> Am I a mare, or a monster? > by Rarity Belle > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I once was asked if I believed in monster when I was a little foal. I responded the only way I could, with a simple nod of agreeing to it. Times were horrifying, many myths were too believed to be true. Life was based around fear, a short life guaranteed. Little did I know, I would become one of the worst.   Eleven hundred years ago, long before the discovery of the elements of harmony by Twilight Sparkle and her friends, the land was already ruled by the two princesses that still do it. Yet in that ancient time, there was one major difference. For each of them had a church that was just devoted for them and them alone. The celestial church was for the princess of the sun, whereas the lunar church was for the princess of the moon, obviously. But the church that worshiped the sun had managed to dominate the land more with every preach spoken. Though to make the matters even worse, there were many myths had originated about the hatred of the lunar church. That very hatred had been boiling up between the two. While the numbers of the lunar one kept becoming lower, many of the villagers and townsfolk thought they were converted into children of the light.         The truth however, was an ancient and silent war between immortals and their mortal arch nemeses. A war that had been waging on for decades already. ---   We write a small and unnamed settlement near the edge on the other side of the Everfree forest. The sun had begun to decent behind the hills. Ponies went to rush inside their homes faster than the pegasi could make it storm because of one simple thing. Which was the very fact that the monsters would haunt the nights and thus the streets. Manticores and timberwolves alike crawled out of the woods and walked through the streets and roads. All while they looked for a pray with their keen eyes. Something that resulted almost always in a merciless kill before the body was being devoured. Of course they could fight and some tried that. Though all ended up the same way.         So many had found death that way. It was horrible to say the least, but none could truly mourn about it. That particular night was no exception. Windows were shut tight as doors were barricaded with anything possible out of pure fear for the beasts that lurked the nights outside.         “Come on! Come on!” was shouted in a stallion's voice. On the emptied streets were still two ponies hurrying to get home, or so they hoped. One of them as indeed an earth pony stallion with a red coat and green mane, two colors that clashed against each other. The other was a unicorn mare with a dark blue coat and two toned mane and tail, the primary color was a deep blue but a streak of pure white went through them, making her stand out in any crowd just a little bit.         “I am coming as fast as my legs can carry me!” the unicornian mare replied to him. She turned her pace into a fast gallop. She tried to stay with him as her green eyes turned themselves up into the skies and noticed the sheer darkness. “We won’t make it!”         “We are going to make it! Just trust me on this one!” he returned to her. His eyes were looking back at her while the streams of sweat dripped off of his face.         “We won’t!” Just when she said that, there was the howling of a timberwolf which did its turn through the streets. The cold and dead sound literally caused the two ponies to shiver in fear. She was right, their luck began to hit rock bottom. The ponies knew they didn't have much time. They both pushed themselves against a wall of a building near a corner, yet the stomping paws of a lethal manticore could be heard.         “Shh,” was the only sound that the stallion brought out. The mare nodded to that. She didn't had the desire to die yet. Their hearts were beating in their throats whereas the steps came closer and closer to them. Some sniffing could be heard while the two began to fear for their lives.         Without a warning was it just there. The giant nose of the beast poked around the corner, only to take another sniff for flesh. They could forget it, their lives were over. No one had ever survived a direct manticore attack from what they knew. The both of them closed their eyes while they prayed for a miracle. One that most likely would never come to their aid.         Yet when they least expected it, there was another howl of a timberwolf that did its turn. The sounds caught the attention of the beast in an instant. It growled loudly in anger before it turned back around. Its scorpion tail swung around freely and hit the building before moving with the beast. But the stallion was foolish enough to open his eyes just before it made impact. He was literally staring at the deadly stinger that it had. A stinger which was literally one hoof away from him. His eyes grew enormously big at the sight as he wanted to scream but found the courage to not to.         He turned himself back to the mare as his breathing became more and more intense. “L-Let’s go, just go!” he said to her. She nodded and together they ventured through the deadly night. They moved silently over the crossroad and further down the street. But the more they ventured down, the more she had the feeling something terrible was going to happen but didn't want to bother the stallion with it. Something she better could have done. ---                      They galloped past houses they eventually moved by an alleyway concealed in darkness. Before the mare could react had the feeling came true. The stallion was all of the sudden dragged into the alley by something. He disappeared in the darkness and she had no idea about what to do.         “W-What in..?” was all the deep blue maned mare could bring out. Her eyes watched into the alley with care. She was hoping to see something of what was going on, but they caught up nothing. Suddenly there was the sound of a blade that cut through both flesh and bone that filled up her ears, which resulted in her shivering once again. She brought a hoof before mouth in order not to scream. Though to make matters even worse for her, the head of the stallion rolled out of the alley, right up against the foreleg that was still standing on the ground. “No..!” the unicorn said quietly. She turned her head back into the darkness. “Show yourself! Show yourself, you monster!” she said.         A dark chuckle began to take its turn. A loud click was heard before the sound of clattering hooves over stone made their turn in her ears. The unicorn took on a stance of preparation. She awaited just what would leave the darkness. But out of the shadows, there came a figure that calmly walked out of them. A figure that had a near gray coat and red mane, it appeared to have the shape of an earth pony mare. Something about that mare was off, almost as if she wasn't a true pony anymore. The other mare couldn’t place her hoof on it though.         Not to forget the two blades that were attached to her lower forelegs. With the help of metal braces were they set tight against the fur. Just one of them was covered in blood that still traveled down the cold steel. The way she walked changed into a seductive one. Then her deadly voice echoed faintly through the air. “And just what was such an amazing mare doing with...” Her red rimmed eyes fell upon the head of the stallion before returning to the dark blue maned mare, “such a piece of filth of a lycan?”         “L-Lycan!? That was my brother you, you,” the unicorn spilled out before she lost the words.         “Me, what?” the gray coated mare asked with a tease to her voice.         “Why did you kill, my brother?” she replied before tears started to collect in their eyes.         “For the simple fact he was a lycan, a werepony, as you might call them.”         The dark blue mare’s face turned itself into a shocked reaction. She had never believed in the myths, but then her own flesh and blood turned out to be one. Yet with this mare standing before her it would only have made matters even more confusing. “Tell me, what is your name?” the bladed pony asked all of the sudden. Her eyes met those of the unicorn, keeping a close one on them.         “S-Shiva,” the unicorn brought out lightly. She didn’t dare to lie against the armed mare.         “Shiva huh, nice name. Shame to put you to an end as well,” the bladed mare replied in a mentally twisted voice. She was already raising on her hind legs to assume an attacking stance.         “W-Wait!” Shiva shouted in the vague hope that she would stop. As a miracle for the first time on that cursed night, the other mare actually just did that.         “For what?” the bladed mare replied with a raised eyebrow.         “I want, to make a deal... Look, I do not desire for my life to end tonight, not in the same manner as my brother did just because of what you claim him to be, but killing me won’t help you out in any way except giving a pair of parents more grief than they already will receive.” Shiva tried her utmost best to spare her rather poor and miserable life the best she could. The other mare lowered herself from her bipedal stance just before a light twinkle could be seen in her eyes. But this twinkle was of utmost insanity and complex calculations.         “Tell me, Shiva,” she spoke in a calm voice, “what do you know about the lunar church?”         “N-Not that much...”         “Are you a member of the celestial one?”         “N-No ma’am, I, have never been that religious. Neither are my parents, but my brother is, or was,” Shiva managed to bring out. She was still frightened for her life of course.         A deep sigh left the nostrils of the gray mare. She turned herself around and began to walk away in a slow pace of her hooves. “Are you coming?” she asked. Her head turned over to Shiva.         “C-Coming for what?”         “I don’t know, life, death, whichever you prefer. They'll sniff you out either way, they know you are family and they will come and get you. So I ask again, you coming or what?” she said to her.         Under some mocking from the words did Shiva eventually released a deep sigh of her own. She knew that her only safe haven might just be where this mysterious mare was going to and decided to walk next to her. Together they would be going to wherever they might be heading towards. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The gray mare moved itself swiftly through the streets and alleyways. Shiva tried her utmost best to follow her. She didn't had any clue just where she might be going to, but one thing was sure in her mind. The fact was known to her that she wouldn't sleep in her own bed for the night. In the end they disappeared in one of the many alleyways. Which then send another cold shiver through the body of the dark blue unicorn. She wanted to ask just where she was heading, but the time to ask was not allowed because the other mare began to do the word, “I give you, one last chance. Walk through this door with me, and your life shall never be the same. Or go away and probably die by a timberwolf or whatever else is lurking out there, myself included.” The other mare gained a devilish smirk below her muzzle. The options were not the most interesting ones given to Shiva.         The unicorn thought deeply about the option given to her before a deep sigh left her nose, “I, shall enter...” was all that she could say about the matter. It wasn't something that she wanted to do, but had to for her feelings. She just wanted to survive in the harsh world they lived in.         “Excellent!” the bladed mare replied to her. She walked up to a wall and knocked on three different stones in a pattern. Shiva thought that it was just a joke, given the randomness of it. Though before she could react did the stones in the wall began to move out of the way. They formed an archway which created an entrance for the both of them.         “After you,” the gray earth pony spoke while signaled her to enter. The other mare couldn't do much else then just follow the polite order. With trembling hooves had walked through the archway. She then allowed her eyes fall upon a stone staircase that led down, deep into the ground. It was all that way at the bottom of the spiral that a small twinkle of light could be seen and under a small gulp she began to make her way down the small steps. The eyes of the other mare gazed a bit more around the alley to make sure nothing had seen them before entering as well and the archway closed itself after it, hiding itself in plain sight. “Just keep going all the way down.”         “Yes ma’am,” Shiva replied who was taking careful steps down the narrow spiral. ---   After what appeared to be minutes had the two of them reached the bottom of the stairs as another archway was revealed to them. One that was leading into a room designed to be a room of a church with wooden benches and a small altar in front as the walls were imprinted with mosaics of the princess of the night. The unicorn let go a small gulp as she head of just what kind of places looked like this and by accident she spilled the words on her mind. “A, a lunar church...”         The mare behind her grinned only before she made her way past by. “Oh how right you are. Stay here, I need to see the head priest for your, invitation,” she said.         “I-Invitation?” But Shiva didn't get any response, the other mare was already gone. The earth pony undid herself from the blades. She placed them on one of the benches. Then she walked up to the altar. There the mare knelt down in a respectful manner as unknown words got spoken. Words spoken in a tongue that was unknown and from the sounds of it, Shiva didn't wanted to know either.         It was soon enough that an orb of red magic appeared just above the altar. The mare rose back up and took some steps back. The spherical object grew larger before the shadow of a stallion could be seen within it. Shiva could only watch while the events unfold in both curiosity and horror.         After a couple seconds had the orb erupted. A stallion dropped down on the altar. He looked down to the gray mare with his crimson red eyes. He too began to speak things in the unknown language. After the conversation appeared to be done the mare rose back and turned herself around. She began to walk back to Shiva under a slight grin. “Time has come. Follow me, please.”         “T-Time for what?”         “You will see,” she replied while her seducing eyes gazed upon the mare. They almost appeared to be hypnotizing her a little bit. Her hooves had started to take the steps towards the altar out of the gray mare her will. Shiva stood before the altar with a couple of blinks. The dominance got broken again and Shiva gently shook her head. In her eyes she had seen the shape of a stallion before and when everything was straight in her head again she finally looked him in the eyes. The mysterious stallion gave of a smile in return but one that was unlike any other smile she had ever seen for it was a cold one.         “W-What do you want from me?” Her head quickly turned itself away in order to look for a way out. Yet all that she could see was the gray coated mare behind her. The one who was blocking any form of an escape route. Despite the fact she was a unicorn, the magic that Shiva could call upon was still under developed. She only knew two spells that could be performed right. Even then there was still a lot of luck required for it to work. Though the two she knew were not the most harmonious either. One could draw all the light out of an area, whether it be candlelight or the glow of another unicorn's horn. Whereas the other was an spell of illusion that could change the time of day on a particular area. So she didn't had much on her horn in the matter.         “It is not something I desire from you, I want to give you something, Shiva,” the priest spoke.         “H-How do you know m-my name?” The stallion smiled again to her. His hoof pointed towards the gray mare and the deep blue unicorn knew more than enough. “So, w-what is it you desire to g-give me?” “Allow me to say first, that I am terribly sorry for the loss of your brother, my dear child. But the gift I wish to give you, is the gift of the lunar church itself,” the priest continued.         Before Shiva could react to any of the words, had the stallion charged up his horn in order to catch her with his magic. He levitated her over to a stone table which stood just behind the altar. The dark blue mare got placed on it as the magic hold her firmly in place. She tried her utmost best to break the powerful hold but it was of no use for she was locked with all four of her legs.         “Don’t fight the gift, child, embrace it instead,” he spoke softly while charging his horn even further. Then he would have spoken the devilish chant. “Demons of the Deep, we hereby offer you this mare for your unholy needs, allow her to be one of use and therefore, one of your own. Please you Great unholiness, hear me.”         “W-What are you, n-no!” Her eyes turned itself over to the gray mare with a glance of betrayal and desperation. “You lied to me! You told me I would live! Lairs! All of you!”         Shiva could scream, plead and beg all she wanted. But they didn't give in to her words. The earth below them gently began to tremor and cracks originated from the floor. While the cracks became bigger and bigger, the stallion moved back as well but keeping his magic active on her as her eyes gent in all different direction trying to figure out what was going on.         “It has come,” the stallion spoke in a dark but joyful voice.         “W-What has come?” was all Shiva that could ask. Mere seconds later had her worst nightmares became a horrifying reality. ---                      Out of the ground began the many dark tendrils to emerge and curled themselves tightly around the limbs of the mare who began almost began to cry. “I don’t wanna die!” was the only thing she could scream. The tendrils tightened themselves a bit more around her. The red aura of the stallion disappeared. But struggling against it was still nearly impossible as the two holding her hind legs forcefully spread them open in order to reveal the virgin marehood she had.         Another tendril moved itself around her neck and held her head in place, Shiva couldn't do much else then give in. Allowing the things to do what they desired from her, whatever that may be.         Her eyes moved themselves over to the end of the table and almost wanted to close themselves before catching the sight of two larger tendrils that rose up from the ground and appeared to be gazing on her body. The unicorn began to breath heavier at this while trying to close her hind legs or to cover it with her multi colored tail. “No, oh no!”         But nothing could stop the two from moving over to her body and gently making their way over her inner thigh in a pleasure maneuver. “Oh! Oh, oh,” she gently brought out that new experience. One of them left the thighs and gently made its way up her underbelly, to her chest before nuzzling around her neck as the other stayed behind near the marehood. “This, this is not, not so bad,” she spoke in a soft tone. Shiva tried her best to calm herself down.         Just when she said those words, both of the tendrils did retract a little bit before shooting back forward. One went straight into her marehood, the other forced itself in her mouth and into her throat. Both of the tendrils began to thrust deep in her as her hymen literally got obliterated due to the intruder. From that just pleasurable feeling was now nothing left then pain and disgust for them as some blood made its way past the tendril and left the lips of her marehood only to meet stone cold table she was forced on.         The more thrusting that happened inside of her, the more her own body began to adjust to the feelings before the inevitable happened to her and she squirted all her female juices out for the first time ever. They went past the tendril that was thrusting without mercy only to have it land on the table as well. Tears started to swell up in her eyes as she had lost her true innocence and just wanted it to stop, just that this pain she was experiencing to stop. Praying it was all a very, very bad dream she was suffering.         But just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, her tongue felt some kind of liquid going through the tendril. Her eyes shot open wider than ever before, she knew what would be coming. Or at least she thought to know it. A mere second later managed the things inside of her to squirt their own juices in her body. Juices that filled her up with a substance unknown to her.         The tendrils kept going on for a solid minute. After that, they left the body with their tips wet and covered in a gray substance that only rose questions in the mind of the mare, for as much as she could still question things to begin with. They all disappeared as mysterious as they came. The ground began to heal itself up while she laid there numb from everything that happened. Some of the substance even dripped slowly out of her marehood.         “She will change soon enough,” the stallion spoke to the gray mare. They both had been watching the horrors happening to Shiva in delight. They would lie if they said they hadn’t thought about joining the mare. The experience Shiva received would have changed her life forever more.         “You are right, high priest Orcen,” the gray mare replied in a sensual voice. She covered her own personal parts with her tail while trying to get rid of her own sexual desires. > Chapter 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The dark blue mare turned herself around on the stone table. She tried to catch up with her breath. After everything she went through did the feeling of vomiting came up. Shiva tried her best to keep everything in. The force of going out was much greater and everything came rushing out. The side of the table would be covered in a mixture of yellow stomach content, but also the gray substance of the tendrils. Her eyes looked shocked at the sight they saw as she shook her head, “N-No!” No amount of feeling either guilty or miserable could possibly stop nature. The vomiting was only the first step of it all. The skin on her back began to stretch and tear open, all under a loud scream of pure agony from the mare. Out of the freshly created, blood gushing gabs had pair of black boned, grayish skinned wings emerged. A pair that fell beside her. In her mouth there were two of her teeth that elongated under a loud hiss of pain, they became deadly fangs. Her eyes began to lose their original color slow. Yet in return was there a crimson red color that took over. The irises changed themselves into cat-like irises, thus letting the new color to truly take over the eyes. “Aah, a winged sister, I see,” the priest spoke to himself. He just watched the events that happened before him with glee. “Hmhmhm, now this will get interesting,” the red maned mare besides him replied. She still held her tail tight before her private parts as she was having trouble to relief herself from the buildup pressure. “Just the normal hypnotizing and training I presume, high priest?” She had to distract herself with something for the moment. He nodded to her. Though before they both could do anything, there emerged one last change. Shiva's body began to grow a little. She was nearly matching the size of the princess of the moon. They both looked in utter confusion to it and each other. “By everything dark and unholy.” With all of her strength still left within her body managed Shiva to stand up from the table. She took note of the changes in her mouth as her tongue went passed her teeth. In the corners of her eyes she saw them. She narrowed her eyes in anger. Her muscles clearly felt the newly gotten ability to move the wings under her own power. “What did you, do!?” Shiva bellowed to them both. “The gift of the lunar church, my child,” priest Orcen spoke with a regal voice. “No... You, cursed me,” Shiva replied to them. Her eyes were fixed upon the two of them while her horn began to charge itself. It got coated within a dark blue aura. Her eyes closed themselves a little bit, almost as if she was targeting the two before her. “Should I..?” the gray mare next to Orcen asked. Yet the stallion shook his head. He charged up his own horn. If it came to a fight, he would have been the one to cease it all. “Think before you act, you truly wish to throw your new life away like this? Firing blasts of magic aimlessly?” the priest asked of Shiva with a firm tone. He wanted her to think straight. Shiva just erupted in a soft laughter before she released her spell. Under a cold wave of air that originated from her horn, all the fires in the room would have been dimmed. Some even extinguished before it returned to her. The light came to her and it was being consumed by her with a great but guilty pleasure. As soon as the room was dark, Shiva made her escape. She galloped over the church benches and back up the stairs, hoping to get her freedom back in the process. The stallion and the mare were surprised by it all. It was an unseen turn of events. Recnam Orcen allowed the fires to return in their respectable places with the help of his magic. “Magnificent magical ability. Shadow her, guide her back to here. She's probably going home,” he said to the mare. The other mare only gave him a nod before turning herself around and picked up her blades in case they would be needed again as the branches locked themselves around the forelegs. And she was off to the stairs, up to the world above in order to carry out her duties. ---   In the meantime had the just changed unicorn mare managed to get some hold of her wings. They were then gently tucked away against the side of her body. She was indeed galloping towards home. Shiva had to go to her remaining family and pray for the best of things to happen. Through her deep panting she noticed that small house she always called ‘home’ to come closer in her view as her pace slowed itself down in order to catch at least some breath.         Her hoof knocked on the door three times. Some rumoring sounds could be heard from inside. Sounds that were both male and female. They silenced themselves until a male voice finally spoke out. “Name and intention!” it spoke in a loud and clear tone.         “Father, it, it is me!” Shiva replied with desperation in hers. Soon enough was the door opened for her. The warmth of the home left and began to surround her. The stallion in the opening gazed a bit surprised at the being before him for it wasn't his daughter as he remembered her.         “Where is she, you monster!?” the stallion replied. Then he assumed a charging stance. He was just ready to take out the monster if he had too. For that what he caught in his eyes, was everything but his beloved daughter.         “F-Father, it’s me, your little Shivy,” she said in a whimpering tone. Some tears began to form below her eyes. She was at the verge of crying. She couldn’t believe that her own father didn’t see it.         “You are nothing but a foul creature of the night! You don’t even look like our daughter, for she is the sweetest thing that ever came into my life.” His expression changed into a more caring one before a mare joined them. A mare who was shocked at the sight before her. She landed a hoof in the back of the stallion's head, hitting him hard enough to feel it.         “That's not how you talk to your own daughter, Bertus! Come in, Shivy, come,” she spoke to her husband and daughter. The grown mare passed her father who was rubbing his head under some under breath muttering. ---   All three of them took place in the living room while her mother prepared from tea, the stallion was still skeptical. It couldn't be hold against him though, given the rather odd form his ‘daughter’ had taken. “So you claim to be our beloved little daughter, then explain to me just why you are so big.”         “Father, that is because I received something this night...” Shiva confessed to him.         “Ya received something this night? Mind to share what that might be?”         “T-The gift, o-of the lunar church...” Even more shame had filled her voice at that point.         Those words caused the entire expression of the stallion to turn blank. Her mother walked in with the same look, having overheard the words. The both of them were processing the given information as they couldn't believe it that their little Shivy had turned itself to the moon. They knew from her brother he had turned himself towards the sun and accepted that fact, but this made everything a lot more different as two sighs filled the room.         “How could you have been so, so stupid!?” her father yelled in anger all the sudden. Thus abruptly broke the silence. The fury he carried within his eyes was just terrible to watch.         “I didn't had a choice! One moment I was walking together with Dante, the next moment he gets his head chopped off by a mare saying he was a lycan! She brings me to somewhere of I don’t know where and end up like this. It wasn't my fault, father!” Shiva replied in her defense.         Then it was her mother who took over the word. She was mentally devastated from the revelation. “O-Out, Shivy, just, get out!” she said with a defeated tone.         Before the changed unicorn could even ask or say anything, there was a sudden force that began to pull the unicorn back towards the door. The invitation got rejected, she had to leave the home. Shiva was sent out by an unknown force. The mare pleaded for her dear life while the door came close to her. It even opened on itself itself to let her out. Though the both of her parents didn't do anything for they knew enough. They would have been childless from this day onward. “Mother, father! How can you be so heartless against me!?” Those were the last words to be spoken by Shiva in the house of her parents. She was thrown outside and the door shut itself tight. Shiva wasn't welcome inside of her own house anymore and she knew it. Her own parents had dumped her out on the streets like a piece of garbage or a broken toy.         Yet just after the door was tightly shut behind her, the parents had erupted out in tears of sadness. Tears that were for the loss of their only and loved children. Shiva cried tears of blood on the cold streets of the nameless settlement. ---   Out of the shadows emerged the mare that had caused it all. That gray coated, blade wielding mare came out of the shadows. She spoke her words with a voice filled with something unusual. It was filled with a sympathy aimed towards Shiva. “It seems the same happened to you, as what happened to me fifty years ago... Come, I can give you shelter for the day,” she spoke to her. Shiva sniffled a couple times. The mare allowed the words to race through her ears before she stood up under a small nod, “Y-Yes please... A-And how do you mean, d-day?”  “Just take this from me, you don’t want to be out during the daylight unless you are having a death wish for yourself,” the bladed mare replied in a much more serious tone. Together they walked back through the streets of the settlements. They were going back to the building of the church. The place that Shiva would be calling ‘home’ from that night onward ,if she intends to stay there and not roam around the world. But while they were walking, the mare could feel something that grew between one another. Not a feeling of true love but the feeling of sisterly love. The gray mare placed ones of her wings over the back of Shiva, smiling a little bit. > Chapter 4 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sound of blades that clashed against each other filled up the room as it did nearly every night. Both of the mares were standing there, panting deep as streams of sweat ran down their faces. Shiva took note of an opening in the defense of the other mare. She pulled one of her blades back in order to just drive it through her chest, but stopped her action on the last moment. “Checkmate, Rayne,” she said under a grin. While the eyes of the gray mare fell down, they caught the cold steel that was almost ready to pierce through her. She smiled with pride before she lowered down and retracted her swords back against her forelegs. “For the first time in fifty years, you have managed to beat me, Shivy, I can say you are ready,” Rayne replied to her with a genuine smile. “You think?” Shiva dared to ask. She did the same with her own weapons. The soft click of the blades that locked back into their relaxing place did its turn through the room they found themselves in. Rayne just gave her a nod. The both of them walked back to the main room of the building before taking place on the benches in a rather unorthodox way but they didn't care for it. For they have been training for over seven hours straight, they deserved some rest. “Yeah, finally being able to beat me, tells a lot about your skills. By the Void, where has time been gone to?” Rayne said before her mind brought her back to the very day the two met each other. The same happened to Shiva. She remembered the rather unfortunate events of her life. For fifty years she had lived in the darkness of the night and had been lived on the blood of the living while being trained to become a merciless killer. And for what? Supporters of the celestial church who weren't exactly normal either? She still didn’t fully understood it, even after such a long time. “Hey Rayne?” Shiva started before she gained a questioning gaze in her eyes. “Hm?” “Just who gave you the order to change me into a vampony, all those years ago? Like, did Orcen gave the order himself?” the mare asked in curiosity. “Nah, Orcen is just a puppet of Edgington, the king of all vamponies,” Rayne returned in a nagging voice. That tone made it clear that she was annoyed by even speaking the name and title of the pony. Almost as if she had some kind of hatred towards him. “You don’t seem to be found of him, now do you?” replied Shiva. She rose an eyebrow and her eyes fell upon the earth pony. She would look over the mare from every angle, inspecting her. “Hmpf, none of us do. He may claim to be king, but he is literally nothing. Quite frankly, it would be better if he just died a true death. But none of us ever dared to even go near his castle in the Everfree.” The gray mare let go a deep sigh before she closed her eyes. “What are you pounding in that mind of yours, Shivy? Another one of those brilliant plans of yours?” “Revenge my sister, revenge on the bastard that ruined my life. No offence towards you, but I much rather had preferred to just stay my true self,” she muttered. Her eyes kept themselves open before a small tear of blood ran down her cheek. Her mind brought her back to days from long ago. The other mare erupted out in a gentle bit nearly insulting laughter at the words Shiva spoke. “You versus a king? You are in a haste to meet the Void, now are you?” Rayne returned to her. “No, I just want to make him feel how I have felt, for fifty years,” Shiva countered. “Shiva, it wasn't that bad now was it?” Rayne spoke in response. It was all in an attempt to bring her on other thoughts. Rayne wanted to change the mind of the mare, she liked her after all. “Rayne, I need to do this. For over fifty years there has been this rage building up inside of me, rage for Orcen because I thought he was the one who changed me, or did gave the order. I know my brother was a lycan for when you showed me the comparisons between him and another, I could only accept that. But the love I felt for him, for my parents who just dumped me on the street... He has to pay for his deeds, Rayne, and you know it,” Shiva returned to her, trying her best to explain it. “Your motive is too vague, your reasons fairly much non-existent.” Her eyes opened themselves in order to gaze into the red eyes of her sister. “But a look like that won’t change, go ahead, try to kill him and come back. Or leave and never return, or just stay here with me as we have done for a long time now.” “You know I won’t give up so easily, I will die trying to take him out,” said Shiva. “And that's where I am afraid for... But if you truly do so desire to slaughter him or die yourself, feel free to go to him,” Rayne admitted. There was nothing else that she could have done. Without any hesitation in her body stood the mare up as she began to walk towards the stone staircase. But just when she was about to hop on it and therefore leave, her head turned itself towards the gray coated mare as she replied with a soft tone. “Thank you, sister.” “You’r welcome.” With those words spoken had Shiva made her departure in order to meet this king she just found out. The very being that caused her this way of suffering, the life of the night. ---   The vampony made her way swiftly through the streets of the settlement. Her mind began to wander down memory lane. It brought her back to the very night she received the precious called ‘gift’ of the lunar church. Not technically being real churches, the two opposing factions did honor their respectable leader for the crowd, while fighting each other in the shadows of night. Blood was shed every night and all over the land. And for what? Nopony truly knew the answer on that question.         Under a deep sigh had Shiva began to recall the last fifty years of her life. The strength she had gained, the abilities discovered, the pleasures taken. As much as she despised it all, one mentally sick part of her enjoyed it so much. It was through that, that she kept doing it. Fifty years of hard training have passed by like it was nothing. She had become the silent monster she is known as by that day. Her parents vanished after some ponies in the village found out that their son was a lycan and they were never to be heard from again. They could be dead by then for all she knew. Shiva had entered the feared forest by now as a small but thick fog had been setting up. The ground had literally become covered by the fog as in the distance the walls emerged around all of the tree trunks. Not a single living creature even dared to speak its language. They all knew that death would follow soon. They were all aware of the vampony that was wandering through the woods.         Moving herself in silence through it under a grin of pure evil, The very thought of the king dying at her hooves took her over. One might declare her crazy and those were right. Unnecessary bloodshed would have taking place that night. But for her, it would be some salvation of the curse she was living with “Fifty years, I could have been happily married, gotten great foals to raise. But you, you destroyed it all...” Her cat-like eyes closed themselves halfway as she continued her mumbling. “Prepare to meet your true death, king Edgington. And face my reckoning.” For fifty long years she had been trained by the mare who had become like a sister for her. They may not be born in the same family, but they shared their pain together. There have been hints from one and the other to go deeper, to become lovers, but neither ever dared to go so far. At moments they regretted it. But when they were indulging themselves into pleasure with their prey for the night, they loved it.         Shiva’s training had been involving itself mostly around the arts of walking on the hind legs, what had the advantage of using the blades on her forelegs to their fullest potential. Both the full length and force of them could be used. Rayne had given her as many flight lessons as she possibly could take. All of it had turned Shiva just as deadly in the air as she would be on the ground.         Her magic was the only part to be left behind. She only perfected the spells she knew to great levels of power but never learned any new ones. Though she also never had the desires to just sit down and learn so many spells for in the heat of battle, charging up the horn and releasing the spell would take far longer than charging at them and pierce a blade through the neck before separating the head from the body. ---                      There it stood, standing tall and mighty in the darkness of the woods with the white moon behind it. Raising up from the mist as its darkstone walls alone were enough to indulge fear in any mortal who would find the place. Towers had been built in every direction that rose up. The open gate was leading straight into the throne room through a hallway illuminated by blue torches. But before one could enter, they had to go past the dropping gate. The closer the mare got, the more she was able to see the blood on the sharp points. It indicated that many had found the death by a simple drop. But in her years of training, she became faster, more agile and stronger than she could ever imagine.         Shiva took a deep inhale and a slow exhale before changing her pace into a gallop. She would be charging directly at the entrance of the castle. The mare closed her eyes and would only open them if she heard the crisping of the fires inside. But then it happened, the sound of the gate being released did its turn. It came down with a crushing speed, heading towards the ground and all that stood in its way. > Chapter 5 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The gently crisping of the fires in the hallway began to make their turn in the ears of the mare. They came back after the deafening clash of the metal gate against the stone of the floor had taken place. Her eyes were still forcefully shut. Yet Shiva inspected every part of her body. She was praying not to feel anything else that could indicate pain. Luckily for her, there was nothing that could be felt. Her eyes then opened themselves again in order to reveal that she was standing in the hallway of the castle, with the gate about five hooves behind her.         “I, I did it. I am in,” she spoke under her breath. Her attention turned back to the gate. “And not a second too soon.” The mare turned back towards the hallway. She began to walk over to the throne room, one that could be found at the very end. But as odd as things already where, there wasn't a single guard that came out to see what had happened. Not a single voice could be heard.         By the time she entered the throne room, it became clear to her just why nopony came out for her. It was only a stallion who sat on the throne with a rather large coffin behind him. His deep blue eyes glared over to her. His blond coat could be made out below a black coat he was wearing. His brown mane being stylized into that of a true gentlecolt. A fine stallion one might say, but looks would be deceiving. And Shiva knew that fact all too well.         “And for what do I have the honor of this nightly visit, from one of my children no less?” he spoke to her in a deep, but oddly kind voice.         Shiva only huffed loud in response. She wasn’t in the mood to play the kind of games he set up. The mare rose up in a bipedal pose just before the blades swung down and clicked into place. Her wings unfold themselves in order to reveal the –for a mortal– terrifying sight to behold. After that had she began to speak her own words. “King Edgington, I assume?” she said to him.         “Yes, that is my name, but why this hostility in my palace?” the blonde stallion replied in a cold voice. His eyes rested on her, awaiting what she would be doing.         “You gave the order to make me, it is thanks to you that my life got destroyed! I am just here, to return that bloody favor to you,” Shiva hissed through her teeth.         The stallion erupted out in sheer laughter as his two front hooves clashed together before being rubbed, “And you truly think you can take me out? I am a king! I lived longer then you will ever do. I sat on this throne long before your parents were even born!” He stood up from his throne and walked down to ground level. There he rose up on his hind legs as well. It was revealed then that inside the coat, hidden against his body was the sheath of a cutlass. One which he drew out of it and pointed it to the side. “But I suppose a fight to see the truth can not harm. Ladies first.” He smirked like the devil he was. His own fangs were clearly visible to her.         Shiva made no time to go to waste. She allowed her hatred to fuel her. The adrenaline started to race through her undead body as the king placed his sword in a manner that she would charge right into it. Though in the final second used the mare her wings to boost herself to the side of him. Her blade made contact with the other vampony before he pushed it away. The stallion looked up oddly at the move before reposing himself and prepared for his blow towards her. A simple but strong blow that got countered by both blades of the mare who began to grin in return. “Not bad, not bad at all, king,” she taunted to him.         “I have a lot more where that come from,” replied Edgington. He then jumped away from her with a certain, demonic grace. He prepared his blade for another blow to both receive and deliver. ---                     Many sword clashes and evasion maneuvers were soon followed up. They were equal in strength, though Shiva began to have trouble resisting his blows. She didn’t believe it, but she became tired Something that resulted in her focus to drop a little bit. The king played into that little revelation. His blow only got more powerful as time went on, not even appearing to be or get tired himself. Neither spoke a word during the fight, as the sound of their swords and breathing told the story already.         Though just then she saw it. A light-bulb went on inside her. The great wooden cabinet that stood on the side of the throne could and had to be used to her advantage, in one way or the other. In her mind she played the events as they should go and she positioned herself in such a manner that she could just push Edgington into it. “My revenge shall be sweet,” spoke Shiva before charging at him again. Yet that time was the king a little slow. Her whole body, accompanied with a burst of speed from her wings, crashed against him and the stallion got flow into the cabinet.         Many pieces of woods shattered from the impact but he left it without a scratch on his body. His eyes began to boil in rage while he gently walked away on all four of his hooves. “Do you truly think it is that easy for me to die? Tsk, tsk, tsk, you have so much to learn, foal,” he snarled to her.         Behind him and perfectly aimed to his back, there was a piece of wood was stuck out like a sore thumb. Shiva’s left eye twitched for a mere second. Then she rushed over to him in a roar of terror. All while the king just stood there. The stallion rose on his hind legs as initial response from the sudden burst of the mare. He didn’t really knew how to react to that, but it wouldn’t stop him.         It was too late for the king to do anything in response as they crashed into each other and she pushed him directly into the piece of wood, driving it through his back, his heart and out his body by the front. Some splatters of blood landed on her face before she took a small step back, watching the impaled king.         “Don’t fuck with me,” growled Shiva to him.         “You, worthless...” Those were some of his final words before the stake through the heart did its turn. Soon enough there was blood that began to rush out of his mouth. His eyes filled with hatred kept themselves peeled at her. “...Burn, in, Tartarus...” It was after those spoken words that his entire body began to decay rapidly. It almost seemed like time was catching up with him. A wave of blood rushed out of his mouth accompanied with the sound of vomiting.         Shiva was unlucky enough to stand in the line of fire. She got most of it over her before she shivered from the foul blood on her body. Her eyes closed themselves off of the world and soon enough, only the sound of a wet pulp hitting the ground could be heard. “No, you rest in the Void,” she spoke after having opened her eyes and gazed upon the pulp that was lying before her. The remains of the once so mighty vampony kind living under the name of Russell Edgington. ---                      For a good couple of minutes she stood there. She allowed small clouds of steam to leave through her nostrils with every single exhale she took. Then the sound of fronthooves clapping together began to fill the room. Shiva finally swung her blades back in their resting position. She lowered herself down on her four legs as she spoke a little under her breath. “Want a piece of me too?”         But as soon as the voice of the being behind her spoke, a shock went through the mare. “Now that is an offer I can not refuse. I always loved the days my sister and I got in bed together for our rest,” the voice spoke up again. Revealing whom exactly it happened to be.         “R-Rayne..? What are, what are you doing here?” Shiva asked in utter disbelief. She turned herself around to face her beloved sister. Something just didn’t seem right though in her mind.         “Fighting the douchebag that would have killed my sister, but it seems things turned into your favor after all. Tell me, how do you feel?” Rayne asked of her, wanting to know it helped or not.         “A whole lot better,” replied Shiva. She hugged Rayne and thus allowed some of the sticky blood to mix with her gray fur under a smile. Her sister wrapped one of her forelegs around her ever so tightly for a long and loving hug while a small sigh of joy allowed itself to escape her nose.         “Hey, we are going to need a new king, or queen for that matter,” Rayne said in a tease.         “And you think I am good enough?” asked Shiva, thinking she meant it for real.         That caused Rayne to think a little bit. Shiva did just kill the original king. “Well of course, I mean, you did kill the current king. Survival of the fittest and all, it is only the natural order for you to take, or claim the throne,” the gray mare then spoke in a much more honest tone.         Shiva’s mind began to think deep at the spoken words. She gave a simple nod towards her sister. “Then I shall become the new queen of the vampiric race,” the unicorn spoke to her.         Rayne got a smile of pure glee on her face before she broke the hug. “That’s my sister.” But as an act of pure happiness, the gray mare her lips began to twitch a little as they moved over to those of Shiva for a long and loving kiss. Rayne closed her eyes a little as the other mare did the same, her lips also began to twitch ever so lightly before they made contact with each other.         What resulted was a loving, powerful, deep and lustful kiss. They both slide their tongue into the mouth of the other with their eyes being closed. The tongue began to twirl around each other as they hold the other ever so lovingly. After a couple minutes had passed, Rayne gently removed her lips from the mare. “I love you, my queen,” she said in a quiet, loving tone.         “And I love you, Rayne,” replied Shiva. Her eyes rested upon the mare she called sister for so long. But then could call her, her lover. It was only then that she broke the hold with the mare and turned herself around to face the throne, her throne to be exact. The deep blue mare turned her head over to Rayne who only gave a silent nod. Shiva gently walked up the steps of the throne before she allowed her plot to rest on the seating of the throne.         That was the day that marked the very end of the reign from king Edgington and the dynasty of queen Shiva began. Yet nopony knew that there was another monster that lurked the land. A monster that would be awoken within the walls of the castle of the princesses. A being that would be the very embodiment of darkness would wander through its magical lands while spreading death and destruction wherever it went. > Chapter 6 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another two months had passed. Shiva was generally accepted by the vampiric society as their new leader. Many things were left untouched though. For most were still going their own way and the mare didn't mind it. For her policy was something along the lines of ‘you screw up, you fix it.’ Though she had grown tired of one simple thing, a thing that she couldn't stand anymore. It was something that originated the day that arrived in the castle. The very fact that she had to hide in her coffin every day and crawling out at night.         “This is not a life for a queen, a queen shouldn't have to hide from the sunlight. A queen should be able to sit on her throne, visible to her subjects at any given moment,” she mumbled in herself. Rayne laid in a seductive pose on the steps of the throne where she appeared to be asleep. The muttering of her love had caused her eyes to open and focus before she rose up from her position and making her way up to Shiva. When she walked up to her, she gave her a small kiss on the cheek before giggling just a little bit.         “Care to tell just what is so funny, my love?” she replied. Her hoof stroked the cheek of the gray mare.         “Love, you are muttering over a feat that has been troubling us ever since the first vampony walked the earth. But don’t you happen to have some magic that can make the sun disappear, my little alicorn?” Rayne replied to her with a gentle giggle in her voice.         With a swift movement of Shiva was Rayne pulled onto the throne and placed besides her. The queen grinned a little in response to the words. “I am not an alicorn and you know that better than I do. Never have been and never will be. But there is a spell that might actually work. But first.” Her eyes closed themselves halfway what resulted in a rather seducing stare towards her love as Shiva’s hoof lovingly began to stroke her cheek. After which she allowed their lips to meet for a lustful but loving kiss.         Rayne couldn't and wouldn't do much else then return it in the same manner before carefully allowing her tongue to enter the mouth of her love who allowed it and they played a little bit together as the seconds turned slowly into minutes. Eventually their lips parted from one another as a string of saliva was still connecting them. Both mares were panting ever so lightly while a small blush occupied their cheeks before Shiva returned to her more formal state. “It is an illusion spell that, if done right, should let the moon always shine upon the castle. Nature shall build up a natural defense for us, meaning we never have to go to bed.” “Do it my love, allow us to walk in the day with the moon high. Allow our dreams to come true,” Rayne said to her as encouragement. Shiva gave a nod before she let Rayne remove herself from her throne after which she stood up herself and began to descend from the steps. The gray mare saw her chance nice and plopped right back in the throne. There she re-assumed a rather revealing pose. Her tail swayed gently back and forth, awaiting what would have come from Shiva. The queen took position in the middle of the room. There she rose on her hind legs and allowed her horn to charge itself to a level of power she had never gone before. Decades of living as a vampiric mare had also changed her magical aura into a very dark blue one. Her eyes closed themselves due to the power output. A couple seconds would have passed before she began to speak the spell through her mouth instead of her mind. The words that left her were said in a tongue truly unknown to Rayne. “Everto of nox noctis , tribuo mihi vires muto sol solis in luna procul dies, sino nox noctis eduro forever in meus amplexus area,” Shiva spoke in a loud enough voice. Rayne gently tilted her head at the spoken words. She didn't understood a single one of them. “Unicorns and their tongues,” she spoke before her eyes rolled a little bit backwards. Though she would have turned her attention back to her love. The magical aura around her horn only intensified before an enormous blast shot up into the ceiling. It went through it without making any form of damage. Shiva’s eyes shot open only to reveal the crimson red dots and the white eyes. Her pupils were just gone or consumed by the irises as she kept blasting the beam of magic into the air. Soon enough had the power of her horn began to decrease as she lowered herself on her hooves, smirking a little bit at the outcome of the spell. “The call is heard. Sun rise is soon,” she spoke under a soft panting. She was literally drained from every bit of magic she was still having in her body. “Come, my mare, we shall watch the night last.” Rayne removed herself from the throne with pleasure. She walked up to Shiva and together they went to one of the stained glass windows. One of many that had a view on the descending true moon. While they stood there, they placed their wings on the back of the other for a small hug. They both closed their eyes to await if the spell indeed worked, or if they would burn in the sun. The moment of truth came closer with any passing second. The true moon had disappeared behind the hills of the castle. The sun could arise on the other side any second now. Rayne forced her eyes shut tight. The fear of facing the true death crawled up in her. Yet Shiva stood there just so calm. She was ready to embrace the burning sun if it would make its appearance. ---   What rose up from the east, was not the sun. It was the heavenly body they always resided under that rose. Its white light fell faint into the throne room. One of Rayne her eyes opened themselves in order to witness the wonder. “No way. Unbe-fucking-lievable,” she brought forth. Upon hearing those words echoing through the room, the queen herself opened her eyes as well to witness the beauty of the everlasting night in the surrounding of the castle. “H-How did you..?” was all she managed to stumble out. Shiva allowed a chuckle to leave her mouth before she replied to the question asked. “Through a simple spell that I remember from long ago, a spell that bends the lights of reality through a shield. Make no mistake my mare, because past the shield, the moon reveals what it truly is,” she explained to Rayne. Her love nodded a little bit before her their attention was turned to the forest itself. Something in it was moving. The more they watched, the more it could be seen that a thick fog was setting itself up. Almost like a barrier to separate the castle from the forest. Both of the mares were watching in utter confusion. That was until Shiva puzzled the pieces together, the fog was the natural barrier she spoke about. Or at least, she hoped that that was it. Either way, no matter what it was, it was working. The castle became hidden for anypony outside of the illusional shield. It left the place open as a foggy plain. Ponies that were brave enough to wander through the thick fog would only be teleported by it to the other side. The only kind of ponies that could enter it, were the vamponies and batponies. But only if they drew an arcane pattern on either the ground or in the air with their horns. Doing so would have allowed a tunnel to be created through the fog. One that granted safe passage for those with the guts to enter.         “Its, its,” the gray mare managed to bring out.         “Beautiful, my mare.”         To that could Rayne only nod. Her red rimmed eyes kept watching the mist curiously. The fog that danced in the winds, made its way through the branches and leaves with elegance unseen. Which on their turn allowed them to sing their natural songs. It happened, it had actually happened that the vampiric kind was able to walk in the daylight. As long as they stayed under the shield that was created by their queen. > Chapter 7 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few weeks have passed by as the high priest himself, Recnam Orcen found himself in the forest. He was wondering just why he had come out there on the stormy night. The winds were blowing through the leaves and howling in each corner. Drops of rain made their way down every now and then. Though there were some rustles in the bushes got his attention. But he kept standing there like a rock on the ground. His dark blue, moon encrusted robe blew up and down with the wind. He never took his eye off of the moving bushes.         The stallion knew something was out there. Something that was out to catch him and tear him to pieces like the monster he was. But he had not even the slightest of clue just what it could possibly be. A young lycan who just turned, or the worst tempered timberwolf. No idea and high caution, that was how he stood on the ground with his eyes looking in every direction possible.         And without a single warning there were two lycans jumped out and walked up to him. They growled ever so darkly while their stone cold blue eyes glared back at him while pressing their paws into the ground. Recnam only began to smirk to the sight that was revealed to him as he knew just who was that much of an coward. “Return your pets back to where they came from, Shone, they will not be needed here,” his deep voice echoed through the howling winds.         A second voice began to echo through the wind. “Says the unholy creature himself,” it spoke in the same tone.         “Come on, Shone! I know it's you so what's the point in hiding your ugly face?”         And then he appeared. Out of the bushes where the lycan ponies had rushed out from. A near perfectly white stallion had emerged. One that wore a yellow cloak stitched with the sun as his wings took rest over it. The pegasus stallion walked up to the vampony priest in an angry pace before he stopped not far from him. “What have you done this time!? You have gone too far!” he snarled.         Recnam released a deep sigh through his nostrils before the red eyes rolled in an uninterested way around. “Fine, I’ll bite, what happened this time?” he replied in a totally disinterested tone. The lycans only growled a little at the words but kept their ground.         “The princess of the night has been turned into a hideous, venomous demon! And it can only be the work of a vampony,” replied Shone in a rather cold voice to his counterpart. Neither of them granted one another the pleasure of victory, only the blood of defeat. Two nemeses that just wanted to see the destruction of all. It didn’t matter what damage was done, as long as the other fell.         “Oh please, like I have the power to even do such a thing! You are insane, Shone Light, you always have been and always will be. Your vision of us vamponies being the roots of evil deluded you, you are seeing ghosts! You don’t pray the sun, you use it as an excuse to mindlessly slaughter the ones that are cursed!” Recnam countered in his own defense.         “There you say it correctly, ‘cursed’, I am relieving them from a curse given by you and you alone!” Shone then replied, spitting some saliva as he spoke.         “No you are not! We have adapted ourselves to whatever is thrown at us as we did for hundreds of years already! Now, if this ridiculous accusation of yours is the only reason you brought me out here, I am going back now,” again was it Recman who countered the words. ---   But just then there was the laughter of a mare which began to take its turn in the wind, something that had more of becoming the wind. Both of the stallions glared at each other. While they were doing that, the lycans only growled again. Suddenly there was a purple mist  that had appeared out of the woods. It rushed over to the lycans with a devastating speed. It went directly through their necks and the sounds of blades cleaving flesh were heard in the ears of the priests.         A soft whimper from the both of them, then their heads just dropped clean off of their necks. They fell into the grass below before blood both squirted and gushed out of their open wounds. Both Shone Light and Recnam Orcen looked in surprise and horror at the heads before turning to each other again. “I see what you did here, killing my own guards when you make your departure! Very mature, very mature,” Shone Light replied to the high lunar priest.         “Hey, it wasn't me who did this alright! And may I add you started this war decades ago!?”         “Shut it, foals,” a mysterious female voice echoed through the air. A dark and twisted voice it was, but hinting to deep pleasure at the done deed. “For I killed your pets.”         “S-Show yourself demon!” was all the leader of the celestial church could bring out. He was taking careful steps back. He wanted to survive the encounter more than anything.         From the purple mist itself returned under a rumble of thunder. A mare began to take shape. Its black wings spread themselves as its green eyes scanned the area around her. A true nightmare to look at, a demon on the face of the lands. Puffs of steam left its nostrils with every exhale  while the wings got tucked in against her body in a gentle manner. When the two even dared to look at the flank of the beast before them, the scare of their lives got revealed.         This beast shared the same mark as the princess of the night. Both just couldn't believe it that this, thing, shared it. “You may call me, Nightmare Moon,” the beast spoke in a dark tone. After which she locked her eyes on them. Her tongue moved itself passed her lips before a pleasurable ‘aah’ left her mouth. Both stallion looked each other in the eyes and gulped before knowing it was time to set their difference aside. To join together and defeat this beast. Though before they could make a move, Nightmare was already standing before them with her eyes staring at them. Frozen from the sudden mare in their faces, they couldn't even fight back and thus gave the beast a free game and a free meal. Her mouth opened itself wide for the two of them. It was wider than any mouth could ever open and they stared right into it. The deep black nothingness of her body. But deep in their own bodies there was something that began to lose grip of it as their very soul were being sucked out by the monster. They tried to fight it off the best they could but it was a losing battle as the pull only got stronger and stronger. In the end left their souls the body and got lost in the void that was the beast. Their bodies began to decay so quick. Within seconds was all that was left behind, piles of bones as that signature dark laughter did its turn before the wings spread themselves and it took off, disappearing in the night. Appearing to be looking for something and somepony. > Chapter 8 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shiva released a deep sigh through her nostrils. Rayne was peacefully asleep in a coffin located outside of the throne room. Things have been going rather well for the both of them as well as their kind. But soon would everything come to a rough standstill.         The night was slowly turning back to the day. The moon kept rising under the shield, the wind moving slowly through the trees and open windows of the castle. The queen took a small opportunity to close her own eyes, to get some much desired rest herself. Her mind began to empty itself from everything that could be bothering with. Peaceful in- and exhales echoed through the room as she lost her grasp of reality and wanted to make the step into the realms of the dreams.         Her much desired rest was not granted as a purple mist made its way into through the forest, passed the shield and intruding into the throne room before revealing itself as the beast it was. Her hooves were clattering softly on the floor while her dragon like eyes glared through the windows into the deep night. “Perfect, just perfect... An everlasting night.” The black mare allowed her horn to charge up lightly. It tried to track down the caster of the spell that caused this wonderful event.         Not much later, the flow of energy that left the shield was tracked down to the mare sitting on the throne, sleeping deeply. “So you are its caster, hm?” The beast spoke before trotting over in a gentle pace. But as she took her last step, her hoof clattered loudly on the ground while she spoke commanding, “Wake up, foal.”         Slowly did the eyes of Shiva opened themselves. Then they shot open wide at the being that stood before her. “Who are you, and why are you here to begin with!” Shiva snarled to it.         “My name, is of no concern of you, but what I want is your spell, the one that created this magical shield of yours,” her mysterious visitor countered.         “Who told you about this place, who told you about all of this?” Shiva replied in anger. She stood up from her throne and walked down the steps. But as they met each other on ground level, the difference in height was still noticeable.         “Nopony told me, I have seen it through his eyes, of that weak excuse of a priest. His soul was delicious though, full with juicy information. Now, give me that spell!” the black mare answered.         “Out of my cold, dead, hooves.” Shiva spoke in a taunting tone towards the mysterious creature. Shiva would make certain that she would be the one that came out as the victor of it.         The beast erupted out in laughter. That was just returning with a sinister answer of her own, “How ironic, you are already dead... But alright, I can do that for you.”         Little did Shiva know where she got herself in. Fighting the being that was Nightmare Moon would only lead into her death. The magic of the queen was nearly nothing and the magic of the changed princess was nearly unlimited. The upcoming battle could only end in one way. ---         “Then so it shall be.” Even before she could finish the sentence, she was grabbed by the dark magic of Nightmare. She was tossed around the room like a ragdoll before being slapped against the wall. Shiva shook her head a couple times after the impact. She spread her wings and took off. She headed straight for the nightmare, pointing her horn to impale the creature. The plan failed by a single step aside. Yet the horn did manage to do some damage. For a scar ran over Nightmare’s side.         Nightmare released a loud roar in response. The games were over. With every bit of dark magic she had in her body was her horn charged up. It allowed itself to be coated in a deep blue aura. “Last chance, you pathetic foal. Either give me the tome for the spell, or die a true death.”         Having regained herself from her collision course, Shiva was hovering hooves away from Nightmare. She was watching it happen before her lips turned into a smirk. “Kill me and the spell dies with me! It’s a lose-lose to begin with,” she countered to the living nightmare.         “No, I always get what I want, always.”         “Hate to disappoint you, but not this time,” replied Shiva with an even deeper smirk.         Without a warning was the bolt of black magic shot into reality. Before Shiva could even react, did she got hit by it. She found herself on the way down to the ground while smoke came off of her. Nightmare on the other end just watched the events going before roaring darkly again.         The roar died down in the end. A deadly grin formed below her muzzle as the loud ‘thud’ took place on the ground, snapping the neck of Shiva. “Always,” she spoke before allowed herself to dissolve into the purple mist again. Soon afterward the mist just left the throne room under a terrifying howl, but not after having circled it a couple times to find the hiding soul of Shiva, but it was nowhere to be found. ---                      All of the sudden there was one of the doors that flung open. Rayne ran up into the room and saw her love and queen lying there. She had been defeated by an unknown being. She rushed over and dropped herself next to her though only to discover she was still alive but bleeding ever so heavily. “No, no, no, no,” she spoke before allowing her fangs to appear.         While that unique sound filled the area, Shiva shivered a little as Rayne brought her hoof to her face. “N-No my mare,” were the words that could be heard from a place ever so close. “D-Don’t...”         “I have too, Shivy, f-for you to live on.” Before there was any interruption that could be taken place, Rayne bit in her own foreleg and pressed it against the mouth of Shiva. The gray earth pony forced her to drink the blood that left the wound. Doing so would have disastrous consequences for Rayne. She would die a true death while her mare would drain her from every bit of her blood.         The wounds began to heal while the strength returned slowly, but the price was heavily paid. She had drained Rayne from every drop of blood. Which in return caused her aging process to kick back in. Rayne let her go from the young mare she was, to and mare who was near the end of life. “T-Thanks, S-Shivy...” The final words to ever leave her mouth before her body slowly turned into nothing but dust and got carried away by the wind that was blowing through the room.         “I shall never, forget you my mare,” the dark blue vampony replied with a sad tone. Then a hatred began to boil in her. She wiped away the tears of sadness. Then a force that would lead her for the coming one thousand years, consumed most of her mind. Yet managed to keep her sanity.         Huffs of steam were allowed to leave through her nose as she crawled back on her throne. Having finally taken rest on it she began to mumble things in a language unknown to mortals, but her red eyes only filled themselves more with hatred. “Teloch vonvim agraa ors taba order avavago. Emna ol adrapan adna znrza oxex raclir!”         One day, sooner or later, she would get her revenge on Nightmare Moon by returning the favor of death. An eye for an eye and a fang for a fang. ---   Though with the rather unfortunate deaths of the leaders of either church, the two societies slowly crumbled into nothing more than dust. Some of the lycans returned to the deep forests and stayed there. They decided to hide themselves from the mortals that lived in the towns and settlements. They desired nothing more than peace and rest which they found in those haunted woods, living like the animals they were. The vamponies on the other end, they hid themselves among the living. They created the many myths and legends about themselves in order to keep the suspicion low. Most of them lived as ponies of high class and status. But possibly the biggest gift was that they left the lycans alone as well. Neither group didn't wanted to continue the war that had cost them so many lives. For many years they lived in harmony by just leaving each other alone. Of course there were some bloody incidents that could be linked to either or both of the groups. Incidents that happened both inside and out of towns. Whenever one of those events occurred, it scared the ponies so much that they created even more myths and rumors. Those myths and rumors would eventually turn into the ancient old but still well-known folklore many years later. ---   But for Shiva, things took a turn for the worst as she learned from the dreadful fact that the very being that nearly killed her and cost the life of her mare. The blood of many innocents was shed the night she learned it, only to be replaced with the still boiling hate and regret of her fault. The winged vampiric unicorn stood before the stained glass window. She brought a cup filled with blood to her lips. Her crimson red eyes stared to the real moon. Her eyes simply were watching the ex-prison of the devil herself. The darkness of life was something not even she could have imaged to live through. One thousand years had passed and her hate boiled up with each passing day. She became more merciless, ruthless and above all, she became a cruel mare. A millennium of boiling hate had broken heart took over her manners. A cloud of steam got released through the nostrils. The cup was brought down and set aside. She was accompanied in the room was a young vampony. The stallion had a gray coat and was wearing the armor. The same armor used by the lunar guard in the metropolis of Canterlot. Her voice echoed through the throne room of the dark stone castle in a somewhat saddened manner as her true sanity got a hold on her mind again. “Leave me be, young blood. You have been here for enough of the night. The day shall guide you soon enough,” the queen spoke to him. The stallion nodded to her. “Yes your highness,” he replied in a deep voice. But as he stood up, he made a deep and respectful bow. After that had he left the room as a whole. All in order to fly out into the night to Celestia knows where. But Shiva had an idea to where he would go and decided not to open a chase on him. Instead, she stared back to the moon with a line of red appeared under her eyes. She knew that the creature of darkness has been obliterated by these equally as mythical elements of harmony. That only shattered her cold hard even more. The longer she stared upon it, the harder it became to hold her tears back. Soon enough there were the tears of blood which slowly ran down her cheeks. “Never forget... Never forgotten... My mare, one day I will either join you, or find a way to get you back.”