My eyes went crossed staring at the gleaming great sword that loomed in front of my face. Celestia's blade quivered in either rage, exhaustion, or both as she continued to stare me down. To my right Black Wing stood not but a few meters from me, barely being held back despite Black Hammer's best efforts. My mind went blank with fear at what was happening. I had come here for answers in my rage only to be met with a feeling of hostility far greater than anything I had to offer.

Beads of sweat dripped down my temples as a hard shallow soon followed. Then after a few seconds I croaked out, "What? What do you mean?" in a mixture of fear and confusion.

Celestia's tired yet fierce eyes narrowed to mere slits as her blade lessened the already short distance between it and my face. I felt the heat emanate from the blazing metal as her voice took on a much darker tone. "Undo what you've done to my sister or I'll cut you down where you stand," she said still leering at me in an unblinking gaze.

My body remained frozen where I stood as her words swam in my mind. There was little doubt, given Celestia's current mood, that she meant every single word. A renewed chill flowed over me as I reached out with my thoughts in a last ditch effort, and called out to Death.

'Death, I really could use your aid at the moment' I said unable to keep the shakiness out of my mental voice.

The single second it took him to respond felt like an eternity before he said 'What do you require?'

'Without going into specifics, can you please find out what happened to Princess Luna? Otherwise I fear my head shall be given a brand new piercing courtesy of an extremely miffed Solar Princess,' I said trying to be polite, but utterly failing at steadying my tone.

More eternity filled seconds of silence lapsed before Death said 'Hmm it appears a large amount of my energy is condensed around her presence. However, I am unable to remove it . All I can sense is a voice that keeps repeating the words, "None shall touch or lay claim". I am sorry Blood Moon, but this is all I can determine.'

'None shall touch or lay claim?' I said in my mind as I puzzled the statement for but a moment before my eyes opened wider than before. An awful sinking feeling formed in my stomach as a realization had been made. I did not even hide my thoughts this time as I spoke out loud the same statement.

Celestia tilted her head with a slightly confused expression on her face before she said "What did you say?"

"None shall touch or lay claim" I echoed the statement again before I scrambled for Star Swirl's tome at my side. I then held it up for her to see and her reaction was almost immediate. Her eyes slammed wide open as she stumbled backwards to get away from it.

"HOW DID YOU GET YOUR HOOVES ON THAT AWFUL THING?!" she screeched and took several more steps away from me.

I quickly shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. It was so obvious, but I did not see it as such a problem when it first arose. The book's sentient hex seemed intent on attacking anypony who touch it. I was a fool to believe that Luna could have removed such a curse so easily. I should have rushed back here as soon as I found out how to dispel it. But I was angry. I felt betrayed and confused. I felt as if the whole world was against me. Well until Luna had given me this book that is.

A surge of guilt welled in me in response to my folly. And what made it worse was that through all the torment she must have endured, she still did not reveal my hidden location to the others. An act that further imbued guilt into my very being, because it very well may have cost her, her own life as a result.

I tried to shut out all the mix of unpleasant emotions I was feeling and steeled myself for the task at hoof. Luna was probably near to her dying breath and I may be the only one to stop it. I clenched my teeth in response and said "We do not have time for explanations! Where is Princess Luna? I know what horrid thing is harming her!" nearly shouted with urgency.

But to my displeasure Black Wing slipped from Black Hammer's grip and blurred at me. In the span of mere moments her wing blades were up against my throat. Her muscles quivered in a manner that was in no way friendly. Then her burning golden eyes glared at me as she spoke through clenched teeth. "You are not going anywhere you cur. I will not allow you to finish what you have done to Princess Luna," she said in a low growl.

Her tone and words wounded me slightly. Before my transformation she was more than just my General. She was a close friend. But I did not have time for long winded explanations. So with what little concentration I could manage I lifted the blood stained note Luna had left me with Star Swirl's tome. I then floated it in front of her face to read it.

"What is this?" she snarled out.

To which I replied with a simple "Read it."

A few seconds then passed before Black Wing's wing blades eased up on my throat. Red tears streamed down her face as she lowered the note. I then floated it to Celesta to read as well. "She...she" Black Wing said with her cracking voice before practically getting shoved out of the way by Celestia.

Celestia's body shook with some strange renewed vigor as she squeezed my face with her forehooves. She then stuffed her face close to mine before frantically stating "Can you fix this?!" When I fumbled on my response she added in the same frantic tone "You broke the seal on that foul book! Can you fix this?!"

"I-I-I believe so yes-" I started to say but was interrupted when Celestia squeezed me tight to herself. The air around us then crackled for but a moment before we teleported.

When we appeared at our destination a small part of my mind shuttered at the sensation before I gathered my senses. I probably would have also tried to determine where I was until Celestia nearly collapsed on top of me. Her deep ragged breaths did not sound healthy as I propped her up.

Then when her breathing had somewhat normalized I decided to hazard an inquiry. "Where are we?" I questioned as I continued to help Celestia to her hooves.

"We...we are in...the royal dungeon," she huffed out before adding, "We had to...put Luna down here...when that awful curse...started to make everypony...sick around her." And while I wanted to ask her more questions, she certainly did not seem up to the task as she kept chanting "We're coming Luna."

And so we continued down the hall with me more or less acting as Celestia's support as she limped forward. This in turn gave me a few moments to think. Now the royal dungeons were not foreign to me. I have had to come down here often in the past to either interrogate enemies or help newly turned supernaturals. It was not somewhere where pleasant memories were to be created. It was an unfortunate necessary evil that we were often forced to utilize. But this in of itself was not the worrying part. No, that position was claimed by what part of the royal dungeons we were heading to.

A knot formed in my stomach when I remembered this path all too clearly. This section contained several large cells that did not possess iron bars, but enchanted stone doors. Sealed doors used to contain only the most dangerous threats to the kingdom. Many moons ago I found myself forcefully placed inside one of these six rooms when I was first brought here. It was almost one hundred and eighty years ago, but the memories were still fresh in my mind.

However I did not have the time to delve into past nightmares. So I shook my head to bush those memories away and remained focused. The facts were clear. First, if Luna had to be stored into one of these sealed cells then she must truly be a danger to those around her. Second, time was of the essence as I knew what death energy could inflict upon living beings, namely Luna herself.

So we continued as we made our way to the farthest cell. And upon arriving I felt some sort of invisible dread in the air. The horrid feeling seemed to affect Celestia far greater than me as her body begin to shake. I then saw her lips quiver before she stated "L-L-Luna is behind this door. I...I'm sorry but I don't have the strength at the moment to go in with you. I had given her so much of my blood to keep her alive that I can't...I just can't..." Then as a tear began flowing down her cheek, she turned to me and added "Please...save her...I just...I just can't lose her again...please."

It was truly saddening to see Celestia in such a state. She was always this fountain of strength and fortitude. A well of hope to draw from when there was none elsewhere. This would not stand, I tensed my muscles in response and said in a firm tone, "I will do all in my power to aid Princess Luna. You have my word in this."

Then with a nod she unlocked the sealed door. The door seam hissed as it opened up releasing something foul into the air. It did not seem to affect me, but Celestia began letting out deep ragged coughs. In turn I did not waste any time in telling Celestia to seal the door after I walked inside.

With a frantic nod she shut the door behind me and I heard the magical lock click back into place. A deep sigh left my lips as I begin sensing my surrounding. These cells did not have windows and usually limited light sources so they were often quite dark. But in this case, whatever magic was used for the lights seemed to have been stripped away. If not for my vampiric sight the room most likely would have been pitch black.

But this was only a minor issue considering the overwhelming sense of malign intent that saturated the air. There was no mistaking that horrid feeling, it was definitely the sentient hex's doing. So I felt my way along the wall and felt the intensity of the hex's influence increase with each step. Then I finally arrived at a fine silken bed with a withered figure on it.

Luna had been lying on her back. She was little more than skin and bones while she struggled to breathe. And then I saw it. At first I thought it was perhaps part of the bed, but it rested directly on Luna's chest. Some foul ethereal being that had no right existing in this world. A pulsing blob whose ethereal tentacles were wrapped around Luna's throat, chest, and limbs. A single unblinking ink colored eye sat in the center of it, staring at Luna until it noticed me there.

Then in its eerie voice it stated "None...shall touch...or lay claim..."

I narrowed my eyes on it and said "Ahh yes, you again. With your 'None shall touch or lay claim' speech hmm? Well I would like to say to you that I already laid claim to that book you had protected. See? Here it is," before I lifted Star Swirl's tome for it to see.

This however had no effect on the blasted creature as it said its usual statement yet again. I started to lose my temper because of this and stuffed the book right in front of its eye and said more firmly "I said I already laid claim to this damn tome now leave her alone!"

Again nothing but the same again so I snarled and threw the tome at it, but it merely passed right through the creature's form. The creature then chuckled to itself before it said "I cannot be touched......I am immaterial...I am here and not here...your efforts are in vain."

At this point I had now been thoroughly irritated as I bellowed out "Oh do shut up you vile creature!" and swung my left forehoof at it. It was originally more of a statement of frustration. I did not believe it would connect until it did.

My forehoof slammed right into its inky black eye and it shrieked and shrieked and shrieked. "HOW CAN YOU TOUCH ME?!" it screeched out between its wailings.

I however, barely paid any attention to its words as a cruel smile crept up my face. Then in a slick tone I said "Not so immaterial to me heh heh. You are mine!" and slammed more quick jabs into its form. And while I was obviously harming it, it seemed to have been putting Luna under further duress. Her body thrashed as the creature attempted to keep its hold on her. So without a second thought, I jumped on the bed and slammed both of my forehooves on either side of the creature's form. Then with a savage yank, I pulled with all my might.

Ear splitting shrieks echoed in the room as I ripped off the creature's tentacles, one by one. Each of them then faded away into nothingness as soon as they were wrenched from its body. But right as I ripped it free from Luna it grew more tentacles and attempted to grasp at her again. I however did not give it that chance as I dragged it off the bed and wrestled with it on the stone floor.

It shrieked louder as a result as its tentacles sliced at the air. It then kept trying to search for something to grasp onto, probably in an attempt to get back to Luna. With little other options available to me I let it grab hold of the only thing close by, myself.

Without a moments delay it coiled around me and in an unnerving malicious laugh it attempted to pump death energy into me. But it had made a grave mistake. First, I ran off of death energy. And secondly, two could play at that game. In turn I opened my mouth and drove my fangs into its shifting form. I then pumped a far greater amount of energy into it than it could ever inject into me.

Its malicious laugh was snuffed out an instant, replaced by a panicked gurgling. Although I noticed it little as a dark pleasure washed over me as I poured more and more death energy into it. And while I had learned some restraint in the past month with my darker side being Death's advocate, this creature deserved no such luxury. So I lost myself to my dark urges as the creature's form began to bubble and alter. Then after only a minute, its warbling shrieks crescendoed right before it exploded.

The wave of released death energy that surged through me did little harm, but I was not so fortunate with the kinetic component. The explosion threw me across the room until I slammed hard into the far wall with a sickening crunch. Darkness crept up on the edges of my vision as I saw the remains of that awful sentient hex fizzle into oblivion. But ultimately my efforts, while fruitful, caused me to slip unconscious afterwards.

Then after an unknown amount of time my senses started to wake up. At first all I heard was a bit of shouting and the rustling sound of hooves. However I just could not discern what they were stating and it took a while before I was conscious enough to open my eyes.

At first I saw nothing until my eyes focused. Afterwards I saw a pair of golden slitted eyes staring at me. I had flinched in response for but a second before I heard Black Wing state "Easy Blood Moon. It is just I. Try and relax. Given that indentation in the wall behind you, you must have taken quite the impact."

"Are the princesses alright?" I inquired still getting my bearings.

"They are fine no doubt in great thanks to you," she replied, but paused for a moment before she added "And...about that. What in Equestria did you do in here?"

I rubbed my face a few seconds before stating in a joking tone, "Have you ever removed a porcupine quill from somepony?"

Black Wing tilted her head in confusion and said "Umm yes I believe so-" before I interrupted her.

"Yes imagine that, only the quill is an ethereal blob monster with tentacles. And then after you pull the damned thing out it openly attacks you so you pump enough death energy into it to wither an old growth forest. To which it proceeds to shriek its little ethereal lungs out before promptly exploding..." I deadpanned.

Even in the dim light of room I could see Black Wing's expression sour before she replied with a simple "Oooh...sorry I had asked..."

Silence then reined until after several deep breaths and an even deeper sigh I said, "I...I would like to request something which may be difficult as I essentially had gone rogue for about a month. But may I please have my position in the Reaper Knights back? The grandness of my task is too great for me to achieve alone. As it pains me to state this...I require...help."

Black Wing thought for a minute, pursed her lips and said "Absolutely not." But as I lowered my head she added "You will be serving directly under me as my only current Lieutenant General."

My face partially went slack as my jaw hung open in response. Then before she stood up, she said "Congratulations, Lieutenant General" and stuffed an armor ring into my open mouth. She then turned around and started walking for the exit.

In turn I sputtered mentally for a moment and pulled the armor ring out of my mouth. It had been the very same one that I threw out a hospital window in a rage before going rogue for a month. However when I looked at it, where there was once socketed with a turquoise and a ruby gemstone now sat a jet and a ruby in their stead. And then just when I was about to say something I heard Black Wing stop walking and call over her shoulder. "You can thank that soft-hearted Black Hammer for the new gems. He truly has an attachment to you. But as for your new position, we will talk about that later. Two others require your aid first. One is most likely passed out in the royal library worried sick about you. And the other I had to put on leave under the care of Rainbow Dash, probably doing the same," she said and had a slightly amused tone at first before ending in a concerned one.

Black Wing then continued her walk out the exit as I sat there thinking about what she said. 'One is in the library and one is with Rainbow Dash?' I thought to myself while putting on my armor ring. But then it came to me before I whispered out, "Ahh yes…Twilight and Cloud Streak..."

While I wanted to wrap up quite a few things in this chapter I decided to split it into two section so I could properly do so. In turn "Rebuilding Allies and Easing Tensions" will have a second part. Until then enjoy chapter 38.