Chapter Four.

Beauty And Rage

This place feels wrong to me. The air smells sweeter than it should, and the ponies' smiles and lustering eyes of joy seem artificial or perhaps absent. Like they aren't fully aware of it but don't care or maybe are unable to notice it. Ponies laughed and made merry as they enjoyed the attractions of Snow-Hopper. Everything from thrill rides like a roller coaster that twisted and spun around town to wild and wacky sideshows of parlor tricks and fireworks or enjoying the many street vendors selling knick-knacks and bizarre brightly colored foods. Screams of joy and excitement echoed from somewhere nearby as many others enjoyed more winter activities like skiing. Everywhere I looked, I saw nothing but ponies and a few other creatures the sisters had mentioned before, seeming to have the time of their lives. My heightened senses were screaming their warning at me. “Tenebrae, are you okay? You seem to be lost in thought again.” I turned my gaze down to the blue face of my so-called ‘employer’, who held a bright smile and curiosity in her gaze.

“I'm perfectly fine little Luna, I'm simply taking in the sights of this… wondrous tourist town.”

“Isn't it?” Celestia said, coming up to her sister’s side. “I must say the brochure didn't do this place justice. Just look at all the fun and exciting things to do! Not to mention all the yummy desserts being served!” She did a little trot of excitement which I found amusing.

“Easy, sister. There will be plenty of time to explore all the fun things to do, but first, we need to check into a hotel.” Luna did a quick little survey of the area. “If we can find one, especially since we’re weeks late for our reservations.” She was more composed than her sister, but I could see the excitement in her eyes. They both seemed rather excited for this place though I suppose they would be looking forward to such things after the ordeal of almost dying to get here. I’ll let them enjoy themselves for a time.

“I agree with your sister, Celestia; we should find a place to check in before it gets too late.” I turned my gaze back towards the distant mountain we had trekked down this morning. “It was quite the hike through the snow to get here after all.” They both snickered at my comment.

“It was, but fortunately for my sister and I, we had the best snow-plowing bodyguard in Equestria to make the trek easier for us.” Luna joked as she tried to hide her giggle.

“Agreed the best that bits can buy.” Celestia mused, turning her gaze away from me as mine narrowed at them.

“All jokes aside, I'm glad we didn't have too much trouble entering the town with such a uhh… unique bodyguard.” She cleared her throat. “I was expecting quite a few questions from the gate guard about you, or at the very least, I thought your ‘cloak’ would draw a lot of attention, but it seems we were worried for nothing.” She looked around at the ponies around us, who seemed blissfully ignorant of our presence.

“I guess everypony is having too much fun to care about the giant walking around wearing a cloak made from Itzalwurm skin,” Luna remarked.

“Yeah... lucky that.” The sisters started making their way through the crowds as I followed behind. I suppose I'll play the role of a diligent bodyguard and watch after them while they have their fun. After navigating our way through the crowded streets and Celestia getting distracted by one of the vendors selling cupcakes and other sweets, we finally found ourselves in the lobby of a hotel. I suppose it's rather nice for how primitive these ponies' architecture is, even if I had to duck to avoid hitting my head on the door when we entered. The lobby floor was covered in a deep red carpet with intricately carved columns lining the way to a set of equally intricate stairs leading to the upper floor with the check-in counter adorning the center between them. The walls were made of black and white marbled tile, and several works of art hung from it. Lamps of soft white illuminated the room well enough despite the natural light that flooded in from the large windows that gave a nice view of the mountainside.

“Welcome to the Winter Stable hotel and hot spring resort! How may I help you today?” The little white mare behind the counter beamed with a rather fake sense of over-the-top enthusiasm as we approached. She had a bright purple mane done up in what I suppose is a professional-looking bun for a place of business. Her sparkling empty blue eyes stared past us behind her gold-tinted reading glasses.

“Yes hello, we would like to check in if possible,” Celestia responded with a friendly tone.

“Of course. Do you have a reservation with us?” the clerk asked, bringing up her clipboard.

“Yes, we do, or rather, we did. A huge snowstorm delayed us considerably, however, and we’ve only just arrived in town. It was the large suite with two bedrooms and the private hot spring bath attached if I recall correctly.” She looked to Luna, who nodded her acknowledgment.

“Name, please?” The clerk asked, adjusting her glasses.

“It would be under Celestia.” The clerk started flipping through the pages of her clipboard.

“Celestia… Celestia…” She mumbled as she scanned the names. “Ah, here we go. I'm sorry, but it looks like you're well over your allotted week grace period for check-in. That room has since been rented out by another.”

“Yeah, I figured that would be the case.” Luna stepped up next to her sister. “Are there any other rooms available? We need at least two with separate beds and preferably one that has a private hot spring. I was looking forward to that.” Luna asked hopefully with a slight smile as the clerk flipped through her clipboard.

“I'm sorry it looks like we are completely booked at the moment.” The clerk gave a slight bow in apology.

“Aww, that's very disappointing to hear.” Luna's ears fell back in disappointment, her smile replaced with a subtle frown.

“I guess we’ll have to look around for another hotel then.” Celestia turned towards the clerk. “Is there any other hotel around here that you would recommend we try?” She asked, keeping her friendly attitude.

“I'm sorry once again but every hotel will have been booked up by now. It's the height of the tourist season, so even if I did give a recommendation, chances are very slim they would have any rooms available.” The clerk bowed again in apology.

“I… see thank you for letting us know.” Celesta sat back on her haunches, seeming to be at a loss.

“What are we going to do now, sister?” Luna asked, sitting next to her. “Not much of a vacation if we have nowhere to stay.” I decided to keep quiet and pretend to look at the nearby artwork even though I watched another employee speak to a fat-looking stallion in hushed whispers at the corner of my vision at the far end of the lobby. The fat one was doing a bad job at trying to hide his stare at the two sisters. Even at this distance, I could hear what they were saying.

“Sir that's the princesses that were supposed to arrive two weeks ago.”

“Yes, I can see that sweetie.” The fat one licked his lips.

“The mayor gave specific orders tha..”

“I know what the mayor said!” He hissed at the now frightened employee. “Go and find them a nice room with everything they asked for or one as close as you can.”

“But sir, we don't have any room..”

“Then make room!” He hissed while drawing the employee closer. “These are VIPS and deserve the best our resort can offer. Understood, sweetie?” He gave her a quick lick on the cheek, making her shudder in fear.

“Yes, sir, right away.” She quickly composed herself and approached us. “Please excuse me, but we may have a room available if I could please ask you to wait a few moments.” She gave a forced smile.

“Oh? I thought you were all booked up?” Celestia sat up, looking at the newcomer.

“We were but I was just told by our manager of some early departures that might not have been reported correctly.” She gave a bow. “I apologize for our lack of proper conduct. Please wait here while I go confirm with our well-trained staff and see if we do indeed have a room available.”

“Of course! Thank you so much for going to check.” Luna perked up immediately. The employee gave a knowing look at the clerk before disappearing upstairs. How very interesting I wonder if I should say something to them? I thought to myself as the sisters went to sit down on some chairs that were arranged near the large window while we waited. I let the thought linger for a bit before deciding to let things play out a little longer. This may prove advantageous to me in the end. We waited for about thirty minutes before the employee finally returned.

“Thank you for your patience. We do indeed have one room available, and it is being prepared now.”

“Truly? It looks like we’re going to be able to enjoy our vacation after all, dear sister.” Celestia said to Luna, her eyes beaming with delight.

“There is, however, a slight problem, which I'm deeply sorry for.” The employee bowed.

“What problem would that be?” Luna asked with a little bit of reluctance in her voice.

“The only room that became available that has the private hot spring bath you requested is the honeymoon suite.” Both sisters froze, their eyes going wide as their cheeks flushed red.

“Th..the honeymoon suite!? Surely there must be another available!” Celestia stammered not daring to look towards me for some odd reason.

“I'm sorry, but no, this is the only one we have.” The employee bowed her in apology once again.

“I do not understand. Is there a problem with such a room?” I was confused by their reaction. The sisters both looked at me.

“Surely you jest Tenebrae. Of course, there is a problem,” Luna said, trying to hide her embarrassment.

“I'm not,” I said with a hint of annoyance. “Should we not be thankful that any room was suddenly available for us to use?” I narrowed my eyes at the employee and gave a sly smile which seemed to unnerve her for a moment.

“Tenebrae, are you being serious? You don't know what a honeymoon is?” Celestia said, looking surprised. I turned to face her.

“No, I've never heard such a term before.” The sisters looked at me, confused but still slightly blushing. It was a strange moment of silence until Luna finally spoke up.

“Oh right, I forgot you're not from Equestria; how silly of us.” She coughed, clearing her throat. “A honeymoon is a special type of vacation that two ponies go on after becoming married.”

“Ah, I see… Now I understand. So the issue is the same as before then.” The sisters' blush deepened.

“What do you mean the same as before?” Celestia asked in a slightly panicked tone.

“Only one bed between the three of us,” I said with a sly smile once again. I couldn't help but tease them a little. After all, they made it so easy. Besides, It was quite amusing to see their flustered faces.

“Te…Tenebrae, that's not. We didn't. It wasn't like that!” They both stammered, speaking gibberish while waving their hooves frantically, their faces cherry red. I couldn’t help myself.

“Oh, I know what it was like, but just who are you trying to convince, I wonder?” I said as I lowered my head to look them in the eye. Their look of sheer panic was hilarious. The poor employee looked completely lost in what was going on. “Relax, I'm only teasing. Call it payback for the snow-plow jokes earlier.” That seemed to calm them down a bit.

“You're terrible sometimes, you know that.” Celestia huffed, looking away from me.

“I agree sister, terrible and cruel.” Luna stuck her little tongue out at me. I ignored them.

“That said, the situation remains the same,” I said, looking back at the horribly confused employee. “We will gladly accept the room.” The sisters looked at me, a bit flustered again. “We’ll just have to make do; we don't have another option.” They shook their heads in reluctant agreement.

“You're right, Tenebrae. It's not like we have any choice. We were lucky enough to get one at all,” Celestia said before turning to the employee. We will take the room; please go ahead and check us in for it.”

“O…of course.” She quickly got the form from the clerk. “Please sign here.” She held the form while Celestia and Luna signed it before looking at me with a hint of fear in her green eyes.

“Something wrong?” I asked, lowering my head considerably to look into the tiny employee's eye. She shrank back from me.

“I'm sorry I didn't think you were with the princesses is all.” She hid her fear well. “I don't mean to be rude but just what is your relationship to them?” I smiled.

“Why, I'm their bodyguard, of course. I'm here to ensure their safety during the duration of their stay here. After all, an unfamiliar town with unfamiliar ponies can be a very dangerous place to be for a pair of…” My voice trailed off for a moment as I looked the sisters over. “Such lovely inexperienced mares such as them.” I finished with a fanged smile at the employee, who shuddered a bit.

“I…see.” She gave a nervous chuckle and gulped quietly. “In that case, please sign here.” I took the tiny pen in my magic and signed. Great, that's everything. Please wait a moment while I get this filed and check on the room's readiness.” Lucky for me, the sisters had turned back to chatting with each other, so I decided to be a bit devious.

“Thanks very much... sweetie,” I said quietly as the employee turned to leave, which caused her to freeze up for a moment before daring to look back at me. Her eyes were wide with fear and worry. I gave her the nicest smile I could… one that showed my very sharp teeth. Before seeing her reaction, I turned and went over to wait by the sisters.

“Oh wow, just look at this place!” Celestia exclaimed as we entered the suite. The room was rather elegant in its design. The walls were a nice white color with a slight wavy design that matched the curtains near the fancy double-paned gold-trimmed windows that contrasted nicely with the dark oak floors. An intricate fireplace was placed near a sitting area with comfortable-looking chairs filled with pillows and a long sofa made from dark leather. The slightly lighter oak table had several snacks and a variety of tea types laid out on top. On the far side was another large door that led to the hot spring, I'd guess. Of course, it did not hold a candle to we Bicorns idea of luxury but it was nice enough I suppose.

“I agree they really know their stuff when it comes to luxury.” Luna joined in as she followed. We had ended up waiting another twenty or so minutes before being led to our room. “Oh, sister, take a look at this,” Luna said as she slid two large screen doors that revealed the bedroom that held a large window with a very scenic view of the mountains. The bed itself was rather large. It was a bright white color that matched the aesthetic with way too many pillows, in my opinion, but it looked to have real silk sheets and a nice-looking canopy for privacy, I assume, since this was for married couples. It still would not fit my size, though.

“I suppose it's nice enough,” I said, ducking to get through the door. “I'm glad most of the doors we’ve gone through so far are double-wide, but I wish they were a bit taller.” This seemed to amuse the sisters.

“We should be lucky of that,” Luna said, chuckling. “Otherwise, you'd be leaving quite the giant pony-shaped holes in your path.

“Think of all the bills we’d have for property damage!” Celestia mused joining in poking fun at my large frame. I glared at them.

“Not my fault you ponies don't think to be inclusive of other larger races in your architecture. Especially for a warrior of my stature.” I said removing my cloak and revealing my fully armored form.

“We’ll make sure to make a formal complaint for you then,” Celestia responded while they both continued snickering.

“Good, see that you do,” I said as I threw my Itzalwurm cloak at them causing them to trip over each other trying to get away. They managed to dodge it but fell flat on their faces now it was my turn to snicker. “What’s wrong? I thought you liked my cloak? Even said it looked professionally made if I recall.” I said, picking it up in my magic as they stood up.

“It may be professional looking but it's still made from the skin of a worm monster!” Luna exclaimed, rubbing her nose.

“I, for one, think it's gross and a bit morbid. Not to mention how stinky it must be since how bad the wurm smelled before.” Celestia said, sticking her tongue out while holding her nose.

“Oh, it's stinky, is it?” I said in a mocking tone. “My nose must not be working correctly then. Here, why don't you tell me if it is?” I started moving it closer to her with my magic. Her eyes went wide with panic as she tried backing up quickly.

“No! No! No! No! No! That's okay, I'm sure it's fine.” She turned and jumped over the couch to hide behind.

“Now don't be shy, just a quick whiff to confirm I promise it doesn't bite anymore.” I started chasing her with it around the couch as Luna tried hiding behind the screen doors to the bedroom, doing her best to stop laughing. After a few more laps, I switched targets. “Oh, little Luna, your sister is being rude and won't help me figure this out,” I said with a mischievous grin as I slid the screen apart suddenly. “Won't you be a dear and help me instead?” I didn't wait for an answer as my cloak whooshed in the air toward her. She quickly ducked as it went over her and rolled to the side.

“No, Tenebrae. It's fine; I'm sure of it!” she said, backing up against the wall.

“Funny, I could have sworn your sister said the same thing just a moment ago. But how do I know the two of you aren't lying to me?” Before her answer, I moved it towards her, and again she managed to dodge it and run to the side of the bed. I followed her with it, and she jumped on the bed and bounced to the other side; thus, our chase began around it. This was quite amusing, which was strange for me since when did I play around like this? After another lap, I ceased my chase. “Alright, I'll relent for now.” I threw the cloak into my storage space and chuckled as little Luna flopped onto the bed, her chest heaving.

“Thank the stars for that!” Luna said as Celestia came out from behind the couch and joined her on the bed. “I'm all sweaty now since I didn't get the chance to take my coat off!”

“Me too.” Celestia agreed, sighing. “I think we may smell as bad as that cloak now.”

“Should I bring it back out to compare?” I joked.

“No, that's okay!” They both said in almost perfect unison shooting up from the bed to attention. I chuckled.

“You truly are cruel, you know that?” Luna said, taking her coat off. Celestia soon followed her example and did the same.

“I'm only joking. Besides, you two started it, and I don't lose to any creature. It's a warrior's pride, after all.” I beat my hoof on my armored chest a few times.

“We should have guessed, but you could still go a little easier on us,” Celestia huffed.

“I agree; it's not very fitting for a bodyguard to tease his employers so much,” Luna said as she stood up from the bed. I was taught to take no prisoners and show no mercy when it came to combat, but I suppose this is different, and I am going a little far in my teasing of them.

“I will try but I make no promises. Now since you two are all sweaty and it's still relatively early, why don't you go for a soak in the hot spring for a bit? We can go out and see the sites and get some dinner later tonight.”

“That does sound like a good idea. I have no problems with that plan. What about you Luna?”

“No issues here, relaxing in a hot spring for a few hours sounds perfect to me.”

“Good, remember to rinse off before getting into the hot spring. It's bad manners if you don't,” I told them as they started for the door when little Luna stopped suddenly.

“Wi…will you be joining us Tenebrae?”

“Join you? In the hot spring, I'm assuming?”

“Yeah, you said you enjoyed them and we did say we’d cover any expenses as a thank you for saving us.” She eyed her sister who was about to say something, making her keep quiet. I thought for a moment it had been a while since I removed my armor and properly cleaned it and myself. Over thirty-five thousand years to be exact.

“Very well go ahead and I'll join you in a few minutes,” I said after a moment.

“Great, we’ll see you in a bit. Then come, sister. Let's rinse off and get in before he joins us.” She said with a slight blush before continuing out of the bedroom with Celestia in tow. I gave a long sigh before beginning to remove my armor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I can't believe you invited him to join us, Luna,” Celestia said as she found a good position to lay back in the hot spring.

“Well, he did save my life and yours. I figured this would be at least a good start in thanking him, considering he said he likes hot springs.” I found a similar position next to her, taking in this gorgeous private bath. They really tried their best when designing it to make it seem like a natural hot spring as it sat in the middle of an artificial bamboo forest, complete with a rocky path to and from the door. The water itself came from a cleverly disguised bamboo tap that hid the pump that fed into it. The bath itself was very large and could easily fit at least eight ponies inside, with plenty of hoof room to move about. The floor of the bath was a smooth stone with small bumps for grip and had a shallow side with a large stone as a sitting area.

“I know that, sister and I'm not opposed to thanking him in the slightest.” She shifted her position to look at me. “But still inviting him to join us while we’re still in the bath is a little risqué, especially from you.”

“It's nothing like that!” I said quickly, blushing. “I just thought it'd be a good opportunity to talk and get to know him better.” She eyed me with suspicion. “I heard that it's a popular custom with some of the eastern areas where several ponies would spend time together in hot springs to strengthen friendships.”

“I've heard the same; they say something about the relaxing hot water or sulfur. Let ponies talk about stuff they normally wouldn't.”

“Exactly! Since he is rather mysterious and from a faraway land, I thought we could learn a bit more about him and the land he’s from by inviting him to join us.”

“Well, I'll agree with you on that. He is rather strange and mysterious.” She said, sinking a bit further into the water before popping back up. “Alright, let's use this opportunity to learn more about his tribe and the land he comes from.”

“Agreed,” I said, then I heard the door slide open and heavy hoof steps go towards the side that had a small area with a shower for rinsing off before proceeding to the bath. The bamboo obstructed our vision, but I was sure it was him. I heard the shower turn on and, after a few moments, shut off, and then the same heavy steps came toward us. When he did emerge from behind the bamboo neither I nor my sister were ready for the sight that awaited us as we both gasped at what we saw. A large, ashen black stallion with his twin silvery horns seemed to shine from the water that dripped from them. Without his helmet, we could see that his silver eye held a large three-claw-like scar across it. The dark gray mane matted down from the shower revealed his strong facial features and pearly fangs. His large body was covered head to tail in numerous scars with massive taut muscles that glistened in the light from the water, and though he had a towel covering his flank, it almost seemed his cutie mark could be glowing ever so slightly beneath it. Even covered, I could tell his flank was just as perfectly toned and muscled as the rest of him. As he stood there basking in the light for a moment, he was truly quite a sight to behold.

“Something wrong, princesses? You're staring.” His deep voice boomed.

“Oh… wow.” I heard Celestia whisper under her breath from somewhere beside me.

“No… not at all…” I said as my eyes kept drifting over his form like I was in a daze. “It's just…” I couldn't stop staring at his taut muscles or hovering over his toned flank, and I got the feeling my sister was doing the same.

“Just…?” he asked, but I was so enamored with his form that I couldn't think straight.

“This is the first time we’ve seen you out of your armor,” Celestia said after clearing her throat, which seemed to break my daze for a moment.

“Yes, that.” I stammered, trying to hide the burning sensation I felt in my cheeks.

“Yes, I suppose it is.” He said as he started walking again towards us and the bath. Again I couldn't take my eyes off him. With every step in his stride, I could see the power of his muscles as they flexed. Each one filled with absolute confidence and purpose, like with every step, he was challenging the world itself to try and stop him. I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't even realize he had reached the bath and was stepping in. I was taken off guard as he laid down in the deeper end, causing the water to displace from his large body, causing me to lose my balance and go under for a moment. I emerged coughing and sputtering.

“You okay, sister?” Celestia asked, reaching out her hoof to help steady me.

“Yeah, I'm okay. I just wasn't prepared for the water to suddenly rise like that.” I coughed the last bit of water out. At least the sudden plunge broke me from my stupor, and I could think more clearly. Or so I thought before Tenebrae let out a surprising coo sound as he settled in the water.

“Ah… I never tire of this feeling. The hot water does wonders to relax my muscles.” He flexed them for emphasis, which made me stare longer than I should have. “You're both staring again, you know.” I tried to quickly look away to hide my embarrassment and saw my sister do the same. Tenebrae chuckled. “It's okay. I'm sure you're both just curious about my battle scars but feel it's rude to ask.” He chuckled again. “Don’t be most are symbols of pride for a warrior such as myself.” That caught my attention, and it gave me a good excuse to change the subject.

“Most?” I asked, turning back to face him. He nodded his head slightly to confirm as he brought his giant hoof up and started tracing some of his scars with it.

“Some are trophies of a glorious battle.” He said as he traced the clawed scar over his eye. “Others are memories.” His hoof continued to the scar on his neck. “Sacrifices.” He looked over to a scar on the side of his hoof. “Betrayal.” He said with obvious scorn as he traced over the large scar that was across where his heart would be.

“You've been through a lot, then?” Celestia asked curiously, finally regaining her composure. He nodded his head.

“More than you’ll ever know.” Tenebrae sat up in the water, revealing more of his scars. “These scars are proof of what I overcame… what I survived. They show my life, my sorrows, and… my sins.” He looked rather somber for a moment. I couldn't help but move closer to him and place my hoof gently on one of the larger scars.

“Do they still hurt?” I asked with a hint of concern as I looked up at him.

“Sometimes, but I've grown used to the pain. I know my demons, and they know me just as well,” he said cryptically. Celestia also had come close enough to place a hoof on him and was not very subtle about prodding at his rock-solid muscles. He chuckled. “If the two of you are done touching me, I'd like to lay back down in the water.” I hadn't realized I was prodding at his muscles, too, and quickly stepped back.

“S…sorry about that I stammered.” Celestia backed up as well but said nothing. She was just as flushed in the face as I was and probably praying that he didn't notice the same as me. He had laid back down in the water and had his eyes closed, for which I was thankful as I tried to regain my composure.

“I am curious about something.” He said as he opened his eyes and looked at us.

“Go ahead.” I sat down, thankful for the change in subject.

“Would you mind telling me about your family? I find it strange that you two are the only true royals, and the new ruler was a student of yours rather than a family member related by blood. Or is it a case that you have no other family members who could take the throne?” I wasn't expecting him to ask about our family. Thankfully, Celestia took charge and answered.

“Not exactly. We do have some relatives, but they aren't direct relatives.” He looked at my sister curiously.

“Not direct relatives?”

“Yes. As an example, we have a nephew, Prince Blueblood, but he's only our nephew through our mother's side and is over fifty generations removed.”

“Ah, I see. So it's like a very great grand nephew then?”

“Yeah, that's a good way to put it.” I chimed in.

“How interesting… It explains quite a bit about your behaviors, then.” I looked at Celestia, confused.

“Our behaviors?” She asked. With a sly smile, he answered.

“You’re both still virgins, aren't you?” My face was immediately set on fire with embarrassment, as was Celestia’s.

“W-why do you say that?” I stammered.

“Please it's obvious with how red the two of you get when I tease you, not to mention those wandering eyes of yours when I joined you in here.” I couldn't bear to look at him. “It's nothing to be ashamed about and well… I don't mean to be rude, but the stallions of you ponies are rather small and weak compared to me. I’m sure the sight of such an exotic warrior is… let's say, interesting for you.” I felt like my head was going to explode like a volcano, with how much it was burning up in embarrassment. A quick glance towards Celestia revealed she was the same.

“Ma-maybe it is?” Celestia managed to say after a moment. “Maybe it isn't?” She took a few deep breaths. “Who can really say?” He chuckled at the two of us.

“I understand Celestia.” He kept chuckling for a few more moments. “I’ll cease my assault for now out of gratitude for inviting me to join you.” Wait…

“You were just teasing us again?” I said with a hint of anger. He chuckled again.

“Maybe maybe not, who can really say?” He smiled at me.

“So cruel…” I huffed as I laid back in the hot water, trying to relax.

“My apologies, little Luna and Celestia. It's hard not to since you two make it so fun.” I sat back up and was about to say something when Celestia spoke up first.

“You find it fun to tease us?” She asked with a hint of embarrassment. For some weird reason, Tenebrae seemed taken aback by that question.

“I do?” he seemed to ask himself more than answering the question. “I wonder why…?” he said softly. However, before either of us could press the question further, he suddenly stood up. “My apologies, but I'll be getting out now.”

“What? Why?” I asked. He turned to me.

“I still need to clean and polish my armor before we head out into town.” With that, he headed out of the hot spring, the towel he had around his flank now stuck to him from the water. He disappeared behind the bamboo, and a moment later, I heard the door open and close. I turned to my sister.

“That was weird.”

“Agreed, but I doubt we’d get an answer if we brought it up again, at least right now.” She rolled over in the water. “Let's enjoy the hot spring for a bit longer.” I sighed and laid back.

“So much for learning more about where he came from,” I muttered quietly to myself.

~~~

“Oh, why don't we eat here? Something smells good inside,” Little Luna said, pulling Celestia towards a small restaurant off the main path of the town.

“Alright, it does smell good, but please stop pulling me, Luna. Are you okay with this place, Tenebrae?” I nodded.

“If the two of you want to eat lunch here, it's fine since I won’t be eating.” Little Luna stopped in her tracks and looked back at me.

“You're not eating? Why?” I stepped closer to her and lowered my head so they both could hear me.

“Because I'm a carnivore, remember? We don't want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves if we can avoid it. And right now I'm playing the role of your bodyguard while the two of you are out and about enjoying the town. We need to keep up that appearance while in public.” I whispered to them.

“But that seems a little unfair to you.” Little Luna whispered back.

“It's what we agreed on. I'll be fine, I promise.”

“Alright but do let us know if you see something you’d like to do.” She whispered back. I nodded my head. Took a bit for them to get their food due to the crowd and admittedly a little difficult for me to cast my magic on their food and drinks without them noticing but I managed. After their lunch of some kind of soup and flower sandwiches, they ended up going on a few of the attractions while I stood by at the platform since I was too large and heavy to fit on them. They ended up dragging me to several of the sideshows of mundane parlor tricks, and little Luna, for whatever reason, wanted to see some play they were performing in the central park. Something about a dragon stealing an artifact or something from a crystal pony which I found very offensive. As if any dragon would damage their honor with thievery. By the end of the play, it was starting to get dark, and they were discussing what to do about dinner when we were approached by a messenger pony.

“Excuse me, princesses, but I have an invitation for you.”

“An invitation? What for and from who?” Celestia asked, raising her brow in curiosity.

“It's from Mayor Butterfield.” He pulled out a letter from his satchel and handed it to her. “He wants to invite you and your sister to his manor for dinner tonight as an apology for not greeting you when you arrived.”

“Oh, I see. That's very kind of him, but it wasn't his fault since we arrived much later than scheduled.” She said, looking over the invitation. “Still, it would be rude not to accept, and we were just discussing what to do about dinner.” She looked at me and little Luna.

“I'm fine with it, but do we have time to stop by our room? We should get properly dressed if we’re eating at the mayor's manor.” Little Luna replied.

“According to this, we have a few hours.” Celestia put the invitation away. “Well, Tenebrae?” I closed my eyes for a moment to think. I wonder what the mayor is planning since it's clear he’s the ringleader here, judging by what I overheard earlier…

“Very well, I will escort you.”

“My, what a gentle colt.” Celestia mused. I rolled my eyes and followed them back towards the hotel.

“We’re almost ready to go.” Little Luna's voice came from behind the sliding doors of the bedroom. Honestly, why do mares always take so long to get ready for something as simple as dinner? It's been almost two hours since we got back and they're just now almost done getting dressed.

“I'm in no rush,” I replied,, even though I was bored from sitting on the couch. After a few more minutes, I heard the door slide open.

“How do we look Tenebrae?” Celestia said as they both came through the door and struck a little cutesy pose. I looked at Celestia first. She wore a purple and pink frilly dress with gold embroidery that draped over her flank, her mane was done up in double braids and she wore light red lipstick with matching blush and eyeshadow. I then turned to little Luna. She wore a blue dress that had a spiral star pattern that had a veil over her flank with black trimming. Her mane was rolled up into a bun with two small loops, and she had black make-up similar to her sisters but with some added sparkles under her eyes. Thankfully they couldn't read my expression under my helmet as I stared at them.

“Well, what do you think?” They both asked in almost perfect unison.

“You both look admittedly… very lovely.” I couldn't help but trace their forms with my eyes as the sweet perfume they both wore assaulted my nose.

“What's that supposed to mean? Admittedly?” They challenged me. I cleared my throat.

“Sorry, your perfume assaulted my sense of smell and made me lose my train of thought for a moment. I meant to say you both look very beautiful, and I would be happy to escort the two of you for the evening.” I gave a little bow with my head. They looked a little embarrassed by my words.

“O-oh right, you have a heightened sense of smell compared to ours. We’re sorry for that, Tenebrae.” Celestia said a little apologetically.

“I told you we used too much.” Little Luna whispered to her sister.

“It's fine; I've adjusted already; shall we go?” They nodded their heads in agreement, and I led them out.

“This place is truly beautiful!” Celestia exclaimed as we approached the manor doors. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a pair of servants who led us through the wintry garden surrounding the front of the mayor's manor. A large fountain adorned the front entrance, where two dolphins had been carved from ice, seeming to jump and splash over it.

“I’m glad you think so.” Came a posh voice as the manor doors swung open. A small stallion wearing a dark green suit and top hat with a gold monocle stepped out and opened his hoofs wide. “Welcome to my humble abode. I am Dandy Butterfield, mayor of this wondrous town! Though most ponies just call me Mayor Butterfield or simply The Mayor.” He was a light grayish stallion in his midlife with a dark golden mane and a small mustache.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mayor Butterfield. Please allow me to thank you for inviting my sister and I for dinner.” Celestia gave a polite bow, as did little Luna.

“The pleasure is all mine; you two look truly stunning tonight.” He bowed back and gave a small wink to her which angered me for some reason. “Admittedly, I thought I had offended your majesties in some way. When I heard you’d be making a visit to my lovely town, I had prepared to greet you personally and hold a banquet to welcome you, but you didn't show.”

“We’re very sorry about that. We got delayed by a terrible snowstorm on our way here. We did not know you were planning such a generous welcome for us; otherwise, we would have sent a letter in advance explaining our delay.” The sisters gave an apologetic bow.

“It's water under the bridge now. Please let us go inside. It would be rude to make you continue talking out here in the cold.” Celestia and little Luna went inside at his suggestion, and I started to follow but was stopped by the two servants. I looked down at them with murder in my eyes, causing them to gulp audibly.

“It's okay. He's with us.” Little Luna said to the servants who then looked towards the mayor.

“You heard her. After all, it would be rude to refuse anypony that was part of the princess's escort.” With that, the servants bowed and let me pass. “Please excuse my servants; they were only doing their jobs.” He gave me a friendly smile, which I did not return. Before I could say anything, Celestia spoke up.

“And please excuse our bodyguards' behavior as well. He takes his job very seriously and doesn't say much when on duty.” She gave me a knowing wink. Fine, I'll play the part.

“Oh, I see, the strong silent type then?” I looked down at him and simply said.

“Yes.” He backed away and cleared his throat.

“Right this way, please; dinner is almost ready.” He then led us through several corridors, each one lined with artworks ranging from sculptures to large canvas paintings, chatting up the princesses as we went. The interior of this place was mainly made of fine wood walls with fancy molding around the edges with expensive red carpets. It wasn't until the last hallway that led to the dining room itself that I paused to look at the overly large paintings that took up entire sections of the wall. Eight in total perfectly symmetrical down the hallway with accompanying statues of ponies in armor. Such amateurs, I thought to myself as I cast my spell. Thankfully it went unnoticed by the group.

“Everything okay, Mr. Bodyguard?” The mayor stopped and looked back at me.

“Just admiring the… beautiful artwork,” I said.

“Ah yes, beautiful and expensive.” He chuckled at his own comment before continuing the way. “Here we are.” He opened the intricate door that had a flowery pattern revealing a grand dining hall. Several crystal chandeliers hung above a large rectangle dining table that seemed to be made from cherry wood. It had enough seats for at least thirty guests and stretched past three separate fireplaces made of marble. The windows had deep red curtains that contrasted well with the wooden floor.

“Your home is very beautiful, Mayor Butterfield. I imagine it was quite expensive to build and furnish with all the lavish artwork and marble.” Little Luna commented. The mayor pulled out two chairs towards the head of the table.

“Thank you for your kind compliment. It's a testament to how successful our town is. It was hard work turning this once impoverished town into one of the most luxurious vacation spots in Equestria.” The sisters politely took their seats.

“I can believe it. Nearly every building we went into had gorgeous decoration and art. Even a lot of the architecture was beautifully designed.” Celestia said, admiring the room.

“I'm glad you noticed.” The mayor took his seat at the head of the table. “I take great pride in my town's prosperity and the well-being of its ponies!” I almost laughed at that but managed to hold it in. I took position near a window behind little Luna. They continued their pointless banter for the next twenty minutes discussing the town's history and prosperity in recent years. Finally, the food arrived; several servants wheeled out carts full of silver platters and arranged them on the table. Afterwards, they removed the lids revealing a wide assortment of delicacies for ponies and a lot of sweets. Platters full of varying vegetables and fruits blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, salads made of lettuce, carrots, and garnished with apple slices, even four different types of sandwiches. Several pies and cakes, including a large one that was reminiscent of a wedding cake, were wheeled out in a second wave of desserts, including many types of cupcakes and apple-based desserts.

“Wow, this may be a little much for just the three of us!” Little Luna said as a giant plate sat in front of her filled with many types of apples surrounding a cut pineapple in the center. The mayor chuckled.

“Like I said, we wanted to prepare a banquet to welcome you to our humble town.” He threw his hooves open. “Please eat and drink to your heart's content.”

“Thank you for such a generous meal, Mayor Butterfield. We will gladly partake,” Celestia said, grabbing several desserts and a salad. Luna followed by selecting multiple apple dishes and berries. Thankfully, I didn't need to use my magic on the food this time since the mayor himself was eating. They ate and made small talk for about forty minutes when a servant brought a bucket of ice with a curious single large bottle inside. Another followed with four fancy glasses.

“Ah, finally, it's here.” The mayor rubbed his hooves together.

“What's here?” Celestia asked curiously.

“Only the finest cider I can offer. It's made right here in Snow-Hopper, using the water from our hot springs to boil and filter the winter apples into this bottle of pure Bliss! Oh and don't mind the odd smell that's just from the sulfur water. I assure you it's perfectly safe to drink.” He explained with enthusiasm as the glasses were distributed and filled with the golden liquid.

“Oh my, what a lovely color.” Little Luna said, examining the drink. After theirs were poured, one of the servants filled the last glass and brought it to me. I grabbed it with my magic and smelled the vile liquid.

“I get one too?” I asked innocently.

“But of course! It's one of the finest refreshments we make here in Snow-Hopper and it just wouldn't do to not offer it to the princess's bodyguard. It's my way of saying thank you for keeping our beloved twin goddesses safe from harm. Now let us toast to new friendships!” The sisters had raised their glasses in tandem with the mayor and were just about to drink, but I stopped them right before with my magic.

“I'm sorry for interrupting the toast, but I'd like to ask you a question first, Mr. Mayor.” The mayor's eyes twitched slightly, but he kept the friendly façade.

“Of course, I'd be happy to answer it.” I bowed my head politely.

“Tell me just what were you planning to do?” He looked confused but I could see him starting to sweat under his hat.

“What do you mean?” He asked as innocently as he could, keeping his fake smile.

“After we drank this heavily drugged cider, I mean. What were you planning to do with us?” I asked as my smile widened, revealing my fangs. The mayor froze, his face breaking out in a cold sweat.

“What are you talking about Tenebrae!? He’s our host!” Celestia shot up in her seat, seeming to be angry with me. “If this is your idea of a joke, it's ver-”

“Sister!” Little Luna snapped, catching her off guard. “Let's allow Tenebrae to explain himself before jumping to conclusions.” She glanced at me. “Tenebrae?”

“Very well.” The mayor stayed frozen in his seat as I approached one of the servants who were standing by. “Drink this.” I shoved the glass in her face. Her eyes immediately went wide with panic, and she started to back up. “What's wrong? Don't like cider?” I grabbed her in my magic, pulling her close. “This is supposed to be the finest drink in Snow-Hopper. I insist you try it!” I forced the drink down her throat as she struggled in my grasp before dropping her to the floor. She gagged and heaved desperately, trying to vomit the drugged drink before the effects set in. Too late, a few seconds later, she started convulsing and foaming at the mouth before going limp.

“What is the meaning of this!?” Both sisters stood up in anger from their seats and looked at the mayor.

“I don't know, I swear! I don't have any idea of what's going on!” He panicked, trying to jump out of his chair to run, but I caught him in my magic, causing his hat to fall off, and restrained him before he could.

“Trying to flee so soon after pleading your innocence? Not a good look, you know.” His face was priceless.

“Guards! Guards! Help me! I'm being assaulted!” He shouted, making me smile with delight.

“We didn't see any guards around the manor,” Celestia said, confused. I gagged him with my magic.

“He’s calling for those assassins he had hiding behind the large paintings in the hallway.” The sisters looked at me, stunned. “Sorry, Mr. Mayor, but I doubt there’ll be any help to you since I already took care of them earlier.” His eyes widened with fear.

“When!? How did you know!?” Celestia shouted. I smiled at her.

“Why when we first entered the hallway and I stopped for a moment to admire the art.” I walked over to the mayor and lowered my gaze to meet his. “You know, if you're going to do something cliché as assassins hiding behind something, I'd suggest using an odorless poison. The one they were using had quite the smell.” The sheer terror in his eyes was delicious. “Celestia, little Luna, would you please go and make sure those assassins are retrained?” I took a large coil of rope from my storage space and floated it to Celestia. “I placed a long-lasting paralysis spell on them, but better safe than sorry, and do be careful with the poison they have on their weapons.” She took the rope in her magic. They both still held a look of disbelief.

“Wha-what are you going to do in the meantime?” Little Luna stammered.

“I'm just going to have a nice little chat with the mayor here about what's going on in this town of his.” I smiled sweetly at her.

“Al-alright, come, sister.” The moment they left I casted an area of effect noise damping spell on the dining room.

“There now, we won't be disturbed should you start screaming.” The mayor tried to struggle and yell in terror, but it was futile. I steadied him in my magic before looking to the other servant who had been cowering and whimpering next to their fallen fellow. I held a hoof to my mouth. “Shhhhhhh. Please be quiet while I work. I need to concentrate. Otherwise, there may be… permanent damage.” The servants' eyes widened before stuffing a hoof in their mouth. “Good,” I said before turning back to the mayor. “Now I’m not one to take pleasure in torture…” At the mention of torture, the mayor started shaking violently and screaming through his gag. I started to move behind him. “Unless it involves traitors then I could delight in that for years, centuries even.” My horns started to glow, and two clawed, ethereal hands appeared at the sides of the mayor's head. “Lucky you, I'm in a hurry since I don't know when my lovely companions will return.” The hands moved closer to his head. “So, rather than torturing you for information.” The clawed hands grabbed the sides of his head, holding him still and raising the thumbs. "I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE IT!!! The thumbs then passed through his skull and into his mind causing him to writhe in both terror and pain. “YOUR FIRST KISS!!! YOUR GRADUATION OF BUSINESS SCHOOL!!! THE TIME YOU WET YOURSELF AT A FRIENDS HOUSE!!! ALL OF YOUR MEMORIES!!! EVERYTHING YOU ARE, I WILL HAVE!!!” I shouted as the mayor's memories flooded into my head. “EVERY SECRET, EVERY LIE YOU EVER TOLD, EVERY SIN YOU’VE EVER COMMITTED I WILL KNOW IT ALL!!!” He thrashed about wildly, screaming in absolute pain and horror as I took everything the mayor was in his pathetic life. After the last of his wretched memories entered my mind, I ceased my spell. The mayor was weeping, heaving for breath. It took barely a moment for my brain to process the information from his short life. At the end, I was filled with rage. “YOU TRULY ARE UNWORTHY OF LIFE!!!” I screamed, extending my war blade, severing the mayor's head from his body, sending blood arcing through the air and staining my cloak and surrounding floor. The head rolled towards the terrified servant, making them scream through the hoof still in their mouth as their eyes rolled back before fainting.

“TENEBRAE, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?” I turned to see the sisters staring in horror from the opened door. My rage must have been apparent in my eyes since they shrank back away from me. After a moment, little Luna was the first to speak.

“Y-you killed him… You killed a pony, Tenebrae.” I turned my gaze away from them.

“That wretch was no pony and deserved a far worse fate for his sins.” I hissed in anger before going over to one of the fireplaces and pressing the hidden button behind it. The fireplace slid to the side revealing a hidden staircase going down.

“I don't understand what is going on Tenebrae. Why did you murder the mayor? And what is that secret passage?” Celestia asked as she and little Luna approached me cautiously.

“You are under the illusion that this bright and colorful kingdom of yours is a gentle place where all can find happiness and do no wrong,” I replied, turning my gaze to them. “You have no idea of the true darkness that infects it and has been for a very long time.” I pointed my hoof down the staircase. “Down there is but a glimmer of the truth of your beloved Equestria’s shadow.” They looked past me down the darkened stairs.

“Tenebrae, you're not making sense! Please just tell us what's going on!” I sighed.

“I will show you, follow if you want but know this.” I turned and started to descend the steps. “If you do, only pain awaits you.” I was about halfway down the steps when I heard hoof steps from the top. I hope you can forgive me for showing you the horror you’re about to witness, I thought to myself. Once at the bottom, I opened a heavy wooden door revealing a large stone room filled with varying cages and shackles. The floor was covered with patches of straw and fresh bloodstains; several of the cages held small fillies and colts, their eyes empty, no doubt pumped full of the drug that plagues this town to keep them compliant. To my right was a truly disgusting sight: three small fillies shackled to the wall, their flanks bloody as they stared empty and dead inside at the stained straw beneath them. A fourth lie lifeless in the corner, tortured and raped to death. It truly was a deplorable sight.

“By the stars…” I heard little Luna's voice from behind me. Turning around, I saw that both sisters had decided to follow me and were stepping through the door to this horror show. Their eyes filled with disgust and pain. Upon seeing the fillies chained to the wall, little Luna gagged and threw up on the spot. Curiously, Celestia didn't say anything. She just stepped towards the dead filly and fell to her knees. “What is all this?” little Luna asked after emptying her dinner on the straw.

“Arachne,” I replied. “A vast criminal underworld that expands not only Equestria but the neighboring kingdoms as well. They control the drug trade, smuggling, illegal gambling rings, larceny, and slave trading, amongst other things.” I ended, looking at the caged children. Little Luna held her hoof to her mouth. The horror was evident in her eyes. “They have operated for nearly two centuries pulling strings from the shadows and establishing many bases of operation like this one.”

“Like this one?” I nodded at her.

“This whole town is a cleverly disguised drug and child slave operation. They produce a drug called Bliss in several hidden locations scattered around town. This holding area is connected to many of these areas forming a web of tunnels for them to operate unnoticed. The drug is then distributed by splicing it into the local food and drinks; there is even a small amount that is pumped into the air from vents hidden throughout.” She looked mortified by my words.

“But how is that possible without anypony realizing? And why were we not affected?”

“To answer your second question, it's because I've been using my magic to covertly purge the drug from your food and drink without your notice.” She looked down at her hooves.

“How? When did you know?”

“The moment we arrived, of course.” I pointed to my nose. “Heightened senses, remember? I smelled the drug in the air and knew something was wrong immediately with this place.”

“Why… why didn't you say anything to us?”

“Would you have believed me? That some kind of drug was being pumped through the air and in all the food and refreshments? That they made room for us when we arrived at the hotel by removing guests?” She looked down guiltily before shooting back up with concern.

“Wait, what do you mean they made room for us at the hotel?” I pointed my hoof at a tarp that lay at the end of the cages. Cautiously, she approached it, removing the tarp with her magic, revealing the corpse of a young unicorn stallion and a unicorn mare with gold rings still on their horns. She recoiled, holding her nose from the stench. “No… no… no…” She started vomiting again. I quickly gazed back to check on Celestia, who was now holding the dead filly in her hooves as gently as she could. I couldn't see her face since she was turned away from me but I did see the tears falling to the stained floor.

“Now, to answer your first question.” I turned my focus back to Luna. “The reason nopony has realized what's going on here is because all the locals are on Arachne’s payroll and due to the effects of the drug Bliss. It's a highly addictive drug that causes extreme euphoria and relaxation of the mind making it pliable to external suggestions. They plan it all out, with the entire populace in on it, which allows them to identify their targets with ease. For example, let's say a family of three arrives a couple and a young filly to enjoy a winter vacation for a week or two. The moment they arrive, they are exposed to the drug, making them feel excited and happy to be here. They then check into their hotel and go out to enjoy the attractions and get dinner. With every meal or refreshment they consume, they become more and more affected by the drug until they are ripe for the taking. The hotel steward or hostess informs the slavers, who then abduct the family with ease since their minds are so malleable. They then bring them down to one of these rooms and pump them full of even more of the drug until they're in a state like these children.” I tapped the bars of one of the cages with my hoof. “They cage the young filly then spend several hours or even days convincing the couple they came here alone and never had a filly to begin with. After they are satisfied with the brainwashing, they release the couple and keep the filly.”

“Wh-what happens to the filly?” Little Luna asked, trying her hardest to compose herself.

“They are sold off to the highest bidder as slaves or sex slaves, depending on the buyer. Sometimes the filly comes out from the drug's effects sooner than expected and tries to escape or fight back.” I glanced back at the chained fillies. “And are taught a lesson.” I then looked to Celestia, who was still cradling the dead filly. “Some don't survive the ordeal.” Little Luna’s face was contorted with disgust and horror.

“A-and the colts?”

“Usually sold to underground arenas to fight to the death for the amusement of its patrons or fed to exotic pets.” She fell to her knees. “The mayor was the one who raped that filly to death,” I said, causing Celestia's ears to straighten. “Apparently, he had a thing for small fillies.”

“That's why you killed him…” I heard little Luna say quietly to herself.

“Yes… well, one of many reasons.” I replied then noticed Celestia gently putting the dead filly back down, her body was shaking.

“You know the ones responsible for this?” Celestia finally spoke her voice barely a whisper.

“Yes…” I said.

“Then may I ask a favor of you? Just this once… please?”

“What is it?” I asked. She looked back at me, and her eyes… though tears fell—were filled with rage and a hatred I hadn't expected to see in the young princess.

“Kill… them… all…” Her voice was shaky, her body quivering with rage and sadness.

“Are you certain? Do you understand the full ramifications of what you are asking me to do?” I asked, looking down at her. She steadied herself as she stood up and turned to fully face me.

“Yes.” I closed my eyes for a moment.

“Very well, then, I will do this for you.”

“Oh… sister.” I heard Little Luna whisper from my side.

“See about freeing these children and take them to the fountain in the courtyard and wait for my return. Trust nopony, not even the town guard understood?” Celestia nodded her agreement, as did Luna after standing back up. “Good, I will return soon.” I took my bloodied cloak off and placed it into my storage space before walking past little Luna, heading towards the door at the far end that led deeper into the tunnels.

“Sound the alarm! We're being attac-!” My blade separated the stallion's head from his body as he opened the door. The blood sprayed against the wall, his head landing on a nearby table in front of a mare in a white coat mixing ingredients for Bliss. I emerged from the doorway as the mare screamed; dozens of ponies in white coats sat at tables filled with beakers, tubes, flasks, and other alchemical tools filled with a vile yellow liquid. The scream, along with my appearance, caused them to panic, running towards the exit.

“Too slow.” I cast a barrier over the door, preventing their escape. Some beat their hooves against it, trying desperately to get through as I approached. A few turned back towards me, and one tried to speak.

“Please, we’re jus-” My blade cleaved the top part of his head off above the jaw, his bottom teeth and tongue exposed as his throat gurgled. The group of ponies screamed in horror. I cut the next three in half as they tried climbing over their fellows in a vain attempt to get away from me. The others dispersed, trying to run to the door I came through as I tore another's limbs off in my magic.

“Not so fast!” I cast another barrier blocking the way the front pony slammed into it at full speed, knocking herself unconscious. Now that they were on the other side of the room, I sent a blue fireball to the nearest table. It ignited instantly, causing the yellow chemicals to explode and spreading the fire. I dispelled my barrier momentarily so I could walk through. The fire continued to spread igniting the chemicals as it went towards the group. I stood and watched through my barrier for a few moments as the flames consumed them; their screams of pain no doubt echoed through the tunnels. One had run right at me, slamming into the barrier as the fire melted their flesh. They screamed, bashing their head and hooves against the barrier desperately in a futile attempt at escape. After a few moments, they slumped against it sliding to the floor. The entire room was ablaze. “Excellent.” Igniting these drug labs will cause the fire to spread throughout the tunnels and ignite the key facilities in town. With luck, it’ll burn the entire place to ashes. “I'll remove the barrier and ignite the other labs when I'm ready to return to the sisters,” I said turning away from the blaze towards my purpose.

“There he is! Fire!” Shouted a gruffled voice as I entered a large carved-out room filled with crates, boxes, and empty cages. Several ponies wearing leather armor armed with primitive crossbows appeared from behind the crates firing at me. I just stood there while the bolts bounced harmlessly off my armor.

“As if your primitive little weapons could harm me!” I shouted, sending out a wave of black energy. It cut through everything in its path, including the archers, their bodies and limbs sliding from the cut, spilling blood and organs all over the stone floor alongside more of that vile liquid pooling from the crates. I see, so this is a storage area. The few that had been standing on the crates had their legs and hooves separated; they fell screaming in agony into the broken vials below them. More arrived from the adjacent passages armed with axes, spears, and daggers in their mouths, wearing that pathetic excuse for armor I witnessed when I was first thawed from my icy prison. They rushed at me, shouting and yelling. I couldn't understand them since they shouted around the useless weapons in their mouths, but I'm sure it was something amusing. I lifted a few of the larger crate pieces and sent them flying with my magic at the charging enemies. They crashed into the front ponies, making them fall and obstruct the others' path, halting their momentum.

“What are you idiots doing!” Shouted a slightly larger-than-average stallion arriving with reinforcements from another passage. He had a gray mane covered mostly by his helmet and beard to match. An eye patch covered his right eye; he seemed to have some combat experience based on the formation of the other guards behind him. I guessed he was the captain of the town guard. “Get into formation and surround this foal!” At his command the guards fanned out to my flanks, the others picked themselves off the floor and joined the formation moving to encircle me; there were around forty or so of them. I let them do so.

“I figured the town guard was also on these criminals' payroll.” I mused as they completed their little circle pointing their weapons at me.

“I don't know who you are, stranger, but you got some big ones on ya for attacking an Arachne operation.” He laughed, stepping forward from the crowd. “Either that, or you're completely insane.” The guards laughed at their captain's joke. “Not that it matters now; you’ll be dead in a moment anyway.” How amusing, these pathetic sacks of meat think they have me beaten simply because I allowed them to surround me. “No pony or creature goes against Arachne and survives, especially ones that damage or destroy their property and interrupt business.” He grinned at me. I started laughing out loud, my deep voice causing it to echo and reverberate through the room. The guards looked at each other confused. The captain kept his grin but backed up a bit. After my brief laughing fit, I grinned back at the captain.

“It's idiotic mortals like you that remind me how fun it is to slaughter such deserving enemies and pitiable scum who believe themselves to have power and authority over others. It truly is amusing that even after all these millennia, there are still fools like you and this Arachne organization around to alleviate my boredom.” The captain's grin started to fade. Before he could react or give orders, I reared up and smashed my hooves against the stone floor, causing a tremor. The force of it rattled the room and knocked the guards off balance. As they tried to recover, I jumped forward, my weight and power snapping the worthless captain in two upon my landing. Red lightning surged from my horns, incinerating those in front of me. A few had recovered and charged me with their frail weapons from behind. I turned, arcing my war blade, cleaving through five of them in a single swing. I caught the other's axe blade in my mouth, biting down shattered it into iron scraps. My horns pierced his body, blood seeping across my helmet and face as I swung his body around, sending it into the next foe. Fangs tore through the closest enemy's armor, ripping his throat out as my blade skewered another. The few pegasi grabbed their dead comrades' crossbows and took to the air, shooting down at me. My horns glowing, casting my anti-flight spell as I separated two more guards from their heads. The black pulse spread throughout the room immediately the pegasi fell to the ground.

“What the hay!?” One shouted in frustration as he tried jumping, flapping his wings to get airborne once again to just end up doing a little hop. The others attempted as well, but to no avail. It was quite amusing to see them hopping around like a bunch of frogs, some slipping on the blood or spilled Bliss.

“It's no use mortals.” I taunted them while cutting through a mare's spear, taking her torso with it. “I've removed your ability to fly while in my gaze.” I grabbed one of the primitive crossbows in my magic and fired it into the jaw up into the brain of one of them as they made another little hop. “You're now nothing but a bunch of flightless birds in my presence.” I grabbed two of them with my magic ripping their wings off before smashing them into the wall. They crumpled to the floor in bloody heaps. The few remaining guards rallied together.

“What kind of monster are you!?” A stallion shouted in terror. The moment he blinked, his head rolled to the floor, and his body stood there for a few seconds, spraying blood from his neck onto the nearby guards before falling to the floor.

“Run! Retreat! We can't beat him!” The few remaining guards fled towards the door. Red lightning chained between them, reducing them to ash before they reached it. I started laughing, standing amongst the carnage.

“Yes… how I've missed this!” I looked down at my gore-stained hooves. “This feeling of bloody warmth, the ecstasy from battle!” I reared up, spreading my wings, letting the blood drip from them. “I demand more!” I roared, my bloodlust echoing from the walls. After a few moments reveling in the gore, I turned my sights towards the door the captain had come and continued on my way.

“Please spare us!” The workers groveled at my hooves. I had made my way through several more passages, killing as I went, coming to a massive cavern that had been formed from the large body of hot water bubbling from nearby. Arachne had turned this large underground hot spring into the central drug lab and the source point for spreading the drug throughout the town. Large vents cut into the ceiling of the cavern siphoning a yellowish fog that sprouted from vats underneath them. Taps from the vats dripped more yellow liquid into tubes carrying the drug to several bottling stations. A pump hooked up to the hot spring supplied the vats with water. Catwalks connected the vats and held a series of large mixing devices near the exposed tops with crates of supplies and chemicals nearby. “They forced us to work for them. If we didn't, they’d have us killed or go after our families!” I looked down at the dozens of workers who had thrown themselves down at my hooves when I had entered. They were terrified of me, no surprise I guess since I had butchered every guard or thug they had sent so far including that worthless captain.

“Which one of you is in charge of production here!?” I shouted. A scared blue stallion wearing a yellow-stained lab coat with an orange mane shakily stepped forward.

“I-I am, sir.” I narrowed my gaze down at him.

“There is far too much Bliss being produced here for just this town alone. Tell me, where does the rest go?” He swallowed hard before answering.

“We ship it out to Hammer-Hoof, it's an Arachne-operated port on the edge of the unexplored west but that's all I know I swear!” A port, huh? Interesting.

“Now tell me, is this all the workers?” I gestured to the others, still groveling.

“Y-yes, it is. The guard captain ordered us all to gather here so he could take the other guards with him.” I cast my barrier spell on all the exits.

“Good at least he was useful for something, saves me the trouble of hunting the rest of you vermin down.” The stallion threw himself to the floor as my horns started to glow.

“PLEASE, I BEG YOU!!! I HAVE A FAMILY!!!” He screamed, pressing his face into the floor. The others started doing the same, all whining and pleading pointless reasons for me to spare them. I ignored them, sending a blue fireball at the nearest vat. The fire quickly consumed it, igniting the chemicals and vapor. The massive explosion caused by the chain of vats igniting rumbled the cavern. Rocks and debris rained down as fire flooded the room. Some of the fools tried jumping into the water to escape it; however, the chemicals had already begun to mix with it creating a lake of fire. Screams and the smell of putrid chemicals and burning fur assaulted my nose regardless. I sat there watching the sight. “ARE YOU MAD!? YOU’LL BURN WITH US!!!” screamed the forepony. I started laughing as the flames slithered towards us.

“Please, as if such paltry flames could burn me,” I replied calmly after my laughing fit. The forepony screamed in agony as the wave of fire washed over us. I sat there enjoying the warmth of the fire while I waited for the rest of the workers to burn and the screaming to stop. Once I was satisfied, I removed the barriers, allowing the flames to flow from the room. “Now, to make my way back to the sisters,” I said, standing up and wading my way through the fire.

I emerged from the now burning manor; smoke and flames could be seen throughout the entire town, and the sound of ponies screaming and panicking could be heard from the sudden chaos. The sisters sat there in front of the fountain along with the now-freed fillies and colts. The children stared blankly at the flames, still too far gone from the drugs in their systems to register the danger. Celestia hugged the children close within her wings, still weeping openly. “It's done,” I announced, approaching them. Celestia looked up with tears in her eyes.

“Good.” Was all she said, the pain and hate still within her gaze. Little Luna looked mortified and had been crying, too, by the look of it. I put my hoof on her shoulder.

“It's time to go.”

“Right.” She whispered quietly, sitting up.

“What about the children? We can't just leave them here like this. Not with the entire town burning.” Celestia said. I went over to her and raised her head with my hoof.

“It's okay now. The children will be safe here in the fountain. It won't take long before those less affected by the drug snap back to reality, and I'm sure measures are already being taken to combat the fire and evacuate ponies.” I assured her.

“You promise the children will be safe?” I nodded, removing my hoof. She took a deep breath. “Okay… I trust you.” She said her goodbyes to the children hugging them one more time before joining me and little Luna as we made our way towards the gate.

We had walked in silence through the cold night snow for nearly two hours. Not a word had been spoken since we left that accursed town before little Luna finally spoke up when we had stopped on a hill, the flames still illuminating the horizon behind us. “What do we do now, sister?” Little Luna looked to the somber-faced Celestia, who sat down, staring at the glow.

“We can't allow such horrible evil to continue.” Her eyes were bloodshot from all the crying. “No matter what it takes, we have to end Arachne. I'll send a letter to Twilight and her friends informing them of the situation. We'll gather in Canterlot and discuss our course of action.”

“Do that, and you’ll only succeed in getting yourselves killed along with your precious student,” I interjected.

“What do you mean?” Little Luna asked, sitting down in the snow beside her sister.

“I told you before that Arachne has been operating from the shadows for over two hundred years. They have spies and operatives everywhere the palace had been infiltrated long ago, not to mention much of the nobility take bribes from them.” Celestia started shaking either from the cold or anger; I couldn't tell since their backs were to me. “Try and go public about Arachne and rest assured an accident will befall you and any involved.” Celestia shot up, turning to glare at me.

“WE CAN'T JUST DO NOTHING!!!” She screamed at me with an abnormally loud voice that echoed for several seconds. I just stared at her and little Luna both. “We can't just do nothing…” She said softly, falling to her knees. Little Luna came over to her side and embraced her.

“We’ll think of something, sister, I promise.” Little Luna assured her crestfallen sister.

“I left no survivors of Arachne like you asked, so they won't know who was responsible for destroying their operation.” I walked over to their side, my hoof steps crunching the snow. “I suggest you use that to your advantage.” Little Luna and Celestia both looked at me, ending their embrace.

“You're not coming with us?” I shook my head.

“I have my own mission, remember? I've been delayed long enough as it is.”

“Right.” She said with sadness in her voice. After a moment, she straightened up. “In that case, thank you for everything, Tenebrae. Not only did you save our lives when we were lost in the snow, but now from whatever cruel plan that disgusting mayor and Arachne had for us.” Celestia bowed, followed by her sister. “I doubt we’ll ever be able to repay you.” I turned away from them.

“I doubt this will be the last time we meet little princesses.” I started to walk away.

“Wait!” Luna called out. “Where will you go now?” I turned my head to look at her.

“To the unexplored west. There's a port on its shores under the control of Arachne.” I saw both their ears straighten at the mention of that. “And I just so happen to be in need of a ship.” I smiled at them. I started walking away again as they both turned to each other as if they were contemplating something. After a few steps down the hill, I heard them galloping through the snow to catch up to me.

“Wait! We’re coming with you!” Celestia called out before skidding to a halt past me alongside Luna. I looked down at them.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because you're right, Tenebrae, we can't drag the others into this without risking their lives as well as our own. As you said, Arachne won't know what happened in Snow-Hopper, which means they won't be after us just yet.” Celestia said, wiping some snow from her muzzle.

“And if you're going to a port town owned by them, it makes sense for us to go with you.”

“How so?”

“Because we can't just do nothing. The evil we witnessed in that room can't be allowed to continue. So my sister and I will help you on your quest. When it's done, we want to officially hire you to aid us in our fight against Arachne.” Little Luna asked, her blue eyes pleading. I tried my best to look away.

“The truth is, Tenebrae, your incredibly strong senses and ability to identify those in league with Arachne would be indispensable in routing out this corruption in Equestria. Your experience in combat as well would be a great help to us.” Now Celestia was pleading alongside her sister, damn their gorgeous eyes. I took a deep breath.

“Are you both certain? You may learn things about me you don't like along the way you may even come to fear or hate me.”

“We won't, Tenebrae,” they said in unison. Little Luna stepped forward, placing a hoof on my armor where my heart was.

“I know you have a good heart, Tenebrae; otherwise, you wouldn't have saved our lives or protected us from that mayor's plan.” I chuckled at that.

“A good heart, huh?” I removed her hoof. “I'm going to kill a lot of ponies and other creatures in that port, little Luna. Dozens or perhaps even hundreds are going to die. Will you still say that even after I slaughter them?” She nodded her head.

”Wretches like that don't deserve to live.” Celestia said from behind her.

“Very well, if you're certain, then you can come.” They both smiled, the first I'd seen them do since entering that room. It was a sincere smile that warmed my suffering heart. “Let's go. The next stop is the slaver port of Hammer-Hoof.

Author's Note

As a side-note I went back and re-edited the previous chapters fixing punctuation and other spelling errors.