I honestly don’t know what it is about Equestria. Even the city nights are beautiful. I find myself being sucked into the hustle bustle of the city night life, which, while quieter, is still definitely not quiet. This black hoody I’m wearing hiding mine and my hosts alicorndom well. I of course had the hood down, so I could actually see, but I always loved wearing hoodys. We were walking along the pavement trying to reach this infamous ‘The Fang Bazarre'
“This place never seems to fail in blowing me away.” I stated simply to my host. “That, and its my first time in a place like this”
“Well, I’m glad your enjoying your stay, Theos” my host replies behind a giggle. I just continue on walking along the dimly lit pavements, until I come across the place I was looking for. It was indented into the row of streets by what looked like a carpark, probably for people with personal carages. There was a large neon light sign up top, glowing blue and stating the name of this establishment in curvy letters. There were large doors leading into this small looking establishment, that was only one story tall comparatively to the two or three story buildings around it.
“Yeeeahhhhh, this doesn’t scream out seedy in the slightest” I sarcastically mutter.
“So, how’re we doing this?” my host inquires, to which I put the first amount of actual thought into it since leaving.
“Well, I’m going to look around, see if I can’t dig anything up. If not, we leave, and come back with the others tomorrow.” I say, a plan already forming in my head. Thank you video games. You come to my rescue…YET AGAIN!
“Sounds good” is all I hear Twilight say as I start moving towards the door, the small murmurs of noise becoming apparent as I get closer. Upon opening the door I instantly shut it again, as a wave of noise assaulted my incredibly sensitive ears, almost knocking me to the ground. Once the ringing had stopped, I opened the door once more, this time prepared, and with a bit of effort, made my way inside. The entrance was risen a bit by a curved snaking ramp. Along the right edge were boxed off booths, most likely filled with ponies doing who knows what. The rest of it had many ponies bustling about, quite a few being shady. The floor was lusciously carpeted in a pale blue. In fact, there was a lot of blue. Blue lights along the ground, tracing the outline, a blue light behind the bar, which it itself was situated in the middle of the room, being curved into a circle. Almost makes me wanna dabadeedabooda.
Taking initiative, I decided to make my way to the bar, seeing as it probably had the best view of this establishment. I took a seat on one of the high stools, elevating my view point by quite a bit. From here I could see the tables on the other side, either filled with just generally people, or those type of people you just know are up to something.
“What can I get for you ma'am” said a voice that sounded way too noble to be in a place like this. I turned round and saw a cream thestral, with gentle emerald eyes, and greying mane, working the bar. He was currently doing what your stereotypical bar man does. That being of course, cleaning a glass.
“Just some pop or carbonated drink if I may. Don’t typically drink alcohol. Doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a night out.” I replied with a smile.
“Very well ma'am” he merely said in that voice of his before leaving to get my order. I then proceeded to get out a few bits.
“What’re you doing? We’re meant to be asking questions, not enjoying ourselves!” I heard Twilight whisper angrily in my head, to which I couldn’t help but chuckle. It seemed she didn’t quite understand.
“Well, one, there is no reason we can’t enjoy ourselves in the process, two, its called fitting in, three, I’m first observing to see who would be the right person to talk to, and four, I doubt you have to whisper. No one else can hear you.” I whisper back, hoping to appease the adorably angry Twilight.
“Well, I guess that makes sense,” she replied, before getting cut off by the return of our drink. It was a coke, which meant I was happy person. Very happy person. Me likely me cokey. Very muchy. I took a sip of my newly acquired beverage, the taste send signals of euphoria to my brain. I seriously cannot get enough of this watered down tarmac. The way it fizzes in your mouth, that somewhat indescribable taste, the sugar rush, that sense of satisfaction. However, drinking it made my teeth start to ache. Some very specific teeth. My canines, or should I say, fangs. It was almost as if they were desiring something, and the discomfort of my host became apparent. Whether from the ache, thought of what it means, or the sudden lecherous aura coming from our left. Wait…wha-
“Hey there, baby, I haven’t seen you around here before, and as a regular, I recognise all the little pretty faces, and might I say, yours is the prettiest one yet.” Came a creepy voice to my left, which made both me and Twilight jump, an eep coming from both me and her. I turned and saw another thestral. This one was wearing what looked like a bikers jacket, the leather like substance most likely faux. His eyes were a deep blue, his coat a dark purple, and his pitch black mane and tail were groomed, the former into spikes going backwards, and the other seemingly random, but a pattern to its spike being visible. He had a cutie mark of a safe with a key in it. His heartbeat was calm, which told me that he had done this whole hitting on a mare fiasco before. Ugh, its weird just thinking about it.
“You’re going to need a better pick up line than that to get under any mare's tail, Safe Keeper” sighed out the barman “That is just too cliché”
“Really? It has worked before, Noble Fall” came the lecherous voice of this ‘Safe Keeper' to the barman, now apparently named Noble Fall, who proceeded to sigh, and walk off to do whatever his job entails, “YEAH THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT! Also, get me a pint would you!” he then proceeded to turn his attention back to us. I could practically hear Twilight’s thoughts of running away running in my head.
“Sorry about that cutie, the old goon has no idea what ponies privacy is, or how to not butt into other peoples conversations. So tell me, what’s a made like you, doing all on your lonesome, in a place like this?” he inquired. He seemed suspicious, like some sort of sixth sense inside me was telling that he was hiding something. I decided to play along.
“Mostly to quench my thirst, to be perfectly honest. Its started getting hard as of late” I replied, hoping maybe to get some sort of hint from him. The sudden change in his eyes made me think maybe I was. My host was staying strangely quite from this conversation, though seemed to be radiating an immense aura of disgust. It was hard to stop myself from getting overwhelmed by it.
“I see, and what’s your name, a if you don’t mind my asking, you look like a certain princess.” He replied, the lecherous tone giving way to a more greedy one. He is definitely hiding something. I guess he’s good at that.
“Theos, you can call me Theos. As for why I look like the princess, eh, just born this way. Why do you think I wear the hoody? It’s so ponies don’t mistake me for her. That got old pretty quick.” I reply, creating this up on the fly.
“Well then Theos. While I’m sure that’s an alias(I honestly felt some anger at that. My name is awesome!) I have something to show you, if you would be willing. It might help in sating some of those more…unique…thirsts.” He replied, full on foregoing trying to get under our tail in favour of getting us to follow him. I was wary, but this could be the breakthrough we need.
“Twilight, I’m going to start acting a bit differently, keep up a façade, so don’t annoyed at what I’m doing.” I whispered to her, before turning back to Safe Keeper. “Intriguing, lead the way.” I simply stated, to which a look of glee came onto his face.
“Sure thing, cutie,” he simply said, back to his normal manner, after getting me to agree to come with him. He hasn’t done that too many times, and lacks the confidence to do it naturally it seems. We both got up and started walking around the bar. On the way round I was stopped by the barman, Noble Fall, who whispered into my ear.
“Be careful My Lady, Safe Keeper is not the most smart of ponies, but he is dangerous, and what you are about to see is quite frankly downright horrifying. If you can manage to get them to stop it, I’d be thankful. And yes, I know who you are, Night Rider” he said, the last bit confusing both of us, as we continued onwards.
“What was that about?” my host inquired, to which I simply replied with confusion, as I continued on round the corner of the bar. We came to a metal door, where he took a key out of his pocket and opened it. Upon passing through the metal door, we came to the kitchen. There were many ponies in chef uniforms running about the many counters, trying to cook food for the customers, and none of them seem to care that we entered. Except one. This one was a unicorn with a navy coat and white mane/tail.
“Ah, Mosieur Safe Keeper, It iz a pleasure to have you back. Pleaze may you and ze fair lady follow me.” Said pony in accent that seemed wrong. Like it was butchered up.
“Please Coldbar, stop doing that fake accent, I swear your are going to offend someone” Safe keeper said. So I was right! HA! TAKE THAT ARCHITECT! I CAN BE RIGHT TOO! Not that you ever said I couldn’t.
“Very well, old friend” replied the pony I now know as Coldbar. No defence in his little game? They must really not care about it, or this Safe Keeper has more power than we thought, considering how stupid he seems. We soon came upon a set of doors in a diamond patterns, like in an old elevator. They opened up and we went inside to a elevator. Guess that clears that up.
“I got a bad feeling about this Theos” came the voice of my host as the elevator started descending to the depths. Not wanting to give anything away, I just nodded my head in response. “I feel like what we’re going to see down there is a lot of suffering.”
Again nodding my head, I returned to the real world as the elevator came to a stop with a ding. I honestly couldn’t lp but laugh, which got smiles of amusement from the other two. As we stepped out of the elevator we sa-
Horror. Screams. Fear. The sound of a few hundred heartbeats as one. I tried to cut myself off from it, not failing happily, but the shock to both mine and Twilight’s system was enough for the others to take notice. Luckily, they mistook it for excitement.
“Real beautiful sight isn’t it, baby” said Safe Keeper, pointing a hoof out to the rows upon rows of caged ponies, and I had to resist the urge to backhand him right there. “All these ponies, in cages like the livestock they are compared to us, the greater race. I know you’re one of us, and just so you know, this isn’t even the best part!”
Bes part? Oh Nine Circles below, it gets worse! I could almost hear my host faint inside, but she managed to hold on, and we started walking forward, through the rows upon rows of malnourished and defeated ponies, all looking forwards us with either resignation or spite. We finally came upon “the best part” and that’s when I broke. There were foals. All crammed into a few cages, to the point of breaking the cages without breaking them.
“So what do you think baby? Ain’t it a beautiful sight?” asked Safe Keeper with a sadistic grin on his face, a grin his friend right next to him was sharing. He then proceed to grab a foal inside by the head, and shove it outside the cage, and then bit down on its neck.
I felt something snap.
Something very important snapped.
We felt a hunger explode within. A madness different to our thirst. The fool decided now would be a grand time to gloat in our face.
“How delicious! Foals were always my favourite!” he shouted with utter glee, and then proceeding to turn towards me. “Hey cutie, you should…try……one…”.
It was marvelous! The look on his face in the face of our rising retribution! Our mind moved on one instinct, and in an instant he was toppled onto his back, Coldbar standing nearby in complete shock.
“We hunger…” was all we said to which his face contorted into a ball of horror. “Your very evil will sate us!” we shouted, plunging our mouth into their heart, somehow phasing through all physical aspects, and pulling. What came out was not a still beating heart, but a grey and black weapon, a whip with many spikes adorning it, that looked decrepit and decayed. We could just feel the lechery and greed emanating from it, and from the look on Safe Keepers face he recognised it. He shouted something, but it fell upon death ears. It was at this time we decided to speak.
“This is your Evil realised, a physical realisation of what is within your heart. Nothing but greed and lechery, and a decayed sense of right!” We shouted, grabbing the whip with her telekinesis, and striking across with his will. He was sent flying into a wall, leaving a heavy imprint. With a blast of our power, we decimated the arcane locking mechanism on every cage. All the trapped ponies regarded us in fear, and quickly ran to the elevator to escape.
However, we did not care. We slowly moved ourselves over to our downed for, wrapping the whip around our barrel in such a way it would be easily grabbed again. Upon finding our quarry we saw the delightful look of fear on his face as he regarded us with one eye. Within this eye we saw nothing but an endless pit of greed, obviously thinking of someway to save himself at the cost of another. This fear…it made our teeth ache, an ache with which to consume this sickly blood.
“Hush now…there is nothing to fear but us.” We cooed as we hard him whimper in response. We just couldn’t contain this desire any longer. WE JUST HAD TO SINK OUR TEETH IN! And sink our teeth in we did. Right into the neck. There was a short burst of blood splurging, but then it calmed down, and we drank…no…yes…
“STOP!” I shouted pulling away at the last possible moment before this pony was killed. No matter how much he deserved it for all his acts, and fought with the bloody lust inside. I managed to come out on top, panting in the exertion of fighting myself.
“W-w-w-what was that?” I heard Twilight stutter in fear, and who can blame her. We lost control, and almost killed someone.
“I have no idea.” I responded truthfully. I started trotting back to the elevator. I could feel that Twilight was too shaken up to talk right now, and thus got myself back to the elevator, scanning the room to make sure no one was left in a cage, just as it came down. The ponies that were saved were obviously afraid of me, and I might as well use that to my advantage.
“I’m going up first, and by myself!” I shouted to all of them, to which a line opened up through them, just like Moses and the red sea, leading straight to the elevator. They all regarded me with fearful eyes, not that I can blame them. I just showed an immense amount of some form of unholy power, a power they have most likely come to fear over their stay down here. I got back onto the ramshackle elevator, and turned round to regard the mass of fearful ponies.
“I’m going up to make sure there is no one up there to hurt you. When the elevator returns empty, you know that it will be safe to come up. I know most of you fear me, and none of you trust me, but I promise you, I will keep you safe.” I tried to reassure them and reaffirm my plan of action in my head. I felt the crowd murmur among themselves as I closed the elevator and it started to rise.
“That w-was well s-s-said.” Murmured Twilight, still obviously shook up from the incident we just had. Things were going lucky for us, and I’d rather things stayed that way until we got all of them out of here.
As the elevator shook upwards and the mass of ponies started to disappear from sight, I took one look at the weapon now wrapped around my barrel in disgust, and ascended to the inky blackness…