//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9 
// Story: The Night Shift 
// by totallynotabrony 
//------------------------------//

	Cheerilee studied the stallion next to her as the two of them walked down the street.  Her instincts told her it wasn’t the real Shining Armor, but she wanted to be sure.  To that end, she led him towards the school.  There would be nopony there during the late evening.
The lavender mare didn’t know exactly what she would do.  Interrogation of the imposter was a priority.  She wondered, however, if she should take him into custody.  It would certainly raise a lot of questions about why the local teacher was involved with a shapeshifting criminal.
Outside the school, Cheerilee said, “What was the name of those gems you gave Spike?”
“Uh, gems?” asked the stallion in confusion.
Cheerilee rolled her eyes.  “You might as well drop the act.  What kind of pathetic idiot thinks he can get away with pretending to be one of the most well known ponies in Equestria?”
In response, the disguise slipped off the pony, revealing what was underneath.  He looked much bigger than before, and covered in a suit of armor.  
Cheerilee took an involuntary step back.  This was about the last thing she expected.  The metal plates on the pony’s body coated him completely, with only tiny slits for his eyes.  The teacher saw no easy way that she could hurt him.
Taking advantage of her surprise, the pony kicked Cheerilee in the chest, a burst of magic amplifying the blow.  The mare flew backwards, slamming into the front door of the school and knocking it off its hinges.
Moving quicker than Cheerilee would have thought possible, the stallion advanced into the school.  Magic appeared to be assisting with his armor, which would have been very heavy and difficult to move otherwise.
Cheerilee struggled to get up, but another powerful kick sent her sprawling across the room.  Her desk flipped over as she slammed into it, spilling its contents all over the floor.
The armored stallion advanced slowly, as if playing with his adversary.  Something was wrong with Cheerilee’s back legs, and she couldn’t get up.  She heard a cracking noise from the bones in her spine.
The metal-clad pony pushed the mare over on her back.  She struggled, but with half her body out of commission, there wasn’t much she could do to resist.  Her attacks beat ineffectively against the armor.
The stallion loomed over Cheerilee, pressing his forehooves down on her neck.  She was at a disadvantage and couldn’t use her full strength effectively.  She tried to keep him from crushing her.  The stallion did not appear to notice the clanging of her hooves against his armored body.
Cheerilee flailed, running out of options.  Her hoof met something on the floor that had spilled from her desk.  It was a peppermint stick from Twist.  She snapped it in half and shoved the jagged end through one of the eye holes in the armor.
The stallion screamed in pain, and Cheerilee was finally able to get him off.  While he was distracted, she managed to jerk his metal helmet off.  She found a grey pony with a close-cropped mane, blood streaming from his ruined eye.
Cheerilee got herself behind the pony and wrapped her front legs around his neck.  Her mouth was right next to his ear.  “Who sent you?”
In response, the stallion only screamed incomprehensibly.  Cheerilee tightened her grip until he didn’t have enough breath to continue.  “Talk,” she ordered.  “If you don’t, I’m going to start removing your body parts one by one.” 
The pony gasped.  His horn started to glow, and Cheerilee slammed his face into the floor.
“You don’t get it, do you?” she shouted, knocking his head against the floorboards again.  “You tried to kill me!  The only reason you aren’t dead right now is that I like to think I’m better than lowlifes like yourself.  I don’t like killing, but believe me when I say I am more than capable of ending your life.  Do you want to go on living?  Tell me what you know.”
“Photo Finish isn’t going to like this,” muttered the stallion.
“Is it actually her?” prompted Cheerilee.
“How should I know?” he said.  “With all the disguises, nopony knows any of the rest.”
“The disguising magic; is that where the Changelings fit in?” she asked.
The pony snorted.  “Those idiots.  They thought they could give us the shapeshifting spells and we would just happily help them crack the Archive.”
“What’s so important in the Archive?” asked Cheerilee.
“Well, there’s probably a lot of stuff in there.”  The stallion shrugged.  “Whatever we can't use, we could sell to the highest bidder.”
“Who’s ‘we’?” the mare questioned.
“The rest of the group.  We set up our base of operations in the swamps near Trottingham.”  The pony winced.  “Can I see a doctor now?”
Cheerilee shifted her grip.  “That’s not going to happen.”
“But you said you’d let me live!” argued the pony.
“And I did, for about a minute.  Fighting with you made me thirsty.”  Cheerilee pulled his head back, giving her easy access to the pony’s throat.
The stallion’s good eye widened in horror as he saw her fangs.  His terror didn't last long, however.  Cheerilee felt him go limp shortly after she tore open his jugular.  A short while passed.  The darkened school was quiet, the only sounds coming from Cheerilee's mouth as she drank the pony's blood.  
Once she was sated, the mare began to inspect his strange armor.  It appeared to be fitted closely to him, and bore some unusual symbols.  She wasn't sure if they were trademarks or magical runes, and decided to leave studying them to somepony else.
Several minutes later, she was washing herself off in the school’s restroom.  There was a dark expression on Cheerilee's face that was frightening enough even without the blood accenting it.
She had willingly killed the armored stallion.  As much as he deserved it, Cheerilee couldn’t seem to justify her actions.  Animals were one thing, but now she had moved on to ponies.
Cheerilee rinsed off and looked in the mirror.  It was definitely her face.  She’d know those green eyes and lavender coat anywhere.  It was her—and she was a monster.
How had this happened?  Was morality really so easy to lose?  Cheerilee did not want to be a killer, but the deaths of the two ponies couldn’t be taken back.  Two ponies so far, she miserably reminded herself.
Did it matter that she felt bad about it?  Regardless, she had still done it.  Cheerilee sighed.  She was going to have to face her conscience eventually.  For the moment, there were other things that needed to be done.
The teacher stepped out of the lavatory, surveying the ruined classroom.  Several student desks had been knocked aside, and her own desk had been completely turned over.  The dead pony lay among a few small crimson stains.  Cheerilee had licked up the rest of the blood.  She shuddered slightly at the memory of running her tongue over the floor like some kind of animal.
She stepped around the body and went out the door.  The mess would have to be cleaned up, but for now she had to speak with Shining Armor.  Luckily, he hadn’t left town yet, and Cheerilee found him at the library.
“Hello again Cheerilee,” said Twilight.
Shining was a little more observant and noticed that there was something on the teacher’s mind.  He excused himself and walked outside with her.
Cheerilee gave him a brief rundown of what had transpired at the school.  The two of them walked in that direction.  Shining listened carefully to the information that she’d managed to get.
“The place looks like a mess, and we can’t let the foals see it like that,” she finished.  She indicated the opening where the door had been knocked down.
Shining poked his head inside, quickly surveying the scene before backing away.  “I’ll get a cleaning crew over there.”
“Do you…need cleanup very often?” asked Cheerilee.
“Well, no.”  The stallion shrugged.  “It does happen occasionally in this business though.”
The more Cheerilee found out about the secret workings of Equestria, the more she was convinced that it was good that the public didn’t know these things.
“I’ll tell the Princess what you managed to find out,” said Shining.  “We’ll have to wait for her orders, but I’m guessing that she’ll send you to Trottingham.”  He sighed.  “I get the feeling that something big is going to happen.”
“Do you trust me to handle this?” asked Cheerilee.
Shining looked at her, and then glanced towards the school, where the slain stallion still lay.  “I believe that you can take care of yourself.”
Cheerilee looked away.  “I…I never wanted this.  I don’t like who I’m becoming.”
“I understand that you don’t have much choice,” said the stallion, frowning.  “I’m sure you’ve heard this before, and you’re tired of it, but just try to make the best of things.”
The mare sighed heavily.  “I’m trying.”
Shining put his hoof gently on her shoulder.  “I’m not going to sugarcoat it—you’re cursed.  You know that.  But, you also have abilities that no other pony has.  You’ve done more for Equestria in the past week than many do in their entire lives.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Cheerilee.
“I don’t think I could be a vampire,” said Shining.  “I think I’d go insane before I touched blood.  Somehow you’re surviving, no matter how you feel about it.  That’s something.”
Cheerilee finally met his gaze.  “Do you really think so?”
“Let me put it this way,” said Shining.  “Princess Luna wouldn’t have recruited you if there wasn’t a good reason.  Like it or not Ms. Cheerilee, you’re talented at this and we’re happy to have you.”
Surprising even herself, Cheerilee allowed a small smile onto her face.  “That means a lot.  Thank you.”
Shining nodded.  “I’ll get in touch with the Princess and we’ll figure out what needs to happen next.  Rest up tonight.  You might need it.” 

Author note:
Wow, we're really earning the Dark tag.  I'm going to try injecting some more humor into the next chapter.  I'd like to thank Rechte for suggesting the peppermint idea.