Chapter II - Seeking in Shadow
Alastor stood from his position next a tall mare with sharp eyes as the door slams open. Whipping around, he spots one of his guards, panting and wheezing for air. He walks closer to him, a frown forming on his face.
“Artemis, where is the rest of the fleet that was with you?” Alastor asks lowly. Artemis chokes but manages to stumble out his words.
“Unconscious in the east-west alleyway next to town square, sir,” he says. Alastor’s eyes narrow.
“Impossible.”
“Not impossible Alastor sir, I saw it with my own eyes!” the guard claims. Alastor grits his teeth and forces himself to relax.
“Who attacked you?” he asks calmly. The guard wheezes and starts talking again.
“A tall mare sir, brown mane and magenta eyes, she had a small mare with her,” Artemis replies. Alastor raises an eyebrow.
“What did the smaller mare look like?”
“I couldn’t see her very well, but the time I recovered from the shock of the second attack, they were gone sir,” Artemis explains under his breath. Alastor had a lump of anger in his throat.
“Get out of my sight maggot,” Alastor hisses softly. Artemis bolts out, the door slamming shut after him as Alastor let’s a sharp breath release from his throat. He turns to the mare who was sitting quietly, watching him.
“Rebels in my city?” he snaps, “Our contract states that everyone serve me with loyalty!” The mare’s eyes remain coldly on him.
“Our contract does indeed, but as I said, I shall not harm the goddess of the sun nor moon in a favor to you,” she says calmly. He stomps a hoof.
“Celestia and Luna are dead! It was declared so years ago, these are mere rebels that you failed to destroy malefactor!” Alastor huffs.
“Are you certain they are what you claim? Perhaps your egotistical mindset keeps you from seeing the possibility that they may have escaped your hooves,” she replies. Alastor grits his teeth and sinks back against the chair, resting his forehead on his hoof that was propped up on the arm of the chair.
“Even if they did escape, there is no place to hide, my guard patrol every hour, they would have been found…” he mumbles, more to himself then her. She tilts her head.
“Indeed, have you thought the identities that your soldier reported seem familiar?”
“A tall and short mare give me no leads… Besides, Celestia’s mane is the color of the skies and Luna’s that of the night,” he reasons, “They would have been pointed out easily.”
“Alicorns have quite the power, are you sure they did not disguise themselves to look like the rest of the little ponies that crowd the town square?”
“Damn it…” he growls softly, walking and leaning in the window, looking out over the town with his sharp maroon eyes. The mare watches him.
“What are you going to do about it Alastor? I can hear the gears ticking away in your head,” she says. Alastor had his eyes narrowed.
“I shouldn’t have sent someone else to do the job,” he mutters to himself,”I should have known Celestia would escape and no doubt take her sister with her.”
“Then why did you?”
“I can let those pathetic little ponies see me drenched in blood, that would ruin everything I’ve built, even with our contract,” he points out, “rebels will pop up everywhere, no doubt taking me from power if they gain to many numbers.”
“You truly are brilliant Alastor, even I will give you that,” she says, standing beside him. He kept his eyes in the distance, his brain working up ideas to resolve this. “Why is it you decided to kill them both however?”
“They are to powerful, even more so when together… Luna more than her sister if she yields her power the right way, she has worked me down to be without a scrape of physical form,” Alastor says softly.
“So the littlest yields that of the night?” the mare asks. Alastor nods.
“Indeed, I underestimated her last time, she changed her physical form in the blink of an eye,” he growls,” faster than I could prepare, setting me into a trap of my own design…”
“Perhaps you could use that power, gain her alliance would strengthen our numbers, making no need for the little ponies,” she says, “then you can give me what you promised in our contract.” Alastor grits his teeth, running a hoof through his dark mane.
“Mallory, I made you a promise, but you must be patient,” he says, holding onto her words,”Luna would never betray her sister, believe me, I’ve tried that before.” Mallory hums softly.
“So you fail once and dare not to try again?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Failure would mean my downfall and maybe even my death,” he says darkly.
“Either way, I would rather it be sooner or later Alastor,” she points out coldly, “you promised me and empire to rule, you will give it to me in due time.” With that she walks out. Alastor sighs in a huff of anger.
“First things first, I need to wipe out the one who set them free… and figure out if it truly is them,” he mutters under his breath, looking into the night sky, “don’t worry Celestia, I’ll find you, and this time, you won’t live to tell the tale.”