The rain fell hard on a dark fall evening in a small town a ways away from Ponyville and Canterlot. The thunder crashed and the lightning struck furiously and repeatedly. The sound of heavy hoofsteps pounded against the road as a black horse with icy grey white flames on it’s have along with a mane and tail and eyes giving off the same flame comes to a slow trot. The figure riding the horse was hooded in complete shadow. Nothing but the icy blue glow in his eyes was visible. He turns the horse to wander into the town, his eyes fixated on the path ahead of him. It was as if he was waiting for something to happen here in this very place. What’s more is that the ponies that were out and about in the weather didn’t seem to notice him or the companion he was mounted on The horse lets out a snort and an ethereal neigh as it shakes slightly shakes its head side to side. The figure in question reaches into his cloak and pulls out a small black book that had a golden pentagram on the front of its casing. The iron claws of the hand now visible in the little light that came from a distant lamp post glimmered.

“Here...it will be happening here within the next ten seconds…”

The figure sat atop his mount with his head facing towards a vacant spot. But soon after about ten seconds, A stallion and what appeared to be his wife started walking into the opening, holding hands with one another sharing an umbrella. They smiled happily as they held one another closely as they kept dry as best as they could. The stallion even letting her have most of the coverage for herself. None of them even taking notice of the ominous figure that looked on to him.

Suddenly, a out of control cart was seen rolling down the street packed with all sorts of merchandise and foods that a merchant had lost his grip on. The large cart was heading right towards the couple. And all the figure could do was just watch on as it flew full speed towards the couple. The wife screamed in terror before her husband pushed her out of the cart’s path, doing the only thing he had time to do. There was a loud crash that echoed throughout the area they were in it. The sight5 that the figure beheld was one of horror. All he could do was dismount his horse, not even a splash was made when his feet hit the ground. What he saw, was the stallion bleeding from a head wound, bones shattered in many places along with blood flowing from his mouth and ears. The cart had damaged vital organs in his body and the injuries were too severe for him to make it to any medical facilities.

Silver..Silver hold on my love! We will get you some help! Just please...stay with me!”
The mare cried out as she took her beloved’s hands into hers as tears pour down her face while mixed in the rain. The cloaked figure slowly walked towards the mare and her fallen husband silently, the rain on the ground seemingly unaffected as he walked. A crowd slowly started to gather at the scene of the accident. The figure now stood directly over the dying stallion. The stallion’s eyes slowly glancing off to the side from his wife directly at him now.

“I suggest you say what you need to say to her now. You aren’t going to make it.”

Said the figure, a low and gravelly tone was heard as he removed his hood. Revealing it to be a moon elf with long white hair and sharp pointy ears who had strange black markings on his face. All the stallion could do at this point was accept that it was his time. He looked to his wife before giving her a weak smile and spoke his last words to her, squeezing one of her hands as tight as he could.

“I-I love...you so much Ice Pop...take care of our little girl and make...sure that..she grows up strong…”

His grip starts to loosen as he slowly starts to close his eyes. The figure kneels down and places his hand over the stallion’s eyes.The thunder and lightning clash at this very moment, giving anyone who notices a flash of the figure. Suddenly the soul of the stallion slowly rises from his chest and shoots up directly into the sky and into the heavens.

“Silver..? SILVER?! NO PLEASE! CELESTIA NO!”

She cried out as more tears started to pour from her eyes. She buried her face into the chest of her husband’s corpse as the moon elf stood to his feet and began to walk away from the scene. All he could do was turn his head back to the bawling mare and simply say…

“I..I am sorry…I am simply doing my job. It’s nothing personal.”

Said the figure before climbing back onto his horse and began to gallop off into the dark and rainy night after throwing his hood back over his face.

--A Year Before--

It was a beautiful fall afternoon at Canterlot castle. The leaves from the trees bore the natural fall colors and some of the leaves even decorated the white padded walkway which definitely made it quite a wonderful strolling path. The sound of heavy boots could be heard by the guard from their posts as a tall figure who wore nothing but pure black leather armor and a cloak that wrapped around most of his body and a deep hood that covered his face. Now normally, this would raise the suspicion of guards anywhere, no matter who it may be. But the guard knew who this person was. As the figure walked past them, they both saluted him with their fists to their chest.

“Sir Zemrite, good to see you as always, sir!”

The figure stops and looks at the guard and places a finger over his mouth with a whisper. A grin forming over his barely visible lips. The guard looks at him in slight confusion before he speaks quietly.

“Ssssh, they princesses are looking for me. The last thing we need is for them to find me and hold me down until I agree to change into my wolf form. I am having a lot of fun hiding from them. So don’t give me away!”

He said in a whisper as he began to sneak away from them once more. The guards cover their mouths but smile and chuckle behind their hands, only nodding to the hybrid in return before they watch him slink off into the gardens to hide from the princesses chasing him. Soon enough, both Celestia and Luna land on the path that Zemrite took into the gardens. They both look around frantically, but there was no sight nor sound of their beloved anywhere.

“Why does he have to be so good at sneaking and hiding, Tia?! It’s not fair!”

“I know what you mean, Lulu. But we will get him, he is going to let us snuggle him in that adorable wolf form of his whether he likes it or not!”

It wasn’t like he hated snuggling with them, but he loved to play with them and make them work for it. Little did they know that he was actually hiding in the shadows of any object that cast one. As long as there was even a sliver of shadow, he could use it to hide in. Once that walk past the shadow he was hiding in and vanish from sight, he slowly rises out of the shadow with a smirk on his face and begins to sneak off to hide somewhere else in the castle. Where would he go this time to elude his future brides? Perhaps return to the bedchambers they all three shared and watch them run about the castle grounds from the balcony? An excellent idea indeed.

He makes his way into the castle and up to the chamber balcony. He stares down at the wandering princesses as they stop every guard they come across to ask if they had seen him at all. They all shake their heads as Zemrite had put them up to denying seeing him at all. He leans against the balcony railing with his hands forward and just cracks a smug smile before bringing his fingers to his lips and lets out a loud echoing whistle which immediately got their attention.

“Come on, girls! You gotta be better than that to catch me!”

The both look up at him at the same time as the wings opened in surprise. Their eyes widened before they took flight and made their way towards him as fast as they could. Zemrite chuckles and runs back into the bedchambers quickly. He dives under the bed and into the shadow that it cast, watching the two of them frantically search the room for him. Once they had their backs turns to him, he slowly and quietly rises up behind them and wraps his arms around both of them, cupping one of their breasts in each of his hands before giving them a light roll and squeeze.

“Heheheh, I got you both now~.”

He said in a low, wicked tone of voice. This startled them at first, both of them making a rather adorable squeak. But they soon turned around and tackled him to the bed. They both giggled and snuggled up close to their fiance and nuzzled into his chest. The feeling of their soft, warm bodies against his was something that Zemrite loved very much and he could never, ever get enough of it.

“We gotcha now, handsome~!”

“Mhm! And you aren’t going anywhere for awhile!”

Luna and Celestia said as they pressed firmly against him. Zemrite was only too happy to oblige them and placed each hand on one of their flanks. They laid there for what seemed like hours, talking about the day’s events and what they had planned for the evening.

“If I remember correctly, you two and Cadence have a royal visit come from Maretonia coming up soon huh?”

Asked Zemrite as he idly kneaded and squeezed their rears

“That is correct. It is a very important visit. But we will be holding it at the Crystal Empire. And you should come to. Twilight and her friends will be joining us as well.”

Zemrite’s eyes lifted a bit as he heard that Twilight would be going as well. It has been quite a while since he has seen the young mare who had acquired alicorn status. He is extremely happy for her of course. But no matter what, that mare will always be someone special to him. Sure, he likes all of her friends but, she is definitely right up there with Celestia and Luna. After all, she is his first real friend in this world, so it is only natural.

“So Twi is going to be there huh? I can’t wait to see her again then. With my responsibilities here, I haven’t had a chance to wander on down to Ponyville and pay her and everyone else a visit.”

“You know, my sister and I wouldn’t mind if you took Twilight as a third lover~. In fact, we’d both welcome it. We know she is very special to you.”

Zemrite’s eyes widen in shock and quickly shook his head.

“I have my hands full with you two already! And besides, both of you give me all the love I could ever ask for. I love Twilight, but I love her in a different way than I love you two. But, I can’t imagine life without either of you.”

They both lets out a simultaneous ‘aawwww!’ and wrap their arms around him a bit tighter, continuing to nuzzle into their lover.

“So, how has your new found abilities been working out, Zemrite?”

Asked Luna with a curious gaze in her eyes. Zemrite blinked a few times before really thinking about it. His mind wandered as imagines of his training fly through his mind. He lets out a soft sigh.

“Well, I won’t lie and say it’s been a walk in the park. Being a reaper, it’s hard to maintain the side of my humanity in some cases simply because of the feeling I get when I have the power to take away life easier than I did before. And I can’t shake this feeling that sometime down the road, my abilities will have to come to do that. I just hope it won’t have to be innocent lives.”

Celestia’s gaze turns into a worried one as he said that.

“W-what do you mean…?”

“Well, a reaper may be a class I have been assigned. But do you know the true function of an actual reaper? They have a list of people who are scheduled to die, they go to them and take their souls and send them on their way to...wherever it is they are sent. Be it heaven or hell. And I am sure you remember me telling you what those places hold for the souls that go there. And given that there is no form of the grim reaper here in this world as far as I can tell, you beloved creator just might find that to be a rather appealing idea. When will they make it happen? Who knows.”

Both Celestia and Luna start thinking about what he had told them. In both of their minds, seeing him having to do those kinds of things..it frightened and worried them. They know that he is a capable warrior and a ruthless killer. But that is only when he is fighting to protect the ones he loves. But to be forced to end the lives of both innocent and none-innocent alike by a duty that is given to one being. That would strain one’s mentality and twist it into something rather dark and sinister.

“We won’t let that happen to you, Zemrite. Will we, Tia?”

“Oh no, we will make sure that our wolfy here never has to take the life of an innocent pony. That is our promise!”

Little did the two princesses know, that a year’s time from now, he’d have no choice in the matter. And that not only will he become a true reaper. But he will also have to deal with something that will threaten himself and all his loved ones.

Author's Note

A nice little foreshadowing right there!

May the darkness grant you peace.