Ponyville at night is both beautiful and creepy. I'm just putting that out there.
It's beautiful because it's still a nice little town, and what with most of the ponies actually going to sleep at night, unlike Manehatten, which never truly slept if you knew where to look (and boy did I ever), you could actually look up and see the stars.
Granted, I recognize none of them, but the splendor thus represented is something I will always admire. Especially now that there's a princess in proper charge of the night and all it holds dear again.
And it's creepy because, like most pony towns, everyone goes to sleep at night. I grew up on a world with highways and lights on everywhere at night. It wasn't a major city by any means, but typically you could still go out and find nightlife. Seeing the entire town go silent at night? When I walk around after dark, it makes me feel like I've walked into a damn slasher movie. I always hold my breath when turning corners, thinking I'll finally find the missing townsfolk...
...Probably doesn't help that the Voice is the one who'd make them go missing...
Anyways! My midnight trip through the town showed me that there was no pony active at the same time I was. Pity, really. Recruiting will be a bitch and a half if there's none that share my...unique view on sleep cycles and how they can sometimes be an optional thing.
Still, it would be nice to know more about the locals. Where's the town-
Ah! There it is! Beautiful! Town hall always has information! Usually of the legal sort, which is no fun, because that means everyone knows about it already. Still, if you're talented at reading between the lines, then you can find where to go digging for the illegal information. The sort ponies pay to keep silent, or pay to find out. I never played favorites when it came to the information game: whoever had more coin got their wishes fulfilled. Though I always did the gentlemanly thing and give the loser one day's head start, along with their bits back.
I pulled out my scroll case from my pack and took out my pencil, preparing to take notes on what I found, thankful for the newspapers that someone hadn't gotten to recycling or tossing yet. It was mostly cut and dry boring stuff, but there were a few ponies of note that I marked down on my list. This mare, Fluttershy, and her Stare...I should look into it. And reports of this Pinkie Sense, predicting all manner of futures. They sound like Lesser talents to me.
I had just left when I realized I'd not visited my local library in some time, so decided to do so. And upon finding it, I regretted my decision, because I nearly broke the silence of the night.
A library in a tree. I...I think my brain needs to reboot. This is either hilarious or just plain wrong.
After two minutes to recompose myself, I carefully tested the front door and found it unlocked. Perfect, guess they haven't heard of me here.
I had just begun to peruse the shelves when I heard a pair of voices drifting down from upstairs.
"Twi? Twi, I think there's someone downstairs."
"Don't be silly, it's nearly midnight! What pony would come to the library at this hour?"
"Still, could you check?"
The sound of a sigh and hooves impacting wood that got louder as time went on clued me in to what was going on. My thoughts at the time? Of course someone's living in the damn library, can never make anything easy on me, can you?!
-----
(POV shift - Shining)
"Sir?"
Shining looked up from his latest form, blinking the sleep from his eyes. One of his guards had poked his head in and was trying to get his attention. Perhaps I should get some sleep.
"Ye-" Shining paused to yawn before trying again. "Yes?"
The guard looked at his superior with an air of curiosity before shaking his head and refocusing. "One of the master thieves has agreed to talk. I think you're going to want to talk to him in pony. Perhaps after a good night's rest?"
Instantly, sleep was the furthest thing from Shining's mind. "No, I'll go now. Take me to him."
A five minute walk had him seated in an interrogation room, with a white-coated, blue-maned pegasus pony opposite him. "So, you wish to talk?"
The pegasus nodded. "Name's Storm Front. And I'm willing to negotiate with you. I'll tell you about the guild and everything, and you can make as big a fuss about it as you want. Hay, I'd like it if you did, especially seeing as how I'm related to some of these fuddy-duddies in this place. Give the bird cage a good rattle, y'know?"
Shining nodded absently, already making mental notes to keep Storm's name out of the proceedings. "And your price for doing this?"
Storm sighed and looked off to the side before returning his glare to Shining. "I can't tell you much about the Guildmaster. I only ever really saw him once. And what little I know about him isn't going to be much of a help. Still, he'd make sure I ask one thing of you before I say anything."
Storm's eyes were suddenly filled with a steel that hadn't been there before. "Swear to me on whatever you hold dear that you will keep any and everything about the Guildmaster that I may or may not tell you to yourself. Keep it away from the public eye. Tell as few of your guard as you possibly can. I'm taking a big risk by telling you anything."
Shining's eyebrows raised before he nodded. "I swear to you by Celestia and Luna themselves that any information pertaining to the Guildmaster will remain between us. May they strike me down if I don't."
-----
Elsewhere, a set of sisters suddenly felt their ears burning before they sneezed in synch.
-----
Storm nodded once, and Shining's eyebrows remained raised. "What did you mean when you said that you were taking a big risk?"
Storm sighed. "He trained us, y'know? Found us on the streets, took us in, and we perpetuated the cycle. He taught us how to steal, how to listen, how to lie, and how to find things. Be it information that others didn't want us to know, trinkets hidden behind locked drawers, or a bit-bag on their person, he showed us how to perfect our arts. His natural skill at hiding in plain sight was something hard to teach, but quite a few of us learned it. But he never - never - showed us how to set traps. Those were his domain. If we needed a trap, he would come by our safehouses later and then tell us that it had been done to specification."
Shining frowned a bit. "And yet, you've only really seen him once?"
Storm rubbed the back of his head with a hoof. "Around us, it was like...some sort of natural illusion magic. We saw him, but couldn't really see him. Like it was a costume of light and shadow he wore at all times. He told us it was a skill unique to him, and that if he were in any other city without a regular bipedal visitor, that it wouldn't work."
Bipedal, Shining noted automatically, even as Storm continued his tale. "I don't think he ever expected me outside his office that night. He was arguing with...well, himself. Something about never giving in to dark desires like he had a hundred years ago. And when I opened the room, I saw him for a brief moment. Bipedal is a start, but there's no real describing him. I've never seen anything like him in Equestria before. But more than that, I saw something in his eyes. Something dark. Something violent."
Shining shuddered at the implications, even as Stom finished his tale with a question. "So I looked into it. And I found something dark all right. Something that most ponies aren't aware ever happened. Did you know Manehatten had a near miss with Diamond Dogs a hundred years ago?"
-----
(Marketh POV - 100 years ago)
The Diamond Dogs had come to Manehatten.
The city was small, barely worthy of its name yet. I had found it and lurked in the shadows. It was all too obvious to me that the Diamond Dogs would come here.
First, there had been failures in the crops. Small ones, but ones not plausible when Earth Pony magic was involved. Then, trading caravans had been waylaid. And finally, a few ponies had gone missing a day ago.
The Dogs were making their move. And while I may prey on the ponies...
I only do so in the non-literal and non-terrible fashion.
I walked to the west of the town, towards a distant clearing, seeing the Dogs in front of me nearing the same one. Once I and they had arrived, I stopped in front of them and drew my blades, already hearing the Voice.
One of them stepped forward. "You not pony. You not Dog. What are you?"
I opened my eyes, seeing not Diamond Dogs anymore, but targets. I could almost hear their blood pumping through their veins. "A monster. Your worst nightmare. A demon from the depths of Pandemonium. Your choice, really. But most importantly, I defend these ponies. I offer you this one chance. Turn back now, and you will live. Continue, and you will die."
The Dogs jeered at me and the lead Dog even made a demand. One that he would get fulfilled. "Who you to order Diamond Dogs? We take what we want when we want it! And today, we want pony!"
I breathed deep, closed my eyes, and gave in to the Voice. When I opened them again, they'd turned black. Not that I knew that right away. I figured it out later. But I knew something was wrong when my voice sounded...odd. Layered.
"I am the greatest of Bhaal's spawn, He who commands the Aspect of Murder. Life and Death are mine to deal or withhold as I see fit, and you have ignored my mercy. I am Marketh Shadeblade, and you shall taste my sting. Say hello to the lords of Pandemonium when you arrive, screaming, in its depths. It has been so long since they were fed, after all."
And with that, the Slaughter of Manehatten began and ended on the same day.