//------------------------------// // The Hangover Finale: Clarity // Story: Anima Mea Tenebre // by Nixus //------------------------------// The sun had reached its apex as the group of four traveled the streets on their quest to find Fancy Pants. They didn't have much to go on save for the word of the stallion whose carriage Fancy had taken. He had apparently hired the carriage only to stop a few minutes later before running off into the night. From that sole fact, Moe had been able to deduce that there was only one location that would have been open at the time he disappeared. A bar run exclusively by griffons, for griffons. Not exactly the best place for them considering that the driver had said that Griffons tended to be rather hostile and slightly xenophobic. It wasn't a long ways off from where they had stood either, maybe a ten minutes at most, but Moe had found himself talking to Octavia to pass the time. It wasn't exactly an awkward conversation to his surprise either. The mare seemed unfazed by the revelations about his encounters the previous night. Then again, she had been present to witness it. However, in his mind, he still felt the need to explain what had happened. Even if that meant going into detail about the exact results of his little show. Though what he did fail to notice, was the peculiar blush on both Octavia and Fleur's faces upon doing so. "So that's what you think happened?" Octavia asked with what seemed like relief. Moe nodded and both mares seemed to hold their tongues as he made his case. "I really just wanted to apologize for my actions last night. It wasn't my intention to sleep with your marefriend, or to even do any of that last night. I didn't even want to sleep with her! Not that I’m saying she’s unattractive or anything, but because… well I wasn’t exactly…” He hung his head, realising he was practically repeating himself and getting nowhere. “ Look, Octavia, things just got really out of control last night..." "If it's any consolation," Octavia replied as she looked at Moe, "the fault is ours. We pressured you into that situation despite your discomfort. I am sorry about that and I will having a word with Vinyl later concerning what happened. But yes, I agree, things did spiral out of control." Moe cocked an eyebrow at her words. "So you aren't angry at me for any of this." Octavia merely smiled back, but Moe could detect a subtle hint of disappointment in her tone. "When you've known Vinyl for as long as I have, you begin to expect these recurring incidents. I can’t tell you how many times she’s kissed another mare or stallion, or the nights she flirted with others." "So this isn't the first time, is it?" "No, she’s never slept with anyone before, but this situation is rather unique in a sense," she added with an awkward giggle and blush. Moe felt slightly pensive towards the mare’s words. However, before he could ask what she meant, Coppa decided to speak up. “We're here, ladies!” he shouted, causing the group to skid to a halt. Moe looked up and surveyed the bar in question. In fact, he could hardly miss it since it stuck out like a sore thumb. It was a rather dilapidated two story house, dwarfed on either side by massive skyscrapers. Its exterior consisted of four identical walls connected by concrete posts, and it looked like they had been constructed without any prior planning or concern. The front side was graced by a heavy wooden door and was situated next to a large cracked green and red stained glass window. The paint on the outside had all but disappeared, leaving the wooden slats to the mercy of the elements. The entire building was capped off by a slightly slanted roof that had lost a majority of its shingles. Moe was unsure if the sad state of the place was due to the owner’s lack of care or incompetence. His only concern at this point was to find Fancy and somehow get the hell out of there before any trouble stirred up. “You two stay here,” he told the mares. Both nodded and kept quiet, obviously not wanting to step foot in the building. Moe couldn’t blame either of them really. In truth, he also felt rather conflicted about stepping foot in the building, but managed to push the thoughts aside. This bar seemed like the rough sort of place that would be bound to play host to the degenerates that any sane citizen would do well to avoid. He could only imagine what sort of situation they were going to get themselves in if they said the wrong thing. Or, to be more exact, when Coppa said the wrong thing. “We’ll go in, ask if the bartender saw Fancy, and get out. Sound like a plan?” he asked. Coppa gave a grunt of acknowledgement that did nothing to soothe Moe’s anxiety. He grabbed his friends shoulder and turned him around so that he was facing him. “We don’t want to start a brawl. So just act polite and don’t piss anyone off.” Coppa brushed his hand off passively, all while attempting to reassure Moe. “Relax, man, you know I prefer to talk things out. I’ve always been a people person!” Moe deadpanned at his friend's enthusiasm. “Your version of ‘talk things out’ is to punch them in the face so they can’t argue back. That isn’t how it’s going to work out this time. I’ll be doing the talking, and you just stand behind me.” Coppa gave a huff of disappointment and murmured a quick “you’re no fun”. He pouted for the rest of the way until they reached the door. What took them only seconds to accomplish felt like hours in Moe's mind. He was half-tempted to turn back there and slink off like a dog with its tail between its legs. But he remained firm and went to grab the handle so he could open the door. And he would have successfully done so had Coppa not decided to practically blast the door off with his foot. Nearly a dozen griffons looked up and turned towards the two, forsaking their afternoon drinks to glare. Moe saw some flex their claws as Coppa strode into the bar with gusto. None of them looked happy that their afternoon drinks had been interrupted by the boisterous Dwarf. However, that did not seem to matter to Coppa who climbed a table, knocking almost everything down to the floor in one huge mess. "Alright, listen up!" he proclaimed loudly as if his presence had not been acknowledged already. "Which one of you feathered assholes has my friend? Give him up before I start cracking skulls!" There was only silence that answered the question, followed closely by the hard slap of Moe's palm as it met his forehead. "Coppa, you fucking retard!" It took only a moment of sheer unfiltered silence before all hell broke loose in the bar. ***** "Do you think they've found him yet?" Fleur asked Octavia as she bit her lip nervously. It had been nearly a full ten minutes since she had watched the two of them enter the bar. While she desperately wanted to find her Fiancé, Fleur was not willing to enter a place like that. It was not due to her concerns about social class; it was more along the lines of safety concerns. It wouldn't have taken much for any pony to overpower her or Octavia, regardless of their ethnic profile. But she wanted to help and be of any type of aid. Unfortunately, she knew she would be nothing but a liability in this situation. In the meantime, she figured that the best thing to do was wait patiently alongside Octavia. “I’m sure they’ll be out soon with good news,” Octavia replied, attempting to assuage Fleur’s concerns. Like the model, she had her concerns, but there was an extra layer to hers. She knew Fleur was thinking about it too, but the model was far better at hiding her emotions, a skill Octavia had yet to master. Her look of unease was about as obvious as the moon in the night sky, and it was no surprise that Fleur became aware of this rather quickly. “Do you think he remembers what he did?” Fleur asked with a slight giggle. “It was quite the event last night.” “He said he had only bits and pieces. All he seems to really recall is the beginning of the night and what happened afterwards; nothing more than that.” “Then I say we keep quiet. He’s already miserable as is.” “You’re probably right,” Octavia muttered in response. “Vinyl already told me about the bill for last night when she passed us. I’ll be setting my budget back for another two months because of this.” A sudden crash caused both their heads to snap back towards the bar. Bits of shattered glass littered the street, glittering in the sun like shards of gemstones. An unconscious brown griffon with a splotch of white on his breast was lying on his back with his wings spread out wide. His eyes had rolled into the back of his head and his mouth was slightly agape, showing of the newly formed cracks in his beak that most likely caused by the chair that had followed him through the window. They could hear the shouts and curses of the patrons inside as what sounded like a full scale war rock the building. A second griffon followed the first and landed with a hard ‘thump’ in front of the two. Octavia took a step back as the griffon struggled to get up. When he finally managed to get to his feet, she saw him cast a glance back at the bar before shooting off into the sky, a flurry of feathers following him. Another shout bellowed out from the building and they watched as Coppa climbed out of the window while Moe shot from the door, a passed out Fancy Pants on his back. And before either mare could so much as blink, Coppa had them scooped up and onto his shoulders while Moe took the lead. That was when they saw that a group of nearly fifteen Griffons followed closely, chasing after the two as they fled the scene. “What happened in there?” Octavia shouted before narrowly avoiding being winded when Coppa jumped over a pothole. Her mind tried to process the situation but the combination of panic, as well as the fact they were being pursued by an angry mob, made it difficult to think. Much to her relief, she saw that Fancy Pants was unharmed, only missing his trademark monocle, suit jacket, and anything that may have been valuable. “Apparently Griffons don’t take kindly to being called ‘feathered assholes’,” Moe stated as he looked back. Even though they were weighed down by the ponies they carried, Moe and Coppa were making headway as the mob was faltering behind, impeded by its own size. A couple of twists and turns found them clear from the mob's line of sight. “Hey, I said I was a people person. I never said anything about being a griffon person!” Coppa shot back with a grin. “Besides, the plan was boring. Should I also mention that we still got Fancy out of there?” “But did you really need to start a fight?” Octavia asked in panic. “Couldn’t you have... you know… just asked where he was?” “I did,” Moe replied as they turned. “Coppa was too busy putting a griffon’s head through a table to do it himself. I found him passed out in the bathroom of the bar.” They stopped and hid inside an alley way, taking position behind a dumpster and waiting as the sounds of the mob came closer. The group watched as their pursuers ran completely past the alley, shouting curses as their momentum kept them from seeing the five. Moe sighed in relief as the shouts died down and left the hiding spot. He glared at Coppa as he put the mares down. “I am going to kill you one of these days." Coppa snorted while he brushed himself off. “Yea, yea, keep telling yourself that. If I was gone, then who’d look after your sorry ass?” “Whatever, let’s just get back to the mansion and get this over with.” “Actually, if I may interrupt you two. The mansion is just on the other side of this block. We passed the road while we were running,” Fleur stated as she dusted herself off and made sure that her coat was in order. Moe looked at her incredulously before realising that she was right. A quick look at the street sign as they exited the alley revealed that they were situated on the street parallel to the mansion. And while it may have been rather convenient, Moe was not about to complain. In addition to that, it seemed as though the excitement had jostled Fancy enough that the stallion slowly awoke. “Hmm? Where are we?” he mumbled as his eyes squinted and took in the surrounding area. “And why am I currently on your back, Moe?” he asked as he noticed he was still situated on Moe. “Fancy dear, you’re alright!” Fleur said as she wrapped her hooves around Fancy Pants once he had clambered off of Moe. The stallion gave her a confused stare, but nevertheless accepted the gesture and embraced his mare. As they separated, Fleur gave him a peck on the lips, but cringed as she no doubt caught the smell of alcohol still lingering on him. “Perhaps a cleaning is in order?” she added as she drew away. Fancy sniffed himself in response before realising that he indeed smelled rather horrid. “I couldn’t agree more. Though perhaps we should hurry back home. The guests are due to arrive later this afternoon, aren’t they?" “You’re absolutely right!” Fleur agreed without so much as a second thought. Though Moe was never never one to underestimate others, he never imagined Fleur would have been able to pick up both Coppa and himself with her magic. He also never thought that one could simply walk an entire block in what seemed like half a heartbeat. Yet she did both, confounding and impressing the two of them with her display. Even stranger, both Octavia and Fancy managed to keep pace with her. The aura around them ceased to exist when she finally dropped them off upon reaching the front door. By the time they had all entered, Fleur had gone off to her room to freshen up and prepare herself for the party. Fancy and Octavia had followed suit, leaving Moe and Coppa in the front foyer. With nothing to do except wait, Moe decided to contemplate confronting Rarity in the hopes that she might forgive him. That notion only seemed to leave him with a terrible feeling in his stomach. There was no conceivable way in his mind that he could explain his actions. Using peer pressure only made it seem like he was pushing the blame to others. Arguing his state of inebriation would only serve to strengthen her argument and did little to defend him. He even thought that he should simply state she was overreacting to the situation, but that would do him little good. It honestly seemed to him that there was no way for him to earn her good graces again. “I see you’ve finally arrived back. Getting ready to pursue a new trophy tonight?” The chilling voice of the mare in question sent a nervous shudder down Moe’s spine. He looked forward to see her standing in the doorway to the main sitting room, casting a look of annoyance his way. Her sapphire blue eyes seemed like ice as they bore through him with a controlled glare. He felt tiny in the face of her anger, like an ant that was about to be crushed beneath a bootheel. Nervously, he swallowed as a million different scenarios played out in his head. Many of them involved him being rejected in one way or another and there was even one that involved him being thrown through the window by Rarity’s magic. However, he decided that it was high time to, as Coppa’s favorite comedian would say, ‘get ‘er done’ and at least try and open up a conversation. “Rarity, I need to explain something.” “Didn’t I already say that there was nothing to explain this morning?” she retorted, eyes staring daggers at him. “Or did you just choose to ignore my words?” “Rarity, I-” “No, Moe, I am not going to discuss this any further.” “Then how about I explain something?” Coppa said, taking a step forward toward her. Rarity eyed him suspiciously before turning to look back on Moe. A firm line was in place on her muzzle that quickly turned into a frown of disgust. “And what makes you think that I’ll even acknowledge what you have to say? This matter has already been resolved and there isn’t anything else to discuss.” “Yea, I know,” Coppa replied. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stand at the sidelines and watch it end like this." His words took a more forceful turn as he approached her. Rarity unconsciously backed away, moving further and further into the sitting room. Coppa looked back and mouthed a ‘wait a few’ before he closed the door, sealing himself and Rarity in the sitting room. Coppa locked the door behind him and then silently walked to one of the large chairs before plopping down in it. Rarity watched with a mindful eye while the dwarf stretched and made himself comfortable. Patiently, she waited for him to say something, but it seemed that he was as dead set on trying to find the perfect spot in the chair. As the seconds ticked by, she found herself getting increasingly frustrated to the point where she picked up a pillow with her magic and tossed it to him. “What is it you want?” Rarity demanded as Coppa slid the pillow behind his lower back and sighed happily. “You aren’t going to get me to reconcile with him.” Coppa leaned back in the chair, mimicking a stereotypical villain when he laced his fingers together and placed them on his lap. “No I’m not going to do anything. I’m just going to tell you to stop being a stubborn bitch and listen to him for a change.” Rarity was taken aback by his words. An intense fury welled inside her as her cheeks flushed and she took up a defensive stance. “Well I never! What right do you have to call me that?” “I have every right because it’s the truth!” Coppa snapped back. “Not once did you even take a second to think about Moe’s situation. Hell, did you even consider how he feels about this situation?" “I fail to see why I should care! If he’s miserable, then he has no one else but himself to blame.” “That’s what he’s been doing ever since you told him off. He’s been depressed and it’s only because we had to get Fancy that he hasn’t been able to think about it.” Coppa groaned and held his head in his hands. “I know what he’s like, and for him to be this affected by you is something to point out. You have no idea what you are to him, and I’ve never seen him this broken over a woman before as he is right now with you. Rarity, I… I really do think he’s in love with you right now.” She took a surprised breath as Coppa’s confession registered in her mind. Her throat went dry as her her mouth tried to form words, only for them to die on her tongue. She was skeptical if anything, and a part of her simply wanted to dismiss the notion as a lie so that she might give him a second chance. However, a wave of comfortable warmth began to set in her chest. Her mind seemed to be processing multiple trains of thought at the same time. Could Coppa really be telling the truth? Did Moe really feel that way about her? Was she simply overreacting like a jealous filly? Perhaps there was validity to his feelings? In retrospect, it had seemed like Moe was honestly regretful about the whole situation. He was obviously trying his hardest to work his way back to her, but she had simply brushed him off. As she thought about it, her heart began to flutter slightly. Her eyes acted on their own accord and she found herself taking a quick glance at the door before turning back Coppa. Now a part of her wanted to laugh while her heart began to beat uncontrollably. Maybe it wasn’t to late to reconcile after all. She quickly swallowed and chewed on her lip as she sought to recompose herself. She sat up straight and levelled her eyes with Coppa’s. She took a quick second to re-organise her chaotic thought process before she felt ready to answer back. “You know as well as I do how he acted last night. If he really felt that way, then he wouldn’t have acted as he did.” “Last night was my fault, Rarity,” Coppa admitted, guilt overcoming his features. “Moe is no playboy and he’d never act that way normally. It’s because I got him drunk that he got on that stage; I thought it was funny at the time and it was a way for him to loosen up. I didn’t think there’d be this much fallout because of that.” Rarity began to falter with that notion. Her anger at Moe was beginning to dissipate and formed into an emotional confusion. She would have accepted Coppa’s reasoning right there, but the lingering emotional toll was still fresh in her mind. Her trust in him had been damaged, and while she knew how foolish others got when they overdrank, she simply couldn’t find it in herself to give in. “Well that’s very admirable of you, but that still doesn’t excuse his actions,” she stated while Coppa groaned in disappointment. “Rarity, there’s something you need to know about Moe,” Coppa began. “I love the guy like a brother and he’s always been there for me, even in the worst times. He’s never given up on me and I’ll always be there for him. It’s because he’s always been the guy that is polite and always puts the needs of others above himself.” He sucked in a breath as Rarity noticed his hands become shaky with what seemed to be apprehension. “He’s the kind of guy that others just love to take advantage of, and it’s left him broken." Rarity was confused now. Broken? What in Tartarus did Coppa mean? Moe had seemed completely fine to her. Not once had he ever acted like anything had affected him to such an emotional degree. His attitude was always optimistic, bright and cheerful, though prone to bouts of sarcasm when it came to the dwarf in front of her. It never seemed as though he had suffered a day in his life. If anything, he was perfectly fine in her mind. Then, much like facing an oncoming train, it hit her. “Are you implying he was..." "I couldn’t tell you Rarity, and I doubt he will. Though you might wanna ask yourself something. Why else would he be afraid of opening himself up to women but manage to fall for you?” he asked, taking note of her reaction. “He’s never been lucky with any woman he’s met. Most either left him broken hearted or cheated on him in broad daylight. But out of all of them, his last girlfriend was the worst. That’s another thing I wish I could have helped him avoid." The shaky hands seemed to return as Coppa audibly ground his teeth. It was obvious that this topic was affecting him just as it was beginning to affect herself. She was on the edge of her seat as she listened to each and every word. Her own mind was beginning to fill with rage once more, but was directed at this unknown being. Her hooves were latched to the cushioned arms of the chair she sat on, kneading the soft material as she tried to remain calm. “She was the kind of girl who seemed normal enough, but when you saw how she acted around him, you just knew something was up. She had reputation as a real man eater too. When she found Moe, she completely dominated him and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. If you tried to get between them, she’d play these mind games that could practically destroy you. But it wasn’t like she was weak or anything either, it just seemed like she enjoyed bending others to do what she said.” “What did she do to Moe?” Rarity asked. Her voice had taken that icy tone once again, as though she was now interrogating Coppa. She knew the answer wasn’t going to be pleasant, but something inside goaded her on. She didn’t just want to know, she had to know. The mere thought of what sort of horrors this past relation had done on Moe’s psyche filled her with the same unbridled anger which had been present that morning. “What didn’t she do to him…” Coppa sighed. “Moe was practically a zombie after a month with her. Anything she told him to do, he did without thinking. If she wanted something, she got it and it didn’t matter if Moe was affected in any way. I joked about him being her slave and that he was completely whipped. Turned out that I wasn’t too far from the truth.” Rarity hung her head in shame as her feelings did a complete somersault. “ I didn’t know… I-I can’t even imagine what that must have been like.” “It wasn’t pretty. She ran off when people found out she was physically abusing him, but it seems she decided to literally leave her mark on him before leaving. I don’t know where she is now, but I’m just thankful that she’s gone. It took a couple of months before he began to trust others again, and honestly, I should have known that entire experience would have put a damper on him wanting to date again. But I guess that should show you how much you’ve affected him. He fell for you even though he was left scarred by the others he thought he loved.” Coppa rose from his chair, and gave a small pitying look to the door. Rarity swallowed as she rubbed away the mist that had begun to accumulate in her eyes. Though she was unsure of how it would play out, she knew what had to be done. “Coppa,” she began, drawing his attention to her. “I’d like to talk to him now. Could you please tell Moe to come and see me?” ***** Moe had almost worn a thorough trench in the floor as he paced outside of the room. Questions, concerns, doubts, and excuses plagued him while he walked the same circuit around the room for the hundredth time. It had only been a few minutes since he had been locked out, but that seemed like hours ago. In that time his entire being was in turmoil. His head told him that this situation was unsalvageable, yet his his heart told him that there was still a chance. The sheer gravity of the day’s events was also beginning to affect him as well. Running around and escaping a mob of angry griffons was even more tiring than he had thought. The fatigue was beginning to make his thoughts even more confusing and a wave of nausea was beginning to cause his stomach to churn again. He shook his head as though the action would help clear his head. Instead, he just felt worse and the anxiety within him only seemed to intensify. He sat down on a nearby chair and slowly breathed in and out, taking only a moment to wet his lips as he waited. “You look like you’re about to have a panic attack,” a voice remarked as the sound of hooves on the stone floor echoed in the room. Moe looked up to see Vinyl standing before him with her glasses perched on her forehead just below her horn. Her confident smirk was absent from her face. Instead, she had a look of grim concern about her. “You make up with Rarity yet?” Moe shook his head. “No, Coppa’s in there with her. I can only imagine what they’re talking about. But I’m prepared for the worst.” Vinyl pursed her lips together as though she were thinking about something. She slowly placed herself beside him, sitting on the floor and leaning her head against the chair’s arm. Moe’s body acted on its own, and he found his hand drifting toward Vinyl before it was placed on her head. She softly cooed in approval as his hand scratched her behind the ears and massaged her scalp. She let out a series of ‘mmm’s’ and ‘ahh’s’ as his fingers did their work. The action gave Moe comfort as well; the feeling of the mare’s soft mane running between his fingers did wonders to quiet the storm in his head. He watched her with a small smile as one of her hind legs kicked the air; much like a dog’s did when their owners scratched that perfect spot. It was adorable and hilarious in its own way and Moe tittered as Vinyl let out a cute noise of complaint when he withdrew his hand. “Hey Moe?” “Yes, Vinyl?” The mare shuffled in place as she seemed to fight to find the right words to say to him. Damn, this is a lot harder than I thought, she thought to herself. The expectant look Moe was giving her was also proving to be a distraction as she hunted for words. "I... I wanted to say sorry for all of this...” she managed to say as she chewed her lip. Her guilt decided to manifest itself in the form of misty eyes as she poured out to him. It wouldn’t have taken much for her to cry, slightly because of all she put him through; not that either of them wanted her to. Still, she felt that since it seemed like this was the proper time to do so, she was going to apologise. “I know that this is all my fault and I regret it, but when you live in the moment, you can lose yourself to it. If I knew that Rarity meant that much to you before, I would have held back and not done all of this. I know it isn’t not much to go by, but I am sorry about all of this.” “It’s okay, Vinyl,” Moe assured her, “everything’s always clearer in hindsight. It wasn’t just you who caused this. I’m to blame just as much as you or Coppa. But we all had fun for a while so I guess that can be considered the silver lining.” He outstretched his hand, allowing Vinyl to grasp it with her hoof. “So are we even then?” “Yea,” Vinyl agreed before pulling Moe into a hug. Moe grinned, happy that at least the two of them had that understanding. It was a relief to Vinyl as well, seeing that she was able to call him a friend now. Though, since it seemed like they were getting everything off their chests, she might as well tell the whole truth. “But ya know, if things don’t work out with Rarity and you’re available, Octavia and I wouldn’t mind you living with us. But if that happens, I think it’d be fair that I get first dibs. Getting you to myself for a bit would certainly beats having to share again.” Moe drew back, eyes wide and heart hammering in his chest. “W-what?” he said as his voice reached a pitch that would put Sweetie Belle’s to shame. “Come on Moe, a girl doesn’t kiss and tell,” Vinyl giggled as she turned away and began to trot off. A mischievous smile played on her face as she gave him a flick on the nose with her tail. “I’ll be seeing you around, Moe. Gotta discuss with the others how we’re gonna split this fine from last night.” She laughed loudly as she watched Moe’s face turn pale. “How do you think we should do it? Three ways maybe?” Vinyl asked. “Fleur only really watched, but I think Octy should float most of it. She was certainly the loudest out of the three of us after all~” This situation is rather unique in a sense… That single statement finally made sense now and almost shattered Moe’s mind. Everything was starting to come full circle now. The subtle blush and the slightly awkward tension coming from the mares when he talked to them. Now the the memories of the intimate moments were beginning to get slightly more crowded. “Oh sweet mother of god...” Moe moaned as the mare disappeared up the stairs. His entire body sunk into the chair as his brain nearly shut down. At the same time, a soft clicking noise came from the door beside him. He looked over to see Coppa stepping through and then nodding toward him. “She wants to talk to you.” Moe sighed and pulled himself from the chair. There wasn’t any even an exchange of words between them when he passed Coppa. No ‘good luck’ or 'go get her' came from the dwarf, only silence. To Moe, this was only a sign of something worse to come. He dreaded to think what was said or had been alluded to that made Coppa this way. But when he entered the room and shut the door behind him, the silence became even more foreboding. Rarity didn't do so much as look at him when he entered the room. Instead, she kept her eyes focused on the window to her side, watching the first of the rather early arrivals appear from their gaudy carriages. The light seemed to focus on her as she did this, giving her an ethereal sort of glow Moe never knew existed, yet seemed to make her even more beautiful in his mind. God, he was beginning to act like Spike. But he dismissed those thoughts almost immediately. This was not a time to appreciate the mare's appearance. Singing her praises and flattery would get him nowhere. This was his moment to make peace with her. "Listen, Rarity, I know that you don't care what I have to say, but I'm truly sorry for what I did. I can go on and on about how I was too drunk to think, or how Vinyl forced my hand, but we both know that those are just excuses. All I really want is to just go back to the way things were before all this drama. I-I just want my friend back, Rarity." The way those words left him almost made it sound like he was begging her. But his apology was as heartfelt as anything she had ever heard. He was just as regretful as Coppa had led her to believe, and she knew she couldn't hate him anymore. So with a quick breath, she left the chair and quietly made her way to him. "I don't know if it can ever be the same again, Moe," she said as he became crestfallen. "You hurt me, Moe. You showed me a wonderful night, only to betray my trust on a whim. How can I expect you to be my friend, let alone give you the possibility of something deeper, if I have to concern myself that you might go behind my back?" "There's no possibility for us then?" "No, there isn't. There's just too much to deal with presently. I think that perhaps the best course of action would be to part ways. I just need some time to think that is…" The words cut through him like a saw. He was practically on the verge of collapsing to his knees at that moment. His mind had been right, there wasn't any hope for reconciliation. Once again fate had been successful in ruining all his chances. Slowly, he turned away, accepting the fact. It took him a minute to slowly make his way to the door, and just as he was about to turn the knob, Rarity's voice stopped him. His head shot around so that he could see her, but his body was still turned towards the door; a rather uncomfortable position. "Excuse me for being rude, sir, but are you by any chance attending the party tonight?" "I wasn't exactly planning on it, given the circumstances," he replied, confused by her words. "I thought you said you needed to think about things? "And I have, I decided that maybe we should start over again and get to know the real us," she said with an honest smile. "My name is Rarity and I have a slight predicament. See, I was invited to this party on such a short notice that I wasn't able to arrange a date to accompany me. Seeing as you look like the sociable sort, I was hoping that you might know someone who is free. After all, it would be unthinkable that any mare should go to such an event by themselves." Moe would have had to be completely dense to not pick up on her words. It seemed that 'time to ourselves' meant a small period of a few minutes to think about it. A broad smile replaced the defeat on his face while giving her a slight bow. "A pleasure to meet you Miss Rarity. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can be of service to you there, Madame, my connections are not as broad as you suspected. If it is any consolation, perhaps I may accompany you to the party? I too lack a companion of my own tonight." "A shame," she replied. Slowly she extended a hoof to Moe. "Nevertheless, I would be delighted for you to be my companion for tonight." "The pleasure is all mine," he said as he gave her hoof a light kiss. Rarity giggled when the action was repeated a few more times before letting go. The mare curtsied in return, but managed to act quickly, giving Moe a light peck on the cheek. With that one small action, Moe's heart nearly exploded. The two of them looked at each other as they pressed their foreheads together. Moe stroked her cheek with a single finger and drawing a sigh from her. "Well now that it's a settled, and we've thought about it," she said as the two of them parted and basked in the sunlight coming in through the window together, "I have a question for you Moe. If it isn't an inconvenience." "I'll do my best to answer." "May I know the name of the last harpy who hurt you?" she asked. Moe dropped all signs of happiness at the question, going stiff as a board. Rarity bit her tongue, cursing herself for ruining his mood. "I'm sorry, that was a terrible question to ask. Coppa told me about her, but never gave a name. I hope you'll forgive me." "No, no it's okay. Just a little out of the blue," he replied. His breath wavered slightly as he wetted his lips. "Why did you want to know?" he asked with bated breath. "So that if I ever meet her, I won't have to give her the pleasure of a greeting before I tell her how I'll enjoy clawing her throat out." Moe smiled while being slightly taken back by the ferocity of her words. Hopefully it would be the last time he'd even think of the name. But he was all too happy to give her what she desired. Those words told him that he was at least an important part of her life now. "Mileena," he said quietly. "Her name was Mileena. But I doubt you’ll ever get the chance to meet her.” “Well that is some fine news then,” she replied before trotting forward and beckoning him to follow with her tail. “Come along then, Moe, we must be getting ready for the party~” Moe smiled and followed her, the great feeling of peace settling in his chest. Thank god this is over, he thought to himself. Perhaps now I can finally move on from her. ***** He’s thinking of me... Red fire enveloped the pendant, flames dancing and flickering as they surrounded the piece of jewelry, running through the many crevices of its brightly polished exterior. Smoke and ash followed the flames as they dissipated any remnants of the dirt and dust that accumulated over the past few days. As another gout of flame blasted the pendant, it began to take on a bright reddish hue, sucking up the heat as though it were eating the flames as they hit it. The black dragon in the centre glowed intensely before it began to cool and return to its regular colour. The female drake smirked as she grasped the palm size trinket between her thumb and her index finger. Carefully, she unclasped the chain that held it and watched as the dragon in its centre finally became cool enough to touch. She then sighed as she gripped it tightly and felt the heat of the metal pass through her glove and warm her hand. Had she been anything but a drake, the heat and pain of the metal would have been unbearable. Instead, the trinket simple felt like a warm coal in her palm as she kept tightening her grip until it left an imprint in her glove. “Even now he’s still thinking of me,” she stated to herself while brushing a strand of her ultramarine hair from her face. Her face broke into a malicious smirk as her finger traced the pendant nestled in her hand. “The pet still thinks of its master even after all this time.” “Your obsession with the elf would normally be concerning," Shishiro stated neutrally as he seemed to emerge from the shadows. He still wore the same cloak from the days before, but she could see the glint of metal and armour beneath its folds. She managed to suppress a scowled as the human mocked her while keeping a seemingly uninterested attitude at the same time. "Though seeing how you treat prisoners, it's not surprising you'd be obsessed with the one that got away." "That could be said about you as well," she retorted, small jets of flame coming from her mouth and nose. The comment seemed to have the intended effect as he started to glare at her. There was no friendliness between the two, only a common purpose and she was fairly sure that, had Dagon not forbidden it, Shishiro would have likely found himself dead on the ground long ago. "What is it you want? Or are you simply trying to waste my time?" "Dagon told me to let you know that we will reach the town within the next two days." The young man's mocking glare only intensified as he saw the dragon around her neck. “Don't worry, you'll have your toy soon enough." "That is good news. Tell Dagon that I'm thankful for the information. I'll be back at the camp before tonight." "Very well then," he replied just as a soft moan of pain came from behind Mileena. He cocked his head and caught a glimpse of a figure huddled in the corner of the clearing. A green pony slowly crawled into view, using only its front hooves to drag the tangled mess of its hind limbs. Tears leaked from its fear filled eyes as it struggled to escape. Shishiro almost felt a pang of pity for the thing. It was certainly unfortunate that it was caught by Mileena of all people. He smiled before retreating back into the shadows and she watched as the blackness grasped him, almost appearing to try and swallow him whole. It started with his legs and slowly made its way upwards, covering him until only his disembodied voice remained. "Hurry on home quickly, I'm sure Dagon would hate to lose his favourite sadist in such a large forest." "Go to hell," she spat as the shadows finally took him. She wished that she could strike him with her sword at that moment and listen to his screams as he slowly bleed out, but the fear of inciting Dagon's wrath proved to be an effective deterrent, even in his absence. That didn’t mean she couldn’t imagine it though. That dream faded as the moment passed, giving way to a new though that caused Mileena's mouth to salivate and her mind to drift. Two days never seemed so far away. She longed for him, her body aching to see him as though she were in withdrawal. She wanted to hear him moan in pleasure and scream in pain. He would be her’s once more, and she would be damned if he was going to escape her once again. She smiled, sighing in content as her finger touched the pendant around her neck. A small blush came to her cheeks at the mere thought of the new pleasures she would subject him to. Her body began to heat up with the thought and her confident smirk turned into a sadistic grin. She turned to face the wounded creature and tucked the pendant beneath her shirt. The scraping noise of a dagger leaving its metal sheath must have sounded like such an awful sound to its ears as they flattened against its head, but to her, it only sounded like sweet music. She was going to have to cut her time short, but such was the price in this case. If she went through with her usual game, then that two days of travel would be extended into four, maybe five. Either way, the taste of iron filled her mouth and she felt her pulse quicken as placed the tip of her dagger under the pony’s chin. “Don’t worry, I’ll make this quick. You get that one small mercy,” she whispered before she drove the metal blade through the soft flesh and into its skull. A soft gurgling noise came from the rigid pony’s throat before she ripped the dagger out sideways, nearly taking off half the pony’s face in the process. It collapsed and gave an involuntary twitch of its useless back leg in the midst of its death throes. The green grass beneath it turned crimson and Mileena licked her teeth as she turned away. Two days never seemed so far away to her, but the wait was well worth the reward. “Soon we’ll be back together, I promise you that.” She licked the bloody blade, savouring the taste of warm iron on her tongue. The body would have made for a good snack, but her hunger was for something else entirely. The animals could have the carcass, she had better things to prepare for. “Don’t worry my pet, you’ll get to see how much I’ve missed you…”