The streets of Canterlot at night was quiet save for one lone unicorn trudging down a cobblestone street, her steps carefully measured to avoid the puddles of blood and bodies that littered the street. The distant cries and moans of the sick permeated the air with a ever present sense of despair. The Unicorn's coat was covered by a thick black cloak and hood, her face was covered by a raven shaped mask that filtered out the stench of the dead. The masked unicon's saddle bags clanked softly as she walked, the symbol of the Equestrian Health Organization adorned on either side. Those who weren't quite dead yet cowered in the darkness as the unicorn passed in the hopes she wouldn't see them. Those who weren't sick gave her a wide birth as she approached, ducking their heads down and hurried along. The unicorn ignored them and continued her slow walk down the street, her destination unkown.
Suddenly the unicorn stopped mid trot and tilted her head to the side, sensing something only she could feel. She looked around her, masked eyes scanning her surroundings and her before the dark lenses of her mask came to rest on to a bared wooden door adorned with a shield and bursting star. The unicorn pivoted her body and moved towards the door quickly, all while not taking her eyes off the door. Those nearby that still clung to life head a soft sniffing sound muted by the mask as if the unicorn could smell that death and a profit was soon approaching.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The unicorn paused, head tilted to the side and listened as the sounds of muffled movement and quiet whispers could be heard from the other side of the door. When the door didn't open she unicorn raised her hoof again.
Bang BANG BANG
The unicorn hammered on the door again and again, each knock getting louder and more forceful until the sound of a turning lock squealed and opened to reveal a haggard grey unicorn mare. She blanched at the sight of the masked unicorn, but held fast in the doorway in a last ditch effort to block the way. The masked unicorn studied the mare in front of her and took note that she was in good health, but seemed on the verge of collapse, her purple and white striped mane matted with dirt and grime.
"Step aside madam." The masked unicorn said softly, her voice surprisingly pleasant. The mare in front of her tried to hold fast, but soon relented and backed out of the doorframe, unable to keep eye contact with the soulless gaze of the masked unicorn. The masked mare stepped swiftly into the house and quickly closed the door behind her, sliding the lock back into place.
"How may I help you today, Doctor..?" The mare asked fear and disgust in her voice as she fidgeted in place, her eyes darting this way and that, refusing to look at the masked unicorn.
"Somnum." The masked unicorn said as she looked back at the mare behind her. "And you already know why I am here Mrs. Velvet." She said, a hard edge creeping into her voice. "So please, stop wasting time and take me to him."
Velvet stepped back in fright from the Doctor before her, panic etched across her face as she realized who stood before her.
"The Doctor of Death" She muttered to herself as she stood frozen in place. Somnum growled behind her mask at Velvet as she spun around and forced the unicorn to look into her masked eyes with her magic, a quiet rage filling the void between the two.
"You best watch your tongue my little pony."Somnum hissed. "Now be an good girl," She purred dangerously before smashing Velvet's head into the hard stone floor repeatedly. "AND. TAKE. ME. TO HIM. NOW!" She released her grip on Velvet's head and turned around with a snort seeing Velvet curl into a ball on the floor sobbing. "Fine then." She spat, giving the sobbing mare a kick in the ribs with her hind legs in a fit of anger before walking deeper into the dimly lit house. "I'll find him myself."
Somnum stalked angrily away from the foyer, leaving the worthless excuse of a unicorn behind. She could hear faint creaking noises upstairs, but chose to ignore it for now. Instead she made her way to the sound of whispers that were coming from the living room. Pausing in the door frame she peered into the room and saw the emaciated faces of three foals, all of them pegusi, and one male earth pony huddled in a dark corner, their fearful eyes staring back at her.
Somnum gave the air a quick sniff, the stench of death present but faint. They would live, for now anyways. From just by looking at them, Somnum concluded they had maybe a month left to live; given they don't die from the plague before then.
Without a word, Somnum turned and left, hearing a sigh of relief as the their lives were spared. She chose to ignore this and made her way back the way she came before climbing the stairs she had passed on her way to the living room.
Up stairs the putrid smell of decaying flesh was stronger and Somnum quickly made her way down the darkened hallways, letting her nose guide her to a closed door at the end of one of the branching hallways. There was no denying it, the pony on the other side was the one she sensed from the street.
Somnum carefully eased the door open to find a room shrouded in darkness. Her ears twitched as the sound of labored breathing quietly filled the darkness. Gathering her magic, Somnum cast an illumination spell and filled the room with a soft yellow light, preparing herself for what she would see.
What she saw was bad.
What was left of a male unicorn lay on the blood and pus stained bed, his body twisted almost beyond recognition. His hooves where bound to the bed posts and Somnum saw jagged cuts, old and new, along his fore-hooves where he repeatedly attempted to take his own life. His coat was scarred and patchy, the skin underneath yellow and rotting and hundreds of open pores were leaking a sickly yellow pus while blood oozed out from where he must have scratched the sores completely open. His skin was split in some places as pus had caused him to bloat, all poorly stitched into place in a desperate attempt to keep his organs inside.
Flies buzzed around the unicorn laying their eggs in his wounds as maggots burrowed their way into him, eating him from the inside out. His mane and tail where compleatly gone, the roots have long since fallen out and Somnum got a good look at the unicorn's horn or what was left of it anyways. His horn had rotted and fallen off, leaving a jagged wound that was bandaged tightly in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding.
Making her way over to the bed, Somnum was surprised to see that the unicorn's eyes were wide open and staring strait at her, bright and alert. Seeing her move closer, the unicorn coughed and moved his mouth to speak.
"You..you..f-finaly c-c-came for me." The unicorn managed to choke out. Turning his head to get a better look at Somnum. She nodded, getting a smile from the unicorn. "About damn time." He broke off into a coughing fit, hacking up blood.
Somnum waited for his coughing fit to pass before reaching into her saddle bag, pulling out a singular needle filled with a black liquid. "Are you ready sir?" Somnum asked quietly, holding the needle in front of her in her magic.
"Shining." The unicorn rahsped. "M-my name is Shining A-Armor." Somnum nodded before stepping closer, as the needle floated closer and hovered over Shining Armor's neck.
"May the goddesses have mercy on your soul and may you find rest in the here after." Somnum said softly before injecting the needle into Shining's neck. She depressed the plunger and watched the black liquid disappear into his neck and removed it gently before dropping it back into her saddle bag.
Shining smiled softly as the drug took hold, easing his pain as his mind slowly floated away. He gave Somnum a faraway look and smiled knowingly before closing his eyes. "Good bye, see you soon." His breathing slowed until after a few minutes stopped compleatly.
Somnum slowly left the room, killing her light spell and closed the door softly behind her. She made her way down the stairs and back into the foyer where Twilight Velvet was now standing, tears still falling down her face. Somnum nodded curtly to her before reaching into her saddle bag and pulled out a small bag of bits. She tossed it to the stunned unicorn before walking out the door and back into the street. She turned back to see Velvet looking out at her with a pained look.
"Use those bits to feed those foals." Somnum said gravely before turning away. "Unless that is you want me to come back." She began to walk away but stopped as she heard Velvet call out to her.
"Wait! At least give me your real name!" Somnum turned back to the frantic unicorn, before making her way back up the the doorstep where Velvet stood. Somnum leaned in close before reaching up to her mask and pulled it down aways to reveal a pair of cold and cruel purple eyes.
"You already know my name, mother." Twilight Sparkle hissed before replacing her mask and vanished in a flash of magic.
Author's Note
Well another story in the books and let me tell ya, I have no idea where the idea for this story came from. It just popped in my head and I just had to write it! Thank you for taking the time to read this and please tell me what you liked/dislikedin the comments below!
Sweet Dreams
