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