Am I a mare, or a monster?

by Rarity Belle

Chapter 5

The gently crisping of the fires in the hallway began to make their turn in the ears of the mare. They came back after the deafening clash of the metal gate against the stone of the floor had taken place. Her eyes were still forcefully shut. Yet Shiva inspected every part of her body. She was praying not to feel anything else that could indicate pain. Luckily for her, there was nothing that could be felt. Her eyes then opened themselves again in order to reveal that she was standing in the hallway of the castle, with the gate about five hooves behind her.

“I, I did it. I am in,” she spoke under her breath. Her attention turned back to the gate. “And not a second too soon.” The mare turned back towards the hallway. She began to walk over to the throne room, one that could be found at the very end. But as odd as things already where, there wasn't a single guard that came out to see what had happened. Not a single voice could be heard.

By the time she entered the throne room, it became clear to her just why nopony came out for her. It was only a stallion who sat on the throne with a rather large coffin behind him. His deep blue eyes glared over to her. His blond coat could be made out below a black coat he was wearing. His brown mane being stylized into that of a true gentlecolt. A fine stallion one might say, but looks would be deceiving. And Shiva knew that fact all too well.

“And for what do I have the honor of this nightly visit, from one of my children no less?” he spoke to her in a deep, but oddly kind voice.

Shiva only huffed loud in response. She wasn’t in the mood to play the kind of games he set up. The mare rose up in a bipedal pose just before the blades swung down and clicked into place. Her wings unfold themselves in order to reveal the –for a mortal– terrifying sight to behold. After that had she began to speak her own words. “King Edgington, I assume?” she said to him.

“Yes, that is my name, but why this hostility in my palace?” the blonde stallion replied in a cold voice. His eyes rested on her, awaiting what she would be doing.

“You gave the order to make me, it is thanks to you that my life got destroyed! I am just here, to return that bloody favor to you,” Shiva hissed through her teeth.

The stallion erupted out in sheer laughter as his two front hooves clashed together before being rubbed, “And you truly think you can take me out? I am a king! I lived longer then you will ever do. I sat on this throne long before your parents were even born!” He stood up from his throne and walked down to ground level. There he rose up on his hind legs as well. It was revealed then that inside the coat, hidden against his body was the sheath of a cutlass. One which he drew out of it and pointed it to the side. “But I suppose a fight to see the truth can not harm. Ladies first.” He smirked like the devil he was. His own fangs were clearly visible to her.

Shiva made no time to go to waste. She allowed her hatred to fuel her. The adrenaline started to race through her undead body as the king placed his sword in a manner that she would charge right into it. Though in the final second used the mare her wings to boost herself to the side of him. Her blade made contact with the other vampony before he pushed it away. The stallion looked up oddly at the move before reposing himself and prepared for his blow towards her. A simple but strong blow that got countered by both blades of the mare who began to grin in return. “Not bad, not bad at all, king,” she taunted to him.

“I have a lot more where that come from,” replied Edgington. He then jumped away from her with a certain, demonic grace. He prepared his blade for another blow to both receive and deliver.

---

Many sword clashes and evasion maneuvers were soon followed up. They were equal in strength, though Shiva began to have trouble resisting his blows. She didn’t believe it, but she became tired Something that resulted in her focus to drop a little bit. The king played into that little revelation. His blow only got more powerful as time went on, not even appearing to be or get tired himself. Neither spoke a word during the fight, as the sound of their swords and breathing told the story already.

Though just then she saw it. A light-bulb went on inside her. The great wooden cabinet that stood on the side of the throne could and had to be used to her advantage, in one way or the other. In her mind she played the events as they should go and she positioned herself in such a manner that she could just push Edgington into it. “My revenge shall be sweet,” spoke Shiva before charging at him again. Yet that time was the king a little slow. Her whole body, accompanied with a burst of speed from her wings, crashed against him and the stallion got flow into the cabinet.

Many pieces of woods shattered from the impact but he left it without a scratch on his body. His eyes began to boil in rage while he gently walked away on all four of his hooves. “Do you truly think it is that easy for me to die? Tsk, tsk, tsk, you have so much to learn, foal,” he snarled to her.

Behind him and perfectly aimed to his back, there was a piece of wood was stuck out like a sore thumb. Shiva’s left eye twitched for a mere second. Then she rushed over to him in a roar of terror. All while the king just stood there. The stallion rose on his hind legs as initial response from the sudden burst of the mare. He didn’t really knew how to react to that, but it wouldn’t stop him.

It was too late for the king to do anything in response as they crashed into each other and she pushed him directly into the piece of wood, driving it through his back, his heart and out his body by the front. Some splatters of blood landed on her face before she took a small step back, watching the impaled king.

“Don’t fuck with me,” growled Shiva to him.

“You, worthless...” Those were some of his final words before the stake through the heart did its turn. Soon enough there was blood that began to rush out of his mouth. His eyes filled with hatred kept themselves peeled at her. “...Burn, in, Tartarus...” It was after those spoken words that his entire body began to decay rapidly. It almost seemed like time was catching up with him. A wave of blood rushed out of his mouth accompanied with the sound of vomiting.

Shiva was unlucky enough to stand in the line of fire. She got most of it over her before she shivered from the foul blood on her body. Her eyes closed themselves off of the world and soon enough, only the sound of a wet pulp hitting the ground could be heard. “No, you rest in the Void,” she spoke after having opened her eyes and gazed upon the pulp that was lying before her. The remains of the once so mighty vampony kind living under the name of Russell Edgington.

---

For a good couple of minutes she stood there. She allowed small clouds of steam to leave through her nostrils with every single exhale she took. Then the sound of fronthooves clapping together began to fill the room. Shiva finally swung her blades back in their resting position. She lowered herself down on her four legs as she spoke a little under her breath. “Want a piece of me too?”

But as soon as the voice of the being behind her spoke, a shock went through the mare. “Now that is an offer I can not refuse. I always loved the days my sister and I got in bed together for our rest,” the voice spoke up again. Revealing whom exactly it happened to be.

“R-Rayne..? What are, what are you doing here?” Shiva asked in utter disbelief. She turned herself around to face her beloved sister. Something just didn’t seem right though in her mind.

“Fighting the douchebag that would have killed my sister, but it seems things turned into your favor after all. Tell me, how do you feel?” Rayne asked of her, wanting to know it helped or not.

“A whole lot better,” replied Shiva. She hugged Rayne and thus allowed some of the sticky blood to mix with her gray fur under a smile. Her sister wrapped one of her forelegs around her ever so tightly for a long and loving hug while a small sigh of joy allowed itself to escape her nose.

“Hey, we are going to need a new king, or queen for that matter,” Rayne said in a tease.

“And you think I am good enough?” asked Shiva, thinking she meant it for real.

That caused Rayne to think a little bit. Shiva did just kill the original king. “Well of course, I mean, you did kill the current king. Survival of the fittest and all, it is only the natural order for you to take, or claim the throne,” the gray mare then spoke in a much more honest tone.

Shiva’s mind began to think deep at the spoken words. She gave a simple nod towards her sister. “Then I shall become the new queen of the vampiric race,” the unicorn spoke to her.

Rayne got a smile of pure glee on her face before she broke the hug. “That’s my sister.” But as an act of pure happiness, the gray mare her lips began to twitch a little as they moved over to those of Shiva for a long and loving kiss. Rayne closed her eyes a little as the other mare did the same, her lips also began to twitch ever so lightly before they made contact with each other.

What resulted was a loving, powerful, deep and lustful kiss. They both slide their tongue into the mouth of the other with their eyes being closed. The tongue began to twirl around each other as they hold the other ever so lovingly. After a couple minutes had passed, Rayne gently removed her lips from the mare. “I love you, my queen,” she said in a quiet, loving tone.

“And I love you, Rayne,” replied Shiva. Her eyes rested upon the mare she called sister for so long. But then could call her, her lover. It was only then that she broke the hold with the mare and turned herself around to face the throne, her throne to be exact. The deep blue mare turned her head over to Rayne who only gave a silent nod. Shiva gently walked up the steps of the throne before she allowed her plot to rest on the seating of the throne.

That was the day that marked the very end of the reign from king Edgington and the dynasty of queen Shiva began. Yet nopony knew that there was another monster that lurked the land. A monster that would be awoken within the walls of the castle of the princesses. A being that would be the very embodiment of darkness would wander through its magical lands while spreading death and destruction wherever it went.