//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8 
// Story: The Evil Inside 
// by LoveNote 
//------------------------------//

	I separate the earth and pegasus ponies from the unicorn ponies and look over my catch. I've got all of the unicorn ponies I need to keep my power going and enough earth and pegasus ponies who are more, expendable, for fighting any pony who dares to appose me. I feel myself drawn towards a dark area just inside of the Everfree forest. I fly over and slowly walk into the forest. A black and red pony walks out to great me. 
"Black Coal." I say. His name just popped into my head. He smiles at me, flashing his fangs.
"You have done well, Dark Soul." I smile at my new name. Its so perfect for me. "Our boss will be pleased. You are powerful." I automatically hold my head up higher. Yes, I am powerful. Powerful enough to take revenge on every pony who has wronged me.
"What do you want?" I snap at him. He looks at me in mock pain.
"What makes you think I want anything from you?" He coos at me. I growl at him. His eyes narrow. "I want you to give me some pony. Just one. An earth pony. Octavia." The name sounds familiar. She is just an earth pony. If he wants her then he can have her. 
"What do you want her for?" I ask, cautiously. I don't trust Coal. He smiles an evil smile.
"She will be my pet. Every pony needs a pet and she will be perfect for me." I glare at him. "She has wronged me enough to deserve it." I let my guard down. She is just one earth pony. 
"Ok, you can have this earth pony. But then you leave and stay gone." I say. He breaths out.
"Cold to your own kind." He chuckles. "As long as I have Octavia." He concludes. We both walk back to the center, not saying a word. I still don't trust or even like him. We make it back to the center and I hover just over Coals head. 
"Go find her and then leave. Find me before you leave." I say to him before he walks off towards the earth ponies. I want to know why that name is so familiar to me. I feel a need for more blood fill me and I walk over to my unicorn group. I could just grab one from here, but then there is no fun of the hunt included. I pick a grey and blue stallion and make him follow me into the Everfree forest. I make my magic come away from him and I see his glazed over eyes return to normal. He looks around and makes eye contact with me. 
"Run." I hiss at him. Hes gone within a second, running threw the underbrush of the forest. I fly up above the trees and listen for the sound of the stallion crashing threw the forest. I pin point the sound and dive threw the tree tops. is lam into the ground right in front of the stallion. He screams and falls back. I frown as he cowers in a ball at my feet.
"Giving up already? RUN!" I yell at him and rear up, coming down on him. He yelps and tightens his ball. I growl. "Get up!" I snap at him. He whimpers. I slash at his rump with my fangs. His warm blood spills onto my legs. He cries out and jumps up, taking off. I feel my heart pound faster as I run after him. I leap into the air and fly after him, dodging trees. 
I reach him and grab his tail. I fly up above the tree line and look down. The stallion below me cries out in fear. I let go and listen to the stallion fall to the ground below. Slowly, I follow after him. He is laying on his side.
"You only got what you deserved." I hiss at him and sink my  teeth into his neck. His eyes close and I stand up straight. Turning, I leave him and walk back to the center. I feel rejuvenated. I spot Coal the second I make it to the center. He had a pony standing next to him. She was grey with purple eyes. A short rope was tied around her neck with Coal on the other side. I land next to him.
"This is Octavia, I assume?" I say. She was looking straight ahead with glazed eyes. Red was mixing with the purple. 
"Yes. Now please remove your spell." Coal says. I look at him closely. He looks strained.
"You tired to remove it yourself, but couldn't?" I ask, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. He glares at me.
"Yes. Now please remove your spell." He repeats. I like the look in his eyes. Frustration. I'm not powerful then him. I turn to Octavia and take my spell off of her. The red glow falls from her eyes and the glazed look leaves as she blinks. She looks at me.
"Love Note?" She asks. It feels like a knife stabs into my stomach. Coal jumps forward.
"Dark Soul." He says to me. I look up at him and the pain leaves. I glare at Octavia. 
"My name is Dark Soul. I am giving you to Black Coal." I say to her. She looks from me to Coal and I see the blood drain from her face. She must recognize him. 
"Coal." She says coldly. "What a, pleasure." Coal smiles and leans over to smell her hair. She jerks away from him. He frowns.
"Somethings never change." He growls and yanks her close to him by the rope. "But you are still as lovely as ever." He says and smells her mane. She has a disgusted look in her eyes.
"And you are still as fowl as ever." She growls at him. Anger flashes in his eyes and his horn glows red. Octavia smashes into the ground and I wince. Octavia stands again and wipes her lip. Blood comes off on her hoof. 
"Shall we be leaving, my pet?" He asks and strokes her cheek. She glares at him.
"I'm not your pet." She growls and shoved his hoof away from her face. Coal hits her cheek and I look away. Why is this affecting me so much? I gave her to him and he can do what he wants to her. I go to turn away but something stops me. I hear a little cry from Octavia and I look back. Her shoulder had a cut in it. Blood was on her grey coat. The skin around the rope raw from being yanked. I bite my lip.
"I want you to stay here. Just for another day." I say to Coal. Octavia looks up at me.
"Love-" Octavia starts but stops when Coal hits her again.
"You said for me to leave right after I got my Octavia. I got her, and now I am leaving." He says. I stomp my hoof on the ground.
"You have two choices. Leave right now, without Octavia, or stay until I say you can leave, with Octavia." Coal glares at me.
"Fine. I'll stay. But I get to have Octavia with me while i'm here." I nod. Sounds fair. I turn and fly into the air. I let the ponies wonder while still under my spell. They will do as the usually did, but they will also listen to everything I tell them.

Beat.

I drop to the ground and clench my jaw against the pain in my stomach. That name. I look up and find myself in front of the group of earth ponies. I look threw the crowd. Nothing out of the ordinary. My eyes stop on a grey pony with a purple, messy, mohawk. His eyes meet mine. My heart jumps. His eyes were not glazed over and were still perfectly violet. 
I push threw the ponies trying to reach this pony. I look around again but cant spot him. I jump into the air and scan the crowd. The stallion was gone. I feel my heart drop and a new desire take hold. A desire to be... Wanted.