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                        Dark Nights                        
                     -by thedarkitty-                      
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                         Prologue                          
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Prologue
Start of season one.
Canterlot Newspaper
The City of Canterlot is in a state of complete shock and horror at the discovery of eight ponies slaughtered and butchered in the Cartilia’s mansion. Names of the victims and details of the attack are being withheld by the investigators led by Captain Cobalt Moon of the newly reinstated Lunar Guard, but our sources that were at the scene of the crime have led us to believe this horror to be the work of some kind of wild animal. Nopony knows what kind of predator could have done such a thing, some say it was the work of a rogue direwolf, while more superstitious ponies believe it was a demon summoned from Tartarus through the use of dark magic. As of yet, only one confirmed survivor has been found and at the orders of Captain Moon their name, along with their connection to the victims is being withheld from the public. The citizens of Canterlot City are advised to stay indoors and not walk around out at night for the next few weeks. Any potential witnesses who were out on the night in question and may have seen something are encouraged to come forward to Captain Moon and give a statement.
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Five years later, start of season five
Luna sat on the edge of the training fields sourly observing the weak training that her Lunar Guards were currently participating in. The sound of steel striking against the bodies of wooden practice ponies echoed around the grassy moonlit, fields as thestrals pounced on their assigned wooden ponies using their hoofclaws to cut and slice their surface, each blow deep and lethal. While half of the thestrals, practicing their combat, were cutting up the wooden ponies, the other half was divided up into sparring partners that viscously fought each other with hooves and fangs, their bodies covered in streams of sweat and blood. The last of thestrals, not in combat training, were focused on strength training, performing push-ups, chin-ups, sit-ups and various weightlifting techniques.
When she had first seen the new, modern training regime for Celestia’s Solar Guard just this morning, she could only stare in complete disbelieving shock. No weapons training. No real strength training. Just drills on how to march in formation and an obstacle course so easy that a twelve year old thestral filly could have completed it several times over and still have enough energy and strength for their midnight playtime.
Luna gritted her teeth and huffed with annoyance as she paced in circles with restless agitation, glaring coldly down at the grass beneath her hoofs. Before her thousand year banishment, Equestria’s military strength had been one of the greatest forces to be reckoned with in the kingdoms. The first time Tirek had attacked Equestria, the Lunar and Solar Guards had effectively resisted and weakened him for an extended amount of time, but now, a thousand years later, he attacked a second time and nopony had been able to offer any real resistance or rebellion. She glanced back at the training field, gritting her teeth with annoyance at what she was seeing.
This new military training was nothing but a sad, dull shadow of what had once been the most brutal, deadly and effective training regime a thousand years ago, before she had been banished. Luna herself would personally train with her guards, teaching them how to effectively use their superior reflexes and senses to combat a unicorn mage’s magic.
A thousand years ago, their strength training would involve the Lunar Guards working together as one cohesive unit to move great, massive boulders of granite over a long distance to build up their stamina and to teach them how to work in sync with each other. Their combat training consisted of fighting each other with real weapons and armor, while healers were close by in case something went wrong. A thousand years ago, thestrals of the Lunar Guard came out of their training bearing multiple, extensive and deep scars both physical and emotional, but their respect, loyalty, trust and love for each other was so absolute, it was harder and more resilient then a black diamond forged in dragon fire.
Luna glared with disdain up at the light still glowing in her sister’s bedroom window. It was because of Celestia’s pacifism that the Solar and Lunar Guards were now so weakened and ineffective. It was Celestia’s pacifism that had first caused the Lunar Guards to slowly disband and effectively leave Equestria almost defenseless. If it hadn’t been for Twilight and her friends wielding the Elements of Harmony, Equestria would have fallen during Nightmare Moon’s return, Discord’s escape and Sombra’s rising.
The Lunar Guard, still in the final stages of being rebuilt, couldn’t have been utilized for the battle against Tirek. But the Wonder Bolts and the Solar Guard, which had been fully intact during Celestia’s thousand year reign, had been next to useless in stopping him. Because of this weakened military state, herself, Celestia and Cadence had been forced to keep their magic safe by giving it up to Twilight Sparkle. While she was an capable and aspiring mage, she was inexperienced and had no knowledge of the finer tactics and strategies of war and combat. A pound of mage-bane, prepared by fully trained Lunar Guards and dispersed into the air by the Wonder Bolts would have been enough to weaken Tirek, reclaim his stolen magic and send him back down Tartarus where he belonged. Luna hissed with frustration, pacing faster and in an ever increasing wider circle.
The attack from Tirek hadn’t been the first time the Solar Guard and their Captain, Shining Armor, had failed at their duties of protecting Equestria. They were undisciplined, poorly trained and severely unequipped for properly defending Equestria in times of distress. She had seen the result of Celestia’s pacifism influencing her Solar Guards when the changelings invaded Canterlot and they were so easily captured and defeated. Queen Chrysalis herself would have fallen during her battle with Celestia had her sister not discontinued practicing her combative magic for so many centuries. Magical power was like a muscle, if it was exercised regularly it would only become stronger over time, neglection to do so and the opposite was bound to happen.
Luna was under no disillusions that she, herself, shared in some of the blame for not being able to protect the innocent pony folk against the changelings. She could have summoned her Night Terrors, the only actual military threat that remained of her Lunar Guard, and with them by her side the fight against the changelings would have been over much sooner. But she and her Guards were nocturnal, they were responsible for keeping Equestra safe at night. During the day, Equestria’s protection fell to Celestia’s obviously incapable hoofs.
Luna came to a complete stop, once more glared up at Celestia’s window, resisting the urge to curse her sister’s stupidity for becoming so soft in her older age. Something desperately needed to be done. Equestria needed to get the edge back it had once had in its olden times. The edge only an army of properly trained predators could give it. Luna smiled and turned her back on the sight of Celestia’s window. It was time she stepped up and performed the duties and responsibilities that was required from her as a princess of Equestria. Celestia may rule during the day, but when the moon hung in the sky, Equestria was hers. Luna nodded resolutely to herself, she was finally going to cast off the remaining shadows of her sister’s control over her, and make her own decisions for the wellbeing of Equestria.
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Silias Ironclaw, the king and ruler over the Griffon Kingdom stood on his bedroom balcony that looked out over the city and the vast dark sea that laid beyond. His sweat covered body made him shiver slightly as the cool coastal breeze blew over him. He had come out here for privacy while he caught his breath and regained some of his strength, as he wasn’t willing to let the current concubine sharing his bed see him such an exhausted and weakened state. Valeena was her name. She was a beautiful, petite little griffon and by far the most favourite griffon in his vast harem to take his pleasure with. No matter how rough and violent he was with her, she took everything he could give and loved every minute of it. The curtains that separated the balcony from his personal chambers opened as Valeena stepped through and joined him on the balcony.
Like him, sweat covered every part of her lithe, graceful body. Her mane, fur and feathers were disarrayed in every direction and she was panting with exhaustion. “My King,” she murmured weakly, bowing her head low with subservience. “Please f-forgive me if I’m disturbing you.”
Silias silently regarded Valeena with mixed feelings. All his concubines had been strictly commanded to never leave his bed when they were servicing him. And when they weren’t chosen for servicing him, they were to remained safely locked up in their personal chamber away from any other male that they may be tempted to lay with. But Valeena, so small and petite had dared disobey him by leaving the sanctity of his bed and approaching him on the balcony. Not even the most bloodthirsty, viscous soldier in his army had the bravery and fortitude to do what Valeena had just done.
“You disobeyed my commands, Valeena.”
Valeena kept her head bowed in subservience, and her gazed fixed on the stones beneath her. “I did, my King.”
“Why? You know you must be punished.”
“Yes. I know, my King.” Valeena shuddered with obvious pleasure and she dared look him in the eyes, once more breaking one of his commands. With a fierce growl Silias pounced onto his concubine, grabbing her by the throat and pinning her to the ground. Blood welled beneath the tips of his talons, which were positioned over her arteries and veins ready to tear into them. Valeena gasped in pained pleasure and whimpered in fear, but when he looked down into her soft silver eyes reflecting the moonlight, he saw nothing but the unbridled passion and pure devotion she held for him. His passion once more fired up, Silias reached his free talons between her legs, lightly teasing her warm, extremely wet pussy sticky with both their cum. When he applied more pressure to her throat, and Valeena arched her back mewling loudly with uncontrollable pleasure as she came then and there.
Silias hissed with displeasure of Valeena cumming without his permission and in one swift, graceful movement he raised her high into the air and spun around to hold her over the railing of the balcony. Despite the near hundred foot drop off a sheer cliff onto jagged rocks below, and the fact Silias had all his concubines’s wings clipped, Valeena’s face held no sign fear of how close to death she was.
“Why, Valeena?” he hissed venomously. “Why do you disobey me?”
“Because.” She looked deeply into his eyes, her own gaze filled with nothing but pure unconditional love. “I love what you do to me,” she whispered softly, her eyes alight with the same passion Silias felt burning within him. Still holding Valeena over the balcony by her throat, Silias leaned far enough over the railing to kiss her deeply. The tip of his beak latched onto her tongue and he bit down on it hard enough to taste her blood. He drew his free talons over her flanks leaving deep crimson lines in their wake and pulled back from the kiss, sharply spanking her opposite flanks hard enough to leave a vivid red print on her flesh that would no doubt turn into a bruise. She mewled shrilly and squirmed with masochistic pleasure at the pain being inflicted onto her body. “Please! My King! Take me again!” she pleaded with a desperate need to be roughly rutted.
“Bed. Now!” he commanded, roughly throwing her to the curtain that led into his personal chambers.
Valeena instantly obeyed, scampering back into the room and pouncing into his bed. She whimpered softly and curled up into a little ball with her favourite pillow to sleep with held tightly against her chest. Silias walked in after her, briefly wondering if he had perhaps gone too far with her. She now had several large, bloody scrapes across her body from where she had landed on the rough stones, but his worries were laid to rest when he saw Valeena looking at him with intense, lust filled bedroom eyes, purring loudly in pure pleasure. As he approached, she swished her tail playfully pressed her right cheek to one of the many silk pillows on his bed, raised her flanks and flicked her tail to the side revealing her winking pussy still leaking a copious amount of her juices despite the many times he had taken his pleasure with her.
With a low growl, Silias pounced onto the bed, mounting his concubine, hilting himself into her needy hole with one vicious thrust. Valeena’s cries and mewls as he took her without any regard for her personal comfort were filled with pure, love filled pleasure and echoed clearly throughout the halls and rooms of his castle.
Almost an hour later, Silias was softly biting and nibbling into her neck as he held her in a firm hug against his chest. He had lost count of how many times they had came together, all he could think of was how Valeena could fire up his rage, lust and passion all at once. He still couldn’t figure out why he still tolerated her willful disobedience. Had any other concubine in his harem try and do what she just did, he’d have their cheeks branded with a black “X” and they’d live the rest of thir living in shame as chamberpot maids. But not Valeena. She was the only griffon in his entire harem whom had the honor and pleasure of knowing this tender side to him.
Silias held Valeena tighter against his body. She murmured sleepily and began purring as he entwined their tails and covered her body with a warm wing. He rested his talons over her neck and gently scratched her flesh, just the way she liked it. He focused on Valeena’s body warmth slowly leaking into his coat, warming him against the cold air flowing in from his open balcony doorway, making him feel drowsy. He rarely went to sleep this early, being king and having so many responsibilities and worries deprived him of such an luxury. But with Valeena pressed tightly into his chest, purring and snoring softly, he was sorely tempted to indulge himself this one time. Laying his head in the crook of Valeena’s neck, he gently ran his talons over her no doubt pregnant belly making her coo softly and purr more deeply. Smiling, he closed his own eyes and just as the first tendrils of sleep flowed into his mind, there was a loud knock on the door chasing them away.
Silias’s eyes instantly shot open, a low growl of displeasure sounded in his throat as he pounced from the bed and stalked his way to the door, wrenching it open. The guard posted there was sweating profusely with nervousness, his eyes were wide and he reeked of fear. Silias grabbed the wretched creature, whom had disturbed his peace at such a pleasant time, by the throat and slammed him against the stone floor. The guard struggled, but Silias growled warningly and tightened his grip digging his talons into the guard’s flesh, and the guard stopped struggling.
“F-forgive me my king!” the guard wheezed out from the choking grip around his throat. “S-somepony has demanded to-” He tried his best to take in a deep breath. “To... see... you.” Silias waited until the guard was passed out and stepped over his unconscious form, making his way to the throne room. He settled into his throne and glared down at dark cloaked pony standing as still and as quiet as a statue. The cloaked pony had the gall and presumption to wake and demand to see him in his own throne room, he was severely tempted to order his guards to kill the pony where they stood to make them pay for their disrespect.
But despite the numerous spears, crossbows and swords pointed at the cloaked pony, ready to instantly skewer them should they make one wrong move, the pony didn’t seem at all concerned about the safety of their life. It was it was hard to tell what they were thinking with their face almost completely concealed in the shadows of the voluminous cowl pulled over their head making their expression impossible to read. The cloaked pony was either extremely foolish or very brave, Silias couldn’t tell. It took almost an hour, but Silias had patiently listened to what the cloaked pony had to say, and he had yet to give his answer to the pony’s offered proposal.
“How do I know you’re not lying to me,” Silias whispered coldly, scraping his razor sharp talons along the armrest of his throne leaving deep scratches in the stone. “Perhaps this plan you’ve offered to me for taking over Equestria is nothing more then a ruse, hoping to lead me and my army into a trap to be slaughtered!” Silias hissed venomously. “How can you prove to me your intent to deliver Canterlot, the princesses and all of Equestria to me is sincere?”
The cloaked pony moved slowly making sure their movements wouldn’t be perceived as threatening as they pulled their saddlebags off of their back and slid it along the floor to rest at the base of Silias’s throne. The king licked his beak and greed shone through his eyes as he riffled through the saddlebags. They contained all the strategic maps and documents detailing Canterlot’s, military strengths and defenses, it was all the information he would need to conquer Equestria.
It would take some time before he raised enough of his military strength in order to take Cantrlot, and with Equestria’s capital city in his grasp the rest of Equestria was as good as his. A cold smile formed on his beak and he looked up to the cloaked pony patiently, silently standing there observing him. No doubt they were expecting some kind of reward for their treason in selling out Equestria.
“And what do you want from this, stranger? What price is worth you betraying your country?”
The cloaked pony was silent for several long moments and they eventually rolled several thick scrolls of parchment across the ground to his throne. “Kill them all.”
Silias opened one of the scrolls, it contained the names, addresses and descriptions of dozens of noble ponies living in Canterlot. He estimated all three scrolls combined would have around two hundred names in total. He gave a single nod at the cloaked figure’s request. “Done.”

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             Chapter 1 - Asserting Authority               
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Chapter 1 - Asserting Authority
Luna, like most nights, was the sole occupant of the throne room. She had risen the moon fifteen minutes ago and the giant braziers burning with ethereal blue flames in the four corners of the room, did almost nothing to illuminate the darkness of the vast throne room or chase away the chill hanging in the air. She had taken advantage of her solitude, and was flopped over her throne with her back legs splayed in a way that left nothing to a pony’s imagination. Without the need to worry about protecting her reputation as a princess of Equestria she ate her breakfast, consisting of a large cup of coffee, a plate piled high with cream and strawberry covered waffles, as messily as possible.
Beside her on Celestia’s unoccupied throne, which she often used as her own personal desk, were a dozen personnel files belonging to thestrals she was considering to promote to Captain once Cobalt Moon retired from his service in the Lunar Guard in several months time. But she had a small window of free time, during which she didn’t have to worry about attending any of the royal items of business on her night’s schedule, so the files stayed unattended on the throne.
Luna purred as she licked the left over cream and syrup from her empty plate and teleported the mostly spotless dish back to the kitchens once she was done ‘cleaning’ it. With her free time over, she sighed with resignation and levitated a manila file from the pile on Celestia’s throne and idly flicked through its contents as she sipped from her cup of coffee. She had narrowed her choice of the next Captain of the Lunar Guard down to two thestral mares whom she couldn’t decide between.
The file Luna had selected, belonged to Night Striker. She was twenty nine years old and had the highest scores in her academia schoolwork. She had acquired an highly enviable ninety six percent score for her combat abilities, and she was in her sixth year of being a Lunar Guard recruit which was longer then almost any other recruit in the Lunar Guard service. But it was Night Striker’s mana-born abilities of shadowmancing, a magical discipline which gave its practitioners the ability to manipulate shadows and use them as weapons, which made Luna take a keen interest in the mare’s career in the Lunar Guards. She wasn’t like Celestia, she didn’t view or treat those who practiced the magical disciplines of arcane, ethereal and shadowmancy, with extreme suspicion and mistrust.
The next file she searched was labeled ‘Sable’. She was another thestral mare who stuck out from the rest of her fellow comrades. She was only twenty two years old, and had joined the Lunar Guard at the young age of eighteen. During her four years of being a recruit in the Lunar Guard she had obtained the highest combat ability score of ninety eight percent, something not even Cobalt Moon had accomplished in such a short time period. Her academia scores were at an abysmal thirty five percent was only her combative abilities and impressive knowledge of battle strategy and war tactics keeping her from flunking out of the Lunar Guard. Luna paused when she came to Sable’s disciplinary and criminal record. Sable had been arrested many times since she had come to Equestria from Rebirth for starting dozens of tavern and street fights with the Solar Guard which had resulted in them spending days in the infirmary.
“Luna! Are you in here?!” Celestia’s golden aura of magic enveloped the doors to the throne room and they slammed open announcing the arrival of her sister. “Please tell me you’ve taken leave of your senses, sister!” Celestia approached the throne with a fiery look in her eyes and her stomping hoofsteps echoed throughout the vast, empty room. “Because I cannot, for the life of me, understand some of the decisions you make!”
Luna squeaked with surprise at Celestia’s unexpected appearance and flicked her tail between her splayed legs to retain some of her modesty. Once she was composed, she raised an inquiring eyebrow at Celestia. “Good evening, sister. I cannot help but notice you appear to be somewhat troubled.” She took several deep mouthfuls of her coffee and subtly moved a plate covered in crumbs and frosting further under her throne’s pillow. “If you are searching for thine missing cake of the evening. I assure you, it is not here.”
“Don’t be cute with me, Luna.” Celestia ascended the dozen stairs that led up to the thrones, looking quite disgruntled. “You know very well my troubles do not come from the lack of my evening cake. Something you and I will once again talk about. At great length.” Scowling with displeasure, she levitated Luna’s paperwork and files off of her seat. She sat, glaring at her smaller sister as she pulled dozens of files from her courier bags, slamming them in front of Luna. “I’ve just found out you are authorizing the use of-”
“Commander Hurricane’s ‘Fire Regime’ training program to train my own Lunar Guards. Yes, what of it?” Luna kept her face in her practiced poker face of calm, resisting the urge to scowl and glare at the sight of her Lunar Guard military files in Celestia’s possession.
“There was a reason I disbanded that training program! We are in a time of peace!” Celestia ruffled her wings and stamped a hoof on the armrest of her throne. “What will our allies think if they found out you are using such violent and lethal tactics to train your Lunar Guards?”  
“It does not matter what our allies will think. This is completely, and utterly my choice. And I do not appreciate you sticking your muzzle in my business that does not concern you!”
“Doesn’t concern me?” Celestia looked at Luna with complete disbelief. “Your decisions affect the continuing wellbeing and safety of Equestria! So it does concern me! And it is my business!” Celestia paused her lecture for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “I simply can not authorize this to happen. You are to recall your orders for the changes in your military training.” Celestia slammed several more files in front of Luna. “I’ve also been keeping an eye on your candidates for promoting to Captain once Cobalt Moon retires. You are to change these candidates and select somepony more respectable and suited to this task.”
Luna sipped her coffee, her poker face slipping as the urge to scream at Celestia ‘mind your own goddess damned business’ was getting harder to resist. “I believe Sable and Night Striker are excellent choices for the position of Captain in my Lunar Guards.”
“Have you even bothered to read through their files? Sable is violent, unstable, and quite frankly a sociopath that needs to be locked up. Half the complaints I get from my Solar Guard are about Sable! Not to mention the complaints I get from Night Striker! She is a wild party mare with no respect for authority, she has no sense for responsibi-MMPH?!” Celestia stared in shock at the hoof Luna had pressed to her mouth stopping her from saying anything else, she didn’t expect such an dominating, rude action from her little sister. Luna swallowed the rest of her coffee in a few quick gulps and looked up into her sister’s eyes, her own shining with ill concealed displeasure and anger.
“Celestia, you have gone too soft in my thousand years of banishment. Thine Solar Guard is nothing more than an undisciplined, poorly trained joke. While Shining Armor makes a fine Captain, thine approved military training program is limiting their potential strength. So is it no wonder Equestria has been saved from the brink of disaster so many times by his sister only backed up by five untrained mares?!” Luna’s magic snatched her military files from Celestia’s possession and placed them in the courier bags. “One day, Twilight Sparkle and her friends will fail while wielding the Elements of Harmony, or worse be killed. On that day, Equestria will need a strong, powerful and capable army. Thine pacifist ideals have made thine Solar Guard fall very far from that line. I will not make that mistake with my own guard! I do not tell you how to rule the kingdom during the day, sister. How I decide to rule our kingdom during the night is my own choice and I will appreciate you to stop trying to make decisions for me! I am not a little filly anymore!”
Luna pulled her hoof away and glared at a spot on the floor away from Celestia’s gaze as she waited for her sister’s rebuttal. She just wished Celestia would stop being so blind to the fact that peace was nothing more then a fleeting moment and once it was over, Equestria was going to be in great danger if they continued following her ideals and traditions.
After a few moments of awkward, strained silence, Celestia was the one that spoke up first. “I’m sorry, Luna,” she murmured quietly. Luna twitched her ear in her sister’s direction, the only sign she gave that she had heard her sister’s words. Celestia sighed, and with a quiet ruffle of feathers she draped a warm wing over Luna’s back and leaned over the space between them to gently nuzzle and kiss her cheek with genuine affection. “While it’s true that you have been back long enough for me to start trusting you to make your own decisions regarding the affairs of your Night Court, I just worry so much. I may not agree with some of your decisions.” She nodded at Luna’s military files. “But I shall respect them. Can you please forgive me? We still have so much time to catch up on, I don’t wish it to be wasted because we’re mad with each other.”
Luna snuggled into the silky, soft warmth of her sister’s feathery winghug, purring as she nuzzled into the crook of Celestia’s neck. “I forgive you, my dear sister. And just as I value thine counsel and trust in it, is it too much to ask you to do the same for me?”  
Celestia tightened her wing’s grip around Luna’s back, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “Of course it’s not.”
“Captain Cobalt Moon shall be arriving soon for a meeting with me.” Luna sat a little straighter in her throne, giving her wings a little ruffle to make her feathers more presentable, ran a hoof through her flowing mane and used her magic to smooth down her fur to make her body slick and shiny. Actions that were not lost on Celestia. “If you agree not to interfere with my court proceedings in any way, I shall not mind you staying to observe.”
“As you wish.” With a curt nod, Celestia withdrew her wing from Luna’s body just as Cobalt Moon walked through the open doors of the throne room. Cobalt strode with a predatory, graceful stride that was accompanied with nothing but silence. He was stockily built and his muscles coiled like thick steel cables beneath his skin with every movement he made. His dark, gray coat was flecked with spots of peppery white as was his mane and tail. His chest was covered in deep, jagged scars and his leathery wings had scars in them from the dozens of times in his life they had been. His amber, catlike eyes flickered restlessly in ever direction around the room as though he was searching the shadows for something, or somepony.
“Good evening, Luna.” Cobalt Moon came to a stop several feet from the steps leading up the throne and gave Luna a slight, respectful bow of his head. Celestia perked an eyebrow at the causal familiarity he addressed a princess of Equestria with, and cleared her throat pointedly. But she might as well have been as insignificant as a bug on the floor for all the acknowledgment she got from the Captain of the Lunar Guards.
“Captain Moon!” Luna practically squealed as she pounced down the stairs, landing in front of the stallion and the two of them embraced in an heated and affectionate kiss. A deep, grumbling and contented purr came from Cobalt as he unfurled his long, leathery scarred wings and trailed them down Luna’s sides making her squirm. Several moments passed until Luna pulled from back from the kiss and nuzzled tenderly at her Captain’s cheek. “How fare thine wife and foals?”
Celestia’s eyes widened and her heart skipped several beats as panicked alarm bells went off in her mind at what she had just finished witnessing. She couldn’t for the life of her understand what was Luna thinking. Surely her sister knew the political repercussions would be severe if any of the nobles got word that she was sleeping with the Captain of her Lunar Guard, a married stallion with three foals and a fourth on the way.
“My family’s well enough, thank you, Luna” Cobalt muttered, in a quiet gruff voice. “My wife is starting to complain about how little we see of you now that you’ve recommenced in your royal duties watching over the night. The little ones also miss playing with their favourite princess.”
Luna folded her ears down against her head. “I too have missed spending time with thine family. Have thine wife make arrangements for my visit this weekend.” She smiled and nipped at the tip of Moon’s ear and took her seat back on the throne. “Now our first order of business.” Now that the personal greetings were over, Luna slipped back into her throne, resuming her previous, less then formal position. “I want Celestia’s access to my military files revoked. Without my consent, she is not allowed access to anything related to my Lunar Guard.”
Captain Moon nodded once. “Done, princess.” He still didn’t acknowledge Celestia’s presence in any way.
“Thank you. Second order of business. Deciding thine replacement, when you retire as Captain of the Lunar Guard.”
The spark in Cobalt’s eyes briefly flared brighter and his glare at the princess held intense disapproval. “We have already been over this, Luna! I want Night Striker as your Captain.”
Luna sat up into a more formal position on her throne, ruffling her feathers. “I have been giving this a lot of thought, Cobalt. As you well know, once you are retired, I need somepony to continue training my guard with Commander Hurricane’s military training. I believe Sable shouldn’t be discounted for this. She was very impressive while observing her combat skills in Rebi-”
Cobalt hissed, cutting Luna off from saying the name of his home city in public. Luna’s cheeks reddened with shame and guilt. Cobalt cleared his throat and continued their discussion “I very strongly advise against this decision, Luna. Sable may be one of my most promising recruits, but she is nowhere near ready, or even at all capable of handling this much responsibility. She’s damaged goods.”
“I understand your reservations, Cobalt. I do value thine experience and advice, but this decision is ultimately mine to make. I will give Sable a chance at this, and if she does not succeed in her duties once she’s been guided through the right therapy, then Night Striker will take her place as Captain.”
Cobalt sighed with resignation, and bowed his head in slight subservience to Luna. “You’ll need to start talking to Doctor Starsong, right away. I’m afraid she’s the only therapist in Equestria who will even consider taking Sable on as a patient. I would also advise you to appeal to Starsong’s maternalism when you approach her.”
“My main concern is trying to convince Sable herself to take part in Starsong's ‘unique’ therapy.”
“I’ll talk to Sable myself, Luna. That mare values her position in the Lunar Guard more than any other recruit I have under my command. I would have promoted her a long time ago, if she weren’t so... Challenging.”
Luna stood and pulled the courier bags onto her back. “Thank you for thine time, Captain. I wish you the best of luck in thine retirement. When you leave, please find Night Striker and the Night Terrors and send them to me.”
The captain gave Luna a brief nod, and flared his wings. “I will enjoy the extra time I will have to spend with my family.” Cobalt gave his wings a single flap, and faster than Celestia could even blink, he was gone. She was used to such thestrals who were mana-born. Cobalt Moon’s choice of magical discipline was the ‘accelero’ spell allowing him to move with lethal, blinding speed for several minutes at a time. Celestia sat patiently on her throne, looking as gentle and regal as ever, despite Captain Cobalt’s complete disrespect and disregard for her and offered Luna that loving sisterly smile of hers.
“Sister, I know I said I would respect your decisions.” Celestia forced herself to keep smiling and thinking of towers of cake so as not to launch into a screaming, enraged fit as she once more lectured and reprimanded Luna on what was acceptable behaviour in modern society. “But sleeping with your Captain, I must say, is one of the most stupidest things you have done so far, and I wish for you to stop sleeping with a married stallion.”
Luna sighed and rolled her eyes. “I am not as virtuous or prissy as you, Celly. And if Cobalt and his wife continue having no objections to me having sexual relations with them both, I shall continue doing so.”
Celestia took in a deep breath. It was so very tempting to grab the nearest, hardest object and use it to smack some sense into Luna’s head. “Very well, I have made my concerns known to you. Ultimately it’s your choice who you bed with and how you run your guard, and I will respect that. But if the nobles even get the tiniest hint of a rumor of your sexual activities...”
Luna hissed at her sister with displeasure. “I do not care about the nobles!” she snapped. “I am happy with my love life! If the nobles have any displeasure with that, they can go to Tartarus for all I care!” Luna sighed at the look of hurt on Celestia’s face and she stepped from her throne tightening the courier bags around her barrel. “This Equestria is still new and strange for me, sister. Traditions and practices that were acceptable before my banishment are now taboo to even talk about. I am not going to change what I consider normal just to make some noble ponies happy.”
“Luna you’r-”
Luna held up a hoof to silence her sister. “I will here no more about my love life, my guards or anything concerning my rule over Equestria. I am going to meet with starsong soon, if you wish to accompany you are free to do so. I think it will do you good to mingle with the thestral community and get to know them better. You can go to the ‘Nocturn Tavern’ while I have my meeting with Starsong.”  
Celestia looked like she wanted to say many more things, instead she smiled and nodded. “I would love to come with you to meet the thestral community.”

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                Chapter 2 - Mother Starsong                
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 2 - Mother Starsong
The cobbled streets of Canterlot City’s Red Light District weren’t lit with torches, but with the bright, silvery aura of a full moon. A five hundred meter dirt path separated the Red Light District from the nobility district, the buildings here were still nice, but much less shiny and glamorous as the residents couldn’t afford the richer, luxurious lifestyle of the nobility. Starsong trotted through the district, smiling at the thestrals she knew personally and giving a polite, respectful nod thestrals in lunar guard armor patrolling the streets. She could still remember a time when the Red Light District was still, silent and bare of any large crowds of ponies. Now shops were opened to cater to the influx of thestrals and ponies, businesses were booming, including her exclusive, ‘invitation only’ hotel and her public brothel.
Starsong sipped down the last of her coffee, stopping outside the most extravagant building in the district, the Angel’s Sanctum Hotel. The building was a large mansion and not an uncommon sight in this part of the city. It had been built by her ancestors during Canterlot's founding and handed down from mother to daughter until it came into Starsong's possession. It was one of the oldest buildings in Canterlot, its gothic design making it stand out against the back drop of the more modern buildings and homes behind it. Its white granite walls made it look like a plain and simple mansion from another, older time capable of comfortably housing over one hundred ponies. Many of the nobles had scoffed and mocked her ancestors ‘stupidity’ for building perhaps one the greatest establishments of Canterlot in a place like the Red Light District, but they had no idea of the real treasure the Angel’s Sanctum contained. Beneath the Hotel was the second best access point to the leylines of magic that ran beneath Canterlot City.
Of course, the best access point to leylines of magic was reserved for the Tower of Mages.
Starsong levitated a golden pendant marked with a single rune from her saddle bags and pressed it against a matching rune on the door’s surface. A pulse of magic flared to life and rippled over the door’s surface, it silently opened to admit its mistress. As she stepped over the threshold her whole body shuddered and tingled with pleasure as it absorbed the leyline’s ambient magic lacing the hotel’s very air, giving her a rush of invigoration and energy that not even her caffeine filled liquid could accomplish. Being a unicorn meant she was more susceptible and sensitive to the effects of the ancient leyline than pegasus or earth ponies, they would only feel a tiny tingle to their ambient magic.
When she was exactly ten paces into the hotel, the door slammed shut behind her and silvery strands of magic began flowing around her body forming illusionary, fake wings on her back. Giving herself illusionary wings was a little kink she liked to indulge while in the privacy of her hotel where most consensual, sane fetishes and kinks were welcomed and indulged freely. The entry hall to the hotel was much more welcoming then the outside, it had some portraits of various ponies; each of them a little suggestive in nature, but only noticeable to somepony looking for the suggestiveness. The walls were a nice snowy white with a golden trim, making the room very homely, light and warm.
Past the entry hall was the ‘sexy lounge’ where ponies mingled and socialized with each other, while they also had quite a lot of fun with each other. The next floor up was the ‘snuggle lounge’ where ponies were banned from sex and could relax and bond with other ponies or with their lovers.
Starsong stepped into the sexy lounge, a mare dressed in a black latex cat costume complete with fake latex ears covering her real ears and a fake cat nose and whiskers passed by Starsong and joined two mares being gangbanged by a group of stallions. The kitten-dressed mare was grabbed and spit-roasted by two eargers stallions, who fiercely rutted their cocks in and out of her pussy and throat. The mare’s pleasure filled, muffled moaning through the cock invading her throat told everypony just how much she was enjoying the rough treatment she was being put through. Starsong’s cheeks reddened at the lewd, hot sight and despite wanting to stay and shamelessly clop herself while she watched the show, she forced herself to move on so she could prepare for the meeting Luna had requested of her.
“Mistress Starsong!”
Starsong paused as a mare dressed in a skimpy french maid’s outfit, with her tail tied into her mane forcing her pussy to be on constant display, rushed forward looking upset and stressed out. For a moment she feared one of the guests in her hotel had gone too far with acting out their fantasies on the maid, but she quickly cast her worries aside. Everypony, including workers and guests, had signed a strict contract which protected everyone’s anonymity, and their physical wellbeing. If a hotel guest was putting a staff-member, or anypony, through something they felt uncomfortable with, all they had to do was say their established safe-word and the security ponies would be notified. Should the safe-word be said once more, the security ponies would descend on the offending guest, subduing and arresting them in an instant.
Starsong unfurled her fake wings, giving the distressed maid a comforting smile as she pulled her into soft hug, wrapping her wings around the mare, the magic in them making them feel real. “What’s the matter, my sweet darling?” she cooed, in a soft, comforting voice filled with maternal concern and love. The maid relaxed and snuggled further into Starsong’s warm, comforting embrace sniffling a few times as she nuzzled into Starsong’s chest, staining her gray fur with tears.
“I-I... Ummmm...” She whimpered looking away from Starsong’s gaze. “I-it’s my sister, she’s in the hospital and I can’t keep up with her medical expanses! C-can you please give me a raise? At least until my sister is better. O-otherwise I could lose the house, all my belongings...”
“Shhhhhhhh... Hush now,” Starsong softly hugged the mare tighter, stroking a calming hoof through the maid’s mane and down her sides. “Everything will be okay.” She pulled back a little to give the mare that loving smile of hers. “I’ll pay for your sister’s medical bills sweet heart, afterwards I’ll take a percentage out of every second paycheck to cover the loan. Is that okay?”
The maid cried with relief, leaning up to wrap her forelegs around Starsong’s neck and gratefully nuzzle and kiss her cheek with genuine affection.“T-thank you, Mistress! Thank you so much. I-I wish there was something I could do to repay you!”
Starsong giggled, returning the maid’s loving nuzzles and kisses. “There is one thing,” she said, quite mysteriously, smirking a little at the confused expression forming on the maid’s face. “I want you to ask that stallion you’re always talking about out on a date.” She winked at the maid playfully. “Who knows? Maybe he’ll enjoy the same kinks as you?” The maid blushed quite brightly and Starsong sent her back to her duties cleaning the pools of cum from the orgy off the floor in the sexy lounge with her tongue.
Smiling a bit brighter then before, she took the elevator to the very top floor of her hotel. Unlike the rest of the Hotel, this floor wasn’t dedicated to helping ponies live out their sexual fantasies and giving them a safe place to indulge in their kinks without the risk of being judged. This top floor was for own personal use. She used it to meet with her patients that had already finished their therapy with her, but wanted her to continue looking after them one day out of the week. She was happy to accommodate them. After all, that’s what a mother does for her foals.
After unlocking her office door, and stepping into the spacious room she was greeted by a scene of absolute chaos. A group of ten foals were running wildly around her office knocking things over and squabbling with each other over what toys to play with. “Good evening, my little angels,” Starsong greeted warmly, giving the group of foals a loving smile. She placed her saddlebags onto the desk, out of harm’s way from the little terrors, who were all instantly rushing to greet her with nuzzles, snuggles, and kisses. Two pegasus twins valiantly flapped their tiny wings and with some effort they landed on Starsong’s head and began playing with her mane and horn.
“Dwid ywou gwet us swome cwookies and mwilk?” they both asked in perfect, almost creepy union.
Starsong giggled and picked them both up, cradling them in her silver magical aura as she attended to the rest of her ‘children.’ Each and every one of these foals were her patients and victims of extreme abuse, either mental, emotional, physical and in some rare and sad cases, a combination of all three. The abuse her poor angels experienced, was usually done to them by their parents or some other relative. So, she used age-regression spells in her therapy sessions and put herself in the role of a loving, doting mother in order to give her patients the foalhood they never had the chance to experience. Not only did she make them feel safe and secure with her therapy, she gave them new memories to hold on to so they could overcome the darker moments in their early lives. With a little coo of comfort she pulled the group of colts and fillies under her wings, giving a shy, silver furred filly with silver bandages covering eyes a tender, loving kiss on the tip of her nose.
“I did get cookies for you all, yes. Just like I said I would.” She pulled the promised cookies and milk from her saddlebags, and the group of foals all gave excited cheers, holding out their little hoofsies for their choc-chip treats. One brazen thestral colt tried to pounce tackle the cookie bag, only to be caught by Starsong’s quick magic.
“Nwoooooooooo!!” The tiny thestral protested as Starsong held him upside by his tail with her magic. “Want cwookies!!”
“And you will get your cookies, little Onyx. But you have to share with the others, just like we talked about, remember?” She gave the colt an expectant look, waiting for his answer.
Onyx huffed and folded his forelegs over his chest, pouting at Starsong from his upside position. “Fwwwwiiiiiinnnneee,” he whined, rolling his eyes.
Starsong smiled and nodded with satisfaction. “Good boy,” she praised, giving Onyx a loving nuzzle through his mane. She opened the packet of cookies and all the foals looked at Starsong with wide, eager eyes as she handed out two cookies each. She filled their sippy cups with warm milk and soon the little ones were curled up and snuggling with each other, munching happily on their treats. Taking advantage of the brief piece and quiet, she began doing some mundane paperwork before Princess Luna’s arrival.
(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-(-O-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)-)
“Luna! Have you taken leave of your senses?” Celestia whispered angrily at her sister as the teleportation spell completed. “You have bought us to the Red Light District!? We’re the Princesses of Equestria! We can’t be seen here by our subjects!”
Luna giggled, not sharing her sister’s reservations and concerns of being scene in the less reputable part of their city. She loved it here, being among the thestrals. She didn’t have to deal with the snobby nobles fawning over her, showering her with false flattery and respect, hoping to win her favor and friendship. The only signs of recognition the thestrals gave her was a tiny nod of respect before they went back to ignoring her. She draped a wing over her uncomfortable sister’s back pulling her into a loving hug. “Tell me, what is the matter, Celly? You used to be so open and much less...” she pondered in silence for a moment. “Snobby and prudish.”
Celestia’s pale white cheeks were now tainted with a fierce blush as she discreetly gestured to a thestral mare walking with her beta stallion behind her on a leash and collar. Occasionally the stallion would move forward licking under his alpha’s raised tail causing her to shudder and moan with pleasure. They sidestepped a stallion who had a small collared mare tucked safely under his wing. The little thing was grooming his face and neck with affectionate flicks of her tongue, both were happily purring so loudly she could hear them for several more meters after they passed.
Luna’s eyes widened in realization at the source of her sister’s discomfort and giggled, giving the taller alicorn’s neck a reassuring nuzzle. “This kind of behaviour is completely normal in the thestral community, Celly.” Luna gestured to two thestral mares fiercely making out and clopping with each other right there on the street not caring at all that they were being stared at by the royal princesses. Celestia came to complete stop at the sight and fell onto her rump, her eyes fixated on the couple just shamelessly making out and masturbating each other. She blushed more brightly then ever, before squirming awkwardly and looking away from the lewd sight. Luna gave Celestia a little teasing smirk. “What is the matter, sister? You would not have even blinked twice at such a sight a thousand years ago. Establishing sexual dominance over one’s partner plays a pivotal role in developing and maintaining a thestral’s relationships.”
“Things are different now, Luna. Things such as this.” She gestured at the mares, now laying and rolling around with each other in the ‘69’ position. “Have been banned for the last four hundred hundred years,” she mumbled, with a still deepening blush, focusing all her attention on a particularly interesting flagstone in front of her.
“Oh, yes.” Luna frowned deeply her face a stern, displeased mask. “The Sol Invictus group of religious nuts that worship you so devoutly have been making quite the fuss in court about this kind of behaviour.” She huffed with annoyance. “I grow tired of these ponies trying to undermine me and force my Nocturn Children out of the city.” She took a deep, calming breath and gave her sister a kiss on her flaming cheek. “You should spend some time here getting to know the thestral community better, while I visit with Starsong. I'm sure if you involved yourself more with them, they'll start warming up to you.”
Celestia perked her eyebrow for a moment. “What, I do not get to come with you and meet this Starsong?” she asked, with mock offense.
Luna gave a little shrug. “Perhaps I shall introduce you to Starsong once I have finished conducting my business with her. My conversation with the doctor is to be strictly confidential.”
Suddenly, two stallions dressed in Lunar Guard armor burst through a window on the third floor of an nearby apartment building, and despite landing heavily on the ground below, in a shower of glass shards, they continued violently wrestling and hissing with each other. A mare pounced down from the same apartment window, shadows writhed flickered around her body and descended on both of the stallions, forcing them into a position of subservience by pressing their cheeks to the ground.. “Enough! Both of you!” She gave each of the stallions a firm spanking on their cutie marks with a riding crop, causing them to squirm and whimper. “If my pets can’t learn to share me properly, I’ll put both your cocks in chastity cages for a month so neither of you can have me!” With a little huff she let the stallions go, the shadows dissolving to mist and stepped away from them sliding the riding crop through her belt around her waist.
“S-sorry, Mistress,” the two stallions mumbled looking ashamedly down at the ground.
Celestia could only blink in complete shock and silence at what she had just witnessed.
“I have to be going now, sister.” Luna said grinning widely at her sister’s obvious embarrassment and discomfort, she continued walking past her guards like everything was completely normal. “Why don’t you go to the Nocturn Tavern? Mingle, have a few drinks, or, tea? It’s not very far, only two streets up on the left.”
“Wha?” Celestia looked positively shocked at Luna. “Don’t leave me here alone!”
“You’ll be fine, Celly.” Luna nuzzled her sister’s cheek reassuringly. “Just try and have some fun for once in your life. I truly believe a night of relaxation, drinking and letting go will do you some good.”
“But...” Luna just smirked and disappeared in flash of blue magic before Celestia could even finish her protest. “Damn you, sister,” she muttered quietly. With a resigned sigh she lit her horn and poured her fiery aura of magic over her entire body. Her mane and tail stopped its ethereal flowing, becoming normal strands of hair. Her body became as small as an average mare and she used an illusion spell to make her wings slowly fade away so she looked like nothing more than an average unicorn. “This is a bad idea,” she muttered darkly to herself, following her sister’s directions to the Nocturn Tavern.
Luna only felt a little bad about leaving her sister in the middle of the red light district, but she was still smirking with amusement as she knocked on the door of the Angel’s Sanctum Hotel. All was quiet for several moments, and she was about to once again knock, when the door was finally answered by a maid, who was taken aback for a moment at seeing the Night Princess. She, or rather, he, on closer inspection, motioned for the princess to come inside. "Please come in Princess, you honor us with your presence." The stallion dressed mare shifted just a little uncomfortably at being seen like this. "Would you like me to take you to Lady Starsong?"
She smiled comfortingly at the femcolt, hoping to put him at ease. “That would be very much appreciated. I have some very important business to discuss with the doctor.” The femcolt maid gestured for Luna to follow, and led the princess to the elevator that would take them upstairs. It took Luna’s complete self-control to keep her wings from flaring up into stiff, massive wing-boners at the sight of the sexily dressed maids wearing skimpy outfits, their tails tied into their mane. Or the mares dressed in latex kitten outfits, snuggling and grooming each other in a room filled with comfortable, body sized pillows. Occasionally, one of the ‘kittens’ would lap at a bowl filled with a creamy white liquid. Luna doubted it was milk.
Once they were on the top floor, the maid knocked loudly on a door. "My Lady? Princess Luna is here to see you," he announced, in a rather cute feminine voice.
"Oh please do come in, Princess!" Starsong called out with controlled excitement, opening the door with her magic. She lay on a massive floor bed set ten inches below the floor, surrounded by sleeping fillies and colts all snuggled safely under her fake wings. “Would you like some tea?" she asked, curiously observing Luna with her piercing ice blue eyes, which shone with motherly love and affection.
Luna stepped into the office, cooing softly at the sight of the adorable foals in Starsong's grasp. “Tea would be lovely, doctor.” She levitated a large pillow from the bed and settled on it, pulling her saddle bags off of her back, ruffling her wings to straighten out her feathers. “I am afraid I asked for this meeting because I have an extremely big favor to ask of you.” She cleared her throat nervously and levitated several files from her saddle bags. “Might we speak in private?”
Starsong looked at the princess for a long moment, and then nodded. "Darling, be a dear and make us some herbal tea?" She requested of the maid with a happy smile. The maid was gone the moment the tea had been requested, closing the door behind himself. “And don’t worry about these little ones.” She leaned down to nuzzle at the floofy group of cute little foals snuggled against her. “I gave them a mild sleeping spell to help them rest properly. So, what do you need from me, Princess?” Starsong eyed the Lunar Guard personnel files wearily. “Another of your Lunar Guard that needs my help?”
“Yes,” Luna confirmed with a nod. “I wish for you to take on the Lunar Guard trainee known as Sable as your patient. This is her disciplinary file.” Luna lay the thickest of the files in front of Starsong. “And this is her personnel file.” The thick file was joined by a much thinner file.
Starsong stared in wide-eyed shock at the files. "I... am pretty sure you can kill somepony if you dropped this disciplinary file on them," she mumbled to herself, opening both files and reading through them, like she had done so many times with previous cases. The contents of the files Luna gave her, helped her a great deal with deciding the best kind of therapy to give a potential patient.
After several minutes spent in silence reading through the files, Starsong finally put them down. "Princess..." she started, looking at the mare, her brows furrowing with deep concern. "With all due respect... are you crazy!? This mare!” She nodded to Sable's disciplinary file. “Needs more than my therapy. I’m pretty sure she might try and strangle me with my own mane if I even tried to use my brand of therapy on her. I would recommend you to sending Miss Sable on to Happy Horn Physiatric Facility!"
Luna gave the mare a small smile. “I am well aware of sable’s... Shortcomings.”
“Short comings?” Starsong interrupted. “She’s psychopathic, violent, and quite frankly, too damaged for me to help!”
“But...” Luna continued speaking as though she hadn’t heard Starsong. “It has taken me a lot of string pulling and favors to bring her this far. She is the most eligible pony I know who can take my Lunar Guard back to their former level of effectiveness.” She sighed a little. “This task will be challenging, but you are the best pony at handing these types of patients.” The maid returned, placing a plate with tea and biscuits down in between the two ponies. And without interrupting left once more.
Starsong smiled a little at the Princess, cooing and comfortingly nuzzling a restless filly with bandaged eyes. "Princess, if you think Sable is worth it, I will trust in your judgment and do my best to help this mare, although... I cannot promise I’ll be effective enough for her.”
Luna nodded her understanding and gratitude, sipping from her tea cup. "Doing your best is all that I can ask. Thank you, Starsong."
Half an hour later, Luna stood in front of the door, holding Starsong in a soft hug. “It was nice catching up with you, Doctor. And ummmmmm...” The princess blushed a little and looked awkwardly down at the ground. “Perhaps when I am not so busy, I shall stay a bit longer in this hotel of yours?” A tingle of excitement ran down her spine at the thought of dropping her royal responsibilities and having a weekend to herself, exploring the kinkier, more passionate and wild sides of sex.
Starsong giggled and pulled back smiling fondly at her friend. “I always keep the Royal Suite ready, should you or your sister decide to do so.” She winked playfully at Luna. “I’m afraid I can’t keep you any longer, Luna. I only have half an hour to get my lunch, then I have to see a few more of my darling patients.”
Luna gave the unicorn a slight bow. “Thank you, once more for your help, Starsong. I left my sister with directions to the Nocturn Tavern, I must rescue her before she gets herself into too much trouble...”
It only took a few moments for Luna to find her sister sitting outside of the Tavern seething with barely repressed anger and humiliation.
“WHAT IN THE SEVEN REALMS OF TARTARUS WERE YOU THINKING SENDING ME INTO THAT TAVERN?!” Celestia screamed angrily at Luna in her Canterlot voice. Luna was completely silent, staring in shock at the state of her sister. Her mane was wild and looked like it hadn’t been brushed in weeks, her muzzle was covered in blood from her freshly healed broken nose, and both her cutie marks were marked with vivid, bright red riding crop whip marks.
“I see you too have learned the hard way what happens to the unfortunate ponies who sit, uninvited, in Night Striker’s bar stool...”

//-------------------------------------------------------//
               Chapter 3 - The First Session               
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 3 - The First Session
Cobalt sat in his pitch black office, silently staring down at Sable’s and Night Striker’s personnel files sitting open on his desk. He couldn’t at all fathom why in Tartarus Luna thought it was a good idea to even consider having a mare like Sable replace him as Captain of her Lunar Guard. The more he read over their personnel files, the more it became clearer to him Night Striker was clearly the best choice for filling in on the position as Captain. She cared for her fellow comrades in arms and didn’t have Sable’s anti-social personality disorder, or her unpredictable, violent tendency for violent outbursts. The only grades Sable had higher then Night Glider were combative and even then she was only seven percent higher.
He sighed and pulled five pages from a locked draw. These were five pages he had redacted out of Sable’s records. Five pages that he could keep hidden, and ensure Sable’s freedom and subsequent promotion to Captain. Or five pages that if he showed to the right ponies in positons of power, would ensure her imprisonment in a padded cell at Happy Horns Physiatric Facility. He muttered quiet curses to himself, sliding the pages into his saddlebags for safe keeping. He was willing to give Sable one chance to prove herself capable of leading the Lunar Guard. Of course he would need to keep an eye on her and help guide her through the early months of her duties as Captain.
Cobalt stepped out of his office to track down Sable and tell her he was, begrudgingly, accepting her promotion. He blinked a few times to adjust his vision to the bright moonlit hallways and several minutes later he stepped into the Lunar Guard barracks. The barracks were in their normal state of hellish chaos with armor and clothes, belonging to both mares and stallions, along with leashes, collars and various sex toys strewn haphazardly around the room. The scent of sex and blood lingered thickly in the air. A stallion had his muzzle latched around another stallions throat, lapping at the blood from the puncture wounds his fangs had made. Other couples were either spooning with their partners, content to just relax for the night. While most couples were eagerly rutting each other, letting their frustrations and stresses of being in the Guard out on their partners. Just as long as his soldiers kept discipline and structure while performing their duties as Lunar Guards, he had no interest, or care what they did with themselves or each other while off duty.
He cleared his throat pointedly and instantly all the thestrals stopped in their activities and he was the sole focus of their attention. His gaze wandered over the Lunar Guard barracks. “I’m looking for Sable, where is she?” There was quiet muttering, and confused glances shared among the guards, and one stallion hesitantly spoke up.
“She hasn’t reported back from her two week leave, Captain! Nopony has seen Sable since she left!”
Cobalt glared coldly around the room. “And none of you thought to report that she was UA!?”
The thestrals all looked guiltily away from their Captain, not willing to meet his firm accusing gaze. They all knew Sable didn’t react kindly to those who caused her trouble, while she didn’t outright bully and harm them, she did find ways to work behind the scenes and make ponies lives extremely challenging. Cobalt gritted his teeth and glared around the room until of the Guards met his gaze and understood he wasn’t going to let their silence go unpunished.
“All of you answer to me! And me and alone!” His voice was barely a whisper but no less intense and harsh. “Not Sable! I don’t care why you were all too scared to report her UA and cover it up, all of you are doing fifty laps around the obstacle course, after you get these barracks cleaned spotless.”
A collective groan of disappointment and annoyance sounded throughout the barracks, but everypony was instantly silenced as Cobalt let out an unamused hiss. “Get to it!” He snarled.
Cobalt left his Guards to their cleaning and with a surge of his ambient magic, he was suddenly on the other side of the castle, he leaned against a nearby wall breathing heavily with exertion. In the past two seconds he had used his mastery of the acellero spell and checked the various, empty storage rooms that catered perfectly to Sable’s antisocialism. They were all empty. She also wasn’t in any of the bathroom stalls, or in the training fields. The library was the only other location he hadn’t checked. It would be empty, isolated, and quiet this late at night.
He took several deep breaths pushing away from the wall. His whole body was tingling painfully from using so much ambient magic in such a short amount of time. But he gritted his teeth, cleared any signs of discomfort from his expression and walked his way to the library. As he walked through the hallways, ponies hurriedly stepped out of his path making his way clear and unobstructed. Thankfully the library wasn’t too far away and once tingling in his body had stopped, he stepped into the near darkness of the library’s interior. The librarian, an elderly thestral mare, was humming a peaceful tune to herself as she filled the empty spots on the shelves with a cart of books.   
“Good evening, Captain Moon,” the librarian greeted softly, without turning away from her work to see who had approached. “Sable is hiding in the southwest wing. Please don’t disturb her too much, the poor thing seems exhausted.”
The southwest wing was dedicated to books containing basic magic lessons for helping young unicorns develop their magic, books of potion making and books on advanced apothecary. He couldn’t even begin to guess what need, or even interest, Sable would have in such literature. Before Sable joined the Lunar Guards, he had spent three years with her in his guardianship teaching her how to read and write. But she had never been able to really pick up, or excel in those basic life skills.
Cobalt moved silently through the library’s bookshelves closing in on Sable’s location the southwest wing. His nostrils flared, his ears were perked, searching for any slight noise, or scent, out of place in the library that would alert him to Sable’s presence. As he got closer to the southwest wing, the only noise he could hear in the otherwise deathly silence, was a slight scratching noise. It took a few moments for him to pinpoint what exactly the scratching noise was, then he realized it was the sound of a quill gliding over parchment.
He found Sable hidden in the shadows of a dark corner, surrounded by dozens of open books, her electric blue, catlike eyes narrowed in concentration as she scanned over the pages softly muttering the words she read to herself. She occasionally wrote a note on a piece of parchment, her writing similar to that of a young school filly who was still learning how to write. A pale jagged scar on the right side of her throat contrasted clearly against her dark gray fur. And unlike everypony else her age, her flanks were as plain as the night she was born.
“Sable,” Cobalt said softly and calmly, staying out of striking distance from the mare, “I need to speak with you.”
Sable instantly pounced to her hooves as she was disturbed, flaring her blue tinged wings, raising her heckles and hissing loudly to reveal her long, razor sharp fang implants made from black ministrelle. She backed herself against a wall to keep her back protected and emitted a low growling in the back of her throat. Cobalt very carefully took several steps back until Sable furled her wings back against her side and curled up in a corner, her eyes never leaving him.
“I talked with Luna two nights ago,” Cobalt continued as though nothing had happened. “And despite my cautioning against it, she has approved your position as Captain of the Lunar Guard once I retire.”
Sable narrowed her eyes at Cobalt ruffling her wings and flicking her tail. “Really?” she muttered softly. She prowled around her work space closing all the books she had been studying and putting them away into her saddlebags.
“Yes, really.” Cobalt slowly moved forward, making sure to keep his movements as relaxed and non threatening as possible and picked up one the books. Sable ruffled her leathery wings at the movement and she backed further away from him taking refuge in the darker shadows of the corner, keeping an intense, vigilant watch on her Captain. “Shhhhhhhhhhh... It’s okay, Sable. I just want to have a look. Is that okay?” His voice was soft and comforting, and he backed up a few paces, giving Sable some more space.
Sable relaxed slightly and nodded her approval for him to continue. “It... Okay.”
“Thank you, Sable.” Cobalt flipped the book open revealing a simple diagram meant for unicorn foals to understand how to cast basic magic. “What is your interest in these books, Sable?”
Sable looked away, clearly not liking the question. She licked her fake fangs nervously, before answering. “W-words... In books, easier to...” She frowned with confusion and bit her bottom lip. Cobalt waited patiently as she tried to think of how to form the proper sentence for what she wanted to say. “Know?” She nodded, seeming satisfied that she had found the right word. “Words, in the books, easier to know.”
“I think you meant, ‘the words in these books are easier to understand’?” Cobalt suggested with an understanding smile.
Sable nodded confirmation. “Yes... That.”
Cobalt had grown used to, and even tried to help Sable, overcome her disjointed speech pattern, but ever since the time she had gone missing from the city of Rebirth for several months, the mare had always found speaking, reading and writing difficult. He closed the book and slid it along the floor back to Sable. “But there is a condition regarding your promotion, Sable.”
She sat on her haunches, giving Cobalt her full attention, remaining silent.
“You must agree to three therapy sessions a week with Doctor Starsong, for the next three months.”
“NO!” Sable was instantly on her hooves, hissing her displeasure at his words, and she shook her head vehemently. “Don’t want!” She slowly stalked forward, her icy eyes burned with anger, she flared her leathery wings, and bared her fangs. “Not more doctors!”
Cobalt stood his ground, meeting Sable’s glare with one of his own. He was used to these sudden angry outbursts and showing any sign of beta weakness in front of her was not an option. “Stand down, Sable!” He growled stalking forward to meet her. “The only way you’ll have a future in the Lunar Guards is if you agree to do this therapy with Starsong!”
Sable hissed once more and lowered herself into a hunting crouch, ready to pounce on him.
“Enough!” Cobalt back hand slapped Sable across the face, sending her sprawling to the ground.
Sable whimpered softly curling into a small ball, her anger giving way to fear and complete subservience. “Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” She looked up into Cobalt’s eyes, protecting her face from anymore strikes with her forelegs. “Please! Don’t hit!? Don’t want... pain!”
Cobalt hated doing this to the poor mare, but during the three years of having Sable in his care, he had learned physical punishment was necessary in order to keep her subservient and her anger under control. Without it, she became extremely violent and dangerous. He stood over her and placed a hoof in the middle of her chest keeping her pinned down to the floor. Sable gave a little whimper, curling herself up to be as small as possible and looked away to avoid his cold, piercing gaze. “These are your only choices. Therapy, or suspension! Which will it be, Sable?”
“N-not suspension,” she muttered, squirming a little, trying to escape Cobalts grasp. “D-d-do therapy.”
“Your first session is in three days time. Be at Doctor Starsong’s office at dusk.” Having delivered his instructions, he stepped away from Sable, and the mare instantly flared her wings, pouncing to the top of a bookshelf. She stared down at Cobalt with wide fearful eyes. “One more thing, Sable,” he muttered gruffly. “Go UA on one of your leaves again, I’ll have you suspended from the guards for an entire month!”
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“Mmmmmmmmmm!... So good!” Luna cried out loudly, not caring who could hear her, as she was simply enjoying herself too much to keep quiet. She had needs after all! And a millennium trapped alone, without company, on the moon had not been kind to her. She squirmed a little as she thought about what others might think if she was ever seen in such a compromising position. Her bedsheets were rumpled and untidy, her muzzle and chest were flecked with sticky, white stains and her feathers were in dire need of a good preening. With a little shrug, she continued filling her mouth with the delicious treat that she was craving so much.
When she was finished, her tummy was slightly swollen with the amount of the creamy treats she had consumed, and she was panting heavily as she bought her companion into a loving cuddle against her chest. “I must remember not to go through thee so fast, my sweet.” She nuzzled the empty rocky road ice-cream container and with a sad sigh, and placed it into the rubbish bin. “But at least, I still have you.” She stared lovingly at the giant choc chip cookie she had commissioned the castle cooks to bake her and went straight into devouring it.
“Luna?!” Celestia’s yelling voice echoed outside her bedroom door, and with a loud squeak of surprise, she buried the pile of junk food she had stolen from the kitchen under her bed. “Luna, did you take the last of the rocky road?!” Celestia barged into Luna’s personal chambers, glaring at her squirming sister, who was trying her best not to look like she had been caught with her hoof in the metaphorical cookie jar.
“O-of course not, Tia, I, ummmmmmmm... Was just finishing up some paperwork!” She lit her horn and suddenly the mountain of scrolls and files she had dumped in the darkest corner of the room were on her bed. “Yes, just finishing some paperwork.”
Celestia stared deadpan at Luna completely unconvinced by her sister’s flimsy excuse. She raised an inquiring eyebrow and glanced at the trash can. “Your mouth may say no, my dear Luna. But your swelling flanks and belly tell me you’ve once again been binge eating copious amounts of junk food!” Celestia used her magic to upturn the trash can revealing the empty rocky road ice-cream container, several dozen empty packets of milk chocolate, and a large container that had once held cookie dough. “Ah-ha!” Celestia pointed an excusing hoof at her sister. “Lies! You did eat the last of the rocky rock!” She growled a little. “And the cookie dough!”
“Well can you hardly blame me, Tia?!” Luna pounced off the bed stomping up to her sister. “I have come from a thousand year banishment on the moon into a world full of deliciously delectable, treats and food, of which I have never had the pleasure of tasting. And thou can not reprimand the size of my flanks, oh hypercritical sister of mine! I know of thine midnight trips to the kitchens to eat cake! It’s a wonder we haven’t had to expand thine throne to accommodate thine growing girth!”
Both sisters glared at each other with angry looks of open hostility, a silver rune formed in the air above them, and a sealed scroll of parchment fell from it, hitting Celestia on her muzzle. Luna’s eyes widened with worry as she recognized the scroll was from one of her scouts in the Griffon Kingdom. Celestia too, could recognize the enchanted messenger parchment and before Luna could do anything to stop her, she collected the scroll teleporting to the other side of the room away from Luna’s grasping hooves.
“That is mine!” Luna protested rushing at her sister, her magic trying to get the scroll back. The air around Celestia’s body shimmered with a golden light as she activated a protective shield so Luna couldn’t interrupt her while she unsealed the scroll and used her magic to dispel the illusion charm.
“Military activity has picked up in the Griffon Kingdom. Weapons and armor are being made by the dozens each day. Known mercenaries and bandits being hired into the griffon army. Multiple magical creatures also being bought into the griffon military. Course of action recommended?”
As Celestia finished reading the scout’s report she lowered the shield, and looked up from the scroll to glare coldly at her sister. “Luna, don’y not lie to me when you answer. Did you send scouts and spies into the griffon kingdom against the terms and conditions of the treaties I spent the last two decades forging peace for?”
Luna shifted uncomfortably and kept her gaze down away from Celestia’s fury filled eyes, pawing at the ground nervously. “N-no... I-I...”
“Are you crazy, Luna!” Celestia yelled so loud she was bordering on using her royal Canterlot voice. “If Silias Ironclaw ever found out a princess of Equestria sent spies into his kingdom, it’ll be war for sure!”
Luna’s eyes narrowed, she bared her teeth and slowly lifted her gaze to meet her sister’s angry glare with icy cold calm. “Thou may not have noticed, sister,” Luna said calmly, not losing her temper or raising her voice. “But the scouts and spies I have sent into the griffon kingdom have just informed us that Silias Ironclaw is raising his armies and strengthening his military. There is a good possibility war is already coming to us.”
Celestia looked almost hysterical at the thought of her treaties being broken and she shook her head in denial to Luna’s words. “It is possible Silias is no doubt strengthening his military to defend against any other nations that may have set their sights on his kingdom,” Celestia pointed out.
Luna scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, that does make sense, sister. The griffons are protecting their goddess forsaken barren rock, against other nations who would wish to take it from them. It is completely unfathomable that their enemies would march for another two weeks to invade a rich and bountiful land such as Equestria.” She snatched the messenger parchment from Celestia’s grasp. “Besides, no other kingdom other then the griffons are making plans for any kind of attack. The griffons have no doubt decided to finally move against Equestria and take its riches for themselves.” She summoned a quill from the desk and wrote out her instructions to the scouts.
“Make preparations to delay and weaken the griffon’s military preparations. Await my orders. Continue to observe and report.”
“Now, if you shall excuse me. I must select seven recruits to be trained into the new Night Terrors.” Before Celestia could even open her mouth to protest, Luna teleported from the room in a bright flash of blue magic.
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Starsong finished adding the final touches to the snack table she had set up consisting of a tray filled with a selection of fresh sushi, a tray with various freshly cut fruits and nuts, and a tray filled with freshly baked cookies. A thestral’s snacking preference often varied from pony to pony, so she had picked the three most favourite ones, hoping their scent wafting around the room, would help create a calming environment for Sable to feel a little more at ease in. She had also enchanted the walls with an illusion spell to make them appear like a night sky drawn by a little filly, on the floor she had arranged in organized chaos, large fluffy pillows to lay on and various toys meant for fillies to play with.
A quick glance at the clock told her she only had two minutes before Sable’s arrival, just enough time to add one final touch. She picked up a Luna plushy the size of a large foal from the floor and weaved tendrils of her silver magic through its fabric to make it smell like vanilla mixed with cinnamon and honey. The three combined scents would have a calming, almost euphoric effect on a thestral due to their highly developed and sensitive senses. Once the spell was complete she placed it behind the couch, the only piece of furniture in the room. Sable’s patient files, from other doctors, had mentioned she liked to take refuge behind furniture when scared or threatened. Should that ever happen during their sessions, the vanilla, cinnamon and honey scented Luna plushy would hopefully calm her down.
Starsong winced as two loud, sharp knocks rattled the office door in its frame. She held back a sigh of resignation, her hopes of her patient being in a good mood were dashed just from hearing those two knocks. Her silvery magical aura enveloped the handle and pulled the door open revealing a young, startled thestral mare quickly pouncing back a few paces from the opening door. She landed in a hunting crouch, hackles raised, wings flared and her mouth open in a snarl to reveal her long, needle sharp fangs. Starsong frowned as she noticed Sable’s fangs weren’t real, but extremely expensive high quality dental implants made from ministrelle.
Despite Starsong’s heart thumping fast and erratically at the sight of such hostile predatory aggression, she put on her loving motherly smile and simply motioned for Sable to come inside. She also noted with some surprise the lack of a cutie mark on her flanks and even more concerning, the faded, jagged scar across the right side of her neck. She allowed none of her feelings to show on her facial expression. Instead, she kept smiling comfortingly as she waited for the thestral to come inside.
Sable made no move to walk inside the office, she remained in the hallway crouched and ready to pounce, her tail swishing violently from side to side. Starsong raised an inquiring eyebrow and took a step away from the open door and further back into the room. Sable took a step forward, keeping a constant distance of six feet between them, she ruffled her wings and observed Starsong through narrowed eyes. Starsong couldn’t help but wander if this what a mouse felt like caught in the gaze of a hungry feline.
Starsong decided it was she who would have to be the first one to show trust to her new patient. Very slowly she turned her back on Sable, and kept her gaze forward as she walked to a large comfortable pillow in the middle of the room. Right now there was no way she would be able to defend herself from Sable should she choose to attack, but to her relief Sable merely followed her into the office not taking her vigilant gaze off of the tall unicorn, or raising herself out of her hunting crouch.
She kept her muzzle turned up in that calm, loving smile as sat on one of the pillows motioning for Sable to do the same. "Please sit, if you'd like to, Sable. Or stand, if that is more comfortable. Would you like some tea?" she offered, in a gentle calming voice.
Sable offered no acknowledgment to her words and remained crouched low to the ground, staring intensely at Starsong. She didn’t even seem curious about the odd mess of pillows and toys scattered around the office floor. Her icy, blue eyes always remaining focused solely on Starsong as she slowly stalked her way into one of the more darker corners and curled up into a small ball. Starsong just smiled lovingly, choosing to ignore her patient’s rudeness.
"As you know, I'm Doctor Starsong, and for the next three months while you are attending these sessions, you will be my guest. Though, you are free to leave if you want. I will not be forcing you to stay." She dimmed the lights casting the room into darker shadows in attempt to help make Sable feel more comfortable. "That said... remaining here will help you in progressing through the ranks in the Lunar Guard. And failure to attend a minimal of at least twice a week, will result in a discharge from the Lunar Guard."
Sable growled softly, raising her hackles once more at the last bit of Starsong’s sentence. “No discharge... Stay in Lunar Guards.”
Starsong perked her eyebrow for a moment, never before encountering a disjointed speech pattern as bad as Sable's. She didn't say anything about it though not wanting the mare to feel self conscious or embarrassed while she was here. "Miss Sable, it might take a while for you to get used to this, but please trust me, I’m only here to help you.”
Sable completely ignored Starsong’s statement and started sniffing curiously at the air following the source of the delicious scent of food back to the snack table. Her eyes widened at the sight of the fruits, sushi and cookies and she licked her tongue over her fangs.
“Are you hungry, Sable?” Starsong asked watching her patient closely, taking close note of her mannerisms and body language for future study. Sable nodded but remained seated in the corner, making no move or attempt to take anything off of the snack table. Starsong giggled a little and made a welcoming gesture to the snack table. “Well, I did put the snacks out for you to enjoy, Sable. So help yourself, dear.”
With Starsong’s invitation, Sable instantly pounced forward and Starsong squeaked fearfully, covering herself up to protect herself from the expectant attack. Instead, Sable landed on the snack table grabbing as much of the food as she could carry and curling back up in the corner she had claimed for herself. Sable draped a leathery wing protectively over the food and hissed loudly at Starsong, who was still in a state of shock from the unexpected savage behaviour she had just witnessed. She quickly rearranged her expression back into that loving smile, her concern for the mare growing deeper.
There was no possible way this savage pony could have been raised in a healthy environment. The protective way Sable held her snacks, like a mother defending her young from harm, suggested she expected her food to be taken away at any moment. And the way she suspiciously sniffed and methodically licked each piece of food before eating it, suggested she was looking for something that wasn’t supposed to be there.
“Aren’t you going to say thankyou?” Starsong wasn’t sincere about her question, she was merely trying to discern if her patient had any kind of normal social skills, or understanding of basic manners. Sable ignored her and continued methodically sniffing and licking at a piece of mango, making a huge sticky mess of her muzzle and nose. She didn’t seem to care her food was one of the floor without any kind of protection, it seemed she was quite used to such eating behaviors. A hole formed in Starsong’s heart for the mare. What kind of upbringing made a pony used to eating off of the floor?
Starsong cleared her throat loudly. “Do you mind if I ask you some basic questions, Sable?”
Sable looked up from her food, hissing loudly at Starsong causing the rice and bits of seaweed stuck to her muzzle from the sushi snacks to fall to the ground. She then went back to that strange ritual of sniffing and licking the food before eating it.
“How about something to drink?” Starsong offered.
Sable’s head went up and her ears perked forward. “Blood?”
Starsong stopped herself from grimacing at the thought of seeing Sable messily slurp up blood just like she did with her food. “Unfortunately, I can only offer you some tea or coffee, Sable.”
Sable blinked once and went back to eating her snacks. Starsong gave a quiet sigh, this was going to be the longest two hours she had ever gone through. While Sable was distracted with her food, Starsong ran a keen observing eye over her body. Her gray fur was slick and healthy, her leathery wings were scarred with uniform puncture wounds running along her bones. On closer inspection, she found signs of extreme malnutrition that Sable’s body would never fully recover from leaving her somewhat too skinny for a thestral her age and size. But her well developed, lean and powerful muscle mass seemed to hide the effects of the past malnutrition well.
Sable swallowed the last sushi roll, licking her lips and nose clean. “More?” she inquired, a spark of doubt and fear shining in her eyes.
Starsong smiled wilder and nodded. “Help yourself little one.” Starsong braced herself for the wild pouncing, but it never came. Instead, Sable was staring at her with wide suspicious eyes as she slowly prowled along the room’s walls to the snack table. Starsong didn’t move. Sable had shown an extreme protectiveness of her food and she didn’t want to find out what would happen if Sable thought she was trying to stop her from eating. “Is everything okay, Sable?” As soon as she spoke, Sable flinched away from the table and pounced back into her dark corner. “Ummmm...” Starsong didn’t know what to say or do as she stared at Sable’s shuddering body. So she fell back to her role as a mother and smiled comfortingly. “Would you like to play a game, or play with some toys?”
Sable perked her head a bit higher and twitched her ears. “Play? Game?” She frowned with confusion and looked to be thinking hard. “What ‘play, game’?”
Starsong rolled a hoof as she tried to explain. “Games? You know? Having fun? Being silly for the sake of it?” Sable looked at her with wide uncomprehending eyes and licked the leathery surface of her right wing with long grooming swipes of her rough tongue, losing interest in the conversation. Starsong’s mind was whirling with confusion and horror for her patient. Sable licked her forehoof hoof to dampen it with her salvia and swiped it over the back of her ear and down her cheeks several times. While Sable was preoccupied with her grooming ritual, Starsong slowly and carefully retrieved the Luna plushy from behind the couch. “Sable, I have something I want you to take home with you.” She slid the Luna plushy across the floor so it landed a few centimeters away from Sable’s foreleg. She flinched and recoiled away from the plushy and sensing no threat from the toy she nudged it with a hoof.
“What... This for?” She inquired staring intently at the plushy as she curiously poked and prodded it. Starsong raised a hoof to take a step forward, Sable hissed her displeasure at the slight movement, kicked the plushy away from her and flared her wings out.
“Sorry, Sable,” Starsong said, carefully lowering her hoof to the ground and taking several steps back. “Please try to remember I’m only here to help you, little one.” Sable remained in silence, her intense, untrusting gaze never leaving Starsong.”More food?” Starsong suggested, gesturing to the snacks table.
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Starsong sighed quietly with relief as she closed and locked her office door after Sable’s departure. She pressed her head against the door’s cold wooden surface and quietly thanked Luna she had made it through Sable’s first therapy session in one piece. There was something quite disconcerting in the atmosphere of the room every time she treated patients like Sable.
Sociopaths. Predators.
During the entire two hours she had been on edge, not knowing if what she did or said would trigger a violent reaction from Sable. Lighting her horn with its silvery aura of magic, she used her magic to make some peppermint tea to help calm her nerves and bring her blood pressure back down to more healthier levels. It was clear the snacks she had provided helped a great deal in keeping Sable docile and somewhat calm, but the food also acted as a massive distraction from her actual therapy. She made a mental note not to provide snacks until after the sessions had been completed.
Once the tea was properly brewed, Starsong levitated the cup of hot, fragrant liquid to herself and gently blew on it before taking a small delicate sip of the relaxing liquid. Out of all the previous violent and unstable patients she had treated, she had never had one that was as violent, unstable and coldly calculating as Sable. There was something subtle underneath all of Sable’s apparent disabilities. Something brilliant in a tactical and strategic sort of way. The way she had positioned herself in a corner that had an entire view of the room and a direct escape route via the window. The way her ears were constantly moving and twitching with each new sound. The mare had the potential to become a great Captain of the Lunar Guard, but only if she worked hard and made enough progress in therapy.
Starsong took a much larger sip of the tea, wincing a little as the hot liquid burnt her mouth. Poking her tongue out and waving a hoof in front of it in an attempt to cool it off, she levitated a pair of overloaded saddlebags in front of herself and began riffling through the various files and papers they contained. She bought out a very thin file containing the details of Sable’s orphanage. Part of her didn’t want to find out anything about how Sable became so far out of touch with civilization she considered eating off the floor as normal. She didn’t want to know why Sable couldn’t talk properly, or had never discovered her true talent and gained a cutie mark. But without the knowledge of Sable’s past, she would never be able to help her future.
The files she was reading on Sable didn’t reveal much. She had been abandoned at the orphanage as a ten year old filly. The thestral mare that had taken her in had raised her until she was fifteen years old and one night she had run away and became missing for seven years. She had finally been found by Captain Moon, he raised her for the next three years before she had once again disappeared for another three years, before finally joining the Lunar Guard. Starsong frowned finding no actual address or location for Sable’s orphanage or hometown in the files she had been given. She slipped the files back into her saddle bags and stepped out of her office, determined to find her Captain and inquire about Sable’s past.
The cold, silvery light from the waning full moon made the damp streets glisten and unlike the Red Light District, the upper class district was almost deserted this time of night. The only ponies out were the Lunar Guard patrols, looking very grim and serious as they went about their duties keeping the streets of Canterlot safe. Starsong could never get used to seeing thestrals so restrained and professional while they were on duty, they weren’t even flirting with each other. What ever Captain Moon did to keep his soldiers so disciplined while they were on duty, it was obviously working.
As she made her way past the patrol she gave them a brief wave and a smile of affection. In return they gave her a tiny, almost unnoticeable nod of respect, something not even the most privileged and richest of the nobles would ever get from them. She grinned widely, despite all the teasing and hazing they put her through, deep down she was respected and appreciated by the Lunar Guard for all the work she did for them.
“Hello, Doctor.”
Starsong squealed fearfully, backpedaling away from the mysterious figure standing in the shadows of a dark alleyway. “Captain Moon?” She squinted into the shadows and could just make out the visage of her Captain standing and walking out of the alleyway. She smartly saluted him and stood at attention, blushing slightly at the fact she had squealed like a little filly in front of her Captain. She could already imagine all the hazing from the thestrals she would get from this. “What can I do for you?”
“At ease Doctor,” Cobalt Moon grumbled making a placating gesture. “I need you to follow me.” Without even waiting for any kind of acknowledgment of his order from Starsong, he turned and lead the way into the Red Light District. “We have important things to discuss regarding Sable. Things that can't be said in front of others.”
She followed along walking beside her Captain, looking down at him with deep concern. “Yes, Captain. I take it you want this discussion... off the record?"
Cobalt gave a little grunt and nodded. “Not even the princess can know what we’re about to discuss.”
She stopped and looked at him, fear written on her face for a moment. “You want me to keep secrets from Luna?”
Cobalt stopped and looked Starsong in the eyes with a steely glare. Despite being several inches taller than Cobalt, she felt very small and powerless trapped in his cold glare. “I want you to protect Sable as I’ve protected her, Starsong. She is entering a new stage of her life. She’ll need your guidance, support and care. But, there are some things you can’t know just yet.” He clamped his mouth shut and started walking away. Starsong followed after him her mind buzzing with new questions and curiosity
The first sign they had come into the Red Light District was the shops were no longer darkened and closed, but occupied and brightly lit for the non-thestral population that had taken to living in the night life scene. They came to a packed, local night club and she could easily recognise the pounding, wordless but exciting, blood pumping music of Vinyl Scratch coming from inside.
“Right here,” Cobalt said coming to a stop, nodding at the nightclub. Starsong resisted the urge to groan out loud, night clubbing was not one her most favourite activities to participate in. The only times she even went inside a night club was when she had to rescue her best friend, Autumn Delight, from one her self destructive binges of partying, whoring-without even being paid for her services- and getting blasted so high on Arcane Dust and alcohol she couldn’t walk two steps without falling over. She hated night Clubs. There wasn’t a single time she had gone into one without suffering from the effects of drunken ponies either hitting on her, or throwing up on her.
“Sir...” Starsong gave her Captain a pleading look. “Is this necessary?”
Cobalt grunted something and led the way into the night club without answering. Sighing with resignation Starsong followed after him, wincing as she felt something squish under her left hoof. Not daring to look down, she resisted the urge not to throw up at the scent of sweaty, horny party ponies and awkwardly made her way through the dancing crowd until she sat on the barstool next to the one Cobalt had chosen.
“We can’t be spied on now,” Cobalt said, pulling out a thin file from under his wings. He slid the file along the bar to Starsong and nodded at it. “That file contains everything you will need to send Sable to Happy Horns Psychiatric Facility, if you need to.” He pulled a flask from under her other wing and began drinking deeply from it. After several deep gulps he placed it back under his wing wiping his mouth clean. “Sable is the kind of mare who only relies on violence to be kept in place. If she doesn’t start viewing you as an alpha, she will view you as a beta and will have no respect or fear for you.”
Starsong licked her lips placing a hoof on the file. Was it a piece of the puzzle that was Sable’s past? If so, how bad could it be that it warranted Sable a room in a mental hospital. She took in a deep breath and placed the file into her saddlebags, she’d never use it against her patient. But she would use it to help her gain a better knowledge of what was needed to help Sable.
“Thank you, sir,” she muttered hesitantly.
Cobalt fixed her with a cold and intense glare and nodded down at the notes sticking out of her saddlebags. “Leave Sable’s former orphanage alone. Don’t attempt to find it, or her home. Have nothing to do with it. That’s an direct order from your Captain, understand Doctor .”
Starsong gave an hesitant nod. “Yes, sir.” She bit her lower lip nervously. “W-what’s so wrong that I can’t go there? It would give me some clues and insights that would better allow me to treat my patient!”
Once more Cobalt trapped her in that cold glare of his. She looked away from his gaze, not willing to offer any challenge to his authority. “In time you’ll get what you need in order to treat Sable. But only when the time’s right.” Leaving Starsong with a warning glare that brokered no argument, he slipped out of the club.
Several moments later, Starsong ordered a drink, eagerly taking in a deep mouthful of the cold alcohol. She rarely drank, never having more than one cup. Captain Cobalt was the one who knew the most about Sable. Why he didn’t want her to go to the orphanage was mystifying. She frowned and looked back down at her saddlebags. Was the file she now had something to recompense her for being ordered to stay away from the orphanage? Didn’t Captain Cobalt want her to help Sable as much as possible? With so many questions buzzing in her mind, she downed the rest of her drink and with a little sigh, teleported back to her office.
Captain Moon paused just as he was about to step out of an alleyway, a cold tingling running up and down his spine. He shifted a little uneasily, casting a quick glance over his shoulder to the dark shadows of the alleyway. They were empty and he was alone. But that cold, insistent tingling running up and down his spine were his instincts telling him somepony was out there, watching him. Ruffling his wings with uneasy agitation, he stepped out of the alleyway and into another patch of dark shadows against the opposite wall. Still, even in a new location, he could feel that tingling in his spine.
His eyes widened in realization of what his instincts were telling him and he spun around just in time to see an armored griffon lunge out of an alleyway, slashing a knife at his throat. Cobalt moved his head back a few centimeters, the knife only just missing his throat. He didn’t give the griffon time to recover. He unleashed a tiny amount of his ambient magic and blurred forward latching his muzzle around the griffon’s throat. His razor sharp fangs cleanly severing through the griffon’s carotid arteries and jugular veins.   
The griffon’s screech of pain was turned into a choked gurgle of death as Cobalt bit deeper, cutting his fangs through the griffon’s windpipe. He greedily drank down the hot, sweet blood pouring into his mouth, purring loudly as warm waves of ambient magic pulsed through his body, mixing with is own and heightening his senses tenfold. Large amounts of pure fresh blood straight from the source was such a rare delicacy, no thestral in their right mind would ever waste such an opportune moment. He unlatched his fangs from the griffon’s throat and pulled back licking his lips and fangs clean. His newly heightened sense of hearing picked up a sound behind him and he spun around using the dead griffon’s body as a shield to block a crossbow bolt fired from a second griffon.
The new griffon assassin threw aside the now useless crossbow, pouncing straight at Cobalt. Another surge of ambient magic flowed through his body and he blurred forward his hoof crushing the griffon’s throat. It was by pure luck he saw a second crossbow shooter on the edge of his vision and he was about to dart to one side, when the fired crossbow bolt buried itself in the stone wall three inches away from his chest. He instinctively followed the trajectory of the bolt to the rooftop of a tall building a block away. He saw a griffon falling, a trail of dark crimson liquid trailing behind his body from the hole that used to be his throat. A dark cloaked pony pounced from the rooftop after the griffon, disappearing from sight behind the other buildings. Cobalt licked his fangs and grabbed one of the dead griffons, sinking his fangs into the bodies throat. Blood, without the pressure of a pumping, merely trickled into his mouth but he eagerly lapped every drop up.
Once he was done, he dropped the body and used the alleyways and side streets to make his way to the castle. Luna would have to be informed of the attempted assassination on his life.