Lavender Cloaked in Crimson

The year is 0200 ANMM, a being haunted the towns and villages of Equestria. People rarely ventured out into the night, except for those instances where it was absolutely necessary. Even with the extra guards present on the street it was no comfort to them.

No one understood what it was, some thought it some left over from Discord’s madness and chaos, or a creature born of the nightmare. Whatever it was, it drained people’s blood leaving them dessicated husks. For centuries the attacks have been getting worse and then horror of horrors even their magic was taken, it wouldn’t be until 0300 ANNM that the attacks peaked and then suddenly stopped.

“That is until now,” Luna sighed, the recent reported murders match it to a “T”. Her sister Celestia had her investigate dreading that the demon that had caused the first incident was back.

Luna closed the book and rubbed her eyes.

Witness reports at the time were sketchy, some claimed it was a giant bat, some claimed it was a giant wolf and still more a young woman with ample “assets”, and those that had survived were unable to divulge the identity of the creature because they were under a geas. Luna leant back stretching in her chair her wings flaring in response, getting up and magically replacing the records to their proper place.

Luna huffed as she left the archives, dusting off her black leather pants and Blue tank top and made her way back to the palace proper. As she made her way, people bowed and scraped at her passing… and as for her, she honestly felt it grating on her patience in a way few things did.

Stopping at the newsstand, Luna bought a paper before passing over at Donut Joe’s, where she ordered a coffee and donut to go.

‘Ahhh,’ Luna sighed as she sipped on her cup, that man has a way with coffee and donuts, that the palace chefs and their pretentious attitude to food could never hope to compare to.

As she walked in through the palace gates she was accosted by reporters and journalists, the words causing her to grimace. The art of proper journalism had died when corporate interests had taken them over.

She beat them off with, “No comment” or “That’s classified.”

After that Luna had almost came to blows with one of them, when a journalist woman insinuated to her, that no one would love her and that she was destined to be alone. Luckily for the fool, the guard had intervened before Luna could teach the slanderous woman a lesson in respect.

With a grunt she entered the palace and made her way to the dining room - where her sister was, in all likelihood, stuffing her face with cake. Making her entrance, she pulled out a chair on the opposite end to Celestia’s seat and sat down, leaning back while resting her legs on the table drinking her coffee and reading the paper.

“Nice of you to join us, dear sister,” Celestia addressed her with a smile. A grunt from Luna was all that was said in response.

“Hello Princess Luna,” came a younger voice, it belonging to Celestia’s student Sunset Shimmer. Luna lowered her paper to regard the young girl who was smiling at her.

“Greetings Sunset, we pray thee art well?” Luna asked with little actual interest, but since the girl had redeemed her, Luna decided it was best to be polite at least. She was grateful to her for her aid but she really couldn’t get along with a person who practically lived up her sister’s butt.

When she received the shy nod from her, Luna immediately went back to reading her paper… while her sister tried to be diplomatic, and apologised to Sunset on Luna’s behalf.

Sister, we used to be warriors. Not diplomats. Why did you fall to such banality.

Turning the page, she spotted a headline that made her grimace. “Foreign Noble Bought Ruins of The Castle of The Two Sisters, Renovations Planned.” The news headline caused Luna to frown, great another thing from her past stolen from her.

“Sister? Did thou knowest of the purchase of our old home, left in ruins by our spat?” Luna asked an edge in her voice.

“I am sorry dear sister, but they are just ruins. I would rather have someone who would restore them to their former glory, than to cling to the past.” Celestia responded, though with a hint of melancholy in her voice.

“Who bought it, I wouldst liketh to meet them?” Luna pressed somewhat eagerly.

“Oh some Trotsylvanian Lady, I believe her name was Crimson Dusk... strange name for a mare, I must admit - but I have heard stranger names from noble families”, Celestia dismissed with a shrug, “she is very charismatic, and the people under her seemed happy - If a bit scared - not surprising, what with the place being infested with wolves and all manner of nasty creatures.”

“She is currently staying in Ponyville, if what Sunset has told me is true.” Celestia added, looking towards her student who nodded.

Luna sighed, as she went back to her paper, no use in making a fool of myself by turning up unannounced.

Turning the page, she almost spit out her coffee as she read the headline, “Baltimare, massacre!”, with a hurry, Luna scanned the page for further information.

“The town of Baltimare was shaken this morning as the police turned up at the “Fat Roan”, a Roan eatery owned and frequented by the infamous Crimini crime family. Bodies were found scattered around the eatery, either bisected or crucified on the wall with metal stakes. On some of the corpses fang bite marks were found on their necks completely drained of blood and magic. Many were victims of a large bladed weapon, where others were felled by stake or bullets. This is the third such massacre, all victims belonging to criminal organisations. Is the government behind this or is this something or someone else entirely! We’ll keep you posted!”

Luna growled loudly as she incinerated the paper with black magic fire, causing Celestia to roll her eyes at her sister’s antic, before asking, “Whatever is the matter Lulu?”

Luna glared at her sister for her use of her nickname in front of company... but suppressed the retort that rested on her tongue, “I am just upset that another massacre occurred in Baltimare,” Celestia’s expression became solemn and hard.

“That is dire news indeed sister, whatever it is I cannot understand its motives this time. It keeps attacking criminals, yet in the past it was indiscriminate as to its targets.” Celestia muttered as she held her hand to her chin.

“Well, sister… while you think, I will make my way to Baltimare to find out what I can.” Luna retorted taking her coffee with her, as she opened an arched doorway of darkness, before stepping through.

“No offense, Princess… but your sister scares me,” Sunset added after the Night Princess had left.

A laugh like bells ringing met her ears.

“Do not worry my faithful student, my sister is just concerned with the safety of her subjects… and she didn’t have a thousand years of peace to soften her up. She is a bit rough round the edges, just give her time… and she’ll warm up to you.” Celestia answered before she stood up from her seat and pulled the girl into a hug.

“Now enough of this, let us see what the library has added since your last visit.” Celestia suggested causing Sunset to smile with joy.

By the time she had reached the crime scene, Luna had finished her coffee a long time ago… and was currently debriefing the police officers at the scene.

“Your Highness, we are still unable to find any evidence of what or who did this, it’s like what did this didn’t even exist. No fingerprints; no footprints; nothing under the victim’s fingernails… not even witnesses,” the officer scratched his head as they moved inside the crime scene.

Luna muttered a curse in a language lost to time, as she paced about thinking.

“Sergeant, get your men to clean up this scene, and then move on. Stake out the remaining crime families… shadow them and see if they are attacked. I’ll personally lead a squad, to shadow the Basilli family.”

Hours passed as day turned to night - they were waiting inside an unmarked van, the posted officers and Luna were watching the house of the Basilli’.

Luna grimaced at the foul concoction that had been procured for her, which they called “coffee”, but was just swill when compared to Joe’s. Getting restless, she left the van to dispose of the abomination that dared to call itself coffee, by means of banishment by sewer.

As she was about to enter the van again, gunshots rang out into the night… the source of them being inside the house they were watching.

Luna conjured her full plate armor, which left only her head uncovered. It was Colored midnight blue with black accents, there were moon motifs on the chest and shoulder pieces, the greaves had wedge heels, and flowing from her back was a cloak that looked like the night sky.

A hooded figure rushed out of the house, forcing the door the wrong way in the process - while Luna intercepted the hooded figure by drawing her claymore.

The figure paused… and straightened up, revealing an ethereal being with a skull mask covering his or her face.

Luna could’ve sworn that whoever was under that mask was smiling cheerfully, as a distorted but female voice cut through the still night with a happy tone. “Greetings, Night Mother… I am the Reaper,” she greeted with a mocking half bow without taking her eyes off Luna, “I am glad to make your acquaintance.”

Luna growled, as the other officers had made to surround the young woman.

“You are under arrest for the murders of the Crimini family, and the Basilli family, as well as possibly countless more innocents slain by your hand!” Luna shouted, ignoring the introduction.

Her claymore sword at the ready, she felt that the girl in front of her smirked at her… feeling enraged, she charged at the her - sword held high - bringing her blade down on the girl… who merely held her hands up, one clenched the other as she opened her palm above her head as if bracing something.

When Luna’s sword clashed with something held in the Reapers’ hands, sparks flew as something invisible stopped her claymore’s swing… and despite the crater formed under the Reaper by the strength of the impact, she kept her footing while appearing unharmed. Both started to struggle to break each others’ stance.

Luna jumped back and began slashing with her massive sword, but to her rising frustration her swings were being parried by the Reapers’ invisible weapon. More sparks flew as the two weapons collided, while the speed at which the two slashed and parried made it difficult for the officers watching their duel to find their chance to aid their princess.

As they were too focused on the duel, they didn’t notice the figure behind them cloaked in shadow, who pulled a blade silently and cut them down at a very fast - and brutal - rate.

“Tch, dammit, he got them,” was all Luna heard before she felt a blade scratch her cheek, while the Reaper pulled her out of the way and knocked her out with a hit on the head.

The Reaper laid the unconscious princess on a nearby bench in a rush, turning to attack the shadowed figure. While her sword sliced through him, she rose her hand and a long silver hand cannon split the night silence with gunshots that penetrated the figure…

A howling wail was heard from the creature, while black blood ejected violently from the wounds that trespassed its body. The creature scattered to the four winds as it fell, turning into shadow-dust as it dispersed into the obscurity of night.

The cut on the Princess' cheek was still bleeding by the time the Reaper turned her sights on her… as she saw this, she raised her mask slightly with one hand, and licked Luna’s blood away once she got her face close to her, the wound sealing after she caressed her wound with her tongue.

With a jolt, the Princess awoke from the licking right after the Reaper refixed her mask down… and faded away into the dark night.

Luna’s PoV

As she awoke blearily, Luna noticed a figure hanging over her - the figures’ breath very close to her face - as she felt a tongue slide across her injured cheek, blushing slightly at the feeling. Growing more awake, she noticed it was the Reaper who had done such a thing, leaving her on the bench as she disappeared into the night.

Sighing forlornly, she turned her attention to the corpses of the officers… before returning to the van, radioing in on the van’s cv radio to report what had happened.

It didn’t take long for the police to arrive on the scene, where Luna recounted again the events of the night.

She grimaced as the officer writing down her testimony looked at her skeptically when she mentioned that there was another perpetrator responsible for the officer's death, asking in disbelief, “and this Reaper just let you live?”

Luna glared at the officer, standing up as she flared her wings in anger, “I don’t appreciate being called a liar, officer!”

With a hurried apology, the officer backed away from Luna, his hands up in surrender, and ran away.

Grumbling, Luna sat on back down, and called a nearby hotel.

As she entered her room for the night, she went to her bathroom to get cleaned up, turning on the faucet she took a look in the mirror at the cheek that was cut… where she saw lavender lipstick lips printed on her cheek, and the message, “Stay alive, Luna XOXO~Reaper”.

The blush returned in full to her cheeks as she saw this.

“How in mother’s name did she manage this?” Luna muttered as she wiped the message off her cheek pausing to think, “Still, it makes me wonder… could it there be more to this whole affair than we know about?”

As she stepped out of the bathroom with her face clean, she conjured a set of her pajamas over the bed, making her way over to the sofa. Once she was sitting down, she turned on the tv news… and her eyes widened at the news.

“Princess Luna has made some headway into the case of the Baltimare massacre investigation - where “The Reaper”, a young female mage, skilled in both swordsmanship and gunmanship, is believed to be the culprit. However, before Princess Luna could apprehend the villain, an unknown assailant ambushed her…” and right as the newscaster said that line, Luna’s cellphone went off.

Rolling her eyes at this timing, she checked upon it, rolling them again as she saw the identity of the caller… which was her sister. Answering the phone she put it to her ear.

“Luna!? Are you okay!? I just saw the news! I was….”

“Sister, let me cut you off right there. ‘Tia, I am fine, though I am confused - the Reaper didn’t kill me, in fact she helped me and wasn’t responsible for the deaths of the cops.” Luna replied to her sisters’ anxiety.

“Oh. That’s certainly odd… anything else?” Celestia asked her sister, sounding as confused as Luna did.

“Err maybe….” Luna answered cautiously, biting her lower lip.

“Luna….” came Celestia’s voice in a warning tone, obviously asking for more information.

“Okay she kissed me! There! You happy!?” Luna huffed and puffed her cheeks burning.

There was a long pause, “... wow that is odd.”

“Hey!!!” Luna replied angrily.

“You misunderstand! I meant that she kissed you, no one has ever kissed me when I was apprehending them!” Celestia replied in a huffy tone, and something there that many wouldn’t be able to notice, but this was Luna’s sister.

“‘Tia… is that jealousy I hear in your voice?” Luna smirked as a flustered sputtering answer was all she got in response before she hung up.

Luna sat there wide eyed before she fell back on the couch and started laughing her head off.