Darkness Calls

Angel began to slowly back away, her eyes never leaving Azure's red eyes, which were oddly glowing. Azure grinned and kept moving towards Angel at a steady, but slow pace. The two mare's were locked into a contest, the first to look away would ultimately lose more than some dignity. Angel tucked her wings tightly against herself and sighed, there wasn't an easy way out.

"Azure, I really hope you're joking. You're scaring me..." Angel's voice quivered and she trailed off unable to find the next words.

"A joke? My prey I do not joke. Now hold still and stop moving." Azure commanded to which Angel took a deep breath. She had two options, run for her life and prey that Azure was slower or do as she was told. Angel, also wasn't the brightest of mares and wanted to take her chances.

"Tempting offer, but I like my neck how it is. Not ripped out onto the floor!" Angel screamed and sharply turned toward the stairs before sprinting straight up them. Azure growled and did the same, just with more elegance as she galloped after Angel. On one hoof, Angel could fly down the hall faster than Azure could run, but the halls were tight. One wrong move could spell disaster. On the other hoof, Azure was a lot slimmer and could easily get around corners, but wanted to save energy.

"Stop running, you're only prolonging your fate." Azure spoke with cold words as she chased after her prey, Angel.

"Not a chance!"

"You're a foolish mare, you can't escape. You will tire out eventually and I will catch you." Azure's voice remained cold and emotionless as she chased Angel down the hall and to the next set of stairs.

"Princess Luna! Princess Twilight! Somepony help me!" Angel screamed as she ran up the stairs, she was already panting. She wasn't the mare for funning, she was built for flight. Not running for her life through the white halls of the Castle.

"Nopony can help you, Angel. Now stop your running!"

"Never! I won't let you catch me!" Angel was starting to slow as she made it halfway across the hall, only one more staircase to go.

Azure was growing tired of this game and growled loud enough for Angel to hear. She put her muzzle forward and low as she charged after Angel faster than before. She wouldn't allow Angel to escape, no that would be impossible to allow. One moment friends, the next prey and predator. Angel was at her limit, perhaps even pushing it as she ran up the stairs. Nopony was around to help her, perhaps no one had even heard her.

"It's over my prey, I have you now!" Azure screeched as she jumped onto Angel, tackling her to the floor and pinning her down. Azure's sheer strength was more than enough to hold poor Angel down as she stared into the eyes of her friend. Azure's eyes were held a look of a predator, and yet seemed to be saddened slightly.

"Azure, don't do this! Think about what the guard will d-"

"Shut up! I don't care about the guard, they wouldn't be able to stop me. And you sure can't either." Azure's words hit Angel like a punch and she tried to push against Azure. All to no prevail, she didn't have the energy to fight now. Azure was in complete control and Angel couldn't believe it.

"S-So you're going to kill me aren't you?" Angel asked as her eyes met with Azure's.

"Did I ask you to speak?" Azure growled as the first of many tears streamed down Angel's face.

"No. But please Azure, can't we tal-"

"Stop talking! I won, you lost. Maybe you should have listened when I said hold still, this could've been less painful for you, you poor mare.

Angel went silent and let out a deep, heavy song sigh. "So this is how I'm going to die?" She asked herself in silence as she closed her eyes. So quick and yet so slow? Azure was just waiting, as if mocking her at this point. All of that running had tired Angel out, and a sprained hoof only had made it worse for Angel. She was easy pickings.

"Just get it over with, you won. I can't change that." Angel's voice quivered once more as she started to shake. It only occurred to her just how cold Azure's body felt.

Azure leaned in and sniffed at Angel's neck, driven by nothing but pure instinct. Angel cried silently as Azure brushed her muzzle against her neck. Angel didn't bother to struggle and simply waited in what felt like an eternity of silence.

"I expected more a fight, for such a strong spirited mare." Azure spoke coldly, showing no sympathy for the pinned Angel.

"I've never been more than...than a patrol guard." Angle whimpered.

"So no training at all? How pathetic, figures for Celestia's guards."

"T-the other guards are well trained, they'd kick your flank to th-"

"They can try, but they won't succeed. You're a fine example of what would happen." Azure said as Angel whimpered once more. For just a moment, Azure generally showed sympathy for the crying mare. But it was quickly gone as she licked her lips.

Pulling her muzzle away, she looked down at her prey. Angel wasn't a fighter by any means, she was a Pegasus who flew in the sky way up high. Not much of a challenge for anypony, but regardless, Azure knew what she wanted. It made little of a difference to Azure, whether or not she was exactly in control of herself. Inside, a battle was being waged. And she was losing every second.

"Why me? Why can't you..." Angel sighed in realization of what she was saying as Azure showed off a pair of sharp teeth.

"Realizing you'd be sending me to find somepony else more unfortunate?"

"Yes."

Azure smirked at Angel's honesty as her internal battle raged on. Angel opened her eyes for a moment to see Azure staring directly at her. She immediately looked away in fear.

"Enough distractions, I let you have a chance and even gave you a few extra moments. Now hold still and this will all be over quickly." Azure commanded as she leaned into Angel.

Azure brushed her muzzle against Angel's neck once more, she was going by pure instinct still, even if she didn't want to. It wasn't an easy feat to resist the very thing that you want, and it was no different for Azure. She couldn't fight her newfound instincts as she opened her mouth and grazed Angel's neck with her sharpened canines. Something only a tiny percentage of ponies had, mostly if not entirely bat ponies.

"If you harm that mare, you will regret it Azure!" A deep voice echoed from down the hall and quickly stole Azure's attention.

"Who's there and wants to get bit?" Azure hissed as she looked down the hall and saw a silhouette down farther. It was taller and larger than Azure and that was a fact. But was it stronger?

"Guards! Seize her and muzzle her, bat ponies first!" The voice, that of none other than Princess Luna, shouted from the hall.

Azure hissed and got up from Angel. One thing no predator liked was to be distracted from their meal. Azure was no exception with the anger burning in her eyes. If looks could kill, she'd have slain the entirety of castle's inhabitant with a single glance.

"What gua-" Azure was cut off as a stallion flew into her and pushed Into a wall. She groaned and looked at the stallion, whom was a much more muscular bat pony. She glared into his eyes as he smirked victoriously, only for her to smash her forehead into his and make him fall down.

"All muscle, no brains." Azure laughed and walked over the incapacitated stallion. Now Princess Luna stood with a small battalion of guards at her sides. Bat ponies in their night guard armor and the standard guard ponies in their golden armor.

Azure was about to make a sarcastic comment about such a small little army, but instead found the back of a book being smashed into the back of her head. The book being a leather back on small army tactics, weighing about as much as a few pounds. Needless to say, Azure collapsed onto the ground as Angel watched unsure of how she had got out of being a meal.

The book dropped to the ground as the newest Princess, Twilight Sparkle sighed. She trotted over to Angel and helped her up, though she was still shaking. Soon after the bat ponies quickly and cautiously put a muzzle over Azure.

"Thank you Twilight, but I wish we could have captured her awake. She'll be even angrier when she wakes up." Princess Luna sighed as she looked down at the now cuffed Azure.

"It had to be done, normally I'd look for a peaceful way. But guard's lives were at risk and so was Angel. I would have been here sooner, but I sort of blew up my room..." Twilight trailed off and Princess Luna chuckled.

"Great, Azure gives into her dark nature and you blow up a room. Take Angel to the medical room, make sure she's alright. In the meantime, I'll figure out what to do with our fanged friend."

"Put her in a cell and coat the bars In silver dust, it should keep her down and magic quiet." Twilight explained as she looked to the silent Angel.

"That won't hurt her, right? And where did you learn that, Twilight?"

"Maybe I've been reading a lot- a lot more than usual about her kind. Amazing what happens when somepony suddenly asks about it."

"And who asked about it?"

"Some stallion with a charming deep voice, said he wanted to charm his mare friend. Now take her to a cell before she wakes up and tries to eat a guard or me." Twilight commanded and started to trot down the hall with Angel a millimeter away. It wasn't like Twilight to exactly take point or control like she did, but she did show the best of her at the best of times.

"'Bat ponies carry the mare and all other follow behind them." Luna commanded her guards as she started to walk down the stairs. The guards quickly got into a formation with bat ponies first and carrying the mare and all others close behind as they followed the Princess down to the holding cells.

"Please tell me I can have a different shift instead of cell watch with that thing." One of the guards quietly spoke to himself in a worried tone.

As they reached the cell, Princess Luna opened one of the cell doors away from everypony that was already being held. Which was only a few, mostly thieves. The guards carefully put her in and removed the cuffs around her hooves and closed the door shut. Princess Luna locked it and put the key in her wing as some of the guards walked away.

"Princess, are you sure this is right? She couldn't help herself, much like some bat ponies." A solemn bat pony guard asked as she hovered around the exit.

"I honestly don't know, but she is dangerous otherwise. I should realized that sooner, I nearly cost Angel her life because of my small mistake. This is the best justice I can do right this moment. Now please return to your duties.

The bat pony nodded her head and trotted out the door silently without looking back. Luna sighed and looked at Azure who was out cold. It was right thing to do in her mind, she had almost killed somepony. And she probably would have if Luna was any slower. Princess Luna sighed and left Azure in her cell, alone and on the cold stone floor.

Meanwhile, Azure was having a dream. One where she was sitting atop a mountain with the stars above. A forest in the background and a perfect silence. But that all turned to fire behind her as she gulped.

"I've been waiting for you to return, my lost Queen." A stallion's deep voice boomed from within the fire.