//------------------------------// // Chapter Five: One rises, While The Other Falls // Story: Tenebrosus Magus // by Moonlit Novel //------------------------------// Author's Notes: Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit Chapter Five: One rises, While The Other Falls ~ ~ ~ “They say dark magic corrupts, but I don’t think that is true, I don’t feel any different from before, no whispers in the dark, no promises of power. All I ever hear are the screams of the ponies I have killed~“ ~ ~ ~ “I’ll change! Please! Just give me another chance!” begged Rich Quick as he was being strangled. “Why should I believe you! You’ve killed before!” argued Shadow Eyes as her horn sparked slightly from the exertion of her rage fueled magic. “Because I tried to save you!” he choked out and Shadow Eyes nearly dropped the stallion as unbidden, the warning he had given her that morning became fresh in her mind. Gritting her teeth, she dropped the stallion, who collapsed gasping. Tears threatened to spill anew as she focused her magic on the stallion, sharpening the image of him in her field. “Get out…” said Shadow Eyes and Rich Quick stumbled over himself to try to leave the apartment, as soon as he was out of her sight, she collapsed and started sobbing, she had been nursing romantic feelings for a stallion that turned out to be nothing more than a criminal… - - - Days turned to weeks as Shadow Eyes went on autopilot, patrols were quick and brutal to any criminals she found, but no progress had been made on her end on who had been bombing downtown Manehatten. Light Step had started hiding out in Shadow Eyes’ apartment and Shadow Eyes started to become more frayed as time went on, continuing to beat herself up for not finding out sooner, and then one day while out on patrol Shadow Eyes ended up picking a fight with a group of ponies known for their cruel ways of dealing with ponies who got in their way, what she didn’t know was that Rich Quick had been true to his word, and while yes he still stole, it really was his special talent, he stole from thieves and other crooks, returning the stolen items to the rightful owners. This was how they ran into each other, Rich Quick looking just as ragged as Shadow Eyes. - - - Rich Quick was infiltrating the gang’s hideout when Shadow Eyes came bursting in the building and started flinging spell after spell around and explosions began to rock the building. ‘What does that crazy bitch think she is doing?’ thought Rich Quick as he watched the mare from his hiding spot. “What do we have here?” asked a pony as he came across Rich Quick who smirked in response. “I think you have more to worry about than a lowly thief like myself, most importantly your early demise.“ “Wha--” the gang member didn't have the chance to finish the question before Rich forcefully twisted the pony's head and body in different directions, breaking the unlucky pony's neck. “It means your death” answered Rich Quick before he made his way through the building snagging stolen items that he had come to get when he heard the fighting begin to die down sneaking his way to a position where he could see Shadow Eyes... - - - Shadow Eyes was surrounded by the gang she had been fighting for the last few days, she had found the gang's hideout and attacked it thinking it would be simple, just wipe them out, but instead she learned why the guard hadn’t done the same already, and was paying for it she was starting to tire, she hadn’t slept well since throwing Rich Quick out of her apartment, worried that she was letting him free to keep killing and stealing from innocent ponies again. Panting, Shadow Eyes scowled in the general direction of a particular gang member that was talking about using her before finishing her off. “Foolish colt, I am Shadow Eyes, Tenebrosus Magus!” panted Shadow Eyes and the gang members laughed at her before beginning to close ranks around her and her heart leapt to her throat in fear... There was several snapping sounds as ponies and gryphons started to cry out in pained shock. “I do believe the mare said no” said Rich Quick... - - - A few moments ago... Rich Quick bit his lip as he watched Shadow Eyes be surrounded by the gang members. On one hoof, he could leave. She did try to kill him last time he had seen her, and he wasn't too keen on a repeat of that performance but on the other hoof, as he watched her slowly lose her foothold and being unable to retreat, he gritted his teeth... Sneaking behind the group of ponies, careful not to be seen by either the gang members or Shadow Eyes herself. As she put on a brave front as the gang talk about using her. “I do believe the mare said no” said Rich Quick as he snapped the gang members' bones incapacitating them. Shadow Eyes glared in surprise at Rich Quick as he walked towards her calmly. “What are you doing here?” challenged the mare and Rich Quick flinched as he pulled a few stolen items out of the bag on his side. “You aren't the only one with business with these gang members” countered Rich Quick and he jumped backwards as Shadow Eyes snarled at him and shot a bolt of magic at him. “I should have killed you!” She shouted and Rich Quick went wide-eyed as he jumped to the left dodging the bolt, where it buried itself in the flesh of one of the grounded gang members. “And, why, pray tell, should you have killed me? If anything, you should be thanking me!” said the male unicorn as he threw a bolt of his own into the face of a gang member that attempted to attack Shadow Eyes from behind a moment later the pony caught fire as Shadow Eyes channeled a magic spell. “You are with these ponies, aren't you?” asked a confused Shadow Eyes as she ducked the bolt that was nowhere near fast enough to catch her. “Why would I be stealing from a gang I was a part of?” asked Rich Quick and Shadow Eyes gritted her teeth as she charged her horn and shot another blast at the orange stallion who side steps it and lets it kill a gang member that had gotten behind him. “Because you don’t know how to be loyal!” she shouted fresh tears welling up in her unseeing eyes, she back peddled as soon as she noticed him taking steps towards her, but stopped quickly as she remembered she was surrounded, and had no place to run. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine” he whispered into her ear before pressing his lips to hers and she was about to pull away and blast him when there was a flash of light as he and herself disappeared from the warehouse.