This is a story about a Dark mage on the run who adopts a creed of doing good for her fellow ponies, even if they don't do good for her, she chose a long time ago she wasn't going to play to the rules of somepony just because they say that she could only do things their way. This is the Story of Shadow Eyes, the dark mage who took up cleaning up Manehatten from its crime-ridden state into a city to be proud of and perhaps in doing this she can earn the respect of her fellow ponies
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
Prologue: A Story Told
It wasn’t always like this, living on the run, I used to be a pony anypony would want to know, now I live on the run, I used to be a top student at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, a mare whom any pony would want to tutor them. I used to be a shoo in for the position of Celestia’s personal student before that filly pulled off that magical flare. Only thing that hasn’t changed is—
“HEY WATCH IT! Are you blind?!” said a mare who I walked into on accident, I really should watch where I am going.
“Yes I am actually, sorry” I reply as I removed my sunglasses with my magic, revealing my clouded eyes to the mare, who stammered an apology before trotting off quickly. Right now I am safe, nopony knows I am in Manehatten, and no pony knows that I am going to finally set some roots down. Celestia help me… I have to keep my my talent a secret, it isn’t unheard of for two ponies to have the same cutie mark… So I could possibly get away with it. Right? No, better not to risk it. So I decide to hide myself with a little dark magic, this magic doesn’t leave an imprint of itself. I darkened my fur, mane, and tail, no longer was I a light blue, with bright pink mane and tail mare, not that I could see it, but now I was a dark blue unicorn with a red and tail. My cutie mark, which was a yin-yang symbol inside of a purple star, was now a yellow and orange sun. Now I just need a new name, Shadow Eyes is a wanted mare, and with this disguise I am not Shadow Eyes… That’s it! My new name will be…
- - -
I’m set when it comes to bits, but I have to find a small place out of the way, where ponies won’t question a mare who avoids the guard, even if she lives in a seedy neighborhood in Manehatten… I made my way to the landlord of the property. I figured that he would be my best bet to get some privacy. I could handle my own security after all, and if asked I could always lie and say I was a defensive spell major in school. Yeah that’ll work, and make me out to be a liar. Even though you don’t have to see to be great at defense… Whatever…
- - -
This is it, this is my new home, an apartment on the fifth story of a thirty story building. For how low it was it was beautiful view of… The crime ridden streets below... Though I will admit I am lucky for how little he asked for to rent this place out. I guess he figures I will be out of it before too long and he isn’t looking for me to stay. he told me that nopony stays long…
- - -
I met my neighbors today, some jerk who was beating on his wife, I told him if I heard her get beat once more I would kill him, he laughed in my face, not having my old identity really hurts me in this case, if he knew me as Shadow Eyes he would have left her alone real quick, but no I he only knows me as…
- - -
I met this cute mare today. She was very attractive, and I did invite her to dinner. However she had other plans, too bad. I would have liked a sense of normality…
- - -
“Excuse me, miss, have you seen the mare in this photo? She’s wanted for practicing dark magic” said a Manehatten guard and I roll my eyes, I may be able to ‘see’ with my magic, but I can’t see two dimensional pictures.
“I’m sorry, but I’m blind” I manage to say in an apologetic voice and the guard apologized for not realizing it before rushing off to ask one of my neighbors.
- - -
A new pony moved in to the apartment across from me. He’s attractive in that, ‘I’ve been hit one too many times’ kinda way, but the way he leers at me, thinking I can’t see him… Yeah kinda puts me off…
- - -
That bucking imbecile! I had to kill him! All because he just tried to rape me! All he ever had to do was ask! SERIOUSLY! I would have slept with him if he had asked! Now I have to deal with the guard, though for once the fact I am blind is playing in my favor. If they don’t believe it was completely self-defense, and they think I just accidentally killed him then that means I will get away with murder… DAMN IT ALL! I wanted to have a nice peaceful life! Celestia as my witness I am tired of living my life as though I have to play by someone else’s tune. Time I played by my own rules again, but I am not losing what roots I have… I guess it’s time Shadow Eyes makes her reappearance. I’ll be like that pony from the TV show! The Batmare! or the Ironpony! Well maybe not the Ironpony, I won’t have enough bits for that, but I can do some good around Manehatten…
- - -
I have decided I am going to clean up these streets. I might not be a model citizen, being wanted myself. However that doesn’t mean I can’t do some serious good. ESIS doesn’t know I’m here, Celestia’s goons don’t know I’m here, and Luna’s assassins don’t know I’m here either. I’m going to make the best of it, I am going to bring them here, I am going to make them see that I am still a good pony, I am going to make them see that I am Shadow Eyes, can live the life of Blinding Sunrise while keeping the streets clean at night...
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
Chapter One: Shadow Eyes and Blinding Sunrise
~ ~ ~
“So tomorrow I have to go in and give a renewed statement to prove I am not making up the details. I guess it is because the asshole is dead, but it seems to me that they are making me out to be the criminal. I guess I’ll play by the rules for now...”
~ ~ ~
Shadow Eyes, known to everyone else in Manehatten as Blinding Sunrise, smiled nervously as the guard led her through the guard post. It was interesting to say the least; they were kind to her, and all of them were saying how unfortunate it was that she had to be there that they should just leave it as a justifiable homicide. However things were not so cut and dry, she had to come in this time so that they could see that she hadn’t been lying before.
‘I didn’t lie though!’ thought Shadow Eyes as she pawed at the ground nervously as she waited for the crowd of ponies in front of her to pass, the guard beside her attributing it to not wanting to be here, to which he’d be right, but for different reasons than he probably had in mind.
“It’ll be alright, Ms. Blinding, the process shouldn’t take all that long… I know you probably have things you need to do” said the guard and Shadow Eyes nodded absentmindedly as the last pony passed by and the guard continued to show her to the interview room where she sat for a good long while as they attempted to sweat her out. A pretty basic tactic if she was honest with herself, and if she actually had a place to use it, she might use it herself…
- - -
“Good morning, Ms. Blinding Sunrise” said a female guard as she walked in and Shadow Eyes glanced in her general direction a look of annoyment on her face.
“It would be much better if you hadn’t left me in here for an hour” Shadow Eyes replied with a bit of snark. The guard frowned at her and Shadow Eyes shook her head, “We both know you expect me to change my story, that I didn’t mean to hurt him, that it was an accident, but it wasn’t, the bastard tried to rape me, and he got what he deserved” said the now angry mare as she shot up to all fours and stamped on the floor with a hoof, “Like I told you, and I am sure my landlord has told you, I was a defensive spell major, the only thing accidental was me overpowering the spell!”
“I see you are sticking to that story. We’ll see you in a mon—”
“You will not be seeing me again, not for this, I am no criminal and I refuse to be treated like one” Shadow Eyes snarled before stomping over to the door and with a flick of her magic ripped it from the hinges as she walked through, stopping for a moment to toss a few bits back into the room, “There is my destruction of government property fine!” she said angrily as she made her way through the building. How dare they! She was the victim! Not that dead fool that tried to have his way with her! They never stopped her from leaving…
- - -
Shadow Eyes was slinking around downtown undisguised, all but begging for someone to do something foolish, when there was a cry a few blocks over. She raced through the crowds on the street and saw a pegasus mare who was backed to a wall, her wings were clenched to her side in her terror. The mare was looking around frantically as a few ponies closed in on her, two stallions and a mare. Two earth ponies and a unicorn, respectively, they were holding when passed for makeshift weapons. Shadow Eyes grinned as she walked towards them.
“Room for one more?” she asked and the group of ponies just smirked.
“Sure but you go last” said a stallion and Shadow Eyes scowled at him.
“I wasn’t talking to you three” it was at that moment the three criminals turned to look at her and froze, it had only been a few days since she had revealed herself to be in Manehatten and as a defender of ponies that needed help; however she was still known as a Tenebrosus Magus, and with that came the fear of the dark magic she wielded.
“Oh look a goody-two-shoes” said the mare who seemed to be in charge of the two stallions and Shadow Eyes sneered at the mare.
“I am Shadow Eyes, maybe you’ve heard of me? Wanted for use of dark magic and a few counts of homicide?” said the unicorn as she took a step closer, her horn now bubbling with dark magic. “Don’t worry miss, you’ll be safe soon” as soon as Shadow Eyes said it, one of the stallions swung the pipe he was carrying at the blind mare and she jumped to the side, dodging it, she scoffed at the pony, “Really? just because I am blind you think that you can hit me? I have other senses, you know, and I have long since figured out how to see without having eyes” said the mare before a red crystal painfully popped out of the unicorn’s ankles causing her to fall down. The other stallion attempted to help the fallen mare up and only for a crystal to sprayed out of his neck as if it were a spray of blood.
Shadow Eyes dodged the renewed attacks by the first stallion, even as they became frantic as the stallion watched his buddies die, or moan in pain in the case of the unicorn mare. With a glance at the thug a chunk of black crystal shot towards the stallion or barely managed to keep from dying, if only to have his right rear leg smashed to bits by the crystal thrown at him. Yelling in pain and dropping the pipe from his fore hoof he didn’t see Shadow Eyes trot up to him and place her horn on his forehead. She smirked as he froze, all along his blood vessels red crystals form and pierce the skin of the unfortunate stallion as he fell down dead. Shadow Eyes trotted up to the frightened mares, one the criminal, the other the intended victim.
“I said you would be safe” said Shadow Eyes with a small smile towards the pegasus mare before she rounded on the unicorn mare, “You are lucky, very lucky, I could have killed you at any point.” snapped Shadow Eyes as her horn no longer bubbled with dark magic.
“Suck diamond dog dick!” said the unicorn mare and Shadow Eyes tsked before taking the mare’s horn in her magic and with a snap, broke it off causing the mare to scream as tears ran down her face, and blood from the damaged horn.
“I better not catch you running with ponies like this again, or I won’t be as lenient next time” spat the blind mare as she dropped the broken bit of horn from her magic field. “And you” she said turning to the now petrified pegasus mare, fearful that she was next, “Get going, and be more careful, I won’t always be around to protect you” with that Shadow Eyes trotted out of the alleyway and back into the crowds of ponies who had not even blinked an eye to the horror that had just happened, it wasn’t until the pegasus mare collapsed that anypony noticed and called the guard, but by that point Shadow Eyes was no where to be seen in the city, only Blinding Sunrise entering her apartment and closing and locking the door…
- - -
“Keeper Two, are you sure about this? Is she really in Manehatten? I don’t want another wild goose chase whiles she escapes to Tartarus knows where?” asked Luna she and the pegasus stallion were in a grey room, with no windows and only one exit. Keeper Two scowled, normally he would have told the lunar princess it was classified, that Celestia told them not to share this data, but with how Shadow Eyes had been acting recently, killing ponies, he couldn’t abide by her orders. She may be losing herself from to her use of dark magic...
“I promise you, but your ponies won’t have long, Celestia has already sent ponies there to try and apprehend her. If they get to her first…”
“Leave my sister to me, I will not let that demon live any longer, there is no coming back from using dark magic, not without the Elements” said Luna before turning and trotting to the door. “It is better if we don’t talk again lest my sister become suspicious of your change in heart.”
“I understand, long live Equestria” with that Luna left the room and the stallion to his thoughts, ‘Am I doing the right thing?’
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
I added a bit of a descriptor for the unicorn stallion at the end
Chapter Two: Bank Robbery!/Meeting More Players
~ ~ ~
“The police know I was there. That’s fine it is not like I was hiding it. But it won’t be long before the princesses send their respective ponies after me, I better be ready…”
~ ~ ~
Shadow Eyes sat in her apartment and sighed, She knew it wouldn’t be long before she had to start dodging Celestia’s and Luna’s ponies again, but she wasn’t done yet, she was going to make this city safe again, no matter what it took. Even if that meant that she would have to fight against ESIS and the rest of Equestria alongside the criminals she fought…
- - -
Shadow Eyes once again in her disguise, headed out into the city she needed to get food for the week, something other than delivery, she might have an exceeding amount of surplus funds, that did not mean however it was infinite, nor did it mean that she needed to get a real job in the future. Taking in her surroundings, Shadow Eyes figured it was safe enough to drop her disguise and hunt for a little bit, she was beginning to think she was a hunter more than a vigilante and she knew this was dangerous, it was not like she was a bounty hunter that was hunting bounties with the approval of the crown, no she was killing and maiming criminals for simple crimes, she could rationalize it away as her or them but it didn’t change the fact that she had killed ponies that could have changed their ways! Shaking her head clear of any conflicting thoughts, Shadow Eyes went on patrol completely intent on punishing more of the criminals she came across…
- - -
Shadow Eyes hated when ponies robbed places and not other ponies, Ponies she could hide from, but she couldn’t effectively hide when she had to leave out the way she came in, which leads to what was happening right now, four ponies were holding up a bank in downtown Manehatten. Cursing her luck she slipped into the building, after cracking the door enough for her magic to give her a clear image of the room. As soon the pony who was watching the door, a unicorn stallion, turned away, she slipped in…
Once the mare was in she hid herself around a corner before releasing a glamor she generally kept cast on herself when she was outside of her disguise, a sort of notice-me-not spell, not an invisibility spell, but literally a spell that makes ponies not want to notice the pony who had the spell cast on them.
“I hate bank robbers… Now I have to figure out how to get out of here once I am finished…” Shadow Eyes said to herself as she charged a spell to disable the unicorn stallion when she went wide-eyed and jumped completely in view of both the door and the unicorn stallion, the next moment the spot she was in exploded as a bolt of lightning hit where she had been hiding, a pegasus stallion tsked as he moved the cloud he had used to another position.
“So the great defender comes calling!” said the unicorn stallion as he shot a blast of magic at Shadow Eyes. The mare, seeing a giant blur in her magical field, jumped back just in time for the blast to hit the ground exploding it and sending chunks in all directions, some of which flew towards Shadow Eyes. With a growl Shadow Eyes’ magic aura around her horn started to bubble with dark magic. A bolt of black colored lightning shot at the unicorn who hid behind a counter and laughed at her. “What are you going to do when the guard breaks in here? Ask them to let you leave? You know they are going to arrest you, if you are lucky!” Shadow Eyes merely threw another blast of black lightning at the unicorn before turning to the pegasus who was about to send another bolt of lightning at her and sent a ball of fire at him, unlike the fire she would normally cast, this fire was green and black, dark magic fire… The pegasus was forced to dodge as his cloud dissipated from the heat of the fire. The blind mare wasn’t finished as she sent a black colored crystal at the pegasus making him dodge again this time a little closer to the ground.
“You’re mine” said Shadow Eyes before she summoned a bolt of lightning from the air itself striking the stallion out of the air, his body twitching as he crashed to the ground. She snorted before sending a new bolt of lightning at the unicorn keeping him hiding from her as his fellows came running out of the vault to see what the trouble was and they were revealed to be another set of pegasus and unicorn stallions.
“What is-it’s Shadow Eyes! Kill her!” said the new unicorn, his body covered in clothes and his face by a mask, as he grabbed the bag of bits they had stolen from the vault and teleported out of the bank and Shadow Eyes gritted her teeth as the remaining stallions started stalking her and she growled as the turned her head towards the unicorn and jerked her head. At first nothing happened and the stallions laughed at her before the pegasus started gurgling and fell to the ground pawing at his neck before a crystal started to pierce through the roof of his head and his eyes rolled back as he stopped breathing and bits of skull started falling off of what was now a giant red crystal. Shadow Eyes’ horn flashed and the unicorn frowned at her before the unicorn opened his mouth to ask what she did, but before he got the change his lips started to sag and the top of his head started to slide off. The stallion fell down dead as his brain fell out of his skull.
Running to the back of the bank to where the hostages were and cast her Notice-Me-Not spell, the fact Shadow Eyes was there had not disappeared from the knowledge of the guards that burst in. The guard knew when they burst in was that the leader of the bank robbers got away, and the other perpetrators were either dead or in the case of the other pegasus, unable to escape, due to having his nerves fried from the lightning bolt that struck him. When they got to the vault, which was where the hostages were being kept, they looked for Shadow Eyes as they led the hostages out, not realizing that they had just let the wanted mare out, her spell working perfectly…
- - -
“Yes, my princess, Shadow Eyes has been spotted, no, she hasn’t been apprehended” said a unicorn stallion as he spoke into a phone. “I’ll do my best princess. No, I will make sure your sister doesn’t find out to the best of my ability… Long live the sun” hanging up the stallion sighed. “Where are you Shadow Eyes? We can’t protect you if we can’t find you…”
- - -
“Princess, we haven’t caught the Tenebrosus Magus yet. No, we won’t grant her mercy, as soon as we find her, we’ll kill her. As you say, Long live the night” said a bat pony as she gave her report. “It is long past time this Tenebrosus Magus was killed…”
“Perhaps, but there is nothing we can do” said a unicorn stallion as he trotted up to the bat pony mare and nibbled on her ear. “Forgive me, night mistress, but my partner and I have a previous engagement that she promised me” growled the stallion as he took the phone and hung it up while using his magic to close the curtains of the room they were staying in as the mare chuckled and pressed her lips to his.
“Somepony is eager” said the mare and the stallion growled lightly as she trotted around him her tail flicking him on the nose, “Calm yourself, Moonlit, otherwise you are not going to get anything” she added.
“As you say, Glory Star” growled Moonlit before he nipped at her flanks causing the mare to giggle as she leapt onto the bed and gave the unicorn stallion a ‘come hither’ look…
- - -
“And in other news, Manehatten has a new hero, in the form of a wanted mare! This mare is wanted in connection of four murders within Manehatten city limits, but those murders were of ponies caught in the act of committing a crime! She maybe a wanted mare, but if she ever needs help, I hope the good ponies of this city protect her” said a news anchor as a picture of Shadow Eyes showed itself on the screen
“Damn Shadow Eyes, she should have just stayed out of it!” said the unicorn stallion that had gotten away from bank earlier as he watched the news, he had orange fur and a brown mane. Gritting his teeth he threw his remote and it bounced harmlessly off the wall. Sighing he got up and turned off the TV as there was a knock at his door. Getting up and walking to the door he opened it to reveal Blinding Sunrise, the cute blind mare from next door.
“Is everything alright?” asked Shadow Eyes as she ‘looked’ at the stallion in front of her, little did she know he was the stallion from before, and the stallion just smiled.
“I’m alright I was just upset at some news I heard, what are you up to?” asked the stallion and Blinding Sunrise blushed and dug at the ground nervously, the stallion before her was very attractive, in a roguish way, at least he thought so.
Shadow Eyes was blushing because she did think he was attractive, but not in a way she would pursue a relationship. Well it did not matter, she wasn’t going to—
“Do you want to go out some time? I just got a raise and I would love to celebrate with a cute mare like yourself” Shadow Eyes thought about it for a minute and nodded.
“Sure, when would you like to meet up?” she asked and the stallion grinned before giving her a date and time. Well she wasn’t pursuing him, he was pursuing her! That’s a nice change of pace…
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
Chapter Three: Date? What Date?
~ ~ ~
“So now I have a date… Well I guess that means I have to get dressed up… But everything looks the same to me… Well I could get some help from my neighbor? Or go as I normally do… But I also have to keep an eye out for that unicorn that escaped… Celestia damned it all… No, tonight is all about me, and not about my work for the city… I deserve this…”
~ ~ ~
Shadow Eyes walked to her neighbor’s door and knocked on it, after a bit the mare she was hoping for openned up the door.
“Oh! Blinding Sunrise! Nice of you to come over. Is something the matter?” asked the mare and Shadow Eyes smiled lightly.
“I have a date, Light Step, but I need a little help with picking out an outfit for it. Do you think you could help me?” asked the blind mare and the other mare, a sandy colored earth pony mare with green eyes, bit her lip, she needed to make sure her husband’s meal was ready, otherwise he would hurt her again. Her husband had been careful to muffle her so she couldn’t cry out, but…
“Could I ask a favor, Blinding?” asked Light Step and Shadow Eyes tilted her head but smiled.
“Sure, go ahead, wait… Did your husband hurt you again?” asked Shadow Eyes and Light Step bit her lip as she refrained from answering the question.
“Can I help you after I finish making my husband’s dinner? He is going to be home soon and I don’t want to upset him” she said and Shadow Eyes took a deep breath before nodding.
“Of course, I’ll see you in a bit”
- - -
After Shadow Eyes had left and returned home, she silently fumed, it seemed that Light Step’s husband hadn’t learned his lesson…
‘Still,’ thought Shadow Eyes as she stewed in her disappointment ‘that means that he is probably beating her, and I am just not hearing it’
A few hours later there was a knocking at Shadow Eyes’ door and she walked over and opened it revealing the Light Step and her husband, a earth pony stallion with a black mane and tail, and brown fur, the blind mare frowned.
“Aren’t you going to invite us in?” asked the stallion and Shadow Eyes clenched her jaw for a moment before motioning for Light Step to join her inside, and just before the stallion did she moved back in the way. “Excuse me, but I do—”
“This is my house, and I don’t want you here, I asked your wife for help, not you, and if you don’t like it you can just leave, I know you still beat her, I just don’t have any proof, or you’d already be in prison” the stallion tried to force his way in and was pushed back by a wave of magic, this one coming from outside and when the stallion turned he saw a unicorn stallion standing a little ways away.
“What do you want?” asked the earth pony and the unicorn stallion glared at him.
“I do believe that the mare said she doesn’t want you there” said the unicorn stallion, with her magic field, Shadow Eyes was able to make out who it was, and it was the stallion that had asked her out, so with a blush she backed up and closed the door before the earth pony stallion could slip in.
- - -
“Is that the stallion who asked you out? He is attractive” said Light Step and Shadow Eyes blushed. “Just don’t get blinded by that… I did…”
“Then why do you stay with him? If you know he is a brute, why do you let yourself get hurt?” asked Shadow Eyes surprised and Light Step smiled mirthfully.
“Who would want a broken mare like me?” as soon as Light Step said that Shadow Eyes, under the guise of Blinding Sunrise argued that she wasn’t a broken mare, that she was just a mare in a bad situation but the encouragement was ignored. “So, you wanted me to help you pick something for your date? Let’s get to work” said the earth pony mare and Shadow Eyes looked downtrodden but nevertheless obliged as she led her friend into her room and started to try on her dresses in front of her…
- - -
“I think we found it!” said Light Step as Shadow Eyes stepped out in a light blue dress that sparkled in the light, it was form fitting around the barrel but flared out at her flanks with a split on the right side, the awkward part was that her glasses clashed with it so she was stuck without them. However her eyes seemed to be alluring while she wore the dress, it made them stand out, in a good way.
“R-really? You don’t think that it makes my eyes stand out?” asked Shadow Eyes knowing that her eyes usually had a way of unnerving ponies.
“Your eyes look beautiful” said Light Step and Shadow Eyes frowned.
“But ponies get… Unnerved by my eyes…” said Shadow Eyes as she rubbed her foreleg nervously as Light Step tutted about her and helped her with picking out the rest of her outfit…
- - -
Time until her date drew closer, but she wasn’t thinking about that, currently she was dodging rocks and other assortments of projectiles as a familiar unicorn stallion, dressed in a familiar fashion kept throwing things at her.
“I don’t have time for this!” said the unicorn as he threw a large section of sidewalk which Shadow Eyes caught and managed to stop a few inches from her face, but not before a piece of it succeeded in cutting her shoulder, while she was busy trying not to harm any innocent civilians the stallion got away.
“Tsk… I’ll get you yet, asshole” she said before she trotted off into an alley way and cast her illusion spell…
‘Damn you to Tartarus’ she thought…
- - -
Shadow Eyes raced back to her apartment and showered as quickly as she could. Just as she started to relax in the shower, there was a knock on her door, eyes shooting open and she stumbled out of the shower…
“O-one moment!” she yelled as she wrapped herself up in a pair of towels, and when she got to the door and opened it…
“Am I… Sorry I guess you—” started the stallion
“No, I’m sorry, Rich Quick, I had to work late, I only just got back, I was trying to get ready for our date…” said Shadow Eyes and Rich Quick smiled but shook his head.
“You don’t need to make excuses, it’s OK if you don’t want—” Rich didn’t get a chance finished as Shadow Eyes tsked at him.
“If I didn’t want to go, I wouldn’t have accepted in the first place” she countered as poked him in the barrel, her towel shifting slightly causing her to fix it. “Look, I have to finish getting ready, unless you want to skip the date entirely?” she asked with her eyes half lidded and a smirk on her face causing the stallion in front of her to blink in surprise of her forwardness.
“N-no, I would like to go on the date, I did reserve us a table somewhere…”
“Alright, then let me get ready for the date” said Shadow Eyes and Rich Quick smiled before starting to turn away, “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I was—”
“Get in here, you can wait in the living room, or you can always change your mind” said the mare as she turned around flicking the stallion on the nose with her tail as she trotted to her bedroom.
“That mare wants me” said Rich in awe, before sitting on the sofa for a minute before deciding the date could wait and trotting into the bedroom and pressing his lips to hers. Shadow Eyes grinned...
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
Chapter Four: Learning The Truth
~ ~ ~
Well that went well, I’m glad he took that invitation, I was worried he wouldn’t… But that doesn’t matter because he did take it. Though now we had to reschedule our actual date for tomorrow…
~ ~ ~
Shadow Eyes groaned as she attempted to climb out of bed, but was unable to move, when she heard a moan and felt herself get pulled closer to this warm body in her bed. Rather quickly her memories from the night before came rushing back, and she grinned mischievously and channelling enough magic so that she could see she turned around and nibbled on his neck making the stallion grumble in his sleep before groggily opening his eyes and blushing furiously at the actions of the mare in his hooves as she started going lower and lower…
- - -
“I-I’ll see you tonight?” asked Rich as he had a hard time looking Shadow Eyes in the eye, the things she did to him before letting him leave the bedroom…
“Of course” giggled Shadow Eyes before nuzzling the stallion, “Sorry that I derailed the plans last night, I… Um…“
“It’s alright Blinding Sunrise. I could have chosen to wait while you got ready, so we both are at fault” at the reminder of her alias her smile fell slightly even as her stallion nuzzled her back. Clearing his throat he pulled away. “Anyway I have to get to work, I’ll see you after I get back, and maybe this time we can make it to the restaurant without being sidetracked by, admittedly a very attractive flank” said Rich Quick and Shadow Eyes blushed a bit. “Please do me a favor, stay out of the city today?“
“Why?“
“Just call it a feeling, I don’t want you to get hurt“
- - -
Shadow Eyes jumped back as the sidewalk in front of her exploded into tiny bits the building beside her collapsed into rubble and Shadow Eyes was in shock. He knew!
“About time Shadow Eyes” said Rich as he, in his normal attire Shadow Eyes was about to attack him when she saw him trying to pull ponies out of the rubble. “Are you just going to stand there? I need to get these ponies to safety, this isn’t the only bomb that is going to go off!” scolded Rich, although as far as Shadow Eyes knew it was just another unicorn, the same unicorn she had been chasing, but still…
“What buildings are in danger?” asked Shadow Eyes as she charged her horn.
“I don't know! All I know is that some ponies were planning to bomb the shit out of Manehattan, not something I took a lot of time thinking about” and there was another explosion as Shadow Eyes’ face was pointed towards Rich Quick.
“I’m trying to decide what’s stupider, that reasoning, or me helping you with that reasoning” there were cries for help coming from the recently collapsed building which made the decision for her as she started running for the collapsed building as started pulling ponies out of it. Guardsponies were far too busy doing the same to attempt to apprehend two criminals that weren’t looting or hurting anypony. As fire ponies attempted to put out the blaze, Rich Quick and Shadow Eyes were pulling ponies out faster than the buildings could collapse as more bombs went off, meanwhile in the sky, past where Shadow Eyes could see with her magic field, the moon carried itself in front of the sun causing a mass panic amongst those that hazarded a glance to the sky.
“NIGHTMARE MOON IS BACK!” shouted a panicking pony as he ran past Shadow Eyes, who was far too absorbed into her work to pay attention to the panicking stallion until he attempted to jump into the flames to avoid the apparent reasoning behind the madness currently gripping Manehatten.
“Whoa! Get a hold over yourself!” said Shadow Eyes as she caught him in her telekinetic spell.
“It's Nightmare Moon! She's back!” said the struggling stallion as he attempted to break free of the spell. Shadow Eyes froze for a moment in her attempt to put the stallion back on the sidewalk.
“There... There is no way that she has returned! Get that through your head, you foal!” shouted Shadow Eyes as she threw the stallion back and cast a spell keeping him from jumping into fires by casting an illusion over him.
Rich Quick was pulling ponies out of the ruins of yet another building, this one used to be the Manehatten sperm bank, using his magic he managed to pull a rather tall and slender mare out of the wreckage, the mare was a light brown and an even lighter brown mane and tail, and amber eyes and a few freckles…
Surprisingly they managed to get ahead of the bombs, what remained of the city block was a single building, and both Rich Quick and Shadow Eyes were working together to evacuate the building, when there was a fresh explosion near Rich Quick, his quick thinking saved him from being especially hurt, but it tore his mask, not that he noticed until he saw Shadow Eyes freeze and a tear roll down her cheek, and mouthing wordlessly, bringing his hoof up to his face he froze realizing his mask was showing what he looked like.
“Shit… Listen don't tell anypony, please!” begged Rich Quick and Shadow Eyes snarled before grabbing him by the neck with her magic and teleported them out just as the building collapsed, reappearing in a familiar room as she suddenly slammed him against a wall.
“You think you can play with a mare’s emotions like that? I may be easy to get into bed but I don’t let ponies into my bed all that easily!” shouted Shadow Eyes tears now flowing down her cheeks.
“What on Equis are you talking about! I’ve never slept with you! You’ve lost your mind!“
“Have I? Maybe this will refresh your memory-?” said Shadow Eyes angrily as she cast her spell to put back on her illusion, her fur, mane, and tail all darkened, and he cutie-mark changed to a sun and the stallion back up in shock, the mare he had, with the exception of today, had been trying to kill was the same mare who he had asked out on a date, the same mare that invited him into her bed. “Do you think you can play with a mare’s emotions? Especially a mare that was almost raped in this very room, and then slept with you not all that long after?!” shouted Shadow Eyes and Rich Quick attempted to teleport out only for his spell to fizzle out before he could gather enough magic to do so all of his spells seemed to fizzle out while Shadow Eyes stalked towards him. Fearful he threw the table with his hooves only for her to catch it with her magic, and place it back down gently a look of pained fury on her face. “I went to Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns, fool! Did you think casting an anti-magic ward in my own house would be out of my limits!“
“Look! I’m sorry! I—“
“I don’t want your apologies, dammit! I—“
“Then tell me what you want! Please! Anything! Just don’t kill me!” shouted Rich Quick and Shadow Eyes snorted.
“Just like all criminals that know they are outmatched, they always grovel!” said Shadow Eyes as she grabbed Rich Quick by the throat with her magic and started to squeeze. “I want you to beg for your worthless life! You stole from and killed ponies for your money! Now I want you to beg, and then I will kill you, but the longer you beg the longer you live” snarled Shadow Eyes as her horn started to glow purple and green as she started to channel dark magic.
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
Chapter Five: One rises, While The Other Falls
~ ~ ~
“They say dark magic corrupts, but I don’t think that is true, I don’t feel any different from before, no whispers in the dark, no promises of power. All I ever hear are the screams of the ponies I have killed~“
~ ~ ~
“I’ll change! Please! Just give me another chance!” begged Rich Quick as he was being strangled.
“Why should I believe you! You’ve killed before!” argued Shadow Eyes as her horn sparked slightly from the exertion of her rage fueled magic.
“Because I tried to save you!” he choked out and Shadow Eyes nearly dropped the stallion as unbidden, the warning he had given her that morning became fresh in her mind. Gritting her teeth, she dropped the stallion, who collapsed gasping. Tears threatened to spill anew as she focused her magic on the stallion, sharpening the image of him in her field.
“Get out…” said Shadow Eyes and Rich Quick stumbled over himself to try to leave the apartment, as soon as he was out of her sight, she collapsed and started sobbing, she had been nursing romantic feelings for a stallion that turned out to be nothing more than a criminal…
- - -
Days turned to weeks as Shadow Eyes went on autopilot, patrols were quick and brutal to any criminals she found, but no progress had been made on her end on who had been bombing downtown Manehatten. Light Step had started hiding out in Shadow Eyes’ apartment and Shadow Eyes started to become more frayed as time went on, continuing to beat herself up for not finding out sooner, and then one day while out on patrol Shadow Eyes ended up picking a fight with a group of ponies known for their cruel ways of dealing with ponies who got in their way, what she didn’t know was that Rich Quick had been true to his word, and while yes he still stole, it really was his special talent, he stole from thieves and other crooks, returning the stolen items to the rightful owners. This was how they ran into each other, Rich Quick looking just as ragged as Shadow Eyes.
- - -
Rich Quick was infiltrating the gang’s hideout when Shadow Eyes came bursting in the building and started flinging spell after spell around and explosions began to rock the building.
‘What does that crazy bitch think she is doing?’ thought Rich Quick as he watched the mare from his hiding spot.
“What do we have here?” asked a pony as he came across Rich Quick who smirked in response.
“I think you have more to worry about than a lowly thief like myself, most importantly your early demise.“
“Wha--” the gang member didn't have the chance to finish the question before Rich forcefully twisted the pony's head and body in different directions, breaking the unlucky pony's neck.
“It means your death” answered Rich Quick before he made his way through the building snagging stolen items that he had come to get when he heard the fighting begin to die down sneaking his way to a position where he could see Shadow Eyes...
- - -
Shadow Eyes was surrounded by the gang she had been fighting for the last few days, she had found the gang's hideout and attacked it thinking it would be simple, just wipe them out, but instead she learned why the guard hadn’t done the same already, and was paying for it she was starting to tire, she hadn’t slept well since throwing Rich Quick out of her apartment, worried that she was letting him free to keep killing and stealing from innocent ponies again. Panting, Shadow Eyes scowled in the general direction of a particular gang member that was talking about using her before finishing her off.
“Foolish colt, I am Shadow Eyes, Tenebrosus Magus!” panted Shadow Eyes and the gang members laughed at her before beginning to close ranks around her and her heart leapt to her throat in fear...
There was several snapping sounds as ponies and gryphons started to cry out in pained shock.
“I do believe the mare said no” said Rich Quick...
- - -
A few moments ago...
Rich Quick bit his lip as he watched Shadow Eyes be surrounded by the gang members. On one hoof, he could leave. She did try to kill him last time he had seen her, and he wasn't too keen on a repeat of that performance but on the other hoof, as he watched her slowly lose her foothold and being unable to retreat, he gritted his teeth...
Sneaking behind the group of ponies, careful not to be seen by either the gang members or Shadow Eyes herself. As she put on a brave front as the gang talk about using her.
“I do believe the mare said no” said Rich Quick as he snapped the gang members' bones incapacitating them. Shadow Eyes glared in surprise at Rich Quick as he walked towards her calmly.
“What are you doing here?” challenged the mare and Rich Quick flinched as he pulled a few stolen items out of the bag on his side.
“You aren't the only one with business with these gang members” countered Rich Quick and he jumped backwards as Shadow Eyes snarled at him and shot a bolt of magic at him.
“I should have killed you!” She shouted and Rich Quick went wide-eyed as he jumped to the left dodging the bolt, where it buried itself in the flesh of one of the grounded gang members.
“And, why, pray tell, should you have killed me? If anything, you should be thanking me!” said the male unicorn as he threw a bolt of his own into the face of a gang member that attempted to attack Shadow Eyes from behind a moment later the pony caught fire as Shadow Eyes channeled a magic spell.
“You are with these ponies, aren't you?” asked a confused Shadow Eyes as she ducked the bolt that was nowhere near fast enough to catch her.
“Why would I be stealing from a gang I was a part of?” asked Rich Quick and Shadow Eyes gritted her teeth as she charged her horn and shot another blast at the orange stallion who side steps it and lets it kill a gang member that had gotten behind him.
“Because you don’t know how to be loyal!” she shouted fresh tears welling up in her unseeing eyes, she back peddled as soon as she noticed him taking steps towards her, but stopped quickly as she remembered she was surrounded, and had no place to run.
“Don’t worry, everything will be fine” he whispered into her ear before pressing his lips to hers and she was about to pull away and blast him when there was a flash of light as he and herself disappeared from the warehouse.
Chapter Six Part One: The Story Of the Past Part One
Just edited the name of who she killed, nothing too special
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
Chapter Six Part One: The Story Of the Past Part One
When they reappeared, it was inside an empty apartment. Looking around with her magic, Shadow Eyes was confused, she didn’t know where she was. “Welcome to my humble abode” said Rich Quick and her face shot in his direction.
“Why did you bring me here?!” said the mare defensively as her fur stood on end, she was poised like a tiger ready to pounce, a snarl on her face, fully expecting her to be like this, Rich Quick simply stepped away from her, giving her her space.
“I couldn’t let the mare, that has kept me from a good night’s sleep, with how much I hurt her, get hurt… Not anymore than I had hurt you to begin with…” said the stallion and Shadow Eyes narrowed her unseeing eyes at him, still ready to attack him, it was unbidden but in the end she began to relax.
“What do you plan on doing with me, now that you have me trapped? Looking for an encore of our night together? Because that isn’t happening!” sneered Shadow Eyes and Rich Quick shook his head.
“No, you are free to leave at any time, go ahead leave, I did what I set out to do, and got a kiss out of it too” just as he expected he felt a slap on his face as Shadow Eyes blushed angrily, “I had that coming”
“Y-yes you did! What on Equis possessed you to kiss me?” asked the blind mare and Rich Quick looked away as he got up and walked to the door to his apartment.
“I believe it is time for you to go” said Rich Quick as he opened the door and gestured for her to leave. Biting her lip she made her way to the apartment building’s hallway as soon as she was outside the apartment, the door slammed shut.
- - -
Shadow Eyes, a few days later, stood outside Rich Quick’s apartment fighting with herself about whether or not to knock on his door when his door opened up revealing an annoyed unicorn.
“What the buck do you want?” He asked her and she bit her lip and sighed.
“I never thanked you for saving me from… You know…” said Shadow Eyes in her disguise.
“You don’t have to thank me” said the stallion as he moved to close the door when Shadow Eyes pushed a hoof between the door and the door jam wincing as the door slammed against it.
“You’re wrong, you could’ve died, and all to save a foolish mare who ran in without thinking.” she said calmly, “And if I am honest with myself, you didn’t do anything wrong, you have been keeping your nose clean, and then saving me from being… Well you know…” She added before surprising the stallion with a small peck to the lips. “I do still care about you… You hurt me though when I found out who you were.” Said the mare interrupting the stunned stallion before he could get a word out.
“What do you want then? I still am a criminal, just like yourself, however, I don’t have a million bit reward on my head placed there by Princess Luna just for what you are, a Tenebrosus Magus, not something one should flaunt around” said Rich and Shadow Eyes’ face morphed into a pout as she faced him before she sighed.
“Yes I am wanted, ESIS is looking for me, but they haven’t found me, and they aren’t going to” argued Shadow Eyes the pout on her face not really phasing the stallion as he was more worried than anything.
“Why? Why did you become a Tenebrosus Magus? You are certainly young enough you had other options” asked Rich Quick and Shadow Eyes bit her lip as she looked away before sighing, closing her unseeing eyes.
“I wasn’t always known as Shadow Eyes” she said and Rich Quick looked at her confused, the mare in front of him didn’t seem like the type to be ashamed of anything, least of all a name. “I am the heiress, Bright Star, Heir to the Noble House of Star, Former Star Pupil of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Killer of Heavy Heart-” It was here that Rich Quick went wide-eyed...
Chapter Six Part Two: The Story of the Past Part Two
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
Chapter Six Part Two: The Story of the Past Part Two
~ ~ ~
I knew magic was powerful, but the power I found in those spells… Was nothing compared to the power I felt when I was with my friends. I remember a lecture Princess Celestia once gave about the magic of friendship, and I think she was right, but to protect my friends I have to leave. Forgive me Silver Hoof, forgive me Shade Hair, all of you, please forgive me...
~ ~ ~
The Mare that would be known as Shadow Eyes,, then known as Bright Star trotted through the halls of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, chatting happily with her friends as they talked about the test they had just finished taking, Professor Lightbulb had pulled her aside right after class, praising her innate skill in magic, especially for not having a cutie mark in it, or for that matter any cutie mark on her flank, her friends always joked that one day she would wake up with a cutie mark for magic or something similar, or if they were trying to be especially funny, a cutie mark for janitorial work, it always managed to get a chuckle out of her, truth be told, she didn’t care about her cutie mark or lack thereof, she was here with her friends, she was heir to a noble house, and she had a date in two nights with a colt who seemed so nervous as he tried to ask her out she had to accept, the poor colt nearly fainted right there.
“Bright Star! Did you hear? Princess Celestia may be picking a personal student! I heard the professors talking about you being a shoe in for the position!” said Glimmer Heart as she ran up to the group panting heavily, she was a heavy set unicorn with pink fur and red mane/tail.
“Really?!” asked Bright Star excited it wasn’t often that one heard news like this, and her only rival at the school was a young filly, barely old enough to come to the school, she was worried that such a position would pass her over in favor of the younger filly who obviously had great potential still, as her own window for any remarkable growth was drawing to a close as she grew closer to adulthood, she was sixteen, she needed to-
“Hey there Bright Star, hows about you and I-”
“Not interested, Heavy Heart. Besides, I already have a date this weekend, Silver Hoof asked me already” said Bright Star as she pushed the athletic stallion out of the way.
“How’d you know it was me?”
“I don’t need eyes to see Heavy, and Elysium help you if you try anything with my friends, I heard what you did with those other mares you dated, and I have no interest in having one of my friends become just another conquest of yours” snapped Bright Star her horn illuminated for a moment revealing the magic running through it. Heavy Heart placed a hoof to his chest feigning a wound.
“You wound me, fair filly, I would never do such a thing” he said and Bright Star whirled around to face him.
“I don’t care what you have to say, I have seen and heard of how you treat fillies all the time, Heavy, and I would never go out with you, if you were the last stallion on Equis, now if you would, leave me and my friends alone!” shouted the young mare and Heavy Heart took a step back in surprise before getting an angry look on his face and got muzzle to muzzle with the smaller pony and was about to say something when Professor Gem walked out of her classroom.
“I know you aren’t bothering these fillies, are you Heavy Heart? Do I need to call your mother?” asked the full grown mare as her horn sparked ready to break apart the fight if it came to blows, more for Heavy Heart’s sake than Bright Star’s because that mare was the top of her class and was looked ready to tear the young colt apart…
- - -
It was later that night when everypony else had gone to bed that Bright Star was found in the library pouring over some books of questionable content, “Dark Arts and Their Applications” and “Is There Such Thing as Dark Magic?” were two such books known to have the theories of dark magic in them, and for a mare as skilled as Bright Star, theory was all she needed. Not realizing it her flank was shining with a steady light as she studied the theories with interest. She never understood how any spell could be considered dark magic, wasn’t all magic about intent? Soon her horn was bubbling with purple/green bubbles as she summoned a dark crystal out of nothing. She used another spell to erase the crystal from existence, wiping the evidence of her magic use out of existence as well, leaving only a small puff of smoke that quickly dissipated. Finally noticing the glow on her flank she turned to it but as soon as she did it disappeared and the flank was still blank and she pouted. Here she was, a nearly full grown mare, and she still didn’t have a cutie mark, but if her talent lay in using what others called dark magic… Did she really want her cutie mark? A mark that would tell the world she was a Tenebrosus Magus? That was a life sentence in the Crystal Mines underneath Canterlot, if she was lucky to be captured alive, a death sentence if she so much as used a spell against the guards that would undoubtedly be after her if her cutie mark was something that represented “dark magic…”
- - -
The Next morning was the beginning of the weekend and Bright Star beamed happily as Silver Hoof, the nerdish colt that had asked her out came trotting up to the door of her home, her father answering the door as she made her way downstairs only to frown at her father who was doing his best, and succeeding to make the poor colt uncomfortable about dating his only daughter.
“Daddy! Please don’t scare away the only decent colt at my school with enough guts to ask me out!” said Bright Star and her father, Gold Star, looked abashed at that.
“But sweetie, surely many” he shuttered, “colts and mares have asked you out?”
“Sure they have, but a lot of them are assholes”
“Bright Star!”
“What daddy? They are!”
“What about that colt Heavy Heart? He is a likeable colt”
“Likeable? Not really, he would just add me to his conquest list, and I am not that kind of mare, and I don’t plan on being a notch on his bedpost” at that Gold Star clenched his jaw, Heavy Heart had been over earlier before his daughter had awoken and shared with him a story that Silver Hoof was a pony that used mares for pleasure and used his nerdish charms to get them to trust him before using them and leaving them crying about being used while he went on to the next. However his daughter was saying it was actually Heavy Heart that used mares for that purpose…
- - -
As Silver Hoof and Bright Star were making their way to the theaters, they chatted about nonsensical things, and the mare giggled as Silver Hoof made a rather corny joke about the mailmare and the milkmare and delivering things, not that she was actually listening to his jokes.
“Um… If you don’t mind why-?”
“Why did I accept you asking me out? I wasn’t kidding when I told daddy that you were the only decent colt to have the guts to ask me out, I may not be as high on the totem pole as some noble heirs, but I am the best in the school, and that intimidates some ponies. It doesn’t hurt that you are cute” said the blind mare and Silver Hoof scuffed the ground nervously before rushing back up to the mare, he had been a little stunned by her exclamation…
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
Chapter Seven: The Story of the Past Part Three
~ ~ ~
“[…] Don’t worry, Silver Hoof, I’ll be fine, I don’t want you to wait for me, find some other mare to make you happy […]”
~ ~ ~
Bright Star gave the colt a kiss goodnight as they made it back to her house.
“Thank you Silver Hoof, I enjoyed the date, See you next week?” asked the sixteen year old filly and Silver Hoof just nodded blushing and Bright Star giggled before she nuzzled him gently and made her way back into the house...
- - -
Over the course of the next few weeks Bright Star and Silver Hoof grew closer and in secret Bright Star grew more skilled in the dark magic she could get her hooves on. Until one day…
“Let my coltfriend go, Heavy Heart!” snapped Bright Star angrily as the more Athletic colt held Silver Hoof up by his hoof against his neck.
“Why in Celestia’s name would you date this nerd? I could give you so much more” said Heavy Heart and Bright Star snarled at the stallion.
“Oh yes, a broken heart after you have bucked the living daylights out of my flank! I heard all about you, Heavy Heart, and I will not be some conquest, and my coltfriend is not an open target” said the angry mare as she started to charge her horn, sure she would get in trouble, but it would be worth it to get him away from her coltfriend.
“Heavy Heart! You put that colt down, right now! You have just earned yourself detention!”
- - -
It went on like that for months, gradually escalating to the point where Bright Star actually used magic to pull the bigger colt away from her coltfriend, slamming him against the lockers and was about to beat him when she was given detention. When she tried to defend herself she was told that it didn’t excuse her reaction and she gritted her teeth and stormed out of the headmaster’s office, slamming the door behind her knocking paintings and diploma’s off the walls…
- - -
It happened one night when Bright Star was on a date with Silver Hoof, at the theater for the second time, she pressed her lips against his and used her tongue to demand entrance to his mouth, the nerdish coltfriend of hers melting into the kiss as she started to stroke his face with a hoof. It didn’t manage to get any farther as the moment she attempted to go farther she was blinked out of the theater and in front of Heavy Heart who was looking at her lecherously.
“I knew you were a slut, and couldn’t wait to buck again” said the colt and Bright Star gritted her teeth as she recognized the voice and figure in front of her.
“What the-? Heavy Heart? Where the buck is my coltfriend?” Asked Bright Star as she reoriented herself and tried to stand only for Heavy to push down on her with his forehooves.
“Now, now, no need to get up, the fun is just starting.” the colt’s choice of words set off warning bells in the blind mare’s head, and she shot up her horn sparking angrily.
“What do you want, Heavy Heart? And if you say-”
“Oh it isn't a matter of what I want, it's a matter of what you want. I take it you don't want something to happen to your nerd of a coltfriend.” Bright Star stiffened, he was going to threaten Silver Hoof? She shook her head worriedly as the colt got behind her and shoved his nose in her marehood making the mare jump in surprise, before bucking Heavy Heart in the face breaking his nose, shoving the bone straight up into his brain. As soon as she did, she blinked again and reappeared in the theater just as Silver Hoof returned to grab his things and help look for her.
“Bright Star! What hap—Bright Star? Is everything alright?” asked Silver Hoof as Bright Star suddenly nuzzled against the colt as if she needed to know she was safe.
“Just be quiet and take me home, I need my daddy” said the filly and Silver Hoof nodded as he walked out of the theater and announced that he found her before taking the filly home…
- - -
When they made it to the door of her home she used her magic to pull her coltfriend into a kiss, as if to make sure he was still there, she wrapped her hooves around his neck and held him in place as tears ran down her face as what nearly happened hit her with the full force of a freight train.
“D-did you want to come upstairs?” asked Bright Star nervously and Silver Hoof looked at her confused but nodded as she nervously led him into her house and up the stairs to her room, her parents not at home due to the current meeting of Nobles at Canterlot Castle. As soon as they were at the door to her room she shed the clothes causing the colt to blush a bit as, although ponies walking nude was a normal thing, the clothing she was wearing underneath the dress was very naughty. She shed those as well before turning to Silver Hoof. “Heavy Heart tried to have his way with me…” she said suddenly making the blush on Silver Hoof deepen, but from anger rather than embarrassment as his expression grew angry but before he could say, or do anything he felt Bright Star’s lips against his once more. “I want you to help me forget…” she said as she run a hoof on his upper chest…
- - -
She woke up a few hours later, her colt—No, her former coltfriend… She wasn’t going to have him wait for her, because Bright Star was dead. She couldn’t go by that name anymore, she had killed, there were not that many crimes in Equestria that were heavily punished in Equestria, murder was one of them, even Tenebrosus Magus were treated less harshly than murderers… Maybe that was it. She would become a Tenebrosus Magus, but that leaved the issue of a name… Maybe…
- - -
“It was after that I chose to become a Tenebrosus Magus, and take up the name Shadow Eyes” said Shadow Eyes as she sipped at her coffee, Rich Quick had given her after inviting her inside and offering her a drink.
“You mentioned that you weren’t having him wait for you… It sounds like you loved him” said Rich Quick as he drank his own coffee.
“I do, I did, but I couldn’t ask him to wait for me when I knew he wouldn’t be able to go with me, and I couldn’t do that to him. He deserves a mare that would be a good wife for him, and mother of his foals…” she said wistfully before Rich Quick got up and walked around his coffee table and sat next to her before putting a fore leg over her and pulling her into a comforting hug causing the mare to break down and cry into his shoulder. “I loved him, I gave him something I can never get back, and by now he probably doesn’t even remember me. I am probably, at best, the filly he slept with while still at Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns” “How did you break up with him? I mean, how did you tell him to not wait for you?” asked Rich Quick as he tried to think of a way to comfort her.
“I-” she sniffed, “I left him a letter, saying that I had to leave, that I did something horrible to somepony else, that it was better this way, to not look for me, that he was better off without me. That I loved him and that he would forever hold a place in my heart, but not to wait for me”
“He won’t forget you… Unless I am seriously mistaken he probably has that letter still, and he tried to wait for you for a while but after a while he realized you weren’t coming back…” he said pulling away before pressing his lips to her forehead just below her horn causing the mare to shudder as pleasurable feelings rushed from her horn to her brain, he noticed this and, apologized thinking he had overstepped his bounds.
“Don’t worry about it, you don’t know how I see” said the mare before suddenly pressing her lips to his. “Thank you for listening to a mare reminisce on her past”
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
Chapter Eight: Catching Up
~ ~ ~
Darkness flows forever away from the light, and the road leading through it has a gradual decline so slight, you never notice how far you have gotten until you look back and see where you started. It is the same with evil, but I hope I never look back, I don’t want to know how far I have fallen, just to survive…
~ ~ ~
The next morning Shadow Eyes awoke feeling completely refreshed and when she activated her magic to see she froze for a sec, not recognizing the room before she noticed Rich Quick laying beside her, and she remembered laying with him again, telling him over and over she forgave him. She also remembered that she was in his apartment, she had told him her story, and he accepted her still. Granted, it was not that damning of a story, the more she thought about it after going on the run in the first place the more she realized she damned herself by doing so. She could have been home right now, with her family, possibly married to Silver Hoof by now… No… She wouldn’t have found her special talent had she stayed.
Cutie Marks, even with her vision she could see a cutie mark, and she normally could not see smooth images, what was more she could see them in their particular colors, unaffected by the bluescale of her vision…
Slipping out of Rich’s hooves she trotted out into his kitchen and started to rummage through it in search of a coffee can so she could make the stallion and herself a cup of coffee.
Upon hearing someone in his kitchen Rich awoke with a start, and feeling a cold spot in his bed he figured that Shadow Eyes had left to go home, so for a second he was worried that it was a guard so he stumbled out of bed groaning as he hit the floor, only to hear Shadow Eyes yell into the room.
“Hey, where is your coffee?” Rich felt foolish, of course she wouldn’t just up and leave. Not after pouring her heart out to him, but he also felt odd. It was nice waking knowing someone was there for him this morning, but he also felt like that was dangerous for the both of them. Both of them wanted ponies, more dangerous for him because he would be known for associating with a Tenebrosus Magus, something that would yes, help him with his underworld connections, but would forever damn him in polite society, was that something he was willing to risk? Was he willing to damn himself to living only in the criminal underworld? Getting up from his position on the floor Rich made his way to the kitchen where he watched Shadow Eyes finally finding the Coffee, and he watched as she worked around the kitchen with a smile on her face as she started making breakfast for the two of them, almost as if she liked the mundane aspect of it. “Well? Are you going to help me?” she asked as she turned to him smiling at him, and he decided right then that he was going to risk everything. He was going to be with her as long as she wanted him, she poured out her heart over the course of the night before they retired for the night, him offering her his bed even though her apartment was just a few doors down.
“You look beautiful” Rich Quick suddenly said and the mare stopped what she was doing and turned to face him.
“Don’t. Don’t you say things that you can’t back up, Rich. Don’t try to start a relationship you know will end badly for both of us”
“You were fine with having a relationship with me as Blinding Sunrise, why change that now?” challenged Rich and Shadow Eyes gave him a sad look.
“Because as Blinding Sunrise, I could pretend to be a regular mare, a mare that hadn’t done all I have done, all for survival’s sake”
“And if I told you I prefer you over your imagined persona? If I told you that I would rather have you? And not Blinding Sunrise?” Shadow Eyes narrowed her clouded eyes at him.
“And why would you say that? You know next to nothing about the real me, and the first time we actually had a conversation I was strangling you, and before that we were trying to kill one another” said the mare and Rich just looked at her surely she hadn’t forgotten about telling him her story?
“I know why you are on the run, and you told me about your first love. You showed me you at your most vulnerable, and you trusted me. Why don’t you tell me what you really are afraid of” challenged Rich and Shadow Eyes snarled at him.
“You think you know me? I am not the mare I was then! I have done things, things I would have never done as Bright Star! Are you sure you want to risk everything to be with a mare who, if discovered will be the end of your life as you know it? I don’t think you truly understand the risk you are taking!”
“Isn’t that my decision? I want to know more about you, I want to know everything, and I want to share everything about me! I may be a thief but there is so much more that I am.” said Rich as he got nose to nose with her, as he did, he felt the urge to kiss the mare, but he bit back that feeling…
- - -
Moonlit and Glory Star had been searching for months, but the more they searched the less certain they were that Princess Luna was right, sure Shadow Eyes was a Tenebrosus Magus, but in every sighting of the mare, she had been seen helping citizens, aiding the weak and helpless, and stopping other criminals…
“Glory… Are we doing the right thing?” asked Moonlit and the bat pony bit her lip as she turned to look at her partner, and sometimes lover.
“We have to trust the princess. We can’t allow doubts to cloud our minds now…” said the mare and Moonlit frowned, it sounded like the mare was trying to convince herself as much as him.
“Glory…” he started before the mare her face suddenly grew firm.
“Are you thinking about betraying our princess, Moonlit?” she asked baring her fangs and Moonlit frowned at her, his horn suddenly glowing as he readied himself for a fight. “It’s our job to follow the princess’s orders!”
“And to protect her! Even from herself, Glory Star!” snapped Moonlit as soon as he said that Glory Star leaped at him fangs bared, the stallion barely dodged them as he fired a magical bolt at her, the bolt missed and crashed into a wall leaving burn mark on said wall.
“The princess doesn’t need traitors like you protecting her!” said Glory Star as tears started to well up in her eyes as she readied herself to attack her mate once more when he grabbed her in a telekinetic field and slammed her against a wall and held her there.
“If I am a traitor for trying to protect the princess from making a grave mistake, then so be it, but I will not fight you Glory Star. Long live the night and all its glory, even you, the most beautiful star I have ever had the pleasure of meeting” said Moonlit before he cast a sleeping spell on the mare before he placed a call to Princess Celestia, the Solar Princess may be able to talk some sense into her sister, but if need be, he would commit treason to protect his princess from damning her soul to Tartarus by killing a mare whose only crime was practicing magic that was forbidden to protect them…
- - -
ESIS agent Seeker 019 was surprised to hear from a pony that reported directly to Princess Luna, a member of the Lunar Guard, a ranking member at that…
“Yes, Captain Novel, you said you had something to report?” asked the agent and Moonlit proceeded to inform the stallion who was even more surprised to learn one of his agents had disobeyed direct orders from Princess Celestia to keep her sister out of the loop and in fact had kept Princess Celestia out of the loop saying that they had lost track of the mare known as Shadow Eyes. “I take it you will need help then? I don’t think your partner, nor the Lunar Princess will take kindly to you informing us about this”
“No, I am going to continue my mission, but instead of killing her, I am going to protect her, but… I need somepony to help my partner, she obviously has conflicting feelings about this mission, but her loyalty to my princess… And to myself… Is causing some serious issues” said Moonlit as he sighed looking over his shoulder to the sleeping mare, still under the enchanted sleep he had cast on her, which he renewed every so often as to not be surprised by her attacking him. “We are currently at…”
- - -
“Princess Celestia, I bring news, Seeker 028 has been disobeying your orders for the last few months and also has been feeding us false information on the Tenebrosus Magus known as Shadow Eyes, on the orders of your sister Princess Luna” said agent Silver Hoof, he had been recalled from his post on the Friendship Express. As he had requested when he first joined ESIS he was kept up to date with information about the mare known as Shadow Eyes, he knew who she really was, he had known ever since she surfaced, it was the mare he had fallen for in school, the heiress to the noble house of Star, Bright Star, and he would see her home safe, he knew what happened and so did Princess Celestia, but Celestia’s sister did not, all she saw was a pony who was practicing dark magic and was obviously corrupted by it. Foolish mare…
“I see… I take it you want to go after her? After all you are the one that told me who she was, and what happened” asked Celestia and Silver Hoof shook his head. Even he knew that would be a bad idea… She might recognize him, and if she had fallen off the deep end with her practice of dark magic, then his love for her would make him an easy target for spells that would control him…
- - -
“You do not get to tell me what I can and cannot do Rich!” snapped Shadow Eyes and Rich unperturbed by the magic she was now channeling through the apartment stayed nose to nose with the mare before surprising her and pressing his lips to hers.
“Not anymore than you can tell me what to do, heiress, if we aren’t in a relationship, you have no say over what I do, short of me returning to my criminal ways of the past” he said pulling away, the kiss had shocked her enough that the magic she was channelling ceased. the shocked look on her face quickly changed to one of anger before she kissed him and the timeless dance began anew…
Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit
Epilogue: This is Not the End
~ ~ ~
I should have known, falling in love was the worst thing I could have done while being on the run. Now I am in bed with a stallion that first tried to kill me, then bedded me, and finally broke my heart when I found out who he really was… Why do the princesses do this to me? Or is this Discord’s fault?
Oh no, little pony, I had nothing to do with this… HAHAHA
~ ~ ~
Shadow Eyes grumbled as she pried herself from the sleeping grasp of Rich. She knew he was right, she was scared, of letting anypony in… She had been falling for Rich before she realized he had been the one trying to kill her, no… That isn’t true, she did fall for him, and she did still want him, as evident by the fact she just laid with him. Shadow Eyes made her way to the entrance and stood there facing the door, focusing on just the door and she argued with herself, she knew that if she allowed herself to be with Rich, what did that mean if Silver Hoof did wait for her? No. She couldn’t make that excuse, even if he had, she told him not to, she told him to move on with his life, that where she went, he couldn’t follow, a life of secrets and lies, and if this pony, this thief, could handle the truth of her, then perhaps it was time she let a pony in…
- - -
Rich Quick groaned at the loss of warmth in his bed, slowly waking up and finding her not there, but on her pillow, a small note that read, in very messy hoofwriting:
“Rich, you’re right, I’m scared, I have lived most of my adult life on the run, hiding from ponies who want me dead, and Celestia knows what else…
I know that I never gave you an answer…
So if you are still interested in being in a relationship with a mare who nearly killed you the first time we met, with a mare that practices the forbidden arts. With a mare that, if discovered will be the end of your life as you know it…
Come to my apartment, I will be waiting for you there”
Rich Quick dry swallowed as he realized the mare would be giving him a chance finally? Then he shouldn’t waste anymore time...
