he idly went through files in and around her desk.

"Yes"

“Could you tell me more about them, Captain?” The unicorn asked.

The Council would have her killed for revealing this information! “A group of the Order’s Elders that administers projects that are not known to the public at large.”

“Like assassination?”

“No.”

“No? Please elaborate.” The unicorn commanded, going the pegasus a curious look.

“Extortion mostly, bending the rich and powerful to the will of Princess Celestia.” She needed to escape, this agent of Nightmare Moon knew too much. “Luna is the greatest enemy of the Kingdom that Princess Celestia had spent the last millennium cultivating; eliminating her would be a great victory for the ponies of Equestria.”

The stallion frowned. “Did Celestia order her sister’s death?”

“No, as far as I know Princess Celestia has no direct influence over, or have had contact with, the Order of the Eternal Sun.”

The unicorn sighed, likely relieved at that knowledge and continued to rummage methodically around the office, putting everything back in its place as if it were undisturbed. He found nothing.

He walked back over to the enthralled pegasus and stood before her. “I think our time has come to an end.” He looked over to the mannequin holding her armor. “Please go over there and collect your dagger, its sheath and belt and bring them over to the window.”

The unicorn moved to the window and opened it up to a view to the morning sun just peeking over the mountains. Captain Skyfire walked up to the window obediently; dagger, sheath, and belt in her mouth. She knew what this was, every ounce of her will focused on stopping herself from following his instructions. The collar made her efforts fruitless.

"Wrap the belt around yourself, pin your wings to your body.”

Her body did as the unicorn commanded and secured her wings to her sides. She didn't want to die like this.

“What you are about to commit is called seppuku."

Her death was suppose to have meaning, suppose to change the course of equestrian history.

"It is a very old Pegasopolian tradition taken from an even older griffion tradition in name and practice where one would, because of othen a great personal or public shame, ..."

She was going to stop the corruption of Nightmare Moon, allow the true monarch of Equestria reign.

"...find a high place such a cliff or the edge of a cloud."

Her death was going to be meaningless.

"Bind their own wings."

She failed.

"Plunge a sword or dagger into their gut on one side and pull it across to the other, then up, then across again. If they can manage it."

She failed Celestia.

"After they have disemboweled themselves as effectively as they can,..."

She failed her dear Bulwark.

"...they fall to their, hopefully quick, death.”

The unicorn gestured to the window. “Please, Captain Skyfire, perch yourself on the sill and face me,” he said. His tone gentle and polite.

The fear remained suppress, but sadness was allowed well up inside her. Tears flowed down her eyes, matting her cheeks, as she sat on that window sill; the royal gardens five stories below.

She didn't remember him giving the command as she was too racked with grief, but she felt the dagger plunge into her stomach. The pain was overwhelming, and became greater as her body pulled the knife across. Then up. Then across again.

She looked at the stillion one last time and to her surprise she saw sadness, maybe regret, in his eyes. “I am truly sorry.” Was all he said before pushing her out the window, the collar released and remained in his grip. As she fell she felt the effects of the collar fade, freeing her mind and body.She was free to feel fear. She was free to scream. She was free to express pain. She was free. For two seconds in freefall, she was free.

She landed head first onto a gravel pathway just behind a noble couple walking by, dying instantly.

The navy unicorn closed the secret passageway hidden behind one of the bookshelves in the Captain's office and proceeded to escape into the hidden passages and service tunnels of the castle. He navigated stairs, ladders, and ramps through storage rooms and sewers as if he had been working in the castle for years. He about made it to the main sewer system when a voice stopped him. A feminine voice that held great power.

“Your dedication to me is touching Obsidian Knife, but did you have to kill her?”

Obsidian searched the darkness before his gaze fell onto set of teal eyes glaring at him in quiet rage. “Good morning Luna.”

“Dispense with the pleasantries, what did you find out?” the Princess of the Night asked him curtly.

Obsidian frowned and turned his whole body to face the princess in the dark. “That is no way to speak to somepony doing you a favor.”

“You assassinated the captain of the Solar Guard Obsidian, I fail to see how that is doing me a favor; even if the whole of the guard thinks it’s a suicide.” Princess Luna’s eyes narrowed at the navy unicorn.

“I wanted to send a message to those using her,” Obsidian shot back at her, a slight bit of irritation in his voice. “You asked for me to look into this, and I am.”

“I asked for you because you are discreet!” Her wings flared as she advanced on him. “That’s why I gave you the collar, but you used it to compel her smear herself across the castle garden!” the dark alicorn growled out.

Obsidian was unfazed by the alicorn’s threatening display. “Thank you for that by the way.” He tossed the collar to Luna, who caught it in her magic.”Who knew one of Sombra’s old toys would be of such use.”

Her eyes narrowed further, her ire could have melted iron.

“I’m discreet when it suits me and my goals, Luna. You know that.” Obsidian took a deep breath before he antagonized her any further. “The Order of The Eternal Sun is involved, Skyfire was set to be a martyr after she killed you.”

Princess Luna’s anger subsided after she had a few moments to process what he said. “Celestia’s cult has been after my abdication for years, no surprise there.” She said, her tone much less aggressive than before. “However, striving for my death is quite worrisome.”

“Yes, your reforms have caused no shortage of grief to those holding onto a thousand years of Celestia’s favored virtues.” He smiled at Luna.

Luna looked somber and asked Obsidian an unexpected question. “Could she have done it?”

“Maybe,” he answered after a moment. “If she had successfully poisoned you and had you completely vulnerable, she might have. It’s hard to say how the poison would affect an alicorn however. So, all her efforts might have been for nothing.”

“True, but it is still unsettling to think of what might have been.” The princess gave an agitated snort. “All this over a disagreement over my morals.”

Obsidian closed his eyes and bowed his head. “Luna, you don’t plan regicide over policy and moral disagreement. Skyfire was no mere pawn in this game, she was a knight. This goes deeper than some petty squabble over politics, and it can no longer be allowed to fester.” He looked back up into the eyes of the Princess of the Night.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I know. Nothing is ever so simple. What do you need from me to in order to hunt these conspirators down?”

“Your permission.”

Her teal gaze met his green. “You have it, and my influence as well. You will act with my authority. Lead the Guard to this conspiracy if you can, if not, then act.” With a flash of her horn she was gone, leaving Obsidian alone in the royal sewer.

“I won’t let you down.”

“Could you pass along a message to the warden that Obsidian Knife is here to see a prisoner?” Obsidian asked the guard posted at the reception desk of Canterlot prison.

“May I ask what prisoner you are here to see Mister Knife?” the guard asked, her tone professional, neutral, and bored.

“Due to the nature of my visit, you may not. Warden will understand my discretion.”

The guard nodded and passed along the message and instructed the unicorn to wait for an escort to arrive. It was nearly a half an hour later before the sound of the double gate leading to the prison caught Obsidian’s attention.

Waiting for him at the gate was a middle aged earth pony stallion. He was tall and thin with a dull red coat; his bright red mane in a long braid that nearly reached past his knees. His cutie mark was that of a shield with a symbol of Celestia’s sun inside it, and with a crescent moon inside the center of that sun.

Obsidian smiled. “Warden, I didn’t expect you to escort me yourself.”

Warden didn’t smile. He didn’t like Obsidian. He didn’t like anyone that thought of rules and laws as merely suggestions. “If it was any other, you would have manipulated them into having free reign of my prison.”

Warden was a stoic stallion and the commander and thirty year veteran of the Dusk Guard. They were the branch of the greater Royal Guard that acted as court bailiffs, investigators, prison guards and arresting officials on internal matters pertaining to the Royal Guard. They also managed and ran the Equestrian prison system.

“Only long enough to obtain what I need, then it would be safely back in your capable hooves.” He grinned. “More or less intact.”

Warden just grunted and turned around, proceeding through the gate; Obsidian followed. The double gate of cold iron, a special alloy of iron and mithril that suppresses, resists and dissipates any magic thrown at it, caused a cooling sensation to course down the unicorn's horn. The whole prison was reinforced with it at great cost.

The two stallions walked over a covered bridge that spanned a gorge that kept the prison built into the side of the mountain separated from the city that hosts it. It was wide enough to allow a cart across, and the only way in or out of the facility. A gatehouse on the city side of the gorge acted as a reception area for anyone wishing to visit or check-in.

They reached the far side and were faced with another pair of gates leading into the prison proper. They were scanned by a unicorn guard for illusions or disguised changelings, a security measure put into place after the invasion during Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s first wedding.

They continued on in silence deeper into the mountain. The halls of the prison felt more like they belong in a hospital. White marble floors, featureless walls and equally featureless doors adorned the hallway. Magic gems provided pure white light that added to the sterile look of the facility. The only things breaking up the monotonous environment was the occasional guard patrolling the halls in their red armor signifying them as members of the Dusk Guard, or some other worker going about their business.

Warden led Obsidian through another checkpoint that that segregated the high security area from the rest of the prison. Two types of prisoners were kept here. The first were worst of the worst: murderers, rapists, grand thieves and those waiting to be executed. Grand thieves are those whose conscious actions have knowingly impoverish many of their employees, clients, or other persons of dependence. The crime is considered almost akin to torture among many equestrians, and many have petitioned parliament and the Crown to make it a capital offence.

The second type were prisoners who were of use to the Crown, but a grave danger to society or the state: captured spies, foreign and domestic, warlords, warlocks, leaders of organised crime syndicates. They all had a place here due to their skills, connections, or knowledge. Some just disappeared, never to be seen again outside the walls of the prison. Others had their deaths faked, leaving behind no suspicion that they ever aided the Crown. They live comfortably enough in isolation, allowed to practice their skills, write on their experiences, and give valuable insight into their former lives. All for a better, safer, Equestria.

“So, who are you here to see?” warden asked as they passed the checkpoint.

“Sextant.”

The red stallion nodded and led the unicorn deeper into the mountain. They came to a nondescript door and Warden knocked upon it softly. A view port opened up and out looks a young female face behind a guard helmet. She closed the view port and, after a loud thunk, the door opened up.

“Warden, this is unexpected,” she, a pegasus, said in a cheery voice.

“Sorry to interrupt you Feather.” Obsidian taking note of the sizeable stack of books beside a cushion in the small hallway that led to another door. “Mister Obsidian Knife is here to see Mister Sextant.”

Warden addressed Obsidian. “This is where I leave you, Feather will let me know when you are finished and I’ll escort you out. Good day.” With that he left, leaving the unicorn with the the perky mare who locked the door behind the warden.

She approached and knocked on the other door and called through it. “Mister Sextant? There is an Obsidian Knife here to see you.”

“Thank you Feather, send him in,” a deep male voice called back.

Feather unlocked and opened the door into the cell, if one could call it that. Unlike the rest of the prison’s bleached appearance, this room was warm; oak flooring and mahogany book shelves on every wall. A bed, several desks, chairs surrounding a small coffee table, a work bench with arcane lab equipment, and a small kitchen area all furnished a sizable room lit by a candle chandelier. At one of the desks sat an elderly unicorn in a black robe. His coat was a straw yellow and his mane a graying brown. He looked up from his work and gave Obsidian a warm smile that caused the wrinkles around his dark green eyes to deepen.

“As I live and breath, Obsidian Knife!” He got up from his desk and gave Obsidian a welcoming hoof shake.

"It's been a long time my friend."

"That it has. Care for a bit of tea?" he asked as he ushered the blue unicorn to his sitting area.

"Please," Obsidian said, sitting down on one of the chairs.

Sextant started the tea, water boiling instantly with a flourish of magic, and then sat across from his visitor. He always enjoyed the unicorn's company, he was one of the very few polite visitors her got. However, he always had a hard time reading Obsidian, he never showed any more emotion than he wanted to, and today was no exception. "I doubt you're here just to bask in my hospitality, what do you need?"

"Maybe I just wanted to visit an old friend."

Sextant smiled. "Obsidian, you don't do anything without having at least three reasons to do it. What is it?" he asked as poured his friend a cup of tea.

Obsidian took a sip of his tea, some sort of sweet fruit blend. "Who do you know that would have the ability and skill to reconstruct a pony's brain, specifically the frontal lobe?"

Sextant frowned and looked to the side avoiding eye contact. "Warlocks don't exactly have yearly conventions and share notes. In fact it's that sort of practice that landed me in the heart of this mountain; and if you haven't noticed, I don't get out much."

"So, you could?"

"I did it once." He looked back up at Obsidian. "It didn't end well for the patient. He ended up violent, his husband received the brunt of it." He sat back and took a sip of his own tea. "Besides me there would be very few who could. You need an in depth knowledge of the structure of the brain, and on top of that you need an even greater knowledge of how magic flows through it if you don't want to botch the whole thing."

"So essentially only a doctor, or maybe a biologist, would be able to?"

"If you are using just raw magic? More or less."

"Only raw magic? What else would you need to make it easier?" Obsidian asked.

"If there is someone close to the patient, lover or immediate family member, you could..." Sextant paused for a second trying to figure out how to effectively communicate what the technique does. "...use that pony's soul like a blueprint to rebuild the patient." Sextant was uncomfortable talking about this, soul magic was powerful, but held huge consequences for all involved if it was not done right. He looked down into his cup, swirling about the few loose bits of tea leaves. "Problem is that you 'break' the soul in the process. You can't put it back after that, so the donor dies after the spell has been cast after a few days."

Obsidian finished his tea, eyes unfocused as if he was contemplating something. His gaze returned a short time later to the warlock. "Could you use the soul of pony that has already died?"

The warlock quirked an eyebrow at the idea. "The soul usually lingers on a corpse for a few days, so I suppose you could." Sextant gave his shoulders a shrug. "But the donor pony, and it does have to be a pony, still has to be close to the patient for it to work." He downed the last bit of his own tea before continuing. "The spell would be relatively easy to cast, regardless if the donor is dead or alive, if the caster had enough formal magic training. Most wouldn't do it because you die if you get it wrong; and it's not a pleasant death."

"Damn," Obsidian said as he realized that one of his leads was a dead end. "Anything else you can tell me?"

"The ritual requires powered silver and is done in an arcane rune, but neither would help you narrow down whomever you are looking for," Sextant explained, guessing that he was after somepony. "Sorry I could not be more helpful old friend."

Obsidian sighs and runs a hoof through his mane before looking up at Sextant. "I have another favor to ask."

The yellow stallion sat in silence and gave Obsidian a small nod for him to continue.

"I need an arcane expert at hoof for what I'm dealing with at the moment, care for the job?"

"You can't get much field work done this deep in the prison." The warlock responded.

"I mean help me out in the world."

Sextant's eyes went wide. The prospect of leaving this place that had been his home for the past twenty years intrigued the warlock to say the least. “Must be something big you're working on in order to pull a favor like that from the warden. He's not going to the like that idea of me outside these walls, even in my advanced age." He gave Obsidian an amused smile.

“You let me worry about that.” Obsidian set down his cup. “Is there anything you’re going to need once you are released?”

“Yea, a bodyguard. I'm not nearly as spry as I used to be and there are still those out there that have long memories, and would like their pound of flesh.”

“Done.” Obsidian smiled at Sextant, then got up and headed to the door giving it a hard knock. “If all goes well I’ll be seeing you tomorrow afternoon. Good day.” With that he left. Feather escorted him out of the cell back into the hall where the warden was waiting for him.

“Warden.” Obsidian greeted the red stallion with a small nod of his head, but Warden looked anything but welcoming as Feather closed the door behind him.

”We need to talk.” Warden said as he started down the hall. Obsidian kept pace next to him. Once they were out of earshot of anypony Warden began. “I don’t know what this is all about, but the Guard, all of it, is in a hell of a state. Celestia’s crown was stolen in the night. Skyfire decided she didn’t need wings to fly this morning, stirring up the Solar Guard like somepony bucked their hornet's nest. The Lunar Guard and the Dawn Guard are running double duty on their respective princesses until what exactly happened last night and this morning comes to light. And as usual the Crystal Guard doesn't give half a shit what happens here in Canterlot.” They turned a corner running into a pair of Dusk Guards heading the opposite direction, Warden giving a slight nod to the both of them as they walked past. Once they were gone he continued, frustration clearly heard in his calm voice. “I’ve gotten a letter from Princess Celestia before you arrived asking me to send investigators immediately to determine if Skyfire fell or was pushed out that window; something, mind you, that would never have to asked of the Dusk Guard and would have already been done if we had known about her tumble beforehand. And while you were having your little chat with that warlock, Princess Luna sent me a letter of her own telling me you were acting with her authority, and that I was to give you my full cooperation; again, not something that normally would need to be asked of me.”

“Do I have you full cooperation, Warden?” Obsidian asked.

Warden sighed. This whole matter was way above his head; and having both Luna and Celestia riding his ass about things he going to do anyway caused to him to at least hear the unicorn out. “What do you want?”

“I want Sextant released, tomorrow afternoon," Obsidian said calmly, as if he were asking for no more than a coffee.

Warden stopped and stared at Obsidian, flabbergasted at the audacity of the request.If he didn't receive that letter from Luna he likely would have thrown Obsidian out of the prison, or into one of its cells.

“You want me to release one of the most powerful warlocks alive?” He pointed a hoof at the unicorn. “Someone, who in the past, has broken numerous laws of magic including, but not limited to, partial body transmutation, blood magic, and soul binding. A warlock who killed two dozen ponies during his capture; two of them, I may remind you, very talented archmages. That warlock?”

Obsidian smiled. “So dangerous, yet he is free to continue his research in your dungeon."

Warden growled at that comment, Obsidian know damn well that if it were up the earth pony Sextant's head would be on a pike in front of the gatehouse.

"He is a tool of the Crown, and I’m going to use him," Obsidian said. "Besides, officially he's dead. Died during his capture, don't you remember?”

"I fucking remember, I had close friends among the dead that day. But pissing on his grave would be an empty gesture given that the son of a bitch sits in the bowels of my prison." Warden rubbed a hoof between his eyes and groaned recalling that night, the many comrades he lost to that warlock. He should have killed the son of a bitch when he had the chance.

Warden gave Obsidian a fiery look. “The blood is on your hooves, yours and Luna’s, if he goes rogue. Keep that fucker on a short leash.”

“I’m aware, thank you Warden.” Obsidian gave Warden a small bow.

“Fuck you Obsidian! Get out of my prison!” He spat at the unicorn before escorting him as quickly as he could out of the mountain.

Obsidian found himself at an upscale Prench restaurant later that evening in the Upper City. White marble buildings dominated the district. The streets were immaculately clean, even the allyways had scarcely any rubbage. Trees spaced along the sidewalks broke up the white theme with their yellow and amber leaves; fall was well on its way. Across from the restaurant was a nondescript building, it blended in well with the surrounding architecture. It had no signs or anything else describing the nature of the business. However, it was an open secret among the posh upper class residents of the Upper City that it was the Black Street Bordello.

Obsidian finished his dinner and crossed the street to enter the bordello. He was met by a young earth pony mare in a small unremarkable lobby. She had a coat of cherry red and a stylish maroon mane; an open pop bottle adorned her flank.

"Oh! Obsidian what a pleasant surprise!" the mare greeted him cheerfully.

Obsidian smiled at the pretty young mare. "Good evening Cheerwine, is your mistress in?"

"Yes she is, however she is with a client at the moment." Cheerwine answered as she opened a door for the unicorn. "You may wait in the lounge until she is finished, I'll make sure she knows you are here."

Obsidian smirked. "Thank you, but I think I'll let her know I'm here myself." With that Obsidian let himself in.

This was not the first time Obsidian had let himself in; both irritating and panicking Cheerwine each time he does it. "Sir, please, you can't do that!" Cheerwine exclaimed as she pursued the unicorn, trying to hide the fact to the patrons that this was a regular occurrence. Cheerwine's exclamation drew the attention of many said patrons and working boys and girls in the public lounge area of the bordello proper.

With a flair of magic Obsidian located where the mistress was. He ran up the stairs, Cheerwine hot on his hooves pleading him to stop. Hoping the unicorn wouldn't scare away any more clients. He reached the door to the room the mistress was in, grunting and moaning could be heard beyond, and he opened it. The unicorn had an amused smirk on his face as he anticipated what he was barging into.

The scene inside was quite a sight. Situated on a bed was the mistress, her rear was being attended to by a unicorn stallion, as her head was buried between the legs of a pegasus mare in front of her. All action stopped when the door opened and the intruder walked in. The mistress lifted her head from between the mare's legs and rested her black muzzle, matted with carnal fluids, on the pegasus's thigh giving Obsidian a look with her green eyes that was somewhere between seductive and mildly annoyed.

"Obsidian dear, how many times must I tell you? You must wait your turn." She gave him a wry grin. Her upper class Canterlot accent giving her an air of sophistication despite the intimate position she was in.

Cheerwine barged in beside the unicorn and spoke up before Obsidian could respond. "I'm so sorry mistress, he just barged up here and ..."

"It's quite alright my dear." The mistress cut her off before she could ramble off any more apologies. "Obsidian doesn't like to be told what to do." She looked back at the navy unicorn, fond memories of 'punishments' he had given her in the past graced her thoughts. "Now, I imagine you would like to discuss something, but as you can see I'm quite busy at the moment." She pushed her hips back for emphasis, stirring the unicorn mounting her out of his shocked stupor. "Cheer, if you would be so kind as to escort Mr. Knife here to one of our private lounges and see that he is made comfortable until I can attend to him."

"Yes mistress." Cheerwine bowed. "This way please." She gestured out the door.

Obsidian expressed his gratitude to the mistress and left, following Cheerwine.

After door closed the mistress looked up at the pegasus, that was equally as shocked as the male across from her, with a sultry expression. "I do apologize for that rude interruption." She dragged her tongue up her inner thigh, breaking the pegasus’s stupor. "Now, where were we..."

Obsidian was taken to a small smoking room to wait. It was Saddle Arabian themed from the soft pillows that littered the floor to the hookah that sat on small table in the center. Obsidian refused the refreshments, and intimate company, offered by Cheerwine, so she bowed and left him alone to wait. He didn't see Cheerwine for the rest of the evening, but an attendant would pop in every once in a while over the next few hours to make sure that the unicorn was not in need of anything.

The mistress eventually arrived, freshly showered, her green mane was styled and the mare herself was wrapped in a blood red silk robe. She took her time after finishing with her clients, who got a little extra time, and a hefty discount. She made sure the rude unicorn had to wait to see her; a fitting punishment for being so insistent. Obsidian watched her as she entered. She felt his warm gaze, but ignored it for now, still annoyed at him for interrupting her session with a pair of rather important clients. She walked over to the hookah and, with quick and graceful magic, lit the hookah and took a hit. The rose scented smoke billowed from her nostrils as she sat down next to the unicorn, passing him the hose which he graciously accepted.

"I hope you know that I'm taking the discount that I gave that couple out of your tab." She said as she leaned into him, taking in his scent. He always smelled faintly of the sea.

"I have a tab? I thought my money is no good here?" he responded before taking a deep hit of the cool smoke.

"I said you were no good here. Your money is more than welcome," she teased.

Obsidian blew out the smoke in rings. "Good to know your priorities are in order."

The mistress manipulated the rings with her green magic, turning them into hazy hearts. "And your priorities are a mess if you have not come here to seek my company." She nuzzled into his neck. He didn't react to the affection, his gaze lingered on the smoky hearts. She signed and buried her forehead into his shoulder as she sensed that her affections were not returned. "This is not a social call is it?" she groaned.

"No, unfortunately it is business." he said as he put an arm around her and stroked her back.

She pulled away from him in a huff. "Well, what do you need?" Her ire growing.

Obsidian passed to the hose back to the mistress before speaking. "I need an extraction. I have an acquaintance that is training with the Order of the Eternal Sun, and I need her by my side during this..." He paused to think of an appropriate word for what he was dealing with. "...crisis that has currently has my attention."

"Does this have anything to do with the departure of the dearly beloved Captain Skyfire?" she asked. She was not sorry to see the captain go. Skyfire's nearly constant harassment of her establishment had caused no end of trouble for the mistress. However the ponies under the captain's command were only equine and most of them turned a blind eye to the bordello; in return for services of course.

"From what I hear, that was a suicide." he said calmly.

"And from what many of my armored clients tell me, she didn't seem the type." She inhaled another lungful of the fragrant smoke, letting it out in the same cool, seductive manner she always carried herself in. "Her honor must have taken quite a blow to warrant such a grizzly death. Rumors and spectionlation have been flying around so rapidly all day that you just don't know who, or what, to believe. Tell me Obsidian, what have you heard?"

Obsidian looked over the mistress closely, as if he were contemplating some grand mystery to solve about her. "Rumor has it that she, and others, had plans to kill Luna, but was found out. The shame of such an act must have driven her out that window."

The mistress sat frozen, her wide eyes gazing at Obsidian. This was new informationto her, but the source in front of her has proven himself time and again to be most reliable. Who would try to assassinate the Princess? How? To what end? These questions raced across her mind as the stallion took the hose from the shocked mare and took a deep hit from the waterpipe. Her distress was reinforced by a sense of concern that she was getting from him. He rarely expressed such emotions. His previous transgressions of the evening were immediately forgiven. Princess Luna was the reason she was here, was the reason that she could open up this establishment, and was the reason the Solar Guard was a nuisance rather than a threat.

She moved back to his side and embraced him. "Whatever you need, it is yours." She whispered to him.

He melted into the embrace, lifting a hoof to to stroke the arm around his chest. "Can you arrange the extraction by the morning?"

"I'll be ready by then."

"You?" he asked, surprised she was volunteering to herself to do this.

"This isn't the same game you normally play Obsidian. This was a strike against the Princess of the Night. This was a strike against Equestria. And if this is what you request of me and mine, then it shall be done right." She kissed the base of his horn and then laid him down amongst the pillows, feeling that he had nothing more to ask of her.

She crawled over him, seductive grin on her face. "Now that business is attended to, what are your plans for the rest of the evening?" She asked, kissing up his chest, giving him a sensual lick as she reached the base of his neck, hoping to tease out the delicious noises that he makes in moments like this.

Obsidian released one of those noises as her warm wet tongue sent shivers down his spine. "For you, I have all night." He pulled her face up to his and gave her a rough passionate kiss that she melted into. After a few moments of their tongues and hoofs exploring each other they broke apart, both breathing rather heavily, sweat starting to matt their coats. He leaned up and whispered into her ear. "I love you."

She grinned. "I know."

Author's Note

I would first like to thank a couple of editors from the Looking for Editors group that went over the first part of this chapter and pointed out a few things for me.

Any and all comments, questions, concerns are encouraged and welcome!

Chapter 2 shouldn't been too far behind this one.