//------------------------------// // The Lust Of Eros // Story: Our Darkest Days // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// The trio arrived at the island nation of Minostan, ancestral home of the Minotaurs. "Whoa, check out all the two-leggers." Sterling noted, looking at all the Minotaurs. "Why would a page be hidden here?" "Probably because it's the last place anypony would think to look." Sunset argued. "Speaking of looking, this is a pretty nice place." Sterling glanced around. "We're not here to sightsee, Cross." Echo declared. "We have a page to collect." "And where might that page be?" Sunset asked. "In the possession of Venus Eros, a Unicorn archaeologist who currently resides here." Echo revealed. "Ponies live here?" Sterling frowned. "Of course." Echo nodded. "Just as a small amount of Minotaurs call Equestria home, so do a few ponies call this island home." "I can see why they'd want to live here." Sunset smiled, feeling the balmy breeze run through her mane. "The weather's great." "Oh, yeah." Sterling agreed. "Finally, a decent temperature." "Let's not dilly-dally." Echo declared. "The most likely place we'll find Ms. Eros at is the dig site she's currently working on, just due east from here." "Then let's get to it." Sunset smiled. "Maybe we can score four pages." "Here's hoping." Sterling nodded. As they made their way to the excavation site, they saw a mare wandering around, carrying a photo of a stallion. "Excuse me, have you seen this stallion?" She asked them worriedly. "He's my husband. I haven't seen him in days." "I'm sorry, miss." Echo shook his head. "We haven't seen him. And besides, we've only just arrived here." "I understand." The mare sighed. "Thanks, any." "A missing pony..." Sunset frowned. "I'm getting a serious sense of deja vu..." They arrived at the site to find it empty. No soul was in sight, whether they be pony or Minotaur. Though it was clear there had been ponies there recently. There was even a photo of the crew with their head archaeologist, a handsome stallion. There was only one female pony in the group; A pink Unicorn mare with a yellow mane, purple eyes, and a Cutie Mark of two hearts overlapping each other. A note beside the photo read: Thanks for all the hard work, guys! -Venus "That must be Eros." Echo surmised. "Hubba-hubba." Sterling grinned. "What a hottie!" He then Sunset glaring at him. "For an archaeologist, I mean..." "Watch it, Sterling." Sunset rolled her eyes. "I don't think the crew would appreciate you drooling all over the picture." "Which begs the question: where is everypony?" Echo frowned. "This place should be packed with workers. I suppose they could all be on their lunch break..." "I doubt it." Sterling frowned, glancing at all the artefacts lying on tables, half-cleaned. "No self-respecting archaeologist would leave their discoveries out in the open like this. That's just asking for robbers to steal them. And these look like some valuable artefacts." "You know about archaeology?" Sunset asked, amazed. "Oh, yeah." Sterling nodded. "It's kind of a hobby of mine, actually. Before I became a Royal Guardspony, I used to go on digs just like this." "Well, I am impressed." Sunset smiled. "I didn't know you had it in you." "There's a lot you don't about me." Sterling smiled. "This place remains me of a dig site I was at a while back. We found all sorts of great stuff. Even a genuine saddleskrit scroll." "No kidding?" Sunset gasped. "That's amazing!" "Sure was." Sterling grinned. "And this other time-" "Perhaps we should move on." Echo interrupted. "Standing around here is accomplishing nothing. We must continue our search elsewhere." As the trio left the site, Echo pulled Sterling aside. "I know what you're trying to do." He growled. "Trying to get on Sunset's good side, so you can lull her into some sleazy tryst." "Say what?" Sterling growled. "You heard me." Echo snarled. "I know you've been leering at her all this time. You probably only see her as a pretty face and a shapely flank, don't you?" "And what do you see her as?" Sterling retorted. "Just some lowly assistant with a decent brain you can use to help your little mission?" "I see her as a friend." Echo glared. "And as her friend, I will protect her from your unseemly advances. She is too good of a mare to be associating herself with somepony like you." "Now that is going too far." Sterling growled. "Sure, I may come on a little too strong sometimes, but believe it or not, I actually care about Sunset. She's a real sweetheart, and one beautiful mare. Or can't you see that?" "Well, I..." Echo suddenly spluttered. "The bottom line is, you've got nothing to worry about." Sterling declared. "Even if something did happen, I would be a perfect gentlestallion. I give you my word." "...Fine." Echo said grudgingly. "I suppose that's good enough." "Thanks for the vote of confidence." Sterling snorted, "But honestly, don't you know a gorgeous mare when one is right in front of you? Because for another stallion who doesn't want me messing around with her, you don't seem to be making any advances yourself. Why is that, Echo?" "Simple. Sunset is my assistant. She was not chosen by Celestia herself for me in hopes of me achieving physical pleasure with her." Echo grunted, "She was chosen because her knowledge and intellectual capacity regarding dark magic was almost equal to my own. And you know what they say: don't mix work with pleasure." "Come on, Alchemy, you mean to tell me that you don't feel a bit of sexual attraction towards her?" Sterling gestured to Sunset as she walked further ahead. "Not one bit?" "Well..." Echo hesitated. "...No. Not one bit." "You disappoint me, Alchemy." Sterling shook his head. "Hey, guys!" Sunset yelled, far ahead of them. "What's the hold-up?" "Coming!" Echo and Sterling called together. As they re-entered the town, they couldn't help but notice more news of missing stallions. They came across even more mares, who were trying to find their husbands and coltfriends, and even some stallions missing their wives. "More missing ponies." Echo frowned. "What could have happened to them?" "Maybe some tentacle monster got 'em." Sterling shrugged. "You know how grabby those guys are." Sunset actually chuckled at Sterling's joke. "Good one!" She nudged him lightly. "Thanks." Sterling grinned. "I'll be here all week." Echo frowned again. "Let's check out the local bar." He suggested. "Perhaps somepony there has seen Eros." The trio made their way to The Asterion, a fairly large bar, and started questioning the patrons about Eros. None of them seemed to know anything about her whereabouts; She had apparently vanished some days ago. "Another dead end." Sunset sighed. "What now?" "I don't know." Echo sighed. "Where could Eros be?" "Looks like you three are a little stressed out." A male Minotaur sidled over to them. "I know how to fix that." "You do?" Sterling asked sceptically. "Oh, yeah." The Minotaur grinned. "There's this Unicorn mare who hangs out at this old photo studio at the edge of town. She's great at... relieving stress." He handed Echo a card with the address on it. "You should drop by sometime." "We'll keep that in mind." Echo frowned, reluctantly taking the card. "Oh, please do." The Minotaur chuckled, as he left. "What a sleazebag." Sterling snorted "Relieving stress... I know what he really meant, and I don't go for that kind of filth!" "Yes, it's..." Echo trailed off as he glanced at the card. "Wait. This writing... It looks exactly like the kind on a note I saw at the dig site. The one signed by Eros! This is where she is!" "Well, whaddaya know?" Sterling smirked. "Let's get going." Sunset declared. Not long after, the trio walked into the abandoned studio, where they discovered a few tied up mares and stallions. "What the..." Echo gaped. They looked around, and soon found the archaeology head from the photo, with his mouth duct-taped shut. "Mmmph!" The stallion said through his gag. "Hmmmmph!" "What are you guys doing in here?" Sterling asked. "Are you alright? Do you need help?" "Hmmmmph!" The stallion mumbled. "Hmmmmmph!" "Oh my..." Sunset gaped. "Everything is going to be fine." Echo reassured him. "We are not here to harm you." Echo moved to free him, before he tripped on a piece of rope, his rear in the air. The head began to panic as he glanced up. Suddenly, they heard a dark chuckle, as Sunset and Sterling glanced up to see Venus Eros in the rafters. She looked almost exactly like she did in the photo, save for a messy mane, and the fact she was wearing red-and-black striped socks on her hooves, one of which had the page poking out of it. "My, just walked in the door and already presenting." The mare smiled. "Venus Eros. Nice to make your acquaintance." She gazed at Echo's rear. "Truly, it is..." The mares and stallions and the head began to panic more. Echo got up and looked up at the mare, a bit perturbed. "Sorry about that, ma'am." He straightened his glasses. "There's no need to get all excited. We are just here for the page you have... so, can we have it?" "Dear me, I've never had a Thestral before." Eros remarked, ignoring Echo's question. "Is it true that you nurse on the blood from your mate's neck when having relations?" The trio were caught off guard by the question. Echo was mortified, while Sunset and Sterling were bemused. "Um, well, sort of." Echo said awkwardly, trying to regain poise. "It's a rather old and archaic mating ritual. Most Thestrals don't even do it anymore nowadays, for their loved ones' sake. You know, since we have that negative vampony stereotype going for us?" "You don't say?" Eros mused. "Then, maybe you wouldn't mind demonstrating it by biting that sweet little mare's neck next to you, for me?" "What?!" Echo gasped, trying not to blush. "Me?!" Sunset spluttered. "Hey lady, my pal here isn't biting anypony's neck." Sterling said firmly. "Maybe a little lick?" Eros pouted, taking a nearby pulley and riding it down to their level. "My apologies, ma'am, but I am in no mood to engage in... well, anything right now." Echo declared, still a little flustered. "We just want the page and everypony in here, and we can just act like nothing happened." "Oh, don't you worry, you will be in the mood..." Eros grinned as she sauntered towards them, her horn glowing as the exit locked up, much to the trio's discomfort. "That door won't open again until you start being a little more... obedient." Her face contorted darkly as the hostages grew more scared. "If you don't listen to me... then I'm going to be..." Her horn started glowing viciously and her eyes became wispy. "...One, angry... lady!" Her horn glowed red and unleashed some fire, which swirled as she swished her horn around, much to the trio's horror. "Why are the hot ones always so crazy?" Sterling bemoaned. "Hey." Sunset glared sideways at him. "Now... why don't you try taking some of my suggestions?" Eros stepped back a bit as she gave an evil smile. "Maybe you'll find me a bit more..." She did a sultry pose, patting her body in the right place. "...Cooperative?" "I think we should just calm down." Echo declared. "No need to resort to violence..." Then he added quickly, "Or anything coitus-related." Eros then let out a crazy laugh. "Guess again!" She cackled. "I happen to get a real kick out of violence!" A stream of freezing vapour burst out of her horn, which the trio narrowly dodged. "You know what they say: The best ones run hot and cold!" She shrieked. "Not bad." Sterling admitted, as he pointed his crossbow. "But you're still outnumbered." "Oh, am I?" Eros sneered, her horn glowing a sickening green. The captive stallions were suddenly freed from their bonds. Before they could attempt to escape, they were enveloped by the dark magic. "You see that, boys?" She put on a wounded look. "This brute's trying to attack a poor, defenceless mare and take me for his own…are you going to let him?" "Defenceless?" Sterling snorted. "Seriously?" The stallions glared at Sterling venomously, and started throwing insults as they advanced on him. "Where do you get off, attacking that poor mare?" "Somepony should teach you how to treat a lady!" "Get him!" The stallions charged at Sterling en masse. Sterling lowered his crossbow, and attempted to face them physically. "Nothing better than having guys fighting over you." Eros sniggered, turning to leave. "Have fun, boys!" "Oh no, you don't!" Sunset yelled, giving chase. "Come on, Echo!" "Right behind you!" Echo followed. "Don't worry about me, guys." Sterling said sarcastically, as he punched a spellbound stallion in the face. "I'll be fine!" Echo and Sunset following Eros up to the rafters and scaffolding. "You can't get away, Eros." Sunset declared. "Oh, I think I can." Eros tittered, her eyes growing wispy again. "Something tells me you're going to be a little busy..." Before either of them could react, Eros fired another beam of dark magic straight at Echo. "Echo!" Sunset gasped. "Are you okay?" Echo shook his head, then stared at Sunset, his eyes glazing over. "I'm fine." He smirked. "And so are you..." "Excuse me?" Sunset gaped, hoping desperately that she had heard that wrong. "I've never really noticed before, how the red in your mane brings out your gorgeous eyes." Echo strutted over to her. "Or how long and slender your legs are..." "Um, thanks..." Sunset said awkwardly as he backed her against the railing. "But this really isn't the time..." "How could I not have seen what an attractive, and quite frankly, desirable mare you are?" Echo pondered, reaching out and stroking her mane. "No matter. I can simply make up for lost time..." "Echo, try and fight it." Sunset urged, a blush tinging her cheeks. "We have a mission to complete, remember?" "I've got a new mission now." Echo purred. "Satisfying your every need." "Echo, please..." Sunset cringed. "Remember that blood-nursing thing Eros mentioned?" Echo grinned, baring his fangs. "Maybe we could try that..." "Oooh, this is getting interesting." Eros sniggered. "I planned to run after I bewitched him, but this is just toooo good to pass up." "Echo, please, snap out of it!" Sunset pleaded, only to be caught off guard as he pushed her back against the railing (eliciting a yelp), gripping her by the hips. "What a wonderful body you have, my dear." Echo purred, as he slowly lapped his tongue along Sunset's neck. "And that face... I've been wanting this for so long. So very long..." "Echo, don't..." Sunset pushed Echo's head away from her neck. Down below, Sterling was still fighting against the bewitched stallions. "Come on guys, don't let that crazy mare tell you what to do!" He tried talking sense into them. "Don't you call her that!" One stallion yelled. "She's an angel! An angel, I-" Sterling knocked the stallion out. "So much for reason." He remarked. He then glanced up at the rafters, which were too dark for him to see anything. "What's going on up there?" Up above, Sunset was still struggling to fight off Echo's advances. "Come on dear, don't resist him. Give me a good show..." Eros giggled darkly. "Release him!" Sunset demanded, simultaneously trying to push Echo off of her and not give in to that little voice that was actually enjoying this 'attention'. "He doesn't deserve to be one of your mindless thralls!" "What's the matter, girlfriend?" Eros winced. "Is he not your type? Maybe I should take him instead. I'll bet we could have a lot of fun together... like a little pet 'bat'..." In that moment, something snapped within Sunset. "THAT'S IT!!" A blinding rage suddenly erupted in Sunset. She pushed Echo off her, stopping only to rub her neck, and charged at Eros, striking her across the face. "Ugh!" Eros gasped, as she rubbed her cheek, before chuckling. "Oooh, a little girl-on-girl. Nice." "What is wrong with you?" Sunset yelled. "Why are you doing this to those ponies?" "I'm helping them, of course." Eros declared, firing off a stream of flame "Helping?!" Sunset sidestepped the flame and fired a bolt of magic. "How is this helping them?" "I'm bringing love into their hearts." Eros shot off a cold beam, which was only repelled by a well-timed shield of Sunset. "Treating them to sensations that they would never feel in their lifetime." "You call that love?" Sunset spat. "Of course." Eros nodded. "And I oughta know. See that dreamy stallion down there? " She pointed to the archeology head, who was in the middle of fighting Sterling. "This! Is! What! They! Mean! When! They! Say! Love! Hurts!" Sterling declared, punctuating each word with a punch. "I was in love with him for the longest time, but I was always too shy to even have a conversation with him... but I thought if I persevere, I would get him. So I eventually did confess my feelings to him..." Eros mused... before her face contorted into rage. "And then he comes and tells me that he was already married to some old hag back in Prance! I was so heartbroken! I never loved any other pony beside him! No other ponies would had loved me! But then I remembered this!" She held up the sock that held the page. "With this page, I could use this pretty little love spell to win not only his heart, but his mind and soul. Same goes for all the other boys and girls down there." "That isn't love!" Sunset retorted. "Not even close! If Princess Cadance saw all this, she would be appalled!" "What would you know?" Eros countered. "Have you ever been in love?" "Well... no!" Sunset admitted. "But I've seen ponies who are, and they're nothing like you! Love doesn't control you! Love is kind! Love is selfless! But most of all, love is mutual! And you can't force it on others!" "You're just jealous!" Eros said petulantly. "And you're not gonna stop me!" "We'll see about that!" Sunset growled. What followed was a series of back-and-forth volleys from their horns, as fire, ice, and pure magic collided atop the rafters. Echo stepped over to Sunset. "Now, now, my darling." He embraced her. "I don't want you to hurt yourself." Sunset struggled to free herself, but was unable to, forcing her to take extreme measures. "Sorry about this, Echo." Sunset sighed. Sunset kicked Echo in the face, knocking him out. "Well, look who likes it rough!" Eros sneered. "You'll pay for that, Eros." Sunset sneered. "What?" Eros shrugged. "It's not like he's complaining." "But you'll soon be!" Sunset roared. Their clash started once more, more volleys of magic fired from both sides. Then, just as Sunset dodged a fireblast, she fired a beam to Eros's left. As Eros moved to dodge it, Sunset slid to the right, and punched Eros hard enough to know her off the rafters and down to the floor below. As the twisted mare collapsed, the green glow in her horn sputtered, and her spell was broken. "What the-" Echo frowned, having snapped out of his trance. Eros, badly injured, pulled herself up, as Sunset took another pulley down to face her. Meanwhile, Sterling had just finished beating up the last of the stallions. "That's right! Stay down!" Sterling yelled. "I got two words for you guys: Speed. Dating!" "Easy, Sterling, I think you beat the dark magic spell out of them." Sunset told him. "Good." Sterling nodded. "Where's Echo?" "Right here..." Echo flapped down triumphantly, though a bit ashamed. "Sunset, I didn't mean-" "It's fine, Echo." Sunset gave him a forgiving smile. "Really..." Eros laughed hysterically. "Oh, naughty girl... you got me all riled up, you tease..." She purred, though grunting from her injuries. "How about you come and give me some sugar?" "I am sorry, Ms. Eros..." Sunset began, as she walked over to Eros, the lusty mare giving a perverse grin... before Sunset then slugged her hard in the face, sending her to the ground, and then pulling the page from the sock, as she spat. "But I don't swing that way." "Ooh, nice one." Sterling smirked. "Thank you." Sunset smiled. "Bad move, girlfriend..." Eros grunted, as she struggled to get to her hooves again. "I'm gonna have to give your pretty flank a-" Eros had no chance to finish that sentence as suddenly, a column of dark crystals tore through the ceiling, crushing Eros, causing a bit of blood to splatter. "GAH!" Sunset gasped, horrified by the mare's sudden death. A second later, a giant crystal hoof blindsided Sunset, sending her flying and causing her to drop the page. "What in the-" Echo gasped. The masked pony suddenly emerged from the shadows. With one swift movement, he sent the trio flying with a stream of crystals. He then picked up the page, gave them a sarcastic nod, and left. "Get back here, you..." Echo tried to get up, but his efforts were futile. Eros's spell had left him disorientated, and Sunset and Sterling were too tired to do anything. "So much for four pages." Sunset groaned, once they'd recovered. "Now our enemy has another one." "That can't be helped." Echo sighed. "But I must admit, Sunset, you were incredible back there." "I was?" Sunset asked. "Oh, yes." Echo nodded. "Though I wasn't in my right mind at the time, I saw it all. You are not just a sharp mind. You are quite the fighter." "Thanks." Sunset smiled. "Get a room, you two." Sterling joked. Echo and Sunset blushed heavily. "Anyway..." Echo said awkwardly. "We must depart for the next page..." "Of course." Sunset coughed. "Right away..." The trio, stopping only to inform the authorities of the locations of the missing stallions, got on the next boat out of Minostan, the next page in mind. But Echo had something else on his mind. Somepony else, in fact... 'What is wrong with me?' Echo thought. 'The spell is broken. I shouldn't still be feeling like this. And yet... I can't stop thinking about Sunset. Was Sterling actually right about me? No, of course not. Just some residual effects from the spell. It should wear off, sooner or later...' On the other side of the boat, Sunset rubbed her neck, trying to make sense of what had just happened. As uncomfortable as it had felt having Echo all over her, there was a part of her that actually liked it. That worried her for some reason, as did her sudden rage when Eros spoke of taking Echo from her. "Hey." Sterling joined Sunset, snapping her out of her musings. "Weird day, huh?" "You can say that again." Sunset agreed. "What happened up in those rafters, anyway?" Sterling asked. "Eros got Echo with her magic." Sunset admitted. "He came on to me. Pretty fiercely, actually." "Seriously?" Sterling gaped. "Who knew he had it in him, even with magic in the mix." "I just hope things won't be weird between us, now." Sunset declared. "I wouldn't worry." Sterling shrugged. "You know how 'professional' Alchemy can be. And besides, you can do a lot worse." "That's certainly true." Sunset admitted. "You, for instance." "Easy..." Sterling frowned. "Just kidding." Sunset chuckled. "And I thought I was the joker around here." Sterling smiled. "We're learning all sorts of things about each other today." "Yeah." Sunset nodded. "And hopefully, we'll learn a lot more." "I'd like that." Sterling grinned. "Me too." Sunset agreed. The two stood together, watching the sun setting over the ocean. Meanwhile, back in the Crystal Empire, Shining and Cadance received word about what happened in Zebrica. "They saved an entire town from starvation?" Cadance smiled. "Maybe they are on the side of good, after all..." "Maybe." Shining shrugged. "Or maybe that was just a by-product of their real goal. I mean, look what became of this 'Uroho Gourmand'." He glanced at the paper. "They say he 'exploded into chunks and bits'." "I still say they're out to do good." Cadance firmly. "And while Uroho's death was tragic, he had clearly lost all grip on reality." "I guess the evidence is piling up." Shining admitted. "We believe we may know where they'll be going next." A Guardspony announced. "We can send in a squad ahead of time and catch them as they arrive." "No." Shining declared. "Sir?" The Guardspony frowned. "I'm done just sitting on the sidelines." Shining stood up. "I'm going out there myself."