Soul Keeper

by Lord Stardancer

Chapters

Eponymous
Warm Welcomes
Rank and Vile
It's "Advanced"
Cracks
I'd Kill For An Invitation
The Midnight Hunt
Faces, Old and New
Watcher on the Wall
Ghost of Hearth's Warming's Past
Prologue: The Sleeper Awakes
The Good Doctor

Eponymous

"I'll design it how I want, Sister."

"But so drab? The commoners will never take to it as they have Philomena."

"So what? I do not require their approval."

"You will eventually Luna, if you are ever to be a true Princess."

"By then, they will have grown to love it."

"Not looking like that."

"Then it shall look however it wishes!"

"... tsk. You aim too high, Sister."

Kaiscillus stalked carefully through the deep underbrush of the Everfree Forest, exerting all of his will to keep his stomach silent as he tracked his prey.

After his massive expenditure of magic in reaching his mother just in time to fail, Kaiscillius' inner reserves could no longer sustain him, and so he was absolutely famished. Hence, the impromptu hunt.

Up ahead, only about a hundred feet away, in a small clearing with a stream trickling through a rocky patch of soil, was his target. A large, delicious looking, manticore.

It was a strong male, its lion's mane shone a fiery red as it lapped the water, it's barbed tail swaying, alert, over its folded wings. Manticores were no easy kill, but the meat it had on it could sustain him for days if he rationed it. He'd need to see about finding a new source of magic, as well, no mares were around at the moment to think of that, however.

With uncanny stealth for a creature his size, Kaiscllius shifted with nary a sound. He was quiet even through the intense deadfall of the Forest, with all its aged and dying leaves and twigs scattered upon the ground like shed scale.

Licking his lips, Kaiscillius honed in on the manticore's movement. It was unaware of his presence, though he now stood but fifty feet from it, and though it was watching for danger, its guard was down, what creature would be idiotic enough to attack a manticore?

With only the slightest whisper of wind, Kaiscillius pounced.

Even so, he could see that the beast had heard the noise, and was turning to investigate. Perfect.

Remaining silent as the creature beneath him roared and thrashed with anger, Kaiscillius landed fully atop the manticore, straddling it back to front with his heads facing directly into its sting.

Very quickly, Kaiscillius gripped the base of the sting itself, up along the tail, in his left hand head, as his middle one clamped down on the beast's spine behind its wings.

It roared again, and attempted to roll Kaiscillius off, but only succeeded in flipping over onto its back.

With a heave, Kaiscillius placed his back claws behind the manticore's head and pushed, hard.

With a loud pop it was all over, and the clearing lay still again. All it had taken was a few brief moments of vicious savagery, and then the world carried on as it always had. Kaiscillius hmphed at the indifference of the surroundings to his victory before roughly shoving the limp animal off of him, before voraciously digging in.

About an hour later, he was finished. His belly full, and his magic very very slowly recharging. Absentmindedly, one of his heads lapped at the stream as he rested a small while in the green clearing. It was quite pretty, one of the few spots in the Forest where the sun shone through strong and clear, the air was fresh, and the trees and grass gave a golden-green hue to the world that many poets had attempted to capture in verse throughout the ages. And in the middle of it all sat a great, big, black lump, brooding as he licked the green blood from his chops.

A hearty meal, to be sure, he thought to himself, but a mare really would be so much more useful right now.

The manticore's carcass lay off to the side, pristine white bone with only a few hints of grey-brown gristle clinging to it, some even snapped open and the marrow drained from inside them.

With a sigh, Kaiscillius laid his heads down to think, So... what to do.

Obviously, he needed to protect his mother, that was the general order he'd been given, but how to go about it?

Well... she'll be hospitalized for a few days only, she shouldn't have any permanent injuries, so hospital staff is out. I can't go as I am, Celestia would recognize me and have me killed on sight. They wouldn't let a commoner near her, not for long, and I need to be able to keep my eyes on her 24/7.

Kaiscillius picked up a rock in his claws and began to roll it back and forth across the ground, just to give himself something to do.

There's nothing for it, it's risky but I have to be palace staff. Risk minimization? A pony that doesn't interact with Celestia that often. Butler is out, too up close and personal. I could cook, but that doesn't let me near Mother. Hmm...

Kaiscillius got bored of the rock, and so he crushed it beneath his gargantuan palm, Ugh, what to do?! I can't just be a normal pony and have permission to watch over her day and nigh- wait a minute.

Kaiscillius thought for a moment, cocking his heads to the side, Yes... yeeesss... depending on how far in the future we are, and I'm willing to wager quite far based on the state of the Castle... she'll need a new Honor Guard...

It wouldn't be easy, Honor Guards for the Princesses were the best of the best, and Celestia wouldn't let just anypony near her sister now, only those she knew were under her hoof. But Kasicllius was completely confident in his skill as a warrior and... well, if he went in deep... he could become another person entirely. He hated doing it, oftentimes it was hard to return from a conditioning process like that, but for his Mother's final order? Anything.

Right then, he thought, rolling onto his side, to do anything, I will first need magic. That manticore will sustain me for a time, but the burn is too slow, I need an injection.

He could attempt to venture further into the Everfree. He'd heard stories of great wells of magic hidden there, but he wouldn't know where to find one, and even for one such as him the interior of the Everfree was a treacherous place.

I either need to absorb latent magic, or I need a mare. Here there is a plentiful amount of elements in the air, but not many mares that I can see. Unfortunately it looks like it must be the former rather than the latter.

With a little disappointed huff, Kaiscillius stood, and braced himself against the spongy grass of the forest floor. He closed his eyes.

All around him he could sense energy, so much life and growth, but an equal amount of death, decay. There was water here, and heat straight from the sun. The wind blew in a gentle breeze that whistled through the trees in a warbling whisper. It was nearly the perfect place, it would more than do.

Kaiscillius drew in a deep breath. And in. And in, and in, and in, never stopping the inhalation. Around him plants began to die, instead of whisper the wind began to howl, the sun grew dark, as if passed over by a shadow, and the water in the brook slowly trickled down to nothing at all.

Sighing in relief, Kaiscillius relented his intake, and moved swiftly back into the dense forest, rituals like that tended to attract things. Darker things.

Walking along, Kaiscillius picked his direction based on a large collection of very complex magical signals, indicating a strong sentient presence. A village, if he was guessing right. He should reach it by the afternoon, if the early morning sun was anything to go by. More than enough time to think.

So, who should he be? Fat, lazy, zealous, brave, lustful, studious? He'd done them all at least once before.

Well, he needed to be a unicorn to cast spells without raising too much suspicion, but he also needed to look strong to avoid questions of why a weedy nerd was able to knock over a building.

And while I'm at it, he thought, only a little ashamed of his vanity, there's no particular reason for me to be... un-handsome. In fact, it might help me cement my position with the Princess before I apply for the job of legally stalking her sister.

He knew perfectly well that the less noticeable he was the better, but... well, it was natural to not wish to appear unattractive.

Very well then, a unicorn with an Earth pony's build. I'm a set of wing's away from an Alicorn, he thought with a sardonic chuckle, what coat color shall I be? Perhaps if I cannot be generic quantitatively, I can be qualitatively. A dark cobalt then, with just a little length around the chest and fetlocks, "bad boy" style, or, at least, it had been when he was around. Perhaps he should learn the current fashion trends before he attempted to mold his image.

But then I'd have to expend more magic creating a fake identity just to be lectured about the newest fads for a few hours, I would really rather just live with the consequences of my actions than waste my time like that. Eyes next, what are we thinking? For drama's sake, given my condition and how I'll need to replenish my magic stores, it would be terribly fun to give myself some red eyes. Ew, but red and cobalt? Never in a million years, perhaps something red-ish, then, a light pink. That doesn't sound so bad. And finally, for the mane and tail...

Now, he had to think about this one. What went well with both dark blue and light pink? Black was boring, and a little too obvious, he didn't like the color yellow simply on principle, green was out of the question, again, red, ew, more blue was boring, and purple would just be gaudy. That left... white.

It's not exactly inconspicuous, he grumbled to himself as he walked, but I don't absolutely hate the idea. It might work.

He mulled it over more as he headed roughly towards his destination, going back and forth in his head over exact body measurements, rearranging the color scheme, and ultimately changing it back again, before he'd finally narrowed down all of his options, and felt ready to make the transformation.

Gradually, the trees around Kaiscillius began to grow less dense and gnarled, the foliage began to shrink down into the ground, and the lights of a distant civilization began to flicker through the dark treeline.

It was here that Kaiscillius stopped, and backed up a small ways, he didn't want a random pony to just walk in on him. Not like any of them came into this place anyway, they had so many legends of how dangerous it was, he'd be surprised if an army came within a hundred yards. In fact, he was more than a little impressed that they'd set up a village so close. It must have been constantly waylaid and attacked during construction before they could have proper defenses put up. A commendable effort, and a useful outpost for Nightmare Moon to launch forays into the forest to search for hidden treasures or ancient powers. After her re-awakening.

Kaiscillius closed his eyes once more, breathing deeply, feeling the beat and pulse of his inner magic, now well over halfway full after his little ritual in the clearing. He pictured his new body, every detail, inch, and crevice. Slowly, he let magic pour into the mold. It coursed through his gigantic form, swirling around it in an array of multicolored lights, compressing and condensing him. The sounds it made were terrible, rending flesh, shrieking metal, and snapping bone, but he felt no pain from the process. Even if he had, he could hardly stop it now.

Within a few minutes, the task was done. Where once a three-story tall hydra had stood, now there was a, perhaps a little taller than average, pony. His cobalt hair immaculate, his light pink eyes shining with anticipation, and his mane... a bit of an oddity. He'd always wanted to try a hairstyle similar to the old Chiniegh archer lords, a short mohawk tied off into a long braid that draped over the shoulder. Some had even attached weaponry to the end of braid after letting it grow out long enough. He'd always thought it was interesting, and it was most certainly distinctive. It would make it much easier to quickly hide if he needed to by simply undoing his hair, he'd look like a completely different pony, and his coat was such that, under the right light, it could appear a multitude of colors.

Satisfied with his work, Kaiscillius was about to step out of the treeline again, when he remembered something very, very important.

Oh, you idiot, you haven't thought of a name!

Kaiscillius whacked himself on the face with a hoof, Alright, names, names... we want a family name first, one of the older ones with a lot of relatives as to explain them never hearing of me... ah! The Keepers! They were notorious in the old days for frequently mixing with commoners or running off to start their own broods in far off lands, they're perfect! Now that also means that my parents would have been fairly eccentric, I need a strange first name...

And then it hit him with a fit of giggles, Should I? Dare I? Make it that obvious? Oh, why not, ponies are oblivious to strange names anyway, Soul Keeper it is!

It fit well with his looks too. It would make sense for one born of nobility, however diluted and distant, to have the features he did. A strong chin and jaw, prominent cheekbones, quirked ears... yes, it all worked out very nicely.

And it was with this, still giggling quietly to himself at his little joke, that Kaiscillius made his way towards the small village ahead. A sign near one of the main thoroughfares read "Welcome to Ponyville!".

Author's Note

So, Kaicscillius has now chosen his new face and name, planning to worm his way into Luna's new Honor Guard! Will he be found out? How will he react to the new seat of power in Equestria? Find out, next time!

P.S. : The next chapter is already in the works, and will be longer than these first two, I promise.

P.P.S. : The braid I was describing looks like a dutch braid, running lengthwise down the neck, and then over the shoulder.

Warm Welcomes

"Again, little one, you reach too high."

"Be silent."

"You cannot create something that strong, it is too much strain for you!"

"I said be silent! Leave me alone!"

"You don't have to keep trying to outdo me!"

"Well you don't have to keep being superior at everything! I will find your weakness one day, Celestia, something I am better at than you! Now leave!"

Kaiscillius trotted his way towards the small-

Ah, ah, ah, I am Soul Keeper now. Semi-wealthy, brainy, doesn't know his strength or looks are appealing.

He stopped on the edge of the village, the hustle and bustle of several dozen ponies going about their day could be heard just past the cream colored walls of the small houses in front of him. He forced himself to take a breath.

Well then, Kaiscillius thought, time to immerse. I hate doing this.

As an afterthought, a small pouch of bits popped into existence, and thudded to the ground next to the pony's form.

For a second, its pink eyes glazed over, there was a twitch, a spark of magic from his horn. And then, Soul Keeper picked up the bag in his magic. An iridescent glow surrounded the brown linen pouch, the magic taking the colors and appearance of a field of stars, the only outward remainder of the great hydra he'd once been.

Soul tied the pouch onto one of the loose strands on his mane, as he didn't have a saddlebag to speak of. Why he'd decided to travel all the way to Canterlot without any saddlebags he'd never know, it had been a spur of the moment thing. Mares liked that didn't they? Stallions who were... rugged, and wilderness-y?

He shook his head in embarrassment and continued on his way, slipping with only a little bit of difficulty between two houses, and out into a central market square. And for what felt like the first time ever, Soul Keeper smiled.

The small space, which couldn't have been larger than a thousand square feet, was paved beautifully with what looked to be fresh cobble, and nary a dung pile nor refuse collection lay upon it. The square itself was ringed by what appeared to be a mix of houses and business fronts, as well as a multitude of stalls that all sold various items from apples to... fire-works? What were those?

Deep down in Soul Keeper, something stirred with a feeling of dread, and a small groan of realization escaped him, but Soul ignored it, and went happily about surveying the scene.

And it was mostly just the ponies, oh the ponies! They were everywhere! Large, small, pegassi, earth, and unicorns all intermingled freely. Their coats were every color of the rainbow, and then some! And they all chatted in a very familiar manner with each other. It was wonderful how well everyone was getting along!

Soul Keeper stood there a while, with a slightly stupid grin on his face, drinking at in, before a hoof tapped him on the shoulder.

"Uhh, partner, you doin okay there?"

Soul turned to see a gorgeous earth pony mare standing but a few inches away from him, and blanched. he'd never been the best with mares, and his parents had to hire a therapist to get him over his stammer when talking to them. But he remembered his therapist's word now, he calmed himself down, looked directly at her without staring, and put on a winning smile.

"Um, yes, I am quite fine, thank you. Sorry if I was in your way... or anything," Not the strongest start, but better than silence.

The mare chuckled a little, raising a hoof to her mouth. She really was beautiful, her orange coat was strong and vibrant, characteristic of one who spent long hours in the light of the sun, her blonde main swooped down over her face, and hung in a long bun over her left shoulder. She had a few freckles dotting her nose under her emerald green eyes... and her mouth was moving. Uh oh.

"Uh, pardon me, could you repeat that?" he asked sheepishly.

She quirked an eyebrow at him, "Well, I was just askin if you needed anything?" She spoke with a thick drawl, but it didn't really impair his understanding, so he didn't mind that much. Gosh she was pretty, those smooth yet muscled flanks, the perfect hip ratio- down boy! Focus!

"Oh! Yes! Thank you, so much, um. Could you tell me how to get to Canterlot from here, I just made a trip through the Everfree, so, as you can imagine, I'm a little flustered and turned around."

She nodded, "Well, you're in luck, mister uh..."

"Oh, Keeper, Soul Keeper."

She smiled, "That's a right pretty name you got yourself there mister Keeper. My name's Applejack, proud member of the Apple family."

He smiled back, bowing slightly, "A pleasure to meat you, Miss Apple, your name is nearly as lovely as you are."

She blushed, a slight red flooding her cheeks, and looked away bashfully, "Aw, shucks, well I don't know about all that. A-Anyhow, you've come to the right place if you want to get to Canterlot, we've got a train line that runs straight to it!"

His smile faltered, "A.. train... line?"

She noticed his confusion, and tried to stifle a giggle but failed, "Y'all ain't from around here are ya?"

He shook his head, "No, where I come from is a little out of the way. I'm not really accustomed to all of this new... well, these new advancements."

She nodded her head, and patted him on the shoulder, which shocked him but he didn't say anything, must be a local tradition, "Yeah, I hear ya. Truth be told, I'm probably the best pony a feller like yourself coulda hoped to run into 'round here. Come on, I'll show you around."

"Oh! Thank you so much, I won't forget this incredible kindness you've done me Miss Apple, I promise."

She chuckled with embarrassment, her ears flattening a little, and her blush returning, "Aww, it ain't nothin'. And please, no more of that "Miss Apple" stuff. You call me Applejack, ya hear?"

"As you wish, Miss Applejack."

She sighed, "Well, it's a start."

Applejack then proceeded to show Soul around all of Ponyville. Truth be told, there wasn't that much to show off, but she appeared very proud of the place, claimed that her ancestors had a large hand in its foundation, and so Soul was sure to be very interested in all of the history, to laugh at her jokes, to fawn over what she did, standard host procedure. There were a few landmarks that stuck out, though.

"That there's Sugarcube Corner, my friend Pinkie Pie works there, best confectionery chef ever!" She seemed to stumble over the word confectionery, and he'd never heard her use another one like it, so he assumed she'd been put up to that by her friend in order to advertise the business. The building was quite bizarre, as if somepony had smashed several different, oversized, deserts together and called it a building. The smells coming from inside were delicious, though, and Soul was hesitant to leave, even though he knew he had to catch this "train" thing.

"And over there is Golden Oak Library, again one of my friends runs it, Twilight Sparkle, and on commission from Princess Celestia, too!" This one really shocked him. It was... it was a tree. The library was just inside of a tree. Surely it must get horribly damp, and what about termites? They would be dreadful! It had to be said that it was quite a nice tree, stretching about three stories tall, golden light filtering through each of the flickering leaves. Something ticked in Soul when he heard Celestia's name, but he brushed it off, the mare was still talking.

"Over yonder is my friend Rarity's place, the, uh, Car-ou-sel Bou-tique," the over pronunciation heavily indicated that she'd been drilled over and over in the right way to say the name of the establishment, "she makes a lot of fancy clothes for those with too many bits to burn. Oh, uh, pardon me, that wasn't very neighborly of me," he could definitely see why someone as practical as a farm pony might think that. The place was horribly gaudy, with vibrant pinks and purples sticking out at odd angles, and in no way matching the rest of the village's rustic aesthetic. And... did his eyes deceive him or was that lace decorating the windows?

"Oh, Applejack dear! Thank goodness you were nearby, I have an emergency that simply cannot- oh, pardon me sir," there came a high pitched, slightly accented voice from behind the pair of ponies.

Soul turned around, and almost had a heart attack as a second, even prettier, mare walked up to the two of them. Her coat was as pristine as freshly laden snow, her mane flowed like a sparkling amethyst river in an expertly manicured spiral, her tail was the same, and her hooves practically sparkled in the noonday sun. She wasn't hard on the eyes, either, with a wide flank that clearly saw little use, and smooth lips glossed with a similar shade to her hair.

"Heya Rares, this here's ma new friend, Soul Keeper," Applejack casually introduced him.

Excuse me? Friends? I just met you!

But his confusion was not something he would allow to obscure his manners, he could see that this mare was a real lady.

And so, in timeless fashion, Soul Keeper stepped up, standing a good head and shoulders taller than her, took her hoof in his, and bowed low over it, delivering a kiss so gentle a butterfly wouldn't have been disturbed by it, "Lady Rarity, a pleasure. I do hope you'll forgive me, but I've a very urgent matter to attend to in Canterlot, and Miss Applejack here was offering the kindness of showing me the way to your train station here. You wouldn't, perhaps, mind walking a while with us, would you?"

Rarity was practically beaming over her polished hoof, "Why of course not! For such a gentlecolt as yourself? Anything, darling, anything. I must say it has been quite a long time since anypony has given me a greeting like that."

Soul heard Applejack mutter something under her breath, but he didn't pay it any mind, "Wonderful! Now, if you would Miss Applejack?"

"Yeah, sure, follow me," she said, sounding a little less animated than she had before her friend showed up, surely she couldn't be that jealous?

Well then again, I suppose this might happen a lot, if they've been friends for a while. A polite young stallion meets Applejack, she introduces them to her companions, and then they fawn over Rarity. Poor girl.

Soul didn't really have much choice after they started moving again, however, as Rarity practically dragged him back to her side to speak with him, letting Applejack trail ahead.

"So then, Mister Keeper, where are you from? I don't believe I've heard of any Keepers here in our little Ponyville."

He chuckled, "No, I'm from nowhere near here. In fact, my parents and I lived rather removed from any society at all, polite or otherwise, near the Dragon Lands."

Her sapphire eyes went wide, and her luscious lips parted slightly "The Dragon Lands? Why, however could you live out there, wasn't it terribly dangerous?"

"It was," he conceded, "But it built character as a child. Many a skirmish was had between my family, dragons, and roving bandits seeking the shelter of the wilderness from civilization."

At this, he saw Applejack's ears quirk up, and it was only now that he realized that her well-muscled flank was swaying back and forth nearly directly in front of his face.

For the love of Celestia, keep your tail down, he silently begged her as they moved down the tight cobbled streets of the village. Soul had been told by a childhood friend of his that he was... particularly well-endowed, and an incident here could tarnish his reputation before he'd even had a chance to build it.

"Bandits? But surely you don't mean... you've fought before?" Rarity's tone drew him back, and he saw she was giving him the look. The look he'd seen on many a courtiers face on the rare visits his family made to Canterlot, before they realized his father was already taken. That fawning look of false adoration, designed to swell a stallion's ego, make him easier to manipulate. Well, he wouldn't be falling for that trick anytime soon.

"Yes, Lady Rarity, I've been in many fights. To protect my family was my highest duty, as it should be for all ponies," he saw Applejack nod and smile slightly, "I've fought at least, oh, twenty-odd skirmishes in my short life."

"Twenty?!" Both Rarity and Applejack shouted, the latter turning to face him.

He raised a hoof to calm them, "I realize it is a little unusual, but I assure you, all of them were necessary. The ponies who are willing to live out there... are not the kind you'd ever want to see here, in this charming, lovely place. And not all of them I was actively involved in, some my father took me to simply to watch and study tactics. But I would say that I participated in most, and was the deciding factor in some."

Rarity and Applejack were both quiet for a time as they continued on their way, and Soul worried he'd said something to offend them, before Rarity spoke up, "Were you ever hurt?"

He laughed, "Many times, a great many. Some were minor, a few were major, and one was almost the end of me. But on all accounts, I have my mother to thank for her healing, she truly was a natural at it. A very gifted mare."

Rarity was giving him the look again, but he ignored it. That wasn't what he was here for, he was here to go to Canterlot. He really hoped this train was worth it.

For a moment he felt strange, as if out of body. He reflected that he seemed unusually perky and outgoing today. Perhaps it was finally being free of that dreaded forest, still... it was unlike him to act this way, especially around two such pretty mares...

"Well, here y'all are, I suppose," Applejack said as they came out of a small alley, and she gestured with a hoof. Soul's jaw dropped as he was snapped out of his thoughts.

In front of him, a massive wooden platform raised slightly above the ground stretched sixty feet across a straight section of what appeared similar to a mine cart's track, but larger, and much heftier. On this track rested a monster of metal, an almost rectangle attached to more that looked just like it, each bearing large iron wheels. Smoke poured from the top of the frontmost rectangle, and the ground practically hummed with the vibration of its restrained power.

"Yep, this here's yer basic steam engine. You got yourself the engine up yonder, then all those middle cars are for passengers mostly, some of the fancier ones got dining cars on em, and the last one way back there is called the caboose. One of these runs through here to Canterlot about every half hour, really the only place to go from here 'sides Appaloosa," Applejack told him.

"It's... it's incredible..." he breathed, taking in the gorgeous way the metal shined in the bright light of the day.

Applejack laughed, "Yeah, most unicorns say that. Speakin' of which, I've been meaning to ask, what's with your horn?"

Soul Keeper was jolted out of his reverie. His horn? What was wrong with his horn?

Rarity, apparently, had an answer, as she stepped up, "Applejack! Don't you know, it's incredibly rude to comment on the state of a unicorn's horn!"

Applejack blanched, "Oh! Uh, sorry Soul, I had no idea I swear!"

Soul waived a hoof dismissively, glad he didn't have to answer her question himself, "That's alright Applejack, but I am curious, what did you mean?"

She blushed and kicked at the dirt a little with her hoof, "Oh, well just that it's a tad larger than the unicorns I'm used to..."

Soul noticed something, and looked over to find Rarity blushing up a storm, cheeks afire, and blue eyes looking everywhere but at him or her friend.

"You want to tell her?" Soul asked. Truth be told, he didn't know, but clearly she did.

She looked at him in shock, and then nodded to herself and cleared her throat, "Ahem, well, Applejack, most of the unicorns you know are female..."

Soul immediately got where she was going with this, and began to blush himself, looking back towards the train, but Applejack clearly hadn't gotten the hint yet, "Yeah, so what?"

Rarity's face became a tinge redder, "W-Well, usually, a unicorn stallion's horn is, um, proportional to... other parts of said stallion."

Soul saw Applejack mouth the words, "Other parts of said stallion," to herself, before an almost visible light came on in her head, and slowly her whole face went beet red.

"I have to go tend my stall!" She shouted, turning away from the group, "Nice to meet you Soul, hope you get where yer goin, sorry!" and that was all she said before galloping off at a terrific speed.

Soul chuckled a little uncomfortably, before turning to Rarity, who was fanning her face with a hoof, "Thanks for that, I figured it would be less awkward coming from anypony other than me."

Is that really what my horn means? I had no idea... mother and father never mentioned anything like that. Though I suppose father's horn was rather long. But... mine is longer than his!

Rarity fanned herself a little faster, but nodded, "Yes, you're quite right. Poor dear. I can see why she asked, though," and with that, Rarity's jaw snapped shut with and audible clack, and she also about faced, giving Soul a lovely view of her bubbly white rump, tail clamped firmly down over anything unpresentable.

"Ta ta Mister Soul! I wish you well on your trip!" And with that, she was gone as well.

Hm. That probably could have gone better, Soul thought. He felt strange again, almost third person as he walked towards the platform on which a small wooden booth sat. He wondered what was up with him today, he even felt a brief moment of nausea, before everything clicked back into place and he felt much more grounded than he had since leaving the Everfree.

Huh, must have been some weird kind of background magic still affecting my brain. I swear, that horrid place is more of an enigma every time I turn my back, shaking his head, Soul approached one of the boxes without any ponies waiting in line. It had a glass panel fashioned into an arch in front of it, with a small slot situated below a strange metal device. Inside was a rather cute orange earth pony, with her yellow mane in a bun, and bright green eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Um, hello!" He called out, a little nervous, for some reason feeling much less prepared than he had earlier, "I, uh, need..." what did he need again? Something about a piece of paper that let you on the train... "Ticket! I need a ticket to Canterlot, if you could."

The mare in the booth smiled and nodded happily, "Of course, sir, and will you be taking business or first class?"

"Ummm," drat, he didn't know how to answer that one, "Well, what do each of them entail, if you would?"

She perked up even further, if that were possible, and responded, "Oh! Well, business class gets you all the amenities you would expect from your standard Equestrain Steam Engine, free snack, one per passenger, a free beverage and high-quality seating! Window seats can be reserved, but that's extra," she brushed past that last fact, and moved quickly onwards, "while First Class gives you a guaranteed window, access to dining and fine accommodations cars, and an optional sleeping arrangement, sold separately," again, she whispered the last one under her breath, "So, what'll it be, sir?"

Soul looked at the mare, and then at the train, gleaming in the sunlight, and then back at the mare, "I, uh, I guess I'll take First Cla-"

"Excellent, sign here, here here here hereherehereherehere, aaaand once more right there, thank you!" Soul, almost unconsciously, signed off on all of the wavers as fast as the bubbly mare could hoof them to him, using his magic to wield the pen.

"Saaaay," She commented as he checked off the last one, "that's some pretty magic you got there, don't think I've ever seen a unicorn with sparkles like that!" she giggled.

"Oh, um, thank you," Soul stuttered a bit. Damn, he'd thought the therapist had gotten rid of that, "Ahem, it's hereditary, runs in the family,"

That's not the only thing... a dark part of him whispered, but he shoved the thought away.

"You not from around here, then?" The mare leaned an elbow onto the little desk she was sitting behind, propping up her face with a hoof. She was very cute, she looked a little squishy, and had an infectious smile. He noticed she was wearing a uniform, a blue cap on her head, and a striped blue shirt with the top two buttons undone. Strange that he'd missed that before.

"Well, I, um... I don't-"

Soul jumped a little as there was a massive BRAAAAAAAAMP from the metal monster behind him, and he cringed slightly as he turned to look at it.

A grey stallion wearing similar clothing to the yellow mare stepped out of one of the gaps between the train cars and called out, "ALL ABOARD!"

Quickly, Soul turned back to the mare, "Oh, I'm very sorry, I really need to go..."

She nodded slowly, "Of course, mister..."

He blinked once or twice before he realized she was asking for his name, "Oh, uh, Keeper. Soul Keeper."

She giggled and put her other hoof up to her mouth, drawing a small bit of Soul's attention to her tastefully glossed lips, "I'll bet you were popular!"

"ALL ABOARD!"

Soul anxiously looked between the mare and the stallion as ponies rushed onto the train. Some deeper instinct told him that meant he didn't have long, "Um, ma'am..."

"Well, it's just" she said, switching her head to her other hoof and looking up at him from an angle, "I'll bet all the fillyfreinds you've had have said that you're a Keeper!" she snorted a little at her joke, which really was adorable, but he had a train to catch...

And for some reason it all popped into place, the weird questions, the stalling, the cutesy leaning...

Is she... flirting with me? He didn't really know how to feel about that. No filly had ever really flirted with him before. Well, living out near the Dragon Lands, he'd really only ever met... um... two? Had he met two? And now a full grown mare was doing it! Should he feel honored? Happy?

"ALL ABOARD! LAAAAST CAAAALL!"

By now almost every pony on the platform had filtered onto the train, and Soul could feel, more than hear, something inside that giant machine beginning to tick and turn.

He thought for a moment about what to do, and a large measure of confidence came to him from seemingly out of nowhere, "Wait a moment, if you would, my dear," he said courteously to the mare, giving her a little bow as he back away, he then trotted over to the grey stallion in the nice blue suit, "Excuse me sir? Would you mind waiting one me for a moment, my tickets are on their way, and I really need to catch this train," he didn't mention that he was first class, he didn't want to seem like a snob.

The stallion huffed, "Well, we can't wait around all day, you know, we got a schedule to keep, sir! And if we're even one minute late-"

"Then I will pay for the lost time," Soul finished shaking the stallions hoof firmly, before trotting back over to the boot, leaving a slightly confused, but mostly ameliorated conductor behind.

"My dear," he said to the cute orange mare behind the counter, "I'm afraid I really must depart, loathe as I am to leave this place so soon..." he glanced at her smooth legs and lips to indicate exactly what it was he'd be missing, "perhaps we might continue this conversation... the next time I'm in town?"

She definitely picked up on his signal, "Oh! And, when'll that be?"

He smiled gratefully, and continued to observe her face, as though memorizing every detail, "Oh... not too long I don't think," he winked at her.

She giggled and winked back, before moving off further into the booth. As she walked away, she turned back for a fraction of a second, and looked him dead in the eye as she swished her tail. It was just enough to catch a glimpse of the very outer edge of a smooth, darker orange wall, before the tail was tucked back into place like it'd never happened.

Less than ten seconds later, she was back with a ticket. She placed it down, and slid it through the opening in the glass, leaving her hoof on it. Pretending to be distracted by the train, Soul's hoof brushed gently across hers, and stroked down it until they met at the bottom of the paper. He looked at her again, and saw her green eyes shine with a new kind of spark. Very briefly she flicked the edge of the ticket, and Soul stole a glance enough to see there was something on the back, before he pulled it away, winking at her one last time.

Without looking back, he turned around and walked straight onto the train. His car and room number were A-113, at the very front. He walked past several dozen ponies almost in a haze, smiling here, nodding there, until at last he came to his compartment, which seemed to take up half of an entire car. Inside was, indeed, luxurious. Spotless furnishings including a couch, love seat, mahogany table, and four-poster bed were spread around the well-lit room. One wall to wall window showed the other side of the train platform, with its own set of tracks, these must have been those coming from Canterlot.

Soul immediately collapsed onto the long couch that was big enough for three ponies and held his ticket in a trembling hoof.

What... just... happened?! He almost started to hyperventilate, and so spent a few minutes breathing in and out like his therapist had taught him, going through calming images in his head. It was after he had calmed down that he flipped the ticket over to read the back.

"Looks like you owe me one, visit soon! xoxoxo

- Golden Chance"

On it was also listed an address and a large orange kiss that smelled, surprisingly, of mint.

What does she mean, owe her one?

It was then that Soul realized that he hadn't actually paid any bits for the first-class tickets. He then sighed heavily, and rolled over on the floral patterned couch to shiver.

What did I just get myself into...

The train ride was absolutely incredible, especially for a first-timer. The sound of the train as it pulled out of the station made Soul's heart swell, and he stared out of the large window the entire time as the land rolled away beneath them, and flashed past faster than a fireball. The amazing journey made him forget all about the large predicament he'd land himself in if he ever went back to that town. Good thing he didn't actually plan on returning anytime soon.

The whole trip seemed to go by in a flash for Soul, who marveled as they passed copses of trees, underneath one of the foothills of Canterlot Mountain, and finally as the city itself came within sight, and that took his breath away.

He didn't know why, but for some reason he thought it would be much, much smaller, maybe even only the size of Ponyville. He was sorely mistaken. Canterlot was a city that appeared almost to gleam with a white light from afar, its older district near the top of the mountain made almost entirely of marble. From this distance, it appeared that even the sprawl that extended and webbed down the mountain's face was immaculate, although he was sure that wasn't the case up close. He had never, in his life, seen a city so big, and with so many buildings! It actually made him a little worried.

He was deep in thought when a shadow passed over his compartment, and he looked out the window to see that they were now passing through an alley of tall, two to three story, buildings, all either made from brick or some strange material that didn't look like any stone he knew. It was pretty, though, and quite seamless. He felt the train slowing down, and decided he should probably get off of it fairly quickly, in case that Golden Chance character had elected to tell them about his essentially stealing a ticket.

And so, it was with a little trepidation that Soul Keeper filled out of his car, passing the occupant of the other compartment on his way, some foppish looking pink stallion with a monocle and handlebar mustache. Soul didn't like the aura he was picking up off of that gentleman, so he quickly went over to the business class car one over, and waited there to be let off. He smiled to himself as he saw many young colts and fillies with their faces pressed hard against the small glass windows, vibrating tin their seats with excitement. The amount of chatter in here, no more than a murmur, but present, was actually soothing to Soul's nerves, more so than the dead silence of his car where he was alone with his thoughts.

If I can help it, I don't know if I'll ever ride first class again, he thought with a little shock of surprise, think of all the ponies I could have met, friends I could have made. What a wasted opportunity.

Finally, the train growled to a stop, many covering their ears at the sound of the shrieking metal braking system, coming to a halt with a slight hiss. Soul heard, but did not see, the conductor as he yelled, "ALL CLEAR!" and then all of the ponies rushed for the doors except for the few with foals. He took his time, there really was no point in rushing anywhere, he thought.

His stomach had other ideas, and let him know by growling loudly. He realized that he hadn't eaten the entire day, strange that he'd forgotten it before now...

Well, he thought to himself as he queued to leave the train, I suppose there was good reason for the distraction, both times I could have eaten.

After what felt like an hour waiting in line, Soul finally stepped off of the train, blinking in the sudden and intense sunlight. The first thing he noticed about Canterlot, the air seemed... heavier than in Ponyville. He supposed that made sense, there were many more ponies here than in that small village. Why, looking around on the very train platform he was standing on, there had to more tha- was that a griffon?!

Sure enough, waiting on the platform, surrounded by what should have been its natural prey, was white and brown feathered monster of a griffon. He had to be at least six feet tall, it even seemed like more. As such, he towered over most of the ponies on platform, but didn't seem too self-conscious about it, he was just waiting patiently with the rest of the crowd for his train to arrive.

How... interesting, Soul thought as he trotted towards the ramp that led off of the platform. Currently not many ponies were using it, most off of his train apparently were just connecting from here to other locations, Yes, very interesting.

He didn't know quite how to feel about that, griffons had been the mortal enemy of ponies for a very long time, he wasn't aware that had changed.

Oh well, he thought, smiling gently to passersby, less war is good I suppose.

It took Soul a while, but he was eventually away from the hulking train station in Canterlot, the thing was massive! Finally, he could now look for something to eat. In this completely strange city, that he had never been in before, and had no idea how to get around in. Drat.

Soul walked around for a little while, trying to decide whether or not to find a guard and ask for directions, before he felt a small tap on the shoulder. He looked down to see a very small filly, taller but thinner than appeared to be the norm, with a teal colored coat, and a bound back purple and red mane, "Are you losht mishter?" she had a very prominent set of... what were those? Bracers? No! Braces, that's what they were called, and it slightly interfered with her speech.

He smiled and leaned down to her level, "A little, little filly, I am a little lost. But don't you worry about me, I'll be fine, shouldn't you be with your parents?"

She looked down at the ground and scuffed a hoof. He looked at her more closely and saw that, despite obvious attempts to brush it, her fur was still covered in dirt and twigs. Either an orphan, or a runaway.

Sou sighed as he stood back up, trying to decide the right thing to do. If he turned her in, she'd never talk to him again, and probably would just re-escape. If he took too long to decide, she'd run, so that meant...

"Alright, little one, here's the deal," he leaned back to whisper to her, and her face lit up, eager to please, "You show me a good place to eat, I pay you handsomely and don't turn you in. How does that sound?"

She gasped, and did a little dance that was absolutely adorable, "Oh really? You mean it mishter?!"

"Shhh!" he put a hoof to his lips, "Keep your voice down, or you'll just draw more attention to yourself. If anyone asks, we're cousins, alright?"

She cocked her tiny head at him, "Why not your daughter?"

He looked at her sternly, "Because no daughter of mine would ever be that dirty, little one, you need to take a bath if you don't want people to suspect the truth."

She looked over herself as he said that, and her eyes widened, "Woah, thanksh mishter, I didn't realize-"

He waved a hoof, "It's fine, show me someplace good to eat,"

She nodded happily, "Of courshe, mishter, follow me!"

Soul followed along behind the little filly as she chattered away about this and that. She wasn't nearly as good of a tour guide as Applejack, wasn't anywhere near as beautiful either, but he didn't expect her to be. He mostly just ignored what she was saying, nodding along whenever it felt appropriate, and studied the buildings around him.

The architecture was very reminiscent of old Trottingham, although... now that he thought about it... he couldn't quite remember when he would have seen that style of building. Oh well, perhaps he'd read about it somewhere. Anyway, most of it was slate brickwork or this smooth substance he still didn't know the name of, with lots of crenelations, small spires or towers, and grand, sloping roofs. It was all very pretty, many houses and shopfronts sported wrought iron fences to deter intruders, but they were decorated to seem old-fashioned rather than dangerous.

"... there mishter."

Soul shook his head as he realized the orphan was talking to him, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

She smiled at him, "I said that'sh one nishe cutie mark you got there!"

Soul glanced at his flank as she said that. His cutie mark. A red crescent moon with three black teardrops underneath it. He shivered as he repressed the memory of how he'd received it, "Thank you, yours is... nice also."

Her cutie mark appeared to be a large bag of bits that was leaking through a hole in the bottom. Strange. The filly didn't respond, and led him off without a word.

The road that led from the train station was one of the larger ones in Canterlot, it had to be to support all of that hoof-traffic. As such, Soul was hard pressed to keep up with his small guide in the crowds of bustling ponies, both common and noble alike. Something else that pleased him was that the street was jam-packed with what looked to be delicious places to eat, all flooded with customers, being so near the station's outflow. There were bakeries, salad bars, regular bars, hay fries, whatever they were, it was a cacophony of the nose around here! But the little filly he was following kept insisting that the best restaurants were further down, that this area was, "all glitter and no glam."

So, Soul followed along, looking this way and that, there weren't a great many attractions where he was, but he was simply marveling at the sheer number of ponies around him. Growing up near the DBZ (or "Dragon Border Zone) the most ponies he'd seen together at once was fifty, and that was during a large skirmish between bandits and his house guard, so he was fascinated by all of the untold stories around him.

Soon, though, as the girl led him out and about, the crowds thinned to a manageable level. Then thinned some more. And again. Until they passed maybe a pony or two as they continued to take twists and turns. Soul didn't like this part of town. Though the buildings were almost the same, they seemed... squatter, dirtier, less grand. The sky seemed to be overcast, though he was certain it had just been a bright, sunny day. And finally, they came to it. An alley.

This alley was ordinary, with all the things you'd think a passageway like itself would have. Puddles of putrid, oily liquid, trash cans, refuse, random piping, narrow walls, foggy, none of which appealed to Soul's appetite. There was one hing that did make his mouth water in this alley, though... and he was following it.

No, he thought, becoming distracted, and continuing to follow against his better judgement, I'll not allow that to happen again, the first time was-

"Alright, pal, hooves where we can see 'em," Soul heard a gruff voice call out from behind him. Suddenly, he was surrounded, six tall, broad stallions seemed to materialize in front of him, though his more acute senses perceived that they had simply slid from hidey holes behind dumpsters and carved into walls.. He couldn't make out many of their features, only that two of them were pegassi, and they were still as buff as the others. One of them was quite short, but that was all.

He turned to the "filly", who had backed into the middle of the circle of thugs, "You set me up, didn't you?"

She spat out the fake bracers, and cackled petulantly, "The stupid, "I'm a filly" trick works every time. I'm a full grown mare, you dumbass!"

One of the thugs snorted, "Well, full grown may be overdoin' it a little..."

She glared daggers at him, "What'd you say?"

He growled back, "I said the next time you want to go hungry, test me again, runt!"

Another of the thugs punched both of them in the shoulder, "Knock it off, you two. The mark still ain't handed over his goods yet."

Soul's stomach growled, No, no no no, not again.

The one who'd posed as a filly sneered at him, "Oh yeah, you think you're hungry? You don't even know hunger! Me and hunger? We're best friends, she comes over to me everyday and suckerpunches me right in the gut!"

"Shut it Bags! I said, hooves where I can see 'em, pal," the level-headed brute said as he reached for a small saddlebag strapped around his barrel.

Soul felt a sweat begin to break out on his coat. He had to get away! But there were only two exits, the one infront of him blocked by four ponies, the one behind him by three, there was no way he could make it past them in his current state!

"I gonna give you till the count of three," the apparent leader growled, "One..."

The large pegasus removed a long, rusty knife from his saddlebag, and held it in a hoof towards Soul, "Two..."

Soul began to breath harder, his eyes desperately searching for an escape, he back up a pace.

"Three!" The pegasus flew at Soul, and suddenly he felt a calm coldness drape across him like a blanket. He easily sidestepped the pegasus' clumsy unprepared strike, and let him bungle into the thugs blocking the way Soul had entered.

All fell quiet in the alley again, as the lead pegasus stood, and Soul nonchalantly detached the purse of bits from his mane, which he tossed to the small mare.

She barely caught them, and looked at him in confusion, "You're... giving up?"

He smiled balefully, and those in front of him shivered at his cold, dismissive glare, "It's for a job well done, young one. I asked you to show me a fine place to eat..." large fangs extended from the side of Soul's mouth, replacing what had been two normal teeth a moment ago, and his pink eyes darkened to a deep maroon, "... and you've led me to a buffet."

The whole alley was plunged into darkness, and several of the thugs screamed. Not an ounce of light pierced this new, black fog, all of the ponies had been totally blinded. Except for Soul, he could See just fine.

The brown light of Fur, the pink of Flesh, roiling pools of Fear, Confusion, Anger, all bent into pony-like shapes in the smothering cloud of Darkness. Soul casually erected three invisible walls to prevent anypony from escaping. No matter what direction they went, even up, it would feel like they'd just crashed into one of the brick walls that should have only been to the left or right.

Soul turned his head until he found one pony that stood stock still, as the others flapped about and cried out in alarm. He was frozen in terror.

Soul walked up to him, slow as you like, and contracted a magical vice grip on the stallion's throat. This made him hungrier, but that soon wouldn't be a problem

Licking his lips once, Soul sank his new fangs deep into the brute's veins, piercing almost to the man's spine. And then, he drank. The smallest quantities were the first to go, his Happiness, his sense of self-worth, which was actually quite complex, but still in short supply. His body was next, well the innards were, your standard blood and water. Then the bigger fish, the stallion's Hunger, his Malice, his Fear, eventually his personality all together. His body had broken down almost completely, conveniently appearing as though he had been assaulted by a normal vampony, though they were of course foal's tales. But Soul was real, and he was no vampony either, so when he had drunk all the man had to give, not even a body remained. Finally there was only one piece left. A shining, shimmering star in this void of darkness.

Best to leave no evidence, Soul Keeper thought with a grin. And so went the man's soul.

It was not difficult at all, then, to achieve the same result with each of the thugs who had foalishly attempted to accost him, the process for each only took about six seconds. Although many made delightful noises as they were brutally eviscerated from existence. Many gurgled, coughed, screamed, or wept, it was all so satisfying, and they were so delicious! When you dined as Soul did, even the lowest class of meals tasted like a five course dinner! It was sweet, sour, bitter, cold, hot, spicy, every flavor exquisitely extracted from the very essence of a living being. Perfection.

And it was after all this feasting and drinking, that there remained only one.

Soul cleared the miasma, and before him, standing in a puddle of her own fluids, was the little one.

Her eyes cleared as she squinted in the sun, and she gasped in horror, before turning and galloping away, as much as she could with those tiny little legs of hers.

Soul rolled his blood red eyes, and grabbed her entirely in his magic, floating her back over as she struggled in vain to resist.

She arrived glittering in his starfield's grasp, and she couldn't help but look at his two teeth. They were dripping. But not with blood, oh no, something far more precious. Each of his long canines dripped with a liquid that almost glowed, and seemed to sparkle in the daylight. Pure, concentrated, raw liquid Magic.

"Well, well, well... I'm so very full after consuming your little friends, but I don't know... I feel like I might be up for... just a little bit of dessert. Now what around here is small enough for an after-meal snack?" he gasped and looked her in the eye, "I think I might know just the right pony!"

Soul opened his mouth wide, and the little teal mare screamed and cried as his fangs grew closer to her neck, still dripping the iridescent souls of her compatriots, when he suddenly closed his mouth, and planted a soft kiss on her neck instead. Through this kiss, though she would not know it, he marked her. A sort of magical signature, so he may track her down again. More than likely he'd need a stable source of food over the next few months, when hay fries and burgers began not to satisfy. And if he could rid the world of lowlife scum while he was at it... then they would owe him, and give him more food. Besides, it was a waste to consume a mare in the same way he had those stallions. No. She, if he ever chose to drink of her, would be require a more... sophisticated process.

He released the little mare from his grip, and she plopped onto the cobblestone streets looking at him aghast. He had to smack her on her tiny rump before she realized she was being let go, and bolted as fast as her little legs would carry her, crying all the way.

Soul, himself, turned and stumbled in the opposite direction, eyes blurring, before collapsing to the ground without even making out out of the alley.

"Owww...." Soul moaned, putting a hoof to his head. What just happened? He felt... so full... bloatedly so, like his stomach was going to explode... what had he eaten?

Then the memories came rushing back.

"Oh no..." he whispered to himself, wide eyed as he recalled each visceral moment of tearing out those men's lives through their necks, "Oh no, no, no, no, no..."

Soul put his dirtied hooves over his eyes, which began to burn with shame and anger, his heart convulsed with anguish, and a disgusted sob wrenched itself from his lips, even as his still serpentine tongue darted out greedily to catch the few beads of magic that clung to them.

Author's Note

"What's so bad it doesn't mind you thinking it's a vampire?"
- paraphrased from Doctor Who, season 5, episode 6

So, Soul has made his way through Ponyville and arrived in the Equestrian capital of Canterlot! However, he seems to experience strange lapses in his personality, where a darker force re-takes control! How will he deal with these urges? Will his dark side be discovered? Find out, next time!

Rank and Vile

The Princess of the Moon furiously scribbles in her journal -

"Sister says it is foalish to give it the ability to adapt itself. I say, it is genius. What more useful tool is there than one which can make itself suited for any task What greater warrior than one who can increase its own strength? What greater spy than one who can change not only shape, but species? I see the truth of it, though, she knows it is ingenious. And she is afraid. She knows I would never allow my own creation to surpass me, and I will imbue it with the same spirit! And in this manner, on and on, we will push the boundaries of the Elements farther than ever before! And in time, we will surpass even her.

Soul sat in that alley for quite a while, staring off into nothing, not thinking or moving. Just wallowing in his retched existence. Occasionally he would burp, and it made him sick that he actually was a little wistful as the taste came back to him.

After about an hour or two, just watching the sun as it trailed its slow path through the sky, Soul finally forced himself to stand. It was a laborous process, he had to brace himself against the grimy stone wall of the building next to him to keep from falling over into his own sick.

Oh yes, he realized, I must have thrown up at some point, luckily none of it had onto on his fur, he didn't want to pay for a hotel room just to clean himself off.

Stumbling out of the alley, Soul was forced to face the facts. He had a job to do in coming to this city, the only distraction from it being that he was hungry, and well... that wasn't a problem anymore. So it was without further delay, that Soul struck out for the Royal Palace, haunted by the thought that the blood of fellow ponies was on his hooves. They were not quite innocent, nor were they pure, but that did not change their murder. Still, he should be able to control incidents like that, he'd just panicked and it had taken control. He just needed to remain calm, cool, collected. The only problem with that was that it would be hard to tell whether he was the one being calm, or it was.

The castle, as one might imagine, was not hard to locate. The gleaming white gem of the city, resting high in its mountain perch, banners of the Sun and Moon streaming majestically in an iridescent wind, oooh, it was all just so bucking twee, wasn't it?

Despite his full belly, and the day remaining sunny and bright, Soul was in a fowl mood. He felt the day should have darkened, ponies should be wary, or even scared of him, guards should ready their weapons on sight. But no, the light was warm on his coat, the ponies he passed greeted him, one and all, with friendly smiles and salutations, and there was hardly a guard in sight. He tried to cheer himself up, tried to forget the killings, the murders, just as he'd done all the others. It took a while, but eventually he was... content. Not happy, not angry or sick, just there. Able to continue. From there, he could begin to enjoy himself again.

He passed much more wonderful architecture on his ascent to the great mountain keep. Stuff from centuries ago, all still holding up beautifully, despite their immense age. He loved buildings like that, buildings so old that they inspired awe just by looking at them, like they were demanding your respect. Perhaps in another life, he could have been an architect.

Don't start down that road, Soul, he thought to himself as he waved to a couple that passed him by, this is the life you have, like it or not, its your job to make something of it anyway. Besides, I might get be an architect eventually anyway, if the stories are true about... what I am.

Soul could tell a marked difference when he entered the higher-up portion of the city, both literally and figuratively. Real estate around the Castle must have been at a premium, but perplexingly had the largest and most sprawling estates. He was surprised that most of these didn't feel old. Of course, many of them probably would have had multiple renovations to keep up with current trends and the like, so perhaps the facades hid a greater beauty underneath.

The most ostentatious house he saw made his jaw drop at the audacity. Whoever it was that owned this place, firstly made their entire fence out of solid gold, which was not only a terrible idea, but also a very expensive one! Each individual bar in the fence was emblazoned with the symbol of an eight-pointed star, this symbol also covered the ridiculously over-ornamented golden gate, and the house. Oh the house, the house! It was a slap in the face not only to the Princesses, but also to any pedestrians on the streets below. It was an exact, brick for brick scale model of the actual Royal Palace, with the same eight-pointed star absolutely everywhere on the gaudy monstrosity of an eyesore. Not only that, but it was positioned in such a way that, no matter where you stood, it would always block the view of the real castle! And the grounds were huge, just the front yard alone could have held two of the other houses on the street!

At the gates and patrolling at intervals through the front gardens, which seemed to be perfectly manicured to draw attention, were what looked to be royal guards, though about a third wore the eight-pointed star, which Soul could now see had four light purple points, and four points, including the middle, of solid gold, same color as the fencing.

Soul, like many other ponies on the street, gave the building one look and then turned away in disgust. Even the guards of the place didn't look happy to be there.

Finally, after an hour of walking, Soul came to it. The queue. Wrapping around the block was a long line of many varied ponies, and one or two of different species, all of whom were going for advice or jurisdiction to the palace that day. Soul could see that, evenly spaced along this line, were guards wearing the uniform of the Day Guard. Unfortunately it was going to take him a while to get to the nearest one and ask if he might be able to skip due to the nature of his visit to the castle, and so he stood in line. He was behind what looked like an old orange unicorn with a grey scarf wrapped around his neck, a salt-and-pepper afro, complete with comb, and eyebrows so bushy they covered his actual eyes. He smelled like old leather and coconuts, and had quite the annoying habit of smaking his lips often.

It took a while, but the line moved reasonably quickly, sometimes stopping as there was apparently a case that needed deliberation about a mile ahead of them in the room most of these ponies were trying to get to. Finally, Soul came to a green earth pony guard leaning against a spear with a bored expression on his face. His armor was quite standard, from what Soul had seen, iron over the neck and barrel, iron hoof shoes extending over the ankle, and a helmet with a blue mohawk extending down the nose. Soul couldn't see the stallion's mane under the helmet and neck guard.

"Um... excuse me, sir?" Soul tentatively asked the guard.

"Yes?" the old orange stallion who'd been standing in front of him asked, "And before you say anything, no, I am not Farely!"

Soul and the guard both blinked in confused silence for a bit before the guard said, "Sir, I believe he was talking to me, please return to your place in line."

The old man harrumph'd away and retook his spot. Sou's had been quickly filled by a cross blue pegassus as soon as he'd stepped out of line.

"Crazy old Farely," the green guard muttered, shaking his head, before asking Soul, "What can I do for you?"

"I was actually going up to the castle to apply for the guard, should I return to the line or-"

"Oh, no no no, uh, you should follow me, actually!" The green stallion seemed very eager to get Soul to the castle, "My name is Half Camp, by the way," he stuck out an armored hoof for Soul to shake.

Soul took it gladly, and said with a smile, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Camp, I'm Soul Keeper. I guess I'll follow you then."

Camp led Soul up past the waiting throng of ponies, most of whom glared angrily as Soul got to skip the line, and those that didn't glare yelled at him to wait his turn. He managed to ignore all of them and keep his cool as he followed Camp.

"Sorry if I seemed a little excited back there," Camp said as the Castle's gate approached, "I'd been standing there for hours, let me tell you, queue duty is no fun. But, if you're really joining up, you'll see that soon enough,"

"Really?" Soul asked half-interested, he didn't notice that Camp didn't respond. Soul was too busy looking at the entrance to the palace.

The main gate was bucking tall, at least fifty, maybe even sixty, feet of smooth, solid stone. Towers lined the massive wall, which must have been another twenty feet thick, at regular distances, massive squares of nothing but archery posts, or "murder holes" as they were colloquially known. The massive grey wall ran in a smooth curve until it collided directly with the mountain, which formed the back half of the palace's formidable defense. Under the wall was the main gate, an imposing archway with three enormous wrought iron gates, each gate having a five-guard checkpoint into the castle itself. Up above, countless others patrolled the walls, watching down on the line and, no doubt, the sprawling city beyond with a careful eyes. Truly, it was a sight to behold, and, for Soul, a sight for sore eyes. Here at last, he might have found somewhere safe. Somewhere he could belong again, a place to forget his past, present, and future. A place that, might, hold the cure to his curse.

Camp led him under the first gate checkpoint, nodding to all of the soldiers on duty and calling out greetings, before making a sharp right, and entering through a small wooden side door into the wall itself.

"This way's a little faster," he explained as he let Soul through, "and not so many ponies hiss at you as you pass them in line. The ones at the front are always the worst."

Soul felt slightly suspicious of the green stallion, but only slightly. The man felt genuine, if nothing else, Soul was just unaccustomed to such abrupt friendliness from complete strangers.

The inside of the wall was equally impressive, but in almost the exact opposite way from the outside. There was a network of tunnels running all along it, Camp told him, and Soul marveled at how compact they were. Hundreds of tons of stone pressed down on their heads with almost discernible force, and squeezed around them as they moved up and down in the passages, lit only by the flickering light of a torch every twenty feet or so. They didn't pass many more of Camp's guardmates in the tunnels, save for the odd runner who galloped by with nary a how-do-you-do.

"Ah, don't mind them, runners are a special lot," Half said. It was true, Soul noticed most of them were pegassi with a very slim build, but strong wings. In fact, that made him wonder...

"Um, Camp?" he asked, poking the stallion in the side to get his attention.

"Oh thank Celestia you talked! I'm sorry, I was getting so nervous that I was boring you, or that you were mute and I heard someone else talking outside, but no, we're good. Anyway, what was the question?"

Soul blinked back his bewilderment, "Um, I haven't seen any unicorns so far? What's that about?"

Camp looked at him, as if just now noticing Soul had a horn, "Oh! You're uh, you're joining the guard you said, right?"

Soul nodded, perplexed at the sudden shift in tone.

"Oh, well, uh, you see most unicorns, in fact, nearly all of them with any talent really, they join the Battlemages, if they want a military position, not the guard."

Soul nodded, that made sense to him, "Do the Battlemages do the same stuff as guards?"

Soul immediately regretted asking that question, as they then had to stop in the nondescript grey slab of corridor for five minutes while Camp laughed his flank off, "Ahaha, aha, ha ha! You- you really mean that, don't you?"

Soul nodded, giving Camp a level stare. It was a simple question, really, he didn't see what all the fuss was about.

Half clapped an armored hoof onto Soul's shoulder, which caused Soul to panic a little because he didn't flinch in the slightest, it didn't even really hurt, and for a moment he was concerned his new friend had noticed, but no, he was still just giggling up a storm, "Battlemages don't do anything. Nothing except study. Not until there's an actual military engagement. They don't even guard the castle! They just stay holed up in their little tower and- oh, we're here."

Soul made an involuntary hurk noise as Half Camp stopped with no warning, before turning around and giving him a wide smile. They'd apparently just come to another small wooden door, this one being more important than the last dozen they'd passed.

"This door leads into the castle itself, just head down the hall, make three lefts, a right, and the recruiter's office is the third door on the left, got it?"

Soul nodded patiently, which Camp seem surprised with for a moment, before the smile returned, "Well alright then," he took up Soul's hoof and gave it a vigorous shake, "My friend it has been a pleasure, good luck now, don't get too nervous!"

"Goodbye Master Camp, good luck at your post," Soul called down to the stallion as he clanked back down the hallway. Camp raised a hoof in acknowledgement. Soul then turned to the door. It really was nothing special, a dark brown wooden door with a simple black handle. Yet for some reason it felt foreboding, or even like... cheating, somehow. Like it wasn't supposed to be this simple. Soul shook the feeling off, grasped the handle, and pulled the door open with force.

On the other side was a broom cupboard. A nice one, sure, but still...

Damn it, I knew he hadn't just memorized the layout of all these tunnels, Soul shook his head and looked down the corridor. There was another door about thirty feet down, Soul trotted open to that one, opened it, and got the view he'd expected. White marble hallways both wide and tall, with large arched windows letting in the beautiful streaming rays of the afternoon sun. The place even smelled as he would expect, that undefinable air of age. This place was old... very old.

Unfortunately this was the un-fun part of the castle. As Soul traversed his way down the lengthy corridors, they seemed to all be the same, save only a few of them had windows. He really hoped Camp's directions were on point this time around, he doubted he'd be able to use that same trick twice.

So boring was this part of the castle, he didn't encounter a single pony on his way to the recruiter's office, not a hint of staff nor pedestrian. It was very strange, and almost made him feel like an intruder, like he wasn't supposed to be spotted. This notion was, of course, ridiculous, but it hung over him like a small weight until he reached the corridor his green cartographer had described.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that this hallway had plaques on the doors to let you know what was inside of them. Hope Director, Thestral Security Counseling, Nature Preserve, and a few others that seemed to have no correlation to each other were crammed in here together, including the Director of Recruitment. A stallion and two mares were waiting outside this door, and muffled voices could be heard from inside. The three waiting were all talking in a murmur amongst themselves, and Soul felt a little awkward sidling up to them, but he wasn't about to just stand five feet away and make a foal of himself.

"Hello, everypony, are you all here to apply as well?" He asked politely.

The stallion, a scrawny earth pony with a pale yellow coat and sky blue mane said, "Yeah! We're all applying for the guard!" his cutie mark was that of a cake hitting a wooden shield.

Three guesses as to how he got that one, Soul thought to himself sarcastically.

The two mares, who appeared to be sisters, both sporting dusky red coats and curly black manes with only slight variations, both just smiled and nodded. The larger sister had a cutie mark of a sword being repelled by a heart while the smaller had... a wedding band? It was some form of golden circlet, but Soul couldn't decipher its meaning. They were also earth ponies. Soul got the feeling that he was going to feel a little out of place, but that was fine, he could integrate with the best of them.

Wait... I can? Damn it! Get out of my head... uh... me!

He kept up a smiling facade as he had his little internal frustration and said, "My name's Soul Keeper, what are yours?"

The enthusiastic young buck answered first, "I'm Chuck Timber!"

The smaller sister answered with a clear and quite pleasing voice, "My name's Ring Bells."

The older sister actually seemed a little shy, "Uh, just call me Cath. Cath Bells."

Soul quirked an eyebrow, but didn't question it. The small, overeager stallion on the other hand...

"Cath?" He said, cocking his entire head, "Why not Cathy?"

The mare's coal black eyes lit up with poorly contained fury, and she opened her mouth to go off on the poor lad, when Soul intervened, "Timber, perhaps she merely wishes to be unique! After all, Cathy being such a common abbreviation, it surely doesn't fit such an exquisite personage as herself, don't you think?"

Cath looked at him in surprise, and Timber with confusion, "Uh, yeah, Cath's way cooler and original-"

"I think so too, sis," Ring chimed in, seeing where Soul was going with this and stopping Timber from bungling his only somewhat inept save.

"I'm curious, Timber," Soul said, turning the young stallion ever so slightly away from the sisters, and speaking to a more open forum, "how did you get your cutie mark, I've never seen anything like it!"

The little stallion's face lit up and he happily launched into the story of how he found his calling of defending the pony at large in the middle of a rogue bakery incident.

Throughout the story, Ring whispered to Cath a little, who gradually made her way over to Soul, "Thanks for that. I guess I've got a bit of a temper to work on. It was nice of you to put yourself in front of the kid like that, he didn't deserve it. Me being an ass, I mean, he didn't deserve that."

Without giving away that they were having a conversation, Soul replied soothingly, "Not at all, Cath. And I meant what I said, even if I also saved him from the harsh reality of questioning a mare's decisions for another day. That was just a happy coincidence on my way to complimenting you."

She looked at him strangely, then shook her head with a smile and punched him lightly in the shoulder, before scooting back over to her sister. Soul was confused for a moment, but he shrugged it off as another strange local custom.

Timber was not even half done with his tale, truly an epic ballad worthy of the ancient Atheneighans, when the door to the recruitment office opened and a blue unicorn stallion stepped out. He quickly shut the door behind him, and trotted off down the hall without saying a word to any of them, though Soul noticed he held a piece of flapping paper tightly in one hoof.

"Next!" a gruff voice called from inside the office.

"Oh! I guess that's me!" Timber said, near vibrating with excitement.

"Go get 'em tiger," Ring said as he hopped merrily into the room, the door shutting behind him with the faint orange glow of a unicorn's magic. Leaving Soul alone in the hallway with two fiery mares. Sisters, at that. He suddenly felt dramatically less confident. However, he wasn't one to make things awkward just because he was! He had to think of others first, and that meant not making them uncomfortable.

"So what about you?" Cath asked, brushing her mane behind an ear, "We all could guess how Timber got his mark, you could probably even take a stab at mine and Ring's, but you are the real mystery."

Almost as if they'd planned this, the two sisters walked forward at the same, the younger on his left older on his right, each of them eyeing up much more than just his strange cutie mark. He felt incredibly exposed, and had a moment of outraged pride where he felt very tempted to turn the tables on them, but he swallowed that down and instead did the same to Ring, looking her over like a prize at a fair. Not that he'd ever been to a fair, but she was probably far more beautiful than anything that could be made by hoof.

She and her sister both had eyes and and manes as black as coal, and coats as red as a dying sunset, but where they varied was in the curves. Ring's physical topography was by far the most varied of the two, sleek shoulders led into a tight, athletic barrel, that gave way to very pleasingly wide hips and one of the smoothest flanks he'd seen yet. Her tail was a mixture of red and black, even some smoky gray mingled in for variety.

"Yes how did you get that?" Ring asked him with a sultry tinge to her voice, blinking her long lashes at him, "A crescent moon and... three black drops? Very ambiguous, it could mean anything!"

"I have a theory," Cath said with a smirk, "I've been studying hoof signs lately-" she was interrupted by a groan and as her sister smacked a hoof over her face, "Shut up, Ring, it's a valid science! Anyway, red and back are very uncommon colors for a cutie mark, did you know that? Even things that should naturally be red, like a rose for instance, will often take on another iteration of that flower rather than be red. Say a pink, or white rose. But no, yours is very distinctly red. Black too, the rarest color! So, what that means, is that the event that caused you to receive your cutie mark was life-changing, and we're talking even more than usual, and it may even have been slightly traumatic!" She was really getting into this.

Oh, darling, you have absolutely no idea, Soul thought with a strange feeling of sick glee, like he was happy to have a past so dim nopony could guess it. That, in turn, just made him feel plain old sick.

"Cath!" Ring scolded her sister, "Firstly, hoof signs have been proven many times to be a load of horsefeathers, secondly that's really rude to say his cutie mark is a bad thing, and third- sweet Celestia!"

Soul realized that, while he'd been listening to Cath, Ring had worked her way around behind him. He whipped around, making sure to point his rear towards the end of the hall so neither of them could get a closer look at it, and saw that Ring's jaw had dropped, and she was looking at him with a mixture of awe, surprise, curiosity, and even a little bit of fear.

"What? What is it Ring?" Cath asked, poking her unresponsive sister in the shoulder. Ring glanced at her, and then looked back to Soul, who just slowly shook his head in a "don't tell" gesture.

And then the door they were all waiting in front of slammed open, and out marched a glowing Chuck Timber, paper firmly in hoof, "I made it! I made it, I made it, I made it! Oh, I thought I would be too small, but he says I've got growing still left in me, and that my energy potential levels were more that satisfactory! I didn't know what any of that meant, but it got me in!"

The little pony bounced up and down with a huge smile on his face that got everyone to laughing.

"Next!" The same gruff voice called again.

"Oh, see you guys later, I hope!" Timber said, before dashing down the hallway at striking speeds.

Ring glared at Soul, "I am not done talking with you," she then turned her nose up and walked proudly into the office, again the door shut itself behind her. And then there were two.

"So, you arrived here later than she did?" Soul asked to Cath, who seemed to be watching him curiously.

"Oh, yeah, a little. She has, uh, less to take care of." she gave him a cute nervous smile. She wasn't bad looking either. More uniform than her sister, and slightly larger. Shoulders a little broader, barrel more straight and uniform, still a flank with some heft, though, and it looked firmer than her sister's.

Soul could almost smell the lie on her breath, when she said that. He wondered what she was hiding, "So, have you two always planned on going into the guard together? With your cutie mark I can understand, but hers doesn't seem suited to this line of work."

Cath rubbed her neck, "Well, not really. I was going to be a dentist until I got mine, and she... uh... well, it's probably best that she tell you. Anyway, this was a recent plan, yeah. Hey, you didn't answer my question!"

"And you didn't answer mine," Soul said with a smirk, moving back towards the red mare, "I think that makes us even."

Cath snorted, and eyed him as he approached, no doubt she was suspicious of whatever had alarmed her sister, "Alright, new question. What the buck was up with Ring?"

Well, he hadn't expected her to be so blunt about it, Soul smiled anyway, turning to the side, "Well, while you two were skewering me with your eyes," Cath blushed a little at being called out, her cheeks turning a slightly darker red, "she caught a glimpse of something she didn't expect. Naughty girls, the both of you, looking over a stallion like that, I almost think I deserve some form of... repayment."

Now it was his turn to make her feel on display, exposed. He began to circle her like a shark, his eyes mostly on hers, but occasionally they would drift towards her tight rear, emblazoned with the heart and sword, before trailing their way back up.

Cath visibly shivered under his gaze, as if she could feel where his eyes were landing on her, "R-repayment? W-what do you mean?"

He bumped his flank against hers in a friendly gesture, and found it to be just as pleasingly taught as he thought it would be, "Well, I just mean that I let you look me over like a piece of meat in a stall, I deserve something for the harassment."

At the word harassment it appeared to occur to Cath that she could get in trouble for doing that, and she worriedly glanced at Soul's easy, calming smile, "Um, yeah, that sounds about right."

"How about a kiss then?" Soul gently placed his foreleg over her back, drawing the flustered red mare closer to him.

"A what?" She said, shocked.

His other hoof went up to trace the smooth lines of her cheek and jaw, "You are undeniably beautiful, Cath, I said as much to everypony before, and your lips look to be as smooth and full as the juiciest Red Delicious on Equis, and I would very much like to take a bite of your apple,"

Soul leaned in closer, stopping just shy of contact, his breath flowing over her face, his eyes searching hers, demanding an answer. He saw the struggle in her, she'd just met him, he could be anyone. But at the same time, she found him attractive, she was flattered by his, frankly quite hastily improvised and a little cheesy, words, and there wasn't really any harm in a kiss, right?

"Alright," she said tentatively, "One kiss, to make up for not taking your feelings into account,"

Soul slid his hoof up her back the wrong way, making her shudder as it lightly gripped the back of her mane, "One kiss on the lips, that is,"

She looked at him with confusion, "Of course?"

Soul gently pushed her head out of the way, and planted an long and lavish kiss on her neck. She groaned as he smoothed her coat back into place, and began to pet and massage her with both hooves.

"Hey..." she said, but it didn't really sound like she was too keen to stop him, he planted another loving kiss on a nerve cluster under her jaw, and delighted as her body trembled, "I-I-I g-guess t-this doesn't t-technically qualify, you c-can k-keep going..." she breathed, huskily, her own hooves moving to his back, pressing their chests together.

Soul relished at the soft feeling of her neck on his lips, and took undeniable pleasure in making her squirm with every one of them. This time he took command, and shifted them up against the wall of the stone corridor in which the door they were waiting on was set. His hooves ran greedily over her smooth stomach and back, daring to dart down and give her flank a squeeze once or twice. He was right, it was incredibly tight, with just enough give to be a pleasure to roll around in a hoof. She groaned and pressed his head closer as he continued his rain of kisses and gropes, targeting sensitive areas of her body that even he wasn't quite sure how he knew.

Soon she was panting hard breathes into the cool palace air, her fur all disheveled, her lips parted and watering, her eyes far away. The best part was her smell, like thick honeysuckle, and it hug in the air as a pungent perfume, serving only to drive her wilder. Soul knew he had her enough to try something risky, he gave a long lick up her exposed neck, which twitched and rippled with straining muscle, and behind her splayed ears.

Cath's eyes snapped open and she moaned aloud, her hips shaking as she refrained from humping the air, "K-kiss me, before they finish!"

Soul locked eyes with her and gave a seductive smile, "Before they finish?" her whispered into her ear, giving it a flick of the tongue and delighting in her startled gasp of pleasure, "I think you might wan to be a little more worried about yourself," he almost drooled as her eyes squeezed shut and she bit her lip, her face screwing into the cutest, dirtiest look a mare could give, with such an adorable little slutty smirk plastered over her mouth.

Just a taste, Soul thought, just a nibble, not so much that anyone would notice.

Without warning, Soul's dexterous hooves danced between the mare's legs, and delivered a fatal twist to the mare's warm, soft tits. Her eyelids shot apart, and her mouth opened to scream, but Soul was there to swallow it.

Her lips were indeed a thing of beauty. Moist, luscious, thick, and eager to reciprocate. Soul rammed Cath harder against the wall, bringing their bodies completely together, front hooves locked around each other, and kissed her forcefully. She melted under his intensifying pressure, even going so far as to poke her tongue out from between those red slices of heaven. Soul quickly seized the opportunity, and showed her who was in charge, wrestling with her tongue like it wasn't even there, and moaning as he explored her soft, cavernous mouth. It was then, when he had her completely in his embrace, he began to drain her away. Not much, and only certain things. Her Fear, Worry, Doubt, and her own personal magic stores, which she had an abundance of. It was a bitter, sour meal, but not at all unpleasant. Sort of like a broth only soup, with a hint of smokiness about it. He used some of the food he was getting, and turned it straight into pleasure for her, but he wasn't getting much, and so neither was she.

Even so, the effect was immediate, Cath threw her hooves behind Soul's head and pressed him hard against her, he responded by feeling up her glorious ass again, squeezing it, kneading it like dough, just molding it around made his tongue almost go weak as he continued to ram it into her. He could feel the heat radiating from her snatch, could feel, and smell, the utter wetness of it in the air. He moved his hoof to touch it, to stroke that salivating, beautiful, enrapturing slit. She knew it was coming, her hooves tightened on his mane in anticipation, and she squealed her assent into his hungry maw, willingly submitting-

Several things happened. Soul was not so distracted as to not notice what was going on around him, and so he saw immediately when the door opened. Before it was one tenth done, he had teleported away, only a few feet, then he fired off several spells that straightened out Cath, setting her standing on four hooves, smoothing her coat, fixing her mane, and erasing all traces of her musky scent, either from the air or otherwise. He wondered briefly if she came from his magic surging through and wiping down her insides, he hoped so. He then adjusted himself in a similar manner, he was glad he didn't have to re-hide his cock and balls, he didn't know how the spell had slipped while Ring was examining him.

Oh no, how embarrassing, he thought to himself with a smirk.

By the time the door was fully open, the hallway appeared as if nothing had transpired. Except for the expression on Cath's face of cross-eyed, gaskets-blow, raging horniness. Not much he could do about that one, even if he had wanted to. Fortunately, the mare's expression quickly switched to confusion, then panic, then back to confusion. And so Soul made something up to fit the expression.

"Purple marmosets leaping through rainbows- oh, hello again Ring!" he said cheerfully, attracting the smaller, curvier, mare's attention to him, as the older sibling looked left right up and down, totally bewildered.

Ring eyed him suspiciously, and then turned to talk to her sister, "Cathe-, Cath, it's your turn."

Cath nodded in a daze, and gave Soul a long, lingering look before walking into the office before the unicorn inside could say, "Next!"

The door shut, and then Soul and Ring were the only two in the hallway.

"Do you have to head off?" Soul asked nonchalantly.

Ring nodded slowly, "Yes, I should report to the barracks immediately. But I have questions for you mister, starting with this one: where is it?"

Soul blinked innocently, "Where is what?"

Ring marched up to him and poked him with a hoof, "Don't play dumb with me, mister, I want to see it!"

Soul gave her a devious look, "You sure?"

Ring nodded without hesitation, and so Soul dispelled the enchantment that hid his endowments.

It was nearly a good foot... in diameter, the actual length? He didn't know. He'd only ever seen the medial ring a few times when he'd really goten worked up masturbating. The shaft was solid black, and already went past his stomach without showing the ring. His balls were, luckily for him, set a little forward, so they didn't interfere with movement as much as crushing them between his hind legs would. Each of them were the size of a fist at least, maybe a little bigger, and they were positively bulging with cum.

Ring's mouth dropped open at the sight of it, and Soul settled back against the wall to give her the full view, his balls almost scraping the floor when he sat, "Yeah, I've been traveling a while, didn't really have any time to "relieve myself" as it were."

"Sweet Celestia," the voluptuous little vixen whispered, "It's even bigger than I thought..." Soul saw her nostrils twitch, and her eyes were firmly locked onto the impossible shaft, looking up at the flare, which was definitely a foot across... how could any mare think of fitting this thing inside them?

But even as that thought crossed her mind, her hoof stretched out, and hovered an inch away from the practically steaming pillar of flesh.

"Go ahead," Soul said, putting his hooves behind his head, "you can touch it."

Slowly, almost without believing she was doing it, Ring's hoof brushed softly against Soul's cock. He hissed and his dick twitched at the cool contact of the mare's hoof, and he smiled as he saw her nostrils flare more, and her look seem to grow farther and farther away. Slowly the mare bent down onto her hind knees, making the gargantuan shaft almost as tall as her, and nowhere near thin enough for her to reach just one hoof around. Licking her lips, Ring slowly tilted forward, slowly rubbing the massive cock up and down with a cute little red hoof, before hugging it with both of her front legs, and pressing her nose straight up against it.

There was an audible intake of air as the mare sniffed in the air, and her eyes rolled up a little. Her hug moved down the shaft, and down, and down, rubbing her supine body completely down its length, unaware of the dribble of pre-cum making its way towards her. Eventually she reached what she was looking for, and her nose met with Soul's wide scrotum. Instantly she began to snuffle and inhale into it like a bunny, her hooves drooping from the cock and moving purely to fondle the two softball sized gonads in front of her. Soul grew harder watching the cute mare love playing with his balls, and his dick grew a few more inches out of the massive sleeve that housed it.

Eventually, Ring's tongue began to loll from her mouth, and she was gasping for breath as her lungs consumed more musk than air, but that only made her want it more. She moaned at the salty taste, and eventually, as though she were moving mechanically rather than of her own free will, a ball suckled up to her velvety open lips, and she happily popped it into her mouth. Her hooves had long since stopped supporting her, they lay under her as her ass stuck straight up it the air, tail fully flagged and lifted, moaning and slurping alternately on Soul's balls, her own liquids drooling in a steady stream from in between her toned legs. The sight made him smile, especially when his pre-cum soaked into her mane and down around her face, and she simply moaned and lapped at some of that too as her pupils dilated seemingly at random. But there's only so much teasing a stallion could handle before he felt compelled to take action.

Soul felt the tug in his hips as his shaft juddered and an extra thick wave of pre gushed from his tip, and his smile turned to a scowl. He held the mare's head down, and she whined pitifully as he moved his balls from her mouth.

"What happened to all your wit, Ring?" He asked playfully, "Don't you want to say something?"

"Cock..." she groaned huskily, "Rut... cum... full..."

"I think I see what you mean," he said with a smile, and placed his throbbing head to her lips. Immediately she began to guzzle down the pre leaving it, and soon she also began to work the thick black shaft with her hooves to encourage more of it to flow onto her face, mouth, and nose, seeming to revel in it's smell as well as its taste. Soul stretched luxuriously over the captive mare, grabbing ample hoofulls over her soft rump. He especially liked to massage the downy fur that made up her golden cutie mark, watching the way it distorted as he played with it. They stayed like that for a very small amount of time, Soul making no real efforts to further the situation, he knew they didn't have long enough for a full dressing down, it just comforted him to know that the old magnetism was working just as it used to. He very quickly took a taste from her as well, and found it much sweeter than her sister. Having consumed some of his magic-amplification, she had much more to give than Cath had after just a kiss. The process was quite similar to making coffee with one's own spit rather than water, except, for that analogy to be accurate, Soul had such an abundance of spit that he could fill a medium sized lake.

"Alright, that's enough Ring," he said soothingly, pulling his shaft away from her slobbering mouth, much to her dismay.

She complained quite heavily with grunts and snorts until he responded, "I know you want more, but your sister will be out soon, and you need to report to your new superior officer. We'll "talk" more about this later, now go," with as much of Soul's magic that Ring had flowing through her veins as she did, she was powerless to deny his request, and so slowly stood and shuffled off down the corridor, almost looking dejected. Hopefully the clouded mind and submissive nature aspects of his magical fluids would wear off before she reached her destination. If they didn't... well, she probably wouldn't be fired for trying to give a superior officer lip service, as it were, right?

He very hastily shot off several more cleaning spells that hit her as she walked away, and sighed a little with relief. He was getting a little sloppy if he was letting things like basic hygiene slip under his radar. Or maybe he just wanted her to walk into the guards' barracks absolutely drenched and read to buck anything in sight.

Soul then stood alone in the hallway for several seconds until his personality returned to him. He then shut his eyes, breathed deeply, conjured a pillow, and screamed mightily into it as loud as he could, before dismissing that in favor of pacing around.

Okay... okay, no, it's fine. It's absolutely fine, I totally did not just have a near hour long personality lapse in which it almost ate two mares I'd just met. Obviously that wasn't entirely not me, but the kissing and then the... the... oh my.

Soul's cheeks were afire as he hastily recast the illusion on his more private areas, attempting to retain some of his dignity in his own eyes, I can't believe I slipped that much. Next time, I have to control myself! What if I'd killed one of them? Or, possibly worse, just... used them...

Soul felt himself growing nauseous thinking about it, and so trotted over to a small window at the end of the hallway, and opened it to catch a breath of fresh air. The view was beautiful from here, catching the edge of the sprawling white city on his right hand side, gazing out over the rolling verdant hills and the crystal blue sky, with white fluffy clouds, and the ominous majesty of Canterlot Mountain to his left. The fresh air did help him calm his nerves, until he felt a tap on his flank.

He turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Cath, smiling with just a hint of devilishness at him, "Hey there Soul, so where did we leave off?"

The mare pressed forward quickly up against Soul's chest, but he stopped her with a hoof, "Cath, please, stop. We barely even know each other, it was a mistake to ask for a kiss, a-and then to take it so far..." he trailed off, struggling to find words to explain away actions that weren't his.

She looked at him confused, "But... I liked it, and you liked it, so what's the big deal?"

"I.." I could have killed you, drained you of everything you are and consumed your soul like a ravenous beast, "I just... don't feel comfortable that I pressured you into it, I'm sorry for that."

She looked at him, seemingly debating something with herself, before nodding, "Yeah, I guess it was a little rushed, but, like I said, I didn't... hate it..." she blushed and scratched at her foreleg with a hoof, averting her eyes, "I think that-"

"Cath," Soul interrupted, turning her head back to him, "We're both going into the Guard."

She looked confused, "Sooo?"

He blinked at her, "They don't allow any form of relationship between members," or, at least, he hadn't thought they did.

Cath made a little "o" with her mouth and then laughed, "Oh, Soul, you don't have to worry about that! I'm not really into the whole... "commitment" thing, not like my sister is."

Soul gulped involuntarily, "Right, but, well, you see, uh-"

She put a hoof up to quiet him and giggled, "Look, if you don't want to that's fine, I'm not going to pressure you into anything."

He nodded, "Exactly. Thank you, Cath, I would have loved for us to... well, I would have been lucky to-"

"I have to report to my commander for basic," she interrupted, turning away, "I'll see you around Soul."

He waved, though she could not see as she walked away, "Right! Bye Cath, I hope to meet you again someday!"

He let her slowly walk down the hall, praying that Ring definitely wouldn't give her commander a blowjob, before walking over to the open door of the recruiter's office to see what all the fuss was about.

Inside was not what he expected from a military recruiter. He'd expected spartan, simplistic, rugged, even perhaps a trophy or two. No, what he received was much different. Firstly the recruiter himself was, as Soul had guessed, an aging unicorn with a graying coat and expanding bald spot on the crown of his head, above his horn. His green eyes were still sharp, though, and piercing, holding a wiry intelligence in them. The office was mostly decorated in a pastel blue color scheme, very calming, if not for the enormous mess of cluttered papers, charts, maps, and various nick-knacks piled far above head height on the edges of the room. These stacks receded as one became closer to the center, forming a very definite hallway of trash and bureaucracy to the unicorn's large wooden desk. It was beautiful, decorated extensively with vine imagery. The stallion had to have had it custom built inside the room, there was no way it would have fit through the door, and it was incredibly cumbersome for teleportation, unless the stallion was much more adept than he appeared.

"Ah! Another unicorn, first time in a while that I've had more than one in a day!" the old man's voice was scratchy, but strong, and simmering with the mirth of someone who knew better than the pony they were looking at what they were about to get themselves into, "So, how can I help you, boy? You're here to apply, I assume?"

Soul nodded to the old stallion, who smiled and closed his eyes. His horn lit with a dull orange glow, which swept out in a wave across the hoard of papers, until it gripped one and pulled it gently out of the monstrous stack it had been buried under. The stallion floated it over to him and wrote several notes, glancing up at Soul occasionally.

"Name, son?" he barked.

"Soul Keeper, sir," Soul replied hastily. This office was making him feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable. He wondered if that was one of its purposes.

"Uh huh," the old unicorn said, scribbling a little more and licking his lips, before finishing with a flourish, "there you go, welcome to the Battlemages!"

Soul blinked, "I beg your pardon, sir?"

The old man looked up from the paper at him, "I said welcome," he looked at Soul strangely.

Soul quickly corrected him, "Oh, no sir. I'm here to join the Guard."

The old man blinked, "Oh!" he looked down at the already filled out piece of paper, and then back at Soul, "You sure about that?"

Soul nodded apologetically, "Yes sir, I apologize for not making that clear,"

The stallion shrugged, "Doesn't really make much more of a difference to me," he lit the paper on fire and tossed it out into the room, much to Soul's dismay, "just means you'll have to answer a few more questions."

The man grabbed a new piece of paper as Soul snuffed out the growing embers of the last one, "So, Mister Soul, you seen combat before?"

"Yes sir, I have. Twenty-two skirmishes in all, no more than fifty ponies in each of them,"

The stallion wrote it down nodding his head, "You've been trained before, then?"

Soul looked down, "Never formally, my father and the harshness of the Dragon Lands were my teachers."

The old unicorn still nodded, "And, why do you want to join the guard?" He looked up, and stared Soul straight in the eye.

Soul took a deep breath, "I just... want to help ponies. Its what I've always wanted to do, protect, and I'm good at it. And if you want to do something, and are good at something, then you ought to be doing it."

The old man smiled wide, revealing a few missing teeth, "Good answer, son, so here's the rip. I've gone ahead and put you in an advanced training unit, meaning that you get to skip the two weeks of push-ups in basic, though I would'a done that anyway, even without the combat, you look strong enough that a little more work wasn't gonna hurt ya. You'll be assigned to Sergeant Thins, sub-commander Corporal Larus. Bunk room is E-5, just head to the north wing of the Castle and you'll see what I'm talking about. Look, I even drew you a little map!"

The aged stallion handed Soul the scrawled instructions, which had been signed off on, and underneath was a little doodle that amounted to little more than some arrows and a smiley face. He got the feeling the old stallion was just messing with him.

"Thank you, sir, I look forward to seeing you around sometime," he smiled to the unicorn and turned to leave.

"Oop, wait, forgot something, get your tail over here!" the old man called to him, "Have to measure your magic levels, for the records, although since your going into the Guard I don't know why they make me bother..." he grumbled.

Soul carefully picked his way over the smaller piles of papers and semi-decomposed food to the man. Funny, the room didn't smell bad at all. In fact, it didn't really smell like anything, good or bad.

Reaching the unicorn, they briefly touched horns, and Soul felt a pulse scootch down his body, it took a few seconds for it to work from his nose to the tip of his tail, and it tingled all the way down.

"Sweet creamy Celestia, boy!" the older stallion cried in alarm.

Soul stepped away from him, "What, what is it? Is there something wrong?"

The stallion took a breath, and then squinted at him, turning his head a little to the side, "And... you're sure you're going into the Guard?"

Soul nodded, getting a little frustrated, and the unicorn tentatively waved it off, "Oh, it's... it's nothing then. Forget about it. Hurry, or you'll be late!"

Soul gave a worried look, and hurried out of the room, though the old stallion gave no indication of what he might actually be late for, nopony would even be expecting his arrival.

As he left the cluttered room, the old stallion sat back in his nice cushiony cloth chair, helpfully donated by the Battlemage Academy, and put his hooves to his chin.

"Yeah," he drawled, "I'd better report this."

Author's Note

Soul Keeper is now a member of the esteemed Royal Guard, and is now on track to become a member of the revered Honor Guard, but it appears that there is friction between two branches of Equestria's military. How will this effect Soul? What will his commanders and comrades think of his inherent abilities? Will any of them see through his facade? Find out, next time!

P.S. - Those little scenes weren't really planned, but I hope you all enjoyed the taste of things to come. (Any and all puns intended.)

P.P.S. - Surgery delayed the release of this slightly, so I apologize for any spelling errors and the like that I may have missed.

It's "Advanced"

The Princess of the Moon stands rigid next to her construction, a large machine wrought of magic and black metal, four steel tips pointed down to a white egg at it's center. Sweat dots her brow, and her eyes shine with both anxiety, and excitement.

A pulse ignites from her horn, and the great beast whirs to life, grinding and cracking, groaning and beginning to rotate, it's magical matrix in full swing. The prongs pierce the egg, and ignite with fire in a rainbow of color, with black dominating the majority of the spectrum.

The egg begins to grow in size. It's surface, once white, grows darker, and darker, and begins to glow a soft blue. Soon it encompasses nearly all of the black pedestal it sits upon, creaking with increased mass, and still the machine continues. Lightning flashes behind the surface of the egg, and in the milky darkness, a shape can be seen writhing in torment.

"Live, my creation," the Princess whispers breathlessly, "Fight!"

Well... here it is, Soul thought as he stood outside the door. A double oak wood affair, with a plaque above labeled, "5-E A.U." He didn't know what the A.U. was for, maybe it was something about the part of the castle he was in? It was quite far back, near the western gate, one that wasn't used very often. Taking a deep breath, Soul pushed it open and walked in.

Immediately he was struck by a wall of noise, as the thick doors revealed a large with a wide assortment of ponies. All of them seemed to be just sitting around, on bunks, at tables, in random chairs, all talking or shouting or boasting together with their friends. All of them looked strong.

Soul wasn't too worried about that, he knew he could handle himself in a fight, there was something else that bothered him though, something he couldn't put his hoof on. Then he realized that the room seemed to be off. There were only twenty-odd ponies present, while the room seemed to be built to hold at least fifty, more in a pinch. As a result, the front area near the door was crowded, lively, lived-in, while the back half of the long room was row after row of tidy, untouched bunks. A very strange dichotomy.

As soon as the door opened, the front of the room went almost dead silent, as everypony's head snapped up to see who had entered. All of them stared right at Soul.

Well, that's auspicious, he grumbled to himself, and started to sweat. He hated large crowds, he hated being the center of attention, and he absolutely hated being the outsider, the one without a friend. He felt he could see them already, the groups, the pockets, the gangs. They were always there, wherever ponies went, they gathered with like-minded individuals. Here was no different.

He was eyeing up a particularly dangerous looking group near the back when a brown earth pony stallion called out, "You lost Pointy? Or are you a mute?"

Pointy? Soul shook it off, and smiled, "I'm actually looking for Corporal Larus, I was told to come here."

A yellow earth mare hollered, "Larus is out, but you can come wait with me awhile!"

This was followed by a few whistles and laughs, and the brown stallion shot her a glare, "Yeah Larus ain't here yet. What you need him for, surprise inspection?"

"Uh, no," Soul said nervously, "Actually I was assigned here."

Then things really got quite. Almost every jaw in there dropped, and they stared at him like his mane had caught fire. The brown one was the first to recover, "You mean... you're in E-5?"

Soul nodded, "Sure am, just got in today."

A few more moments of silence were followed swiftly by a massive cheer from those closest, and several fuzzy bodies collided with his own to tackle him into a hug, only to find he was much more substantial than what they were used to from unicorns. He heard one pony shout, "We got our Deavy a buddy!"

The brown stallion was smiling wide as he took Soul's hoof, a smile which Soul eagerly returned, laughing off a little of his nervous tension, "It is just great to meet you Pointy, always good to get fresh blood in 5-E, name's Lay Decker!"

Soul nodded and smiled wider, "I'm Soul Keeper, and I'm very excited to be here as well!"

There was a call of, "Just you wait!" followed by an uproar of laughter and good-natured thumps on the back, before Soul heard a gasp.

He watched as the smiles melted from the ponies in front of him's faces, and their lips seal faster than a cave-in. He knew they were looking at whatever was behind him, and so Soul turned around to face it.

Standing there was a fairly average white pegasus, with a blond mane that looked like it had been sheared short, and dull grey eyes that were the color of rainwater. Soul felt a chill run down his spine, and a deep sense of unease. This man was trouble, without a single doubt. The stallion had on a smart black jacket with silver buttons that jangled as he struck purposefully forwards, eating the gap between him and Soul nearly in a single step. On it was two golden chevrons, proudly polished and displayed over the right hoof shoulder.

"And what," his voice, sharp as glass, cut through the silence like a shiv through arteries, "is all this commotion about?"

Soul remarked on how simply aggressive the stallion's face was, seeming to jut out and attack you before he even said a word, as the brown stallion, Lay, spoke up, "New recruit, sir, just assigned," he pointed at Soul, who nodded, and cleared his throat."

"Sir, I, uh, presume you are Corporal Larus?"

The stallion said nothing, only glared.

Soul withheld a gulp, "I am, uh, Soul Keeper-"

"I know who you are recruit," the stallion said levelly, "and I know why you're here," he said the last part almost accusatorily, then began to pace back and forth in front of Soul, keeping his grey eyes fixed.

"Tell me, recruit, have you ever seen combat?" he said coolly.

"Yes sir!" Soul responded.

"No? Well that's a-" the Corporal stopped and turned, "beg your pardon?"

Soul snapped a sharp salute, "I have been a part of twenty-two combat engagements and suffered exactly eighty-nine injuries over the course of them. Twenty were crippling, one was near fatal. I am trained with a barrel-mounted pike, as well as two-hoof style spear, a glaive helm, tail flail, sword and shield, both bit and hoof styles, and advanced field medicine, sir!" Soul rattled off his accolades with only a tiny bit of self-satisfaction as he watched the eyes of all his new bunkmates widen, and their jaws slowly drop open.

Oh yes, this unicorn's not just a pansy spellslinger!

Larus had stopped pacing, and had simply looked at him with a slightly bored stare, "Are you finished?"

Soul remained silent, he knew better than to take the bait. That seemed to annoy Larus though, he saw the man's eyebrow twitch before he could stop himself.

"Very well then... Private Lay!" he barked.

The brown stallion jumped to attention, "Sir, yes sir!"

Larus gestured to Soul, "You'll be in charge of the rookie for today. Show him around, teach him the basics, make sure he remembers how to use the toilet along with all the other things he's got crammed in that pointy head of his, and drop him off at my office at exactly 21:00 hours. Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" both Soul and Lay called out. Again, Larus seemed surprised at Soul's response. Perhaps he'd wanted to catch him unawares and punish him, or at least humiliate him for poor conduct.

That won't be happening anytime soon, Soul thought, his mind's eye slowly turning into a glare as he watched Larus swiftly depart from the room. He'd already decided that he didn't like the man, even though he would try to get himself to over the coming weeks, or else his life would be absolute Tartarus.

Lay was saying something to the Corporal that Soul didn't catch, but it was quickly cut off, and he merely gave a disheartened, "Yes, sir..."

Then, after Larus was gone, everypony just... went back to their business. Card games, chatting, some superstitiously pulled small flasks out from under pillows and took swigs, keeping an eye on the door, and Lay sighed again, shaking his head, before looking at Soul.

"Well, Pointy, you've got me in a right bind now."

Soul cocked his head, "I'm sorry about that. What did I do?"

Lay waved him off, "Aw, it's not your fault. Just bad luck on my part. The Corporal always makes whoever's closest show the rookie around, and today it just happened to be it. It also just so happens to be my day off, which I had planned to spend in town getting drunk off my ass, but life's a bitch I guess."

Soul blinked at the sudden profanity. He hadn't heard anything like it from any of the other ponies in town, nor from the mares he'd met in Ponyville. Perhaps guards here were just a rougher type.

Lay patted him on the shoulder, "Aw, well, nothing for it. Let's introduce you to everypony!"

All told there were nineteen ponies in the E-5 barracks when Soul had entered, four more filtered in while Soul was being introduced around, they were the last of the squad.

"Twenty-three ponies, isn't that a little low?" Soul asked.

Lay snorted, "Yeah, it is."

He wouldn't elaborate further.

Soul met eleven mares and twelve stallions that day. Fifteen earth ponies, seven pegassi, and one other unicorn. And he was a sorry looking piece of work, too.

"Pointy, I'd like you to meet our other resident beaker-brain, Knives Deavy," Lay said as they came up to the stallion. He was about a head and a half shorter than Soul, with an anorexic frame to boot. This guy looked like he'd been starving himself to death to get out of the army, but he had hard eyes, harder than most in this room. He probably got picked on a lot. His coat was a darker brown than Lay's, almost like... well, there really only was one other brown object that came to mind when you looked at Deavy. His horn was small, too, barley a nub that stuck out shallow and rounded from his fur. Sweet Celestia, what fate had done to this poor soul.

Soul stuck out his hoof in as friendly a manner as possible, "Good to meat you, Deavy. Glad to see I'm not the only one of us here. Soul Keeper is the name."

The small stallion shook his hoof without a word, eyeing him with suspicion, and a look that bordered more on rabid paranoia. Soul noticed he had bags under his blue eyes, heavy ones, he wasn't sleeping much, but at the same time his eyes were wired with energy. His mane was grey and short, but still somehow unkempt, messy. Soul's heart ached for him, at the same time as his rational mind told him to steer clear.

As Soul and Lay moved back towards the door of the barracks to leave, Lay said quietly, "You didn't have any valuables on you, did you?"

Soul shook his head slowly, "No, I gave the last of my physical bits on a guide to... well, to get some food. Why?"

Lay shrugged, "Deavy's known for making stuff disappear. The only magic he can do."

Soul also got to meet the yellow earth pony mare who'd offered for him to "wait with her" earlier. She was quite pretty, with smooth features and as much plump on the flank as someone who trained constantly was allowed to have. Most of the guards were still in their basic under-armor, a simple heavy cloth tunic that covered the barrel and forearm of each leg, so he couldn't see her cutie mark. She had a wild orange mane that curled at all the ends, and dark brown eyes.

"Oh, the new colt! I'm so glad to have you here, it gets stale after a while in here you know. Eventually you run out of ponies to break up with!" She giggled.

"Private Marshmallow Cascade," Lay said tiredly, "watch out for her, boy."

Soul gave a deep and formal bow to the mare, who gasped with delight, before shaking her hoof firmly, "Soul Keeper, Miss Cascade, a pleasure."

Cascade was beaming at him with a smile as wide as the crescent moon, "Oh, a romantic! Practically extinct your kind are, these days! You'll be fun, I can tell!"

In fact, all of the mares seemed to take to him quite well, and a few were giggling at him as he departed with Lay. The stallions all seemed like solid folk as well, strong and dependable. Except for Deavy, Celestia knows what was going on inside his head.

"Hey Lay?" Soul asked as they walked out of the room.

"Yeah?"

"Everypony seemed a little... tired today. Are they all alright?"

Lay sighed, and remained quiet for a long time as they traveled down the stone corridors of the castle. Soul didn't know where they were going, Lay hadn't told him.

They just walked. The clack of their hooves and the echo it made the only sound, the difference in the torches on the walls the only sign they weren't in the same place they'd started.

"You caught it right away, Pointy," Lay said sadly, "We're understaffed. Not many ponies know a Celestia-damned thing about fightin'. Those that do, even a little, get put in 5-E. A squad with no formal training schedule, and no reserves, because we're already supposed to have had our training. And no matter how small we get because of peacetime, we still do a squad's work. Most of us pull double shifts, any dangerous assignments are handed off to us, we're the last ones to get new equipment or rest days because, well, the up-tops figure we can handle ourselves."

Soul nodded in sympathy. It had seemed to him that some of those in the room, though still looking tough, were a bit on the green side when it came to combat. He'd noticed the way they'd watched him after he listed his skill set, with wariness, and a little bit of awe.

"Truth be told, I'm surprised that a unicorn like you is so physically experienced. Tartarus, my only qualifications were knowin' how to fight off the Timberwolves back home. And don't expect this kindness from none of the others, either," Lay said, pointing a hoof back at Soul, "just about everypony in there'll clam up if you try to ask 'em how they got in. Most of 'em are embarrassed, some just like the secrecy. I've just given up carin', really."

Soul gave Lay a sad look, "Hey, fighting Timberwolves is no easy task, those things are smart, and vicious. Not many ponies I know who fought them escaped with their lives."

Lay just grunted, and kept trotting on. They moved in uncomfortable silence the rest of their short journey.

When they arrived at their destination, it was another room with a large double oak door, this one labelled "Armory". Inside could be heard the clang of metal, and the scrape of it too. Even from outside, Soul could smell fresh leather and polish, and the ashy scent of fire.

Lay swung the door open without so much as a knock, and the inside was revealed. It was a room almost the same size as the barracks, perhaps forty feet long and about twenty feet wide, with a cylindrical ceiling that reached its highest point at about twenty feet above the floor. There were no torches in here, merely the flickering light of fiery coal, as a small forge sweltered at the back, burning red hot and melting mounds of metal. As that was the only light source, the ambiance in the room was quite dramatic. Soul liked it very much, all of the dancing shadows and flashing colors splaying upon the walls, it appealed to the poet in him. Inside were also about a dozen ponies, four were working the small forge, clad in chain mail vests to protect them from the popping embers, as well as safety gaggles and face plates. Scurrying about were eight underlings, many of whom looked to be teenage fillies and colts, pilling weapons and armor into different stacks and them sorting them onto racks. All in all it seemed a very efficient operation, which Lay ruined almost immediately.

The earth pony tripped up one of the... Soul was just going to call the "Squires", and nearly sent them both tumbling to the ground. The young lad barely managed to hold on to the massive pile of weaponry balanced in his hooves, and let forth a string of vile curses so quickly that he was gone by the time Lay yelled, "Sorry, sorry! Buck off, it was an accident you little shit!" Soul barely stifled a laugh as he wove out of the way of a small filly, and quickly back-stepped out of the path of the offended colt.

Eventually Lay made his way over to the four senior members around the forge, cursing and swearing all the way, before tapping one of them on the shoulder. This caused the stallion in question to drop the sword he was holding into the fire.

"Bucking Celestia damn it Lay Decker! I've told you, I never wanted to see you in my presence again, and yet here you stand!"

Lay made placating motions towards the stallion, "Easy, easy Prawn, I had to this time, orders form above. We got a new recruit that needs fitting."

"Fitting?!" Prawn asked, digging the sword out of the roaring coals, "The only thing I'll be fitting, is this ruined broadsword straight up your tailhole! Go bother one of the interns!"

They both had to yell over the heaving bellows of the fire, even so it was still hard to hear them speaking to each other, even from only a few feet away. Soul tapped one of the empty-hooved interns on the back as he passed and asked, "Excuse me, do you think you could fit me for a new set of armor? Your boss seems busy."

The colt looked over to where Lay and Prawn were still screaming at each other, one of them dangerously brandishing a molten sword, and nodded, "Yeah, my break's almost here anyway, I'm sure old Prawn won't notice."

The young colt led Soul off into a much quieter side room, this was torch-lit as well, and seemed to be the eye of the storm to the hurricane of activity outside. Stored away here were sets of weapons and armor of all sizes, waiting to be requisitioned.

"Is that really the only forge?" Soul asked curiously, as the kid walked around eyeballing him.

"Nah, the Foundry's just not active right now, no need for it really without a war on. Alright, I think I've got you somewhere in here," the lad zoomed off to the back of the room, which was easily as large as the one it was connected to, and got back carrying a set of the heavy cloth, as well as chain mail and the armor set.

"Here," he said, putting it carefully down at Soul's front hooves, "Try these on while I go get you a spear."

"Barrel or hoof?" Soul called to him, but the colt didn't hear, so Soul looked over his new gear. It was in good condition, a few spots of rust that he cleaned off with magic, and a few dents or flaws that he straightened out and molded, but all in all it was much better than he anticipated given Lay's bleak description of 5-E's situation earlier. He slipped the under-armor on and found it scratchy and irritable, so he smoothed out all the inside bristles and still found it a bit heavy, nothing he could do about that right now, though. He put on the chain mail, and that was perfectly fine, only a little long in the legs which he adjusted, and then the armor itself. He didn't... love the color scheme. Gold, white, and royal blue just didn't really match his coat or his eyes, but protection was protection. With his already made adjustments, it fit perfectly around his four legs, flank, barrel, neck, and face. He wanted a mirror to see how he looked, but settled for standing tall with a proud little smile on his face.

When the colt came back, he actually stopped in his tracks, "Wow, I must be good, I got it perfect on the first try! Here's your spear, other weapons have to be requisitioned with approval from your commanding officer."

Soul picked up the long spear and observed it. The haft was close to bending, so he rebound the wood together himself and affixed the head more firmly. He sharpened the point to a razor and again annihilated what little bits of rust there were. Soul then gripped the spear in both front hooves, standing on his hind legs and giving it a twirl. He elongated the back a little to give it just the right balance, and also retightened his armor straps to better suit both four and two-hoof styles. When all four hooves hit dirt again Soul felt like a new pony, more like his old self, before...

Not now, don't think about it now. Just enjoy your moment, Soul took in a shuddering breath, and slowly let it out. The colt had gone while Soul re-adjusted the spear, and Lay walked in a little but later.

"Hey rookie we should- whoa. That... you look really good in that, I'm impressed. Maybe Prawn has finally STEPPED UP HIS GAME!" The last part he shouted back into the room they came from.

"BUCK YOU!" Came the eloquent repose.

Lay shook his head and motioned over his shoulder, "Anyway, let's get a move on, Pointy, we've still got to pick up your schedule and show you around."

Lay and Soul spent the next few hours getting acquainted with the layout of the castle, where all of the important rooms, like the court and bedrooms, were, where the training yard was, where the commanding officers were housed, all sorts of fun and interesting places.

Lay was doubly tired by the time they finished with the tour, the poor stallion had probably been on his hooves for at least fourteen hours that day, and as 21:00 approached, they made their way towards Larus' office.

"So... what's up with Larus?" Soul asked, new armor fitting snug and comfortably around him, "When we met he seemed... on edge."

Lay laughed, "Yeah, you could say that. Larus is... well he's... he wants the best out of his squad. Doesn't matter what squad he's in charge of, he wants 100%, all the time. So, now that you're on the team..."

"He has to find the optimum way to use a unicorn effectively when he hasn't really had to before," Soul finished.

Lay nodded, "Exactly. He can seem cold at first... and once you get to know him. He's just cold in general really, I've never known the guy to warm up to anypony. Still, I think he's an O.K. Corporal to have, he definitely tries to get us to do our best," Lay sounded skeptical.

"Tries?" Soul asked, eyebrow raised.

"Weeell," Lay scratched his neck, "It doesn't always work out so great. Take organization for instance. When it comes time for 5-E to act as a cohesive unit? We're a mess. Since everypony's trying to do the best they can do, oftentimes they screw over others to make themselves look better, and there's a few of 'em that are worse about it than others," the stallion muttered darkly, "Still, it gets results. Dessert vouchers, court or room duty, day-only shifts, there's plenty of ways to reward us when we do well. But you'll find out about that soon enough, I guess."

Lay had stopped them in front of a single mahogany door, a golden label next to it proudly read "Corporal Sterling Larus". He gestured to the door.

"It's close enough to 21:00 that he'll be ready for you. Go on in, and for Celestia's sake, don't, whatever you do-"

Before Lay could finish, the door opened, and there stood the Corporal, looking at Lay first, and then Soul, "Ah, good. Private Decker, you're dismissed, if I'm not mistaken you have a morning shift tomorrow, Private... Keeper, with me."

Soul waved goodbye to Lay and followed Larus into his office. Cramped was the word that came to mind. It was nice enough, made entirely out of wood, which was a sight for sore eyes after wandering marble corridor after marble corridor all day, but it was about the same size as a small kitchen, and crammed with a desk, chair, and multitudes of filing cabinets. The desk was quite tidy, with a quill and inkwell the only thing on it besides a single, blank sheaf of paper.

Larus sat down in the chair behind the desk, and began to scratch notes onto the paper with his quill, "So, for the record, you are Private Soul Keeper, assigned to 5-E for exceptional fighting capabilities warranting an advanced position. That was a direct quote from the recruiter," he said, dipping his pen again, "You have just recently been given a tour of the facilities here in the castle, and feel reasonably certain you can carry out any duties presented to you as described in the Guard's Manual. Do you agree?" He looked up at Soul.

"Pardon me, sir, but I haven't received any such manual during the tour," Soul said with all due politeness.

"Oh, of course, I give you that," Larus said almost disinterestedly, before turning around and opening two of the drawers behind him, taking out a small booklet and a folder, "In here is all the basics of being in the guard. As of now you have not been assigned to a branch, such as the Royal or Day Guard, but when you are, they will have more specific information for you. This teaches you basic weapon and armor maintenance, includes a map of the castle, and is as up to date as possible on all of the guarding duties you may have in the future. That," he pointed to the folder, "is your specific schedule for the week. You will follow it to the letter, is that understood?"

Larus' tone was icy, but Soul just nodded, eager to read what was inside. He knew it would be nothing glamorous, not for a newbie, but the suspense was still palpable.

"Good, any deviation from your schedule will be met with immediate and harsh penalty, even for one such as you. Now, at the end of each week you will turn in the folder here in the morning, and return after your day's activities in the afternoon to pick up your new schedule. Is that understood?"

Again, Soul nodded.

"... Splendid. Now, with the basics out of the way," Larus shuffled backwards a little, pulling another file from a separate cabinet, pointedly not letting Soul see what was being drawn from where, "I believe you told me earlier, when you were describing your proficiencies, that you were trained in, and I quote, "A glaive helm, and a tail flail," is that correct?"

Soul nodded, "Yes sir, it is."

"Hmm," Larus leaned back in his slightly squeaky chair and gave Soul a suspicious eye, "Curious, seeing as how these weapons were banned three hundred years ago following the Last Griffon War, due to their... barbaric nature."

The room was silent as Soul met the Corporal's gaze. Larus blinked, and quirked an eyebrow, "Well? Have you anything to say for yourself?"

Soul was slightly confused, "Well, sir, I don't exactly know what you want me to say. Is it a crime to know how to use them? I don't posses any, and I don't intend to use them. Where I grew up was extremely isolated from the rest of ponykind, I believe I am the first of my family branch to come to the capital in... what must be at least five hundred years. I apologize if my knowledge is inconvenient for you, sir, but I can't well erase it from my mind."

"Be mindful of how you speak," Larus warned, standing, "No, it is not a crime to know how to handle these weapons. I wanted to make you aware that using them is another matter entirely. That is all, Private Keeper. You may go."

"Thank you sir," Soul said respectfully, before turning and leaving the room.

"Strange," Larus muttered to himself as he watched Soul leave, "I didn't know the armory made unicorn-specific helmets. He better not have had it specially made."

"Come on, let's see it then! I didn't lead you around by the nose all day to be held in suspense!"

"Alright, alright," Soul laughed, "Easy, Lay, I'm opening it now!"

"Agh, you're taking too long, give it here!" Lay snatched the folder from Soul's hooves, who was busy laughing, and tore off the top, revealing a few sheets of paper inside. They were pulled hastily out, and greedy eyes read the words printed on them. Then the eyes grew confused, then worried, until finally they sunk back with disbelief.

"Lay?" Soul asked, seeing his new friend grow dour, "What's wrong?"

Lay handed the papers to Soul and sat down angrily on the bunk next to him. It was a simple affair, one of fifty in the bunkroom, near the back but not the very last one. The sheets were stripped white and green, and the mattress was a cheap spring, the pillow nothing more than a cloth and some spare hay not fit for eating. For Soul, it was a welcome trade in exchange for some normalcy.

Soul looked at his schedule, "Sledge Duty? That doesn't sound good."

"It's not," Lay said with bitter anger, "Sledge Duty is possibly the most fowl, back-breaking work a guard can do. I've never heard of anypony getting more than two days of it at a time, and never double shifts! Night Sledge Duty is the worst job in the entire Guard, everypony know it! It's just not bucking fair!"

"Calm down, Lay, it can't be that bad," Marshmallow said placatingly.

Soul looked with a worried frown at his sheet. For his first week, in its entirety, he had nothing but Sledge Duty on double shifts, Day and Night.

As Lay and Marshmallow argued in the background over the management and fairness of it all, Soul just wondered what he'd said to Larus to make this happen.

Author's Note

Soul Keeper is now a member of the Royal Guard, and has all the perks that come with it. However, it seems that something he's said or done has earned him the ire of his superiors. What will he do? How will he fair under the stress of a week of "Sledge Duty"? Find out, next time.

Cracks

The Princess of the Night watches, wide eyed, as the machine slowly whirs down, having fulfilled it's dark purpose. The egg is nearly as large as her now, completely black, and four curved spikes protrude from its top in the effigy of a crown. A cold blue light glows within, and shadows dance behind the thin surface.

There is a hiss of pressure, and a sharp snapping sound. Another rings out, and another, and another, before cracks show on the egg's surface, leaking the blue gas like moonlit cloud.

"Yes!" The Princess whispers, "Reveal yourself!"

Several large shards of black egg explode outwards, and the Princess if forced to erect a shield to defend herself from the shrapnel, blinding her for a moment. When the smoke clears, and the shield disintegrates, she sees it. A small creature, only a little larger than the average foal, with beautiful black plates running all over it's dragon like body, all the way down to it's split tail. a single white star races over the young form of the newly born being, one of it's three black heads slowly lifts, and chirrups weakly.

For a moment, the Princess is overcome with joy, and tears form in her eyes, before her mouth drops with horror. Suddenly, she realizes that the fledgling lifeform's magic is quickly fading, and has far too little regenerative capacity to keep up with the demand of its mind and body. The creature squawks weakly with pain and alarm, before falling limp, still shrouded by half of its egg.

Immediately the Princess leaps to its side, placing her hooves upon its back, and forcing her magic in to sustain it. But something is still wrong, its body perceives the foreign magic as a threat, and repulses it. The Princess begins to panic, frantically thinking of a way to save the creature with only minutes to spare.

Finally, she decides to do something risky. Taking a piece of the creature's magic forcefully, she multiplies it inside her own body at a rate that surprises even her, before feeding the newly created energy back into the creature. She waits with bated breath... and smiles as the creature's heartbeat becomes stable, and its breathing becomes deep and steady.

"Oh, my child," she whispers, worried, "What have I done?"

The morning started very early for Soul. As the newest member, he was designated to shower and dress first, at nearly the crack of dawn. Most regiments woke up well before down, but most of them had more than twenty-four ponies as their lot. The showers were located at the back of the long barracks that E-5 shared, it was even unisex, which pleased him.

The showers were no different to the rest of the castle in design, made from shades of grey and white blocks of stone, they were about thirty feet long with twenty-five stalls and the left and right hoof sides, leaving enough room for a few sinks and mirrors at the very far end. The stalls were made from much cheaper stuff than the walls, something called "cinderblock", and were terribly cramped. Still, he hadn't really expected luxury when he joined the Guard.

He didn't even need to shower anyway, a quick spell disintegrated the dirt, sweat, and general grime that covered his coat, face, and hooves, another made him smell pleasantly of fresh linen.

He walked down to the mirrors to observe himself, and used it to straighten out his coat, making it flawlessly smooth, rebraiding and styling his mane, and magically polishing his hooves to a mirror shine. His pink eyes shone a little with pride in his appearance, especially after he quickly teleported all of his armor onto himself, every strap, strand, and plate just right.

He walked confidently from the bathroom, silencing the pair of loud metal shoes he wore that he'd received late last night, apparently each one of these did have to be made especially, but they were easy to slip on and tighten down, and it made him feel slightly better about his weaponry. If there was one thing he could count on himself to know how to use, it was good old fashioned metal hooves.

Soul walked past the dozen rows of empty green bunks back to his, treading lightly past his snoring comrades and straightening out his bunk, making it picture perfect. And all this before the next newest, a stallion he'd met yesterday named Pocket Rocket, woke up for his turn. Unfortunately, this left Soul with nothing to do for quite a while but think.

Yeah, maybe I should be still doing some of this stuff by hoof. I won't always have this much magic, and it was then that Soul mentally slapped himself, Idiot! Of course, you should use as little magic as possible!

When he wasn't berating himself for forgetfulness, his stomach was dropping with dread. Lay had gotten so angry yesterday that he blacked himself out drinking before he could tell Soul about Sledge Duty, and none of the others had ever gotten it, they'd just heard stories. Ponies coming back with broken limbs, heavy bags under their eyes, shakes and fatigue, it was said to be reserved for the worst of guards, those who were too hotheaded and needed to learn a lesson before being let back out to keep the peace.

If that was true, then Soul just didn't understand why he'd been given it in general, let alone more than anyone had ever heard of. He thought about taking it up with Larus, but on his first day?

No, I cant cause trouble, that'll only validate him, Soul brooded, stroking his chin, There's really only one option. Do so well at this that no one questions my ability to follow orders again.

As Soul reaffirmed himself, the others were beginning to stir, little devices ringing and screaming at them as they groggily hauled themselves from their beds. Most were too tired to say anything to him, but after about half an hour as they were filtering out of the bathroom, they looked at him with shock and surprise. He made sure to greet everypony with a friendly tone, despite his dark mood.

Lay did not wake up when his little clock yelled at him, and nopony seemed to be inclined to help him, most of them were still shuffling around like zombies, attaching pieces of armor and donning the cloth padding underneath with the speed of a slug herd. So Soul decided to help him.

Walking over to Lay's bunk, he felt a hoof grab him, and he looked over to see a very frumpy and frazzle-haired Marshmallow shaking her head.

"Let him get up on is own time, Soul, it's better for everybody."

Soul just smiled, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

She looked at him for a few seconds before shrugging, "Alright, do what you want. S'your funeral."

Soul walked to Lay's bedside and placed a hoof on the stallions head. It was easy enough to see the inside muddled by mild Poison, Pain, and Confusion. A greenish brown slurry of molasses-like consistency. In all honesty it was a little disgusting, and, though Soul's stomach rumbled, he refused to eat that.

With a quick yank, and a hot step away from the bed, the brown mixture poured from Lay's mouth faster than vomit ever could, and remained suspended in the air by a ball of starfield energy.

"Bluuurghhh...aaaaAGH!" Lay groaned in pain, and then shot bolt upright, all traces of headache and hangover having been ripped from his body. He looked around, clearly very confused as to why he was both awake and alert, as Soul teleported the vile mixture somewhere over the Everfree.

"Lay, glad to see that you're up!" He said cheerfully, thumping the stallion on the shoulder.

Lay whipped his head back and forth, before his eyes settled on Soul, "What is this black, sorcerous witchcraft?"

Soul laughed heartily, "It's an old soldier's trick for getting over a bad night very quickly. Unicorns are useful for more than fireballs and advanced math, you know."

Lay looked like he was trying to decide whether or not he liked what had just happened, before slowly smiling, his eyes alight with the possible applications of this discovery, "Yeah... I guess they are!"

Soul felt a chill go down his spine, and his smile twisted into a grimace. He didn't even need to turn his head to feel Deavy's eyes digging into him.

"Whoa there Soul," Lay said, drawing the unicorn's attention, "What was with that look?" he sounded concerned.

Soul cocked his head and smiled again, "What look?"

Lay eyed him with a little apprehension, before shaking his head, "You certainly are a mystery, you know that? One minute, I think I've got you pegged, and the next you give a look that could have come straight off the face of Nightmare Moon. Yer eyes narrowed, and your smile... well, it died faster than a sheep in the Dragon Lands!"

Soul laughed it off, "Whatever man, when's breakfast anyway? I'm getting pretty hungry."

Lay didn't look like he wanted to drop that subject, but he relented, "Real soon, in fact you could head down to the Eating Hall right now if you want, you'd be a little early though."

"No, I'll be alright waiting here a bit," Soul said. The last thing he wanted was more time alone.

Once everypony had showered and struggled mightily with equipping all of their gear, often with the help of a friend, they all sauntered out of the barracks to go grab lunch.

"Okay, so what exactly is Sledge Duty? You never got to that part before you drank two bottles of Rocket's smuggled whiskey and then started rambling about politics," Soul asked Lay as they left the room.

"Wait, I started talking politics?" Lay asked, sounding worried.

"Uh... yeah?" Soul answered uncertainly.

"What did I say? About who?" Lay asked.

"I don't know, man, you just went off on how the system's bottom heavy, and you want to get paid more, and you want more off days, is that really important right now?"

Lay sighed in relief, "You've got no idea man, you slip up and insult a superior, they will hear about it, one way or another."

"And, you were worried that you'd mouthed off about Larus because he gave me a week of double Sledge Duty," Soul concluded.

Lay nodded, "Exactly. But I didn't. So it's fine."

The Eating Hall wasn't too far from E-5. Well it really shouldn't be there was more than one, each one serviced the closest barracks. They shared this one with the guards from E-1 through E-4 as well, but due to E-5's diminutive size, they always got there first.

It was quite a large room, the sheer size of the Royal Palace never ceased to amaze Soul. It was about three stories tall, with high arched windows on one side, almost like a cathedral. It was about a hundred feet long, and only a little less wide, forming a missive rectangle that was packed to the brim with tables and benches. Strange for such a large space to be so empty, the only ones there were E-5 and the kitchen staff who had just finished preparing breakfast, which the guards eagerly piled in to. They had waffles, blueberry muffins, hay bacon, copious amounts of fresh griphon syrup, the works.

Soul felt slightly... uneasy as he went last in the line, and filled his plate with all sorts of goodies that he used to love. He walked over to where the others were sitting, near the left hoof side of the room, and placed himself down next to lay, who was bantering with one of the other stallions. Rocket had pulled out a deck of playing cards, and began attempting to scam the others out of their money. Soul was just focused on his food.

Maybe... maybe this time, it'll be different, Soul picked up a fork, and scooped a mouthful of hot, gooey pancake covered with butter and syrup into his mouth.

Ashes. That's all he could taste. There was a faint sense of something, more of a memory, but it echoed an emptiness inside of him. This wasn't the food he needed. This wasn't the food that would satisfy him.

"You okay Soul?" He looked up and saw Marshmallow looking at him with concern. He gave her his best fake smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine," He made sure the smile reached his eyes, and to show just enough teeth, but not too many. Oftentimes that's what gets you caught. Luckily she bought it, and turned away with her own plate, giving Soul a glimpse of what he really wanted.

Her flank bounced lightly in the golden rays of the sun, plump, warm, inviting. Soul's mouth began to water as he thought of what she might taste like. He picture enrapturing her, squeezing every part of her into his inescapable embrace, sinking his fangs deep into her neck as she cried with joy-

NO! Stop it! Soul shook himself out of his trance, and his stomach rumbled with disapproval.

You shut up, you'll eat what I give you! Soul looked around to make sure nopony noticed him having an argument with his stomach, before making himself consume everything on his plate. And he did it, and he felt ever so slightly less hungry, but it was such a shadow of a difference that he wondered if it really even mattered.

Soul glanced at the sun and saw its position in the sky. Sighing, he stood up from the table, "Hey Lay? Which direction is Sedge Duty? I think I know the way, I remember something about where it was from yesterday, but I just want to be sure."

Lay pointed toward the west end of the castle, "Down that way, about half a mile outside the West Gate. Take care Soul, don't get yourself hurt."

Soul nodded in thanks, and then went to Sledge Duty.

Soul stood over a vast crater that had been dug out of Canterlot Mountain, next to a small wooden shed that served as the "headquarters" of the operation. In the pit, hundreds of ponies went up and down the brutally steep slope, laden heavily with massive bags of either valuable minerals, or chaff. It was mostly chaff.

Soul stepped up to the door of the office and knocked, standing back a little as he heard a, "Just a minute!"

The door opened to reveal a cramped, dirty space, seen over by an overweight orange unicorn, "Oh! Hello there, what's your name?"

Soul stuck out his hoof, which the other stallion shook, "I'm Soul Keeper, Private, 5-E, sent here for Sledge Duty. Although I don't see many sledges."

The fat stallion laughed. His mane was an interesting shade of white, perhaps with just a tinge of yellow, "Don't see any sledges eh? Look down. What do you see?"

Soul did as he was told, "My hooves."

He felt a crack on his head, and slowly looked back up to see the unicorn holding a ruler in his magical grasp, which was the color of orange sherbert, "No, you dolt, it's you! You're the sledge! Your body! Your corporeal form, if you will!"

"Right," Soul muttered as the orange unicorn turned back around to look at some papers on his desk.

"So, Soul, Soul, Soul, ah! Says here that you should report to Sargent Fellow. Right down there," the stallion pointed down to the very bottom of the pit, "at the bottom, in case you were wondering."

Soul nodded, "Is there anything else?"

"Well of course there is! You can't be a sledge without a harness!"

Can't you? Soul wondered as the stallion pulled out what looked to be a saddlebag with large metal hooks attached to it.

"Put this on!" He ordered, and Soul magically fitted it onto his back.

"Oh, so you can use telekinesis! Impressive," The orange unicorn muttered, "Now off with you, get to work!"

Soul didn't respond, and began to trudge his way down the hill. He knew immediately this was going to be Tartarus on Equis.

The slope was so steep that he couldn't even enjoy going down it, he had to watch his step very carefully, doubly so because the ground was mostly made of gravel, which made it much easier to slip and fall. And if somepony fell, chances were they'd fall all the way down. It was also fiendishly hot, and Soul wasn't even at the bottom yet, but the stones here would be in direct sunlight all day every day, making them almost boiling temperature.

Soul felt a sudden shift in his balance, and he was able to See which sections of rock were loose chips, and which places were solid Stone. This helped him keep his balance much easier, and he was able to scramble down the slope quickly, even as he passed others that had started down before him.

Finally, he reached the bottom, dust and sand swirled in the large, flat space, being dug out continuously by what looked to be... convicts? They all wore similar uniforms, but not guard's armor. Oh Celestia the armor, that was going to be absolute buggery in this heat after a while. Hopefully they had at least a few water breaks or something, even though water didn't taste like much anymore.

At the bottom, Soul saw a large grey earth pony standing resolutely behind the miners, watching them with hard green eyes. He was the only one in full armor, so Soul walked up to him.

"Excuse me, sir?" Soul said. He had to shout a little, as the heavy ringing of picks drifted back and forth like cracks of thunder across the pit.

The stallion turned around to look at him, and Soul saluted, "Private Soul Keeper, reporting for duty!"

The stallion nodded to him, "I'm Sargent Fellow, I'll be your superior while you're here in the Pit. Your job, Private, is to carry rocks from that pile," the corporal pointed to a gigantic pile of rocks with sizes ranging from boulders to grains of sand, "and carry it up to there," he gestured to the top of the chasm, on the opposite end of where Soul had come from.

"Of course, sir!" Soul saluted again.

The Sargent raised an eyebrow, "Not going to ask why, Private?"

"Sir, if that information was important, you would have told me!" Soul answered.

The Sargent smiled, and Soul could almost make out a small chuckle, "You'll do alright here Private. You'll find the bags to carry the rocks in over there, don't worry, they're enchanted to bear the load so they won't rip on you. Take as many as you can handle, we're short staffed down here enough as it is, so it's up to you and the others to pick up the slack, now move it!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Soul called out, and walked over to the mountain of rubble. Next to it was, in fact, a much smaller pile of brown sacks, which Soul lifted onto the hooks on his makeshift saddle. He looked around the rock pile, and saw five or six other guards, all of them were earth ponies except for one highly bedraggled pegasus, and all of them had to load the rocks into their bags by hoof. Some, he saw, were being bold, and loading three bags at once, carrying the third in their teeth, but it seemed to throw them off balance as they ascended the slope.

Nodding to himself, Soul measured the space in his bag by opening it as wide as it would go with his magic, and then lifted an amount equal of rocks into both of them, carving a nice little chunk out of the pile, and filling his bags to the brim without overflowing. He turned his head, and began making his way up the slope. It was a few minutes later when he realized something.

I... can't even feel the weight! It was true, what should have been several hundred pounds of stone felt as light as air to him, and he was ascending very quickly due to his ability to locate hoofholds incredibly fast. He was almost at the top already.

If I keep this up, they're sure to let me out of here! He thought with glee, and redoubled his efforts.

He made the climb up and down in ten minutes. Almost a new record, and the best time by far if pegassi were disqualified. On his third trip, he changed the game, and picked up two bags in his mouth, one on each side of his head, and balanced them perfectly. He still maintained his ten minute time, the rocks still felt like nearly nothing. On his sixth trip up and down, he decided that since the majority of the trip was uphill, he could try something else. That time he made the run with six full bags of rocks, two of them were tied off around his throat, pinned to his back by their weight.

He kept up that pace for three hours, before a break was finally called. All of the guards stumbled up to the lip of the Pit, where water was being hoofed out in buckets. Soul's legs were burning, and he'd worked up some good sweat, but he still felt like he could go for a few more hours. Which was good, because the morning shift lasted eight.

While they were all drinking, Soul noticed that he was getting quite a few dirty looks from the other guards, and many of them muttered under their breath while casting glances his way.

Whatever, let them talk. By tomorrow, they'll be over their jealousy.

After his first shift was up, Soul couldn't lie. He was very tired. He'd had to stop carrying the other two bags after the sixth hour, it was just too much strain on his legs. He expected to be very sore tomorrow, but he felt good. Even with the worst that the higher-ups could throw at him on his first day, he could cope.

And so it was around four in the afternoon, with tired limbs, but a full heart, that Soul trudged up the slope that final time to dinner. He'd already missed lunch.

This time, when Soul arrived in the Dining Hall, it was much more of what he expected. The place was alive and raucous with ponies of all shapes and sizes, luckily Soul saw his squad immediately, sitting where they had this morning. It looked like they'd already started to dig in to their meals.

Soul made his way over to them, flashing smiles and greetings all around as he went. He hoped he didn't smell too bad, he should have vacuumed himself off before coming back.

"Hey, look who it is everypony!" Lay called out, before standing and shaking Soul's hoof, "So, how was your first shift of Sledge Duty?"

Soul smiled as he took a seat next to Lay, a few of the others actually scooting down to make room for him.

He nodded in thanks to them, before turning back to Lay, "Well, all in all not too bad. The unicorn at the top's a bit of a prick, didn't even give me his name, just treated me like an infant and sent me down."

Lay chuckled into his water, and then noticed Soul looking down at his food. It looked delicious. Salad and grasses and flowers of all kinds, with a few carrots strewn into the mix for garnish. But Lay misunderstood Soul's longing look, he just thought he wanted food.

"Hey, the line's over there. You'd better hurry, we only get a thirty minute dinner break, and you missed the first ten."

Soul looked over at the dinner line and saw that it was still packed around the room with ponies waiting for food, if he queued now, he'd never make it. Not like getting food did him any good anyway.

"No, I'll... I'll be alright. But, hey, uh, If you wouldn't mind, could you maybe snag me some tomorrow on your plate, cause the line's looking pretty intense," Soul asked.

Lay nodded, "Oh, yeah, sure. You sure you don't want anything?"

Soul shook his head, "Nah I'm... I'm fine, it'll be alright."

Lay nodded slowly, "Alright, well, if you're sure. But don't starve yourself, now! You got a long week ahead of you."

Soul laughed along with him, Oh, Lay, he thought, You have no idea.

The night shift went much the same as the day. Another eight hours of grueling, limb-sapping work. But Soul powered through, same as the day shift, except he got tired quicker this time, his muscles groaned and complained the whole way. However, when he returned to the barracks at half-past midnight, he did so with a confident, albeit tired, smile on his face.

This time, he took a nice long shower, just to feel the cleanliness of the water scrubbing all of the dirt and dust out of his blue coat, even taking the time to brush himself off. He then collapsed gratefully into his bed, where he slept like a stone.

Five hours later, the alarm clocks rang, and the process started again. By the end of the second day, Soul only felt a little more tired than he had the previous. On the third, he was nearly exhausted, and could only carry four bags the whole time. Fourth day was a little better, and the fifth a little better than that. Every day, Lay got him extra food so that Soul could "eat" with the rest of them. And every Day, Soul collapsed in the bed at one to get up at six.

It wasn't all bad, though. As an unintended side-effect, Soul was now incredibly buff. He'd had some muscle before, but a sixteen hour workout lifting two to three times your weight in new and creative ways toned a pony like no other method. Now his muscles were hard and lean, he had almost no fat remaining on his body. His face, which had once been almost cute, was now sharp and defined. He'd overheard several of the mares in the Dining Hall where they though their voices would be drowned out discussing him favorably. However, even this wasn't the blessing it seemed.

With each passing day, the beast inside him grew more and more insistent, and Soul knew he was up against a dying clock. All that muscle, he'd paid for with magic. All the meals he was missing was magic, all the sleep he wasn't getting was magic, gone. An so it was with the turn of each sun that his eyes grew narrower, and his gaze drifted ever more out of line. At first it was reserved simply for Marshmallow, she was the closest, the easiest target. Then it spread wider, thinking wild thoughts about the mares who giggled and whispered at his passing in the halls and in the streets. Then it turned dark.

On the sixth day, in the shower room, Soul had been sluggish in waking up, and so, for a brief moment, he'd been in the showers alone with Rocket. Now Soul didn't have anything against stallions that chose their own side of the fence, he'd just never really considered it himself. But the way that white coat glistened with fresh water... the confusion in those blue eyes... the amount of raw magic flowing like rivers of gold through those veins...

It'd taken Rocket calling him out on staring at him to snap Soul out of it. That evening and night he got made fun of, he'd expected that, but it didn't stop him from noticing something he wished he hadn't. Marshmallow looking slightly worried. That's when he knew he had her around his hoof already, which was both the first and last thing he wanted.

He managed to stave off other outbursts, the next day, though. He reflected on that, his mind a muddle, as he drifted like a phantom towards his bed.

Something tapped him on the shoulder, "Soul? Hey, Soul, buddy, you in there?"

Soul shook his head to clear it, and turned to find Lay smiling, Marshmallow next to him.

"What is it, Lay?" Soul asked, the words dripped from his mouth like molasses, he was so tired.

Lay held up a folder, and raised an eyebrow, "Remember this? You have to turn in your folder at the end of the week, you get a new schedule!"

Soul didn't understand for a moment, his brain felt like it had short circuited, "Wait... wait you mean..."

Lay nodded, broad grin plastered over his brown face, "That I do, buddy, you're done!"

"It's over Soul!" Marshmallow cheered.

Soul stood there for a moment. Just stood. And then he smiled, his heart fluttered a bit, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, he laughed with joy.

Without delay, they galloped straight down to Corporal Larus' office, and Lay wouldn't shut his trap the whole way there.

"Just think about it, Soul! Regular sleep, free time, not Sledge Duty!"

"I know Lay, I know!" Soul laughed at his friend, "Believe me, I've been thinking about it!"

"Oh, have you?" Marshmallow asked between breaths, "And what were you planning on doing?"

Hopefully, you! The dark side of him chuckled, "Oh, you know... this and that. I guess I haven't thought about it really, but oh well, I'll wing it!"

Finally the trio reached Larus' office, and Soul himself hammered on the door.

"Come in!" Came the voice from inside.

Soul turned to his two friends, and gave them both a big old hug, he noticed one seemed to be enjoying it more than the other.

"Alright, alright, Soul, I know what you're like," Lay said teasingly, "You'll get what you want from my body and never speak to me again!"

"Stop it Lay, he was distracted is all!" Cascade said, slapping him lightly with a hoof as they walked away.

Soul waved goodbye to them, and walked into the room. Funny how much like a time capsule it seemed to be, nothing had changed at all. Not a scrap of paper was moved, not a filing cabinet out of place since one week ago when he'd stood here.

Larus looked up from the paper he was scribbling on, and, seeing the folder in Soul's hoof, gestured him over.

Smiling, Soul handed Larus the envelope, and waited patiently as Larus leafed through it, and then hoofed it back to him. Larus then wrote some things down on his paper. And kept writing. And writing.

"Um, sir?" Soul asked after about five minutes.

Larus looked up, "Yes, Private?"

"I, uh, I need a schedule," Soul said awkwardly.

Larus gesture to the folder in Soul's hooves, "You have it."

Soul smiled a little, "Oh, no sir, this is last... week's..."

In that moment, everything seemed to stop. The room, Soul's breathing, time itself could have been frozen and nopony would have noticed. It could have been that same day a week ago when he'd been handed this folder, when he was full and ready for anything. But it wasn't that day. Soul could tell it by the pain in his legs, by the hunger in his bones, by the taste of blood as he bit down on his tongue with rage.

"You may go, Private, you are dismissed," Larus said, before returning to his paper.

"... yes, sir..." Soul was in a daze as he walked out of that office. A haze had descended on him, he felt... not himself, almost as if he was drifting away.

He didn't answer his friends' questions when he returned to the barracks. Didn't hear Lay's howl of rage as he read the folder, the same folder, again. Didn't see Marshmallow's look of concern. He didn't even know if he was asleep or awake, until the alarm bells rang, and in a haze, Soul stood.

By the end of the second week... things were grim. Soul had stopped going to dinner, and stopped talking to anyone at night. He got up in the morning, worked for sixteen and a half straight hours, and went to bed. It earned him a nickname though. The ponies down in the pit, not the guards, none of them besides him ever stayed longer than a single shift, but the ponies doing public service, they called him the Mule. He would have thought it appropriate, if he was thinking. But he was on a... low-power state, running at minimum capacity. He would realize later that he was closer to dying on the final day of that week than he would be for a while. Because even as his body automated as much as possible, his mind was focused on one thing.

I will not feed off of ponies.

This thought, so he believed, kept him a pony, rather than the monster. But it was on the seventh day of the second week, when everything changed.

Soul was climbing the slope of the Pit, which, thanks in part to his efforts, was a bit deeper than it had been two weeks ago. He knew all of the paths to the top by now, and traveled the fastest one up and down every time, no variation. All that gave him time to do was suffer with the blistering, biting hunger than reached down to the very marrow of his bones. It felt like they were dried up, cracking apart inside of him with every step. His head pounded with pain, and at the same time felt swollen out of proportion. His vision, and his Sight, were blurred and grey, going black every few steps. Every breath he drew in felt like shards of glass piercing his throat, and every rock and pebble underhoof seemed to stab at him like a dagger. It was all he could do two keep moving, and not feed.

And then a sound pierced the veil. A crack, and a scream.

Soul's legs stopped moving, and it took him a few seconds before his head turned too. On the slope, maybe fifty feet away from him, a pegassus had collapsed. It looked like his wings had given out as he tried to fly up to the top, and he'd hit the ground bad, snapping a back leg, twisting it around at a sickening angle. Now, he held on to a loose rock, screaming both in pain, and for aid. But nopony was there except for Soul, the others were already at the top, drinking water, and the pony's cries were muffled by the ringing of the prisoner's picks.

I... I...

Move on. Keep going. Finish shift.

No, I... I need to help.

What? Help? Help with what, I'm weaker than he is!

Have to... have to try...

I'm not doing that, that's a stupid ide-

"GRRRAAAAHH! MOVE DAMMIT!" Soul gurgled out, the first time he'd spoken in a week. His voice was rough, his throat burned, discouraging him even as he said it. His legs shook like trees in a hurricane, and it felt as though he bore mountains on his back as one hoof slid resolutely towards the fallen pegassus.

Oh, the bags, Soul thought detatchedly, and he shrugged off his heavy weights, letting the two he held with a death's grip in his mouth crash onto the hillside with a shooting pain that brought tears to his eyes. Burden thus lifted, Soul scrambled awkwardly across the rock face over to the white stallion. As he approached, he realized that it was actually a mare, one of the first he'd seen out here, and hidden away under the armor, but the feminine lines of her face, even screaming in pain, were unmistakable.

Perhaps... when this is over... I can feed, Soul thought, truly feeling for the first time the hunger that he had been passively shoving away these past weeks, perhaps this time... I can control it.

With much more difficulty than it should have been for him, Soul hoisted the light-framed pegassus off out of the dirt, despite her screams as she struck him and wailed in pain. He knew that she wasn't in her right mind, but still felt a touch of resentment as an iron-shod hoof crashed into his eye.

I'm going to... feel that... in the morning, Soul thought as he began to arduously slog up the slope, this one mare suddenly feeling ten times heavier than the tons of rocks he'd carried up this same route. Eventually she passed out from the pain, and Soul thanked his lucky stars for that.

Is that... it then? All it takes for me to give up is... hunger? He thought bitterly, hoof crunching froward on the gravel.

But if I don't feed, I'm going to die, he thought, and as wretched as my existence is, I don't want to die!

So instead of resisting... what if I... worked with it? Everything he'd read about talents that came from cutie marks all said that resisting them or trying to stop them was a bad idea. He'd ignored the warnings before, but now, with the faint smell of burnt toast in his nostrils as he crossed the lip of the Pit, he wasn't so sure...

His vision blurred for the final time, but he was sure he'd made it to the top.

I did it... I saved her... now I need... food... Soul collapsed just as he reached the edge of the Pit, with shouts and and alarm ringing in his ears.

Beep.... Beep.... Beep...

"Ughhh," Soul clenched his eyes shut tighter against the blasted morning sun, and gasped in pain as his right eye twinged. Hopefully his mother wouldn't wake him up just yet, he felt so very tired...

"... Soul?"

Was that her? It almost sounded like it... but the pitch was off... did they have a new servant?

" ... on, Soul!"

Ugh, so loud, couldn't they see he needed... needed...

Food.

Soul's eyes snapped open, and he let out a a wheezing gasp, followed by a long, rasping cough. Something felt... very strange to him.

"He's alive! He's alive!" A voice he recognized shouted from his right. Marshmallow?

Soul realized why he felt strange, he wasn't hungry. Well, not as hungry, he was still starving for magic, but somehow he'd taken a little in since the pit. Had he fed on somepony? He didn't think so.

"That was never in doubt, Private Cascade. But we are glad to see you awake, Private Keeper," That voice was new to him. It took a lot of effort, but he eventually twisted his neck to face the voices, and opened his eyes. Well, eye, his right one stubbornly refused to move.

He saw, and felt, that he was lying on a quite comfortable white linen bed, in a pristine marble room with high vaulted windows, much like the lunch room. This one bustled with a quiet energy, the sounds of different beeping machines, of shuffling hooves, and furious note-taking. Soul appeared to be in some sort of curtained-off section made out of mint green cloths strung up between white piping. It seemed hasty, but well put together. Beside him was a white nightstand and a monitor connected to several wires on his chest, beeping rhythmically. Marshmallow Cascade was, indeed, bouncing happily next to his bed, her yellow fur shimmering in the sunlight, as well as what looked like Sargent Fellow from the Pit.

Soul immediately attempted a salute, but the Sargent prevented him, "No, soldier, I should be saluting you. You did a great thing today, even as exhausted as you were, saving the life of that young mare."

Soul smiled, "Just doing my job, sir," his voice was raspy and dry, and a look of concern came over the Sargent's face.

"Yes, speaking of that. Your friend here tells me that you've been in the pit for two weeks straight, and stopped eating all this week. Is that true?"

Uh oh, Soul got a sinking feeling that told him he might be in trouble, "Yes sir, it is. But if I could explain, I had double shifts, and the walk to the E Dining Hall from the Pit is so long that I would have been late if I hadn't."

The Sargent blinked and then shook his head violently, "Celestia, boy, I'm not reprimanding you for not eating your vegetables! I want to know who your commanding officer is."

Soul tried to speak, but had to cough for a bit first to clear some of the dust from his lungs, "Corporal," cough , "Larus, sir. 5-E."

The Sargent looked pensive, "5-E... isn't that the advanced unit?"

Soul nodded, and the Sargent turned away.

"Dammit, we can't have our best fighters in this condition!" he turned back to Soul, "Don't worry, son, I'll have a word with your commanding officer, and no need to be worried about being seen as a tattletale, either, word of what you did and what was done to you will get around," he scratched his head under his helmet for a moment before shaking it, "Well, I'm sorry to leave you like this, but I have to get back. I left Tallow in my place, and Celestia knows if he's keeping those convicts in line. Get yourself rested up and in fighting shape. And know that you've done the Guard proud."

He exited though one of the mint curtains, leaving only Soul and Marshmallow together.

I'm not getting a better chance than this, he thought, a little nervous. He'd never tried to feed from anypony, it just always took him over. But now, rather than fighting it, he was going to try and keep it from killing.

Currently the yellow mare was acting a little bashful, head turned to the side and looking at the white tile floor, rubbing a leg absentmindedly with a hoof. Soul noticed that she wasn't wearing her armor, and this time allowed himself to drink her in. Her coat was the color lemon buttercream, and just as smooth, polished to a sparkling shine. It flowed and dipped over her adorable face, down her petite, but still strong shoulders, and her wide hips back to her swishing tail. Her orange curls danced with their own mirth in the sunlight, playfully framing her slight blush. Her brown eyes were warm enough to be melted chocolate, shining with pride, joy, and a little bit of hope. She was... beautiful.

"Hey, Mallow?"

She seemed shocked that he called her by a nickname, and looked up, "Yes?"

He nodded over to his bed, "Come here, quit standing ten feet away like a stranger!"

She blushed and moved up, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"So what was your part in all of this?" Soul asked, watching as she draped her long tail near his hoof over the edge of the bed. He began to play with it, as though he wasn't really thinking about it, while she explained.

"Well, um, I was off-duty today. One of my rare break days, and I heard that one of 5-E had gotten hurt down in the Pit, bad, and I... oh, I just knew it was you!" she sounded upset, pained. Soul gently stroked her back, almost shivering at the soft feeling of her fur, like a downy blanket, "A-and then I... well, I ran to help as soon as I could! When I got there, you were still laying there next to that pegassus you saved," she sounded almost... jealous. Soul moved his right hoof to her upper back, and lightly massaged the area, as his left hoof began brushing from the base of her tail to its end, "After that, I helped carry your to the infirmary, here, and while you were unconscious, the Sargent asked me a few questions," Soul sat up in such a way as not to disturb any of the bed where she was siting, and positioned himself directly behind her, beginning to stroke her mane, playing with its curls, while continuing the slow massage to loosen her up, "He mostly just asked me about your schedule, he remembered seeing you a weird number of times in the Pit, and I let him have a piece of my mind! I told him all about how you'd been worked to death for weeks, not eating, not talking, never even looking my way when I flashed my tail-" she gasped, as if just realizing what she was saying, then slowly turning her head and seeing that Soul was pressed directly against her back, his hooves wrapped in a comforting hug around her barrel.

"Thanks Mallow," he whispered, eyes twinkling with a smile.

"U-uh..." she stammered, "You should be laying down, you're hurt!"

Soul maintained eye contact as he let her slowly push him back down onto the bed, holding her hoof and the small of her back so that she reclined forwards on top of him, her back hooves hanging off the edge of the bed. Their faces were inches apart, her eyes were wide, and her breath shallow.

Soul looked right into her deep brown eyes and said, "I've always noticed you, even when you thought I was gone, you were the one thing I still saw."

His first kiss was soft, testing the waters, a brush across the surface of the lake. Even so, her lips were delicious, softer than a pillow, full, tasting slightly of some sugary treat. For a moment he was worried he'd moved too fast, but then she didn't pull away, so he took control.

Gently sliding his hoof up her foreleg, he pressed just a little harder into the kiss, feeling out the silky rise of her lips with his, and pressing slightly with his hoof on the back of her head. Finally she melted into it with him, wrapping her hooves a much as she could around his shoulders, but he was quite a bit larger than her.

Soul pressed fully into Marshmallow's supple body, delighted at her responsive and submissive tendencies. Rather than attempt to take command, she gladly molded her form to fit his curvature, and rubbed every spot of his body that she touched just right. Soul's other hoof moved just a little farther south, and tweaked the base of her tale, which caused her to let off an adorable squeal.

Finally, Soul relinquished her lips from the kiss, but still held her tight in his grip, "Celestia above," he said with a panting smile, "I've wanted to do that since the day I met you."

Marshmallow also smiled brightly, eyes clouded slightly with a lusty glaze, "I've been waiting for you to take the first step for a while. I don't know what it is about you, Soul, but I could tell that you're not like the other stallions. I could tell you've always wanted... more."

A darker side of Soul laughed internally, Oh, I want more all right, just not the kind that you're expecting.

Already inside of her, Soul could see the seeds of his efforts blossoming. A fresh new wave of magic was beginning to bubble in her center, and the more she consumed of him, the more he could absorb from her.

Soul pressed her into another kiss, which she eagerly returned as they rustled and tumbled on the bed sheets, Soul coming out on top, and pressing his advantage by forcing his body harder into hers. He felt tempted to dismiss the spell concealing his more intimate parts... but decided against it. They were in a public place, and he had barely gotten to know this mare, what if she was a squealer? A test run was in order, but that didn't mean it had to be an unsatisfactory experience.

Though Marshmallow hardly noticed, more of Soul's saliva began to worm its way into her mouth absorbing immediately into her lips, gums, and throat, she didn't even have to swallow it. Soul tousled her orange curls and held her mane tightly with his right hoof, while his left darted down to see what he was working with. He delighted in finding that she was already becoming wet, not quickly, but it was happening. He decided to speed the process along.

"Hey!" Marshmallow whispered as he broke the kiss.

"Mallow?" he asked softly, looking right in her eyes, "Can you stay quiet?"

She nodded surreptitiously, but was quite pleased when he went back to making out roughly with her. She was much more surprised with what happened next.

Soul cast a very small and emotional reader spell that let him know what she was feeling across her body without him having to look around for it specifically, very useful for situations that required very precise control like this one. He then traced a very light magical tongue across her lower lips, which caused her eyes to shoot open, and her mouth twist into a smile under his. The magical field felt like a buzzing sensation, like your leg falling asleep, but gentler, and more focused. He hovered it around the outside over her pussy, keeping her mouth busy with his tongue, while his hooves slowly messaged her back and flank.

When he finally felt confident that he had her dimensions correct, he cranked things up a notch. The vibrating starfield completely enveloped her outer lips, causing her to involuntarily gasp and moan, before she stopped herself with a hoof. Soul moved the kiss from her mouth, which was now busy, to behind her ear, licking and biting it gently, especially near the edges, and he could tell she was really doing all she could to not make a sound.

The vibrations began to gently push inside of her tight pussy, spreading apart the walls just a little bit, about half an inch, Soul wanted to know how deep she went.

Marshmallow's soft moans gradually got higher and higher in pitch as the vibrating sensation deep inside of her sent constant sparks and cracks of lust through her body, and she had to clamp both hooves over her mouth as her lover pleasured her in an entirely new way. She finally lost it as the buzzing tendril hit her cervix. She'd been building slowly for a while, and she could tell she was close by how hard her legs clutched at the beautiful stallion above her, but then it touched one of her deepest recesses and she gave out a long groan as her first low-level orgasm rolled over her like a wave of rumbling thunder.

Soul drew back from his lavishing licks and kiss, and whispered, "I thought you said you could be quiet?" in a teasing manner.

She looked up at him with a little bit of annoyance, before she gasped, and her eyes squeezed shut tight. What was happening in her pussy... she couldn't even really describe it. The vibrations felt like they had moved into the walls themselves, and the experience was so intense that she started to pant for breath as her core tightened harder, and harder, and harder, before releasing the built up pressure, and causing her to flop back on the bed, gasping in relief as the buzzing returned to normal.

"That... that was incredible..." she crooned, looking at him with lustful eyes, "but I feel so guilty, I haven't done anything for you yet!" She giggled at his smirk, and then realized a fact that she had missed, "Um... where is little Soul , anyway?"

Soul smiled, "Hiding, but he'd love to come out and play. But, you have to be quiet!"

She giggled, "Well, if you want me quiet, then maybe I need something in my mouth to stop me talking!"

Soul chuckled as softly as he could, and then dismissed the spell on "little Soul".

Marshmallow's eyes went wide as she came face to face with the steaming head of the shaft. Literally steaming, it was so hot that the air around it steamed slightly. The shaft was solid black, and stretched all the way from below her ribs to her face without showing the medial ring. The flare on this thing was a beast, and she knew she'd over-exaggerated her capabilities by promising to get any of this in her mouth. But sweet Celestia, that color, that texture, that smell! It was almost divine!

Soul shifted his hips forward a bit, he was now sitting with one back leg either side of Marshmallow's silky soft stomach, his balls resting comfortably under her ribs as his shaft twitched and grew, demanding entrance to that warm, wet gate.

Marshmallow giggled, "Is this all for me? My goodness, maybe I'm the one who should have wanted more!"

Soul loved it as her brown eyes looked right at him as her soft pink tongue began to swirl around his sensitive head, and Soul had to hold himself back from groaning in relief as he felt his first sexual stimulation in weeks. Marshmallow soon got to work with her delicate yellow hooves, gently rubbing the thick black shaft as her head bobbed up and down, coating as much as she could comfortably reach with her spit to lube up the organ.

Soul realized that in his enjoyment of the slow tingling sensations, and the low drags of pleasure coming from her wonderful hoof-job, that he'd nearly forgotten about her treatment. A situation which he quickly remedied.

Marshmallow gasped quietly as she felt the low buzzing inside of her begin to expand. From its comfortable half inch, to three quarters, to one and a half, bigger and bigger and bigger it got, and suddenly she felt like the race was on to see who would cum first. Judging from the almost turgid state of Soul's massive cock, she didn't think it would take too much to win, as long as he played fair. It was when she delivered a particularly loving lick across the tip that her tongue came into contact with something that tasted like fulfillment itself. She drew her head back in bewilderment, smacking her lips and swishing whatever it was around her mouth. There was no denying it, it tasted exactly like melting chocolate chip cookies with cold milk while sitting next the a crackling fire on Hearth's Warming Eve, just as she was about to drift off to sleep. It was so beautiful it almost made her cry, and when she looked back at the head of Sou'ls twitching shaft she saw a thick milky white glob of precum, as big as a hacky sack, oozing out of the head. Immediately, she slurped it up, and shivered as the magical taste warmed her entire body immediately, and she knew she was hooked. The magical stimulation, the best tasting cum on Equis, maybe even the biggest dick on Equis... she was going to have a hard time breaking up with this one.

Soul watched happily as Marshmallow eagerly began to gulp down his pre like a common whorse, and was especially delighted as he saw the buildup of his magic inside of her increase rapidly, it was approaching the tipping point now where she'd have more of him inside her than she had herself. This happened often with earth ponies, more so than for pegassi and unicorns, as they used their magic the least. He had to be careful not to overbalance her, or she'd start to become more... in tune with his ideas.

Soul smiled as Marshmallow finally realized that he tasted wonderful, and enjoyed watching the self-professedly hard to get mare unable to help herself and she licked up glob after glob, her flat pink tongue making cute little noises as it flicked off the tip of his dick. He ran his hooves luxuriously through her fur, using the cantact to suck away the excess magic being generated, and feeling a weight he had not known was there being lifted slowly from his shoulders.

"Ohhh... Celestia, yes..." he moaned aloud, and heard Marshmallow giggle.

Yessss.... if it's like this... I can control the burn, and keep her safe, while feeding myself.

It was Soul's turn to shut himself up as Marshmallow did an incredible job of pleasing him without being able to fully blow him. Long licks, copious amounts of kissing, the hoof job, it was all fantastic, and soon Soul felt himself approaching his limit. So he stepped up his game.

Marshmallow had been on a low buzz for a while now, flush with the feeling of constant, heady endorphins rushing back and forth between her ears, when she felt the buzz grow again in size, and now it was getting to be about the size of a real stallion cock. And then it began to move. Marshmallow gasped, and quickly planted her lips straight down onto the monster dick she was sucking to keep from screaming as her hips were slammed back and forth suddenly by the intensifying vibrations of a stallion rutting her from above. She could easily imagine that she was in a threesome right now, her cunt finally getting its well-earned attention as she brought the larger stallion who'd claimed dominance to climax. She could feel it getting close, but it was a race she knew she was going to loose.

Within seconds, Soul felt the reverberating moans travel up his shaft as Marshmallow came hard, her second orgasm today. And he didn't stop either, just kept the magic dick a rollin', he felt fantastic. A beautiful mare under him, and full up on magic. All it took was one last look at Marshmallow's bug brown eyes crossed and fluttering as she came down from her pounding to finally set him off.

"Mally, It's coming, try not to spill too much!" he whispered urgently. It didn't really matter, he could clean the sheets easily, he just wanted to fill up as much as possible, and the more cum she swallowed, the more he'd have.

It appeared that she was still too far gone, as Soul felt the final, fatal twitch, just as his medial ring slipped out of the sheath, it looked like a pulse traveled the length of his cock. With the force of a garden hose, a thick, opaque rope of cum blasted out of Soul's dick, hitting Marshmallow straight in her lolling mouth. At first, he could tell she was about to get mad, until the taste hit her, and she tried to lick up as much as possible. Soul didn't see anymore after that, he screwed his eyes shut tight as his balls clenched hard, and it felt like lightning was flying out of him as his dick twitched and jerked, covering his lover in semen.

After it was over, they were both left panting, and Marshmallow looking slightly full. Soul dismissed the spell in her pussy, which caused her to gasp and sigh, and covered his shaft back up, laying down behind her to cuddle up together. As they lay silent, he drained away the last of what he'd grown inside of her, and it seemed that the process had worn her down quite quickly, as she was making adorable little snoring noises within minutes. He stayed with her until she woke up again, and they left the infirmary together, blushing and holding hooves.

Soul knocked on the oak wood door to Larus' room. He'd gotten back to the dorm, and prepared to sleep, he and "Mally" as he'd dubbed her, giving each other sideways glances across the room, when he'd realized he needed to turn in his schedule. So here he stood, knowing it was probably futile.

He could hear quiet voices from inside, though he could not make up the words. He didn't much care for Larus' affairs at the moment, however, so he knocked on the door with a twinge of satisfaction as the voices ceased.

"One moment, please."

Soul blinked in shock. That sounded like... like...

The door opened, and Soul's heart stopped for a few beats as he laid eyes on the most beautiful pony he'd ever seen. Her coat and wings were as white as the snow-capped peak of Canterlot, her eyes were the shade of a field of lavender as the sun crested the hills in the east, and her mane... dear sweet... well, her, her main was a bucking rainbow!

Soul stood stock still and speechless, face to face with Celestia, Protector of Equestria, Princess of the Sun, sister to the Princess of the Night.

She gave him a warm smile that cut straight to his bones, the light and kindness radiating off of it like a beacon, "You must be Soul Keeper."

He nodded, and then groveled, dropping to all four knees, "M-my Lady, Your Highness! I-I, um-"

His stammering was cut off by a light, tinkling laugh, "There's no need for all that,"

And then Princess Celestia actually touched him, and Soul could have sworn he was seeing stars as she lifted him up from the ground.

He stared into her magenta eyes, unconsciously raising his right hoof into a salute as she spoke.

"I was just having a word with your superior, but I wish to speak with you as well."

Actually, I'm a little busy, I'm afraid we'll have to reschedule, the un-stupefied part of him snarked, "Y-yes! Of course, Princess, anything! Anytime, anywhere!"

She steeped out of the office, and closed the door behind her, "Then how about here and now?"

There was a very, very small part of Soul that felt incredibly uneasy about this situation, but most of him was flabbergasted beyond refusal, "Of, course, Your Highness. What is it you wish to speak with me about?"

How did her mane billow like that? The air in this hall was as stale as the lunchroom's ginger snaps! But it did seem to lighten just with the Princess' mere presence.

She smiled again, gracefully brushing back her mane with a hoof, "Your act of bravery and sacrifice today has not gone unnoticed, young one. In one week, you will be presented with a medal for your good deeds. And under such adverse circumstances...." she looked upset slightly as she said those last words, "You make all the Guard proud to have you, Soul Keeper. And I hope to see you go far in its service."

And with that... she just walked away. He stood there, jaw agape, for some time, before shouting after her, "Um... thank you, Princess! I'll do my best!"

All she did was turn her head and smile, before disappearing around a corner. Soul needed more time than he had to process what had just happened. What it could mean, how it could affect him, what she may have seen in him, all these questions swirled around and around, until a deeper resolve clamped down on them.

Now is not the time to loose your cool. We must face Larus a united front, or he will use his no doubt quite livid anger to throw us off our game, Soul straightened up, and shoved all thoughts of his future aside, focusing on what he was about to do. He walked solidly into Larus' office, and was surprised to find the stallion flustered.

Strands of Larus' blonde mane hung limp over his face, his grey eyes seemed far away as he stared at his desk, even his wings seemed to be pulled back in a white shroud around his body, as if shielding himself.

"Sir?" Soul said with respectful coldness, "I've come to deliver my schedule for next week."

Larus didn't move for a while, and the he looked up at Soul. Maintaining unblinking eye contact, the harsh stallion reached under his desk, took out a bottle of what looked like brandy, and took a large swig, before replacing it.

"Yes," Larus straightened himself up, and in seconds went back to being the sharp, dangerous man Soul knew, "I expect you are."

Soul plopped the folder he was carrying onto Larus' desk, and the stallion didn't even look at it before handing Soul his new one.

Not a word was exchanged, and Soul turned to leave the office.

"I suppose it was foolish of me," Larus whispered as Soul was leaving, more than likely unaware that Soul could hear him perfectly fine, "To try and fight back in my own, small way. But no. It seems he was right. It will always be futile."

Soul left without saying anything, to go back to his friends and more, while Larus slowly drank and brooded.

Author's Note

Soul has escaped the clutches of the dreaded Pit, and earned the respect of his fellows. He has also found a new lover in Marshmallow Cascade, though their relationship is forbidden. But what will the future hold for Soul? How will he deal with the rigors to come? And why was Celestia herself there to speak on his behalf? Find out, next time.

I'd Kill For An Invitation

"You must."

"Sister, I cannot."

"It cannot live like this! It is a failure, Luna! Admit it, you were too ambitious!"

"It is not a failure!"

"Its uses are few, if it possesses any at all! It can barely move!"

"It only needs time!"

"Time? And what will you do with it during this "time"? How will it live?"

"I have... a way. Concern yourself not, soon it will grow. And you will see its uses are many."

Why are all of the hallways in this place so similar? Soul wondered as he jogged down the grey stone corridor in a quick trot, just behind Lay, who was practically bouncing with excitement.

This morning, they'd all been woken up, not by alarms, but by Larus himself. The Corporal had informed them that they'd been assigned a training session late last night, and he'd only just gotten the missive. Soul did not miss how Larus' eyes never once even glanced in his direction. Lay, Marshmallow, pretty much all of the guards except for Deavy, were exceptionally happy with this news. Soul had wondered why, training drills were usually nothing to get excited about, until Lay had explained to him that, though the work was indeed exhausting, it was also the most fun that E-5 could have, and really allowed them to show off their skills as the advanced unit. Soul had concurred with him that it would, indeed, be nice to earn some recognition, especially as the new guy, however he knew it would probably be easier for him than it had been for the others.

Things had been... different. Even though it hadn't even been a day after his actions in the Pit, and subsequent confrontation with Larus, not to mention Princess Celestia speaking to him, but everypony was treating him differently. Friendlier, more respectful. The jokes had stopped, he got more frequent thumps on the back than cold nods, more smiles than stares. He was starting to feel... almost like part of the team. Now he just had to make sure he didn't buck it up. That's where things usually fell apart, sadly.

Speaking of different treatment, Soul gasped very quietly as he felt a tickle on where his balls should have been from behind, and he glanced back to see a very confused looking Marshmallow.

She looked up at him, and he whispered, "Magic, baby!"

She smiled, a smile which quickly vanished and lit into a hot blush as he returned the favor briefly. He giggled at her reaction, and had to turn around as her adorable little face glared at him before he started laughing too hard.

Is this really okay? he thought as the squadron jogged along, I turned Cath down because I was afraid of hurting her, but... this really is against the rules. We could both be kicked out of the guard for doing this.

Soul thought about it for a moment, until he concluded, I guess I should talk with Mally about it, and we can decide together if it's a risk we want to take.

He also felt bad about basically using her as a food source. He did like her, and found her attractive, and enjoyed her company, but he wondered if all of that was just motivated by the desire to keep himself alive. Was that selfish? Keeping yourself alive... not really at the expense of others... it was more like a business deal. She got mind-blowing sex that was literally impossible to get anywhere else, and he got a decent meal every week or so.

Soul musings were interrupted as light began to break through the endless line of symmetrically placed torches on the grey walls, and a great din could be faintly heard on the breeze. A sound that made Soul's heart pump, and blood boil, the sound of crashing, bashing, slashing, and clanging. It was the sound of battle, and the smell of blood and sweat. Soul grinned as he passed underneath the earthen archway and out into an enormous courtyard, very much liking what was in front of him.

The training yard was about five times the size of a barracks, but filled with only about a hundred ponies. They seemed to be from other squadrons, though Soul couldn't tell which, and were each there with their Corporals as well. The squads had broken off into pairs to spar, it appeared, and E-5 was late to the party. All of the activity was being overseen by a stout earth pony mare, with flecks of steel gray scattered all around her once vibrant pink body. Now the pink had faded slightly, and hard lines framed the mare's severe visage. Three long, parallel scars ran deep from her cheek to her shoulder, adding to the look of a seasoned veteran. She instantly spotted the new squadron as they arrived, and sneered at them like she was already planning to make them pay dearly for bothering her.

Larus stepped out of the front of the line, "Alright, Privates, form up along the back wall!" he ordered, and all of them scrambled to do so as he went to talk to the older mare in charge.

Soul stood next to a panting Lay, who he bumped his hip against, "Lay?"

"Yeah?" his friend answered.

"Who's the old mare with the scars?"

Lay didn't have to look up to know who he was talking about, "That's Drill Sargent Cutter. She's been in charge of this place... Celestia, far before my time. Rumor has it she's almost seventy, and still fighting like a bull with red tape over its eyes."

Soul nodded, and watched as Larus interacted with the Sargent, and frowned as the stallion seemed to specifically gesture towards him. He'd hoped that his troubled with the man would be over, but apparently the animosity remained.

She said a few curt words to Larus, and then went back to the other two groups, while the Corporal trotted back and relayed her instructions, "You are all to grab training weapons from the racks," he gestured to a series of wooden shelves that held weapons of the same material, "and begin sparring with a chosen partner. Every five minutes you will switch. This is a warm up, do not exert or injure yourselves."

"Sir, yes sir!" The troop called out in unison, before moving to collect practice weapons. Soul stayed in place for a little while longer than the others, waiting for Larus to specifically dismiss them, but the Corporal walked off to sit in the shade with another mare of the same rank. Soul shrugged and made note of the change for next time.

Soul trotted over to the weapons rack, and was pleased to find a wide array of them. They had spears, swords, shields, wooden shoes, barrel mounts, bit glaives, and all of it looked very well taken care of. Soul soon learned the reason why.

Every one of his fellows, without exception, grabbed a wooden spear, and filed off back to the training field. Nopony even glanced at any of the other tasty weaponry available for use, which definitely explained why all of it looked to be in mint condition.

Soul shook his head as he walked up to take his turn. Should he go with what everypony else had picked? See what they could do in an even fight? Or should he show off a little? Soul looked over his choices again, and decided to simply do what he would do if he were actually fighting a multitude of spearponies. He grabbed a sword, and tied it into his tail, giving the weapon a few experimental flicks before adjusting it a little with magic to get the balance right. Then he slipped the shoes onto his back hooves, before taking up a sword and shield.

Turning around, Soul scanned the area for a partner. Almost everypony had already paired off, as he'd expected them to, however there was one pony that had apparently made it very clear who he wanted to fight. A rough customer by the name of Flame Brackish, a burly yellow earth pony with a deep black mane that grew wildly across his neck. His dark green eyes stared Soul down as he finished his weapon selection, challenging him to prove himself. Flame had been one of the ones Soul had worried about as soon as he stepped into E-5, the stallion near radiated an aura of malice, and was known for being a dick. Luckily, they'd put him in E-5 where pretty much everypony could put up enough of a fight that it usually wasn't worth the effort, but out here, where there were no consequences, he'd be looking to break a rookie like Soul.

Something will break, alright, Soul thought to himself, as he confidently walked on only his back hooves towards his target, giving him a significant height advantage. His opponent clearly did not like this, and Soul could See his indecision, whether or not to attempt to stand and fight in two-hoof style as well, or stay in four-hoof.

"Hello, Flame! Looks like you and I are partners for a little while," Soul called cheerfully, no need to be rude.

"Looks like," the large stallion rumbled, voice thick with his Manehattan accent, before hoofing his spear into an offensive position, and charging at a full gallop towards Soul.

Well, he's preemptive, I'll give him that, and as Soul began to step out of the way of the blow, he noticed something. The same cold collectedness that always seemed to proceed his lapses was creeping its way up and down his spine, What is that, I wonder? Is it like the feeding? Can I work with it to greater effect, like with Mally?

Instead of resisting the chilled pull, Soul followed along with it, remaining in place, and bracing against the charge with his shield. As Flame struck home, Soul smiled with unshakable confidence, and fully aware of what was happening.

A loud SNAP echoed across the clacking courtyard as the head of the spear snapped clean off, too much force bending it out of line, and Soul acted quickly. As soon as the head snapped, Soul kicked off the ground sideways into the bull rush, slamming into Flame's legs with the bottom of his shield, and using the stallion's momentum to flip Flame over himself, sending the attacker crashing into the sand several feet away, now weaponless. Soul had refrained from using his tail-sword for the moment, just playing with the stallion a little longer before actually "killing" him.

Soul strode up to the dazed stallion, mending the man's spear and tossing it to him as Flame finally regained his feet. Brackish looked confused, but nevertheless charged in again anyway, not even bothering to slow down and analyze his opponent.

Alright, I'm done here, Soul thought, and moved to strike Flame down, when he felt an alien magic grip his hind leg and pull. Acting quickly, Soul used the leverage to flip himself around as the magic dissipated, and flew over Flame's head as the stallion charged under him, grimacing as he saw a dull brown light fade from his hoof. He hit the sand with some force, but stood up unharmed, and immediately locked eyes with Deavy, standing only a few yards away as he and his partner took a break. The brown unicorn watched him with dead eyes, but Soul could See the hatred that filled that tiny body. He wondered why it all focused on him, before realizing he still had a fight to finish.

Stepping forward, Soul went on the attack, and kicked the ground, spinning himself around on one hooftip very quickly, lashing out at Flame with the sword in his hoof almost every half second, each one Flame barely managed to block, until Soul stopped on a dime, his tail-sword perched with its tip just over Flame's jugular. Both stallions were breathing raggedly, and it took a slight poke before Flame even realized he'd lost. His grimace of disappointment told Soul he didn't lose often, even with such rudimentary tactics.

"Change partners!" Larus called out from somewhere, Soul couldn't really tell where.

"You got some fancy moves," Flame said, nodding, "I guess you weren't kiddin' about all that stuff you said on your first day."

Soul smiled, "Indeed. You are a fine fighter, your strength and height would serve you well, if you jabbed instead of charged."

Flame nodded, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look pal, every time I've fought somethin', if I charge it? It goes down. You got me?"

Soul waved his sword hoof dismissively, "Whatever you say, Flame."

Soul partnered up with a few more ponies, all with similar results, he won handily each time, and with such little difficulty that he started to wonder if he should handicap himself. And these were the advanced group? He supposed there was a reason they were still Privates, and hadn't yet moved on. It was after probably half an hour of this that things changed.

"Alright, privates!" Larus said, walking back up to the group, his female compatriot having disappeared, "Listen up! Now, I know how eager most of you are for advancement," at this, every member of E-5 perked up, including Soul, "and today will be the tryouts for the tryouts for quickly filling out some new slots on high, understood?"

"Yes sir!" E-5 roared in unison.

"Now, we will be having some very special guests here in the training field soon, and it will be up to them to choose which out of the three squadrons here today goes on a... training mission."

Everypony glanced at one another. This meant competition, both with the other squadrons, and in E-5 itself. Nopony was going to stick together on this one, it would be a free-for-all.

"The details of this mission will be given to you upon assignment. And any designations you may receive afterwards will only be detailed after the training routine is completed. Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Then may I present to you, the Princesses of Equestria," and with that, Larus gestured grandly to a large stone balcony that hovered over the north face of the training yard, upon which two figures emerged.

The first was a figure Soul had met just the night before, and her shining visage still knocked him speechless. Her kind eyes shone in the bright sunlight, and she stood tall with authority, demanding the respect of those beneath her. Next to her? Was quite possibly the most beautiful mare Soul had ever seen, and it felt like his heart was about to give out deciding over the two.

Her fur was nearly the same color as his, a little lighter in shade, and infinitely softer in tone. It shone with a dusky light that calmed even the harsh intensity of the morning sun. Her mane and tale billowed with galaxies, planets, and stars shining in the endless void of space; her eyes were a bright teal that glimmered with danger, power, and just a tad of vulnerability. She was the most perfect creature in existence.

"Who is that?" Soul heard somepony ask Lay.

"I... I..." was all Lay was able to say.

"That is Princess Luna," Soul answered quietly, "Sword of the Stars, Slayer of Drogue'nath, and Princess of the Night," Soul wasn't quite sure how he knew all of that, since this was the first time he'd seen the new princess. Perhaps it was in the stories his mother told him. Yes, that must have been it.

"I just..." Lay stuttered, "There's another Princess?"

Looking around, Soul noticed all the other guards were having similar reactions, they all looked confused, scared, some even seemed angry. He didn't understand at all why they were acting like this, and his heart immediately ached for the poor new Princess, who was receiving such harsh criticism from her people, much less her own military, when she clearly didn't deserve it.

"Alright, privates, line up!" Larus barked, as did his corresponding Corporals on the other squads. Soul was the first one in line, tingling with a strange new sensation. It was like fire had been injected straight into his veins. He had to fight, had to prove himself, by any means necessary. He was driven, confident, and would show the Princesses just how much of an asset he could be.

After all three squads had formed a rough triangle facing the center of the courtyard, the Drill Sargent walked into the middle of the field, "Now, Privates!" She barked in a rough voice, "For many of you, this is your first time in a skirmish, for others it is not. For the newbies, you fight until your opponent yields or is unconscious. There will be no continuing after your enemy has surrendered or is on the ground, or punishment will be severe. Now, on the count of three, you will begin."

The mare walked off of the field, leaving the three squads to eye up both each other, and themselves. Soul was at the far left end of E-5's line, directly next to what looked like A-3. They looked fresh faced, probably just out of basic training. Soul was raring to rip them apart.

"Hey, Rocket," he whispered to the pony next to him, who raised an eyebrow, "What say you go right and I go left, and we show these rookies what E-5 can do?"

The sneaky pony grinned, showing off his one gold tooth, "I like those odds, Keeper."

"3... 2... 1... FIGHT!" The pink battlematron roared, and chaos was loosed upon the field.

Soul was immediately faced with a mint green stallion that a quick shield-blow to the temple took down with a vengeance, after him was an off-pink mare who managed to get a jab off, which Soul knocked away with his sword, before roundhouse kicking her so hard her helmet would need to be re-worked. A foreleg sweep and a quick pommel whip took down the next one, after that they started to realize something was tearing through them like butter. Two ponies, an earth mare and pegassus stallion teamed up to charge him from both sides, but Pocket Rocket was there with a quick right hook for the stallion, while Soul caught the spear with the flat of his blade and delivered another bash wound. When the dust cleared, he and Rocket were left standing at the front of a line of groaning bodies, the rest of A-3 had split to deal with E-5 or the other squadron.

Soul felt something sharp press into his neck, "Alright, Soul, yield," the traitorous earth pony said like he'd already won.

"Remind me never to count on you again, Rocket," Soul said, before snapping his neck quickly, and crushing the tip of the wooden sword with his jaw.

'Hey, no fai-" Rocket was silenced by Soul's rapid backwards kick, which sent him hurtling off towards the weapons rack. Soul scanned the field for his next target.

A-3 was doing very poorly, with a large number of them taken out by Soul and Rocket, the rest had unintentionally spread themselves too thin, being quickly devoured by E-5, and what Soul could now see was C-1.

We should take out E-5 first, they pose more of a threat, he mused, stalking his way around the edge of the battlefield, but at the same time, what exactly are the Princesses looking for? Perhaps showing strong bonds with my team will earn me more favor. Having a sentimental side may make them either think I have weaknesses, or can be easily controlled.

Soul blinked as he came out of his fugue, Or, you know, I could just fight indiscriminately and not be a weirdo.

Soul went with option three, wading into the back of C-1 like a hurricane. His tail sword actually came in handy, making others wary of getting behind him as he kicked, struck, parried, and dodged his way through most of the battle. He'd never had to stab somepony with the blade yet, and he hoped to keep it that way, bloodshed was not his intention today.

At last, the inevitable happened, and only the finest fighters were left on the field. A blue pegassus from A-3, an earth pony duo from C-1, and about five from E-5, not counting Soul. Lay was among them, as was Flame, Marshmallow was not, thankfully.

They all stood in a rough sort of ring, everypony eyeing each other, shuffling, dancing, small jabs meant to test their opponents. Until one truly struck.

Perhaps seeking vengeance for the rest of his team, the blue pegassus spread his wings and launched straight at Soul with his spear, swooping down like a hawk from above. Soul commended him for using his natural gifts to gain an advantage on the ground troops, but that gave Soul free reign to use his. Soul's starfield of magic was nearly invisible in the bright daylight, so it was no wonder that the stallion, intent as he was on his enemy, did not see the shield flying towards his face like a frisbee until he woke up the following day in the infirmary.

Soul turned from his downed opponent at hearing the thundering of hooves behind him, and was unsurprised to see Flame bearing sown like the bull he resembled, more than likely just trying to prove a point. Instead of running away or dodging to the side, Soul ran straight towards the charge, which Flame seemed very happy with, until his legs were slide tackled out from under him, and he went sailing into the brickwork columns that lined the edge of the field.

As Soul whipped around to face his remaining opponents, it appeared that only three were left standing. Himself, Lay, and Deavy. How in Tartarus Deavy had managed to survive that long with that thin a frame, Soul would never know, but that only made him more dangerous.

Holding nothing back, Soul charged the smaller unicorn, who grinned... until his horn sparked with brown feedback, and the smile dropped... along with a tooth or two as Soul decked him with a shield. He felt... actually pretty bad about that one.

Finally, Soul turned to Lay, his friend.

"Yield, Lay. I don't want to hurt you, and you can't beat me," he said calmly.

Lay spit blood onto the sand, he'd apparently already taken a hit or two, but he was standing strong, "You don't know shit Keeper, I could end this fight right now if I wanted to."

His words were harsh, but his tone let Soul know he was joking. He smiled at that, it was good to know they would still be friends after Soul knocked him unconscious.

"I'm the one ending the fight," both stallions looked over, startled, as Drill Sargent Cutter stepped onto the field, "Private Keeper is disqualified for the use of magic."

Soul blinked, confused, "But... ma'am, I-"

"Disqualified! Soldier! You want time in the Pit?" The Drill Sargent roared, stepping chest to chest with Soul, even though she was a hoof shorter than him.

"Sargent, I believe Mister Keeper here has a case," another voice called from the sidelines. Walking out from the balcony behind the Princesses was a young looking green unicorn, wearing a flowing white robe with blue trim lacing the edges.

The Drill Master sneered, "What on Equestria are you talking about?"

The stallion floated down off the balcony, hooves lightly gliding down to rest on the bloodied arena sand, "You made no mention in the beginning of magic being disallowed."

"It's a house rule! Everypony-" she started, before being cut off.

"Everypony? Then, pray tell, why so many others were using magic without an intervention such as this?" The young stallion said, stepping up to Cutter.

She sighed, "Your point, Battlemage?"

He shrugged, "All I'm saying is that nearly all the pegassi flew throughout the fight, and I heard no complaints. And, goodness me, preventing an earth pony from using their magic is like telling them to stop breathing, it happens all the time, a passive effect"

The Drill Master looked at this little mage like she was ready to tear him limb from limb then and there, before she turned and gave a salute to the Princesses, "Your Highness... er- Highnesses, what is your verdict?"

Celestia and the darker Princess looked at each other, and turned away to convene. Within seconds they turned back around, and Celestia spoke, "Meaning no disrespect to you and your service, Drill Sargent Cutter, but it is our decision that Album Scratch is correct in this matter. If it is part of the rules that magic is disallowed, it should be stated beforehand, and all should be subject to it."

The white-robed unicorn bowed, as the Drill Sargent gritted her teeth with a salute, "As you command. Fight on!"

Soul watched the mage leave the field, and the smug grin that accompanied his verbal victory.

"Well... that killed the mood," Lay joked, and Soul laughed with him, until it died into an uncomfortable silence, as the two friends began to circle one another. Lay was looking for an opening in Soul's sword and shield defense, Soul just wanted him to make the first move.

Finally, Lay struck forward, jabbing quickly with his spear and pulling it back before Soul could catch it, the only option left to the unicorn was to quickly get inside his guard, making his medium range spear practically useless. Soul darted forward, sand spraying up behind him as he jumped from one hoof to the other. Lay lashed out again, but was blocked by Soul's shield, and then took a vicious bash to the head, stumbling backwards. Soul dashed and kneed Lay in the stomach as the guard already reeled from the first blow, then cracked him bellow the cerebellum with a final shield strike. It was all over within ten seconds, and Soul immediately helped to carry Lay to the infirmary.

Once everypony filed back into the barracks, things felt... tense. Ponies gave Soul sidelong looks, muttering about him here and there. He had known that his fighting style might attract attention, but he hadn't wanted it to be this way. Hopefully with time, they'd see that he was still the same pony he always was. Of course, maybe that was the problem.

"Hello there Soul Keeper!" A bubbly voice brought him out from his musing, and he looked up to see the smiling face of Marshmallow. Her eye was bruised, and she had a large red mark on her neck. Soul frowned, and put one hoof up to each.

"Oh, those? Yeah, but I've had wo... rse?" As Soul's magic flared he mended the broken Flesh and Blood inside of the two injuries, and took away as much of the Pain as he could. He only hoped he'd done enough.

Marshmallow seemed confused, "Soul, that was... that was incredible! You know healing magic?"

Soul nodded, leaning back and smiling as he got to look at her face, "It's something you pick up when it's used enough on you. Sit down!" he gestured to the bottom of the bed he was sprawled on.

She took a similar seated position, "While that is another amazing thing about you, it's not what I came to talk about. I am free tomorrow afternoon!"

Soul raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? Well, I have plans, sadly," he saw her visibly deflate a little, "A shame too. I've heard tell that a place called the Violet Bell is one of the nicest restaurants in town."

Marshmallow seemed confused, until his meaning clicked, and a devious smile spread across her face, "Yeah, I was going to try it out tomorrow, actually."

"Really?" Soul said, returning the smile, "A little bird told me that around five thirty is the best time to go if you want to miss the lunch rush."

Her brow furrowed as she mouthed "five thirty".

Soul blinked as he realized her confusion, "That's sixteen hundred and thirty, for us guards," he wasn't quite sure how to say that in military time, nopony had really talked about it much, he thought that was right.

She smiled, "Gotcha. Well, good luck with whatever it is you're doing tomorrow afternoon!" and promptly walked off. Glancing around, she looked back at him and swished her orange tail from side to side briefly, allowing him long looks at her dark yellow lips, and slightly pink passageway. Soul's stomach rumbled.

She is not going to sleep well tonight, he promised himself, before getting ready for his first real lunch in ages.

That afternoon, Soul had his first assignment that wasn't the Pit. He couldn't wait to do it, whatever it was, because nothing would ever compare to starving himself to death in the blazing sun for three weeks hauling a mountain up a cliff. Turns out Larus must have actually been playing fair, because Soul had what was called Room Duty. The concept was fairly simple, you stood outside of a room. For many hours.

Soul happily trotted his way to his post, guarding the door of a Prench ambassador along with a pony from B-2 by the name of Emerald Chalice. On his way, he noticed a distinct difference from the guards' section of the castle, and this section, and he was starting to work out a reason as to why. This area, where the guests and commoners filtered about, was brightly lit, polished, and immaculately laid out, whereas the guards' quarters were grey, samey, and dull. They were still beautiful in that ancient and majestic way, but these halls felt more... inviting, rather than alive and unhappy about it. The reason for this, or at least Soul suspected, was that there was actually a large portion of the castle that was underground, or built into the mountain. He knew the jail was supposed to be, but he wondered if there was more to the castle than the Princesses were letting on.

Arriving at his post, Soul saw the poor ponies that had the night shift. Their eyes were heavy with bags, and one was leaning dangerously on his spear.

"Good morning, gents!" he called out to them, rousing them both either from half-lucidity or slumber, "I'm here to relieve you, go get some rest."

As they walked by, Soul's eyebrow quirked as he saw that one of the guards had some lipstick on his cheek. It was nothing more than a purple smudge, but the color and fragrance was unmistakable.

How strange, he thought, before positioning himself like a statue beside the door. He was five minutes early, and so he expected his partner to be along later, but he must have waited for at least half an hour before a very worried and flustered looking green earth pony stallion rounded the corner at the opposite end of the hallway, and became visibly less panicked when he saw Soul.

"Oh! Thank Celestia, if old Ham had caught me late again, it'd be the Pits for sure!"

Soul cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged, "Well, I relieved the other two five minutes early, you're welcome I suppose. I'm Soul Keeper, you must be Emerald Chalice."

The stallion nodded, wiping his face with a hoof. Soul thought he was a stallion, but he really was quite young, very boyish in features. Soft cheeks, wide blue eyes, shorter stature. Soul shrugged it off, and stared down the long hallway in front of him, then looked down the halls to his left and right. The room behind him must have been huge, it was the only one here.

Soul stood silent for at least an hour, perfectly content. It was Chalice that was making it weird. He kept shuffling, sniffing, adjusting his gear, glancing at Soul and opening his mouth, before shutting it and looking away.

"Is there something you need?" Soul asked tersely, after he just couldn't stand the fidgeting anymore.

The green pony sighed with relief, "Hey, man, thanks for not ratting on me, I really appreciate it."

Soul nodded, "Just try not to be late next time."

Chalice nodded, "Right, right. It's just... you know how it is sometimes... when you're really tired, and then you think "I'll just close my eyes for a few seconds?""

Soul gave no response.

"Well, uh, hehe, it was, uh, it was like that..." Chalice chuckled nervously and trailed off.

After another hour, shuffling could be heard in the room behind them. An hour after that, the door swung open.

In the doorway was revealed to be a scandalously clad white unicorn mare, with a slightly aged face, but a stunning body. Her lavender nightgown revealed pretty much every curve of it, too, and even hinted at the lower parts with abandon. Her lips and mane were both a dark shade of blue, and her eyes were as black as coal.

"Well, hello there boys," she purred with a thick Prench accent, "And who has the pleasure of keeping me warm and safe this morning?"

Chalice immediately bowed over her hoof with a roguish smile, "Name's Emerald Chalice, m'lady, and this is... er..."

"Soul Keeper, Ambassador," Soul said with a bow, ignoring her rather large assets down below.

This is the perfect opportunity to feed. It is also dishonorable and unnecessary at the moment, Marshmallow can give us what we need later. But look at those curves! And look at how she expects us to fall for them, the last thought made Soul curl his lip in disgust, and he pointedly stepped to the side of the door, where he could continue watching the hallways.

The ambassador didn't seem too bothered, "Well, I hate to leave the two of you brave gentlecolts outside in the cold! Come in to my room, its much warmer, see?"

Chalice took a hesitant step forward, and then looked over to Soul.

Soul shook his head ever so minutely.

Chalice looked back at the ambassador, who was pouting with precision targeted intent, and holding herself as though she were getting cold, and he melted, "I'll happily join you, m'lady. Keeper will stay out here... just in case."

The ambassador looked out at him, "Are you sure, Monsieur Keeper?"

Soul nodded firmly, "I am sure, my lady. Please, finish getting ready for your day."

Soul was alone in the hallway for a good long while. And of course he could hear everything, with his heightened senses. Every thrust, moan, grunt, and squeak of the bed. But not only that, he could See as well, and from that, he could glean. He Saw that she expected him to peak, Saw that she was making more noise than she had to, in an attempt to break him down. Soon, Soul turned away from it, and Saw her no more.

Then, drawing near to the sixth hour of his watch, a flash of light exploded next to Soul's head, which he instinctively butted with his spear.

His vision cleared, to discover a golden ticket pinned to the floor under the haft. He picked it up, and read,

Dear Soul Keeper, you are hereby invited to attend the Grand Galloping Gala....

Soul didn't read the rest yet, he merely pocketed the ticket, intending to finish it when he wasn't on duty. He was then greeted with more grunts and thumps that, mercifully, fell silent after a time.

About an hour later, the ambassador appeared in the doorway again, flashing a wide smile, and quickly shutting the door, "He might be out for a little while. The poor dear fell asleep inside, he must be exhausted from all the hard work you big, strong stallions do. I've put him in my bed to rest and... recover."

Soul nodded, which seemed to frustrate the mare. She sidled up closer, running a hoof down his foreleg, "I was... so disappointed you didn't join us inside. We had a wonderful time. We laughed, and played, and sang such beautiful songs."

He looked her straight in the eye, "I'm afraid I had a previous engagement which I simply could not forget. I trust you don't have the same problem?"

She let out a light, tinkling laugh, and patted Soul on the shoulder, "Such an innocent young boy, you are. Well... if your "previous engagement" finds itself cancelled... I wouldn't mind you guarding my door."

Soul maintained eye contact, and an unwavering stance. The mare chuckled, and moved off down the hallway with a skip. He shook his head, and waited out the remaining hour of his watch partnerless. He didn't even bother waking the stallion up as he left.

"Soul Keeper?" a voice called from the doorway of E-5.

After his watch, Soul had returned to the barracks to change clothes for dinner, before heading to his first night of sweet, sweet sleep. But now, a black mare wearing a long brown travelling cloak that concealed most of her features called to him as he sat on his bed.

"Yes? That's me," he answered.

She waved a hoof over to herself, "Follow me, you've been selected for a special mission following your performance in the training session."

Soul stood immediately, nodding to the mare before following her, teleporting his gear back onto himself. They tread down familiar paths, at first, but Soul was still new to the castle as a whole, and soon they began to stride down darker corridors that he'd yet to see. And as the shadows crept in around the pair, and the silence between them remained heavy, Soul's thoughts turned inward. What was this mission? Why did they have to be combat ready for it? Why the apparent secrecy? It was unlike anything he'd heard of the Guard before. This seemed like more of a job for the Night's Cloak than anything else.

Soon the equine pair turned a final stone corner, and came to a large set of double doors, already opened, and with a few more ponies milling about inside. The room was impressive in scale, octangular in shape, lit by blue braziers that flickered with shadow, and fitted in the middle with a large stone slab that held an extensive map of Canterlot City, with every scrupulous detail recorded in fine hoofwriting on all sides. Motes of white-blue light hung suspended above it, adding to the room's hushed ambiance even more.

As Soul stepped in, he recognized several ponies, most from the training session from which he'd been selected, and was surprised to see Marshmallow Cascade standing in the shadow of a corner, though his eyes perceived her easily regardless.

Turning his head back to the table, it seemed that the final piece of some sort of puzzle had been placed, as the cloaked mare moved towards a stone speaking podium after leading him in, and all the ponies in the room ceased their quiet conversations, and turned their eyes to her.

With a glow of faint grey magic, the double doors of the room swung shut soundlessly, and locked with an audible click. The mare drew back her cowl to reveal a scarred but pretty face, a dusky blue like Soul's own, and dark yellow eyes. Her scars all ran crossways, as if she'd taken many swipes in rapid succession from something, and one had even grazed her horn, which stood proud from her short mane of black.

"Greetings, all. You may call me Hallow, I already know all of your names," the mare's accent was clipped and straight-forward, and she spoke with a slight rasp, as though her vocal chords had also healed over after damage, "Let me bring you up to speed on why you have been called here today, and what you may be doing for the next several days."

The mare called Hallow stepped down from her perch, and gestured to the map, causing many small orbs of golden energy to float gently a few inches from its surface, "In a few weeks, Canterlot Castle will host the Grand Galloping Gala. As you know, it is one of the most highly secured events that takes place in this city, and checks and pre-checks that extend back for months are involved in its planning. Tickets to the Gala are extended in waves based on both importance and distance, first those the Princess," she hesitated for a brief moment, the first sign of uncertainty from her, "the Princesses wish to invite personally. Then the noble houses, merchants, craftsponies, commoners, all sorts that are deemed worthy to enter as guests," Hallow stepped around the map, pacing, "These invitations are teleported to their recipient, and, once opened and accepted, stay with the receiver until they present the ticket at the gate."

She took a long breath in, "Now, what most ponies do not know, and what, by your contracts that you singed when entering the Guard, you will tell nopony, is that these tickets, when accepted, act as a beacon, so that their location may be tracked. This beacon does not de-activate unless the pony declines the invitation, or becomes otherwise unable to attend."

Her eyes turned to the group of assembled guards, "In some cases "unable to attend" translates to "dead"."

Hallow tapped the map again, and the golden orbs began to move swiftly, racing over the table's surface. Many became fascinated by the floating lights, whispering or pointing out specific ones. But Soul began to notice a pattern. Often, the lights would travel specific paths, or similar ones at least. Then, out of the blue, the light would become erratic, flicker, and die out. This happened with four or five, not enough to be easily visible in the veritable sea of glowing magic, but enough to be concerning.

Hallow tapped the map again, and it reset, this time showing six golden orbs only. All of them, save one, Soul had noticed earlier for their erratic behavior.

"These six invitations, watch them carefully," Hallow said, watching the group. She canned all of their faces, looking for recognition or a sign that they understood, until she met Soul's eyes, and saw his mouth in a grim line.

"Private Keeper, what do you think has happened?" Hallow asked clearly, and Soul felt a shiver of unease as all eyes in the darkened room looked at him.

He walked over to the map, and pointed at each of the orbs in turn, "All of these orbs follow a daily schedule. They have places to go, ponies to see, homes to return to," he paused as one strayed, "but all of them abandon this path, moments before..." the orb flickered out. As did all six, the last on to fade was inside the castle itself, "... moments before the light dies. I would assume, from the nature of this room, and from the gravity with which you have approached this situation, Agent Hallow," she blinked at the title, but said nothing, "That the investigation of these lights' end points would yield grisly results."

Soul stepped back as Hallow tapped the map again and revealed four images of "Ponies Missing" posters, each with a face, name, and personal details. Hallow turned to the group, "So far only four were gone long enough to warrant an investigation. All were dead. All of their tickets were missing, as of right now the..."

As Hallow continued to talk, the orbs replayed their trails over and over, each fading away a dozen times. Soul looked at them, trying to match who was who, when something began to tickle at his memory. The one in the castle. It was the latest orb to die out, every day it moved about the castle, but on the final one it stayed put longer than it had. It then moved at a faster than average pace, like the pony was hurrying, before it turned a left hand corner...

"Agent Hallow?" Soul called, and heads turned as he interrupted her.

"Yes, Private?" She sounded annoyed until she saw what he was studying, "What is it?"

Soul pointed at the orb in the castle, "That's the diplomatic area of the castle is it not?"

She looked closer, and nodded, just as the dot stopped outside one of the rooms. In a long T junction, with only one door, "Yes, it is, why?"

"Because," Soul said slowly, watching the orb move sluggishly into the room, moving about it, before finally having its light cut, "I was just there an hour ago."

Author's Note

Plots and plans hatch beneath Canterlot. Murders, grand parties, and secretive assignments. What is Soul's role to play? What is to blame? Find out, next time.

The Midnight Hunt

... really the soul is the heart of the equation. It is from there which all magic flows, from the basic six elements, to as complex and involved as Machina. The soul is both the starting and end point, the alpha and omega. This is why anything can perform magic in the first place, any race, any species, any creed, save golems. Now the soul is also the end point, because from there everything may be extrapolated, which is a very difficult concept we'll cover later...

- Excerpt from Thunderboom's: Mysticism and You, An Imbecile's Guide

The investigation team, of which Soul was a part, shuffled around the luxurious room. The scene... was about as grim as they'd imagined. On the large, sprawling, four-poster bed, lined with silken purple sheets and framed in exquisitely varnished hickory wood, lay a pony. Emerald green in color, the stallion had been stabbed multiple times. Several of the wounds had punctured his windpipe, others the artery in his neck, and finally his heart and torso. It must have been quite the spectacle, and Soul had stood but ten feet from it no more than two hours ago.

Hallow sighed, the blue mare rubbing the base of her horn with a fury, "And you heard no evidence of an altercation, whatsoever?"

Soul was not intimidated by her stance, or her words. The ice had returned to grip his heart in its sheathe, as soon as he'd seen the amount of blood that lay soaking into those rich sheets, and staining the white walls red, "May I speak to you outside, Agent Hallow?"

She looked at him, baffled, before strutting outside, yelling back, "Everypony stay here and continue to search for clues. Touch nothing, understood?"

All made affirmations, and soon she and Soul stood outside alone, "Now, Private, what in Tartarus was so bloody important that it had to call me away from a fresh crime scene to tell me?" she was acting... half-hysterical Soul would say. With his emotions deadened, he could See easily the fire with which hers burnt inside her. Panic, Anger, Sadness, Worry, it all indicated that there was more to this case than she was letting on. And something about them... something he could have sworn he'd seen somewhere before...

"Agent Hallow, how many missions have you successfully completed?" He asked coolly, not batting an eye at her snarl.

"What the buck- that's none of your damned business Private, now do you want to keep your job or not?"

"Who said anything about keeping their job?" He asked in a knowing way. Then he Saw the real Fear come alive inside her, Suspicion too. An intertwined stream of violet and misty blue that rocketed up and down her spine. He now knew what was at stake for her. Good. It could be controlled.

"Two hours ago," he started almost immediately, giving her no chance to respond, "the alleged Prench Ambassador that was staying in this room attempted to seduce both me and the guard you see dead in there, Emerald Chalice was his name," he saw her eyes widen, but he continued, "she was successful in dragging him into the bedroom, but I held my post. From there, they proceeded to fuck liberally," she, again, blinked at his blunt language, "my inclination was, at the time, that she was moaning and screaming with added volume, as to entice me into the room as well, but my duty bound me where I stood," That and my disdain, "Then, after several hours of continued and unceasing rutting, a golden ticket appeared next to me, inviting me to the Gala. I did not finish reading it, and therefore had not time to either accept nor deny it. From there things did shift. There were several thuds, but no noise other than that, not a peep nor whisper of a word, whereas before they'd been quite poetic with their descriptions of how they each wanted to fuck each other senseless. Then, about thirty minutes later, the Prench mare emerged and told me that the guard was resting from the activities, and not to expect him to wake up soon. I left my post at the appointed time, and did not enter the room until I was with you mere moments ago."

Finishing his explanation, Soul settled back and waited for the Agent's response. Her eyes watched him, heavy with calculation, from her scarred face. She scratched at her horn as she thought and then said, "What do you think of this situation?"

He blinked, "Well, it's obvious, isn't it? A group of assassins is stealing tickets from ponies they know will have them in order to infiltrate the Grand Galloping Gala and murder one or several of the attendees."

She looked at him for a long while again. Not speaking. He did not shift, or become uncomfortable as her eyes slowly narrowed at him, "I think it may be a little early to assume such advanced motives, they could just be murdering noble scions and the tickets are a coincidence."

"Scions?" Soul asked, quirking an eyebrow. An expression which Hallow was happy to return, "Have you never heard of Golden Chalice?"

Soul wracked his brain but came up with nothing, and shook his head.

"What of Velvet Brightstar? Winter Vale? Black Licorice?" Soul shook his head at all of the names, ears lowering a little with each failed question.

Hallow looked at him with disbelief, "All of them are among Canterlot's elite houses. All of the victims so far have been members of their family, often young and unmarried. Murder and foul play are definitely afoot, the killings are too similar for them not to be, but as of now it could simply be back-alley warfare within the upper echelon."

Soul was aghast, "Is this... common?"

Hallow hesitated at that, "No... and, in fact, the last hundred years have been almost free of blood feuds between the major houses, and none of these were major anyway."

"And," Soul continued, "If that is the case then... why take the tickets from every victim?"

"We don't know that every victim had their ticket taken, per se," Hallow said, chewing the inside of her cheek in thought, "they could have been dropped, ripped, or lost in some way."

"All of the tickets? Such a coincidence seems highly unlikely," Soul looked back towards the room, wanting to get in there and begin scanning the place for clues before any trail that was left might be cold. But from the looks of things, this was a professional job, he'd be surprised if they'd made any slip-ups this early in the game.

Hallow sighed and rubbed a blue hoof down her face, "Look, right now, I have as many answers as you do. So get back in there with your team and find something so that we both have more to go off of."

Soul saluted the Agent and walked back into the room, hearing her mutter something about smart alecks under her breath. He didn't pay it much attention, his light pink eyes were already piercing the vale between the past and present.

He walked over to the bed, watching the floor. In his mind's eye he could almost see the dance of the two partners, they'd intertwined shortly after the door was shut, that much could be seen from the scuffed floor where the dust that had gathered that day was disturbed.

The bed was well used, and in more places than just where the blood spattered it. They'd ranged to all corners. For hours even. What was this stallion made of? He glanced at the quickly cooling corpse, leaning in close. Whispers of his cohorts floated past his keen ears, they saw that he was looking for something. Something that he found.

Inside the lip of Emerald Chalice was a bright neon green line that trailed down his throat. Poison, of some description. The swath was tainted by a sickly pink and purple, bordering on red. Some form of lust poison, and unnatural at that. Now what could have...

Soul leaned even closer and took a sniff of the stallion's mouth, and nearly gagged so strong was the smell to his straining nostrils. There was no doubt as to the overpowering scent of pomegranates, the same scent on the neck of the old guard he'd changed places with that morning, no doubt after a long night of mind-numbing fun. The same scent as the white mare's lipstick. But... this poison had to be expensive... why waste it on a normal guard?

"They weren't very precise about it..." Soul mumbled to himself, turning around. He blinked as he saw seven sets of eyes looking right back at him. This wasn't the entire team, ten more had been set loose in the city to find the white unicorn before she could get too far. Soul didn't expect the search to turn up much, he suspected Hallow didn't either.

"Anything there, er, whatever your name was?" Asked one of the senior Privates. A brown old stallion who held his spear loosely, and fixed his armor looser. Malt was his name, Soul didn't think he'd given a last one.

"Soul Keeper, and perhaps..." Soul looked around the room, but he'd lost his place. He was distracted again by these pesky ponies, he needed focus. Soul closed his eyes, isolated his mind from the world around him, and reconstructed the room the ground-up. The stone walls of the castle, the suite with no windows. Dresser on the left, desk with wall mirror on the right, bed behind, bathroom and closet doors leading off to the right. He let his Sight fill in the details that he needed. If he looked back far enough, he could still see her. The poison was the key, it was so potent that it hung suspended in the air like purple phosphorous. He watched her lips as they pursed, breathed, and talked, filling out the rest of her body from the scuffs on the floor and furniture. She'd had many partners, not just the guard yesterday and Chalice. For days she'd stayed here, posing. Why? What was the point? He watched as she left, returned, laden with jewelry, to await her next set of guards and beseech them. Out of all of them, Soul was the only one to refuse. But if they were after Chalice then why all of this? A cover up? No, they drew more attention to themselves with this behavior than seducing only one pair.

Soul caught something. He noticed something was off between these traces of the past and what happened this time. His eyes snapped open, and he looked at the dresser. On it lay a purple and pink purse, bejeweled and gaudy. The white alicorn never, in all her days of hedonism, left this room without it. Not once.

"She panicked," Soul realized quietly.

"What was that, Bowl?" Malt asked, cupping an ear. His tone was mocking, but with a quick glance Soul determined that as everyone had gone about their business of still searching the room, Hallow had her eyes fixed on him. She knew, out of all of them, he would be the one to discover a lead. Or, at least, she had a pretty good hunch.

Soul near galloped over to the purse, and used his magic to avoid directly touching the evidence. He spilled the contents onto the table while he explained, "I cheated a little and used magic to see a little ways into the past, nothing major. I saw her mostly gallivanting with many partners, but I also saw that she never left this room without this purse," inside it were three things. A bottle of what appeared to be lipstick, an incredibly bloody dagger, and a single note with one word on it "Guard".

"This means a few things, most of them good," Soul said as he turned back to the group, "Firstly, this group is not professional, they're amateurs. Professionals would know the name and face of the target, they wouldn't have to keep a reminder of them at all times of what they were hunting. They also didn't know exactly who it was they were hunting for, they just knew somepony guarding this room would get a ticket eventually, so they had to stake out everypony."

"And what about all of them being nobles?" Hallow asked from the back of the room.

Soul spoke hastily, "I believe that is the coincidence, not the other way around. They were after the tickets, but didn't know that they're released in waves, so they went after the first ones they could find, which just so happened to be the noble houses. They didn't want to hit anyone big, either, so they chose their targets using those criteria. Only this time somethin went wrong. Something..." Soul paused, and looked over at the poison again, "... oh. It was me."

Everypony was silent as they awaited his explanation, "Throughout the days that mare was stationed here, every guard slept with her. Every one of them was affected by this poison," he held up the bottle, "Every one of them forgot who she was after a long night or day of making love. Every one... except for me. I turned her down, I could remember her face. She didn't know what to do when I resisted, so she panicked as soon as she got the ticket, and left as quickly as she could. No doubt she only remained here long enough to bathe and wash off all the blood before bolting."

"Well... then we need to get after her, quickly!" Malt exclaimed.

Hallow started to say something, but Soul was too deep in thought to see her, "No, no, no, it's too late for that. She could have changed identities three times by now, and that's discounting the fact she's a unicorn. A wanted poster and a posse will do no good, we need other means..." Soul looked back at the purse and cursed quietly. It was usually that if one loved a possession enough it formed an attachment to them as well, that would have been useful. But the bag was coated not in Love, but in Fear. She must have detested carrying it around with her, it made her immediately suspicious if anypony were to go through it, but she had to keep it with her at all times anyways. Oh, how she'd loathed it.

"Think, Soul, think..." he said out loud as he began to pace, brow furrowed. The other ponies backed up to give him space as he walked from dresser, to bed, and back. There was a solution here, he could feel it in his core, something telling him... a taste of iron in his mouth...

She'd walked with a limp.

Soul sprang back towards the bed and ripped off the sheet, the body being flung off of it onto the floor.

"Oy, careful with that!" Malt warned, but Soul was scanning the bloodstained cloth frantically.

"What is it, Soul?" Hallow asked, her eyes glowing with pride and anticipation. He gave her a roguish smirk, and his horn ignited in a field of stars, along with the middle of the sheet.

A globule of reddish-brown liquid was ripped from it, along with a triumphant smile from Soul. He pointed down to Chalice, "The boy did well in his final moments, he put up a noble struggle against a better trained enemy who had surprise and poison on her side." Magic peeled away the young victim's lips to reveal blood coating the back row of molars, "He bit her with a final death vise, and he held on even after the rest of his body had long since given up. This blood is hers."

Soul looked deep into the blood, seeing past its purity, and the constituent elements that made it, into the very heart. It took some doing, a few minutes passed where he appeared to be standing there, saying and doing nothing but frowning. Until he saw it, a very sliver of her soul, tucked away in the abstract space where nothing but itself existed. Attached to the body it had once belonged to, but apart also. His hunger called to him as he observed it, and his mouth began to water lightly, but he wiped the thought from his mind.

He tossed away the Blood, it was useless now, despite Malt's protests, and he was very... incredibly gentle. He held tenuously in his magical grasp, raw, unfiltered soul energy. It appeared almost as bright as a distant star when viewed from the peripheral, but it was impossible to look at directly without blinding oneself. It constantly flickered and wavered, threatening to die or disperse, but an ancient magic filled Soul's horn, one who's source felt familiar, yet he knew it not, and the magic held steady.

What he did was simple, at that point. He gave it the means to travel through the air, and attached to it a sense of longing, of loneliness. Actually... perhaps it was slightly complicated, as it took Soul the better part of fifteen minutes, during which time the ponies around him seemed to lose faith or interest, and go back to scanning the surroundings, checking the toilet and closet. All except one. Hallow had made her bet, and she was doubling down.

A shaft of pure white light, crackling with rainbow streaks, shot like a spear from Soul's grasp, and remained hovering in the air. It vibrated intensely, straining to rip free and plow through all obstacles to find its way back to the one to whom it belonged.

Every pony in the room jumped backwards as a piecing flash of light erupted from Soul, and they all turned to stare in wonder at the shaft of pure energy.

"What is that?" A young private asked in awe.

"I believe," Hallow answered, "That Private Soul has found a way to track the assailant."

They looked at Soul, waiting for him to confirm. The first of them became concerned after he did not speak for several seconds.

"Uh, Soul?" Malt asked, poking him. Only then did the older man see how furrowed Sou'ls brow was, the beads of sweat beginning to drip down from his face and body, white teeth clenched so hard his whole jaw was shaking.

Soul had not done a thing like this... ever, as far as he could remember. The light was fading fast, never meant to exist on its own, and Soul was burning through his reserves of energy to keep it alive. He could See all of what the others could only catch a glimpse of. The light was blindingly white before his eyes, so bright even they couldn't miss it. But He was the only one that could see its tail as it stretched backwards. like a chain snapping apart in reverse it shot its way towards its owner, sloughing potency like a sieve as the ribbon of light snaked its way through the streets of Canterlot, Soul at its forefront. He rode the light like a fluorescent wave, his sight zipping this way and that through the streets. He was out of the noble district now, into the craftsponies' streets, and the light was so dim it could barely be made out.

Come... on... a little.. farther... he could feel it, he was close. Just around this corner... and he saw it. The alleyway was dark at the end, made of broken cobbled bricks, with two L-shaped copper pipes running from the left hand wall while a single rotting brown crate sat depressed in a pool of water on the right. The darkness approached his light with the same tenacity he had pursued it, before the shaft found its mark, and Soul was thrown backwards into the bloodied bed frame.

He gasped his pain, and doubled over as his stomach cramped. He'd burned through most of his magic with that stunt. He could have just given them a lead to go off of. No matter now. He realized somepony was calling his name.

"..oul... Soul! Wake up!" He blinked open a crusty eye to find a familiar and welcome face. The dark brown eyes set in the soft yellow face of Marshmallow. She looked very concerned, and was currently performing chest compressions to the best of her ability, though they were starting to hurt as she dug into his rib cage.

"Marshmallow..." Soul just barely remembered his propriety as he coughed, "I'm fine... please stop..."

With a tear in her eye she stopped compressing, and went in for a giant hug, her earth pony strength dragging him from the floor in a crushing grip, "Oh thank Celestia, I though you were dead!"

"Told ya', you daft horse," Soul heard Malt mutter, but he was busy enjoying the nuzzle from his current favorite pony. She was just so soft, it was irresistible!

"Mally," he whispered so only she would hear, "This the best place for this long of a hug?"

She gasped, and plopped him onto his hooves, smiling sheepishly and clearing her throat. The blue coated Hallow waste no time, "You were out for a good fifteen minutes, Private Keeper, whatever you did better have been worth all that time we wasted."

Well then you shouldn't have waited for me, he mentally snarked, "Of course, Agent Hallow. And I did find something. Tell the others, quarantine the lower city, specifically between Kinder and Trundle Street, but a wider area just in case. What I just performed was... apparently a very dangerous magic called a blood trace, I... I don't think I've ever done it before. It uses the remains of the targets soul to find them. I can lead you to the exact place I saw, if you wish."

"Oh, no you're not," Hallow stooped Soul with a hoof as he was about to walk out of the room, and he was ashamed to admit he almost stumbled as he stopped, "You need to rest. I've worked while running low before, believe me, and it's not something a Private needs to experience."

"With all due respect, Agent, I worked the Pit harder than anypony ever has in a day for two straight weeks," Soul snapped with anger, and then felt suddenly very faint, stumbling again only to be caught by Marshmallow, "I can... I'll be alright, we need to find these ponies before they cause any more damage."

Soul expected Hallow to be angry, to tell him to get back in line, but when he looked up he saw the ghost of a smile on her face. She stepped over, and put a hoof on his shoulder, "That's what I like to hear, Private. The Pit, huh? You'll have to tell me about that on the way. Let's move, team!"

As everypony trotted out of the room at double time, and Hallow shot off messages to the other members casing the city, Marshmallow, and a few others, stared at her in shock. Soul was one of them. He could go on, and he would, but part of him knew it was a bad idea. He had expected to show a brave face and then be made to rest. Perhaps Hallow was calling his bluff.

"Come on, Mally, let's go," he said roughly, getting onto his own hooves and starting to jog.

She easily caught up to him as they fell in at the back of the troupe, "Soul, you're hurt. You need to go to the infirmary."

He could hear the worry in her voice, so he gave a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about me, Mally, I'll stay at the back. I've done what they needed me for, I'll take it easy. Promise."

She frowned, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek when she was sure nopony could see, but said no more.

The jog through the city took an hour, Soul was absolutely exhausted at the end of it. Panting, sweating profusely, parched, and starving, they arrived at the lower ring of the city.

How do I keep ending up like this? He asked himself, before Marshmallow tapped his shoulder with a water bottle. He nodded in thanks, too tired to speak, and downed the whole thing, handing it back with an apologetic smile. That took care of one of his problems at least.

Finally, mercifully, they stopped as they reached the leader of the second team: Lay. Soul was glad to see a friendly face, but more so that it meant a rest. Looking around, it appeared the others were no better. All of them were a sweaty, heavy breathing mess. All except Hallow. Soul wouldn't have been either if he hadn't burned through his magic like a fool. It was already biting him in the ass and they hadn't even engaged the enemy yet.

"Private Decker, report," Hallow called as soon as they stopped, her team falling to the wayside as they all tried to catch their breath. Soul had to admire them though. None had lagged behind. All of them, it seemed, were here because they deserved it. Good.

Lay snapped off a salute, "Yes ma'am. We've cordoned off the area, working in conjunction with the local squads. Not a soul has entered or left since you gave the order. Not there was much traffic demand, anyhow, at this hour.

Soul glanced up, and was surprised to see the bright crescent moon, heavy and large in the night sky. He hadn't realized it had grown so late. It must have been around ten, at least. Or rather, twenty-two hundred. He had to practice that.

Hallow nodded, "Good. We should have them cornered. If our intel was good. Private Keeper!" she barked back without looking at him, "Are you certain your spell was foolproof?"

Tired and hungry, Soul's tongue loosened a little more than he would usually let it, "Look, Hallow, It's as close as I'm ever going to get to perfect. Nearly died for it, so if it's wrong then I feel I've paid the price."

Marshmallow seemed very alarmed at this news, but Hallow smirked again, "Then I guess you'd better lead us to where you last saw them. All units! Converge on my position!" a group of blue sparks shot into the air at her command, and zipped off to collect the other members of the team. She looked expectant, still. She wanted to engage, and have the others as reinforcements.

Wearily, Soul stood from his position and walked forward, recalling which paths had led him to the dark alley with the box and pipes. At least his memory seemed to be unaffected by his magical deficiency. He was able to perfectly recall the way forward, twisting this way and that, sometimes going over obstacles rather than taking any known street. Dutifully, his team followed behind, never questioning where he went. He supposed that as long as he didn't double back on himself, they assumed he had a destination in mind.

Finally, with the moon hanging high in front of them, they came to it. A narrow but well-maintained cobblestone street, the home of many small storefronts, ran down into a dead end that opened onto a small patch of grass. There was only two ways, the way they came, and an even further side street that led off to the right.

"That's it," Soul said, the water really had helped soothe his throat, he was thankful it didn't come out as an unflattering croak.

Hallow gestured, and the team formed a reverse phalanx, with the strongest fighters at the front two prongs, ready to funnel the enemy inwards towards more bristling spears or kill them outright. They drew spears and shields, and advanced slowly down the street. Soul should have been at the very front of the formation, but he stayed behind even the middle man, his promise to Marshmallow kept. She looked back at him as they approached, and he winked. She smiled.

The guards turned the corner, and it was exactly as Soul had envisioned it. A long, deep shadow was cast from two directions. One from the moon's pale light on the left, throwing the floor into darkness. And another, unnatural shadow. It spread from the end of the alley backwards, looking more like a black mist than a true shadow, almost spherical in shape.

"Hold," Soul called quietly.

Everypony stopped at his word, and looked at him curiously. Even in his hungering state, he could See where they could not, "Somepony's coming from the alley, be ready," he said in a low tone. The ponies around him braced, and waited. What came for them was... not what they expected.

From the shadows stepped a pony wearing a long black cloak that covered every bodily feature, and a mask. Or rather, a masque. The black, frilled headgear was ornate and luxurious, something a noble would wear to a masquerade if they truly wished not to be known. It was a very odd choice of headgear, for one who was suspected of murder.

"Whoever you are, come out with your hooves where we can see them!" Hallow called to the figure, "You are under arrest on suspicion of the murder of Emerald Chalice, Falling Brightstar, Candied Licorice, Autumn Vale, Woven Glamour, and Ice Prancer. You will hand over all weaponry you posses, and follow us."

The guards were tense as the figure did not move from his spot at the end of the alley. Soul was wary of the walls around them, they were boxed in with only one clear exit, and he smirked as his sight saved him again.

"Be alert, they've two above us on the left and right walls, four in total, invisible somehow," he whispered so only his team could hear.

"Can you take them out?" Hallow whispered back.

Soul grimaced. He was quite low on magic, it had to last him this whole fight...

"I can... try," he said, and the Agent nodded.

"Greetings, friends!" The figure at the end of the alley called, startling them all. It's voice was very strange, shifting from masculine to feminine, high and low, accent changing with every word, "So wonderful of the esteemed city guard to join us this cursed night! Have no fear, little ones, we mean you no harm..."

Soul stopped listening to the maniac's spiel and instead focused on the invisible ponies stalking above. This group clearly had access to some advanced magic, the cloaks were very complex and well-made. That would mean expensive, which meant they had a bank roller. However it seemed they hadn't sprung for any shielding options, so any of Soul's spells could harm them, they were counting on the element of surprise.

What is the least expensive way I could do this? Soul wondered, and decided on a simple, yet crude method, One that may earn him some ire, if it was not easily fixed. Along each of the unseen assailant's spines, he located the last vertebrae before one that connected the brain stem, and quickly snapped the nerve endings, paralyzing them all from the head, down. It was damned difficult, when they kept moving and he couldn't see their exact locations, but it did the trick after about fifteen seconds of mental math and guesswork. Even then, he was actually shocked when it worked. All four of them quietly slumped to the rooftop, unable to move or speak, but perfectly functional otherwise. He'd fully expected them to be protected from simple physical spells such as that, it was only on the third layer!

"Targets are down, paralyzed but alive," he whispered to Hallow.The others heard, and glanced at him. None of them had seen so much as a flash of the horn, and he'd disabled four opponents?

Hallow's face didn't move, but Soul could still tell she was smirking. The crazy pony at the end of the hall was finishing his speech, "... and so it is with greatest sorrow, that I must bid you depart! Farewell friends, you will see our cause just in due time!" It then executed a low bow.

It maintained it for several seconds, before the mask glanced up, "Ahem. I said I bid thee farewell!" The enunciation was painfully obvious, and Hallow gave a huff.

"If you do not come with us peacefully, we have been granted full authority to drag you back to Canterlot. Step away from the shadow behind you and drop all your weapons. Now,"

To Soul's eyes, the masqued pony seemed to grimace, "Put them to sleep, you fools!" He called. Only silence answered. Soul saw him begin to panic.

"Advance!" Hallow called, and the ranks moved froward. Soul could hear hoofbeats behind them moving steadily as well, reinforcements must have arrived.

The cloaked figure cursed, and dove into the oily smoke.

"After it!" Hallow yelled, "Don't let them escape! You there, secure the ones on the roof, there should be four, invisible..." as Hallow gave out orders the front formation charged the mist, Soul right behind.

There was a cold stinging sensation as they stepped through, like after you've sweat on a cold, humid day, and Soul was immediately aware that they'd been teleported.

They emerged, and it was hell.

The first thing Soul saw was Malt take a dagger to the leg as soon as his eyes cleared, screaming and stumbling to the side, the second was the layout. A long, dark brown corridor extended for an unknowable length in front of them, there were no torches in the hall, and most, if not all, of the guards would be blind. Three assailants awaited them, crouched behind barrels and boxes, throwing daggers with either magic or by hoof. It appeared they could see just fine.

Soul thought quickly, and decided on a bomb of light in front of the attackers to blind him and aid his friends. But in the split second before the decision, he felt the familiar cold creep up his spine, and a thought entered his mind.

I'm very much in need of food, and these assailants have plenty, and right now they're the only ones that can see me. No, I can't do that, they need to be questioned. One would be sufficient for questioning, the rest are expendable."

Soul grunted with pain as he felt his mind almost physically splitting over the issue, and he lunged, reasoning abandoned in a moment of hunger and confusion.

He never saw the pony's face that he picked, only the mask as it backed frantically away, clearly surprised at the unearthly rapid advance. Soul felt his jaw open, and his teeth tear through clothing and skin. The pony screamed as Soul was in ecstasy, gulping down as much magic as he could in seconds, his mind immediately clearing, and his thoughts quieting.

He snapped out of it, and stepped away from the empty space where there should have been a corpse, he whipped around to fight the other ponies in masks, but he wasn't expecting their faces. Both of the remaining assailants were looking directly at him, with two emotions shining so brightly within them it drowned even the magic of their attire. Shock, and terror.

I... I'm so sorry, Soul thought, mortified, even for his enemy. What had he done?

The guards finally threw up a torch, landing between them and the enemy. Soul could see their faces, surprise at how he'd gotten there so quickly registered heavily among them.

Ice gripped his heart, and Soul set his jaw, pushing past and lunging for the next foe. With his hunger sated, he moved with uncanny speed, snapping a quick jab that threw the pony's head back hard enough for whiplash, and broke the jaw with a crunch as the metal horseshoe connected. A quick spin and buck with the back legs into the ribcage was enough to destroy the internal organs with a sickening cracking squelch.

He turned to find the last attacker had charged toward the guards, throwing knives all the way. It lept over the poorly suited spears for such an environment, and got in behind them. One of the guards went down with a gasp before Soul could do anything, but he could See the stallion's soul retract into itself, an instant kill.

Cursing, Soul started to help, but something made him throw himself to the side just before three knives impacted the brown stonework of the hall where Soul's spine, heart, and head would have been. He twisted around to see two more masked figures dashing down the hall, and one more holding back behind them. These, unfortunately, did have magical shielding. It could be broken through, but not without enough time. Soul took a more direct approach and collapsed sections of the tunnel on top of them. It wouldn't kill them, unless the shields ran out of power, but it would slow them down.

He glanced at how the guards were faring, and it was grim. Currently Hallow, Mally, and the first of the reinforcements, which was Lay, thank Celestia, were going hoof to hoof with the highly skilled opponent. It was mostly Hallow, she was fighting like a demon, using very similar tactics and stances as the one fighting her. Lay and Marshmallow more or less just took a poke whenever they could get a shot off. Everypony else was dead or unconscious, either from pain or concussion.

Feeling that the situation was fine as a stalemate for the moment, he rushed the two he had trapped under the rubble, who were just now clearing out of it.

Soul brought up his spear and charged it mightily with magic. It crackled and snapped with a black glow, the stones near its tip cracking and aging rapidly, the armor Soul wore beginning to heavily rust. He slammed it into the shield of one of the attackers, and it melted almost instantly. Pulling back, Soul drove it again into the pony's face, sinking it through the eyes of the mask, and wrenching it free covered thick with blood.

We need one of them alive, he remembered... or... was told. It didn't matter right now, he had to finish the other one-

Soul hissed as a feeling of hot agony tore into his side, and what felt like three inches of cold steel buried itself inside him. It was quickly ripped out, and another pierce stabbed him in his back, he twisted enough so that it missed his spine, but it still felt like Tartarus itself had reached out for him.

The problem was that this hall was so cramped that he couldn't easily turn around, a vulnerability he had missed when he had charged down here, he should not have let the enemy get behind him. The pain was so immense that it was impossible to concentrate long enough to perform a quick backwards teleport. So, with a massive scream of torment, Soul bent backwards and grabbed hold of his opponent, slamming him forward into the stonework floor so hard the tunnel rumbled, and many bricks shattered. Unfortunately, the pony ceased moving afterwards.

Soul turned around as quickly as he could, but he was lightheaded from the pain, and dizziness soon followed, "Stop," he called weakly, "We need that one alive..."

His body was repairing itself, but not fast enough. When he looked back, he heard Hallow scream, but his vision was blurring, he couldn't see what was going on. Nothing good.

"Soul? Are you alright?!" Marshmallow? She was right next to him, when had she gotten here?

"Got stabbed... three, four times..." he slurred, feeling weaker by the second. Then he remembered something important, "Mally, turn around... don't let them get behind you..."

She stopped him from moving with a hoof, "Soul, you need to rest. Hallow's got that one covered!"

Soul's vision finally cleared enough to let him see down the hall. He saw the enemy, barely standing, winding up a throw. She was looking straight at him and Marshmallow.

"Look out," he said, almost banally. He felt... distant, detached. He saw the dagger fly, and his eyes widened. It was going to hit Marshmallow. Wait, no... it was coming at him.

That makes sense, he thought with a half-formed chuckle, I'm probably a little more dangerous.

Soul didn't have enough time to move out of the way, it was already almost to him. Funny, he didn't think-

Ice that burned like fire roared down his neck, and his entire body snapped to the right, tearing several muscles and tendons in a giant contraction of pure survival instinct.

What? Soul thought.

The knife flew, Marshmallow seemed confused as Soul moved faster than any pony should ever be able to, and the knife barreled down the hallway, clattering to the ground, resentful at its missed opportunity.

"Mallow?" Soul mumbled. The world around him was quickly fading. Everything was on fire. His body couldn't... cope...

Beep. Beep. Beep...

Oh, not again...

Soul lay there. For what must have been seconds. Then he remembered. He gasped away, shooting straight up in his hospital bed, crying out in pain as his back ached where he'd been stabbed, and his neck was incredibly sore. He was back in the infirmary, white bricks and white sheet were everywhere, smelling of disinfectant and fresh linen. None of that mattered.

Soul tried to slide out of bed, but knew instantly his hooves would not yet support his weight. His whole body felt like it had been tenderized.

He searched frantically for a nurse, luckily it seemed that one had heard his cry of distress, and was coming over. A light green stallion wearing a blue smock, brown eyes full of concern. The stallion quickly glanced at a nearby notepad before speaking, "Please, Mr. Keeper, you need to be lying down, the tearing in your neck hasn't fully-"

"Team?" Soul shouted, his vocal chords screaming like he was cutting them with a jagged knife. What had he done to himself?

The nurse cocked his head, "You... what?"

"Team," Soul growled, giving a glare so vile it could have curdled fresh milk, "where... are... they?"

The nurse gulped, "I uh... I'm afraid I don't know. We weren't told much about what happened. Something about a sewer? When you and your team arrived here a few days ago we took the utmost..."

Soul suddenly felt very tired. His neck and back throbbed like hearts of their own, vengeful and full of spite. His eyes closed against his will, and he was out before he hit the bed.

The pages of a book quietly flipped. Moonlight shone down into the infirmary, where a single candle was lit by a bedside. Soul read through a book, or it appeared to. His eyes... they were far away from the words on the page. His hoofs... they moved rhythmically across the pages, never varying in his pace. Really he saw nothing, his hooves felt nothing. Much like him.

Hoofsteps sounded at the doorway, quiet ones. Quiet, as to not wake the other wounded in the hospital, but Soul could still hear them well.

A blue mare, a long scar running from her horn to her chin, wearing a long brown cloak approached tenderly. She waited by Soul's bedside for a little while. And then she saw his eyes, and counted the movements of his hooves. She knows he wasn't busy.

"Soul?" She said, startling him from his daze.

"Yes?" He answered, with a small smile.

Hallow sighed with relief, brushing part of her wispy yellow mane from her face, "I was just coming to tell you congratulations."

He cocked an eyebrow and turned to her. She was standing in the same spot that Marshmallow had stood not four days ago. Had he really only known her for two weeks? It felt longer than that.

"Soul?"

"Congratulations on what?" he asked, ignoring his lapse.

"On the job you did. The four you paralyzed were all taken into custody and healed. You've done a great service to your nation," she gave him a genuine smile, and looked like she wanted to thump him on the back, but thought better of it after seeing his lacerations.

Oh, he thought, feeling foolish, I... actually forgot they existed. Good thing, though, I didn't exactly try to leave any survivors.

"Have they given us anything so far?" Soul looked up at the clear night sky, at the stars shining through the window. He felt that he knew their names, but was unsure how. Had he liked astronomy? That must have been it.

Hallow shook her head, "No... not yet. And unfortunately certain individuals have forbidden more coercive means of information gathering. So, until they volunteer, they just sit in a cell and rot," she shook her head, seeming disappointed.

"What other leads do we have?" He asked quietly.

She looked at him, "Leads? You think there's more of them?"

He nodded slowly, "I'm pretty sure there was one more. Behind the two I fought in the hall. They must have gotten away."

Hallow stepped closer to the bed, slightly breaching personal decorum, "About that, Private. I am a trained- well, a professional at what I do. I, along with the help of several others, was able to take down one of the assassins with difficulty."

He looked dispassionately at her hoof as it poked his aching chest, "You, on the other hand, are a Private in the Royal Guard. And managed to, singlehoofedly, disable four at once, and kill four more in rapid succession, as well as using magic techniques even I've never heard of. Not only that," she paced around his bed, "But you were stabbed multiple times in both the sides and back, and still were able to dodge a knife throw that nopony, save by a miracle, should have survived."

She was looking at him in a way part of him wanted to capitalize on. Another part of him felt sick at thinking that. Mostly... he was just tired. He both wanted and needed rest. Food too, to a lesser extent. He could already feel himself beginning to get hungry.

A heavy weight seemed to settle on his shoulders. Hallow noticed.

Her hoof covered one of his, "Hey," she said, catching his pink eyes with her dusky yellow ones, "Don't blame yourself for those that fell. Be glad you're alive, and learn from this so you can do better next time."

Soul didn't think she really knew what she was talking about, she seemed uncomfortable. Then she actually blushed as she realized that she was still holding his hoof, "S-sorry, I just... ahem, I feel a little off, I'm going to step outside for a second."

He would have pondered that, the way all mares seemed to feel around him, if he wasn't so tired. It was a deep hollowness, to his very core. Why did he feel this way? He must have really given his all in that fight.

He gave her hoof a squeeze, and smiled, "Alright Hallow, thanks for the visit."

She nodded and walked away a few steps, before slowing hesitantly to a stop, and turning around, "Unfortunately, Soul, this operation was covert. So, though the Princesses have both expressed wishes to grant you an award, it's impossible at this time. Especially if, as you suspect, there was one more involved."

Soul nodded, but she continued, "However that doesn't mean that your above and beyond performance hasn't been noticed or appreciated," she had a knowing smile on her face, and Soul wondered what she meant.

As soon as she left, Soul went back to sleep, he felt exhausted.

"My lord," the masked figure spoke, kneeling, "you lied to us."

The following silence was heavy, ponderous. Dangerous.

"Did I?" A voice echoed back, deep and morose. The masked pony still shivered, even though he'd listened to it for many months, it's tone like black quarts was so dark and clear that it cut him to the bone.

"There was one there, one that knew the old magics," the masked pony spat, "you assured us this was impossible!"

Another stretch of long, pregnant quiet. The air was drawn all in one direction, like the whole world was taking a breath to answer.

"Interesting," the voice drolled, "who?"

The masked pony shook with fury, and responded, "I will... find out."

The voice hmm'd, and said no more. It seemed to be thinking.

Author's Note

Soul Keeper has completed a very specialized mission for the two princesses, and earned shining distinction. But his questions remain unanswered, what has happened to his friends? Who was this sinister, and highly trained group? And what was their real goal in the capturing of the tickets?

Find out, next time.

Faces, Old and New

Day 75, of the experiment

The subject shows remarkable resilience to the outside world, even displaying shell hardening beyond what I had originally intended. Despite my Sister's constant assaults for me to abandon the project and start anew, I still believe this one shows promise. It does consume an inordinate amount of my magic each day to keep it alive, and the process is becoming tiresome, as its brain has yet to fully comprehend that it is without a hydra mother. However, I believe that, in time, it will come to see me as a surrogate, and perhaps more, if the shell is indicative of its other faculties.

- Personal Diary of Princess Luna

"So, the ceremony is really pretty simple," the old ex-guard commented, walking through the doors to the throne room.

Currently, it was empty, the Princesses having taken a recess for lunch, and so Soul had arrived to practice for the next days events. It was an impressive room, to be sure. All of it was pure white marble, with large, stretching columns spiraling to a lofty ceiling, resembling a cathedral. At the room's head was a large central dais, bearing two thrones, one white, and one black. One of which stood out starkly with the room's overall radiant color scheme. They really hadn't done anything to make it easier for the new princess to fit in, had they?

"So, you'll come up through here after they say your name, you'll have an honor guard escort," the graying pony droned. He'd given this talk many times, of that, Soul was certain. It was in the blank expression on his face, how he was already thinking about what he was going to do next, even as his eyes and hooves directed Soul with calculated precision.

"You'll kneel here," he pointed at a small notch at the foot of the dais that wasn't normally visible, "then the Princesses say their bit, and you stand up, give a bow, put the medal on, turn and smile. Any questions?" The old stallion turned to look at him.

"What time should I be here?" Soul asked respectfully.

A huff, "You'll have the day off tomorrow, just stay in your barrack, and you'll be escorted here whenever the Princesses are ready for you."

Soul nodded, "Then really, that's all I need. Thank you, sir, for your direction."

He grunted, and took his leave, grumbling out of earshot, "Stupid kids. Get a medal for anything these days."

Soul knew this to be untrue. He'd looked into it almost as soon as he was released from the hospital. Though there had not been armed conflict with another nation for a hundred years, at least. The Princess, well, Princesses now, still maintained very high standards for awards, so it was very difficult for anypony to achieve them. Soul had just been in the right place at the right time.

The old pony left Soul alone in the huge, empty room. Wondering what to do. For the first time in... well, over a month, Soul had free time. He was off duty, pending his award. Officially, it was designated as a "recovery period", but he had a feeling it was just part of his "good job finding that group of murderers" package. Not that he was complaining. In fact, he felt the sudden desire to find out exactly what all that business entailed. Hadn't Hallow said something about a large sum of money? He would have to seek her out. Where was she?

Soul looked around himself, peering through the stone walls of the castle, the wooden doors, and high, lofty towers. He couldn't See her anywhere, he'd spent enough time around her to know the colors she gave off, even when in disguise apparently. He decided the next best thing would probably just be to wander aimlessly about the city until he found her. He didn't have anything else to do, and an exploration of Canterlot could prove interesting.

Setting out from the castle, Soul realized he'd left his gear on from this morning, and teleported it back onto his bunk in E-5. He looked down at his dark blue fur, ruffled and matted, despite his best efforts. Some things, magic wasn't particularly good at. Knowing the meaning of the word "style", for one. It could clean, it could smooth, just about, but the finer details? That required either a lot of time and precision, or a hoof's touch.

It also occurred to him that he had absolutely nothing to wear the next day, not a hint of formal clothing at all. Should he go in his guard uniform? No, no, one didn't wear workpony's clothing to a board meeting. Many important and interesting ponies would be there, sycophants and court gossips, at least, actual nobles at most, once they'd heard that the scion of the Keeper house had returned to Canterlot. Though his family was so ancient, he wasn't even sure if there was anything left for him there.

It was a brisk, chilly day in Canterlot when Soul Keeper stepped out onto the streets. Though the sky was a clear, crystal blue, with the sun hanging high, chill gusts blew down the corridors of the city, ruffling feathers and manes, making all reach for coats and scarves.

Yep, I definitely need clothing, Soul thought as he fought against the wind, teeth beginning to chatter. It was nothing life-threatening, merely uncomfortable, for those unprepared. But first, he had to make sure that he had the bits to buy anything to begin with. Now where was that blasted unicorn?

Soul sensed something, very faintly, almost at the sedge of his senses. She was on the far side of the city. Great.

Soul hustled down the bustling, cobbled streets. Past grand facades, and humble shops all crammed together like so many sardines. Here, rich and poor mixed shoulder to shoulder, though most were middle-class. Poverty was almost nonexistent here, not like what he'd heard about Manehattan. Nobles with monocles and tall hats, dresses with pearls and lace, mixed freely with practical working smocks, builder's hats, and artists' easels, all mingling together down the streets and thoroughfares. There was an energy to Canterlot. Like every day was Hearth's Warming Eve, a sense of gleeful wonder that danced and hummed throughout the city like a pulse. Smiles, kind and genuine, were on nearly every face he passed in the sprawling capital, many whistled, sang, and laughed. It all seemed so... very different.

When was the last time I was here? he wondered as he passed several bundled up fillies playing tag near a grey old antique shop, their parents chatting with the aged proprietor in a familial tone, Father took me once, I think, yes? I could have sworn the ponies were more serious, their faces more dour. Surely only a few years has not changed so much.

Whatever the cause was, Soul was glad for it. His spirits, already content and relaxed, became fascinated and excited at the prospect of discovering what the city had to offer.

Stay focused, Soul, he reminded himself as a gust of wind made him shiver, find Hallow, ask where your money is, then spend the day being excitable.

It took him the better part of three hours to stumble his way down from the castle, accidentally down dead-end streets, and past wrong turns, before he got within reasonable range of the dusky blue mare. He was glad for it, though. The chance to explore was welcome, and he had nowhere else to be. Although he didn't want to be where he'd ended up, that was for certain.

The trail took him to what seemed like a much less reputable part of the city. Dingy grey walls streaked with mold and slime loomed, overshadowing the narrow streets. A stray rat or three scurried in packs, eyeing him, turning away when their noses detected nothing of work

She's here undercover, Soul guessed as he sidestepped a pile of... something. Probably had once been food. Even here didn't feel as dangerous as it probably should have. The stained walls and dirty streets bespoke of a lack of time to clean them, rather than a lack of care. Still, one could see small gardens and flower pots in front of homes and stores, meticulously crafted storefronts and display windows. These were hard working ponies, they were tired, run down, and worn. But not dangerous, not yet.

What is she doing here? Soul wondered. He didn't draw anypony's eye as he trotted down the street, from the gaunt and listless cast of their faces, he doubeted anything drew their attention much until they'd slept. Finally he came upon what looked to be a kind of squat tavern, low and whitewashed. It almost seemed as if it had been squished down, there was a sag in the middle, and cracks ran across the white paint like stress lines.

The creaking wooden door leaned dispassionately in its rusty iron frame, screeching open occasionally to disgorge some of its occupants back out onto the street, their spirits high.

Soul walked in between one of the bouts of raucous activity, and beheld about what he expected. A half-grimy lowly lit room with a sagging cross-beam ceiling, and an equally sagging staircase leading up to the second floor. Stains of both blood and beer were spattered about the floor and tables, though nothing about the bar seemed inherently violent. Great howls of laughter arose from every corner in the room, and the atmosphere was merry, if not light.

Soul quickly disguised himself, becoming a burly black earth pony with sparkling emerald eyes. He adopted the same disenfranchised expression that those outside had shared, and loped into the room. He spotted Hallow immediately, however she was in disguise as well, no doubt. She definitely didn't fit in naturally. Her posture did, but not her smooth coat brushed to an immaculate sheen, nor the calculating scowl, or the eyes that sifted through the crowd as one does for gold. She was another creature altogether.

Soul slumped along over to where she was sitting, on a bench in the corner, and thumped down next to her.

She glanced over at him distastefully, "Do I know you?"

Soul turned his head ponderously, the shadows flickering from the room's hearth only deepening the false lines under his tired eyes, "Hmm?"

She rolled her eyes, "I said, do I know you?"

He leaned in real close, an uncomfortable distance, squinting. He saw her hoof go down to a pouch on her waste, before he sat back up straight, "Reckon so."

She cocked an eyebrow, "Oh yeah? And how's that?"

Soul smiled, "Well, you're always easy to spot."

Her eyes went wide, "Damnit Soul!" she hissed, turning so it looked like she was talking to somepony else, "I'm undercover!"

He snorted, "For what? Fleas?"

She growled, "No, private, for the ponies that put you in the hospital."

Soul looked around at the loud, brash, sodden, everyday coral of ponies, "Well, you're not going to find them here."

She sighed, "What do you want, Soul?"

He placed an invisible magic hoof on her shoulder, "Hey," she turned to look him in the eye, which he let shine through for a moment, "I'm sorry. You forgive me?"

She looked at him a few seconds more, and let out a frustrated sigh, "Yeah, I forgive you. You can get off me now."

He removed the hoof.

She turned to him fully, nopony else was really paying attention to them, "So what do you want?"

He spoke quietly, "I don't really have any civilian clothes, and it would appear that my money's all tied up somewhere."

When he mentioned money, Hallow cast a worried glance around, Soul waved her off, "Nopony can hear us, don't worry about it. So where is this reward you promised I had?"

She was still looking around, "Couldn't you have come to talk to me about this literally anywhere else?"

He shrugged, "I need it, and this is where you were when I needed it. How was I supposed to know what you'd be doing."

She gave him a look, "You're smarter than that, Soul. You'd know that if I was here, I'd be here for a reason."

He nodded, "And now that I know the reason, I have deemed this place an appropriate one to talk about this."

She huffed, "Go to the Royal Treasury and ask for "the third salute". There, now, off with you."

Soul eyed her, and paused for several seconds, "This isn't a prank is it?"

She gave him a deadpan stare, "Soul. Really?"

He shrugged, "Ponies here in the city are generally pranksters. I've found that it's smart to assume until proven wrong. I'm still almost sure Deevy was half trying to kill me when he put grass colored knives in my salad."

Her eyes went wide, "He did what?"

Soul waved her off, "Forget about it. Like I said, pranks and all that. Third salute, got it. Thanks, Board."

She mouthed the word before cursing and slapping him on the back, making him chuckle as he turned to leave. When he got outside he stopped and groaned aloud, before starting his hours long return journey to the castle.

It wasn't a prank, as turned out. Hallow was honest, and when he arrived and spoke the pass phrase to one of the dour, helmeted guards, it fave him a slip of paper.

"Present this to any bank in the city," it said, "thank you for your services."

It was then stamped in strange ink with two different seals, one being the Royal Insignia, and the other being a strange circle filled with a pattern that Soul did not recognize. He did as it said, and headed for the nearest bank, easily distinguishable by the amount of Greed that rose from it, drifting across the winds like a bad smell.

It was a well-to-do affair, with polished yellow marble floors and columns which Soul tilted his head up to look at as he walked past. The tellers all sat behind immaculate glass, talking with dozens of ponies, there must have been at least fifteen different windows. A gigantic golden chandelier lit the place, with a cascading, warm glow.

Soul walked calmly over to one of the lines and waited his turn for the teller, a professional looking light grey pegasus, with hair designed in the shape of a storm cloud, and square glasses over light green eyes, "Welcome to First Equestrian sir, how can I help you today?"

He smiled, "Hello, I'm Private Soul Keeper, I'm here to turn this in?" He slipped the piece of paper over to the attendant, and her smile vanished, replaced by a look of stern concentration.

She hummed as she picked it up, and held it up to a little lamp she had sitting on her marble desk. She then wheeled around in her rolling chair over to a silver keypad on the wall. She punched in a few numbers, and a door popped open, revealing a microscope. She held the piece of paper underneath it, twiddling with some knobs, until it seemed to satisfy her. She then pulled out a pail of milky purple fluid that she dunked the paper in, then held it, once again, under the microscope.

How... long am I going to be here, Soul wondered.

The answer: two hours. Two hours of the mare shuffling around the small interior space like an escape room. Accessing various secret hatches, devices, bizarre techniques, and even a bucket of ice cream. Finally, she handed it off to what looked like her supervisor, a very similar looking mare in a sharp blue business suit, who took it into a back room.

The pegassus returned to him, her smile no less bright, "Well, sir, it appears that the paper is genuine! We're just testing the Royal Insignia now, and then we'll move on to the amount seal."

Soul refused to let his eyebrows raise even an inch, "You have many counterfeits, do you?"

She laughed, a tinkling sound, like rain, "No, not here, but this is standard procedure for any bank that is prestigious enough to be set up in Canterlot proper. All of the equipment is provided by the princess."

Soul nodded, then quirked an ear, "Princess? Don't you mean Princesses?"

She looked shocked, and then blushed, "Oh! I am so sorry, forgive me. Saying "Princess" just comes a lot more naturally. Honestly, a lot of my friends believe that this "Princess Luna" is a myth. Nopony ever sees her. And how likely is it that a figure from mythology would come back now of all times? Tirek will show up next I suppose, or King Sombra," she shook her head.

Soul frowned, "Well, I assure you, Her Highness Princess Luna is quite real. I myself have seen her and heard her speak, though she did not do so with me directly."

The mare frowned slightly at his tone, but regained her smile, "Well, that's a relief to hear, anyway, from a guard. Do you know much of what goes on in the castle?" She leaned forward eagerly, and batted her eyelashes. Disgraceful could she be any more obvious? And in such a public-

Wait a minute, Soul thought, all suspicion turning to himself, I'm probably the one causing this aren't I? Damn, I really need to turn that off, it's annoying.

Before he could speak, they were interrupted by the supervisor coming out of her room, and walking quickly across the hall. It appeared that whatever she carried i her hoof was on fire. Hot pink fire.

"What the..." Soul muttered as he watched her go.

"Ah! The Insignia is fine! Excellent news, just a few more minutes and you'll be on your way, sir," The mare said, leaning over more, and flashing a bright smile. She had an excellent smile.

Down boy, he thought to himself, "Wonderful. So, how many of these do you usually get, anyway?"

She looked thoughtful, and tapped her chin, "Well, that's an interesting question, because this, so far, looks like a retirement slip, but you're obviously not being retired anytime soon," she cast an appraising look over his body, and apparently liked what she saw, "so I've never seen this before, you must have done something special."

Soul shrugged, and looked past the mare studying the tile work on the walls. He looked down a few seconds later, to find her leaning with cheek on hoof staring dreamily at him.

"Has anypony ever told you, you have beautiful eyes?" She asked, then shot up in her seat, mouth agape, "I-I-I... sir, I am so sorry!"

He chuckled and waved to her, "No offense taken, miss! And no, not may ponies have. Same to you, like the iridescent shimmer of a lunar moth's wings. Green as a sunkissed field, ripe and glistening with the dew of the morning."

It was bad, cheesy, and over the top, and it made her swoon. She sighed dramatically, and went back to lounging on her hoof staring at him. He... didn't mind actually. She was pretty, though not nearly as cute as Halifax, and he wanted to make a good impression. He subtly flexed some of his muscles as she watched, and he noticed small gasps from her as she observed his physique, eventually the gunshow had to end, however.

The supervisor exited the second back room with a different piece of paper, and a small hole in her suit near the shoulder. It looked... melted?

She handed the note to the daydreaming pegasus, who took it and lazily handed it to Soul, who made sure their hooves touched for longer than necessary.

"Thanks for your business, sir," she said in a sultry tone.

He smiled, "Anytime."

Exiting the building, Soul found himself once again on the cold, windy streets of Canterlot, and was resolved in his next destination. He looked at the note he'd been handed, which was a smaller piece of paper, with two different symbols on it, and a number.

100,000

That... that couldn't be real, right? Or- or the currency had devalued? Inflation? 100,000 bits?

That... is a lot of money, he understood now by what Hallow and the teller had meant by this was normally for ponies leaving the service, because the Treasury would soon be empty if they handed these out willy nilly. He saw that the paper was enchanted, no it was the ink. It appeared to keep a record of itself, and would change whenever he bought something. This was a powerful tool, indeed.

Well, I know where I'm going! Might as well get moving.

With that thought Soul bustled down through the busy streets to a shop he'd spied earlier while lost. It was a bit off the beaten path, nut he new fine quality when he saw it, and this had the finest in the city. The building was a bit strange, all the ones on the street it occupied were. they all sort of leaned in different directions, mostly hanging out and over the street so that the road seemed to envelope you, and not in a bad way. All the windows were littered with lamps and candles, casting a bright radiance about, and making the place feel warm, even when standing in the chill. The particular shop he was here to see was a clothing store by the name of Bolt. It was a very simple name, but the storefront told of quite admirable success.

Two stories tall, with an attic, it seemed, the building was made entirely of hard wood, with a large bay window out front nearly cutting into the street. Inside, a rainbow's worth of colors shimmered, promising that which Soul desired most. Scarves, hats, cloaks, woolen socks, the owner clearly knew his audience with the seasons turning from autumn to winter. What had particularly caught Soul's discerning eye was a long, grey scarf that practically shined with how smoothly the cloth was woven together, you almost couldn't even tell it was separated at all, but rather one solid sheet of grey. It looked marvelously smooth, and still claimed to be woolen. Luckily it looked like they still had it, though the hour grew late.

Soul walked into the shop, and a small tinkling bell sang out to alert its master.

"Coming! I'll be there in just a second!" A cheery old voice called from deeper into the shop. Soul stood and breathed deeply in. It was blessedly warm, and smelled like a variety of complementary scented candles.

From the back of the large room, filled to the brim with all sorts of multicolored articles of clothing, came a ruddy-nosed, jolly looking old stallion. His eyes were sharp with intellect, the color of a thunderstorm, though they crinkled up with his wide open smile. His wiry salt-and-pepper mane stuck out at all angles, though it seemed to fit him somehow.

"Welcome, welcome!" he called, his voice boisterous and cheerful, "Welcome to the Bolt! I'm the proprietor and fashioner here, Loomis Bolton, nice to meet you!"

Soul gladly and firmly shook the stallion's hoof with a smile, "Soul Keeper, Mister Loomis, and may I say what a lovely shop you have here!"

The stallion clapped and chuckled, as though Soul had just entirely made his day, "Oh, well, thank you kind young sir! My pride and joy, she is. Built her myself, you know! Way back in 17- bah, but you aren't here for a history lesson," he laughed again, "what might old "Mister Loomis" whip up for one such as yourself today?"

Soul nodded to the man, and looked around, "Well, as I can see you're well prepared for, it's growing a mite chilly outside, and I don't have any winter clothes at all. And then as I was walking, I saw that lovely scarf in your window..."

"Oh, that one caught your eye, did it," he chuckled again. He seemed to do that a lot, "Well, you have good taste young Master Keeper! One of my finest pieces, and I'd be happy to part with it, if it means one more safe from frostbite out there. Some, let's have a look."

The gentle old stallion showed Soul several pieces of similar quality to the display, and Soul picked a lovely silver scarf that brought out the white in his mane quite nicely. It was warm too, Soul was amazed when he looked and Saw that is was in no way enchanted, for it gave off enough comfort to be.

"Now," Loomis said, growing only very slightly more serious, which Soul imagined to be about as far as the man could go, "We must discuss your price range! As I did say, this is one of my finer works, and while I'm happy to see it go around the neck of a happy customer, an honest pony is paid honestly, eh? So, usually something like this would cost fifty bits, but I like you, son, you seem a good lad. So I'll give it to you for forty-five, how's that sound."

Soul smiled, and nodded in thought, "I would be very grateful to you for such a kindness, Mister Loomis, but I must decline. You see, I also like you, which is precisely why I'll be paying sixty and no less."

The old stallion opened his mouth to speak, and then paused, "I must have misheard, because to me it sounded like you raised the price."

"I did."

Loomis peered at him over wireframe spectacles, "You're not very good at this haggling thing, are you, son?"

Soul laughed, and clapped the old weaver on the shoulder, "Sixty, and that's my final offer!"

Loomis looked at him for just a bit more, before joining him in laughing, "Well, it appears you've made me an offer I can't refuse! Alright, if you're sure of it, lad, I'll take your offer."

Soul took out the slip of paper, and showed it to the stallion, whose eyes bugged out and he sputtered, "A hundred thousand?!" he looked to Soul, "Forgive me, but, you don't strike me as a noble!"

Soul nodded, "I'm not, actually, I'm a guard. I received this reward for going above and beyond in the line of duty, or something like that."

The old man actually grew straight faced, and nodded sharply, "Ah, well, I'm glad to serve you. Always had a lot of respect for you young folk that choose to help, rather than hinder. And if you've been given that, then you've helped more than most."

Soul smiled, "Well, I did my best, anyway. Still, I've got more than enough to give some to a new friend, eh?"

Loomis nodded and bellowed a laugh, "Aye, son, that you do! Anything else you wanted to buy at a markup, perchance?"

Soul did, actually. He bought a luxurious new coat that fit him perfectly, colored to go with the scarf, as well as some earmuffs, and a few specialty items that wouldn't be ready for a week or so, yet. He bought a fitted, but still incredibly well made, smart looking suit and waistcoat, of some of the highest quality he'd yet seen.

When finally he bade goodbye to his new friend and walked back out onto the street, Soul noticed how dark i had gotten. Of course, with his new gear, the cold, even amplified by the growing dark, didn't penetrate one bit. He was in his own cocoon of wonderful warmth. It was a shame he needed to get up early the next day for the ceremony, or he'd stay out on the town well into the morning, just... celebrating being alive. He felt like he should be rejoicing, but he didn't quite know why.

Still, duty called. And with it, sleep.

He walked for perhaps another hour back up to the Castle, where he was greeted by the guards at the gate that let him in. It took him a while longer to wind his way down, back to the barracks down in the spooky catacombs, as some overly dramatic members of the guard liked to call it.

He was greeted heartily, and made fun of for his swanky new clothing, by the members of E-5. It was also there that he learned he had to wear his armor for the ceremony, so no to the lovely outfit he'd planned. After all was said and done, he gratefully collapsed into bed with the rest of them.

It was only then when he got a little nervous about the fact that he'd be standing in front of both Princesses, all his friends, and a large crowd of strangers the next day. That made it a little harder to fall asleep.

Soul faced downward, head leaning on the wooden haft of the spear, the butt grinding into the rough stone of the barrack floor. Torchlight reflected off of the polished wood, shining in his white hair. His stomach was roiling with emotion, and he did his best to quiet it.

"Congratulations, Soul!" Pocket Rocket called as he exited the barrack for room duty. Soul waved a hoof, still staring dead-eyed at the floor.

Control, control, I need to control it, he breathed deeply in through his nose, squeezing his eyes, and locking his jaw. It did nothing to help the nauseous anxiety that bubbled and lapped in waves at his throat.

What is taking them so long? he thought savagely, a growl almost escaping his throat. Something needed to happen, before he drove himself insane with nerves. He needed to be moving, acting. Waiting quietly as he was about to be reviewed by the highest, and most beloved, authorities in the nation did nothing for him. His eyes opened, and fixed on the training dummy in the corner with a glare so malicious he could have sworn the wood actually buckled slightly.

Soul stood, and walked over in a combat stance on his back two hooves. He needed to act, needed to move... needed to fight.

"Nervous, eh?" Knives Deevy whispered from his bunk as Soul glided past, "figures you would be. What happened out there was probably just a-"

CRACK

Soul struck the dummy with a force that sent it spinning, nearly knocking it off of the iron pole that held it set into the floor. Then he went to work.

He spun, and danced, strike after blow after cleave, pounding the dummy. Soul let himself be lost in it, following a form he had learned... so long ago... in a time he barely remembered...

Soul knew not how long he fought against his imaginary opponent. He knew only the whistling of the wind in his ears, the subtle clinks of his armor whenever his movements were just barely off in his control of momentum, and the scuffs of his back hooves striking the floor as he danced.

"... Soul!" Someone shouted, and Soul spun into attention, slamming his spear down, and cracking it in half, splintering in three different places.

In front of him was a very shocked looking Lay Decker, and Marshmallow Cascade. He then turned slowly to his broken spear, still breathing quickly from the action. With a flick of precious magic, the wood snapped perfectly back into place, not a groove out of line. Soul looked back at the two, "Yes, what is it?"

"Celestia almighty..." he heard another guard whisper. It was Skelly, a nickname earned by the zebra's unique coloration. Nopony could pronounce his real name.

Soul turned to what he was staring at, and blinked when he saw that the training dummy had been torn apart. It was split, broken, bent, and knocked silly in at least a dozen spots, far removed from the proud pony-like figure that had once stood there. If it were real, it would have died several times over due to concussions, bone breaking, and loss of internal organs.

"Is the honor guard here?" Soul asked a little sheepishly, wishing to get away from the awkward subject of what he'd just done.

Lay nodded slowly, "We... uh... ahem, we are the honor guard, Soul."

He gestured to the armor they were wearing. Different from a normal guard's attire, this had many more ribbons and sharp edges. It was clunky, but pretty and showy, polished to a mirror shine.

"Yeah," Marshmallow seconded, "they asked for volunteers, and we singed up. Who better to walk you down the isle, eh?" she laughed. Good, it was good that she could laugh about things like that, it showed that she wasn't bitter.

Soul chuckled, "I suppose it would have to be you two, wouldn't it? Alright, I'm ready. Let's get a move on."

"Stop shaking."

"I'm not shaking, you're shaking!"

"Nice comeback. You're not even the one going up there, why are you so nervous?"

"I don't like small spaces!"

Lay looked around the massive, practically open-air throne room. He turned back to Marshmallow, "What?"

Her teeth chattered as she surveyed the murmuring crowd before them, "You know what I mean!"

Soul shook his head and turned back to face the throne room. He waited in the wings, while the Princesses dealt with court matters. At least, he thought so. He hadn't looked at them yet. Just Celestia's voice was almost enough to make him shiver every time she spoke. It was angelic, it had to be magical, nopony could speak that way without help. Not even alicorns should have that power.

"And now, my sister and I would like to make a special commemoration. Private Soul Keeper! Please, step forward."

Soul felt ice clamp down both his spine and stomach, keeping him calm and collected, and he thought as if in a dream. Everything was foggy, and a little... rapidly sluggish. He went smoothly forward, and for a moment the stars seemed to align. His armor gleamed in the morning light streaming through the windows, his cloak billowed at just the right moment, his steely eyes locked resolutely ahead, and his white hair drifted dramatically across his brow. It was the perfect moment. It was when he saw them up close.

Celestia, could she even be described? Larger than even him by at least a foot, her kind and wise face knew no age, only timeless and eternal beauty. Her figure was legend throughout the Gryphon Kingdoms, The Dragon Lands, and even as far as distant Chineigh. Her hooves shone magnificently, clean and polished with a rainbow sheen. Her magenta eyes bubbled with mirth, and retained a serene aloofness granted by her absolute authority. Her smile was kind, genuine, and weighty, it was an addictive smile, made you feel like you needed it to survive. And her famous mane, drifting in prismatic waves in a nonexistent wind. Their ripples and folds melding and snapping playfully in the air was almost intentionally mesmerizing.

Beside her sat her sister, smaller, and in no wise less beautiful. She was... rather cute, actually. Her gaze remained collected, but you could see an inward awkwardness that made her immediately likable. Her body was almost as perfect as her sister's, with just a hint less of the curvaceous heaven, and a little more danger. She seemed on edge, ready to pounce, but that only made her all the more exciting. Her sister was the face, and she was the steel behind the words. These thoughts about the Princess of the Night made Soul a little uncomfortable, they were probably related, after all.

Regardless, Soul proudly walked up unto the dais, and stood so close that, were it not for the chill that gripped him entirely, he would have started hyperventilating. He kneeled heroically with a flourish on the designated spot, and heard several murmurs of appreciation from the crowd, most were notably female.

Then Princess Celestia stepped even closer, she must have been right over his head!

"This loyal subject, and a member of the distinguished elite regiment of the Royal Guard, honored all of Equestria three weeks ago. While supervising the menial labor of the prisoners in the Royal Quarry, Soul Keeper performed an act of extraordinary strength, bravery, selflessness, and kindness. He noticed that one of his fellow guards had fallen ill with exhaustion, and rushed to save her, risking life and limb to carry her on his shoulders to the top of the mountain, where she could be saved. He nearly lost his life in the process, but was astonishingly able to pull through, and save them both. For this act of unquestionable good, we, the Royal Princesses of Equestria, Celestia and Luna, Diarchs of the Sun and Moon, do hereby award him with the Equestrian Seal of Kindness, the element of harmony that his thoughtful actions embody wholly."

Well, it could have also been considered Generosity. He'd read up on the awards given out, and they tended to match one of the legendary Elements of Harmony. Unsurprisingly, the line between Kindness and Generosity was quite blurred in principal, he wondered what had been the deciding factor.

Soul stood, coming level with the Princess of the Sun, not daring to even look at her before giving a deep and long bow, again eliciting whispers from the assembly. He then stood full, and lowered his head, whereupon a soft weight settled on it, and a sense of swelling pride. He turned to the crowd, and gave another, although less deeply respectful, bow.

"Hail, Private Soul Keeper, the Kind!"

"HAIL!" the crowd roared, and then a great cheer arose from the throng, deafening Soul with its cacophony. He saw his friends wildly gesticulating, whooping, and laughing. He smiled wide, and actually felt a tear welling. He made sure to stop that before it got anywhere.

"Please wait a short while in the antechamber to your left," Soul heard a velvet whisper tickle his ear. A weaker stallion would have shivered, but Soul remained stock still, clenching his jaw, "My Sister would like a word with you, privately."

"As you command," he said quietly, bowing once more to the cheering crowd, and heading of to the side. He entered through a worn oak door, set into the wall about a foot so as not to be immediately obvious. As soon as the door shut behind him, it seemed all the energy and zeal of the past half hour abandoned him with a fury. Soul slumped down in the corner, face pressing against the stone, and breathed a shuddering breath. He felt so tired! Was that normal for things like this? He supposed he might have to get used to it, if he continued to perform as well as he had two weeks ago with the assassins.

Struggling back to his feet, Soul continued down a narrow stone hallway. This section was quite different from others of the castle, he noticed. The walls and floor seemed to be made from the same type of stone, a smoky grey, literally it looked like smoke. And as far as he could tell, there were no seams where block met block, or mortar where a crack had been sealed over. It was utter and entirely smooth, and gave off a very alien sensation.

There were no torches in the corridor, which wasn't a problem for him, but he did notice it, and find it odd. As he reached the end, he understood why. An octagonal chamber sat at the end of the hall, with eight braziers flickering with both blue and orange fire arrayed around the corner walls. The middle was covered in a large pelt rug, that seemed to be made of the stars themselves. On it were unceremoniously stacked some very comfortable looking pillows and blankets, with very low-set tables where fruits and sweets rested, as well as an extensive wine and tea selection. A break room for the goddesses, it seemed.

Soul walked over and sat on one of the pillows, finding it very suitably comfortable, and popped a few green grapes into his mouth, though they mostly tasted like ash. It would be strange for him to eat and do nothing as he sat waiting.

It took the better part of two hours, but Soul wasn't about to complain. He had nothing but time. He listened to the cases presented to the Princesses, and nodded at their judgement. He ate a few more grapes. Swallowed an apple for the fun of it, and downed a keg's worth of wine, which had no effect on him. Until eventually, the Night Princess' powerful magical aura slipped through the door he had come through, and soon the sound of shod hooves could be heard echoing on unbroken stone.

As Luna entered, she would find him contemplative, facing off to the side, playing with his medal in both hooves absentmindedly. It really was a pretty thing, a bronze and silver butterfly, intricately detailed, with jade antennae, Soul was impressed.

"Private," the diarch called out, and immediately Soul was standing at attention, hoof to his temple, staring straight ahead.

"At ease," she waved to him, and Soul relaxed, settling back into his chair. Her teal eyes bored into him as she stepped forward.

"Greetings, Private... Keeper. We- I am Princess Luna, of the Night. How art- er, how are thee?"

Soul regarded the luminescent pony, shining like a distant star, with absolute awe... and not a little bit of pity. Standing there, in the hallway, she didn't seem so large, nor so imposing. No less beautiful but... uncertain, lacking the stiff-backed confidence she'd had before. It was incredibly jarring, and made him stumble.

"I'm... I'm well, Princess. Er, and yourself?" Was he being irreverent? Should he speak differently, in the old way?

Surprisingly she seemed to find his diction pleasing, a small smile played across her ebony lips, "We... ahem, I am... well."

She was very hesitant to speak, but she seemed to be warming up.

Stepping forward, she settled down onto one of the larger pillows. Soul didn't even look at how soft her fur was, or how smooth and bubbly her flanks appeared, or how she smelled of supple lilacs. Nope. Didn't think about that at all.

She looked both nervous and in command of the situation at the same time, glancing away from him yet keeping a strong posture, again a strange juxtaposition from in the court, "W- I, have asked thee here to- wait," she scowled, "Pardon me, Private, it is difficult for me to adjust my speech."

Strange, he thought, She didn't used to have a problem with that.

...

Wait, what?

"I have called you here to discuss one thing only," now she seemed fully in control, and once again her mesmerizing aura of authority returned.

"Anything, Princess," he said, bowing his head.

She breathed in, "Once, long ago, there was a house that went by the name Keeper. They were... dear to me. I wished to know if..."

Soul stood, interrupting the princess and gave a long bow, so deep his nose almost touched the floor "Althos adenadem althriass, my Princess."

When he looked up, her shimmering eyes were wide with both shock and excitement. She leapt to her hooves in a very unprincess-like manner, disrupting the illusion of control, "So... it is true?" she asked eagerly, "The brood of Sable has lived so long?"

Soul looked at her, and nodded, "Much of the knowledge we were given was lost when we fled, but our legacy remains. In me."

She blinked, and looked confused, and then sad, "You... are the only heir?"

He nodded again, "As far as I am aware, my Princess, though I cannot speak of my cousins whom I know to have fled north so long ago."

She nodded, and turned away, clearly thinking deeply, before shaking herself, "Well. Know today, Soul Keeper, that you have made an old mare very, very happy. And made her feel not quite so... out of place."

He bowed again, "My Princess, if there is ever anything I can do to ease your burdens, on my family's great name, it will be done"

Then Princess Luna smiled at him.

"Nalthrilass adomon althesi, good Private. You have given us- me, much to consider. You are dismissed. Go, and enjoy this day of celebration. My sister and I thank you for your services."

Soul bowed his head, and left the room respectfully, leaving the Princess of the Night to think, almost overflowing with pride. It did not ever occur to him that the Princess felt somehow familiar, and that their meeting was not as awkward and stilted as it was for all others.

This fact was not lost on her. Nor her sister.

Author's Note

Soul has finally been rewarded for all his good deeds, and it appears he doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. What is the next opportunity that will present itself for him to rise? How will he be treated now that he is recognized as a minor hero? And have those sinister assassins really been stopped for good?

Find out, next time.

Watcher on the Wall

Mother says I must keep this. A book with words. To record what I see, what I do. She says it will help me in the future. I am confused. About many things. Words are... hard. This is knew. This me. This voice in my head. She says it is thought. She says I should not fear it. I fear it. It tells me things. It tells me stories like Mother, stories of myself. A myself that has done wrong, bad. She says these are memories. She says they will go away, a thing named time will take them from me. But this book will steal them back? I think she is wrong. Time will not take my me away, no matter how much I want it to go. She calls this... guilt. I am confused.

- Subject 1 Journal Entry, Day 1

Rocket shivered in the bitter high street winds of Canterlot, hastening his pace next to Soul to get the blood pumping through his legs.

"I'm still offering you a warming spell," Soul said casually as he walked quite comfortably along next to the freezing pony.

"Don't need it," Rocket chattered, "it'd be a waste."

Soul had to agree with him there, though for different reasons than Rocket probably thought.

The season was in the dead of winter, and chilled air whispered through the Canterlot streets like a wraith possessed, stealing away warmth and happiness wherever it could be found. Instead, ponies carved out slices of comfort in their small gathering places or domiciles, lit merrily and cozily to keep the cold at bay.

Some, unfortunately, were forced by "jobs" to "patrol the streets". Not that Soul minded, his nice grey scarf kept him absolutely warm, no magic required. He would have bet money on it being enchanted to heat the entire body, but the old stallion he bought it from swore up and down that no magic had been involved in its creation. Earth Pony magic was strange, though, oftentimes it seemed they didn't even know they were doing it, even when it could be clearly Seen.

Rocket rubbed his hooves together and huffed steaming breaths into them, rubbing up and down his forelegs. Soul rolled his eyes and cast a heat spell over Rocket's body, he knew he wouldn't be thanked for it anyway.

He and the lucky stallion were out on patrol together, cleaning up the immaculate streets of Canterlot of all its filthy non-existent refuse. At least, where the guards were around, but Soul had begun to see a pattern.

"Hey Rocket?" He asked, "Didn't D-4 just check in from this location ten minutes ago? And C-2 ten minutes before that?"

Rocket nodded, and said through clattering teeth, "Yeah, we roll through here every ten minutes, on the dot."

Soul nodded, "And... I presume it's the same for everywhere else?"

Rocket nodded, gaining some of his cocky composure now that his balls weren't freezing to his legs, "Yeah, we have a route that we patrol at ten minute intervals, no variation, very efficient."

"Very predictable too," Soul said sidelong, Seeing around into the alleyways and dead ends around them, past the street corners packed with smiling faces and joyful laughs. Granted, there wasn't much here, he didn't expect there to be. That said, he had almost gotten stabbed to death by a band of serial killers in matching outfits a few weeks ago, so maybe he shouldn't be so quick to believe the city's own self-perpetuated propaganda.

But as soon as he did See something... there!

"Rocket, I got something," he said, poking his partner and gesturing down a brickwork alley that seemed below worthy of note.

Rocket nodded and tapped the sigil on his uniform, notifying the other guards to pause their routes and not become out of sync.

"What is it?" he asked.

Soul wasn't exactly sure, but he could see Greed drifting from out of the darkness like a sickly yellow vapor. Something disreputable was definitely happening down there.

"Not sure," he answered in a whisper, "I just have a hunch."

Rocket nodded, and Soul appreciated that. Then again, he supposed that if anyone would understand auspicious hunches it would be the avid gambler in E-5.

As the two guards strolled into the alleyway, they began to hear whispers from up ahead, which Soul immediately understood.

"... really think they've got that much in there?"

"Yeah, I overheard the clerk talkin' yesterday, some old guard retired and got a boatload of bits!"

"So we're robbin' First? Sounds too rich for my blood."

"No, you idiot. What we're gonna do is go in there and start asking questions. What did the old stallion look like? How much did he get? Did he take it all with him?"

"Oooh, I see. And then we pretend to be him and say we need to withdraw the money! You're smart Weevil."

Soul then heard the sound of a hoof smacking against a forehead. He and Rocket looked at each other, deciding that they'd heard enough.

Stepping around a corner they found four stallions hunched over a box with a set of playing cards laid on top. They'd obviously been waiting for the next guard rotation to make their move on the bank. One of them seemed taller and lankier than the others, and the jut of a horn could be seen poking through his thick pink mane.

"Evening gents," Soul intoned.

"We're going to need you all to come in for questioning," Rocket rolled off smoothly.

There was a small gasp of shock, then a hot second of panic as all four of the stallions looked back and forth between the guards and each other. And then, they booked it, the unicorn, presumably Weevil, tossing the box they'd been playing on backwards in a shower of light pink sparks at the pair.

Rocket raised an arm to defend himself but Soul smashed the crate into splinters with magic, and erected a very thin wall of magical force at the end of the alley that glowed and spun with a starfield. The ponies looked back as the guards walked towards them.

"Now, now," Rocket said, tapping the sigil twice for backup, "Don't make this hard on yourselves. You've already added resisting arrest and attacking an officer to your list. Don't do anything else you're gonna regret later."

Soul could see that Weevil was eyeing him up, obviously never having dealt with a unicorn guard before, he expected his inherent advantage over most earth ponies and pegassi to carry him out of bad situations, but here, he was a cornered rat. The rest of his crew looked like they were thinking the same thing.

"Let them go," a calm feminine voice called out from behind them, and Soul turned around. Rocket, true to his training, remained facing the perpetrators behind Soul.

Soul saw a beautiful grey mare walking with annoyance towards them. She wore... boy was that a lot of red. Cherry red hat, scarf, coat, and lipstick, her eyes and mane were black as coal. She had the air of somepony that believed themselves above this sort of thing, a natural exasperation with the world.

"Are you associated with these men, ma'am?" Soul asked calmly.

She sighed, flicking her hair away from her eyes, "So that's how it is? How much do you want, to let them go?'

Soul raised an eyebrow, then shrugged, "Alright ma'am I'm going to have to ask you to also come with us, as attempting to bribe an officer is... yes, I believe that's also illegal."

He watched her eyes narrow, and she huffed dismissively, "This is NOT how today was supposed to go. Trust me, kid, this way, you don't get killed, and I don't have to clean up your corpse."

He heard Rocket snicker behind him, which drew a sharp glare from the mare, who was slowly reaching a hoof into her small red saddlebag. Rocket hadn't been there with the team that had taken out the group of murderers, but stories from Lay and Marshmallow had gotten around after a few strong drinks and some prodding. They might have overstated Soul's value in the fight somewhat.

"Rocket," Soul said calmly, "watch those four if you can."

Soul Saw inside the mare. He sound the swirling cloud of emotions. Fear, Rage, Anxiety, Reluctance, forming a brownish miasma that all suddenly snapped into place. Her hoof moved, she had made her choice.

Soul leapt forward, his right hoof snaking out, which the mare actually dodged! A cold snap clamped down his surprise before it could interfere. His hoof hit the brick wall of the alley and shattered it cleanly into fine stress lines with a resounding CRACK, raining shards and red dust down on the combatants. Unfortunately for the quick mare, she didn't have the training Soul did. As she momentarily gawked at the broken wall, Soul grabbed hold of the bare mortar and used it, and his momentum, to carry the rest of his body forwards, clapping her against the skull with a powerful back hoof that knocked her clean out, and made another dent as she slammed into the other side of the alley.

Soul regained his balance and dusted off his hooves, turning to find the criminals he and Rocket had caught were still under guard. Rocket, bless him, had not turned to look once.

"It's over, Rocket, I've got her," Soul said, quickly cuffing the woman.

"Thank Celestia for that," he said, "I wasn't sure whether to expect a pat on the back or a knife in the spine."

Soon Soul and Rocket had detained all of the idiots who'd discussed their plans in broad daylight, with the help of two more guards that had shown up as reinforcements.

"That's all they could send?" Soul asked sympathetically.

One just nodded, and the other sniffled, running his hoof over his nose, causing all the guards to freeze.

"It's okay," Soul said, picking up two of the thugs, "he doesn't have it."

They dropped the criminals off at a local station for excepting to the Castle in silence, and unfortunately Soul didn't encounter anything nearly as exciting during the rest of his patrol.

As soon as he and Rocket were off, they both walked to the same place. The infirmary. And they were met with a terrible sight.

Half the guard, at the very least, lay fevered, snotty, and miserable in row after row of the clean white beds. The long hallway bustled with the sounds of hurrying nurse's hooves, and beeps of heart monitors, but it also clamored with hacking coughs, sneezes, and groans of the afflicted. It still smelled like antiseptic, but there was another present now. One of mucus, of decay, of heat.

The flu. More specifically referred to around this time as "Winter Flu" or "Guard Flu". The only ponies required, day in, day out, to be in the devastating cold of the alpine climate, they were the most vulnerable of any pony to disease. And this year was a bad one.

Soul saw Halifax, in her brown, buxom glory, quickly trotting here and there amongst the nurses and patients, giving both orders and kind words. She was a saint to the men this time of year. But Soul read worry in her, and he tapped Rocket on the shoulder, "I'm going to find out what's bugging the Doc."

He nodded, "Gotcha, just don't be late."

Soul waved him away. Though Soul had been one of the first to volunteer for daily double duty, a task which Larus was more than happy to assign him, eventually it had become mandatory. And still their ranks stretched thinner by the day.

Halifax didn't notice his approach, so wrapped up in her work. She was looking down at a ledger with a worried expression and mumbling numbers to herself.

"Quin?" Soul whispered, shocking her out of her daze.

Her smile lit up her face like fireworks, "Soul!" she sprung into an open hug, that startled many of those that knew her that were nearby.

"Hey you!" He laughed, "Staying healthy?"

She sighed as she let go of him, liberally eyeing him up in an even more out of character manner, "I am, yes. But we've got a problem."

Soul frowned, "What is it? Can I help?"

She smiled at him and patted his chest with a soft brown hoof that he snuck a quick kiss onto when he could feel no eyes on them.

"I don't think so," she said, blushing, "not unless you're secretly a botanist as well as an expert fighter and a-" she cut herself short on whatever the second thing she was going to say was.

Soul chuckled sheepishly, "Well, I mean... my mother was a healer, and not just magic. She taught me everything she knew. Are you using Heartswax or Marrowmeld?"

She blinked and her jaw slackened with genuine shock, "I uh... we- we're not using either. They're too rare for such a mass scale, and even our readily available Tenderleaf stores are just draining too quickly. If we don't get more in soon... well, this is the worst Guard's Flu outbreak we've ever seen."

Soul nodded, still holding her hoof in his, face drawn together in deep contemplation, "The unicorns?"

"Those that we have? Working themselves to exhaustion. The Battlemages are no help, they claim that their members would only get infected and that none of them know the proper healing magics involved."

"Take me to one," he said, and she nodded, leading him over to a very, very tired looking mint green unicorn who's coat had faded almost to white, and grey strands were beginning to run through his mane.

Healing a disease with magic alone was tricky, even for Soul. The virus multiplied constantly, you had to catch up the whole of it, or else you'd have a relapse, which he suspected was happening here. And if you weren't very careful, you might end up getting rid of more of a pony than just the disease.

Soul looked on critically as the unicorn's horn flashed dully, and the stallion hunched a little more. He Saw. It was a very basic and very general spell of curing, but he supposed it was all they could do. Even with his gifts he wouldn't be able to do much better than them. It left much of the contagion still in the system, but it helped alleviate the symptoms and it did kill some, if not all, of the virus.

Virus. That was the problem, as Soul well knew. Prone to unlimited and often constant variation and mutation. To cure one purely by magic was nearly impossible. He could do it, but it would exhaust him before he healed more than two dozen ponies.

"I see the problem," he said, and the unicorn turned to him with a flicker of indignation stirring, "and there's nothing more your healers can do, they're at their capacity. You need more medicine, more good medicine."

Halifax nodded, but her attention was called away as a nurse across the hall shouted for a doctor.

She looked him in the eyes with hers of melted sunset, "You do what you can do, Soul Keeper. I'll keep doing what I can," and with that, she hurried off.

Soul stood in the midst of the maelstrom of the healers and the dying, What can I do? What more?

He was working double shifts every day, there was no way he had time to-

I have some sway with the Princesses. They must be keeping their eyes on me, still. It's risky... but it's as worth a shot as any.

Soul skipped the brisk walk down the long ancient hallways and many grand balconies by teleporting straight to the guard's entrance to the throne room, situated behind and slightly to the right of the thrones.

The on-duty guard, looking as worn as the rest of them these days, stood up straighter. Usually he would have had a partner, but right now the horsepower could be used to better effect than guarding the two most powerful creatures on the planet through an entrance only guards knew about.

"Tell the Princesses that I wish to speak to them, urgently. Tell them it's Private Soul Keeper."

The guard nodded, which Soul was thankful for, and went to Celestia's side, whispering in her ear. It seemed the world itself fell into a hushed whisper, and Soul swore he could hear the creak of her great throne as she turned to look at him. Her magenta eyes, burning with power and purpose, locked with his. He didn't need the chill to keep his composure this time, he met the gaze with a firm nod.

"We will have a quick recess, an urgent matter has come to my attention," she spoke out over the crowd.

Okay, now Soul needed the chill to keep his nerves in line. She hadn't just been speaking to the audience there. Her message to him was, "I'm putting my trust in you that this is a matter worth disturbing my routine for."

It was a heavy responsibility.

The diarch stood, and walked behind the throne, not looking directly at him as she had earlier. He gave a deep bow, as was his custom, and realized that a nod of the head had probably not been appropriate. What had come over him?

Concern, he answered himself, with a steel louder than the morning of his propriety, there are guards that could die if this is not considered

Part of himself seemed... surprised at the ardor of his inner voice. The chill along his bone marrow faded ever so slightly.

"Private Keeper," the holy diarch spoke, and Soul resisted his urge to shiver at her almighty voice, "what is the matter which you needed to discuss so urgently?"

He faced her directly, meeting her eyes again with a mind prepared for its consequences, and snapping a sharp salute, "My Princess. Doubtless you know the state of the guard. Half, or more, lie sick in the infirmary. I have just gathered that they are quickly running out of desperately needed medical supplies, and their unicorn healers have all but been stripped bare. I request permission to lead a party to collect more medicinal herbs."

The Princess looked at him. Deep at him. And he looked right back, though it made his inner eyes bleed to do it, so bright was the queen of the sun. Her radiant fur was nothing compared to the raging fire that the strength of her magic projected outwards, rolling in waves of power so bright Soul Saw almost nothing.

"I was... not aware of this."

Soul almost lost his composure, "P-Princess?"

She turned from him, looking back to the court, "The Chief Medical Officer informed me that some had come down with the Winter Flu, and that it was nothing to trouble myself with but... you say half the guard?"

Soul stood shocked, then nodded vigorously, "My Princess, it would not be an exaggeration for me to say that if those supplies are not delivered you could soon find yourself down a quarter of the brave mares and stallions that serve you today."

Her eyes widened in shock, and, for the first time, Soul saw her truly surprised. Appalled, and aghast, she turned her head back to court, clearly her mind was straining with what to do next.

"Sister," Soul heard a voice, and he turned to find that the Princess of the Night had teleported behind him, "stay. We- I will validate these claims."

"Will you Luna?" Celestia asked gratefully, "I cannot abandon court, not today of all days. I hate for you to leave."

Luna waved a beautiful silver-shod hoof, "My sister, you presided without me for more than 1000 years, I think one hour should do you no harm."

Celestia stepped past Soul and firmly hugged the smaller mare, "And I never want to again."

This she whispered so quietly a gnat next to her lips would barely have heard. Soul heard. And he blushed, like somepony who had just interrupted something unknowably sacred, and was now a foal before the whole world. That was not meant for his ears, and if he had the choice he would have taken away his hearing for that moment without a second's thought.

Celestia withdrew, giving Luna a small pat on the shoulder and returning to her seat.

With he and the Night left alone in the corridor, Soul bowed deeply, "Althos adenadem althriass, my Princess."

She smiled deeply, "It warms our heart every time to hear those words again. How art thee this morn?"

"Excuse me, Princess, but I was not exaggerating the time frame nor the scale of the emergency," Soul said urgently, "if we are to save lives, we must not tarry."

Luna blinked, then shook her head, "Forgive me, Private I was... transported. To another time. Lead the way."

"I need to teleport us to the infirmary-"

"Allow me," Princess Luna said, and with a dark blue pop they arrived outside the busy infirmary doors. Along with a very unladylike grunt.

Soul turned in alarm to the grimacing Princess, "My Lady, are you well?"

She nodded quickly, straightening, "I am fine. We must move."

She stepped into the whitewashed hallway, and her pace slowed to a mortified crawl as she took in the scene. Beds stacked high with the sick, ragged nurses and doctors running to and fro clutching precious herbs in their hooves, some barely holding back tears as they were withheld from giving a patient more than their ration of medicine.

"What... what has happened here?!" Luna asked, her voice slipping into a louder range, which immediately attracted attention from the he frazzled doctors.

"Princess!" Soul heard a yell from his mare, and soon Halifax appeared, galloping down the hallway, pulling up short as she saw Soul. She mouthed a thank you, and he nodded solemnly.

"You there," Luna boomed, "you are the head practitioner here?"

Halifax shrugged, "Acting practitioner, your highness, our head was struck with the flu two days ago."

Luna looked out over the sea of pained, fevered faces, "Why... why, where are the Battlemages?"

Halifax stuttered, "T-they um, well, your majesty, they claimed they would do more harm than good with their lack of-"

"MORE HARM THAN GOOD?" Luna bellowed, causing papers, curtains, and manes to writhe and billow wildly, many clutched at their ears in pain. Luna immediately flashed bright pink, "I-I am so sorry, please, forgive my indignation. They will be assigned to help at once. More harm than good indeed."

She turned to Soul, who bowed, "Keeper, I approve your foraging mission. Shortly you will receive a letter that gives you full access to as many as five Nox level Battlemages. Take this group, and get these ponies the medicine they need! Know that you are the undisputed leader of the party. I assume you know what you are looking for?"

Soul saluted, "My Lady, I know healing herbs better than a Zebra witch doctor, we'll get those supplies and be back with a boatload before two days have passed. We'll search through the night, keep the moon bright for us your highness."

Luna nodded, "Then you are dismissed. Every pony! I need an inventory of all the supplies you have, paper, and an inkwell and quill!"

As Luna addressed the doctors and Halifax with her, Soul teleported to... wait, where was the Battlemage tower again?

The Battlemage Tower. Set right into the side of Canterlot Mountain, it's grasping spire nearly clutched the peak, reaching just above the Ward Loft of Canterlot Castle itself. Made from ancient black stone, long since grown over with vines and lichen, the place was a magical fortress beholden to none save the castle it protected. It's moat filled with magic made to unbalance and knock out enemies filled with nose-burningly strong acid brewed by the Vird-chemists that took up residency in the tower. It's great iron gate was a mess of different spells and wards, all built to withstand every conceivable angle of magical attack. To the great alarm of the two Album Gate Guards standing out front, Soul teleported inside.

"What the bucking devil?" One of them screamed, the other primed a fireball, before realizing that at this range it would incinerate them all, not just his target.

"Peace!" Soul yelled, holding up a sealed scroll stamped firmly with the seal of the Night Princess, and marked as a matter of national security by the black ribbon tied around it, "I come with orders from the Princesses, deliver this to the Head Mage with the weight of their proclamation to speed your way!"

In the olden days, wizards and mages were sticklers for puffed-up, over important language, as well as pomp. It seemed things hadn't changed much, the two low-level spellcasters immediately began to preen at the mere idea of delivering such an important message, and so they sped away like their tails were on fire and a particularly icy lake lay ahead of them.

Soul was in agony waiting for them to return. He paced back and forth the cobbled portcullis under the raised iron gate, around the front of the great tower, looking up upon its uniform, yet chaotic, structure, the bricks shifting layer by layer all the way to the top, never quite in the same position as any if the ones beneath them.

He sighed with relief as distant the distant popping of teleportation could be heard, and flashes registered in the corners of his eyes.

Appearing before him were five unicorns, each wearing a stark black robe with golden runic trim. The cloaks were obviously magical in nature, protective spells, like small walls of color, traced around each of the mages. Protection from all the basic elements was a given, and even against some Force, unfortunately a good enough stab would get through, they hadn't thought or didn't have the resources to ward off all weaponry.

There were three mares and two stallions in the group, bearing a wide range of coat and mane colors, though all of a similar styling.

"You are Private Soul Keeper?" One of the stallions, with a black coat to match his robe, asked in a bored tone.

Soul stood tall, reaching far above all of their heads even without his horn, which itself was taller than any of theirs, "I am. We must hurry, many lives are at stake-"

He was interrupted by a yawn from a pink mare, who scratched her eyes.

He cocked an eyebrow, seeing the grasping black-grey fingers of Sleep reluctantly clasping to her as if being physically pulled away, "You have... just woken up."

She looked at him accusatorially, "It's Saturday!"

He blinked. He hadn't had a day off in... well, weeks at least. And the last week he hadn't had a day without a double shift.

"Well, know it's for a good cause-"

He was interrupted again by a dark sea green mare, "Yeah, some of you guys apparently have the sniffles, hehe-"

Soul stepped smartly forward and cracked the insolent whelp across the face. She stumbled to the side making a gargled groan. She grasped at her cheek and tumbled so far she crashed heavily against the stone wall of the mage's tower.

Only then did Soul shiver slightly, and feel the freezing jaws slowly unhinge from his mind, leaving him with a slight headache, "Ponies are dying, Battlemage. Stand up!"

He roughly hauled the semi-conscious sorcerer to her hooves, plopping her down and facing the rest of the stunned troops, "I am your commanding officer for this field mission, as mandated by Princess Luna! While under my command, you will not make light of the grave peril the defenders of this kingdom are in, nor will you question my orders. Failure to meet these requirements will result in swift action. Am I clear?"

All of them bowed their heads, and looked at the ground, scuffing their hooves in embarrassment.

Soul drew in a long breath, "The proper address when an officer gives orders is yes sir."

They met his eyes. He met theirs. He let them see his mounting fury.

"Yes sir," the black stallion mumbled, and the others followed suit. Except the one he had struck, she seemed like she would take a while to come back around fully.

"Good," Soul began to pace in front of them, "our mission is to gather a variety of healing herbs from the surrounding area. Any of them we can find, we take. Specifically, look for the long, red fronds of the Heartswax plant, or the faint yellow of the Marrowmeld. Marrowmeld also appears to be dead most of the time, with blackened edges, do not be afraid to show samples to me that you fear might not be the right plant, and I will confirm. Is all of this understood?"

They all mumbled a yes sir.

"Wonderful. If all else fails, grab every scrap of Tenderleaf you can get your hooves on. It's a heart shaped leaf with exactly ten lines running through it, no more, no less. The thinner the lines, the better the quality."

"Excuse me, Soul was it?" Asked the mare that hadn't talked yet, a light blue number with a natural sneer, "Where exactly are we going to find all of these? And how?"

"Well miss, obviously we're going to the place where magical plants grow best: the Everfree Forest. As for how we're finding them..."

Soul thought for a moment before his horn flashed with light, and a set of circles was carved into the ground in front of him, "That's the groundwork we'll be using. It will detect any healing magic-"

"What is that?" the snooty one asked, interrupting for a third time. She seemed to be pointing at the circles.

Soul looked back and forth between them and her, "I trust you've seen the expression of a spell in formulaic form before, yes?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Are you joking? That looks nothing like a proper magical formula! Where did you learn this, from a bugbear with a stick in the mud? Imbecile. A proper formula looks like this!"

Her horn also lit up, a grayish white color. Slowly, lines etched themselves into the ground in a long and drawn out manner. It was... wrong. Just plain wrong. Yes, similar elements were there, Soul could see the Plant and Health magics were taken into account but...

"This is the wrong spell," he said flatly, much to the previously smug mare's shock.

He pointed to a section of the algorithm she had written that was devoid of magic, "What is this supposed to do?"

She huffed, "Well, to any pony that had formal training, it would be obvious that is where the uncertainty of the spell goes."

He raised an eyebrow and looked around, "You... you allow for uncertainties... in the spell formula itself?"

His incredulity did not phase her, "Of course! Where else would you put it?"

He gestured to his circle, "How about not having uncertainty at all and being efficient with your casting?"

She rolled her eyes, "Nopony can make those kinds of calculations in their head! At least, not fast enough to be useful!" she scoffed.

He pointed to her lines, "And where does this account for the building blocks of the plant you're looking for? The size, the shape, the color?"

She apparently didn't have an answer for that, "Well, um-"

"And what about potency? The spell you've drawn could just as easily have led you to a forest dragon, who's scales have both plant and healing properties, as an actual healing plant!" He took a deep breath, "No. I will not have any of you do something quick and risky, and die for it. You will take the time to make the proper calculations, and cast the detection spell with all the variables in mind. If you are unwilling to do so, you may leave."

The flouncy blue mare harumphed and turned to go.

"And rest assured my superiors will hear of your child-like and uncooperative conduct, completely unfit for a member of the elite spellcasters employed specifically to do their jobs correctly and thoroughly, with no mistakes."

That stopped her in her tracks, and she came back grumbling.

Soul sighed, "Now, all of you take a few minutes to work this out correctly. We will leave when you are finished and I have checked your work."

Surprisingly they took to this exercise right away, and all had notebooks and quills out and ready almost immediately. They must have been very used to this kind of rote activity. Some even seemed to enjoy the challenge of translating what they knew as the formula into his circle, which would have taken five formulas to write out properly in their long hoof.

"I have to admit," he heard the black stallion whisper to the pink mare when they thought he couldn't hear, "this design is pretty incredible! Look how much space it saves! Did he... really make that just now?"

"I doubt it," she whispered back, "there's no way, he probably wrote it all out earlier and then just copied it."

The stallion nodded, but they both still seemed to be trying to convince themselves.

"Alright," Soul called out when they'd finished to his satisfaction, they were all deft hooves and had taken to the new form with enthusiasm, "I will now teleport us to the Everfree. Don't lose those spell sheets!"

The blue mare snorted again, "That's impossible, our magic combined is too heavy for one unicorn-"

"- without a cir...cle..."

The Everfree. The first thing that struck you was the noise. The world's loudest jungle, it felt like. Thousands upon thousands of chittering, clattering, insects. The whoops and calls of twelve dozen different animals just around you alone. The sway, rustle, and whisper of the leaves and vines all dancing together as the breeze blew. This far from the center, just inside the very edge, the wind still blew quickly and freely, and the air was not nearly as dead as the interior.

A fresh layer of snow covered the ground and treetops. The whole forest sparkled and shimmered, and from every tree dangled icicles and mistletoe. Farther in, it would be much warmer. It was almost the same climate year round. The Everfree kind of did what it wanted on that front.

She wasn't wrong, it was very hard to lift and transport that much magic. Luckily for them, Soul had more magic than all of them combined, several times over. But they didn't need to know that.

"Come on," he said softly, "I want to be back before sunrise with more plants and multipurpose healing ingredients than the infirmary will know what to do with."

The six unicorns began to stalk through the snow, and Soul watched excitedly as they all cast their new type of spell for the first time.

The black stallion got it first. Soul could See the Thought and Spirit in his body click into place, and a wave of realization, but also satisfaction and peace, understanding, flowed through his body in a multichromatic wave.

"Woah," he said, stunned, as his horn pulsed a soft green sphere away from himself, blanketing the snowy landscape like morning dew. The beads of green light quickly faded away, before the next gentle pulse sounded, blanketing the area softly again.

Soon each of them let out exclamations of mild surprise as each clicked the spell into place, even the cynical blue mare.

"Alright everypony," Soul said, talking a little louder than he would like over the noise of the forest, "be very careful, and stick together. We go in pairs. Report back here at sunset. If anything happens, holler, I'll hear you. Move."

With that the three pairs split off together, surprisingly it was the blue skeptic that chose to go with Soul deeper into the darkening forest. Her gentle swish of cloth overpowered by the clanking of his armor, which he quickly noticed, and silenced with a grimace.

They went for a good while without speaking, save for the occasional gesture at when the green light remained stuck to a particular plant or bit of snow with something buried underneath. The silence was both tense and unwelcome. It made Soul jumpy, and he felt bad that he had so soundly thrashed the mare's intelligence. He also felt bad about hitting the other one, but... less so. Pony's lives were never something to make light of.

"I have concluded," she said, finally, as they stepped over a decaying log that had fallen over some semblance of a trail that they were following, "that you are impossible."

He snorted, "Really now? And how do you figure that?"

It seemed that was the exact answer she wanted, "On average, to attain the level of Nox within the Battlemages, a pony must possess at least 543.33 swirl of magical power."

Swirl? Soul wondered. He'd never heard of the unit of measurement.

"As every unicorn knows, due to Starswirl the Bearded's Magica-Mass Conversion Theorem, this would be the equivalent of lifting a hundred kilograms with your four hooves. Approximately, of course. Now, each of my company-"

"Watch that branch."

"Right, thanks. Where was I? Ah, right, each of my company, myself included, has the potential to advance to at least Caer, some of us more," she preened in a way that indicated she was one of the more category, "that means that, for each one of us, you'd be lifting two hundred and fifty kilos with your mind-"

"Not my mind, and watch out for that snake."

"Ah!"

"Don't worry, got it."

"Are you sure? I hate snakes!"

"Yes, I'm sure, step over this here, it'll sink."

"What I'm trying to say is, for your... position, such a feat is impossible! Therefore, you are impossible."

Soul turned to look into her sky blue eyes, filled with curiosity and intelligence, the sounds of the lively forest chirping wildly around them, the faint drift of chilled humidity floating like a ghost between them.

She realized how intensely he was staring at her and blushed slightly, "W-what?"

He chuckled a little, "I just thought you meant I was difficult," and then he kept on broadcasting the spell. It was going well, he had almost an armful of Tenderleaf already, and more than a few heads of Wartfoil. Still no Marrowmeld though, that would really help to bring down the fever.

As he stalked away into the forest, the blue mare stood with her mouth agape, looking at him like he was insane. She chased after him, albeit loudly and poorly, "Well?! Explain yoursel- mmf!"

Faster than a leopard, Soul darted back to her and clamped a hoot down over her mouth. His ears were pricked up, and swiveled to and fro. He could have sworn...

The mare started to protest and struggle, Soul held clenched slightly harder and held his other hoof up in a gesture of patience as he scanned the surrounding forest. What was different? What had he heard?

A soft pad sounded to their right, and instantly a beam of energy bolted a ten foot pillar in that direction, blasting a seared hole through the foliage and muggy air. Soul just caught a glimpse of the back of a large scorpion's tail before it was sheared clean off by the atomizing magic. To its credit, the predator made no sound, slinking off to find easier prey.

After several tense seconds where Soul could practically hear the thundering heartbeat of the black robed mage, he slowly released her mouth.

Looking deep into her eyes, he said quietly, "I would advise not yelling so much while we're here. It tends to attract... unwanted attention," then he moved on to look for more healing plants. They had a job to do after all.

At sunset, about six hours after they had split up, all three pairs reconvened at the correct location.

"I'm impressed," Soul said as each of them filtered in dirty, tired, and hungry, "I've seen soldiers get more lost heading to the bathroom."

"Because you work with imbeciles," the blue mare whispered to herself. He chose to keep the fact that he could hear her to himself for the moment.

Soul closed his eyes, and a series of circles burned itself into the ground, than sprang alight with fire. Many of those gathered sighed with relief and slumped down, exhausted, in it's warmth. A dank chill had swept into the area over the last few hours, soaking them all to the bone with humidity, then settling right on in with the freezing cold that cut through any cloth or armor. Even magical cloth and armor, it seemed. It felt very good to rest and warm up by the merrily flickering light of the fire.

"We'll take a break here. Get some food and drink into you, then we'll all take a thirty minute nap. After that, we're on two hour shifts. One team sleeps, one team watches, and one team gathers."

The black stallions spoke up, "Wait, that's not... you don't mean for us to go back out there in the- in the dark, do you?"

Soul nodded solemnly, "Yes, I do mean that. It's no more dangerous than in the day."

"Except for all the nocturnal animals that are up now," the sea green mare grumbled, apparently recovered from the blow she'd received earlier to once again state the obvious.

"Right, and all the daytime hunters are now asleep," he said in as patronizing a voice as he could manage, making her embarrassed and grumbly.

That was unnecessary, he thought to himself, immediately feeling a stab of shame, you're a better leader than that. Than this. Act like it.

Soul nodded, "But she's right, you know. Many of the more deadly animals here are nocturnal, we'll be more cautious," he thought for a moment, "Very well. As a safety measure, I will go with all away teams to ensure their safety."

"What good is one extra horn gonna do?" One of them griped.

Soul was about to speak, but he was beaten to the punch by the blue mare, "Private Keeper was able to vaporize the tail of a stalking manticore based on sound alone. He's the best equipped of us to deal with this environment, mentally, magically, and physically."

He was... actually taken aback by such a ringing endorsement. Her tone and expression were frank as she said it, as if she were simply stating facts while he fire outlined the contours of her face in vivid shadow.

"Really Pearl? Love for the Guard? From you?" the sea green unicorn said incredulously. The others seemed to share the sentiment. It was funny how, if Soul didn't talk, they all just seemed to forget he was there and speak freely.

Pearl shrugged, "It's just obvious, from the evidence I've seen. He is our superior in more than temporary title."

"Bullshit," the black stallion spat, "I don't see him painted red!"

Soul quirked an eyebrow at the odd expression, but let it slide in favor of listening more. He also subtly introduced foodstuffs into the firelight, which they began to reach for and eat without even realizing it.

"He could be," Pearl said quietly, genuine, "I think he really could be."

That got the rest of them quiet as they observed her morose expression, "So... why not?"

Pearl shook her head sadly, "I have no clue."

They sat in silence for a long time after that, shoveling food into their mouths like it was their last meal, before Soul stepped into the light again. Even then, they didn't register his presence until he spoke.

"Alright mares and gentlecolts, try to get some sleep. I'll wake you up when thirty minutes are done," he didn't tell them that he was waiting for the last one to fall asleep to start the timer. Or that he might have snuck a sleep spell or two their way to speed up the process for those more used to a feather bed than the world's first mattress.

After the half hour mark he gently woke the pink mare for her shift to journey into the yawning depths of the jungle with him. Her words, not his. He left the sea green mare and the quiet blue stallion on watch, this early into the night they probably wouldn't be in danger of anything too big, especially as camped on the fringes of the forest as they were.

"So, what's your name?" he whispered to the pink mare as they each began pulsing a long strobe of green light, adding a sickly glow, and an ominous throwing of shadows to the already intensely intimidating atmosphere of the forest.

He heard her gulp, "Flower, Flower Power. Nox Power, is- is my title."

Soul nodded, and moved unconcerned, hoping his mannerisms would soothe and calm the twitchy mare, "Yes, I've heard a few of these. Album, Vird, Nox, Pearl back there even mentioned something called a Caer, these are your ranks, I assume."

Flower nodded, "You are correct, well done," she sounded pleasantly surprised, "There are a myriad of ranks above Caer, some higher than others, but not all the time. It's a confusing web of politics, once you pick your field of specialty," she sighed, "I feel that I shall, at some point, miss these times of simple study. Although, not this part. This part is awful."

Soul laughed, "What? Traipsing around the deadliest jungle on the planet isn't a fun enough field trip for you?"

She giggled, "In the dead of winter, no less!"

He chuckled alongside her, "And best of all at night!"

Their laughter, quiet though it was, still set Soul on edge. He didn't want to be this loud, though he could See perfectly fine in the pitch darkness. Better, actually, since he didn't have the constant haze of Light from the sun to cloud his Sight. He was glad she seemed more relaxed, though, and he noticed that she actually took to finding the plants with a relish, practically gasping for joy every time she was able to spot one without the aid of their spell. He saw a few curly blond locks slip from her hood as she rushed over to pick some more Tenderleaf.

"You are to be a botanist, then?" he asked.

She ran back, carrying an armful of leaves and stems that he quietly teleported to camp. She snorted, "Close, natural science, actually. I love plants and animals, but you're right that I favor flora. There's just... something about flowers."

He nodded, "No doubt, many mares seem to share your conviction, if only on an amateur level, I am sure you see something in plants that none of them ever could. Each has their own unique beauty, their own soul, if you will. It takes a very special kind of eye to see each and every one as much more than a field or a patch, but a population. A choir, if you'll forgive my romanticism."

He looked from his tangent to find her staring at him with that look. Wide pink eyes, with a slightly open mouth, full lips sparkling with gloss with the gentle warm green pulsing of her horn.

Shit, he thought to himself with a hidden grimace, I've done it again haven't I?

His stomach gave a quiet rumble of satisfaction.

Shut up, you, he chastised himself.

"Ahem, yes, well, anyway. Let's uh, let's move on."

They stayed quiet for quite a while, and the sounds and smells of the night overtook them. The rustle of the underbrush, the quiet, distant roar of millions of insects, the humid cold blanketing not just their fur, but their skin, the smell of decaying plant matter and dismal air. The treetops were so thick that no light could shine through them, but Soul had hope that the moon was still bright, as he'd asked.

After about an hour, he turned them around, looping back towards the camp.

"Aw, so soon?" Flower asked.

Soul gave a smiled, "Maybe you won't look back on these times so harshly after all, hm?"

That seemed to give her thought, and they made the rest of the trip back in silence.

They had a pretty good haul, a really great one considering how much they'd gathered during that day. More than enough to restock the infirmary for the time being, but Soul sure wasn't sure how long it would last. Better to gather more than enough.

Flower relieved the green mare from watch duty, at the request of the stallion, and so Soul woke up the black stallion for the next forest foray.

"We've never been properly introduced," the unicorn said, " I'm Point Break, nice to meet you."

Soul shook his hoof, "Soul Keeper, nice to meet you too."

Things were awkward at first, of course Break made it that way by not wanting to talk, but Soul was more than willing to give the guy his own space while he figured out their dynamic. Soul took them on a more southerly route this time, skirting the opposite edge of the forest as he had with Flower. Point Break had been the first of the unicorns to catch on to Soul's method of spellcasting, he remembered.

"In answer to your question from earlier," Soul spoke up, and the stallion, to his credit, paid attention, "I did create this spell for identifying healing plants on the spot. It's not that hard when you've practiced with this method as much as I have."

Point blinked, "You... heard us?"

Soul smiled, though Point couldn't see, "I hear most things, Mister Break," he decided to leave it at that, a stallion had to be a little mysterious, after all.

Point Break snorted, "Yeah, seems so. Pearl said that you heard a manticore earlier. If anypony else had said that, I woulda called bullshit. But I guess... you're the real deal."

"I noticed," Soul said, "that you used a phrase I'd never heard before. You said that I wasn't "painted red", what did you mean?"

Soul could feel the stallion's blush without even looking in his direction, "You heard that too, huh? It's a, uh, it's just a battlemage thing," he petered off awkwardly.

Soul raised an eyebrow at him in one of the periods of green strobe light, "Yes, I assumed so..." he let the statement hang, making the other stallion more uncomfortable by the second.

Point sighed, "It means that you have the potential to be a Rubrum, the highest class of battlemage. It's mostly used for ponies that are way too arrogant, or running hot with magic. We say they're painted red."

Soul nodded, "Another thing this Pearl thinks I am capable of. I assume she, too, is painted red?"

Point broke out laughing, and had to stifle himself after a sharp look from Soul, "Sorry, sorry, it's just... well, it's not your fault, you have no context for that saying other than what I just told you, it's just that... hoo, man, don't ever let her hear you say that!"

Soul could see several lifeforms that had taken pause after Point's outburst. Many of them were poisonous. And many of those were large.

"Extinguish your spell," he said quietly, and Point did exactly as he was told, becoming instantly serious. Soul flattened the both of them against a tree, and concealed them from all senses but touch.

They waited there, in the darkness, for minutes. He was glad that the beasts of the night could not hear the thumping of Point's heart, loud as a drum in these woods.

At one point, something passed in front of them. Soul didn't know what it was, but he could feel the heat of it radiating on his face. The scary thing was that was the only thing he could tell about it without his Sight. It made no sound, reflected no light, and emitted no strong smell. Much like them, but it did this naturally, requiring no magic to be an unbelievably deadly predator. Eventually the dangers passed, and Soul relinquished them both from his magical grasp.

"We're heading back early," he whispered, "It's been almost an hour anyway, and we haven't been finding very much. Hold on to my tail, I will guide you."

It was a grueling hike back to the camp. Something had caught Point's scent or sound, and three times the pair had to avoid being caught by something they couldn't see. Well, Soul could see them, he just didn't want to waste magic dealing with them. He was already lower than he'd like. He'd have to fill up with Hallow after all of this was over.

Oooor... we could take a little nibble of Pearl... no, that's stupid. Rutting? Here? In the woods? With... so many dangerous predators around and... so much risk it... damn that's hot, but no! Bad idea, save for later.

They eventually made it back, and Point relived the blue stallion, whereupon Soul woke Pearl for her shift in the woods. She went along without complaint.

He knew without asking that she was the most powerful of the group, so he felt more comfortable foraging deeper into the Everfree with her to snag more valuable ingredients. They cut southeast, towards the heart of the jungle.

Surprisingly, she wasn't that talkative. She would respond detachedly to questions, but most of the time she was very quiet. It helped their scavenging, and they managed to find many plants that Soul was overjoyed to see, but it made for a boring trip.

"What's gotten into you, Pearl?" Soul asked as they were headed back to camp, and getting out of the more dangerous zones of the jungle, "You were much more interested in me earlier, had plenty to say and ask, and now you barely speak."

She sighed, "To be frank, Soul Keeper, your presence disheartens me. I'd always heard that we were the best, and that the only unicorns who joined the Guard were the ones who couldn't hack it in our ranks. But now that I see one as powerful as you among their number... it is just another lie I was told."

Soul clicked his tongue, "Well, I wouldn't say that. I only know one other unicorn in the Guard, and he's in the advanced squad, with me. That poor bastard can barely cast one spell in three without it fizzling out, and his magical potential is one of the lowest I've seen in a unicorn. It's no wonder he hates my guts and tries to sabotage me almost any chance he gets."

She looked at him, shocked, "They allow that kind of behavior in the guard?"

He shrugged, "He's very good at hiding what he does, and I don't report it. The Guard is all the kid has, if I took that away from him like that, who would I be?" Soul shook his head sadly.

The rest of the night passed swiftly and profitably, the spell really paid off. The green mare's name was Peanut, and they apologized to each other for what each had done. She was a nice mare, a little lazy, but such a problem was easily fixed. Soul could not get a single word out of the blue stallion the entire night. It made for a very creepy experience when they came across an abandoned fort in the woods and Soul could have sworn the guy was buzzing. All in all it was a net gain, though. And as the sun's rays began to peak over the bleak horizon, an exhausted Soul took inventory.

"Well I will be DAMNED, we did it, folks!" He yelled, and a ragged cheer went up from the battered mages, all of whom seemed very proud of the good work they'd done that night. Probably the first time in a long time they'd accomplished something tangible, more than just pure theory.

Soul proudly observed the veritable dragon's hoard of plants they had acquired throughout the night, the area practically glowed with healing magic, and all of them felt a little lighter on their feet, though that might have been the lack of restful sleep talking.

"Alright, everypony, listen up!" all of the mages snapped to firm attention, "There's a lot of teleporting that needs to be done, and I don't want a single shred of any of this getting lost! Consider this your... final exam!" he knew the analogy would rile them up. Every single one of them, without fail, hardened and stood stronger, taller, and far more alert than they had previously. Those words were their own, special, kind of magic.

Soul closed his eyes, and the trees around him melted, flowing streams of wood snaked across the ground, before reforming into separate wooden barrels, each with the name of a plant carved into it. When he opened his eyes, Soul beheld the absolutely dumbfounded faces of six medium-strength mages. He had to admit, it was a good feeling.

"Nox Power!" he called.

"Yes sir!" she saluted.

"You will be the lead sorter! Identify or create a system for identifying each plant that we've gathered and store it in these barrels! Inform me if we run out of space."

"Aye aye, sir!" she cheered, and set to work, her pink aura grabbing loads of the plants at a time and neatly setting them into the barrels while she explained her process to the others. She was quick, efficient, and accurate. Within an hour all of the barrels were packed to the brim, and not a single leaf out of place.

"Very good, Nox Power, A+ for you!" she beamed with joy, and the others actually looked slightly jealous.

"Nox Break and Pearl!" he called.

"Yes sir!" they said in unison.

"Prepare us a teleportation circle to the infirmary in Canterlot Castle, I want all of us and the packages delivered safely and with minimal loss of magic!"

They immediately set to work, carving a large circle onto the ground with their magic, runes filling the intervening space. Soul judged it to be... fairly competent, though he was sure they weren't slacking, not with how hard both of them were sweating with concentration. Within half an hour they were finished, huffing with exertion.

"Excellent work, you two, A+. Now, Nox Peanut and... other guy, you two will be doing the actual teleporting. Everypony give yourself a protection from disease enchantment, we don't want anypony here catching what the other guards caught. After that, begin the teleport."

Everypony's horn flashed, and the two designated drivers of this fiasco moved into their positions in the circle. Soon, their horns began to glow a deep blue, which quickly rose in brightness, size, and color. Around the group, the circle began to light up as well, slowly rising, spinning, flashing, and then POP

WHUMP

With a thud from the displaced air, the group appeared just outside of the infirmary door, which was shut and sealed, no doubt to prevent the spread of infection. Everypony, save Soul, slumped to the floor with weariness. Soul immediately ran to the door and banged on it with his unnatural strength, making the whole thing shudder. He heard movement cease momentarily on the other side, before it swung open to reveal the unparalleled, and slightly tired looking, visage of Princess Luna.

Giving a bow that he almost didn't recover from, Soul intoned, "A dozen barrels full of medicine my Princess, as promised and requested," he looked back with pride over his small group of mages, who all gawked like idiots at their beautiful Princess.

"Soul Keeper, you are a godsend!" he heard a familiar voice say, and before he could even turn around he was being tackle hugged by his plump, sexy, doctor mare.

Halifax roughly turned his head and kissed him soundly on the lips in front of the Princess and all five mages, which actually made him blush with embarrassment.

"Alright, Halifax, alright," he laughed, watching at least two of the three unicorn mares deflate slightly, "we have a job to do!"

She pulled back, and for the first time he would really see the bags under her eyes, and the frizz in her usually immaculate mane. She'd been working non-stop since this whole thing began. Celestia, what a mare.

"We?" she said suspiciously, like a mother scolding her child.

"Yes, "we", I'm one of the best healers in your arsenal, I'm not going to let a little sleep deprivation get me down, and neither are you! Come on, let's get these in there and start divvying them out."

And so they went.

The situation was as dire as Soul had believed, some of the patients in the ward had been without medication for as long as three days, and although their bodies were fighting it off, there were some who weren't faring so well.

Soul walked up to one of the quarantine barriers being maintained by the green-robed Battlemages. They looked him over and saw the doctor's assistant patch that Halifax had given to him. They nodded to him and opened the barrier a fraction so that he could slip through, immediately closing it behind him. Inside, on a sickbed, and barely breathing, was a small brown unicorn.

Knives Deavy's eye rolled open, squinting against the light that bathed him from the overhead lamp. When he saw it was Soul he just closed his eyes again. Knives was already small, and fairly frail, too, as it turned out. He'd been one of the hardest hit when the infection had started to spread. Especially since he hadn't told anypony until it was already crippling. Now he lay on a stretcher hooked up to life support, the fever ravaging his body.

Soul lifted the oxygen mask a tad, and slipped a small yellow-black leaf cutting into his mouth. It seemed like Knives wanted to deny it, but he was so weak and delirious it seemed he lacked the physical control to do so. Soul Saw with relief that the healing properties of the Marrowmeld immediately began to go to work, seeping antibiotics from the bones and into the bloodstream, destroying the pathogen all over the body. It was one of the best healing plants in this area, and Soul had only managed to gather a small amount of it, so it was being held for the worst cases.

Knives gasped at first, his eyes widening in shock, and then his whole body relaxed with unspoken relief as the heat and pain diminished.

Soul nodded, and turned to leave.

"Why?"

Soul turned to see Knives staring at him.

"Why... did you... save... me?"

Soul smiled, "Look Knives, I know you hate me. And have tried to kill me, or get me killed, several times. But you're still my squadmate, and, more than that, you're a pony in need. And I would never-"

"No!" Knives coughed, glaring at Soul as he hacked weakly into his blanket, "I coulda... made it... on my own. Don't need you to... save me..."

Soul slumped slightly, "Oh. I see. No, Knives, you couldn't have. Without the medicine I just gave you, you would have been dead by the end of the day."

Knives gritted his teeth, "I'm... just as... strong as you!"

Soul shook his head, "No Knives, you're not. And you won't ever be. I'm sorry, that's just the way it is."

Knives slammed his head back onto his pillow, "It's not... fair..."

Soul shook his head, "Look, Knives, you need to quit trying to prove you're something you aren't. You were never going to be a powerful wizard, that's why you got rejected from the Battlemages, wasn't it?"

Knives gasped sharply, like he'd been stabbed.

"Yeah, I figured. So you joined the Guard instead to try and prove yourself, you got put in the advanced squad because you were a unicorn, a rare resource. And then it turns out that you can't prove yourself, because there's nothing to prove."

Soul sighed and started to pace, "Look Knives, I appreciate a stallion trying to earn his way in life, but you're going about it the wrong way. You shouldn't have joined the guard because you wanted fame and glory, you should have joined it because you wanted to help ponies."

Soul shook his head, and turned to leave again, "You'll have a lot of time to think while you recover. I know you don't want my advice but... leave the Guard. Find a different way to train your body and mind into what you want it to be, and believe me there are plenty of other ways. I know you can do it, Knives, you've got the willpower for it, but this place can't give you what you need. Goodbye."

Over the next several hours, Soul lost count of how many, he went threw a similar process with every patient he could reach. Administering doses in the correct manner, talking to them about their health and their lives, and sometimes, when it was needed, using magic to destroy a particularly virulent piece of the flu-like virus.

As the hour struck eight one night, Soul stumbled out of a barrier, head spinning both with exhaustion, and a deeper weariness. He'd already been low on magic when they'd gone to the Everfree. And after... what, a day? Two? All on his feet, casting complex healing spells... it was starting to take its very grave toll.

One of the nurses floating around noticed his near-collapse, and called for Halifax.

"Soul!" she rushed over to him, trying her best to support his large frame, "Soul, what's wrong, are you okay?"

Soul looked around and saw many eyes on him, worried. What were they-

Oh, they must think I caught the virus.

Had he? Soul ran a quick check of his internal organs, and no, there was no trace of the disease. Just magical dehydration then, good.

"Hey, Doc, could I speak to you in private for a moment?" he asked, she nodded quickly, and they began to head for the exit, when a presence stopped them.

"Private Soul Keeper," called the Princess of the Night, looming large before them. Well, before one of them, Soul was at least as tall as she was.

"My Princess," he bowed with some difficulty, it felt like his ribs were grinding together.

She looked around the room, and noticed the much more... relaxed pace the doctors were keeping. Oh sure, it was still frenetic, but it lacked the stakes and sense of tension that it had held when he first brought her here, "You have... stood watch over the patients?"

"Actually, ma'am," Halifax spoke up, "He's been working without ceasing since he returned from the Everfree two and a half days ago. I tried to tell him to take brakes and sleep, but... well, he's also been doing a world of good. Most of the progress that's been made has been by his hooves."

Soul bowed again, "She exaggerates on my behalf, my lady. I did what had to be done, and that's all there is to it. I fear, though, that I now find myself... taxed. Heavily taxed, yes."

The Princess finally turned from the room and studied him, then gasped, "Oh my! Yes, by all means, go, rest! I did not mean to... keep you," it could have been Soul's wild and very tired imagination, but it distinctly looked like she was holding herself back from laughing at her own terrible pun.

"Thank you, my lady," he said, slowly walking past her, wincing with every other step.

"So... what's wrong, Soul?" Halifax asked, her big, gorgeous eyes like melting amber looking into his.

"Halifax... I do believe I'm almost out of magic again."

Battlemage Tower, forty-third floor -

"Thank you all for coming," said the aged unicorn, long, dusty grey robe spilling out from behind the ancient wooden desk at which he sat. Before him, in his large octangular room of worked stone bricks, stood five mages, each in a black robe. Two stallions, three mares.

"Tell me... all you can about the subject you were assigned to study," he said carefully, pulling out a long, black quill, and preparing a parchment scroll.

All of the black-robed ones looked to one of their number, a mare with fur of light blue, who stepped forward.

The gnarled old unicorn looked up, "Ah, Nox Pearl, is it?"

Pearl nodded, "Yes sir, reporting on the anomalous entity. You were correct in assuming we would get the chance to study it closely on field assignment."

The old man huffed as he wrote, "It was the Rubrum, not I, that foresaw this opportunity when Album Scratch spoke with him on the training ground. He knew the entity's powers were too great to not show themselves in a time of need."

Pearl nodded, "Well sir,we can safely say that the anomalous entity remains... anomalous. Even we five, all of the highest rank of Nox, ascending to Caer, could barely understand what he was doing half of the time. We compared notes, we theorized and tested in the field, none of it matches current standards, in a... large way. As I have reported, he first demonstrated his unusual casting method, which I have submitted be of ultimate study priority, as it allows for zero uncertainty in the spell, and even seems to... amplify its consequence... somehow."

The scratching of the pen echoed throughout the room, before the wizened old mage turned his almost white eyes to Pearl again, "Go on."

She blinked, "Well sir... there is of course the fact that he was able to teleport all of us, five full Nox, no less than five hundred miles in an instant, without a circle. This could be due to the enhanced casting, but even so it would take an immense amount of power, something only a Rubrum or... higher would be capable of."

On and on the quill scratched, until silence draped them all. The wizard looked up again, but stopped himself, as it seemed that Pearl was debating what to say next.

"And then... sir... and this could be complete speculation, or natural hormones, but sir... the entity has this... aura. I felt it, Nox Power felt it, as did Nox Peanut. Nox Breaker and Ganger report feeling something similar, yet different. Just... the desire to... obey, to submit. For the mares it seemed to be... slightly more intense, but we all felt it."

The old wizard finished writing, and leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.

After several minutes, with no sound but the faint whispering of breath, he looked up, "Well then. We'll just have to keep an Eye on him, won't we?"

Canterlot Castle, The Royal Breakfast Room -

slurp

...

Slurp

...

SLURP

Celestia giggled as her sister very loudly sucked tea from her teacup, which set the other off as well. She loved this time they got to share, as Luna passed into sleep, and Celestia watched her Sun rise. It was the one time they could be sisters again.

BAP

"Ouch! Luna, be careful, I've still got tea in my hooves!" Celestia said, perturbed as her sister hit her again with a pillow.

"Make me! Rawr!" Luna said, laughing, as she flung another at the ruler of the sun, who deftly caught it, and sent it spinning right back.

This continued for several minutes.

At the end of it all, they both lay breathless on opposite sides of the room, feathers and shredded bits of colorful cloth having exploded every which way across the room. The servants would hate cleaning all this up, but at least they had something to do.

"Oh, that reminds me," Luna said, coming out of her malaise, "I have something interesting to tell you, sister."

"What is it?" Celestia asked, not bothering to move.

"Well, you remember that Private? The handsome one with the massive horn?" Luna said, knowing full well she could have used Private Keeper's name just as easily.

"Yes, I know him," Celestia rolled her eyes, "What about him?"

"I'm recommending him for a promotion," Luna said.

"What, again?"

"Yes, sister. He acted on his own initiative, led a foray into incredibly hostile territory, leading a team that had every right to cause him Tartarus, and yet, he came back unscathed and having completed his objective above and beyond our expectations," Luna hesitated, "and... there is one other thing."

Celestia sensed her sister's change in tone, "What is it?"

"We, you and I, were already aware of his abnormal ability to see through illusionary magic, I have discovered another of his quirks. When I teleported him to the infirmary... he was heavy. Not unliftable, but still... a weight! I was so surprised that I actually grunted upon arrival. He must posses vast, and I mean truly vast, magical power."

Celestia stared at the wall in thought for a while, chewing on the inside of her cheek, as she often did in private, "Well then," she finally said, "I guess we'll have to keep an eye on him."

Author's Note

Soul Keeper has successfully the deaths of hundreds by delivering much needed supplies to the beleaguered doctors during the harsh winter season. But what plans do the shadowy Battlemages have in store for him? How will he fare under the intensified scrutiny of the Princesses?

Find out, next time.

Ghost of Hearth's Warming's Past

"Althos adenadem althriass. Bound by the Night, we who Keep her word," - Predictions and Prophecies

Many ponies probably never thought about it, but it was incredibly hard to remain sexy and alluring when one was half-dead and so starved for magic they could practically taste it with every frantic inhalation.

Oh sure, Soul talked a big game in the palace halls after playing the big hero, and saving all the ponies, hooray, but he and Doctor Quintex were not fifty feet from the castle exit before he started to stumble over his own hooves, and not a hundred feet before she started to notice.

"You... sure you're alright, Soul?" She asked, her honeyed voice so full of concern, her amber eyes shining like orange stars in the bitter winds of the nighttime streets.

"Fine!" He chattered in an attempt at cheerfulness, bumping into her flank with his playfully. Unfortunately she was smarter than that.

Her eyebrow immediately raised, and she halted in the street, pulling out some doctor's implement or another from one of her sterilized saddle bags, "Soul, look at me," she spoke sternly, with matronly concern.

Damn. Did she have to do this here? Soul glanced around at the frosted over windows and the glinting white hints of icicles beginning to dot the window frames of the noble Trottingham houses that surrounded them on the high street. There wasn't even a moon out tonight, only the dim glow of torch or candlelit windows offered any guidance on their path towards the doctor's house. All the rooms at the castle were full up with patients, at least that had been her excuse. It was Soul's quiet hope that she wished to take their relationship further, if only subconsciously.

"Quin?" He said in a clipped tone, pulling her along with a surprising amount of strength, "No matter what my condition may be, I assure you, it can only be worsened by standing here in the freezing cold while my body naturally attempts to suck out my magic reserves to ensure I stay warm. The faster we get where we're going, the faster I'll allow you to examine me."

She sputtered as she was unceremoniously dragged along, "Allowed to- I am a royal physician!"

"And I have the strength of ten earth ponies, which accolade do you think will prevail in this situation?" He retorted. Actually it was more than that, but who was counting?

She huffed and grumbled about how he was only making it worse for himself, but she came along eventually, trotting quickly beside his brisk, albeit slightly wobbly, pace.

"Soul-"

"I told you, you can examine me-"

"Soul! We're here."

Soul looked around, bemused. They were hardly a mile from the castle, still in what was considered the noble district. Before him stood a very pretty two story abode, rather thin, but the length more than made up for it. Ancient stone bricks and crenelations made up the facade out front, and a stacked stone wall ran around the small yard of the property. The roof was made of a tall steeple that actual resembled a clocktower, even having a large circular window near the top. Soft yellow light shone from the two front bay windows, and an arched wooden door with an iron lion's head knocker hung heavy in its frame.

"You live here? It's... so..."

Halifax narrowed her eyes, "So what?"

He looked at her, concerned, "Expensive."

She blinked, and looked sheepishly away, "Well... I told you my family was well-to-do," she awkwardly rubbed her shin with her front hoof, "A-anyway, let's get you inside. I'll make you some coffee. Or tea, if you'd prefer."

Soul was ushered into quite a cozy little foyer, dark hardwood floorings paired with modern plaster walls, colored like creme. A large chandelier hung from the high ceiling above, and an old staircase ran upwards in the rather small space to the second floor.

They both wiped their hooves on a cute little Welcome Home mat decorated like a map, and Soul took a minute to look around the home.

With his Sight, he could detect a faint wave of drifting and hazy gold bands wafting from a particular area upstairs, which must have been where she kept her valuables, the blue shades of water flowed from several ares, indicating three bathrooms and one smaller one which must have been a kitchen due to the red of flame and heat being present. It seemed... simple. Cozy, noble, in a spartan sort of way but... nice and simple.

"Can I get you anything special?" she said from behind him, and Soul's breath caught as he turned to look at her.

In the soft, warm glow from the candle chandelier, her chocolate coat and hair practically shimmered, and her orange eyes danced like flames, playful and intelligent. He felt a surge sweep through his heart, and his stomach growled with predatory hunger.

Halifax laughed, "Maybe something to eat?"

"Oh, um... sure!" He didn't want to be rude, and as a doctor she probably wouldn't believe him if he told her he didn't eat. Although she had gone along with the magic gathering through sex idea pretty quick...

She was also incredibly horny at the time, an early heat is no joke.

Hm. That might be a problem this time. He definitely would have to take things slower, and could not, under any circumstances, risk pulling any kinky maneuvers like he had last time. At least, not until he was absolutely certain she was within his grasp. Hopefully nothing... too problematic would occur.

He moved through the small hallway after her, and frowned very slightly as he saw her keep her tail firmly in place. This might be a tougher nut to crack than he'd originally thought.

She led him into a little lounge area that seemed to connect to the rest of the bottom floor of the house. Painted archways led off from the four walls into the kitchen, dining area, and office space, but the room still felt self contained, and not too open. Cloth chairs and sofas, colored to match the dark floors, were spread throughout the room in seemingly no particular manner, but it still felt as if the room came together nicely, despite the appearance of chaos. Full bookshelves lined two of the far walls, and Soul was interested in taking a peek at the doctor's selection before she recalled his attention.

"Is a cucumber sandwich fine?" She asked sweetly from the kitchen.

"Oh, um, yes please. Thank you!" He answered a little awkwardly.

What was that? he thought angrily to himself, You're trying to woo this mare and you the first thing out of your mouth in her home is a please and thank you?

Soul shivered, and rubbed his foreleg with a hoof. It may have just been the absolutely arctic temperatures outside, but he felt... chilled. The pain of the cold brought him focus, however, and soon he set about to enhance the mood.

The den was warmly lit, for certain, but it lacked romance. Not surprising that most of her furnishings were clinical, she was a doctor after all, but it left room for improvement.

There was a small snap, and logs filled the small fireplace that sat on the far side of the room, and a crackle later they were ablaze, popping and sizzling contentedly. He chose to sit on a long couch that was comfortably close to the flames, and then frowned as he noticed a lack of candles.

Guess I'll just have to create my own aroma. Honestly, so much work...

His horn rippled, as a very heavy, slightly sweet scent filled the air. It held a wisp of alpine forests, and blended wonderfully with the snapping of the fire.

"What would you like to drink?" A call came from behind him.

"Hot chocolate, if you have any," he answered slyly.

"You know, I just might have that myself," he heard her mutter to herself.

Perfection.

A few minutes later, Quin came out carrying a small tray that Soul immediately lifted in his magic from its precarious position in her mouth.

"Oh! Thanks for that, it's a little small for two," she chuckled, then Soul noticed as her nose twitched, and she looked around with a bemused expression. Looking back at him, her eyes widened, "Oh, you got a fire going!"

He nodded, "It seemed appropriate, for all the chill wind outside."

Halifax shivered as a sudden draft flushed across the back of her neck, and she cursed the old house under her breath as she hurried towards the fire. She hesitated before she sat.

Soul raised an eyebrow, "Is something wrong?"

The amber eyes glanced at him, then back to the couch, "No, not at all."

Almost gingerly, she sat at the other end of the couch and he handed her a steaming cup of hot chocolate. She eagerly gulped it down, shuddering as warmth flooded her system, "Ahhhh, that's better."

Soul tried not to look too distastefully at his cucumber sandwich, and devoured the thing whole in one, distinctly unpleasant, bite. It was, ultimately, of no consequence. Soon he would have a more filling meal to savor.

The fire continued its gentle noises, and time dragged on as neither of them spoke. Soul did his part dutifully, and stared, tired, into the fire, seemingly miles away. Every now and again he could see Halifax glance at him between bites and sips, but he pretended not to notice.

"Quin?" He asked, as though suddenly roused.

"Mhmm?" She asked, mouth full of cucumber.

"You wouldn't happen to have any spare blankets around, would you?"

Her eyebrows narrowed and she frowned, "You're not that cold are you?" she seemed worried.

Soul shook his head, "No, it's just that, as I said before, I'm very very low on magic, and it would help tremendously if I could dispel any enchantments I have on me."

She raised an eyebrow, "You're enchanted?"

He looked at her, and then down to his legs. She squinted, "I... what?"

He huffed, "Quin, you saw how big I was, where do you think that goes? Because I'll tell you one thing, a sheathe the size of a regular cock doesn't really hide much."

Her cheeks blazed red as she suddenly realized what he meant, "Oh! Oh of course, sorry Soul I really didn't- ah, damn, yes let me get you something to cover up with."

She dashed off quickly, and he could hear her hoofbeats on the stairs.

Her room isn't down here then, he quietly sipped his coco, and gagged at the ashen flavor, putting it down on a nearby end table.

Soon he heard her return with a tan colored woolen blanket that he gratefully accepted, and draped over himself with magic.

He almost smirked as she couldn't help but look when his horn flashed, and a noticeably sized bulge appeared underneath the blanket, running from between his back legs to halfway under his covered stomach.

He watched her drag her eyes away, clearing her throat as she sat down again.

A few seconds passed as they both looked into the crackling fire, before Soul asked, "So, doctor, did you still wish to examine me?"

She looked at him, startled out of her own thoughts, before she nodded, "Yes, I'm just going to do a basic check, make sure you don't have anything immediately wrong with you."

"Other than exhaustion from two days of constant magic expenditure, you mean?" he said sarcastically.

She laughed, "Yes, other than that."

And so out came the stethoscope, and the little light thing that got shone in his eyes, ears, and nose. Not the most romantic fireside chats he'd ever had, but oh well.

"I'm going to listen to your heartbeat- oh!" While talking to him, she'd mistaken a certain lump under the covers for part of his chest, and jumped when it twitched, and Soul grunted.

"Is that where you usually listen to the heart, doc?" He asked with a grin.

Blushing furiously, she repositioned her hoof onto his side. After a few moments, she scowled, "Nevermind."

Soul looked concerned, "What? Why? What's up?"

She sighed, and rubbed her face, eyes closed, "I... the blanket is in the way. I'd need you to remove it to get an accurate read, but it's fine, you're healthy in all other areas-"

"Look, Quin, I'm fine with removing the blanket. I only asked for it to make you more comfortable, It's nothing you haven't seen before," he said lightly, this seemed only to annoy her more.

She stalked away, grumbling, and Soul sat up, looking worried, "Quin? What's wrong?"

But of course, he knew exactly what was wrong. He could see straight down to her core as the Lust built and built inside of her. But this time, she didn't have the early heat to explain it away, she couldn't blame it on anything other than herself. Poor Doctor Quintex, she hated not being in control of her emotions, and the torment showed on her face.

She turned to face him, a pained look in her eyes that made his heart twinge, and a genuine frown cross his face, "I... dammit, Soul, I should be better than this."

"Better than what?" he prompted.

She threw up her hooves, "Than this! You! You're sick, you have a genetic disease, you need permanent treatment, not temporary fixes! And I want to help you find a way that you can live your life normally, but... Celestia damn it, Soul, whenever you lay like that, and look at me like that, with the fire, and the smell, it... it makes me want to be your quick fix, your easy solution that you have to come back to. And I hate that! I hate that I'm taking advantage of you like that!"

Interesting, but not unexpected, he mused.

"Quin," he said seriously, "You are in no way taking advantage of me. Everything you've done, I have asked for. You haven't forced anything on me, you haven't hurt me, or made me be who I'm not. And don't worry, I'm looking for a permanent solution too,"

He slid off of the couch, and walked softly over to her, she kept her eyes rigidly fixed on his. That may have been even worse than if she'd stared directly between his legs, at least there he couldn't have told her he thought she was beautiful, and smart, and sexy, and that he wanted to be with her here and now. But the eyes said all of that, and more, and he saw her resilience crack, just a little, as he took her hoof in his.

"I want to fix myself, to find a way to live my life that means I'm not a parasite, or a burden. But right here.... right now..." he put a hoof on her face, drawing in close, "Right now, there is only one solution. One way, one path... and it's a path I can only walk down with you."

He leaned in, and his lips pressed close to hers.

So soft... was all he thought, all there was. She was hesitant at first, he felt her mouth quiver, and could feel her eyes darting. He pressed harder, and her defenses crumbled away. It was always so easy after they'd had their first taste. They could never resist him long after that, not with all the propriety in the world

Slowly, carefully, she sank back into the couch seat as he pressed the assault, the kiss deepening, only breaking sparingly for a gasped breath before they returned.

He wrapped his hooves around her barrel as she sprawled backwards on the couch, beautiful mane splayed about her like a dark halo, her whines and grunts growing louder as his position of supremacy above her was secured.

A smack followed the breaking of the kiss, and her eyes, lidded with desire, locked onto him, "Soul!" was all she could say, before a long kiss to her neck caused her to sharply inhale.

The fire's warmth seeped into the pair as Soul worked his magic. Trailing hooves brushed, tweaked, rubbed, and pinched every sensitive area, nowhere was safe. Coos and gasps, along with little laughs floated through the room as he diligently stroked, nibbled, and softly kissed every inch of her body he could reach.

"Celestia, Soul, but you spoil me," she giggled as his lips caressed her ears and cheeks, "I don't think I've -ah!- ever had stallion -ooh- work me over like you!"

His motions stopped, and he leaned of her face, eyes locked and full of passion, "And you never, ever, will."

He dove back in, lips melting together, and tongues playfully dancing as she lazily kicked in the air from the wild stimulation.

Hungrily, he watched as she drank in what little magic he could afford to spread into her system, and delighted in watching it blossom like a black lotus amidst the inferno of Lust, Desire, and Greed that began to consume her. It was not so very much yet, and he had so little to give... but that would soon change.

She squeaked as something hoof-sized gently brushed against her lower folds, sending a burning tingle up through her stomach. She glanced away from the stallion atop her to ogle him below as the swinging dick began to sluggishly emerge, twitching wildly as blood pumped through it hot and fast.

"Mmm..." she sighed, licking her lips. She hadn't actually gotten to taste it last time, the heat had overwhelmed her mind with the desire to breed, but this time she could afford to take it slower, be more... thorough.

Reluctantly, she put a hoof to his chest and stopped him, panting with effort, and flushed beyond belief, "Soul... Soul!"

"Mm?" he murmured, engrossed in setting about sensations in her body that she hardly knew existed. How did he even know to press there? Or stroke in just the right spots? It didn't matter for now, she had much larger things that had jumped to the top of her priority list.

"Soul, I need you to sit down for a second, alright? Jus- Just step off me and -ah!- hey! Oooh, cut it out! I'm trying to be ladylike!"

Soul looked at her with a raised eyebrow, she would have blushed further, if it was possible, "If... that's what you want."

She nodded, and gave him a coy smile.

Soul settled back into the soft cloth couch, getting a wonderful wave of heat from the crackling flames of the fireplace as his lover stepped in front of him.

He grunted as the first sensation of her nose brushing against the top of his hanging balls. Immediately he saw her cute little eyes cross as she inhaled her first whiff of their incredibly, and intentionally, powerful musk.

"Celestia almighty..." she whispered, her cool breath causing the base of his shaft to jump, and a few more inches of solid black rod squeezed itself out from the sheathe with an almost audible pressurized hiss.

Deeply, the small mare inhaled again, and again, eyes fluttering, cunt moistening with each second. What was this smell? It was thick, so heavy... but she couldn't pin it down exactly. All she knew was that she wanted so much more.

Quietly, she began to pant and lap, her adorable features contorting as she circled the shaft with her little pink tongue, dragging it up and down, slurping, savoring the salty, heady taste. It was so large that by the time she'd slick up one area, the others she'd just done would be almost dry, causing her to go back and forth, back and forth around his dick, smacking and groaning.

His a small splurt, a tiny drop of pure white precum forced its way out of the tip, and began to roll tantalizingly down the skin of his flare, causing Soul to grunt and twitch again.

Seeing this, Quin immediately dove for it, her silken lips locking together under the hood of his flare to catch the dollop, sending shocks through Soul's body as he sighed in contentment.

Quin's eyes snapped open as her mouth met the most delicious substance she had ever experienced. It was like... like cinnamon, and chocolate, and fresh milk. But it was more than that too, it was a feeling. A feeling of absolute fulfillment, of pure contented peace that rolled over her like a tidal wave.

"Celestia damn you, Soul! How can... mmf..." she slurped up and down on his shaft, tongue lolling as she suckled on the tip like a foal on a teat, eyes closed in ecstasy, moaning as the taste crashed through her again. She tried to speak through the dick in her mouth, but kept getting distracted, "How can you... mmm, Celestia, so good... how can something, buck me to Tartarus, taste this... this... mmmmmf sluuurp."

Between grunts and spasms as pleasure finally began to crackle between the nerves in his dick and the reward centers of his brain, Soul smiled at her pitiful attempts to speak, finding it one of the highest compliments he could be payed.

Her mane was wild around her now, frazzled and sticky with spit, sweat, and flecks of pre. Her beautiful brown fur was soaking down her chest from the amount of liquid spilling on to her. And all the while the blackness of Soul's magic swelled and expanded inside of her, waiting to be used.

"Quin, honey?" Soul grunted, petting her head and stroking her enraptured face with a hoof.

"Mmmlaaalmmm, sluuuurp," she responded, mouth popping as she released the head of his cock from her feather soft grasp, the tip immediately burbling over with a fresh wave of precum that Quintex stared at sorrowfully as it dripped down, unswallowed.

"Do you want more?" He asked teasingly, waving his massive shaft back and forth in front of her face with a hoof. Her head followed it, her nostrils flaring, and mouth hanging wide open with drool as desperate, wordless lust filled her eyes.

"You get more if you swallow the whole thing," he smirked.

Her face lit dully, she had understood the order, but not its consequences. Any other mare off the street would have immediately thrown herself at the head of his dick, trying to fit it down their throat as fast as they could, but once again Quin's training and mental resilience showed itself.

She looked at the shaft, vaguely quizzical, "But... too big..."

For a second, she looked annoyed at the drollness of her response, and appeared to be alarmed that her mental capacities were reduced. To comfort her, Soul popped the tip of his dick back in her mouth, and with a heavy moan she started to gulp down the drips of heaven she found there, once again assuming a serene expression of complete contentment.

"Just trust me, Quin," Soul soothed as he stroked her main, using a hoof to move her almost limp head around and around his flare, "You can do that, can't you Quin? Trust me. That's all you have to do. I want you to say it for me, Quin, trust me."

He gently pulled her away with a pop as her glossy lips lost suction. With eyes dazed, precum leaking from the sides of her mouth, and a wide, complacent smile plastered on her face, she dreamily repeated, "Trust... Soul..."

"That's a good girl, Quin," he smiled, leaning to kiss her forehead, "And good girls, Quin, good girls get rewards."

She went on her own this time, diving back into the world of smells and tastes that radiated from his ever-expanding cock. The flare was almost the size of her face, without a minor miracle she would never even have a hope of a chance of fitting it in her mouth.

With a quick twist, Soul grabbed her mane gently in his hooves, and began to press down on her head between his legs. She grunted, and looked confused, her jaw stretching as wide as it could go.

They stayed in that position for a few seconds, Soul grunting with effort as he pushed, and Quintex being vaguely aware that her jaw now ached.

sssssssSSSSSPOP

A chunk of the magic vanished from inside Quin's body. Well, it didn't vanish, it was... relocated. To her mouth and throat, specifically.

With a thunk, Soul's flare pierced that heavenly veil, and instantly he jerked and cried out as his head was engulfed by warm, soft, and wet...

He panted heavily, back legs scooting forward beside his kneeling receptacle to gain better purchase.

It was just so hot, it felt like the tip of his dick was melting! He strained to hold it together, relishing the feeling of the tight, wet cavern he was in.

Quin grunted, and felt confused as her entire face went numb for a few seconds, before an absolutely wonderful feeling began to gush down her throat, and she forgot about everything as she gratefully chugged, burbled, and swallowed. The look on her face was ecstatic and she cooed as much as she could manage in between scandalously large gulps of the white, wonderful liquid.

Alright... a little further? Soul thought, and he pressed again, choking the poor mare a little as his dick squeezed into her much too small mouth, filling it entirely with a salty-sweet combination of steaming, pumping, twitching meat.

Another hiss and pop, and Soul grunted again as his dick went... nowhere?

He could access the back easier, and a little wiggle told him he could move back and forward without much of an issue, but a deep frown formed on his face as something... dark, and cold stirred within him. That was not what he wanted. What he wanted... was... this!

Suddenly standing on his back hooves, Soul's dick resembled a mighty spear plunging into the throat of the curvy brown maiden beneath him. Grabbing two hoof fulls of mane, Soul rammed his massive dick downwards, and a whine echoed through the air as the bubbling, multiplying magic struggled to keep pace with its master's demands.

Quin went wide eyes as enormous pressure built in the back of her mouth, and she was forced to gaze upwards at the black expanse of the dick impaling her, right into Soul's blood red eyes. Wait... weren't they pink?

There was a heavy thunk, and Quin's brain blipped out of existence for a moment as she felt something large and heavy drop all the way down to her stomach. She choked and gagged once, twice, spittle running down her chin onto her chest fur, her eyes half-closed, fluttering out of order with each other. Then... ecstasy.

Soul gasped as his entire shaft, what must have been nearing eighteen inches long before the medial ring showed itself, plunged, smooth and uncontested, into Quin's convulsing throat.

Her eyes watered, and her mouth looked squeezed tight against the wall of flesh being forced upon it, her throat bulged with it, and Soul felt his shaft thicken and pulse as an overwhelming amount of sensation coursed along his every inch.

"Celestia... that's great Quin!" He grunted, eyes closing and teeth gritting. He struggled to remain on his hooves as a final flick of her tongue sent him over the edge.

An electrifying feeling raced through him as his cock poured veritable gallons of cum into the mare's body. Clearly she was not able to handle all of it, and Soul shivered, his eyes shuddering, as the warm flow of his own jizz backed up the pipe and began to dribble down the almost prone mare's chin. It wasn't there for long though, as the thick, gooey white substance faded away perplexingly fast, absorbed into the skin.

As for the mare herself. Soul could see nothing behind her eyes, they were like two dark brown glass orbs, as if she were asleep with them open, her mind emptied. He twitched and pumped again at that look, it was one he relished. She was so full of him that she was barely herself anymore. The dark magic inside her exploded, quickly outnumbering anything she could hope to mount in resistance to it, if she even wanted to resist. It was quite a bountiful harvest, but even then it whispered for him to continue, to pound her without relent and increase it even further. He had her now, he could ruin her and she would beg for it tonight.

But what of tomorrow? an errant thought interrupted his euphoric reverie, She can't stay like this. She has duties, a life. Less important than my meals, but- wait... WHAT?!

There was a roaring sensation in Soul's ears, and his vision went dar-

NO!

Soul struggled, he didn't notice as his dick shrunk almost immediately back to its original size and popped from the mouth of his mare, who fell over with a groan.

I will not black out! Must... stay... FOCUSED! There was an immense pull, like something was ripping out his ribcage from the inside, and something inside of him tore as he gritted his teeth and firmly held against the darkness.

And then... it was gone.

A wave of heat washed over Soul, and his eyes fluttered open as he collapsed, sweating, against Halifax's couch.

Oh... oh Celestia... oh Celestia! Quin! He bolted upright, his vision swimming with colors, and saw the ruined shape of his mare sprawled on the carpet. She was completely unconscious, thank the stars, but the state she was in...

Sweat dripped from every pore, the carpet and wood flooring around her were soaked with that and... other fluids. Her breath was ragged, and far too quick. Her fur was glossy, and Soul could See the heat radiating off her. She had a fever, her body was burning up, being consumed! What could-

The magic! Quickly, Soul crawled over to her, cupping her head in his hooves. Without his direct control the dark magic was wreaking havoc on her body, changing her inside and out, he had to stop it before she was destroyed and became something... something else.

"Sorry about this, Quin," He said in a mournful tone, before willing his fangs to appear, and piercing her neck.

He hated how delicious he found her. How nothing in the world could compare to this taste. And so much, such a willing receiver...

Stop that! He screamed at himself, nearly weeping as he tore himself away from her neck, scrambling away so he didn't take anything more than what he'd put in. As he reached a safe distance he turned... and breathed a sigh of relief. She was fine, her temperature was going down, and no trace of the blackness remained in her spirit.

"... well. Thank Celestia for that," he panted, breathing hard and wiping his damp lips with a hoof, resisting the impulse to lick the residue off afterwards.

That was too much. Too far. Gods of old, she... she didn't even look pony anymore. That horrible, bulging throat. Those eyes... like she was already dead, Soul stumbled into the kitchen and opened the freezing cold tap water, splashing himself over the face with it, shocking him. He stopped almost immediately. It sent a chill down his spine, reminding him far too much of what happened when he turned into that... that monster.

Eventually he was able to catch his bearings, breathing steadily, eyes closed, leaning against a wall. Distantly, he heard a bell toll, and he counted off the hours.

Celestia above, it's already ten, he thought tiredly. Though his body now roared with energy renewed, with such a feeling of elation that he could dance, and sing, and run fifty miles, his mind, and his soul, were weary things. Disgusted by the excess of the body they shared, and tired from their fight against it.

I need to get back to the barracks, I'm already past curfew. It's not really that bad, I cant teleport there now. I could teleport there and back two hundred times. If Larus tries to chew me out in a surprise inspection, I'll just get everyone to say I was there the whole time, they like me enough. Well, except maybe Deavy, but he'll just glare.

Soul looked around he small living room, and felt a little piece of despair. Ashes had billowed out of the fireplace, the couch and rug were a mess, and there was an unconscious mare sprawled out and soaked like she'd just had a few shots too many during a house party. Such a mess, so little time. So... Soul set to work.

He cleaned of Halifax first, obviously, his now abundant magic clearing, cleaning, brushing, shining, and waxing every inch of her mane and coat. She was more spotless and shiny now than any other time he'd seen her, and she kept herself immaculate, so that was saying something.

He then carried her gently upstairs in the starfield halo of his telekinetic grip, opening and closing a few wrong doors before he found what must have been the master bedroom. It was... cute, he decided. A little fairy tale for somepony so scientifically minded. Most of the walls, and the bedspread had a floral design, rose and lily petals decorating everything, with the main colors being white, light pink, and hints of light grey trim. This was where he'd seen the glint of gold coming from, in a box on top of a birch wood chest of drawers, next to a large mirror.

He didn't really mean to snoop, and felt embarassed already about what he'd done, so he gently placed her under the covers, and kissed her forehead goodnight, before hurrying from the room.

The next part was easy, it was a simple spell to erase all the dust and moisture from the house. While he was at it, he repaired some of the outer stonework that he could see was leaking heat with a quick flick of the horn.

And that... really was all he could do. Still, he felt immensely guilty, like there had to be something more.

He decided to make her some breakfast for in the morning, and prepared a delicious (at least, he hoped so) oiled spring salad from ingredients she had on hand, as well as a piping hot cup of tea. He didn't really know how she liked it, so he just left a few creams and sugars next to the cup. He placed an enchantment on them that would keep them fresh until well into the next day, so the salad wouldn't go limp, and the tea wouldn't go cold.

He also noticed she was low on several things, and he had used her groceries to make that meal... so, he went ahead and fabricated a few basic things, nothing too draining, and it wasn't like he didn't have the magic to spare. Lettuce, mostly, a few heads of broccoli, maybe some carrots... potatoes, fresh apricots, some celery, and an avocado or two, just in case.

After almost completely refilling her pantry, Soul decided that he felt much, much better about the whole situation. Perhaps still a tad guilty, but far less so. He wrote a small note explaining what he'd done after she'd conked out, and explained that he'd check in on her the in the following days to see if she needed anything.

And that was really all he could do at present. He cursed as he heard the eleven o' clock bells ring out, he really had to get back. And so, with a final glance around to make sure everything was in order, he popped sharply back into the precise location of his bunk, in a relaxed and almost lazy pose.

It took several seconds before the quiet murmur of conversation finally calmed Soul, and it seemed the tension that had been building in his neck and shoulders the whole time he'd frantically cleaned and made up Halifax's house seemed to fade away. Maybe he'd actually-

"There you are Soul!" He jumped as a brown hoof clapped him on the back, and Lay stood there with a large smile, "And where might you have been the whole night?"

"At your mom's house, she has a lovely carpet," Soul retorted, standing and brushing the dirt from his friend's hoof off.

"Aw, you can't fool me," Lay grinned, glancing around and then leaning in close, "I saw you walk out of there with that sexy doctor mare on your leg, and don't try to tell me otherwise!"

Soul looked at him like he was an idiot, "Lay, she's a doctor. I was suffering from exhaustion from being on my hooves healing sick guardsponies for two days. I was only half-conscious at best when she had to drag my carcass out of there. All she did was stick me in a bed to rest."

Lay looked very disappointed to hear this information, but perked up almost immediately, "Oh, speaking of which, Larus really isn't happy about you skipping out on duties for two days "playing doctors and nurses" as he put it."

"Oh yeah?" Soul said, "Well buck him."

Lay snickered, "That's basically what the Princesses told him when he tried to get you discharged for it."

Soul gawked, "He did what?"

Lay nodded, chuckling, "Yeah! You should have seen the look on Celestia's face! I thank my lucky stars I had court duty that day so I could watch her tell him she's considering giving you another medal."

Lay laughed out loud, and Soul quickly joined him, wiping tears from their eyes.

"Anyway, he didn't get you fired, buuuut you probably are going to get some sledge duty tomorrow when you hand in your sheet, he can do that much."

Soul laughed, "As long as it's not two weeks straight, I can handle it."

Ley shook his head, patting Soul on the shoulder and turning away, "I still don't know how you managed to live through that, it must have been absolute Tartarus."

Soul shrugged and waved him goodbye, gratefully collapsing into his bed. He would have to be up early tomorrow.

It's a good thing I absorbed so much magic, he thought, yawning and snuggling up to a pillow, I don't know if I'll be able to... sleep... at... zzzzz...

Soul's eyes were open, yet he could see nothing. Nothing but himself, floating in and endless void in all directions. But he wasn't floating, he was standing on something.

"I had not expected your sleeping mind to be this barren, Keeper. Truly, you must be weary to sleep so deeply."

As soon as he heard the voice, he spun at once and knelt, "Althos adenadem althriass, my princess."

Princess Luna stepped forward, as illuminated as she was in the day, yet shining as she did at night. Her billowing mane of stars twinkled and flashed brightly here, in her domain. Her silver garments gleamed and shone with a polish unattainable in mortal lands. Her coat was as dark as the void of space itself, and her eyes burned like distant supernovas. Here, in the realm of the mind, was where the Princess of the Night became all-powerful, and, it was rumored, all-knowing.

"Rise, Keeper," her voice reverberated this plane, its entirety shook with her magnificence. The darkness around them trembled, and began to lighten. Stars filled the once empty void, and gas clouds, nebulae, galaxies, all began to dot the incomprehensible vastness that expanded around them. Soul Keeper was in utter awe.

"My Princess," he said quickly, "You do me far too much honor, expending your precious magic to see me here. I would have happily come to see you, no matter the hour, than have you humble yourself so much as to face a simple servant such as I."

The Night smiled, and her countenance seemed as bright and warm as ten of Celestia's suns, "The honor is mine, Soul Keeper. I have long desired to personally thank you for your service and bravery to the empire, on two counts now. And in such a short time! My sister has spoken of granting you another medal."

Soul smiled involuntarily, "Pardon me Your Grace, but... I believe it was only said to tease my superior."

And then the Goddess of the Stars did something Soul did not expect. With all her radiant glory, resplendent with the jewels of an entire universe adorning her, she giggled.

"Oh, I know! And it was simply amazing watching him sputter! But then he protested so profusely! I think she might actually be considering going through with it just to put him in his place. My dearest sister does have a wicked streak at times, that much is certain."

Soul laughed, and then shuffled a little awkwardly, not quite knowing what to say to the deity, "Is... is that all you wished to speak to me about, or is there more I am able to do for you?"

A tinkling laugh echoed through the expanse, but Soul noted that the Princesses blazing teal eyes held not mirth, but calculation, "You phrase your words well, young Keeper, truly your line has retained its ancestor's tongues. There are, in fact, other things I would speak of to you this night. And tasks I would bid only you to accomplish."

Soul resisted the almost overwhelming urge to swell with pride at her words as the Princess began to pace slowly in a circle around him, "Many moons ago, my sister saw fit to give me reign again over the... less than tasteful affairs of the empire. Things which I was much accustomed to doing before I attempted to..." she hesitated, pausing in her stride, before continuing, "Anyway, this requires almost no effort on my part, as rarely anything actually happens here anymore. However, very recently I have received reports from a few of my paid ears that there have been... disappearances."

Soul remained silent, attempting to pick up whatever context he could from her carefully chosen words. He saw her smirk at his attentiveness, though he knew not what she meant by it.

"I understand that you have incurred the wrath of your superior due to my Sister's actions," She said, looking at him sidelong, "and I apologize for your duty in the Sledge Pits tomorrow."

Instantly several things clicked for Soul. There was no need for her to mention Larus' anger, as it was common knowledge to both of them, so the importance was the pits. She mentioned disappearances, but didn't seem overly troubled. And she had come to him... while he was flattered, and knew he was powerful, he was hardly going to be her sharpest knife in the dark after only a few months with the least training heavy unit of the guard. This meant he had some other connection she was hoping to utilize. Or a weakness to exploit. Or perhaps... curiosity.

"The prisoners in the pit are disappearing, " he said softly, looking not at her, but straight ahead, "They have been for some time, probably just after I saved that pegassus from her fall. If it was guards we'd be in a state of emergency, but you're keeping things discreet for now to see what it is. So far your agents haven't turned up anything," then it finally clicked, and he smiled, "but Princess Celestia has told you of my ability to See that which should be unseen. You wish me to investigate during my shift tomorrow. I would even wager that Corporal Larus was inflamed deliberately so that I would be put on that assignment."

He looked back over at the Princess, "Am I correct?"

The Princess did nothing for several seconds, looking right at him, before smiling broadly and slowly clapping, "Well done, Keeper, very well done. You only missed one connection out of the web I wove for you, I'm very impressed."

He quirked an eyebrow, "Really Princess? What was it?"

She paced back the other way and came to a more conversational distance, speaking plainly, "You have a reputation amongst the prisoners from your time there earlier. They call you "The Mule" I believe. My, the stories they make up about you. They're almost as impressive as the real thing," she smiled sidelong at him, "they say you must be the son of someone very rich and powerful who was caught committing high treason. That's the only justification they can think of for why you were sentenced to such a grueling time in the pits, and they revere you for your strength and grit even in the hellish conditions."

Soul nodded, absorbing the information, and then bowed low, "I am sorry I have failed you Princess, the next time I will be more attentive so I may comprehend and serve you to the fullest extent of my abilities."

Soul felt something unimaginably soft on his chin, and almost had a heart attack as he saw a stark black hoof touching his face, beautiful and graceful foreleg sweeping back to the Princess' body. She was frowning, and said sadly, "Do not speak so, Keeper, you have not failed me in the slightest, and I would not expect anypony to know half the information you did. I was testing you, yes, but you passed with flying colors. Please..." she seemed to have a catch in her throat, and she turned away from him, leaving a cold feeling were her hoof had touched him, "Please do not treat me in such a manner. As a god. Beyond reproach, and demanding of every iota. It is not who I am. Not anymore."

Soul stood, jaw slack and breathless, before bowing again, "As you command, my Princess. I would sooner die than cause you strife."

Her face pulled into a sad smile, "Keeper, I do believe that was a joke at my expense."

Still bowing, Soul grinned, "My Lady, I would never."

She clicked her tongue and began walking away, "Sleep well Keeper. Nalthrilass adomon althesi."

Soul bowed again as the stars around him began to wink out. Black holes formed, galaxies crumbled inwards on themselves, and fires the size of the universe raged... until all that was left was darkness.

It did not take long for Soul to remember that, despite such an exciting and clandestine way of receiving orders to go to Sledge Duty, it was still Sledge Duty, possibly the exact antithesis of the words "exciting" and "clandestine".

He had, indeed, been informed that he was taking up the old sack of rocks that very morning by a slightly more than furious Sterling Larus, Who had informed him that no such actions like the ones he performed earlier would ever be tolerated again. Going off on his own, disturbing the Princesses, interfering with medical staff business, and leading valuable assets like the Battlemages ostensibly to their doom in the Everfree forest.

"It was luck! Bare, simple, and stupid luck that got you out of that Celestia-forsaken place with more of your organs inside of you than inside of a hungry cragodile!"

And that was before he'd even gotten started on the charges of neglected duty while the Guard was already short staffed.

And of course, he was right. Soul couldn't argue with him about any of it. One, because it wouldn't have helped the situation anyway, and two because there was no defense he could use, all of those things were true. The only thing that had saved Soul's entire ass from being kicked to the curb was the fact that the Princesses approved of his actions. And so, the worst Larus could do was two days of Sledge Duty, one a double, the next just afternoon. A pittance compared to the two weeks he'd first received, especially running hot with magic as he was.

I really need to check up on Quin, he thought with a sudden frown as he hopped like a mountain goat up the side of the massive pit's face carrying his (still maintained) record of six bags packed full of rocks.

It had been a good feeling that morning when the Sargent on duty had embraced him the second he got into the pit.

"A lot of good friends of mine were sick that day, we don't know if they'd have made it without you," he'd said, getting a little choked up, "While it was a damn fool thing to do, and a breach of at least four different protocols, the whole guard thanks you for what you did Private. Now get over to that pile of rocks and start haulin', you crazy bastard."

Soul was slightly worried as he began to haul his first load up the mountainside. Not about the act of hauling itself, no, all the old hoof paths were there just as he left them, and he could probably scale the face with his eyes closed if he needed to. He worried about his assignment. How would he find out what was going on? Did he need to talk to the prisoners? Establish a culprit with a discernible motive, a pattern to the disappearances perhaps? It all just seemed so... detective. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to complete the task to the Princess' no doubt exacting standards.

His worries almost immediately evaporated as soon as he crested the lip of the hill to the dumping grounds.

Perhaps if I could sneak some time to- Whoa! That is... that is not normal!

At the top of the cliff, right at the exit of the path he took, was a huge pool of pure Darkness. It had smothered almost every other element there, suffusing it, corrupting it, twisting it with its cold disposition. How had no one noticed this?

Unbeknownst to him, without the Sight he possessed, the changes were nearly invisible to the naked eye. Some might experience a feeling of a cloud or passing shadow over the sun, or a brief chill or spine tingle, nothing nearly so dramatic as what he was able to observe.

Well, that's definitely one step in the right direction. Now I know I won't be getting any answers during the day, if the problem is a creature of the Dark taking ponies and consuming them.

Feeling somewhat reassured about his ability to handle the situation, Soul felt a spring in his step as he returned to the bottom of the mountain, that continued as he worked until he had a light sweat about eight hours later when his first shift ended, and he got off for lunch. During this time he wasn't able to learn anything new. He caught the occasional mutter from the prisoners from what he could make out over the sounds of heavy mining and rocks tumbling. None of it was very interesting, though they did seem nervous, and he saw quite a few of them glancing about before being quickly shoved and muttered at by their peers.

Soul's eyes narrowed as he noticed this distinctive pattern, I wonder what that's all about? It seemed to become less and less frequent as the sun rose to its zenith. He had a feeling these ponies also knew that whatever stalked them was less common during the day. And wasn't the solstice soon? The day the ponies celebrated as Hearth's Warming?

A solstice. The darkest and longest night of the year. If he was going to catch the beast that was doing this, it would be then. But the question remained: what was it? Why had it been attracted here? What had caused the pool of darkness above?

Sure, stopping it was one thing, but what good would it do if whatever was behind this came back? He needed not only to stop it here, but to stop it for good.

So as his break rolled around, Soul had a little thought to himself. His original plan was to go over to the community watering hole and pretend to pass out, eavesdropping on random conversations and hoping he picked up something interesting.

Ooooor... he thought to himself with a smile, I could pretend to be a new prisoner, and dig straight for the information I need. Hmm, but how not to get caught? And then how to change back before the break is over? I suppose I'll improvise.

Stepping out of view for a brief moment behind an unused port-a-potty, there was no flash from his horn, or any sound that would indicate a spell was cast, as Soul took on the illusion of a balding sky blue earth pony with fairly menacing features, complete with the bright orange, tight fitting jumpsuit of the rest of the prisoners.

Just before he left the safety of his truly awfully smelling changing room, he quickly materialized and strapped on some manacles so that he wouldn't be tackled upon stepping out.

Bursting forth into the hot, dusty day, with a scorching wind stinging his stubbled cheeks, despite it being so late in the year, Soul strolled over to the water fountain as the guards kept a close eye on all the meandering prisoners. It was simple enough to mix in with the lot of them, and he moved up to get a drink as he listened around for who he could corner. It didn't take very long, most of them were abuzz with rumor and gossip, afraid for their lives as they were.

"I'm telling you, man, I saw something!"

"Shut up, don't freak me out! It's nowhere near sunset yet, that thing ain't gonna get us."

"Man, buck this! I'm only here for petty theft because I stole some rich prick's artichoke! I don't deserve a death sentence! You think we could get the guards to cancel work until whatever this thing is goes away."

"Not likely, you seen how much stone they been using lately? And... wait, what were you doing stealing artichokes?"

"You know how much an organic artichoke goes for on the black market?!"

"Hey, you two," Soul grumbled gruffly, walking over to the pair that had been talking. One was a wiry little green pegassus, the artichoke thief, and the other was an eggplant colored earth pony with really nerdy looking square glasses, and a receding brown mane. The green one looked like he was about to get angry until the saw Soul's size, and he blanched.

"U-uh, yeah, what is it?" The green one asked with a slight nasal whine, the eggplant one looked away, and started trying to edge out of the conversation.

"Nah ah ah!" Soul said, roughly, and easily, pulling him back over, "You're staying right here."

The eggplant one began to sweat, and gulped, "U-uh, yeah, s-sure thing mister... mister, uh..."

Soul internally panicked as he hadn't come up with a fake name to give, but his face hardened into a brutal frown, the creases in his cheeks, brow, and forehead casting menacing shadows in the noonday sun, "You tellin' me, you ain't ever heard my name before?"

Eggplant guy really paled, "No, no! It's just, eh, I- I don;t really recognize ponies on sight, I'm terrible with faces, really!"

Soul let him go, "Well you'd best remember by the time we've finished this conversation. Now, I just got down into this Celestia forsaken pit for the first time in a few weeks, and I hear you two mooks talkin' about something killing ponies at dawn or somethin'? What's that all about?"

The green guy, trying to take some of the heat off of his friend, scooted over, "Hey, uh, it's just something that's been happening recently. At night, though! Not during the day. When the guards take a break, and just leave a skeleton crew down here, it... it comes."

The eggplant one nodded, "It attacks ponies that aren't being watched. Happened to Earl the other day, you hear about him?"

"Shit, it got Earl?" the green one cursed, "Bucking damn it, I liked Earl!"

"We all liked Earl," Soul said, trying to push the conversation along, he didn't have much time before he needed to be hauling rocks again, "How'd it get him? Wasn't there anypony around? Was there anything left?"

The eggplant man sighed, "Nopony knows. He went to get a drink, said he was dying of thirst, even though he'd just had a drink a few minutes ago. The few guards that were there weren't watching us at the time, and so he said he'd be right back. He galloped off over in the direction of the fountain and... that was the last I ever saw of him."

Soul snapped over to the green one as he shuffled awkwardly, "You. You know somethin'."

The green pony jumped, "What, me? Naw, I don't know- hckgh!"

Soul's hoof shot out and squeezed the stallion's windpipe like a vise, stopping just before crushing it completely, "I don't appreciate lyin' filth, ya' hear me? You wanna stab me in the back, at least do it where I can see ya'."

The eggplant pony cocked his head, trying to make sense of that phrase, but the green one just nodded frantically, and Soul dropped him, where he gasped for breath.

"Hey!" Soul heard a call from behind him, and he turned with annoyance to see three earth ponies, all of rather large size, though none as big as Soul, standing there looking pissed.

"Are you roughin' up my friend Flake over here?" he pointed to the green pony who grinned wickedly.

Soul decided this wasn't going to go anywhere productive, and so with a quick jab to the chin, he decked the man. The stallion went sprawling, and several teeth flew out, as there was a thunderous crack of force. He toppled head over hooves until he stopped some ten feet away, unmoving. His two body guards took one look at him, one look at each other, and then walked away with a tip of the head towards Soul.

Soul turned back to the green pony, Flake, who stared in horror at his large friend, "Vel? Buddy?"

"Hey, Flake," Soul said, drawing his attention, "What do you know about whatever this thing is?"

Flake gulped, "Look I... I didn't know it took Earl, but... I was at the watering hole last night and... and it seemed for a moment like the moon got dark. Like there was a shadow over everything, even though I could see it clear as day in the sky, no clouds anywhere. Then I saw this... this horrible thing. Like a reflection but... in the shadows. Teeth, big, tombstone teeth, smiling in every shadow I could see, but it was only for a second! And then it was gone. It happened so fast, and... I don't know, I just thought i was freaked out, ya know? The stories about this thing had been going around for a while, and I just got scared is all. That's it. Nothing serious, just my head playing tricks. Princess above, what'd you do to Velum? Velum! Help, help he ain't gettin' back up!"

Flake ran off to crouch next to his big friend, and Soul let him go. He also noticed that the eggplant colored one had slunk off while Soul was listening to Flake's story. Soul could still feel the pony's gaze on him though, and he followed that feeling around until he looked dead into the eyes of the other stallion, who jumped in surprise, as he'd managed to move quite far away across a crowd of ponies. Soul made a move like he intended to follow, and the stallion bolted. Good.

Shuffling through the crowd, Soul disappeared, literally. One second he was there, and the next he was invisible. In the crowd, nopony noticed too much, a few looked over at where he'd been and blinked in confusion before shaking their heads, but that was the extent of the scrutiny he received. He pranced and tiptoed his way through back to the port-a-potty where he was able to change back into his regular old navy furred, white maned, pink eyed self again. Just in time, too, the break had just ended, and Soul breathed a sigh of relief as he got back to hauling in the sweltering conditions, though the temperature dropped rapidly as one climbed the cliff.

So, picking off singular targets, prefers darkness, dehydration, panic, silent, only works under the cover of darkness, strange visions in the shadows. Soul was fairly certain he knew what it was that was abducting ponies. And if he was right, then he wouldn't be recovering any of the missing, and he wouldn't find any remains either. The creature he was thinking of devoured its prey whole. He needed to research it more to see if his findings matched up with what he thought he remembered, couldn't afford to get this wrong, not when he had the time on his hooves to get it right.

Once he'd done that... well, he would have answered one question. But that didn't explain the corona of darkness that had attracted it, or who had put it there. If it was what he was thinking of, then banishing the darkness would dispel it, but if it was something else that might only worsen the problem, and alert whoever had caused it that somepony was onto them. He had to leave it there for now, but that didn't mean he couldn't inform the Princess so that a discreet watch could be assigned to it at all times, and any more instances of this creature that might appear could be contained.

All of this was thought through and internalized in minutes, and Soul sighed as he realized that he had several hours left to go, wired with energy as he was, before he could begin his knowledge hunt into what might be doing this, he just hoped the library was open la- what was that?

Soul's head snapped towards a splotch that had registered in his Sight, full of elements where there had been none on this trail before. By the time he looked, whatever had been there was gone, and all that was left was a lengthening shadow on the side of a boulder.

Soul looked around, and saw that he had started at an off time at the bottom of the cliff, and as such he was the only one scaling the face right now. It had waited until he was alone.

Thank the stars I can See it, he thought with a heavy sigh of relief, that would have been terrifying otherwise.

Soul was jumpy the rest of the day. Constantly looking over his shoulder, doing double-takes on suspicious patches of shadow, even going so far as to erect a barrier between himself and any Darkness as the day slowly crawled into night, and the thin fingers of sunset stretched out over the bleak landscape of the pit. Down below, it had already become dark from the shadow of the mountain, and Soul could See the violet haze of Fear wafting from it like a foul stench.

Soul was on high alert each time he crested the lip of the hill, closely watching the black void of air that hovered menacingly. Normally he wouldn't mind the Dark, in fact he quite liked it, but this one had somehow attracted something dangerous, no doubt its intensity was partly to blame. He didn't think he'd ever seen one that was naturally occurring look like this.

A glint of something caught in the corner of Soul's eye, and immediately his intense gaze shifted to it. He saw the shocked face of Agent Hallow standing a little over 500 feet away, behind some crates of rocks waiting to be shipped out, her blue coat reflecting the setting sun beautifully. From this distance Soul couldn't tell if she was supposed to be disguised or not, but he would assume so, considering something had to have caught his subconscious attention.

With not even a pop, he teleported thirty feet behind her, leaving a flat mirror image of himself behind that squinted in her direction, shook its head, and then looked back at the sunset.

"Phew," he heard her whisper, "For a second it almost seemed like-"

"I saw you," Soul said calmly. He then had to react quickly, his hoof snapping up and catching the blade that had been speeding towards his throat. It was thrown with impressive accuracy, actually, for such a short distance, at an off angle, and as a surprise. She must have had a lot of practice.

Wild yellow eyes flashed, and Hallow quickly drew another blade, before finally coming out of her panic and realizing it was him. She dropped the knife she was holding shakily, and slumped against a box, "Soul Keeper... damn you."

Soul smiled, and flicked the knife she had thrown back over to her. It embedded itself in the box she leaned on, a hair's breadth away from her cheek.

She didn't jump, which did her credit, but her eyes did go wide as she looked from it to him. He heard her whisper, "What are you..." clearly this was not meant for his ears.

Soul also leaned on a crate, folding his front two hooves and frowning, "This was my operation Hallow, why are you here? Have I displeased the Princess in some way, so she sent you to check on me?"

Hallow blinked, "You're on an op?"

Soul looked at her. He Saw surprise, Confusion, Doubt, Worry, Excitement. A flood of emotion. Her face showed nothing. Very good.

He nodded, "And yourself?"

She laughed, "Celestia, Soul, I was just here to make sure you were okay! I heard your CO threw you in the pit again, even after you saved all those ponies in the hospital. Nice going, by the way. It's a shame they can't give you two medals of Kindness, heh."

Actually, they could, and had done so before. It was more than just possible, it was likely that a pony would earn two medals of the same category rather than ones across the board.

He smiled, "I doubt they'd give me one anyway. I broke orders and protocol to get that medicine. Not exactly exemplary behavior."

Hallow stepped up, and clapped a hoof on his shoulder, looking him right in the eyes, "But you did what had to be done. What you knew was right, consequences be damned. And now look at you!" She gestured around to the general area, "Running your own operation already! That's how it started with me, too. A discreet letter here and there, innocuous tasks that led up to the big fish. So whatcha here for? Moving one of these boxes to a specified location? All secret-like?"

Soul shuffled awkwardly, rubbing his neck, "I'm investigating the disappearances of several of the inmates below, and destroying whatever's responsible. I'm only telling you this because I know you can keep a secret, it hasn't been released to the public to avoid a panic. I'm here to make sure things don't get worse."

Hallow outwardly seemed unphased, but on the inside she was a tangled ball of all sorts of emotions. Pride, Betrayal, Fear, Worry, all rolled around in her system like pinballs, "Well that's... neat. And if anypony can handle a job that important, I'm sure it's you Keeper. I guess the whole "Corporal being an unreasonable dick" thing was just a cover story, huh?"

Soul laughed, "No, he actually threw me in here for disobeying standing orders, jumping the chain of command, and skipping roster duty. It just also happened to be convenient to my task. You wouldn't happen to know anything about this would you?"

Hallow thought for a moment, but shook her head, "No. We've heard about the disturbances, of course, but we were told a specialist was being sent, as whatever was causing this is apparently magical or occult in nature," she chuckled to herself, "I guess you're the specialist!"

He laughed awkwardly, now more aware than ever of how much was riding on him performing well here. If he screwed this up, not only would he disappoint the Princess, but he'd also be known for it throughout whatever intelligence agency Hallow was a part of.

"Who is "we", anyway?" He asked probingly, looking her in the eyes. Such pretty eyes, a dusky yellow, like the edges of a fading sunset.

She smiled at him, looking away, "Someday I might be able to tell you that, Soul. But not today."

He nodded, "I can respect the secrecy, you don't need to say anything more."

She nodded, "Thanks. Some ponies are less... amicable."

The sun had now sunk fully below the horizon, and in the distant east the moon began its climb, surrounded by the winking forms of its companions, the stars. Soul could tell already it would be a beautiful night tonight. It always was, in Equestria.

"I need to get going, Hallow, " He said softly, only to look back down and realized she'd left already. He turned to his right towards the maze of stacked crates full of rocks, where he could See her trying to creep away behind them, "I said I need to go Hallow! I'll catch you around sometime!"

"Dammit! You won't if I can help it, you cheating bastard!" She yelled indignantly, and he just smiled.

He had a few more hours yet to go after sundown before he finished in the pit for the night and hit up the library. These hours, between seven and ten in the evening, were some of the most tense he'd ever had the displeasure of experiencing.

Everypony was on edge. The prisoners, the guards, the regularly paid mining staff, everypony. All of them constantly looked over their shoulders, jumped at noises in the night, hurried from place to place, quickening as they neared their locations, panting as if being chased. The layers of fear in the air were almost palpable, and so thick Soul could almost touch the weaving, writhing purple strands. It was one of the only times he'd ever seen such a mass of it. It was several hundred ponies, all scared out of their minds by a shape in the dark.

Soul regretted not asking if somepony went missing every night, or just some of them. He didn't want to have to come back here more than was necessar-

Something was behind him.

An explosion of light detonated from his horn, and within the blink of an eye he teleported forty feet in the air. He near-instantaneously magically charged his spear, which was quickly being whirled into action, so that it would cut through anything, magic or non-magic it wouldn't matter. Pointing it downwards, he hurled it towards the cliff side with enough force to shatter steel.

There was a BOOM as it hit the ground and the entire spear exploded into a million tiny pieces, along with a significant section of the mountainside. Soul landed deftly, and immediately charged three bolts of searing energy to be cannoned at the nearest living creature. To his dismay, there were none.

He surveyed his surroundings with intense scrutiny, his Sight analyzed every iota of magical data that strained its way through his filters. Nothing. Not a single moving thing. But something had been there. He didn't get jumpy, the hairs on the back of his neck didn't just stand up. This meant only one thing. This creature was faster than he was. Shit.

Well, that's not entirely true, he pondered. There was more than one thing that this could mean. It could have been that the flash of light he emitted actually had pushed it away, and from there it had fled. But it still had to be damned fast to avoid his detection entirely.

I don't like this, he thought with a slight pout. He stood there, above his crater, for a long while. Tense, unmoving, listening, ready. Nothing came. He did not get the sensation again. The night was still. The moon quietly rotated above, marking off as Soul stood still for almost half an hour.

Well... shit. That was clumsy, he berated himself. He should have been more careful, he might have been able to catch this thing if he hadn't panicked like a frightened child. He was no better than-

Hallow did the same, he had the sudden realization. She also, an elite in her field, had reacted with gut instinct, and not stopped to consider what it was confronting her, and how best the situation might be handled.

Soul gasped as what felt like a sudden whip crack of icy cold snapped across the back of his skull.

That is no excuse! What, just because somepony else screws up, it's okay for you to do the same thing? Idiot, do better next time!

He shook off his feelings of disappointment and frustration. With a concentrated effort, he found a piece of his spear and quickly bound the pieces back together before they lost association with each other, ceasing to be a spear, and becoming what amounted to wood chips and random fragmentation. Twirling his reanimated weapon, he holstered it and looked around again. All was silent. All was shadowed. Soul didn't worry, he wouldn't be caught off guard again.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. There were no screams from the bottom of the cliff, no alarms raised, and, as far as Soul knew, no missing ponies. This only increased his anxiety. The pattern had changed, and he was sure it was because of him. He had interrupted the creature's cycle, who knew where it could have fled to by now?

Calm down, he thought to himself, nothing is certain, but if it is indeed a Strangler, then it won't be far from its anchor.

Soul could only hope he was right.

As soon as the hour struck ten, Soul was free. He heard the bells ringing in the distant city, counting them off in his head. He chucked his remaining rock bags to the top of the slope, and wasted no time in getting to the library.

Not bothering to conceal himself this time, it was with a flash and a pop that he appeared outside the Royal Archives in the labyrinthine halls of the castle, though if he had his geography correct it was close to the Hall of the Elements.

The second the familiar white stone block walls surrounded him, he breathed a sigh of relief, the high gothic ceilings and unrelenting dedication to uniformity comforted him after his stint in the wide and frightening world.

He chuckled to himself at his own over-dramatization, and went to knock on the archive door. It was large, much larger than all the samey doors that lined the castle, given special prominence due to it by its position. The large double oak door was covered in iron decoration which concealed runes and wards of all kinds. Shields against magical entry and attack, against physical bombardment, a flame retardant, the works to ensure that within those walls, their contents remained absolutely safe.

Soul knocked loudly, hoping that if anypony was asleep inside he would wake them up.

"Just a minute!" He heard an elderly stallion call. The door creaked and cracked open slowly on its ancient, rusted hinges, to reveal the squinting face of an old purple stallion whose mane looked like it had once been blue, but had long since faded to a greasy grey. He wore a thick set of spectacles, bifocals they looked like, looming large upon his scrunched nose. He wore a nightgown, speckled with cartoonishly drawn stars and constellations.

"Ehhh, yes? What is it, what do you want?" He said, still seeming to be searching for where Soul was standing exactly, tilting his head up further to get a better angle.

Soul bowed, "Excuse me, sir, but is the archive still open at this hour?"

The stallion laughed dryly, "Open? Heh, I couldn't close this place if I tried! Those blasted students at Celestia's Academy won't let me shut these doors until midnight. What're you here for then? Late night study session?"

Soul smiled, "Research, on dangerous creatures."

The old man nodded, "Ah! I see you're a guard. Well, come on in then sir, make yourself at home!" he grumbled quietly, "Everypony else certainly seems to."

Soul walked in, and tried not to be as starstruck as he was sure all the tourists were, but as an enthusiast of learning and knowledge, it was hard not to be.

Rows upon rows of bookshelves, as far as the eye could see, stacked more than eighty feet in the air, with a second floor to boot. Beautifully carved columns supported the balustrades of the floor above, open areas there where the reading sections were on this floor. Speaking of floors, the one under Soul's feet was immaculate. Polished marble, scrubbed to a literal mirror shine that greatly enhanced the feeling of otherwordliness the place had, doubling the amount of ponies, shelves, and walkways above in its reflection.

"Wow," Soul said, looking around and taking the opulence of it all in. He stood in one of the greatest libraries known to ponykind, renowned throughout the world for its vast compendiums of knowledge that knew no equal. For a moment he felt deeply, truly, humbled, that his was a life that allowed him to walk these halls.

"Bathroom's that way," The old stallion pointed to the right where signage indicated a mare door and a stallion door, "That's what most guards use this place for on their way to some patrol or another. But you said you were looking for information about a monster, right?"

Soul nodded, "Something of the sort. How many books do you have on the monsters of the Old World? Before Celestia's first Rising?"

The old stallion's eyes widened, and he looked at Soul more closely, "You're... not from around here are you?"

Soul blinked and felt awkward, "Uhh... no, sir, why?"

The stallion barked a laugh, "Because you don't sound like an idiot. Come on, I think I know what you're looking for."

Soul walked behind the elderly fellow, eyeing those they passed. They mostly seemed like very young unicorns, pouring over old textbooks, writing frantically with horn and hoof, heavy bags under their eyes.

"You should see them the night before exam day," the old stallion leading him said, "There's five times more of them, five times as stressed. They pack this hall so full with chatter it drives me crazy."

Soul frowned at the rows upon rows of students all looking panicked, and so late at night. He worried for them.

"I didn't catch your name, sir, I'm Private Soul Keeper," Soul said, holding his hoof out.

The stallion turned with surprise, shaking it, "Lead Librarian Scribble, mister Keeper, good to meet a stallion with some manners around here for a change. You new?"

Soul nodded, "I've only been here... what, two months?" Had it been longer? He couldn't exactly recall.

Scribble shrugged, "Two months, not bad. Hey, you were the one that won the award of Kindness, right?"

Soul's smile it up, "Yes! I'm surprised to meet someone outside of the guard who knows about that, not many people of import were there that day."

The librarian shrugged again, it seemed to be a favorite gesture of his, "Eh, not much happens around here, we take excitement where we can get it in between reading sessions. Up the stairs here."

He and Soul climbed an immaculate marble stairwell that was so elegant and flawlessly crafted from the stone it almost made Soul want to weep, "Who was the architect of this place, it's absolutely stunning!"

The librarian grunted, "Funnily enough, Princess Luna designed, paid for, and oversaw this library's construction. I don't know if you'd know of her since her recent return, but-" he paused and thought, then continued with a smile, "Ah, but you're a Keeper, aren't you? Of course you know."

Soul was genuinely surprised, "You know of my family?"

Scribble laughed, "I've read all day, every day, for forty years! You pick up a thing or two, you know. Like the names of the seven Traitor Families for instance. Er, no offense, lad."

Soul winced, but he knew the old stallion meant no harm by it. They continued on in awkward silence after that.

Librarian Scribble lead him deep into the rows upon stacks of the second floor, with convenient markers guided them towards section after section, and overhead signage ensuring they couldn't become lost in this maze of knowledge.

"Here we go," the old librarian muttered as they drew closer to some of the more... well, Soul couldn't refer to them as dusty because everything in here was absolutely immaculate, but it just felt old back here. Where the shadows seemed longer, and an air of decaying lethargy hung.

The old stallion rapped three time on the wood of a bookshelf, and distantly a noise like a rushing wave could be heard. Within seconds, an eighty foot tall wooden ladder slammed to a halt in front of them, which the old unicorn slowly began to climb.

"Could you not simply levitate it down?" Soul asked in a worried tone, "I don't want you to hurt yourself!"

The stallion waved him off, "You can't fall off of these ladders. And besides, I don't know exactly where what I'm looking for is, I just know it's in this general area."

Soul nodded, and settled down to wait, mulling over what had happened and what he had learned over the course of the day.

Then something caught his eye.

Soul glanced to his left, and saw exactly what he expected to see, long, long hallways of bookshelves extending over a false horizon, towering high above him and lined with ancient tomes, but... was it just him? Or did it seem... darker than it should? Did the shelves seem more warped, older, more foreboding? Did that darkness loom? Watching from a distance. Wait. Did something move down there-

"Hah! Found it!" The old pony startled Soul out of his trance, and when he looked back the hall was perfectly normal, the light distributed evenly, the bookshelves tall, true, but not bent as though they could pounce.

The stallion dropped back to the floor, brushing off the no doubt ancient text out of force of habit, though it was spotless.

Soul took it carefully and examined it, The Olde: A Guide to the World Before the Light. Flipping through Soul saw that yes, this was exactly what he needed.

"Thank you so much for your help!" He said, shaking the stallion's hoof again.

The old librarian smiled a gap-toothed grin, "Ah, don't mention it. You're a good kid. Go, read. When you're done just release it into the air and say "return" and it'll find its way back here."

Soul thanked him again, and sped off down the stairs to read the section he had found about Stranglers. He was almost certain of it already, but he needed to be certain of the hallmarks, and of the ways to defeat it before he took on a monster this sinuous and vile.

Soul returned downstairs, tracing an enamored hoof over the sleekly polished marble of the banisters , looking every which way at the vast wealth stored here. A shame it didn't get more visitors.

He settled down at one of the reading desks, a simple affair with a little hooded lantern off the the side, and what looked like one of those calligraphy paper holder things. He placed the ancient tome on the wood, and flipped it open, scanning page after page in seconds, not really reading the words so much, but using his Sight to read the emotions, the implications that bled from each and every hoof written word and scratch. That was probably why this library was more beautiful to him than any other pony, it was filled with worlds, even universes of color. Light and dark, thick and thin, red to indigo, it all radiated throughout the halls like a living rainbow, whispering and enticing him to join the flowing rivers of emotions that danced between these millions of pages, billions of words, uncountable meanings.

Soul shook himself out of his emotional moment, and refocused his attention on just the one book in front of him. He passed many pages laced with Darkness, evidently the author had some quite strong feelings about most of these topics, and not many of them positive, but none of the entries seemed to be about Darkness itself, until, at last, he found it.

The page was laced with some elements of Dark, hardwired in, unavoidable when speaking of a creature as foul as a Strangler, but most of the page was a scholarly interest. This was not a political or opinionated topic that the author was exploring, this was simply a statement of fact, and the letters on the page wafted a mostly sky blue with little jets of bluish-violet denoting particular interest in some of the topics it discussed.

"The Spectral Strangler," it read, "is a peculiar beast. Drawn to dark pools of power, sometimes even to dark ponies, such as the Nightmare Queen herself, these beasts consist almost purely of a ravenous hunger to devour all creatures of the light. To snuff out the joy of life, and replace it with sorrow, to suck out excitement, and put dread in its place. In essence, they are the enemies of life itself, vengeful, and seditious. Spectral Stranglers are described in many legends, and here I have assembled their most common traits, though by their very nature they are murky and not easily defined. Most share these things: They posses three grasping limbs of some kind, two from the sides, and one from the middle. They posses no lower half, instead their various torsos float, wreathing dark mist in the air behind them. They posses no face, though they may take the form of any creature, instead there is only a sickening maw of perfectly white teeth, seemingly too large, as if dominating where eyes and a nose would normally take place. Whatever form they choose, if they even posses the intelligence to choose their own forms, they always come hooded and cloaked, shadowed from any light as much as they are able. Their very presence brings dread, and cold. Their touch robs the living of their will, and so they kill not through aggression, but through true apathy. Their victims are dragged away by the throat, always the throat, and are never seen again. The Spectral Strangler abhors light, and will vanish in its presence back to whatever pool of darkness it was spawned from. If the pool is destroyed, so too can the Strangler be."

Soul put down the book, nodding to himself, It is as I thought. I could go back there. Finish this, tonight. I already know it's following me, even here...

Without moving, still appearing hunched over a book, Soul's eyes slowly drifted to the corners of his vision. Was it his imagination? Or did one of the rafters appear darker then the others Its torch snuffed out, and a shape waiting there, watching?

Soul yawned, leaning back on his chair. No, there was definitely a light out up there. He almost had it cornered, but if he confronted it now, it would retreat to the Darkness at the top of the Pit, and it would take him seconds to get there, where it would have the drop on him. He could teleport there, and then fight it. But there was something he half-remembered. Something not in the book. What was it...

Strength, he recalled suddenly, They grow stronger the darker it is, and it is always darkest before the dawn.

Soul looked to his left, where the entire wall was devoted to arched glass windows that ran floor to ceiling, eighty feet, again a truly beautiful sight. They faced east, and he could no longer see the moon through them, it must have been past midnight already.

I have time, he thought, If I fight it now, it will be strong, and it will see me coming. As long as it's watching me, it's not attacking anypony else.

Soul gently close the book, smoothing out the cover, and held it in the air lightly, "Return."

There was a tug on his hoof, and he released the book as it gently floated away, back up to where Scribble had gotten it for him.

I need to thank him again, Soul thought, and he turned around to look for the old librarian. He couldn't see him anywhere, however, not even behind the little desk to the right of the door that was piled high with discarded books, and a mug of cold coffee sat waiting to be finished.

Where was he last? Soul wondered, Well, I must have left him-

Soul's eyes widened.

Upstairs. Alone. In the dark.

Soul bolted from his chair and sprinted faster than a Wonderbolt could fly past the rows upon rows of bookshelves that seemed to loom on forever, the stories and tales leering from above at his failure.

Please be alright, please be alright... he thought to himself frantically over and over as he threw himself back up the stairs, and into the corridor of books he had traveled down. Above him, he saw the book he had released floating gently back into place, and he followed with his eyes to where its path lead. He arrived at the bookshelf... and the stallion was nowhere to be seen.

Out of the corner of his eye, Soul spotted something, and he turned to look.

There, sitting forlornly on the clinical marble floor, was a single shred of cloth, bearing a cartoonishly drawn golden star.

"Damn it... DAMN IT!" Soul screamed, slamming his hoof into the marble, shattering the perfect glaze into a thousand fractured pieces with a thunderous BANG!

Nopony told him to quiet down, nopony came to tell him off. The librarian, it seemed, was gone.

Soul stood in the darkness again. Good. Let its silence wash away the memory of the stallion he had failed. In his dreams, his feelings betrayed him, he felt them so strongly here. A single tear rolled down his cheek. It was caught by a silver-shod hoof, as the stars and other wonders of the universe slowly began to fade into view.

"What has happened, my dear Keeper? I heard no news of a disappearance today." He heard the voice of Luna. The voice of condemnation. Or, at least, it would be.

"Althos adenadem althriass, my Princess. Then I am afraid... I am afraid I must be the one to bear it," his voice quivered, "The Lead Librarian Scribble, of the Royal Archives... is gone."

There was a silence. A deep and long silence.

"How do you know this?" the voice was cold, judging. Was it the sound of fury being held in check? Or merely disappointment in something she'd once found promising? He didn't know which would hurt more, but he was ready to accept whichever knife she chose to dig in him.

Soul took a breath, and explained, "The creature behind the disappearances is a Strangler," he heard a small gasp, "it attempted to assault me on the mountaintop early in the evening, but I accidentally chased it off instead of killing it. In my... vanity, and arrogance, I believed that I would be its only target after such a slight. I went to the archives to research Stranglers, and while there noted its presence. It was only after I had left the company of Librarian Scribble that it occurred to me that he might be in any danger. So I ran. I may have run back to him harder than I have ever run in my life. I was still too late. The creature had taunted me, leaving a piece of his clothing behind. A trophy, of its murder of an innocent old stallion, who was perfectly content with his life."

He was finally able to look upon the face of his princess after the confession was given, but when he looked, he did not find rage. Only a deep sadness. Not disappointment, but compassion, and sympathy.

"You poor child," she whispered, "I am sorry this has happened, but please, do not blame yourself. There was no way you could have known it would follow you, and target him to spite you. Indeed, I thought the abominations mindless, but it appears they have a knack for cruelty."

Soul's mouth was agape. He had come here expecting condemnation, reprimand, but never forgiveness. He bowed his head, "My Princess... tomorrow, I will slay the creature-"

"Absolutely not!" She said, silencing him, "It is far to dangerous for you to be hunting alone, I will send-"

"Princess, I beg you, hear me out," he interrupted, feeling a sharp sting in his skull, as though a nail was being driven into his brain at the act, "Allow me, ah, allow me to prove myself. I swear to you on my life that I can kill it, and avenge the good librarian's death."

Soul was sweating heavily, and felt a sickening chill in the core of his bones. Something about him was not happy with that performance, but it was done with now, he had spoken.

Luna appeared to be thinking. She stared at him long and hard, her gaze piercing and concerned, like a mother and her child.

"You are... certain that you can defeat this thing, without aid?" She asked slowly.

He bowed almost to the floor, "Princess, all I ask is that you make your moon as bright and full as it could be. With it to guide me, I will surely triumph. I swear to you, on the honor of all my family."

She said nothing for a long time.

"A weighty promise," she said solemnly, "Very well, you will have your chance. But if you should succeed, I do not hope you will think that avenging a friend's death will be your only reward."

With that, the dream began to fade away, almost as if she knew he would immediately protest, and did not wish to hear it.

He tried anyway, but it was hard to talk while unconscious.

Soul blinked awake to the mutterings of the guards around him, all of 5-E shuffling to get ready for another day. Something was different though. Soul blinked slowly in the dim light, before realizing that the light was coming from one place: a tree. It was a simple pine tree, set on a strange looking white rug, decorated with ribbons of gold and red, bells of all colors, and other various paraphernalia.

He tapped Lay on the shoulder as the stallion was walking by, "Hey Ley, what's that in the corner?"

Lay looked over, and turned back with a smile, "You didn't see it yesterday?"

Sou shook his head, "I was out most of the time, and when I got back... well, when I got back I was exhausted."

Lay nodded sympathetically, "Yeah, I feel you. Well, we all pitched in and got us a tree, those of us that wanted one anyway, it wasn't too expensive."

Soul bopped him with a hoof, "I can see that it is a tree, I'm asking what the reason for the tree is."

Lay blinked, "Uhh, Hearth's Warming? Hearth's Warming Eve is today, dude. Are you okay?"

Ah, that must have been one of their holiday traditions. Soul nodded, "I'm fine, my family didn't celebrate Hearth's Warming so-"

"Didn't celebrate Hearth's Warming?!" Lay brayed like a mule, "What do you mean you didn't- how could you not have- what did you do?"

Soul raised an eyebrow, and decided to keep the truth mostly to himself. He shrugged, "Well, on the solstice we would all gather together, staff, servants, guards, and the family, and we would have a big feast, and that would be the end of it. Why, what do you do on Hearth's Warming?"

Lay looked aghast, "Well... well you... you just do the Hearth's Warming things, I don't know how to explain it! You get gifts for friends and loved ones, you go out drinking and singing, there's lots of snow, and candy, and you stay up super late having a big party! At least, that's what I do."

Soul frowned, "Huh. Sounds nice."

Lay nodded quickly, "It's great, I'll take you out with my other friends tonight and we can-"

Soul held up a hoof, "Thanks Lay," he said with a smile, "But I have other plans for the start of the night. Plus my shift in the pit doesn't end until ten."

Lay shook his head, "That doesn't matter, I'm usually up until at least four in the morning."

Soul looked thoughtful, "Alright then, let me know where you'll be and I'll get there when I can."

Lay grinned from ear to ear, "You're going to have a blast, Soul. I got you a present for you to open tomorrow, too! Since you didn't know about that, I'll give you a pass on getting me one this yea, but it'll be a hard sell telling Marshmallow you didn't know what Hearth's Warming was, she loved the holiday even more than I do!"

Soul nodded along, not really paying to much attention. He had that morning off, but that night he had pit duty, and his date with darkness incarnate.

Soul pulled out the gift-wrapped box again from its hiding place as he reached the top of the hill again, just to make sure it was safe.

The wrapping was nothing special, just green and white stripes with a glittery green bow at the top. It was immaculately done, Soul had discovered a new talent for precision box-wrapping should his job as a guard fall through. He tucked the medium size box back into its crevice in the rock, and surveyed the area around him.

The sun was just beginning to set again, he could see it setting down below the horizon from his vantage point above the clifftop. To his right was the pool of darkness, to his left the sheer drop to the bottom. There weren't many guardsponies around today, nor prisoners, it was a pretty light workday, and Soul hadn't tried nearly as hard. Granted, he had been focused on other things.

He'd seen it multiple times today. Wide, tombstone teeth shining white from the cleft of shadow created by two rocks, the feeling of constant eyes staring at his back, vague outlines of a shifting form at the edges of his vision. These events never failed to quicken his pulse, but he was not afraid. The creature had made the mistake of letting him know it was coming, and of making him angry.

Slowly, dusk began to fall, and a twilight descended over the world. This was the time between waking and sleeping, when neither the sun nor the moon showed in the sky, and all held their breath as darkness fell, and the heavenly bodies rotated.

It will strike in the darkness, from behind, if it can, Soul thought, striding immediately to the black pool, and beginning his work.

Dispelling this magic was not as simple as flashing some Light about, this Darkness had seeped into the dirt, stone, and air of this quarry, binding itself inexorably to this location. Each building block would need to be separated at the base level, and released as their component elements, warded so that they did not stick back together into this dark amalgam again.

Honestly, he thought, the ponies of Canterlot are lucky they have somepony around who is capable of doing this, because it's very difficult, and those Nox up at the Battlemage Tower didn't even know how to make a proper spell circle.

He'd been slowly chipping away at it throughout the day, standing still and working on it for as long as he could without getting in trouble. But now, there was nopony here, and he could finally free this dimensional anchor from its moorings.

It also left him completely exposed to attack, and he knew this, but it was now or never. He had to finish deconstructing this Darkness into its baser elements of Air and Decay before he could destroy the creature forever. His only regret was that he hadn't found the source of whatever had caused this, but the Strangler was far too dangerous a foe to let live any longer.

Soul began to sweat after two minutes had passed, and the landscape around him grew darker, and darker.

Come on, he thought impatiently, Where are you, you damned creature?

Distantly, he heard a faint cackle, the kind that sent shivers down your spine, piercing, cold, and disturbed. Soul immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Good, it's playing with me before it kills me, or tries to, anyway. This should buy me some extra time.

The chilling laughter grew closer, and closer, and Soul's vision began to darken, shapes dancing in the corners of his eyes, just out of sight.

"Come on," he whispered, horn aglow as he worked to shatter the last of the creature's well of power, "Almost... there..."

Soul gasped as a searingly ice cold pain raked along his back, like jagged, frozen knives cutting and tearing along his spine, the frozen feeling shocking his system to its core. He actually felt his heart seize for a moment, before it continued on strong.

"OW! DAMMIT!" He yelled, as the mad, cackling howls behind him were accompanied by more unbelievably painful raking sensations, like long forks digging out the tendons in his back, chewing through the muscles, until finally, blessedly, the last chord tethering the Darkness to this plane snapped... and the whole thing faded gently away.

A blast of light exploded out from Soul, and he heard a vile shriek of pain as the Strangler was forced away from him by its radiance. As quickly as he could, he burned through a good portion of his magic to reconstruct the torn muscle and blood in his body, resetting some of the bones that had been chipped and cut, and growing new skin. The coat, he wasn't too concerned about, he could get that later. Although, now most of his back was absolutely soaked with blood, it was a good thing he got more inside of himself quickly, or he might have passed out from blood loss.

Whipping around, Soul finally came face to face with the prey he'd been hunting, and which had been hunting him.

As the book had described, it had no lower body, its floating torso merely drifted out of a thick black and grey mist that hung around where its pelvis would be. The chest itself was... large. Very large, almost minotaur-like in size but it was incredibly disturbing. Its skin was black, but also shone with a sick purple-ish green coloration, almost like a swirling bubble of tar made manifest. It almost seemed to... breathe, its chest, actually it seemed just to be its stomach, distended to minotaur girth, and then shrunk down to the size of a withered twig, leaving almost a visible ribcage underneath shrink-wrapped skin, before rapidly and horrifically expanding again. It had three long, thin arms. Two stretched out from the frequently distorted shoulderblades, snatching and grasping feebly at the air around it, and a third that stretched over its swelling and anorexic stomach to snap in his direction like the head of an angry dog. And its face... Celestia, its face. A hood obscured most of the features along the sides, it appeared to be made of some finely spun woolen material, but where eyes, nose, and mouth should be, was simply a maw of incredibly large, brilliantly white teeth sunken into the skin of its face. It was a truly galling sight, and Soul knew this thing would be haunting his nightmares for many years to come.

As he stared this ungodly abomination down, he could See the aura of pure Fear that radiated from it, reaching far wider than just Soul. He would have guessed that anypony within a half mile of this thing felt uneasy now, paranoid, glancing over their shoulder. Luckily, they stood quite a ways away from town.

Soul spun his spear into place beside him, eyes locked on the shifting, skin-tight shape of the creature's emaciated arms. It floated, absolutely still save for the expansion and compression of its balloon stomach. Soul didn't have any clue what it was thinking or doing. Maybe it was working out how it could be killed now, maybe it was waiting for him to make a move, or maybe it was just trying to unnerve him.

Well he'd had enough.

"So," he said, dancing a little to the left, "are we gonna do this or wha-"

With a shriek that pierced Soul's ears like shards of glass, the creature... didn't charge exactly. Charge was too graceful a word. It flung itself forward, almost tumbling over itself in the air in its haste to devour Soul whole. Its movements were jerky, phasing in and out of existence every now and then, propelling itself seemingly by clawing its way rapidly through the air, its arms rotating and bending like propellers on the sides of its body.

Equally as fast, Soul erected a barrier against Darkness around the creature, trapping it, but not for long. Almost immediately the monster's wild flailing broke through the shield layers through sheer force, and it pulled itself towards Soul with startling speed.

Another flash of light sent the creature shrieking, and hurled it backwards like a black-tailed comet nearly a hundred yards before it slammed into the side of a large boulder. Standing, though, it appeared undamaged, not even more perturbed than it had been.

Soul's eyes quickly glanced to the east, where the palest sliver of the moon's edge was beginning to creep over the horizon, and it was a big one tonight. The creature hadn't yet seemed to notice, as it was fixated on Soul. And in the time it took him to glance left, and then back to his right again, the ungodly creature had managed to pull itself halfway between them again, and Soul grew tired to the back-and-forth tactics he was being forced to employ.

"Fine, you want a fight?" he bellowed, emitting a much lower level of light that made the Strangler distort slightly, and slow significantly, but did not deter it entirely.

This time, Soul led with his best hoof forward, stepping in and slamming the creature across its fat face with his spear like a club, letting out a flash of light from its tip just as the object physically sank into its incorporeal form.

The thing let out a howl of agony as part of its face was seared clean off, and Soul grinned in satisfaction, at least before he became occupied.

Soul desperately twirled and blocked the three rapidly spinning arms of the Strangler as they clawed at him, but defending against three weapons at once while also trying to get in a solid counter attack wasn't really a walk in the park.

He danced away, trying to put some distance between him and the thing he could use his to get his spear in, but it was just too quick, following with rapid and unnatural movements, white maw gnashing as it scrapped and scratched at the wood of his deflecting spear, which had splintered in half almost every time a blow landed, and needed to be reconstructed every few seconds.

They really don't make 'em like they used to, Soul grimaced, again glancing to the side, seeing a good portion of the moon beginning to crest the horizon, and its radiant blue light beginning to fill the area around him.

He knew that looking away from his opponent would cost him, he just hadn't anticipated how much. One of the rapidly flailing claws shot out and dug straight through his cheek, tearing off an entire chunk of his face with a searingly cold slash.

Soul roared in agony as immediate cold dimmed the pain in the area, but it was still present and throbbing at the back of his mind, and he could feel the heat of his blood running down his jaw and neck.

Not thinking about it, he desperately fought against the creature. It was ferocious, for certain, but it was wild, undisciplined. Eventually, even with all its speed, the unholy creature would make a mistake, he just needed patience.

Suddenly, Soul sidestepped, and revealed the brightness of the moon to the dark form of the Strangler. Blessed blue light burned and hissed at the creature's flesh, and its arms ceased their attacks to cover itself from the burning light.

Bless you, my Princess, Soul grinned, wincing as the left side of his face faintly burned with incredible pain that was being suppressed.

Soul struck, his spear impaling straight down the forearm coming out of the creature's chest. With an explosion of light it was gone, and before the creature could even scream Soul was in motion again, his spear stabbing its left arm at the shoulder joint, and blasting it to pieces.

"This is for my face, you son of a bitch," he spat, slurring as... well, as the air went out of his missing face. His third strike pierced directly through the beast's chest, where the heart cavity would be, and a detonation of light made it howl in agony as much of its mass was put to the violet torch.

Another spun, another blow, and another, and another, a frenzy of them, Soul quickly losing himself in the heat of the moment. A strike to the ribs, to the pelvis, to the neck, side, top of the head, blow after blow landed with unerring precision as the creature keened one long howl of madness. Becoming truly desperate, it struck around itself, and caught his hind leg, Soul felt another quickly dimmed flash of pain before he hit the dirt, still fully conscious thankfully. But the pain shocked him out of his battle fever.

Before him was a gossamer thin husk of the terrifying monster that he'd been fighting. It flickered in and out of existence, holes, large and small, gouged out of every piece of its body. Thin whispy trails of black, like blood, floated from the emaciated husk. Though it was levitating, it seemed almost to stumble in the air, until Soul realized it was using its head as a weapon, the jaws swinging like a pearly guillotine towards his throat.

With a snap, he punched it in the face so hard he actually dislocated his shoulder, and with one last blindingly white flash, reduced it to ash. Frantically, he searched around, muscles taut and poised for the next attack. His breath was coming fast, he was lying on his back, spear cracked in half behind him, hooves defensively raised. It took several minutes of loud and prolonged silence, for his heart to finally slow, his breathing to decrease, but not quite steady, and begin thinking with his rational mind again.

His hooves dropped to his sides. He felt... absolutely exhausted. And hungry.

Ohhhh... he groaned internally, you just ate! Like, not even a full seventy-two hours ago!

With a wheeze, and many grunts, Soul popped his shoulder back into place, not a lot of fun, then slowly shifted his spear from behind his back and repaired it, making his stomach rumble.

Slowly, he rolled over onto his stomach, displeased that his front and back were dirty now. He got his right front hoof under him, and wobblingly lifted himself up, using his spear as a crutch, which creaked and bent precariously under his weight. His back left leg, the one the creature had gotten lucky with, was completely dead, he didn't even want to look at it to see what the damage was, but he was pretty sure some bone was showing. For some reason, he felt a sick sort of satisfaction with that.

He stood there for a moment, cold breath steaming in the air, the bright blue light of the full moon shining down upon him, he looked to the stars and closed his eyes.

"May you rest in peace, Scribble," he said aloud into the emptiness of the void, broken face twinging with pain "You have been avenged."

Opening his eyes, he gazed over the lit up city of Canterlot twinkling in the distance like a shining star on the dark landscape. Safe from the Darkness which had haunted it... for the moment.

Whelp... he thought, shivering, unsteady, half-dead, and breath steaming in the cold midnight air, Happy bucking Hearth's Warming everypony.

Author's Note

Soul Keeper has completed his latest task, this one fresh from one of the diarchs themselves! But what caused the sinister manifestation in the first place? Who stands to gain from nothing but wanton chaos? And what was in the box Soul was keeping?

Find out, next time!

Prologue: The Sleeper Awakes

At first, all was still within the blackness of the water. Nary a current, nor tide, nor trace of a thermal flow disturbed its silent solemnity. All was calm, all slumbered.

And then something changed. An imperceptible shift in the very nature of things that caused the water to stir. And with it, Kaiscillius.

He attempted to ignore the sign of change, holding his great eyes shut, and neither listening to nor heeding the world around him. Eventually, though, the great difference in the way things used to be, and what they were now, became too much to ignore.

The was a great shifting in the water as Kaiscillius ground his head against the jewels and gold under his gigantic skull, seeing none of it in the infinite dark expanse of the water. His eyes were still held shut, and he only moved, even that little bit, to find someplace more comfortable. But there was change now, too much of it, and no matter where he lay his head, something itched at the back of his skull, in a place that simply bending his neck just could not scratch.

Reluctantly, and with the groan of a very heavy weight bending for the first time in centuries, Kaiscillius moved one massive claw to the back of his head to scratch at the infernal sensation. But no matter how hard his talon like steel scraped against the unyielding plate of his armor, making reverberations through the whole of the water and disturbing it further, the itch would not cease.

A rumble escaped his titanic form, the first sound from him in millennia, a grave herald of future firsts.

Kaiscillius lay sprawled out against his massive hoard of wealth, sealed deep in the impenetrable black waters. Another rumble rippled outward, forming waves from the echo of its force. With enormous reluctance to rival that of the weight of the entirety of Equis, Kaiscillius moved.

It was slow at first, a vertebrae here, a claw there, but slowly, and with a few more booms and rumbles of immense displeasure, Kaiscillius folded inward on himself, the sounds of crushing mass and shrieking metal not breaching past the water's surface. But still, it was disturbance, still it was change. More was now different from before than if he had not moved at all. Waves now rippled through the water, gold and jewels had shifted, his giant plates of armor now lay in different, new positions. Things had been set in motion now that could not be undone.

He tried to resist it, of course, to return to his endless, dreamless sleep. The darkness that shrouded his physical form, that had once cloaked his mind as well, he longed to return to it. Yearned with every fiber of his colossal being for its comforting embrace. Alas, not even a creature of his power could fight the machinations of fate.

After an unknowable period of time, as there was no light that pierced this place, Kaiscillius grew to know that his struggle to return to sleep was truly hopeless. As with most who realize this, there first came a great sadness, a sense of unbearable loss, though he did not know why he felt so strongly about this. And that ignorance, his lack of knowledge about his subconscious reluctance, brought fear.

Why? his mind murmured, still nearly entombed in the great coffin of the abyss, Why am I so afraid to wake?

The fear brought anger, Why am I afraid? I am Kaicsillius! A son of Nightmare Moon has no business being afraid of the dark!

Anger wrought solidarity, I will rise from my resting place, and face whatever it is my unwaking mind knows is coming with bared teeth and claws!

Solidarity quieted all others, and bent them to his will. Slowly, Kaiscillius began to move in earnest. His tendons snapped and strained like metal cords as thick as bridge cables. Bones creaked like the hull of a massive ship pulling into the great, tumultuous sea for the first time in decades. His armor clanged and rattled in the water, battering away the silence and peace in hammering strikes.

After what felt like a long while, Kaiscillius stood under the water upon his hoard of gold. Three pairs of eyes ground open resolutely from three different heads, each as large as an average pony in length, and far wider in bulk. His long necks stretched and popped, reaching nearly ten feet in length, still not enough to breach the water's surface. He arched his back, twenty feet long and snapping his spinal column like the thundering of distant cannons. Finally his whipped tail slashed through the water to get a feel for its consistency, it was another fifteen feet at least, and ended in two razor sharp prongs.

Opening and closing his claws on the end of his carriage-sized forelegs, Kaiscillius gazed up to where he knew the surface would be. No light shimmered through the new lapping waves, as there was no sun above that black water to cast such luminous apparitions. With a grunt and a grin, Kaiscillius kicked off from his mountain of plunder, shifting its weighty contents beneath him as he surged towards the open air above his water.

He felt a little unsure of himself, as his memories felt sluggish in returning, but he knew one thing. If he was waking up, then something very important was occurring in the world above. His mother would not jeopardize his life like this otherwise.

With a cacophonous crash, Kaiscillius burst from the water, sending a deluge of the black liquid down upon the rocks that made up a shoreline in front of him. They were black as well, almost as dark as the water, shifting shades of deepest gray made up their intricate strata. Interwoven throughout the rock were small white gemstones. Though only about the size of a penny, they burned with a cold intensity, emitting a glow akin to that of the most distant star. And there were thousands of them, millions of them, embedded in the smooth cavernous surface, all the way from the black shore to the topmost dome of the cave.

The space itself was also quite large, it had to be to contain, and nearly dwarf, Kaiscillius' size. It's perfectly smooth ceiling rose to nearly sixty feet high, the black stone shoreline reached only about twenty feet inwards, where the rest of the easily two hundred foot long cavern was dominated by the dark sea. Kaiscillius turned his head to view the very back of the room, and saw, faintly illuminated by a particularly strong outline of the luminescent crystals, a massive grey throne.

It was simple in design, raised upon a square dais and built for a creature of Kaiscillius' size to sit in, it was adorned with six great skulls that gazed into the front of the room with hollow blackened sockets.

Kaiscillius bowed his heads low, Father, Grandfather, give me the cunning and strength to face whatever trials lay before me.

Now that he was wide awake, Kaiscillius felt more than ready to get moving. But there was something else to it than a simple desire to stretch his legs after such a lengthy stay under the Pool. It was still there, that itch in the back of his head, that unabating sense of urgency. Something was wrong, or was going to be soon.

With that in mind, Kaiscillius turned to face the only entrance to his little abode, a crack in the otherwise perfectly smooth stone, filled with jagged edges, and sharp switchbacks, only wide enough for something the size of a single pony to get through.

Closing his eyes, Kaiscillius reached deep into himself, and was happy to discover the warm sea of power that resided in him was almost half full. He had more than enough magic for a simple transformation, but after that, things would be tricky if he ran into too much trouble.

The well of magic in him shuddered, and was disturbed for a moment, and Kaiscillius felt the itch in his skull heighten to a frantic pace.

"DID YOU FOALS TRULY THINK YOU COULD STOP ME?!" Nightmare Moon roared at the tiny forms of the mere ponies before her, backlit by her vaporous and billowing mane and tale, standing tall against the dramatic backdrop of the shattered marble statue upon which she stood.

The pieces of the Elements of Harmony lay shattered before her armored feet, all six of her assailants were weakened and pitiful before her never-ending malice, finally, she would have her victory!

"Finally, my night will last FOREVER! AHAHAHAHA!" she cackled joyously, unaware of the defiant looks on all of their faces.

"You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that?" The purple one piped up, and continued before she could quip, "Well you're wrong, because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!"

This purple one has been fun, but I do feel that she's outlived her naive usefulness, however, as Nightmare Moon brooded, the pieces of the fractured stones that were once the Elements began to pulse with life, and lift slowly from the ground.

What? What is this? Impossible! Nightmare Moon growled, she attempted to halt the reformation process as the purple unicorn grew bolder by the second, rattling off the deeds of her fellows as though she were personally nailing Nightmare Moon's coffin shut herself. An old magic protected the fragments of the stones, and shielded the young ponies from her magic's grasp.

With a final, dreadful word, the purple unicorn did the unthinkable, and somehow, despite having no training, and pulling all of this completely out of her tailhole, summoned the final Element of Magic.

No... no, No, NO! It cannot end like this! But what could she do? She was weak from the thousand years spent keeping herself alive on the barren surface of the moon, far too weak to breach the ancient seals that protected the stones. But... there may be one who could...

Oh, my son, Nightmare thought as Twilight Sparkle began to force magic through her horn into the deadly Elemental Beam, I had hoped to exhume you myself, victorious, but now it seems that you must save me!

With a last squick of power, Nightmare Moon shot out a magical sequence, a code, a key to unlock her greatest weapon. How she felt like a fool for not unearthing it sooner.

Kaiscillius gasped and stumbled, shaking the entire cave with his quaking steps.

Mother, she's in trouble! Alright, quickly, what's the fastest way to travel? Obviously it would be some form of teleportation spell, but the cost of it would be enormous, especially for a creature with as much mass as he had.

Hmm, might it be faster to transform first? No, of course not, it might take less energy overall, but the transformation itself could take minutes, and he didn't even know if he had seconds.

The objective is to save her, I will accomplish this task, no matter the cost, he finally came to a decision, and resolutely set his jaw.

This is going to hurt, he thought, as magic began to course through his veins and run in almost tangible rivulets down his armored body. After a few seconds of intense calculation and geographical ball-parking, the massive form of Kaiscillius blinked out of existence from the cave, creating a loud inward SNAP as air rushed to fill the monster-shaped hole...

... and a thundering BOOM as Kaiscillius reappeared somewhere in the Everfree Forest, his presence displacing the air so quickly that a small shockwave detonated the surrounding plantlife.

Very quickly, Kaiscillius whipped all three of his heads in different directions to take stock of the situation. Nearly no light penetrated this part of the forest, but that wasn't a problem for him, he could See fine. All around, the plantlife emitted a green glow, as well as the grayish brown of rot. All of the Everfree was rotting, it appeared at least some things hadn't changed since his Mother had put him under.

Scanning the area as he was, it didn't take him long to find where he needed to be. To his southwest, there pulsed a great magnitude of energy. It crackled and surged with so much raw elemental power, that the trees even where he stood shook softly. He disregarded whatever other information he may have gathered about his surroundings, he didn't have time to take it all in. Somehow he knew that the energy in the distance was what threatened his Mother, his General, his Queen!

Quickly now, this is no time to hold back, now that the target was "in sight" as it were, it was easy to formulate a much less costly traveling measure that brought him at near supersonic speeds to the edge of a large, misty chasm. Again making a very, very large amount of noise, but it didn't matter, he was in a hurry!

Across the deep ravine stretched a measly wooden bridge that said, in no uncertain terms, "No, I will not accept your weight, you are too large. Fatso."

Huffing with frustration, Kaiscillius stepped back a few yards, nervously eyeing the ever-growing pulses of energy coming from somewhere in the fog in front of him.

Shaking his heads, Kaiscillius charged the gap, what must have been half a hoofball field's length, and leapt like a savannah cat going for a giraffe's jugular. There were several fateful moments where Kaiscillius wondered if his force reduction spells that he'd used to stop most of his downward motion had worked, before he touched down safely on the other side of the gorge.

Well, "touched down" being a euphemism for "crashed spectacularly and kicked up enough dirt to bury a manticore," but at least he'd made it.

Groggily he stood, feeling his stomach grumble slightly as his reserves of energy were being rapidly depleted by the multitude of heavy-duty spells he was firing off. He hoped that he had enough magic left for a fight, there was a large possibility that his Mother would be incapacitated, if she had called for his help before the arranged time, and so he might need to bring something, or several somethings, down.

A large flaring of prismatic energy in front of him snapped him out of his preemptive strategies, and the fog was blasted away to reveal the magnificent, yet fallen, visage of the once proud Castle of the Two Sisters.

Having just recently seen it in its heyday, Kaiscillius was actually shocked to see how far it had deteriorated. The glorious towers and staircases were now collapsed and crawling with vines. The front gate, which had held back hordes of enemies without so much as a groan of complaint, was smashed inward, dilapidated.

Another pulse, this one far larger than the last two, nearly blinding him, and shaking him to his core. He was starting to panic, as he faintly heard his Mother's voice yelling something.

Acting on blind instinct, Kaiscillius used another costly teleportation to get him as close to the sound as possible, standing on a graying stonework terrace just outside one of the main foyers of the castle.

But it was not the weathered carpets, nor the torn tapestries, nor the collapsed crystal chandeliers which got his attention. No, it was the six beautiful mares, all adorned head to toe in fabulous, sparkling jewels of light coloring them like morning dew, all firing a deadly rainbow laser beam straight at his mother.

He cried out as he saw her twist and writhe under the intense glare of the arcing ray, "Mother, I am here, how do I stop them?!"

None of the mares payed him any mind, and they glowed so brightly now that it was nearly impossible to see any of their forms. Six mare-shaped angels, blazing with destructive power, all pointing at the one he was supposed to protect.

With a howl of rage, he threw himself into the room, but was, even with all of his bulk, slammed backwards out, over, and off the terrace by the concussive magical force surrounding the intense battle of wills. Before he could fall far, he teleported again, draining himself further, this time appearing next to his mother's crumpling form. Winds buffeted him, magic lashed at his armor, but he dug his razor sharp claws directly into the stone roots of the castle, and this time he remained immobile.

Kaiscillius could see the sweat on Nightmare Moon's body, the tension as her muscles camped and spasmed, the wild, pained look in her eyes like an animal, and he knew not what tot do.

But it seemed that when her eyes so full of terror passed over him, they became just a little calmer.

My son... he heard her whisper.

Yes, Mother I am here! Quickly, tell me how to stop them!

It is too late now, and you do not have the magic for it, I can see. Besides, she screamed with pain as her back cracked backwards, bending her at an unnatural angle, besides... this spell... I can... break free of it.. on my own. Until then... watch me... prevent my... idiot self from damaging my royal... person.

Watch you? But Mother I-

It seemed that she glared at him then, even through the magical assault and the pain, that she could still make him fear for his safety, You have NEVER failed me, Kaiscillius. Is now the time for you to start? When I... AGH! Need you most?

Kaiscillius was aghast, he looked back and forth between Nightmare Moon's supine form, and the six glowing figures at the end of the hall, encompassed in a corona of unbelievable power.

I... I...

You must go, Kaiscillius, my Sister... argh, she will be here soon. GO!

With one last glance at his Mother's fading consciousness, Kaiscillius slowly nodded, As you wish, Mother, I will await your return.

Kaiscillius turned, and lept from the nearest window, crashing heavily to the ground and shattering some of the outerlying courtyard. Quickly, he concealed his magical aura from view by shrouding it with similar signals as the plantlife and stone around him, forming a detection camouflage. It would never hold up to intense scrutiny, but it would serve fine as a passive shield.

Somberly, Kaiscillius waited in the hedges near the base of the tower in which the fight had taken place, and soon heard voices come from above as a brilliant light shone over all of the Everfree Forest, and the sun began to rise.

"Excellent work, my faithful student!"

That one phrase was all he needed to signal his getaway. He knew that voice. All too well.

And so Kaiscillius stalked off into the Everfree. A soldier without an army, an assassin with no target, only one cause remained left to him. Protect his Mother, until she was ready.

Author's Note

This prologue takes place at the outset of the first season premiere. From here the story will diverge from that of the show for a while, but they will eventually intertwine once more. Thank you, everyone, for reading this, even if you're not interested thanks for stopping by. Hello to returning readers from Remnant, and hello to new friends who choose to go on this new adventure with me!

Kaiscillius has awoken from his long slumber, how long not even he is aware. Things do not start off auspiciously, as he fails in his first, and most important, duty. Now, he must work to fix his mistakes while surrounded on all sides by the enemy. What steps will he take next? How does he plan to watch over his Mother, and ensure her swift and terrible return? Find out, next time.

P.S. : For those who have already read Remnant, know that this is an alternate timeline. Many elements of the backstory, world, and character behaviors will be different from what you have seen before. And to all, thanks! And happy reading.

The Good Doctor

Soul Keeper never wished to be so grievously injured ever again. Why? It was not the pain, nor the fatigue, nor the ghastly hospital food. It was the waiting.

The day after Hallow's visit, Soul Keeper's body was pretty much in fighting shape. All of the gashes and cuts had healed over, his neck muscles had soothed and strengthened, the only thing he felt off about was that strange sense of emptiness he'd had since the fight. But, despite his protests to the contrary, the doctors and nurses in the castle infirmary proclaimed that he needed at least two weeks of bed rest.

"Two weeks?!" Soul asked incredulously, his jaw dropping with indignation. In two weeks time, who knows what could happen? There could be a development in the case, one of the princesses could be in danger, Tartarus, what were they thinking?

The doctor pony, a very lovely brown mare with sharp glasses and a sharper intellect, flipped through the notes on her clipboard, scanning them with her amber eyes, running her other hoof through her chocolate colored, curly mane, "It says here, Mr. Keeper, that you were stabbed four times in the back, twice in the side, and suffered severe muscle damage to your neck. Is that correct?"

"Yes," he mumbled, giving her the side eye.

She shook her head and looked at him, "I agree that your healing process seems to be taking place in a dramatically shorter timeframe than most, but you have to understand. Usually when a guard suffers injuries like these, they are retired from duty. Especially when one of the blows hits a kidney, as in your case. I have never, in all my years of work, seen anypony make a recovery from this kind of damage. So believe me, Mr. Keeper, when I tell you that a minimum two week's bed rest, is an insanely short time for you to be bedridden."

Soul's stomach picked the intervening silence to growl loudly. Healing him so quickly had taken a lot of energy, and Soul was starting to become worried. He didn't know how soon he'd be allowed visitors, and he needed Marshmallow to give him a source of proper sustenance.

The doctor pony raised an eyebrow, "I'll get you something to eat, but please, attempt to relax at least. We still don't know exactly what's going on inside of you, why your body is behaving the way it is."

He sighed, and leaned back in the white linen bed, heart monitor beeping softly beside him, "... when do you think I'll be allowed visitors?"

She narrowed her eyes, looking as though she wanted to repeat her "you should be dead" spiel, but luckily she refrained, and sighed, "Perhaps... if you show good improvement, perhaps, within the week. But if anything odd or untoward happens at all, you will receive no visits until I have cleared you to leave this space, understood?"

He nodded politely, and that seemed to placate her. She walked off to get him some gruel. He found himself staring at her bouncing flank as she walked. Though she was thin, her smooth brown haunches still were larger than any one would see in the guard, clearly she didn't get an exorbitant amount of exercise being stuck here all day. Her dark chocolate tail was bound in the modern style, outwards and just a little up, quite a bold move for a doctor to take.

Well... he mused thoughtfully as she left the room, if I can't get visitors, I won't be able to heal myself as effectively... no, no, I couldn't do that to Marshmallow. Even though it's not exactly like she was saving herself for marriage before we... well, all she did was suck me off. We're not exactly engaged, we haven't even talked that much. Why did she even do that, anyway?

Soul shook away the his thoughts and reclined in his bed, staring up at the large, arched windows that lined the walls opposite him, and the tall vaulted ceilings. All in all, as rooms went, it wasn't the worst one to spend several weeks confined in. At least it wasn't tiny, and there weren't many grave cases here, so the room smelled largely of cleaning products and antiseptic.

The doctor returned with a plate of white and brown sludge within minutes, and he took the plate from her gratefully, though he was loathe to put any of the filth into his mouth, "Thank you, doctor. What is your full name, by the way? You never said."

The doctor blinked, "Oh! My apologies, I have... a lot on my mind," Soul could have sworn she glanced at his muscled forelegs as she said that, "I am Dr. Halifax Quintex, a pleasure to meet you."

She held out her hoof for a shake, and Soul grasped it, kissing it gently, "Soul Keeper, and the pleasure is most assuredly mine, Doctor Halifax."

When he looked up he saw her blushing, and she adorably pushed her glasses back up onto her nose as they started to slide down, "Y-yes, well, um, I should be gong now. Lots of patients to tend to..." It was always so funny to Soul how flustered mares became after he showed direct interest in them, despite most previous feelings.

I noticed that with Hallow too, he thought with a slight frown, I wonder what's happening. Can I control it? Or is it just... natural? Soul released the good doctor's hoof, and she quickly slipped away. He watched her flank jiggle again as her hips swayed from side to side, he could almost catch a glimpse of her cutey mark underneath her white lab coat, and he also saw her tail twitch ever so slightly. Almost as if she could feel his eyes appreciating her, she looked around at him to see if he was watching. He waved with a wink and a smile, before closing his eyes and laying back against his pillow.

He heard quick steps approaching, and cracked an eye open to find a hoof pointed into his face, "Now listen here, Private," she said sternly, her face in a cute little pout, "There'll be no funny business in my infirmary, alright? If I find out that you're sneaking around, looking at things or ponies you shouldn't be, you'll be out on your ear the second you can stand, capiche?"

He locked eyes with her, and softly lowered her hoof to his lap, she seemed caught off guard by the tenderness of his touch, "Why, of course, Doctor. I would never do anything that another pony didn't want."

He added extra emphasis to the last word, and the implication was clear. Her tan face lit up red faster than the leaves turning in autumn, and she pulled back, nodding sharply, "Good!"

With that she stalked out without glancing back, he was watching her, though. And her tail's twitching didn't lie.

The next morning started quite a bit differently, and not in a bad way. He was fed again, the same grayish slop unfortunately, before he was greeted by a friendly face.

"Hallow!" He smiled cheerfully to the light blue mare that followed Doctor Halifax into the room, "Wonderful to see you! I thought you said I wouldn't be allowed visitors for at least a week, doctor?"

Halifax glanced between Soul and Hallow, before the unicorn stepped up, "I believe you have me mistaken, Private, my name is Above Board, and I'm here to inspect you for any unhealthy magical residue."

Soul was sure to keep any hint of a smile off of his face, but it was so hard. Mainlander pony names could be straightforward at times, but... Above Board?

"Of course Miss... Board. Care to explain?"

Soul saw the doctor's eyes narrow at how readily he'd accepted Hallow's statement.

Damn, he thought, perhaps I should have played it up for longer. Oh well.

Hallow nodded, Soul noticed she was speaking differently, not that it did anything to hide her dashing looks, "Of course. Doctor Quintex here feels that your healing process is unnaturally, and even dangerously, fast. I am here to scan you and assure her that you are alright, or get you to the Cleaning Bay and scrub any magical toxins you may have out of your system."

The "Cleaning Bay" certainly did not sound like anywhere that Soul would want to go, and he hoped desperately that his... affliction wouldn't show up in their scans, "Um... of course. Go right ahead."

Hallow nodded, and a cold blue light began to shine on the very tip of her horn, making Soul shiver.

What would happen to me if they did find out? Soul's mind worried, unbidden, They would probably send me to this Cleaning Bay place and try to fix me. Could they? Or would it kill me? Or would they kill me? It doesn't seem unlikely, considering I've murdered-

"Hmm," Hallow mumbled, bringing Soul's frantic thoughts to a halt. She turned to the brown earth mare, "Doctor, may I have a word with Private Keeper alone, please?"

Halifax looked strangely... jealous? Yes, her eyes narrowed, not at Soul, but at Hallow, and golden flashes of Greed cracked like lightning from one side of her head to another, "I am his physician, Battlemage. Whatever is said to him, needs to be said in front of me."

Hallow gave her a flat stare, and said nothing. The silence dragged on uncomfortably long, neither mare willing to budge. Soul reckoned that if he didn't say anything, Halifax would eventually lose, best to expedite the process.

"Halifax?" the mare started, looking at him strangely as he called her by her first name, "Please, if it's bad news I... I wouldn't mind some privacy. If it's truly important, I promise to tell you after, okay?" He put as much trembling, putting on a brave face, worry as he had into that sentence. Currently, he had more than enough, the emotion was almost genuine.

The doctor wavered, looking back and forth between Hallow's stern expression, and Soul's pleading one, before sighing and throwing up her hooves, "Fine, but I want a detailed explanation of what's going on when I get back here, Soul," and she stomped away immediately, flicking her mane in an irritated manner.

Huh, he thought, she returned my gesture. He didn't know how to feel about that.

Hallow grinned wide, and thumped him on the back, which made him hiss in pain.

She winced and drew back, "Sorry! I forgot that you were... well, as you are. You definitely look almost well enough to leave."

Soul groaned and laid back, "I know, that's what I've been telling Quintex, but she won't listen."

Hallow nodded, and then raised an eyebrow with a smirk, "So... Halifax, huh? Nice going, rookie."

He waved her off, "We've known each other for less than a day, it's not going anywhere."

Hallow laughed, a rugged but pleasant sound, "Sure, sure, you may not think so, but I know the look of a hungry mare when I see one."

So do I, Soul thought as Hallow covered her own avarice with humor, "Anyway, Hallow, what did you want?"

She looked at him with curiosity, "And that's another thing, how did you know it was me?"

Soul cocked his head, "What do you mean? I still remember you, I didn't take any blows to the head. At least... none that I remember."

Hallow poked at her face, "Soul, I'm wearing a disguise spell, how did you see through it?"

She is? Upon closer inspection, Soul did notice faint lines of magic circling Hallow like a mummy's bandages. It was fantastically hidden, probably designed for use against magic detection spells, it was so faint even Soul had missed it!

"Oh, erm... just the way you were walking," he didn't know why, but he got the feeling that revealing his ability right now, and specifically to this kind of pony, probably wasn't the greatest idea on Equis.

She raised an eyebrow, "Walking?"

He nodded, but felt strangely... lacking. Where had his confidence gone? His cold surety? He'd felt its absence since the battle. His neck still twinged thinking about it. It seemed that dodging that knife had cost much more than it appeared, "Yes, you have a very specific gait," it was weak, but it would do. It wasn't like she would torture him for the information, of that he could be certain. Better to let a useful stallion keep his secrets, than lose him forever.

Hallow nodded slowly, "Okay, I'll bite for now, but I'll want a real answer someday."

Soul nodded, "Someday. Sorry Hallow, since the battle I feel..."

She placed a hoof on his shoulder, like a mentor would their pupil, "Hey, it's okay to be a little shaken up, I get it. Killing ponies, it's never easy, but you did the right thing."

Uh huh, Soul thought sardonically. She really didn't know as much as she pretended, did she?

She let go of him, and shuffled backward awkwardly, as she'd gotten too close. It made Soul smile to see her off-guard like that.

"So, um," she mumbled, "Uh, well. I came to talk to you about the aftermath, actually. You know how I said that the Princesses wished to express their gratitude?"

Soul nodded, wondering what honorific he'd be given. They might even name him Head Private. Hooray.

Hallow grinned, "Well, never let it be said that they don't pay their debts. They thought, from the reports, that you'd been taken out of action permanently, so you've got quite the sizable anonymous reward package waiting for you when you get out. And then when they heard that, not only were you on the mend, but you'd practically demanded to get back out there and finish the job yourself... well, that helped things along even more."

Soul was fairly certain those words had never come out of his muzzle, and Hallow seemed mighty pleased with herself. Still, as the old saying went, don't look for crops on borrowed land, "I thought you said there was no reward?"

She shook her head, "I said there was no award. Awards and rewards are very different things. And it's been handled so that, if those masked ponies do have more members out there, which we're starting to believe is likely based on how the others still won't crack, that it would be near impossible to track."

Well, that was good news. He could use some extra money, but the real sweet part of this was the favor it gained him with both of the Princesses. When promotions rolled around, Soul was fairly certain he'd be advanced to corporal. Hopefully. Probably. He still wasn't entirely sure how that worked yet.

He smiled wide at the blue unicorn ,"Well thanks Hallow! That's very kind of you, I almost feel like... you deserve some kind of reward too! Could you think of anything you want that I could give you?"

Soul decided to test his theory, and shifted himself into a more demure posture on the hospital bed. Sure enough, Hallow's eyes flashed down the sheets that covered him up with alacrity, but not enough to avoid his notice, "Oh... no, nothing at all, Soul. You've earned it, I just... helped get it moving."

Soul nodded, and withdrew, "Well, if you every think of something let me know and... we'll see. So, what did you find out in your scan?"

Hallow blinked, and then remembered what he was talking about, "Oh, that? Your magic reserves are a little low, but that's to be expected from the stress you were put under just two days ago. Honestly, I'm surprised they've recovered even to where they are now. You're a remarkable stallion, Soul Keeper."

"Much like yourself," he responded naturally, feeling a flare of the old self-assuredness wash over him, "Well, I'm glad to know there's nothing wrong with me. The Cleaning Bay did not appeal to me in the slightest, it needs a different name."

Hallow shrugged, "It's named for its purpose, calling it anything else would just confuse ponies. And yes, there's definitely nothing wrong that I could find. Of course, I didn't really give you a full rundown of diagnostics, I just made sure there was nothing malicious. I could do a full sweep if you need."

"Only if you're willing to do a physical," he said with a smirk, which actually caused her to blush a small bit.

"Ha-ha, good one. But highly inappropriate due to our difference in rank, Private. Anyway, if you've got time for jokes, then I have time to be doing more important things," she turned to leave, "Goodbye Soul, it was nice catching up. Oh, and tell doctor Quintex none of this, she doesn't have the clearance for it."

Do I have the clearance for this? Soul briefly wondered, "Goodbye Above Board!" he yelled, chuckling as he saw her flinch. Clearly she had not had influence over the code name she was given.

The doctor marched straight back into the room very soon after, walking to Soul with an expectant look on her face, "Well?"

"Yes, I hope so," he said, looking out the window and saying nothing more.

"Soul Keeper, you promised you would tell me what was said," Halifax was beginning to sound irate, and Soul noticed how cute she looked when she was miffed. Her little nose scrunched up, which pressed her glasses against her faintly freckled face.

"I said I'd tell you if it was anything important," she looked like she had a smart reply for that, but he cut her off, "But, fine. If you must know there were some... anomalies."

Her ears flattened, "I knew it! Nopony heals that fast naturally! That whorse lied to me!" Her eyes went wide, and she clamped a hoof over her mouth, looking incredibly shocked. Then her face turned mortified, "I am so, so sorry! I have no idea what came over me that caused me to make such a... rude and unprofessional comment!" The poor mare actually seemed distraught.

He nodded, "Yeah, it seems unlike you. It's okay, I forgive you Hally, I promise I won't tell anypony."

She quirked her head at the name, but apparently didn't feel in the mood to correct or question him, "Thank you, so much. I can't tell you what a stain it would be on my record if it ever got out that I lost my temper in front of my patient, especially one as injured as you. So, what was wrong?" she asked urgently.

He shrugged, "Nothing major, just that my magic levels were lower than where they should be, with all of the food you're giving me. She said something about my metabolism needing "more from the source"."

The doctor's brow was furrowed, and she put a hoof up to tap on her chin, "From the source? Hmm... I don't know what that could mean."

He sighed, drawing her attention, and looked sheepish, "It's... magical terminology. Well, a euphemism is a better word for it."

This was, frankly, a ludicrous claim that a trained professional should immediately have called him out on. However, there was more to this than getting into a sexy doctor's pants-

I also need the food! he was quick to correct himself.

He also wanted to test a theory. It had started with Marshmallow... no, even before that there had been Cath and Ring. Mares acted strangely around him. A few of the guys around the barracks had pointed it out, but he'd ignored them, thinking they were just jealous. However, Marshmallow, Hallow, and now Doctor Halifax? Three very attractive mares, all of whom should have had copious amounts of experience before he showed up, blushing and glancing away like schoolfillies at him? He may have been somewhat vain, but even he wasn't so narcissistic as to believe it was his charm and good looks. Something else was going on here, probably. He didn't know for sure. And if he could get lai- obtain valuable food while testing his theory, then so what?

Halifax tilted her head, and narrowed her eyes, and Soul waited for the yelling to start, "... Euphemism? For what?"

I... cannot... believe, he took a breath, It's not conclusive, she could just be thinking that it really is a unicorn doctor term she hasn't heard about. They don't get many in here, after all, he remembered.

"Well, uh," he covered up his uncertainty by posing it as embarrassment, "You see... unicorns, when they're born- well, when they're conceived, have no magic. They get it from their mother, even if the mom isn't a unicorn, she still has a magic reserve, right?"

Halifax nodded along, very intent on his words.

"So... that's what "from the source" means," he stopped, waving his hoof in a "you know what I mean?" gesture.

The doctor took a few seconds, but eventually she gasped, and her face roared with crimson.

Soul chuckled at her embarrassment, "I think you understand. I think she was joking, and just telling me I need to get laid. But actually, studies have shown that sex really does help unicorns recover magic at a significantly increased rate."

Quintex, trying to cover her blush, asked, "Really?"

Soul nodded, "Yeah! Nopony has gone so far into why it does, so a common joke amongst us is that we're getting it "from the source"," he had pulled 100% of that information directly from his ass, and if she ever bothered to ask anypony about it, she would immediately find out he was lying. To him, it should have been obvious anyway, but from the look on her face she was totally buying the story.

It's still not absolutely beyond a shadow of a doubt, but something is definitely going on here, he mused as she composed herself.

"Well... I don't, um..." she stuttered, very unlike her, Soul noted, how to raise the tension?

"I'd rather not talk about it right now, if that's okay doc," he said sheepishly, drawing her attention away, "It's... it's probably nothing, i'll be right as rain in a few days, you'll see."

She snorted, haughty smirk regained, "I highly doubt that Soul. Again, I'm surprised you're awake. You should probably still be in shock at this point."

A loud beeping noise sounded elsewhere in the room, and Halifax quickly bid him goodbye. He pretended not to notice as she glanced back at him, thoughtful expression on her face.

"So what is that you're reading," Halifax's clear voice disturbed, Soul's concentration.

He turned to her, slightly sluggish, "Hm?"

The doctor had set up a white chair next to his bed, and was sitting, back legs fetchingly crossed, with a clipboard in hoof, though she didn't seem too intent on taking notes.

He glanced at the title of the book in his hooves. He hadn't actually been reading it. It was strange, whenever he wasn't actively concentrating on something, he just sort of... stopped. Drifted off, like a puppet with its strings cut, unfocused. He could do it for hours, too. And all the while he felt nothing but a vague sense of emptiness, like something was missing inside of him. Or, not missing, but-

"Soul?" Halifax's brow furrowed, he'd been too slow to respond.

He shook his head, "Sorry, I'm... just tired."

Her frown deepened, looking at her board "You slept all night, one of the orderlies had to wake you up for breakfast. Are you feeling any excess fatigue?"

He smiled slightly, "It's sweet that you pay so much attention to me, it's not even that creepy."

She looked at him flatly, "Answer the question, Soul."

So cold, almost hostile. Nowhere near her attitude yesterday. Still calling me by my first name, though, the smile remained plastered to his face, "No, I'm not experiencing any excess fatigue, doctor. Not the physical kind, at least."

She sighed, "Stop playing word games with me, Soul, what are and aren't you feeling, compared to yesterday?"

His eyes narrowed, "... this isn't really about me, is it?"

"What?" she said, almost sounding startled.

Yes, he could See it now... this was a front. Something much deeper was troubling her, something near fundamental.

He shifted in bed, swinging his back legs over the side, which earned him another frown, and covering his more intimate parts with the thin cotton blanket, which earned him a deeper frown and a very slight blush, "So, what's wrong with you compared to yesterday, doctor?"

She opened and closed her mouth, Soul's mind couldn't help but wander a little to better things those tight brown lips could be doing, before sighing and rubbing her forehead, "It's... it's nothing," she seemed confused, and even dissatisfied with that answer.

"No," he drawled, noticing how she no longer looked directly at him, "It's definitely something. Come on, you can tell me. I'll swear, on my word of honor, to hold it a secret until the end of time," he raised one hoof, and put the other over his heart. The blanket covering his crotch slipped just a little, and her eyes darted to it, before snapping away angrily.

Ahhh, he thought, satisfied, So that's what it is.

Now that he knew what to look for, Soul could see the Lust in her, but what surprised him was how deeply it was buried. Usually it ran quite close to the surface, sometimes even in the second layer, if the pony in question was particularly unguarded with their emotions. But Quintex was clearly a mare of restraint, perhaps even chastity. Her Lust was buried deep, struggling to burst forth, hemmed in by force of will.

"R-really, I'm fine. Let's... talk about other things, shall we?" She said, looking uncomfortable.

"Alright, if you're sure," Soul backed off, intentionally sounding concerned, and looking worried. He patted her on the hoof, "But if it's anything I can help with, let me know, okay? It'd be the least I could do for you putting up with me."

She blushed again, and quickly moved her hoof away.

Soul drew back, contemplative. They sat in silence for a few seconds, as Soul tried to piece together her reactions into a clearer picture, "So, Halifax... where are you from?" He said it awkwardly, but she seemed grateful for the escape regardless.

"Oh! I'm actually from Canterlot originally."

"Really?" Soul mused, "I'm from out east, near the Dragon Lands."

"Seriously?" she asked, "What was it like there? How did you... survive? If you don't mind me being frank."

He chuckled, "I don't most ponies here think of the Dragon Lands as a constantly burning pit, akin to Tartarus. And... well, you wouldn't exactly be wrong," this merited a chuckle from Quintex, "but it's not as bad as its made out to be. My family has lived there for generations."

She cocked her head, "The Keepers?"

He nodded, "Yes, for a few hundred years, at least. Handing down the old homestead, rebuilding it after a dragon attack or bandit raid, and carrying on."

A throb let loose in his heart as he remembered the place. His Mother smiling, training with Father...

No, he quelled the emotions as they rose to the surface, don't think about it, keep talking.

"... for certain."

"What was that?" he asked.

"I said that I know I've heard that name recently for certain. I can't remember where though," her lashes fluttered as she tilted her head in remembrance. It was really quite cute, seeing her curious, and not angry, flustered, or worried, "Actually, I think I remember reading about them."

A cold spark ticked in Soul's heart, "Oh... really?"

She nodded, "Yes... Celestia above, your family's ancient!" she said happily, "They must date back all the way to... Night... mare..."

She slowed to a stop as she noticed his increasingly thunderous look, and winced slightly, "Sorry, did I say something?"

He sighed, and rubbed his face, "It's not your fault. It's something I've dealt with my whole life."

"What is?" she wasn't accusatory or rude, just curious.

"It's just that..." Soul tried his best not to sound petulant, "That's all my family's ever remembered for. Yes, a thousand years ago, we supported Nightmare Moon. A few noble families did, we're just the only one that survived..." he left out the part that the only reason they had survived at all was because they scattered to places like the Dragon Lands, and the Night Swamp, like rats fleeing a sinking ship, "Ponies forget the deeds we did before and after, because none of them were ever important enough to the kingdom, I suppose."

He was surprised to find a tender touch on his shoulder, and looked over at Halifax's smooth features, "Well, I know one Keeper that is attracting the kingdom's attention, in a good way," she looked left and right before leaning in and whispering, "I finally did enough snooping to figure out what happened that night. You and those ponies are heroes, Soul. Ponies don't have to talk about it for it to be the truth."

His heart slowly warmed, and he gave a genuine smile, "Thanks, Hally, that means a lot to me."

She smiled back, pulling away, and then frowned a little, "Not sure what I think of that."

He cocked an eyebrow, "The nickname?"

She nodded, "Yeah... the only ponies who've called me Hally have been bullies."

He was surprised, "Who would bully a mare like you? Strong, intelligent, determined, ambitious, those are all fantastic qualities!"

She blushed, "Well, when you grow up in an earth pony family, with earth pony friends... well, look, the "earth pony farmer" stereotype exists for a reason. My childhood was basically spent surrounded by farm talk. Now, my parents didn't work the farms themselves, they pay others to work several tracts of land for them, but still it was all anypony would talk about. So, when their daughter starts going to the Canterlot Library, and flipping through anatomy textbooks..." she trailed off.

"So they weren't very supportive," Soul gently prodded.

She shook her head, "Oh no, my parents were. Oh sure, they were a little disappointed that I didn't want to go into the family business, but I already had three brothers who did. No, it was my "friends" and schoolmates that were the worst," she sounded bitter too, and Soul noticed she wasn't really looking at him anymore.

He patted her hoof, drawing her attention, "Well, hey, you sure showed them, huh? Royal physician ain't half bad."

She looked at him, and then smiled, "No... no I guess it's not," she leaned back into her chair, getting more comfortable, "Most of the time I don't feel like a royal physician, though. Do you know how difficult it is for an immortal princess- pardon, two immortal princesses to get sick?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Very?"

She huffed, "Try once every couple of decades. Apparently I was considered lucky, because I got to treat Princess Luna with a few others after they brought her back to the castle. Turns out a thousand years of being in space prison isn't healthy for the lungs. Go figure," she shook her head, "honestly, I'm sometimes surprised that regular pony medicine even has an effect on those two, they can survive such bizarre scenarios."

I... feel like I'm missing something here, Soul thought suddenly. He was enjoying the conversation, but something was nagging at him. That hole inside of him was pulling, ever so gently, on his mind. He brushed it off, and returned to Halifax.

"... why all houses should be burned."

"What?" Soul said. That had taken a turn, what had he missed?

The doctor actually giggled, and it was super squeaky and adorable too, "Just testing you, I saw your eyes glaze over."

He laughed, "Yeah, sorry about that..."

She grew concerned, "Is everything okay?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I'm just... hungry."

She cocked her head, "Did you not get breakfast, I thought-"

"No, no, not that kind of hungry," he waved her off, "Don't worry about it. Not important. Hopefully I get out of here before it becomes too big of a problem."

She looked at him strangely, and then something began to hum in her lab coat, "Oh, drat," her brow furrowed and nose scrunched with annoyance, "I have to go..." she looked back, apologetically large orange eyes making his heart melt, "I'll be back tomorrow, alright? And... thanks."

She got up and turned to leave, Soul fully prepared to stare at her ass on the way out, when she turned around, as if having made a decision, "Quin."

"What?" he asked.

She blush, and glanced to the floor, "Quin. That's the nickname my real friends know me by."

He smiled, "Well... I hope I see you soon, Quin."

She smiled, and left the room. As soft and jiggly as ever.

The next few days passed in similar course. Soul and Quin chatted, at first, for about half an hour. But soon their conversations grew longer, they laughed more frequently, sat closer together. They talked about their pasts, their dreams, their mistakes, and their hobbies, though Soul struggled with the last one. Each day that passed, Soul could see the Lust grow inside of his new friend, and could feel the hunger mounting inside himself. Mostly, he found out more about her, and he was almost sure she noticed. Whenever they started to talk about him and his past the conversation would shift, but she didn't push him about it.

After the first week, as promised, he was allowed visitors. He almost jumped for joy, until he found out that any and all visitation would be closely supervised, and no funny business was allowed. Of course Lay and Marshmallow same to see him, and Soul noticed Quin's not-so-subtle frown at how familiar Marshmallow was with him.

Upon his request, Soul was moved to a private hospital room for the final week of recuperation, citing excessive light and noise as the cause. He and Quin both knew he just wanted more alone time with her.

The room they moved him to was nice, it had one, golden, stained glass window, tinted so that no matter what time of day it was it looked like sunset. The walls here were a clinical alabaster, rather than the uniform grey of the rest of the palace, but it had wooden floors, which were a sight for sore eyes. His bed was more homey than a clinic's gurney, though it had all the necessary medical accouterments, and he had a single wooden nightstand to sit things on, which usually served as Quin's table when they would talk.

And after a week and a half of slow building, subtle flirtation, and what he was sure was outright mind magic, he made the move.

"Quin, have I told you yet that you're beautiful?" he asked as she sipped from a glass of apple juice. She promptly sprayed it all over his nice clean sheets, and flashed bright red.

"I'm sorry?" she asked incredulously.

He stood his ground, he was just about done playing games, "You're gorgeous, Quin. I wanted to make sure you knew that."

She put down the glass slowly, her hoof shaking a little, "O-oh, thanks, Soul. Ahem."

He cocked his head, why had she grown so stilted, surely she was accustomed to stallions flirting with her, with the way she was built? With her wits, and fantastic marriage benefits?

"Hey," he said, leaning over, making her shrink away, "We're friends right?"

She hesitated, then nodded, "Yes, yes we are friends, Soul."

He straightened up, "Then I demand, as your friend, to know what the deal is," he folded his front hooves with a hmph.

She struggled for words, and looked around for a minute, trying to find a way to escape, before sighing, "Look, Soul, it's... it's not you, you're a great guy,"

His heart immediately sank, those were the words you never wanted to hear, "You're a lesbian."

She looked at him, bewildered, "What?! Buck no, Soul! Celestia almighty, this is hard, um," she bit her lip, and Soul was genuinely left in the dark. If it wasn't her sexuality, then what was it?

"I have a... thing. Against patients," she finally admitted, "I mean I don't... ugh, it isn't professional, in my opinion, to sleep with a patient. There used to be real laws against it, but they got removed after the last Griffon War, I think. So many injured soldiers fell in love with their nurses and doctors, that forbidding their union seemed... callous. But, I hold it in my personal code," she concluded, and then sighed for a long time. It seemed that a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and a tear of relief actually came to her eye as she looked at him.

"Okay..." he began slowly, "Why do you consider it unprofessional?" he had an inkling already, but he wanted to hear her reasoning.

She blushed slightly, "Well... it's just... the way I was raised, I guess."

Soul nodded sagely, "As I thought. As good an answer as any," it seemed to put her more at ease that he agreed with her, "But now I have another question. What if you needed to in order to ensure a patient's health, would you do it?"

She cocked an eyebrow and faced him, "We're talking theoretically here, right?"

He shrugged, noncommittal.

She sighed, rubbing her chin, "Well... theoretically, I would say that it'd be worse if a patient died as a direct result of me not taking a distasteful action to save them, than taking the distasteful action and saving them," she sighed, "but we already know that you're not going to die, Soul, so-"

"Weelll," he said. Was he really doing this? Here, now, to her?

She looked at him flatly, "Soul, if this is an excuse to get under my tale, then it won't-"

His hoof clamped down in a vice grip on her mouth, and she looked at him utterly stunned. His eyes were deadly serious as he whispered, "Quin... you're my friend. A real friend. More than that, you're a doctor. Now I need to know. What I'm about to tell you, I've never, ever, told anypony in my life, understand? And it does not leave this room, is that clear?"

She nodded frantically, and he released her muzzle, which she rubbed softly with a hoof, "Sweet Celestia, Soul, that smarts! You could have just asked me to be quiet!"

He shook his head, "I needed something that got your complete and utter attention, that felt like the best way to do it. Now, are you ready?"

She nodded, instinctively leaning in. Soul sighed, and closed his eyes, "I have... a very, very rare medical condition amongst unicorns. My parents told me about it when I was very little. Most unicorns, you see, they regenerate their magic passively, over time, sleep helps. But me... I don't. In fact, mine drains over time. To make up for this, my magical well that I can draw from his leagues deeper than most other unicorns, but it has a price."

He opened his eyes, and sighed with relief. Hers were serious too, thinking. She believed him, and now she was trying to work out the implications, "I've... heard bout unicorns burning out. Running out of magic and... imploding on themselves, is..." she didn't seem to want to go on.

Soul nodded, "I live under the shadow of that threat every day of my life."

She was quiet, for a time, and then asked, "So... you're just waiting for the day you run out of magic?"

He shook his head, "No. I've... figured out ways to restore it. Namely by draining it from somepony else. It's a harmless process, to both parties, but it requires... physical contact."

She blinked, and held out her hoof, "So go ahead."

He smiled morosely, "Well, you see, it's not that simple. You do have magic inside of you, as you correctly assumed. But as an earth pony, you have the least of all three pony races. And you specifically have even less than most, as you don't work with your natural earth pony strength much."

She nodded, "I see. Well, then let's get you a unicorn-"

"Ah, ah, ah! Let me finish. Firstly, I only perform this process with ponies I trust. Implicitly. So no random unicorn doctors. Fortunately, for both of us, there are ways of increasing your magic exponentially, at minimal cost to myself," he took a deep breath, "You're going through an early heat cycle, aren't you?"

Her jaw dropped, and the snapped shut, she broke eye contact and wrapped her tail around her legs, "Is it... that obvious?"

He shook his head, "No, actually, you're doing a great job of covering it up. It took me a while to spot, and believe me, that's saying something."

She seemed mollified, but still confused, he raised a hoof to forestall questions, "I'm going to be clinical about this, okay? The best way to increase your magic so that I don't die, is through carriers of my magical code, akin to DNA. This includes any piece of my body, really, but bodily fluids are the fastest, and most potent, methods. This includes saliva, blood, urine, and semen. As you may have guessed from my earlier line of questioning, semen is by far and away the most effective method of transferring magical amplification from me to you."

She was taking this all very well, remaining stoic the whole time. He appreciated that.

"Over the course of the last week, you've probably heard me talking about constantly being hungry but not "that kind of hungry"?" she nodded, "This is what I was referring to. A hunger for magic."

She sat still for a while, then asked, "And... you do this... every time you need magic?"

He nodded, somber, "I have to "feed" at least once a week, or I become frail. I do what I have to to survive."

She nodded, "I wasn't questioning your methods, if what you've told me is true then I can't fault them. It's just.."

He turned her head to face him, marveling at the smooth softness of her fur, "What is it?"

She put her hood on his, "f I do this... then I want you to come to me from now on."

He blinked, "Pardon?"

She sat straighter, more affirmed, "If I am going to help you with your condition, I will be the only one to help you with it. Understood?"

There were several problems with this that Soul could see immediately, "What if I'm out of town? What if you're sick? What if I... " he cut himself off, he could already see her nodding.

"Okay, okay, that's a little unreasonable. I just... I really like you Soul, and I've never wanted to be in an open relationship. Not even a herd."

He nodded, "Well then, we'll keep this strictly professional. No emotions involved, purely a medical procedure," he knew that's not what she wanted, he also knew that wouldn't last, not with the way this process worked. But for now, the thought of finally relieving her craving for sex, and keeping her conscience clean pushed her over the edge.

"Alright, professional it is."

Bingo.

"So," she said, nervous but determined, resolved to the course of action she had committed to, "How does this... work? I just... um... get you off?"

He smiled devilishly to himself, and said in a deeper tone, "Well first, you get up here," he patted a spot on his bed that he'd cleared, and Quintex eyed it warily. She climbed up, a little reluctant, but she was too far gone now to turn back.

As she did, Soul finally took in the body he'd snuck tantalizing glimpses at for two weeks. Her downy fur looked so soft that it could be mistaken for downy plumage, her hips and legs were plump in all the right ways, lending a much-appreciated weight as they settled like liquid on the bed. Her expression, those deep, warm eyes so uncertain, afraid, but trusting, and darkly thrilled at the same time, biting one lip as was her nervous habit. It was all just so perfect!

Shoving down the urge to lick his lips, Soul settled next to the doctor, his hips pressing into hers in a heavenly manner, they were like pillows unto themselves! He ran a hoof slowly down her spine, making her grunt lightly, trying not to gasp and give the game away too early. A hoof slipped under her shoulder and stroked her chest, pressing down into her smooth stomach, as his other finally took it's chance to squeeze her soft ass.

Great Celestia above, he silently swore, as his hoof sank into one of the most malleable, yet firm pieces of flesh his touch had ever enjoyed. She grunted again, shifting her hips back into him, a small smile of satisfaction tugging at the corners of her mouth as she kept her eyes shut tight.

Soul couldn't stop squeezing and kneading her delectable flanks as he gently pulled off the lab coat she was wearing with his teeth. She shyly, but obediently, raised her arms for him as he lifted, and as soon as it was tossed to the side he began the work he was known for.

A surprised gasp, caught unawares, jumped from Quin as Soul passionately kissed the back of her neck, nipping at it gently. He assumed a more dominant position, both of his hooves going to her gorgeous rear, as he ground his hips against her unbearably soft legs. His efforts were rewarded as she rolled over slightly onto her stomach, moaning in a very small voice, and he pounced, laying atop her. One hoof firmly glued to her ass, the other snacked around to play teasingly with her beasts, which he'd yet to see.

Do the wonders never cease? He thought, as he discovered that her milky brown tits were large indeed, swollen with milk for the foals she would not yet be having. He smirked, knowing they would be incredibly sensitive once the fun got started. For now, he teased them mercilessly. He flicked, tapped, and prodded here and there, eliciting frustrated squeaks at hints of pleasure that were quickly snapped away before they could set in.

"Soul..." Quin moaned in a peeved manner. He noticed that, in her heat, she'd forgotten to take her glasses off. She looked far, far sexier like that than she probably did without them.

Soul gave one last vigorous assault on her nape, rear, and teats, before he gently turned her over in the bed.

Finally, curious, she opened her dazzling amber eyes, chocolate hair frazzled, creamy dark fur beginning to slick with sweat, panting. Beautiful.

"How do you feel about length and girth?" He asked, sitting astride her midriff in such a way that, if he dismissed the enchantment, her breasts would be firmly under his weighty balls.

She blushed, but not much. He could already see her eyes becoming unfocused and cloudy. Hot damn, this mare could control herself well. The times mares he'd known were in heat they had to lock themselves away, before they threw themselves at the nearest stallion with a potent scent. Here she was, underneath one she knew and lusted for, and she was still in control.

If i'm not careful, I might fall in love, Soul thought, heady.

"Um," she said, putting a hoof to her mouth in just the cutest way, "I-I'm actually a bit of a size-queen. But it's okay! I'll be willing to help-"

Soul proudly unveiled the monument, then and there, delighted to show off his stuff to somepony who would properly appreciated it.

She stopped mid sentence as the huge girth smacked down onto her stomach, chest, and almost to her front shoulder, flare almost thicker than a hoof, and the medial ring nowhere to be found.

Her eyes went as wide as saucers, "This... you've been hiding this the whole time!?!" she seemed angry, like he'd been keeping something that rightfully belonged to her.

He smiled, and laid down on top of her, face to face. She tore her eyes away from his dick to pant softly into his mouth. There was no more fear, or reluctance, only excitement, and even... gratitude?

"Think that's magic, Quin?" He said, smiling evilly, "Wait until you found out that I know a spell to stop you from getting pregnant."

She gasped, and looked back at the rod of meat, which had begun to give off slight wisps of steam, heating up as more and more blood pumped through it at an incredible rate, "Y-you mean... I get to have that... inside of me?"

He was most assuredly in love.

A grin, "Not only that, Quin. You get to have this cum inside of you, and feel it filling you up until you can't hold anymore, and it comes splashing back out, stretching you as deep and a wide as you can go."

Her eyes glittered, her smile widened, and her breath grew shorter with every dirty word he whispered to her. Soul's heart soared.

"And now," he said, gently kissing her ear, "I'm going to claim you."

Taking a bet, Soul stood on his back legs, and spun Quintex around like she weighed nothing. To his delight, she whooped and giggled, before going silent as she saw his hoof sized balls dangling over her face, and started to drool. Soul promptly sat on his knees, nestling his sack right into her waiting face, and her response overjoyed him.

Immediately, her warm, wet tongue was all over them. It suckled, licked, and slurped with such an assortment of satisfied gasps for breath and wet smacks that Soul shivered from that alone, knowing that with each breath she would only become more intoxicated by him. He felt himself judder, and a glob of precum slowly pushed it's way out of the end of his dick, splashing down onto Quin's stomach, and being absorbed directly into the skin.

Soul settled back, slowly grinding his scrotum across her face and mouth, she loved every second of it. Soon, the area was so lick that her hooves instinctually flew to the base of the shaft and began rubbing it up and down. It was still a little dry, and the movements were jerky, but Soul gave her a generous pat on the head for trying her best.

"Buck, Soul, Celestia damn, your scent! You smell like... like... like a god, bucking buck! I love it so damn much, the way it feels on my tongue, the way you're sinking into my face... smell like it forever... bucking smother me in it bucking YES...."

She mumbled over and over, and Soul shuddered again, releasing a few more dollops of the milky liquid onto her chest. It was one of the hottest things he'd ever heard, and this from a chaste doctor of all ponies! He needed to sleep with more mares in heat.

Soul noticed as a hoof attempted to snake its way down towards her engorged chocolate colored mounds, which he caught with magic. It made her whimper, and whine, before she said, "Yes, don't let me touch myself, make me beg for it, then fuck me hard, and breed me, Celestia, oh sweet merciful goddess..."

Soul very much appreciated her attitude, and decided it was time to return a little bit of the favor.

A field of stars circled around Quin's swollen teats, right around the very base, and gave a soft squeeze. She immediately cried out, and her legs kicked back and forth, before Soul took another chance and strapped them down with magic, making it appear as though she'd been lashed forcibly to the bed frame. In response, he got a wordless, drawn out groan, and Quin's whole body shuttered and shook, her legs pressing together but being held back by the magical bonds, which dug ever so slightly into the skin.

Soul blinked in shock as a clear liquid spewed from between Quintex's legs, and she gave a quivering moan as her stomach pulsed and contracted. Had she really just cum?

This... this will be a day to remember... Soul thought with a smile so devious it could have curdled milk. The flow of marecum slowed to a dribble leaking down her ass, but her body still trembled, and her head thrashed weakly as she gasped for breath under his thickly scented balls. The entire headboard and pillows were soaked with her essence, and Soul very much planned on giving her a time she would either not be able to remember, or never be able to forget.

"Dick... I need dick..." she moaned weakly, just starting to come around after her first powerful squirt.

"Oh, you'll get it Quin," he lashed her forelegs to the bottom of the bed, which caused her to moan louder, "just... not... yet!" with each word her pulsed the field around her teats, giving them a squeeze that made her squeal each time.

"Celestia, Sooouuuul...." she groaned, turning her head and arching in torment as his magic slowly squeezed up and down, rings of starlight drifting gently across her skin in a manner that bellied the force with which they pressed. Up and down, up and down they went, Soul delighted as Quin was reduced to a nasal whimper, and her legs drew his magical lashings taught as they kicked and squirmed for purchase they could not reach.

"S-S-S-Soul! I-I-I'm... s-someth-thing's h-happening!" She managed to gargle out as she threw her head back and clenched her teeth so hard Soul feared they would shatter. With only a minute or so of slow stimulation, she was ready to burst again, and this time it was more than just her dripping cunt.

Thick whitish liquid pumped itself from her tits, and she screamed in agonizing pleasure as they were milked for all they were worth by his magic. Soul did his best to gather it all, but it sprayed out with a vengeance, spatting hot liquid over the bed, as well as the two lovers. She squirted from her clenching pussy again at the same time, soaking the headboard in a second layer of cum.

Soul felt himself beginning to feel lightheaded at the sights and smells coming from her lower half. Her juices, though clear, smelled like cocoa, and her milk was warm and comforting on his fur, he wondered if he should take a taste, but snapped himself out of it before he went too far.

Have to leave some way to escalate it next time, he thought to himself. He realized with a start that there would be a next time. Somewhere along the way he'd decided that he wasn't done with this mare after today, she was just too good to let slip through his hooves. But that was a thought for later, now was the time for the real fun.

Soul removed himself from Quintex's face, and then froze, expression scrunching in discomfort, before his medial ring popped free of his sheathe with an almost pressurized hiss, matched by Soul's own sigh of lustful relief.

He levitated his captive lover around, rebinding her with her head mere inches from her own exultant spray, and the smell of it seemed to drive her crazy. Her head lolled back, and he saw her legs and ass quiver again without even being touched, not to mention her beautiful, rapidly winking, nethers. They were such a soft pink, delicate, and so perfectly placed it was as if they'd been arranged. Soul leaned in close to inspect them, and was captivated by the glistening bare flesh, the wetness of it, almost shimmering. The way the folds deepened and disappeared... how lucky he was, to explore those rosy depths.

He sniffed, and his eyes fluttered. Such a divine scent! Like dark chocolate melted over ice cream, with the sharp tang of her nearby tailhole as a sobering aftershock. He glanced down, and inspected the tight ring of darker brown muscle, giving way to the same glistening hue. He nipped playfully at her dock with his teeth, just clipping around the base of the tail, much to her sexually frustrated outrage.

"Soouuulll..." she slurred like a drunkard, "Just fucking stick a dick in me, fuck!"

Hmm, her heat certainly has affected her, he liked it for now, Tartarus he loved it for now, but could it become a problem later?

That's for future, not-horny Soul to deal with, he thought with reckless glee, and finally dove in.

He started, with one long lick. From the tail, all the way up the ass crack with its harsh smell and bitter tang, making sure to sanitize it with magic first, right over her quivering slit, it's smooth texture pulling on his tongue, begging him to enter, all the way to her tight, winking clit.

"BuuuUUUUCK! SOUL!" Quin lashed out, but with her legs restrained all she could do was keen a whining pant, and struggle against the bonds in a feverish state of bliss, "Yes! Yes! Yes! YES!"

He flipped her around, stomach flopping to the bed, and climbed on top of her. e could here her breathing grow dangerously rapid, her eyes frantically slashing this way and that, anticipation eating her from the inside as his hooves wrapped solidly and commandingly around her barrel.

She almost wept for joy as his full weight settled on top of her, pressing the restraints into her legs just a bit, luckily the slight pinch only seemed to turn her on more, and she barely seemed conscious as she consumed breaths at a mad pace.

He pressed his stallionhood against the entrance to her quivering cunt, nibbling on her ear lovingly, before giving a hard push.

Even with all of this prep, a mare would never be able to take something as large as Soul was packing, not without consistent, daily training, and there'd be time for that in the weeks to come. Magic would do for now. The small drops of pre that had entered her system earlier had done their work, distorting space around and inside her vagina, letting her stretch farther and wider than physically possible. Even then, it was a rough fit.

Several seconds of strained grunts, and then one, long, hissing, pop. Soul slid in all the way to her cervix, which was just not far enough to get his medial ring in there. No matter, that would come later.

"Huh," Quin said, seeming shocked and... underwhelmed, "I thought it would be more-"

She stopped talking as all of the nerves in her full-to-bursting cunt fired at once, slamming her brain with such an overload of endorphins that she screamed her lungs out of air on the spot. Soul, for his part, was in heaven.

It's so warm ! He'd forgotten what a pussy was like, he'd only gotten a blowjob from Marshmallow, and that didn't nearly compare to Halifax's amazing muff. It squeezed him like it was biting down, chewing the very life out of his dick with a ferocious intensity. Maybe it was just because she was cumming, but the pressure was immense!

He shivered in delight as he felt her warm liquids pulse and splash down his legs, he'd never been with such a prolific squirter before. He was growing to appreciate such a physical display of her enjoyment.

"So," he grunted, shifting his back legs only to find she was clenching so tightly he couldn't even move, "How's that, size queen?"

He didn't think she heard him, she was still letting out a silent scream of ecstasy, her eyes pinpricks in her head, staring into nothing as her mind blanked. He loved that look.

Snarling with effort, he forced himself to move backwards, though it felt like he was ripping himself in half from the force pressing him into her tight, sexy body. With another roar, he rammed himself forward, her ass making a resounding clap as his hips slapped them harder than his hoof would have. Actually...

Later, he told himself, gasping, precum flying out into her in a thick stream, all in good... ngh-time...

He saw Quin's orange eyes flutter, and he pressed himself fully back down onto her, his significantly increased wright a reminder that she couldn't escape if she tried. She shivered as the message came through loud and clear.

"D-D-Did you j-just c-c-cum?" She asked, and Soul tilted his head in confusion.

Oh, the pre, he thought with a hearty chuckle, before whispering harshly, "Quin, I've not even begun to start," he gave a hard thrust, and another loud smack echoed against the room's stone walls. She yelped, and shivered again, a dumb look of absolute contentment washing over her face, and a lazy smile drifting over her usually so reserved features. Maybe she wasn't always like this, but right now, she was a mare in heat. And Soul knew exactly how to treat her.

What ensued was one of the roughest poundings Soul had ever given. Usually he liked to start slow, ramp things up. But he'd started slow enough, and this mare, his mare, wanted more. Vicious jackhammer strokes drowned out her cries of lust and perversion with the sounds of first dry, then sloppily wet thunderous claps. He did not stop, he did not slow down, he did not pause in his unrelenting assault to fuck her absolutely senseless.

He grunted with effort as her (third? fourth?) orgasm crashed through her, and he was forced to cleave through the walls of meat to keep pace. But his mare was hungry, and he was out to not only satisfy, but surpass anything she could ever hope to experience with another.

He heightened this further, but without using magic. He wanted to save that for something special, not the introduction. Well, foreplay notwithstanding, obviously. Soul put his dexterous hooves to work, laying claim to anything he could get a hold of as he finally found a good fucking rhythm that didn't require him to stand on all four hooves. he put pressure on key areas of her back, he groped and gently smacked her ass, harder when he heard her squeals of delight when she had the breath to do so. He massaged her swollen breasts, though never intensely enough to draw out the nurturing fluids they carried as he had earlier.

His precum continuously soaked her already drenched passage with viscous white fluid, almost too much for her walls to absorb. She seemed to especially enjoy when a rope of it coincided with the apex of his thrust, sending it battering through to her womb. He could have used the energy, which quickly multiplied into hundreds of times what her maximum was, driving her further up the wall, to open her up more, allow his strokes to reach deeper, wider, farther. But not yet, he decided.

Let her think this is all, he panted and roared with effort as his hips felt weak from the punishing fucking he gave the brilliant, sexy mare under him, let her think this is the height of her pleasure. I want her adrift on the seas of bliss when I show her what I can really do.

Finally, after so long even he'd stopped paying attention of an unheard of, blistering, cunt destroying pace, Soul felt the tale-tell twitch at the very tip of his dick.

He slammed down onto Quin, hooves reaching, grabbing, stroking every inch of her glorious body they could possibly grasp, "I'm about to cum," he didn't ask, he told, he demanded.

"And you,"

SLAM

"Are going to take,"

SLAM!

"It all!"

His hips connected in a final blow, and Quin screamed her appreciation, in tandem with Soul's own cry of unabashed pleasure. Cascades of ecstasy rolled over him in prismatic waves, shattering and rebuilding his mind. A fire, once burned out, reignited with the heat of a thousand stars. Soul felt an unknowable rush of pure power scream, unbound through his veins. In the intensity of the experience, he blacked out....

And awoke to a promise fulfilled. As he groggily came to, his dick still twitched with ropes upon ropes of cum shooting out, painting her pink corridors white, but so much was still coming out that it had already started leaking out of her malleable pussy and drooled down the curvature of her round ass.

With a huff, he thrust inwards again, spooge gushing out of her rear as he sunk in as deep as he could go, making sure that every crevice was filled with his seed, before finally he slipped his long appendage out of her backside, cleaned himself up, and redid the enchantment. He didn't clean her ass, he knew she'd like it better messy. That and it would fade into her skin anyway, which it slowly did.

He looked over at her lightly snoring face, completely and utterly sated. She was out cold. Soul leaned in, and drank his fill of her unconscious body.

"Soul," Quin said, cuddling up closer, "that was unbelievable."

The laid contentedly in eachother's hooves, covered neatly by the white blanket the clinic provided. Soul had cleaned everything up and dumped it all out of the window into the gardens. No one would either question nor care if they found something strange in the bushes, they'd probably just assume it was an animal.

"Oh really?" he said, only a little smug, "How so?"

"It just... Soul, I've never experienced anything like that. And maybe it was just because I'm in heat, but I feel more relaxed and satisfied than I have in years."

That actually was also his doing. After seeing that her heat still raged, and she'd soon want more, he'd flipped it on its head. Replacing the burning ball of self-perpetuated irrational lust with a cold, almost icy feeling. it would keep her relaxed, focused, and generally brighter than she would be even normally. He wanted her to know that sex with him was a treat before, during, and after, and there were zero replacements.

More than that, Soul himself felt great. He felt... taller, stronger, confident, powerful. Something had been missing the past week and a half, a piece of himself. Now, he'd reclaimed it, and damn did it feel good to be whole again.

"Still though..." she said, shuffling so that he was now the big spoon, "I would have appreciated some warning with some of the stuff you pulled."

And ruin the surprise? he thought, "Like what? I aimed to please."

She laughed lightly, "Oh, believe me Soul, you pleased. I just meant stuff like the... ahem... magical bondage ropes?"

He kissed her neck, making her shiver, "Apparently somepony doesn't remember begging for me to hold them down and buck them like an animal."

He could feel her blush even with her face turned away, though all she did was sink deeper into his warm chest, "Well," she sighed, "Maybe I'm just mad because I lost."

Soul nodded, and said nothing.

She seemed surprised, and glanced back at him, "Not going to ask what I mean?"

Soul shook his head, "I already know. Not only did you reveal many wild and deep things that you keep hidden about yourself, but I bent you around them like copper wire, using every single kink to further my advantage," he leaned in, nibbling her ear and whispering, "and you will never find a stallion capable of the same."

With some, this would be a step too far, but he only further cemented his victory. His possessive tone, his unstated superiority, was a major turn on for her, and she groaned huskily, wriggling in his forelegs, "Soul, if you don't stop, we're going to have to clean this bed again."

He nuzzled her cheek in response, and they drifted off into a comfortable doze together, warm, heady glows filling each of them.

"And you'll come back every week?"

"Yes."

"And you'll continue the medication I'm giving you?"

"Yes."

"And you'll talk to me before seeing any other-"

"Quin?" Soul turned to look at the amber eyes behind the stethoscope.

She looked right back, "Yes, Soul?"

He kissed her, right on the mouth. Her lips were gorgeously soft, they tasted like candy today, and he drank her in all that he could. He pulled away when he was certain she was breathless, and patted her on the cheek, "I'll be fine, Quin. I know what to do."

She stood there stunned for a moment, before pressing her lips into a line and nodding, "Very well. Private Soul Keeper, I officially, and grudgingly, declare you fit for further active duty."

He stood from the bed where he'd received his physical, and gave an overly theatrical bow. Quin snorted, and threw a piece of paper at him, which he allowed to bonk him.

She sighed, and waved to the door, "Go ahead. Your friends have been eagerly waiting outside."

Ah yes, his friends.

I'll have to do something about Marshmallow, he concluded, sadly, she's just too much of a risk, for less of a fit. Hopefully it won't cause me too much trouble.

He gave Halifax one final hug, before leaving his hospitable prison. Finally.

Outside, Lay Decker and Marshmallow Cascade both stood beaming. They both shouted cheers as he exited, and gave him a big group hug, all three of them laughing.

"I'll have to take you drinking tonight!" Lay said happily, "Wash away all those boring hospital days with a little bit of fun, huh?"

Soul laughed, and looked at Marshmallow, who surprisingly seemed... thoughtful, and a little worried.

"Hey Lay?" She said, and he turned, raising an eyebrow, "Could you... give us a second?"

He looked back and forth between the two of them, and a slow smile cracked his face, "Oh, oh, I see what's going on! Well don't have too much fun without me, kids," he chuckled to himself as he moved around a corner, and hopefully out of earshot.

Marshmallow turned to look at Soul, "Um... hey."

"Hey," he said, taking in a breath, "Marshmallow, I've done some thinking," she looked surprised, "I... don't think it's really right for us to be together. You're a wonderful mare, but I don't really know you. I don't know what came over me that day, but what we shared then... I don't think it could last," she still looked shocked, so he hurried, "Please, don't be mad at me. Or, you can be mad at me, but don't stop being my friend. I do think you're great, just that we don't really-"

Soul cut off as she burst into a fit of laughter, and... tears? Was she upset?

"Oh, Soul!" she said, wiping them away, smiling, thank Celestia, "You have no idea how worried I was today to be breaking up with you right out of the hospital."

Soul blinked, "Wait... you mean... you were..."

She nodded, "You're right. I'm pretty loose, but not that loose. I don't know what happened either, pheromones, I guess. But you're right, we don't know each other," she held out her hoof, "Hello, Soul Keeper, my name is Marshmallow Cascade. Want to be my friend?"

Soul slowly smiled, and shook it firmly, "Gladly, Cascade, gladly."

They walked away, and rejoined Lay. Soul told him what happened to prevent any rumors flying around, and Lay seemed pretty disappointed.

"Oh well, at least there's still the ceremony to look forward to."

"Ceremony?" Soul asked.

Marshmallow gasped, "Oh yeah! You didn't know? The ceremony for the medal you were supposed to get for saving that pegasus girl happened while you were in the hospital. But instead of just shipping you the medal, they delayed it, it's two days from now!"

A medal. Huh. Well wasn't that something?

Walking away, arm in arm with two good friends, awash with power, Soul felt better than he had in a long, long time.

Author's Note

Soul Keeper has finally recovered from the grievous wounds he received at the hooves of the shadowy organisation. But who were those masked fiends? What was their ultimate goal? Are they truly gone for good?

Find out, next time.