Chapter 1
-- The Contract --
Manehatten, Club District
The Streets of Manehatten were lively even as Luna’s moon hung high in the sky. Ponies would walk the streets in great numbers, enjoying the nightlife and it’s many pleasures. Clubs and bars were hopping with excitement as the ponies partied all night, music filled the night air with the sounds of dubstep and rock. No pony had a care in the world, for this was Equestria, a land of harmony and friendship, what could go wrong?
“Hey come on, we’re gonna miss the party!” A mare said, looking back over her shoulder as her friend was still doing her makeup, while they were walking.
“Unlike some ponies, I actually care about my appearance. Everything must be perfect,” another mare said, applying her mascara with magic as she was walking down the street.
Both mares were unicorns, one had a bright green coat with a yellow mane, while the other had a dark red coat with black mane. Both were walking down a dark street of Manehatten, heading for the nearby nightclub. The street was lit by street lamps, some not working as they were in poor repair.
“Yeah Tulip, cause I don’t need all that makeup to get a stallion to buy me a drink,” the green mare said, smirking at her friend who immediately glared at her.
“Oh get over yourself Jade, at least I don’t shake my flank about like some kind of harlet to get a stallion’s attention,” Tulip said, putting away her mascara and applying some perfume from her purse.
“Do I detect a hint of jealousy? Can’t really blame ya,” Jade said smirking over her shoulder while giving her rump a good shake.
Tulip groaned and finished her makeup, putting everything in her purse. The two mares continued down the street, bickering back and forth between each other. The club was still a good ten minutes away, and both mares were getting antsy.
The odd thing was that no pony was walking the street other than Tulip and Jade. The district was a little run down and the hour was late. This did not affect the mares at all, as they were determined to have some fun tonight.
As they were walking around a corner, a sewer grate clanged under the hoof of Tulip as she walked over it, startling the mare. Jade, who was behind her started to laugh at her friend’s little squeak that she let out.
“Tulip, that was the most adorable noise I’ve ever heard out of your mouth. Did that sewer grate jump up and nip you on the flank or something?” Jade said, laughing even more at her friend’s fright.
Tulip’s face flushed a bright red as she glared at Jade. She took a second to compose herself before she replied.
“I simply didn’t expect the thing to make a noise. Obviously somepony has failed to secure this grate to the ground properly. I swear this district is getting worse. I want to move,” Tulip said, sticking her nose up in the air.
Jade walked over the grate after her laughing fit was done, “Yeah sure, let’s find a new apartment with the bits we don’t have.”
Jade was so focused on Tulip that she didn’t see the grate behind her move as she stepped off of it. Something slithered out from the grate, and slowly moved towards the green unicorn.
“I’m sure if we put our minds to it, and get those bonuses at work, we can afford it. Aren’t you tired of this run down place?” Tulip said, gesturing with her hooves at the dirty street they were walking on.
Jade rolled her eyes at her roommate, “It’s not all that bad. The rent is manageable, the clubs are fun, and the ponies aren’t stuck up like the rich part of town.”
Tulip and Jade argued for a minute or so, not seeing the appendage from the sewer grate slowing getting closer to Jade. Before Jade could even feel it, the tentacle had quickly wrapped itself around her left hind leg and constricted around it. Jade screamed as she was quickly swept off her hooves and was being dragged backwards.
Tulip screamed in shock and tried to blast the tentacle with her magic. Her aim was terrible though, as she missed every shot. Jade continued to scream in terror as tears fell down her eyes. Tulip finally got her nerve back and rushed towards her friend. The tentacle had dragged Jade all the way back to the grate and was about to drag her down into the sewers.
Tulip jumped and tried to wrap her hooves around her friend’s barrel to break the thing’s grip, but the slim from the tentacle caused her grip to fail. She quickly recovered and grabbed onto her friend’s hooves as she clung desperately to the top of the sewer grate. Jade looked at her friend with fearful eyes as tears flowed down her face. The tentacle pulled hard on her, almost to the point that she felt like it would rip her in two.
Slowly, Jade’s strength faded and her grip on the grate edge was slipping. Tulip couldn’t hold onto to her friend for much longer, the slime from earlier still covering her forelegs. Then it happened. Jade slipped from her grip, and the only sound Tulip heard before she hit her head on the pavement was the sound of Jade screaming as the tentacle dragged her into the sewers, ending with a splash.
Tulip blacked out after hitting her head, the sewer grate next to her closing as the tentacle was no longer holding it open.
Canterlot, The Next Morning
Princess Luna had just lowered the moon as the day was to begin, the night being mostly uneventful. She flew down to see her sister, Princess Celestia, as she raised the sun. The older alicorn smiling brightly as her younger sister landed on her balcony.
“Good morning sister, how was the night?” Celestia said, nuzzling her sister in greeting.
“Good morning Tia, and it was mostly uneventful. A few nightmares, but nothing too serious. Stress seems to be a common problem for ponies these days,” Luna said, nuzzling her sister back.
“Stress can affect us all Luna, as you and I know too well,” Celestia said, leading her sister back into her bedroom.
Luna nodded, “True, I still remember the nights where I wanted to simply scream to the heavens rather than deal with nobles.”
Celestia giggled at her sister’s comment, both Princesses heading towards the dining hall for breakfast. As they reached the door that would lead them to a wonderful breakfast, a shout came from down the hall.
“Princess Luna!” One of Luna’s thestral night guards, Lieutenant Night Fang, shouted as he flew down the hallway. He landed in front of his Princess, panting profusely as if he just ran a marathon.
“Lieutenant, what have you to report?” Princess Luna said, addressing her guard.
“Your Highnesses, an urgent letter has arrived from the mayor of Manehatten. Ponies have been disappearing in the sewers. A mare was found unconscious at the scene of the latest disappearance. She claims to have saw something drag her roommate into the sewers,” Night Fang said, giving Princess Luna the scroll.
Luna quickly opened the scroll and read the contents carefully. He was right, something was causing trouble in Manehatten. And it was certainly not a pony. Whatever was in the sewer, it needed to be dealt with. And Luna knew exactly who she could count on.
“Lieutenant, send a squad ahead to Manehatten to help with the investigation,” Luna said, rolling up the scroll.
“As you wish your Highness,” Night Fang said, bowing his head to his Princess, and flying away down the hall.
“Sister, what are you planning?” Celestia asked in a concerned tone.
“All will be fine Sister, for I know exactly who I can trust to solve this mystery,” Luna said, smiling to her sister. All she needed was a scroll and a quill.
Ponyville, Edge of the Everfree Forest
A hut sat just on the edge of the forest, a nice medium sized home that wasn’t anything too fancy. A greenhouse filled with herbs and plants was on one side of the hut while another small building could be seen on the other. Two trees stood tall in the front yard, a hammock hung between the two.
Inside that hammock sat a zony, a half zebra half pony hybrid. A rare sight in Equestria, but he wasn’t originally from Equestria. He was Shadow Strike, of Zebrica, the land of Zebras far to the east. Shadow had come to Equestria in search of work, and found himself a resident of Ponyville. His occupation was something not seen in Equestria very often.
He was a Witcher, a professional monster slayer. Receiving his mutations and training with the School of the Manticore, Shadow was a trained killer of monsters. A medallion in the shape of a manticore’s head hung around his neck. He made his living by taking contracts, normally asking for him to kill a dangerous monster. By luck and fortune, he found himself under the employment of Princess Luna, as her royal witcher.
Shadow was sleeping soundly, having fell asleep in his hammock rather than his bed inside. He had been reading Necrophages: A guide to Corpse Eaters, and dosed off. As he was sleeping, he did hear the hoofsteps coming towards him.
“Shadow, fell asleep reading again. Wake up dear,” A mare said, right into his ear.
Shadow groaned and rolled over in his hammock, away from the voice. The mare only chuckled and seemed to move away. Until Shadow found himself falling from his hammock, landing on his side.
“Ow… Final, you’re a bitch,” Shadow said, groaning on the ground.
“Just figuring that out hon? I thought that was obvious from the start,” Final said, smiling down at his discomfort.
Final Verse, a unicorn mare who certainly was more than what meets the eye. A gray coated mare with a blood red mane, and red eyes as well. Her mane done in a ponytail, with a black ribbon tying it back. Her tail was also tied with a ribbon at the end.
“Ugh… Four hundred years of living has perfected your sarcasm it seems my dear,” Shadow said, groaning as he lifted himself from the ground.
“Oh you love it. Don’t try and deny it,” Final said, walking past him, giving him a small peck on the cheek.
Oh, probably should explain that. Final you see is over four hundred years old, approximately four hundred and forty six if she remembered correctly. Truthfully she stopped counting a while ago. When she was young, during the time of Discord’s reign, she was caught up in one of his chaos spells. At first, she felt no different, but as she reached her teenage years, the latent magic took effect. She was flung into different times, living in different periods of history. While she was born over a thousand years ago, she only experienced four hundred and forty six of them roughly.
After a few hundred years, she began to learn to control the magic, and with the help of Celestia, she finally learned to stabilize herself in the time period. The magic not only kept her from aging, but also made her truly immortal. She could not be killed, whether by an enemy, nature, or her own hoof. Her body was stuck in her late twenties, and no injury could free her of her existence. A truly sad tale.
Shadow had met Final over a year ago, at her strip club on the outskirts of Ponyville. Final had become quite wealthy in her long life, and she had quite the business. The club was a spectacle, as large as a mansion. With ballrooms and all kinds of fancy accommodations. But despite all that she had, Final seemed to be drawn to Shadow.
At first Shadow was unsure of Final, as he rarely had a mare show interest in him. Final had genuine feelings for Shadow, and after some time, Shadow agreed to give their relationship a try, despite her getting on his nerves.
Shadow sighed and followed her to his hut, both of them entering through the front door. The interior of the hut wasn’t anything special. A sofa with a few lounge chairs sat in front of a fireplace, and a kitchen with dozens of cabinets and drawers lining the walls. Two doors were on opposite sides of the living room, one leading to Shadow’s workshop, and the other to his bedroom.
Final immediately went to the coffee maker, starting a fresh pot. Shadow simply shook his head and sat in one of the chairs.
“I can’t believe you bought me that, only for you to use when you “invite” yourself over her,” Shadow said, rolling his eyes at the mare in the kitchen.
Final just stuck her tongue out at him, “A mare has to have her pleasures. And coffee is a gift from the gods. How you have no taste for it is beyond me.”
“Whatever you say hon,” Shadow said, relaxing finally.
As soon as the coffee was done brewing, Final poured herself a mug and proceeded to lay down on the sofa. She sipped her mug and placed it on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
“So, what did you have planned for today Shadow? Any new contracts show up?” Final asked, looking to the zony.
“Not really. I was going to look in town today for new notices. Perhaps somepony has posted something new in the last few days. I could use a good bounty right now,” Shadow said, sinking further into the chair.
“You know dear, if you need help with your bills, I could…” Final started to say before Shadow cut her off.
“Final, we’ve talked about this. I’m not taking money from you. I earn my keep, and will deal with my bills myself,” Shadow said, making his point clear.
Final pouted and took another sip from her mug. Final had all the money she could ever need, and Shadow refused it, most of the time.
As the two begin to relax in the living room, Shadow’s window flew open as a blue gust of wind rushed into his home. As the gust blew towards him, it solidified into a scroll which landed on his lap. The scroll had the crest of the Princess of the Night, so Shadow knew it was serious.
“What’s that hon?” Final asked, eyeing the scroll with a raised eyebrow.
“A message from Princess Luna. It must be urgent,” Shadow said, opening the scroll to red the contents.
He read the scroll with great care, his expression turning serious as he read.
My Dearest Witcher,
Though we wish this was simply a letter amongst friends, I am afraid it is not to be. We write to you on this day to ask for your services as a witcher. Our sister and I received a letter from Manehatten this morning, telling of a terrible series of events that have been occurring for well over a week. The mayor believes that his city has become the hunting grounds of a monster, dwelling in the sewers beneath the city.
Evidence found at the most recent scene has given enough proof to be concerned. We have sent a squadron of our personal night guard to assist in the investigation, but we believe that your services will be required.
Therefore, I, Princess Luna, Ruler of the Night, hereby decree that you, Shadow Strike, my royal witcher, shall go forth to Manehatten post haste and hunt this creature that preys on our subjects. A reward of 1500 bits shall be your bounty when you complete your task. This price may be negotiated when the creature is identified. Our squad leader shall have a communication orb in his possession. Contact us when you have identified the beast.
I give my blessings to you and your sword. Let my moon guide you to success and a safe return. Come back to us my friend, and quell the fear that has gripped our subjects.
Your Princess,
Luna
Shadow finished reading and rolled the scroll back up. He then got up from his seat, moving across the living room.
“What’s wrong Shadow?” Final said, getting up from the sofa.
“Trouble in Manehatten. A monster in the sewer has been taking ponies, dragging them into sewers, never to be seen again. Princess Luna has issued a contract on the beast, 1500 bits,” Shadow said, moving towards his workshop door.
“Now that is quite the payday. So, we off to Manehatten then?” Final said, following him to his workshop.
“We? Who says you’re going?” Shadow said, unlocking the door to the workshop.
“I can fight just as well as you can. Plus, I can’t die. Princess Luna never said you couldn’t have help. Besides, it’ll be fun,” Final said, smiling at Shadow.
“Fighting a monster in a sewer? You consider that fun?” Shadow said, raising an eyebrow.
“Never said it would be completely pleasant, but it would be nice to get out of town for a few days,” Final said, moving past Shadow into his workshop.
Shadow moved ahead of her and went to the weapons lockers. Unlocking one of them showed the contents inside, two swords, one made of meteorite steel, with the emblem of the manticore school on the pommel. The other was also meteorite steel, but the blade was fused with silver, made especially for monsters. This silver blade in particular was Aerondight, a blade given to him by Princess Luna herself. It had alicorn heads on each side of the pommel, with serrated edges on the guard as well.
“You are not going Final. While you cannot die, there is no need to put yourself through an ordeal like this,” Shadow said, pulling out armor from another locker and putting it on. He also grabbed his saddlebags, stuffing them with his potion cases and books that could come in handy.
“And I say that I can do whatever I please. I’m going,” Final said, huffing and turning her head to the side.
“You are not going!” Shadow said more firmly as he strapped his swords to his back.
“I am going!” Final said, getting in Shadow’s face.
“You are not going, and that’s final, Final!” Shadow said, scrunching his nose up against hers.
Ponyville Train Station
Shadow found himself at the train station, waiting for the next train to Manehatten. And despite his protest, Final simply followed him to the station, determined to join him on this contract.
He turned to her, seeing her smug grin, “Not one word until the train comes.”
She simply giggled and pecked him on the cheek, making him recoil in surprise.
The train arrived shortly after that, Shadow and Final boarding the train that would take them to Manehatten. The journey would take several hours, and Shadow didn’t particularly like long train rides. He simply found an empty seat in the passenger car and got as comfortable as possible. Final following right behind and joining him in his seat. Both ponies fell asleep a while after the train departed, Manehatten awaiting their arrival.
What kind of adventure were they in for?
Author's Note
And so it begins. I honestly think this will be a lot of fun, for both me and Final.
Please enjoy, and feel free to leave comments.
See you all next time,
Hades
Chapter 2
--- The Big City ---
Manehatten, Train Station
Manehatten, the city that never sleeps. The loud obnoxious noise of the city was like somepony was pushing a drill through my ears. The smell of industry was like breathing in burnt ghoul entrails. I hated coming to this place to be honest, but a job is a job. And for once, I wouldn’t have to deal with alone.
Final was still asleep, leaning her head back against the headrest of the seat. As she was blocking my way, I had to wake her up. Now normally waking her up from a nap would result in a bitchy Final, but with just the right touch, that outcome could be avoided. I gently moved up to her ear and lightly nibbled on it.
She groaned and batted me away with a hoof, snuggling back into the headrest. Ok then, plan B.
I pushed her out of her seat, causing her to land on her back in the aisle.
“Fuck!” She yelled as she rubbed the back of her head. She then glared up at me in annoyance, which I only smirked back.
“The fuck was that for?” Final shouted as she got back to her hooves. I jumped over her and landed in front of her.
“You wouldn’t wake up, so I went with plan B. Not my fault you weren’t in the mood to get your fat ass up,” Shadow said as he walked down the aisle to exit the car.
“Who are you calling fat!?” Final said, stomping towards him.
“Well you’ve been hitting those snack cakes really hard babe. You’ll be as big as Celestia if you’re not careful,” Shadow said, keeping his smug look as he jumped down from the train car.
Final followed in a huff, “Don’t you dare compare me with Princess Thunder Thighs. I work hard to keep my figure, fuck you very much.”
“Oh you know I’m just playing hon. You’ve got the finest ass this side of the Everfree,” Shadow said, coming to her side and nuzzling her.
Final tried to stay mad but smiled nonetheless, “Buy me a coffee and you’re forgiven.”
Shadow chuckled at that, “Sure babe.”
They both walked out of the train station and into the great metropolis that was Manehatten. The loud obnoxious city hadn’t changed at all, still too much noise for Shadow’s liking. Final pranced around the streets looking into all the shops that lined their path. More than once Shadow had to drag her away from a few things, like jewelry stores and lingerie shops.
After a while they found a nice little cafe and found themselves a seat. An earth pony waitress came by shortly after they were seated. She was spring green with a yellow mane done in a bun. “Welcome, what can I get you two?”
“Water will suit me just fine,” Shadow said, trying to give a friendly smile.
“Alrighty then, and for you Miss?” The waitress asked after she scribbled in her notepad.
“One of your finest espressos sweetie,” Final said, winking at the mare. The waitress blushed and quickly trotted off to get their orders.
Shadow shook his head, “Final, do you have to flirt with everything that moves? Poor mare was blushing as bright red as your mane.”
Final simply smirked and winked at him, “Well if it gets us a discount it’ll be worth it. Also, I didn’t see her having a problem with it?”
Shadow simply groaned and looked around the cafe. Most of the other patrons talked amongst themselves, mostly about shopping and exploring the city. However one stood out from the crowd at the tables.
One stallion, who wore a tailored suit and tie, no doubt a well financed associate here in Manehatten. He had been staring at them since they arrived, switching between them with different expression. A clear look of disgust for Shadow, not uncommon given his lineage and occupation. And the other was a look of interest at Final, again not uncommon as she tended to catch many ponies eyes.
He kept his eye on him, mostly to see if he would have the courage to confront us. It was always fun to put rich brats in their place. The waitress soon returned with our drinks and stole glances at Final occasion before looking away in embarrassment.
“So that will be two bits for the water and five for the coffee. Would you two be paying separate or together?’ The mare asked looking in between us.
Final chuckled and pointed her hoof at me, “My stallion will be taking the check sweetie.”
He rolled my eyes, a promise was a promise after all. Shadow passed the waitress seven bits with his magic. She took them graciously, and before she could leave Final walked up behind her and slipped a piece of paper into her notepad, most likely her address. She looked at it and Final for a bit before blushing bright crimson and walking off quickly. We were left to enjoy our drinks in peace, at least for a moment.
As Final finished her coffee, the rich stallion from earlier finally got the balls to walk over to them and stood in between them.
He looked over at Final and smiled, “Well well well, what is a treasure like you doing sitting with this horrid half-breed?”
You would think this would anger Shadow and cause me to beat his face in the table, but he was use to this treatment. Besides, he would miss the show.
Final lowered her eyelids and smiled at the stallion, getting up from her seat to stand face to face with him. She brushed off his suit and placed her hoof on his chest.
“Well, you are quite the specimen I must say sir. And a flatterer as well. You certainly must catch the eyes of quite a few mares,” Final said, stroking his chest with her hoof.
He puffed out his chest in pride and smiled smugly down at her, “I most certainly do, but I’m sure I can find time to show a classy mare like you the finest cuisine in Manehatten. Far better than this mutant mongrel.”
Shadow simply leaned back and waited for the punchline. Final grinned even wider and leaned closer to him. Her nose nearly touching his as he was stunned by her forwardness. But as he leaned forward for what probably believed was a kiss, she leaned forward towards his ear instead.
“But unfortunately good sir, you have made some grave mistakes just now. The worst of which was insulting my stallion,” Final said, before using her strength to push his chest and cause to lose his balance, falling backwards on his back. She huffed, sticking her nose up in the air before returning to Shadow, nuzzling him under his chin.
The stallion recovered and was pissed, he huffed and marched over to us, “No mare rejects me, especially not for some striped bastard!”
He then locked up and his face showed great pain and surprise as he could not move. Final’s horn was glowing an amber red as she gripped the stallion’s family jewels. She had a calm yet stern look on her face as she had the stallion immobilized.
“I strongly encourage you to shut your mouth and leave, or I promise you all the money you have will not save you from the pain and torture I will put you through. I’ve been around for centuries you spoiled little shit stain, and I have learned many tricks in that lifetime. So do us all a favor and go jump off a balcony,” Final said, still with that calm look on her face, keeping her voice low so nopony but us could hear.
The stallion shook his head violently in agreement and Final let him go. He tripped over his own hooves and ran out of the cafe like a pack of timberwolves was on his tail.
Shadow looked over at Final and smiled, “You are so hot when you get like that, the poor bastard didn’t stand a chance.”
Final grinned at me, “No one disrespects my stallion but me.” She gave me a quick peck on the lips before pulling away. We both left the cafe, leaving a lot of confused and slightly frightened patrons. The waitress from before caught Final’s gaze and Final blew her a kiss sending her into another blushing fit.
Manehatten, Mayor’s Office
Walking through the streets of Manehatten once again, Shadow and Final made their way to the destination, the Mayor’s office. It wasn’t hard to find, as it was the tallest building in the city. Shadow walked inside the building, Final following close behind. The building was like any office building, ponies moving back and forth like ants in a colony.
At the far end of the entry was a large desk with a unicorn secretary, scribbling down notes, papers, and other documents. Shadow walked up to her and cleared his throat to get her attention.
She looked up and noticed him, giving him a friendly smile, “Welcome, how can I help you sir?”
“My name is Shadow Strike, and I am here for a contract under Princess Luna’s command,” Shadow said, showing the mare the letter Luna had sent him.
She looked it over and nodded, “Ah yes, the Princess sent word that you would be arriving. The Mayor has been expecting you.”
Shadow took the letter back and nodded in thanks to the mare, walking towards the elevator. Final however walked up to the mare and smiled her usual smile, causing the mare to look at her with a raised eyebrow.
“Hello sweetie, my name is Final, what’s yours?” Final said, fluttering her eyelashes. The mare blushed and looked back to her work, causing Final to move ever so closer.
Shadow turned back to look over his shoulder, “Final, no flirting while we’re on the job.”
Final snapped her head towards him, “I was just saying hello.”
“For you that’s the same as flirting,” Shadow said, rolling his eyes as he made it to the elevator, stepping inside.
Final huffed and caught up with the zony quickly so they could ascend the elevator to the mayor’s office. After pressing the button to the top floor where the mayor would most certainly be, but goddesses why did they have to put this corny music in these things. He should have just took the stairs.
Arriving on the top floor, Shadow and Final both walked up to the large expensive looking door, leading into the office. Shadow was unimpressed as it just seemed to be a big waste of money, Final also seeming not to be impressed considering her home.
The doors opened and inside the interior was just as expensive looking as the door. Fine looking furniture, carpets, frames of rewards, certificates and other accomplishments were hung on the wall for all to see. Clearly the Mayor was proud of his achievements and wealth.
Speaking of the Mayor, he turned his chair from looking out his large glass window to notice us entering and immediately broke into a smile. “Master Witcher! Thank the Princesses you’ve come.”
The Mayor was an earth pony, tan coat with a brown mane, nothing too unique. He did however wear a fancy looking suit and tie, making himself to look important.
Shadow walked up to shake his hoof, “My name is Shadow Strike, I came as soon as I received the Princess's letter. What seems to be the problem Sir?”
He sighed but soon regained his smile, “I am Open Ballet, Mayor of Manehatten, and I fear that a creature plagues my fair city Master Shadow. One that lurks in the dark and preys on the innocent.”
Final walked up and spoke up, “Well that is obvious or you wouldn’t need a witcher. Tell us the whole story.”
“Mayor Ballet, this is Final Verse, my assistant and marefriend. She will be helping me deal with this monster of yours,” Shadow said, gesturing to the mare who bowed her head in respect.
“Anypony who can say they are in a relationship with a witcher certainly must be used to dealing with horrors and nightmares. And you have an air of power and knowledge about you Miss Final,” Mayor Ballet said, looking over the mare.
“I’ve dealt with plenty in my lifetime, hardly anything surprises me,” Final said, smirking with pride.
“Yeah, like that Shaelmaar we ran into a few years ago. She screamed like a filly when it burst from the ground and rolled at her like a boulder,” Shadow said, chuckling under his breath.
Final blushed and glared at him, “I did not scream like a filly. I just never seen one before, and it startled me.”
Mayor Ballet looked awkwardly between the two before clearing his throat, “Back to the matter at hand Master Witcher. We’ve received several reports in the last few weeks of ponies disappearing in the streets at night. It wasn’t until last night that we found an eyewitness to one of these disappearances. A mare claimed that her roommate was dragged into the sewers by what she described as a tentacle. We contacted the royal guard soon after and now here you are.”
Shadow took in the information with precision. A monster in the sewer, with tentacles. That would narrow it down to a few creatures, but he needed more information before he made a judgement.
“Is there anymore information you can give us? Where was the last attack?” Shadow asked.
The Mayor hummed to himself, “Well, my officers did secure the street where the last attack. I’ve got a team of investigators there now.”
Shadow’s eyes grew and his tone turned from respectful to pissed, “And they are probably trampling over any evidence there. They don’t know what to look for and if the beast isn’t nocturnal, they are in danger.”
The Mayor was taken back from the witcher’s outburst, but soon recomposed himself, “I apologize Master Witcher, I’ll send word for them to clear the area and wait for you. Also, there is the mare who reported the attack. She is currently at Manehatten General Hospital.”
Shadow nodded, “Good, I’ll run by the hospital and check with her. After I’m done there, I’ll head over to the site, where was the attack?”
Mayor Ballet passed over a piece of paper detailing the site and how to get there. Satisfied with the information Shadow took his leave, Final right behind him.
As they boarded the elevator Final spoke up, “So hon, what’re we dealing with?”
Shadow didn’t turn to her, but she could see the look on his face showed deep thought, “Not sure yet. I have some ideas and if they’re right it is not gonna be a pleasant fight Final.”
Final smirked, “Come on, we’ve dealt with plenty of monsters in our lifetimes, it’ll be a piece of cake.”
Shadow smirked, “Overconfidence leads to misfortune my dear Final.”
Final just stuck her tongue out at him as the elevator stopped on the ground floor. She winked at the secretary mare as they exited the building, causing the mare to blush again.
Manehatten, General Hospital
Shadow and Final arrived at the hospital and the usual depressed atmosphere of a hospital was clear as day. Ponies in casts, coughing, and other signs of illness were all over the place. Nothing too out of place, for a large city.
Shadow walked up to the receptionist, a stallion nurse, “I’m here to see the mare that was attacked, Mayor Ballet said she’d be here.”
The nurse looked up from his paperwork and saw both of them, “Yes, the mayor contacted us and said you’d be coming. She is in quarantine right now, so you will need to be sterilized and prepped.”
Final raised an eyebrow, “Quarantine, what in Equestria for?”
“She was found covered in a slime like substance and it is still unknown what it is. What we do know is that it contains many pathogens and bacteria, the poor mare is quite ill but strong enough to talk I believe,” The stallion said.
Shadow’s eyes narrowed after hearing that explanation, and he quickly encouraged them to hurry up and let him see this mare.
After a thorough process of sterilization and preparation, Shadow and Final were allowed into the quarantine. The room had machines and talismans all over the place, filtering the air, killing any bacteria in the air. The mare in question was laying in bed, looking as comfortable as somepony in her condition could be. The red unicorn saw them approach and looked confused.
The earth pony doctor that was in charge of her care spoke to her, “Tulip, these two would like to speak with you about what happened to you. Is that alright?”
She coughed a little and sat up a bit on the bed, “Yes of course doctor.”
The doctor let them beside the bed, Shadow on the left side and Final on the right. Tulip looked to Shadow, a nervous expression on her face.
Shadow smiled, “There’s no need to be nervous. I’m here to help. What happened to you?”
Tulip took a deep breath and spoke, “It was just another night for us. Me and my roommate Jade, we’ve been friends since school and we got an apartment together. We were going to the bar when we walked past a sewer grate. Something came out of the grate and grabbed Jade. I tried to help her but the thing was slimy and I couldn’t do anything.”
Tulip started to tear up, causing Final to come closer and gently grab the mare’s hoof. Tulip gasped and looked up to Final, who smiled brightly at her, trying to calm her down. It helped a bit, and she turned back to Shadow to continue.
“After she was gone, I got covered in some kind of slime and it burned. My stomach churned and I threw up a few times. A policepony found me and brought me to the hospital. I’ve been here since then,” Tulip said, her breath back to normal.
Shadow took in the information and ran through his knowledge of monsters, he was closer to the answer he needed, but needed just a bit more. He turned to the doctor, “The slime she was covered in, is there any left over that I can examine?”
The doctor was shocked but nodded. Shadow turned to Final, “Final, stay here with her. I’m gonna get the final piece of this puzzle.”
Final gave him a deadpanned look, making him realize his words, “Ugh, no pun intended. Not my fault you’re a walking pun magnet.”
Shadow dodged a pillow running out of the quarantine. He then found the doctor who then led him to a lab. He brought out a vial with a green substance. “Here it is. I suggest you wear protective gloves Master Witcher.”
Shadow took the vial in his hooves and placed it on the table, “No need to worry Doc, Witchers are immune to disease and highly resistant to poisons.”
After some tests of the substance, the final pieces of the puzzle came into view, and Shadow had hoped he was mistaken. But the evidence was all there. The sewers, tentacles, slime filled with harmful bacteria, all of this pointed to one monster. And it only made his job that much harder.
“I know what this is, and we need to act fast,” Shadow said, writing down a list of ingredients and instructions for the doctor.
Passing it over in his magic, “Follow these instructions to help Tulip. It’ll nullify the bacteria in the slime, and be quick about it. She is still in danger.”
The doctor’s eyes widened and he quickly took the note. Shadow then raced down the hallway.
Final had been sitting with Tulip for a while, making small talk and trying to comfort her.
“I must look like a mess, and smell like a latrine,” Tulip said, looking down at her hooves while sitting upright in the bed.
“Hon, you had a death defying experience with a sewer monster and got covered in slime, I think we can forgive your condition. And don’t worry, once you get out, I’ll personally treat you to the local spa,” Final said, brushing the mare’s mane out of her face.
Tulip eyes widened like saucers and looked to the mare, “Really!?”
Final smiled, “Absolutely, you need some you time after all this shit. And I’ll not have no for an answer.”
Tulip hugged her, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I haven’t been to the spa in weeks since me and…”
Tulip’s mood suddenly did a 180 as she looked near in tears again. Final quickly brought her leg around her shoulders, “Shh, its ok sweetie. Shadow and I will find out what happened and we will take of whatever is down there.”
Tulip broke down and buried her face in Final’s chest, sobbing her heart out. Final had seen this scene so many times in her long life. She just sat there on the bed, stroking the mare’s mane in an attempt to comfort her.
Shadow burst into the room, startling both mares and causing them to look his way.
“Shadow, we were having a tender moment. Ever heard of knocking?” Final said, looking mildly annoyed at the zony.
“Bitch at me later, we need to work fast. The situation is worse than I originally thought,” Shadow said, walking up to the bed.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Final said, sounding less annoyed and more serious.
“Yes, and if I’m right, which I know I am, everypony in this city is at risk,” Shadow said, give off a dark vibe with that sentence.
“What do you mean? What attacked me and Jade?” Tulip said, pulling away from Final’s embrace to look directly into the zony’s eyes with desperation.
Shadow paused for a brief moment before speaking, “It’s a zeugul, and a mature one at that.”
Final and Tulip looked at each other with confusion, and both asked at the same time, “A what?”
“A zeugul, also known as a trash eater. They live in populated areas, mostly around landfills. They start out by feeding on trash, rotting corpses, and rats. A zeugul will eat constantly when its young, devouring anything in the vicinity,” Shadow explained, the mare’s scrunching their noses in disgust.
“But as it grows older and larger, it starts to get a taste for fresh food, mainly living creatures. There is one in the sewers below the city, and it’s grown so much, it’s feeding on ponies in the streets,” Shadow said, his anger growing with every word.
Final’s expression grew to one of deep thought, “Wait a sec hon. If this zeugul is so large, it’s been down there for quite some time right?”
Shadow nodded, “Most likely it’s been down there it’s whole life, feeding on the waste of one of Equestria’s largest cities.”
“And wouldn’t somepony had noticed it before now? Worker ponies that maintain the sewers?” Final said, growing suspicious.
Shadow and Final both wore dark looks on their faces, showing the rage they felt as more pieces of the puzzle came into view. Shadow stepped towards the door to the room, while Final looked at Tulip one last time.
“We will avenge your friend Tulip, then we can have some girl time at the spa,” Final said, shifting from a smile back to her scowl as she finished her goodbye moving to the door to join Shadow.
Manehatten, Mayor’s Office
“Sir, you can’t just barge in there!” The receptionist shouted as Shadow pushed past her and knocked out the security guards blocking the way.
Final walked up to her, “Honey, I suggest you keep out of the way.”
The mare grew pale and simply returned to the elevator, back to the ground floor. Shadow and Final however burst through the doors to the mayor’s office.
“What in the name of Celestia is going on? Have you two lost it!?” Mayor Ballet asked in a startled voice.
Shadow growled and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Final sat not to far away spitting in his direction.
Royal guard burst into the room, Lieutenant Night Fang leading them. “Shadow, what in Luna’s glorious moon are you doing?”
“This scumbag knew what was in the sewers all along. It’s been there for years, no way in hell city workers haven’t seen it, or at least signs of it,” Shadow said, now holding the mayor up with magic by his suit collar.
Final got in front of the Lieutenant, “We found all the evidence at the hospital. The story we were told about the attack and the slime that was found all lead to one type of monster.”
Shadow threw the mayor at the feet of the Lieutenant, “A zeugul, a rare monster that feeds on waste, whether it be trash, rotten flesh or just biological waste.”
The Mayor’s expression grew pale and he screamed, “Alright yes I admit it! I knew it was down there, we lost a worker in the sewers 7 years ago. I couldn’t risk my re-election, so I lied and said he drowned in an accident.”
“So you lied and put the entire city in danger just to keep your position!?” Final shouted at him, getting right in his face before slapping him.
“I’ve heard enough. Guards, arrest this stallion. I will contact Princess Luna myself and she will decide your punishment Mayor Ballet,” Lieutenant Night Fang said, his guard quickly following their orders.
The Lieutenant then turned to Shadow, “So what now?”
Shadow took a deep breath, “Now we clean up his mess. Night Fang, make an announcement to the city, no one leaves their homes tonight, under any circumstances. I want guards at every sewer entrance.”
Night Fang nodded and led his ponies out of the office, Mayor Ballet in tow.
Final walked up to Shadow, “So, time for a fun little trip through the sewers?”
Shadow nodded, “I hope you didn’t bring your good heels babe, cause we are probably gonna need three baths after this.”
Both ponies left the office, to prepare for the hunt that was to come that night.
Author's Note
Here is Ch.2, had some free time.
I know no one really reads this, but a friend requested it. XP
Hades
