Steel Heart was not one to terribly enjoy the court of the Camarilla, it bored her greatly, and she tended to find her time much better served elsewhere in the city. Things had been slightly more interesting, with the Prince’s disappearance, and the arrival of the regency council. Whatever the case, the Ancillae running things had kept the Canterlot Principality stable and mostly free of vampiric crime. Steel looked towards the three regents. Court was continuing as normal, the Deer Cian being a bleeding heart as always, Holy Way some pious earth pony preaching against degeneracy, and Proud Wing, the only reason things were still running.
Proud Wing was quite thoroughly annoyed with the current case, slamming down the gavel and bellowing. “I’ve heard enough of this squabbling. The Anarchs are at fault. It was their responsibility to uphold their end of the deal, they have failed. If the Anarchs refuse to topple this problematic baron, my own will handle it. Begone now, before I decide to be less merciful.”
The court was very much a tasteful place, of Steel Heart’s preference, the prince and her had been from the same century after all, and the decor was very much of the Pegasi variety, Cloudsdale cloud fonts, and fountains adorned the palace, pillars of marble to mimic the clouds, and establish dominance in the traditional pegasi way. It appealed greatly to Steel’s sense of decor and grandeur. She had always wanted to show Dusk this place. Alas it had not been meant to be.
Steel frowned as she delved into her own thoughts, mulling over the Prince, and his sudden disappearance. It was disturbing to her, as it was already disrupting the peace. Several serial embracers had arisen recently, and been causing havoc. If something were not done soon, Luna would have to begin activating the secret police to scour the city. An unappealing and bloody line of events that Steel would not let happen. She had sworn it.
Either way Steel zeroed back into the court, her ear twitching to alert, at the sound of some creatures dragging in others. Something interesting surely was about to happen… Still she payed attention to the current proceedings, Proud Wing passing a judgment to approve a primogen’s proposals. “Yes I believe this in the interest of the Prince. See it done that the Anarch barons are submitting to our inspections. I approve of your methods for dissenters.”
The creatures were getting closer, it sounded as if they were dragging a pair, likely a serial embracer had been caught. She was amused that everyone was so enthralled with court today that no one noticed. The next presentation was brought out, by an anarch baron. This was Red Mane, a Earth Pony Gangrel who had been brought to heel recently, after one of his coterie had gone berserk, causing a scene in the Canterlot markets a few nights ago. Red Mane began speaking. “Apologies Regents, it has been discovered that my previous associate, had been starving himself out of guilt, and was indeed responsible for his own fate. It is a motion of solidarity between our two movements that execution will be carried out immediately. I apologize that this reflects poorly against myself and vampire society as a whole.
Proud Wing always got a thrill from people submitting to him, and apologizing to him. Steel knew it was an easy way to butter him up. Either way, Steel amusedly watched as Proud Wing made his last statement she assumed before the main event. “Your apology is accepted, we hope that you are more prudent in the future. You are dismissed.”
Steel continued gazing from the sidelines of the court, as something interesting began happening. Whispers and murmurs were heard from among the attending courtiers, the vampires of many walks and ages gazing to see something rare. A Vampire had been dragged before the court, what appeared to be a Malkavian, based on the color of his bindings. He was of course staked, while another was dragged in alongside them. A childre she presumed, and the pieces clicked into place. The Malkavian had embraced this pour pegasus without the blessing of the council. Steel sighed lightly as the case began being presented.
“Good councilors, we have arrested and detained the individual in question, he had completed embracing this Pegasus mare. We’ve yet to detain the other victims for judgment.”
Proud Wing frowned and mulled over this situation, before replying. “Death to the serial Embracer. He’s gone mad, there is nothing to be done. Death to the childre as-”
Steel was in front of Proud Wing before anyone could truthfully blink, Steel was before him, the Blue Mare, with purple eyes standing in front of him, before looking over the rest of the room. “The death sentence upon the embracer stands. The Childre will be spared. I will take them as my charge, until such a time that they are able to stand on their own.”
Proud Wing immediately got flustered and angry as he tended to when he was interrupted. “This is hardly a time to be stepping in on pity projects Steel! You know the problems that could arise with this! Let us not forget, that-”
Steel turned and glared at him, eying him up and down. “I represent the interests of the Camarilla as I have always done. I will handle her should she arise as a problem. Is that sufficient, or shall I get a royal grant pardoning her?”
Proud Wing glared daggers into Steel. “Let it be upon you and your head should she cause an issue. The Childre is spared, and the charge of Steel Heart. Execute the Embracer, and next case!” The executioner takes action, and soon the Embracer is naught but ash.
Steel walks towards the childre, and unbinds her bindings, before unstaking her. The pegasus mare breathed heavily, and looked up at Steel, seeming pleading and about ready to cry, however Steel simply spoke. “You are my charge. Arise if you can and follow me. We will be heading to my estate. If you cannot walk I will carry you.”
The Mare muttered as best she could simply uttering. “T-Thank you…” Steel sighed and lifted up the mare, princess carrying her as they made their way outside of the palace. “You are welcome childre.” The Mare would cling desperately to Steel, as Steel made her way out of the building, before wandering the halls, then arriving at the villa gate, going suddenly insanely fast, the pair unable to hear anything but the dash of wind. Either way, Steel would come to a stop in front of a two story small house, and pass the garden gate with ease, before setting down the mare, who eventually got to her feet, as Steel unlocked the door before beckoning the mare inside.
“Welcome to my home. Do you have a name?” Steel would maneuver and take a seat in the living room as the mare stumbled along, before arriving at the seat opposite of Steel, seemingly still in shock.
The mare would gather herself though, as Steel waited patiently, the mare finally meekly answering the question. “I am… I am Wind Runner. You are… Steel Heart yes…?”
Steel would offer a somewhat soft smile, seemingly just trying to comfort the poor mare, nodding. “Yes I am Steel Heart. I will not overly educate you now, but come tomorrow night I will teach you what I can. Now… I will leave it at some ground rules. You will be sleeping on the ground floor, within the guest room. You are not allowed to go upstairs under any circumstance, unless I explicitly invite you. Otherwise you are free to roam the first floor. Am I understood?”
Wind Runner would nod meekly as Steel explained such, before asking. “Why… why is it so dark here?” Wind Runner would rub at her arm, seemingly trying to bring herself warmth that was truthfully no longer there.
Steel would sigh and come over to the girl, kneeling in front of her and taking one of her hands. “We are Kindred. Vampires. The sun has no love of us. I am sorry to say, but you will never know the true warmth of the sun, or life again. It is a hard truth to bear but it is so. Worry not of this tonight though. Let us get you rested.”
Wind Runner squeezed Steel’s hand as they rose, but went along with Steel, as Steel led her through the first floor, going deeper to the inner section of the building, arriving at a room with no windows, built seemingly into the staircase. “For now, I will have you rest here. It’s not the best I know but-”
Wind Runner would squeeze Steel’s hand, as Steel went to look to her, seemingly perplexed before Wind Runner replied. “No, it is fine. Thank you, it’s better than where I was before… that man… the one who… turned me? He lured me to him by… promising me a better world…”
Steel would squeeze Wind Runner’s hand. “I am sorry, this life did not choose you, but it is yours now. Do you need anything more?” Steel would get Wind Runner situated in the room, and release Wind’s hand, as Wind cozied up within the bed.
Wind would smile to Steel. “N-No it’s fine. How do I get to you if I need you?”
Steel would offer another faint smile, before replying. “Simply call for me. I can hear quite well, doubly so within my home. Now then… rest. I will handle your feeding tomorrow.” Steel would close the door, and await a few moments, before wrapping around the corner, and ascending the stairs.
She would arrive at the top of the stairs, and turn the corner, heading towards the master bedroom, slipping inside swiftly, and resting against the inner end of the door, going to find the mirror in the room, a dresser, she looked into the empty mirror, lacking her reflection, looking along the edges, seeing her wedding photos, a proud looking middle aged Griffon, of white head, gray body, and wings. He looked so good that day… Steel frowned as she closed her eyes, her undead heart sinking. It was lonely… so crushingly lonely these days… She opened her eyes, and stared at a plush doll, of similar appearance to her deceased husband, staring at it for a long while, before picking him up and cradling him close to her chest, starting to pet it lightly, before Steel started crying lightly, arriving at her now empty bed, as she settled there, tears running down her cheeks uncontrollably, even if slow and steady, she couldn’t cease them.
She sat there quietly embracing the last thing Dusk had even given her, shedding tears, her emotions running amuck and wild. “Some spy I am Dusk… Emotional bonds are a terrible thing to have, doubly so for I. I’m sorry my love… I tried… I tried so hard… I… I’m sorry Dusk… My beloved Dusk Quill… I should’ve been more prepared… You were a griffon after all… there was never a guarantee that I could embrace you… I killed you though… I can’t… I still can’t forgive myself Dusk… I know you told me… Life or true death… you would always love me… I can’t do it though dusk… I can’t get over the fact I drained you… and you were unable to accept my blood… Why couldn’t it just take… You just had to be a griffon… of all the creatures I could come to love with all my being… to bring my dead heart back from the brink… Alas… I saved someone today… someone who was embraced… I’ll teach them… as I would’ve you… Maybe… Maybe then it won’t hurt so much…”
Steel would cry a while longer, before wiping them up, and settling on the bed, cozying up under the covers, and settling in for rest, holding what remained of Dusk against her, the tragedy of what had taken place was… forever… Not even her godmother Luna could do anything… nothing but ensure Dusk’s soul found rest in the font… Steel squeezed the doll closer to her, before eventually lulling off to a dreamless sleep…