Later on during the day, Celestia called Luna and Styxx to the throne room for an urgent discussion. Luna was a bit alarmed by this, but Styxx just figured it was probably royal matters. But then again, if that was the case, why would Celestia call her into the conversation? Luna and Styxx soon met Celestia, and the sun princess asked them to remain calm when she gives the news.
"There has been another murder in Appleloosa." she told them. Luna gasped, and Styxx furrowed her brow.
"What?" Styxx asked. "Is it like...before?" she asked. Celestia nodded.
"A young newlywed couple was murdered in their sleep. The scene was horrific and the motive didn't appear to be robbery."
"Who would kill for sport!?" Luna asked, eyes wide.
"Some ponies aren't right in the head." Styxx remarked. "Are you sending any troops for town protection?" she asked.
"It seems like the only thing I can do right now. Cadence won't like that we'll have to send Shining Armor to all the different places in Equestria, but it's our only option."
"And the palace!? Will maximum protection take place!?" Luna asked. Celestia nodded, her head lowering in sulk. Styxx looked to Luna, who had sat down and had placed her face into her hooves in pure disbelief. "Who is murdering all of these innocent ponies?" she quietly asked to nopony in particular.
Styxx looked back up at Celestia. "May I return to my shop for a short bit?" she asked. Celestia looked up, and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Why?" she asked. "Styxx, it's very dangerous to be out and about now. I'll have to hold a public speaking in Canterlot and let the mayors of other towns deal with the others. Why do you wish to leave?"
"I'll be back. I just need to retrieve something." she told the princess. Celestia, bemused, finally sighed and nodded. She was truly reluctant to let one of her most reliable employees leave into the open where danger is now very present, but she had faith in the young mare.
Styxx went back to her room to retrieve her key, and she then left the palace. Instead of trotting the whole way back to her shop, she flagged down a cart. After paying and tipping generously, she found herself back at the front door to her shop. It had really only been two days since she stepped hoof in that place, but two days felt like two years to her. Cautious, she unlocked the door and stepped in. Nothing seemed to be out of place. She closed the door behind her, and her eyes immediately scanned over the caskets on the floor. She felt immediate tension just as she looked at the fillies' caskets, and quickly went over to the shelves.
She began to look for her Book o' Death. If the murders were going to continue, she felt obligated to keep her book to write down entries. She felt like once this mess blew over, she would have a lot of work to catch up on. Unlike the days before, she found the book almost right off the bat. She used to magic to get it from the shelf, and she felt curiosity peek. She opened the book to the bookmarked page. What she saw made her drop the book and knocked the breath right out of her. She gasped sharply as she looked down at the book, which was still open to the page she had only caught a glimpse of. The entry of the most recent murder was already written in it:
Orange Tart- Stallion. Newlywed to Apple Jelly. Died by blunt-force trauma, skinning, and dismemberment.
Apple Jelly- Mare. Newlywed to Orange Tart. Died by blunt-force trauma, asphyxiation from severed tongue, and dismemberment.
The book had yet to give any answers to how to fix them up. Styxx found that even more disturbing. Even still, she did not let this keep her from picking the book back up, and quickly trotting out of the shop and locking up once again. Before she called for another cart, she looked back the opposing direction, where downtown Canterlot was, and good old Crown Avenue. She figured buying a bottle and saving it for later would not hurt anything. Therefore, she trotted the other way and headed toward the bar.
As she trotted in, she heard her friend exclaim happily, "Styxxie!"
"Hey, Strawberry!" Styxx replied. "I'll need a bottle of Sweet Red to go." she told her.
Strawberry Jewel raised an eyebrow at Styxx. "That's all?" she asked. Styxx nodded, and she turned to get a fresh, cold bottle. She gave it to her, and charged her ten bits. Styxx gladly gave her the ten bits, and Strawberry put them into the register. "Styxx, are you sure you don't want anything else? Apple Tart Liquor, Saddle Arabic Champagne?" she pressed.
"Nope, I'll just need this." Styxx said. "I'll need it for tonight."
Strawberry smirked. "Got a special somepony to share it with~?" she asked.
Styxx blushed through her grey coat. "N-No! I mean, I..." she stammered, and thought for a moment. She could not lie about how she thought Luna was a beautiful, stunning, mare. Not to mention her personality was attractive. "I...I may work on it." she told Strawberry. The bartender mare laughed.
"You go, girl!" she teased. Styxx chuckled, and rolled her eyes.
"Thanks, Strawberry." she sighed, then left. She then flagged down another cart, and she went her way back to the palace.
When Styxx returned to the palace, she noticed Luna was in the throne room alone. Styxx immediately assumed Celestia had gone to give the public speech. "Luna?" Styxx asked, one eyebrow raised, The lunar princess looked up from her daze, ears perked.
"Styxx!" she gasped, startled. "S-Sorry, you caught me off guard."
"Everything okay?" Styxx asked. Luna nodded.
"Yes. just...just in thought." she sighed.
Styxx thought for a moment, then went up to her. "I have some wine if you want a glass." she offered. Luna looked to her.
"I...don't drink." she sighed. Styxx raised an eyebrow, and smirked.
"Not what you told me last night. About New Year's?" she teased. Luna blushed, and shook her head.
"That was one time. No more alcohol for me."
Styxx chuckled. "I wouldn't be so sure. I can make a sweet mixture with it and your energy drinks." She tempted. Luna's eyes widened, and she looked to Styxx.
"Really?" she asked. Styxx nodded, and Luna followed her to the kitchen. Styxx mixed about three glasses of Sweet Red Wine and Iron Bull energy drinks. Styxx had a few glasses straight up. Styxx soon felt the effects of the alcohol, as did Luna. The two spent a good hour drinking and talking about the most random things. Some of the maids thought they were on magic grass, but it was just the alcohol. The two mares happened to catch each other by the eyes.
"Wow~" Styxx chuckled with a smirk. "Luna, I never noticed-" she stopped to hiccup. "how beautiful your eyes are."
"You too, Styxxie!" Luna laughed.
Styxx took one more drink straight from the bottle of wine, and she grew a lustful look in her eyes when she looked to the princess. "Wanna take this to my room, princess?" she asked. Luna did not even think about it before replying positively, and Styxx took her upstairs. Once in her room, Styxx locked the door and laid Luna on the bed.
She went in and kissed the princess passionately. Luna did not hesitate, and kissed the mare right back. Styxx prodded at Luna's bottom lip with her tongue, to which the princess responded by parting her lips and allowing Styxx entrance. Styxx explored Luna's mouth with her tongue, and they fought for dominance. Luna won over Styxx, and put her front hooves around the mare's waist and pressed into her flank. Styxx pulled away and sighed sensually.
"Luna~" she chuckled. Luna smirked, and kissed at the mare's neck, while the undertaker pony tilted her head back in submission. Soon, the princess had them switch places, where she was atop the grey mare. She proceeded to kiss down the mare's body, and pleasure her in ways she never imagined possible. The two mares knew nothing else, and ignored everything else around them. All that existed was them.
The passionate kisses escalated to pleasures and drunk sex. After a good five hours of pure satisfaction, the mares ended up laying on the messy, cold sheets, hungover. Styxx had her head hanging over the side of the bed, over a wastebin. Luna was laying with her head in her hooves. "Don't tell me..." she stopped to swallow back nausea. "we just did that..."
"We did..." Styxx groaned, and vomited into the wastebin again.
Luna reached up to touch her horn, which was a little sore and felt awkward. When she drew her hoof back, she saw an almost clear, sticky substance. "Oh my Celestia!" she exclaimed. She looked to Styxx to see a similar substance dripping from her horn. Styxx leaned up, and groaned as she held her head in one hoof. The two sat in silence, then looked to each other.
When they did, they ended up laughing a little. "We are such whores." Styxx laughed. Luna nodded, laughing.
"I can't believe I let you do that to me!" she said, looking to Styxx's horn.
"I can't believe you did the same to me!"
The two laughed it off for a minute, then sighed. "Did you...enjoy it?" Luna asked.
"What I remember of it, yeah." Styxx replied with a smile. The guilt they had felt just moments ago suddenly faded. They were comfortable with this now. A little odd to Styxx, considering they were grown mares who just had drunk sex. The only thing they hoped was that Celestia did not hear any of it. If she did not, then she would never know it ever happened.