When I was told Stark had a son, I had been expecting a foal or young kid at most, not a full grown stallion. clear surprise was evident on my face as I found out that Stark's son was not only full grown, but neon pink. Well, not entirely neon pink. His mane was blue, heavens forbid he be called Blue Blight without something blue on him. That and he somehow had gotten hold of a pipe and began trying to beat me with it.

"Woah woah woah!" I exclaimed backing off as the stallion tried large clumsy swings with the rod of metal, "Aren't you Stark's son?"

The stallion growled around his mouth full of metal and swung again, "You really think I'm going to fall for that again? Bloody vampires."

I groaned, seriously?! I did not have time for this! I jabbed him in the chest with the cane, staying out of his range with my magic, "Seriously? Your going to try and bash your rescuer to death? I'm here to get you out. You really think your father wouldn't try and get some help for you?"

This gave him pause, "Prove it then." He grunted through the pipe, "That you aren't a vampire."

I rolled my eyes, "And how in Luna's name am I supposed to do that? Either you can follow me out of here and rejoin your father before all Tartarus breaks loose, or stay down here where some of those waiters will find you and their knocked out chef in the other room." I turned and left after that, leaving him with the two options he had. Predictably enough, this Blight took the only real option of survival he had and followed me.

The two Flamer wielding ponies had vanished over the course of the hour, having set aside their flamers after taking down the racks of cooked brahmin meats. That meant more easy pickings, as I lifted one up in my magic and attached it to my disarmed battle-saddle along side with the accompanying fuel tank. It would mean one more weapon on our side, and one less heavy weapon on theirs after all. Though out of all the training I've had in the Stable, a flamer was a new one for me to try.

We, however, had to leave the other one behind. Though I did leave a surprise behind for the next pony who tried to use the other flamer, you know, just in case a fight really did break down and someone grabbed it to use against us. "What're you doing?" Asked Blue bright, as I spat green goop down the muzzle of the second flamer.

I rolled my eyes at him, "You don't have a battle saddle to use this, and I don't want any waiters getting any wise ideas to use the flamer in an environment where we primarily have holdout weapons."

"So why don't you just wear both of them?"

I gave him a quizzical stare, "Simple, do I look strong enough to carry two twenty some odd pound weapons and then their even heavier fuel tanks to you?"

He shook his head, understanding, "Oh..." I rolled my eyes, "Besides, it'll be rather harder for them to fight if it explodes in their face."

It was his turn for the quizzical looked, something that made him look more dumb than curious, "How does spitting in it do that?"

I sighed, right, ponies didn't have the ability to spew construction goop out of their mouths, "Magic." I replied simply and marched out the door into the lobby beyond, Blue Blight following quickly behind.

We marched along the edges of the room, taking the fastest route back to Stark. However, when we arrived I discovered he wasn't there. Infact, no pony was there at all except for us. The waiters had moved out of the room and the bar was all but abandoned. I searched into another hallway, spotting a waiter making his way hurriedly to a set of double doors with other masked ponies, must be that banquet. I began to make my way towards it before I was pulled into a side hallway.

I lashed out but my hooves were caught, "Shush you fool." a familiar voice whispered.

My eyes widdened, it was Grey? I checked, my eyes going from the hoof over my mouth to the stallion connected to it, he muttered, "By the stars. Where did you get a flamer Aria?"

He removed his hoof and I muttered equally as quiet, "Same place I got Blue out of, they were using it to cook meat."

Blue Blight rounded the corner and I emitted a surprised grunt as Stark rushed past us, knocking us both out of the way and the older stallion tackling his son to the ground in the process. Blue let out the most unmanly squeak as Stark told him off vehemently, "Do you know how worried I've been? I mean, seriously boy? I've been nearly ripping my mane out while you've gone and gotten yourself foalnapped."

He loomed over his son, the later hiding his snout between his legs and shutting his eyes tight, letting out a whispered, "Sorry Dad..."

Stark's eyes softened, and he pulled his son up into a hug, "Geesh my boy, I'm glad your alright." he looked to me, "Thank you for rescuing my lug brained boy here. I'm assuming everything else went according to Grey's plan as well?"

I nodded, "Yes sir, fake blood was sent up a few minutes ago."

"Well that's a first." Stark remarked, and Grey's usual deadpan twitched.

"Why do you say tha-"

"Oh Grey's plans have a habit of exploding in his face." Stark remarked, as though on the weather, "There was this one time-"

"Enough of that" snapped Grey irritably, "Do you guys want to stop Lemon Life, or continue rambling on? Come on, they're settling in for their meeting."

We followed after him, though I had to notice the level of bemusement coming from Stark and the general annoyance from Grey. Something must of happened while I was rescuing Blue, but now was not the time to ask. Everything had their times, and with the tight window of time we had, a lot of things would need to be answered later tonight. It was getting on my nerves how I wasn't able to acquire the answers I sought as soon as I'd like, but at the same time I needed to vent out that frustration.

Luckily I had a flamer for that.

We approached the door, unguarded since all the members were inside for the meeting, and Grey pressed his head against the door, not to open it but to eavesdrop on their conversation. Stark nodded to the older stallion, "What's the plan G?"

Grey grunted, "You know full well that I hate that nickname."

Stark grinned, "I know."

He rolled his eyes, "Well, besides your bodyguard keeping a guard on your boy, I think, best case they'll sort it out themselves."

"And worst case?" I asked, and his usual frown turned to complete deadpan.

"Well that flamer isn't just for looks is it? Expend all the ammunition you have on that thing and abandon it when it runs out. Then go guard Stark while I do the rest."

"What about me?" Stark commented,

"You still know how to do the Molotov Swing?"

What? What was that? We didn't cover that in our military tactics in the Stable. Stark's grin became impossibly wider, "Give me a few minutes to turn a few bottles of these cheap pre-war wines and tablecloths into what your intending, if I recall. Though you're going to need some good music if you're going to do that.

Grey looked to me, "Aria has that handled, you can cast that prank spell right?"

I was puzzled, "Yes. but what does music have to do with the worst case scenario, and what's the 'Molotov Swing'?"

Stark smirked, though it wasn't the friendly kind, more like the kind I'd find more at home on the brute back in the raider nest. Needless to say, it was blood thirsty. "You'll know it when you see it. Though try to stay out of Grey's way when it goes off. This is going to be perfect in any case. Best case, they exile their own member to the wasteland, worst case we get to kill the whole lot who tried kidnapping my son and starting up something that equates to cannibalism through drink."

Grey grunted, "shut up, I don't want to get the timing wrong."

We fell into a silent lasp, and my ears perked, and senses stretched out to brush against the emotional mood-sets of the ponies in the other room, alright most were calm. A few minutes passed in silence, and the reaction was still yet to come. I could see Stark starting to fidget, "Any time now..." he muttered under his breath.

"Shh." Grey grumbled

"Gotta agree... This is boring." Blue commented, taking a note from his father.

"Its not supposed to be entertaining colts." Grey muttered, a small wave of annoyance rolling off him before it was quenched by his self control.

"My son has a poi-"

"Shh!" Grey hissed, "Lemon's starting his speech."

We were a silent for a few more moments. Then both Stark and Blue Blight asked simultaneously, "What're they saying?"

Grey's right eye, the one visible to us, twitched into a vehement glare, "Shush."

Stark rolled his eyes, "It's a question we all would like to know."

"I can't hear him over this racket you oaf, and you wonder why I told you to leave earlier." Grey scowled, "Seriously, every time we've tried eavesdropping its the same thing!"

I felt the tension in the other room rise suddenly, as well as the speaker who was in the very back, judging from his upraised position of his emotions and sense of smugness, Lemon life, must of just told them. "Grey..." I whispered.

"Not you too!" Grey almost growled, "Seriously, im trying to listen."

"Grey he just told them!" I said hurriedly.

"Am I going to hav-" Grey continued to rant until his mind caught up to what I had said, "Damn it, lets do this."

Grey pushed the door open without further words and we ran in in time to catch Lemon's final words, " -revel now in the truth that is your desires, and make this gloriou-" He stopped when he saw us, "Uh..."

I was a bit bemused by the sight myself. About two, maybe three dozen other ponies, a majority of them unicorns, were seated around a table with their masks off, well most of them anyway, I could spot one or two ponies hurling their guts out into a trash can, and about another two maybe three sets of waiters along the walls waiting to serve. From the looks of it, not all of them were so keen on the idea of being a blood-sucking-vampire-pony.

Grey came forward, "Lemon Life, you reveal your true intentions to your own people. The kind of people who no doubt treated you as one of their own, and you've tried to corrupt them for their efforts. But I am here to say that you've already failed."

Lemon's look of surprise turned to a sneer, "And why would that be old buck?"

Grey looked slightly miffed by that, but continued on, "Because, the blood you've served isn't pony blood, but a substitute made from kitchen ingredients. The proof is with the victim you kidnapped and tried to have your chef drain before we rescued him.

At this Stark and his group came in, bodyguard and Blue Blight, Stark Cleared his throat before speaking, and his voice cold and demanding of attention, completely unlike the Stark I've met thus far, "And I am not amused at your attempts at taking my son's life for this petty game of yours."

Somehow I wasn't surprised. After fighting a giant robot, seeing Maul and his combat tentacles in my face again, and an army of ponytrons earlier today? That and with learning that yet another breed of apparently mythical creature was in this very room, and that a good portion of these ponies may be, 'Vamponies'... I was a bit jaded to surprises today. Stark continued his authoritative tone, eyes like ice as he glared down Lemon, who hadn't budged an inch, albeit his sneer was gone, and replaced with a frown, "I call upon your clan of castles to rectify this matter at once or face the wrath of both the Household of Winter, the Mysterious Stranger, and if you want a more recent hero on the radio...His apprentice," he gestured to me, "Lovebug, Stableborn."

Well that was new, Stableborn? Never heard that tidbit in the radio. Though I was half certain it was added for dramatic effect. I could see a few members eyeing between Stark, the same pony who apparently had a monopoly on what kept their business flowing in fuel, Lemon Life, who had tried to mislead them to something carnal, and a few around a third, elderly mare, probably the boss of this establishment. She was a pretty thing, if albeit fragile looking. Though unlike Grey, she still had all her legs.

She confirmed my suspicious for me, "Cease the Traitor." her voice was stern yet not harsh or impolite, as if she was ordering a cup of tea from a servant, "Now, if you don't mind." A few ponies, those mostly around her, and behind her, about a dozen in all got up and faced Lemon.

Lemon, however, smiled, and from that moment on I knew it was going to be pretty damn near 'Worst case Scenario'. The rest of the table, and the waiters, marched to his side, "I'm afraid not." He practically growled at us, "To think everything was going so well, before these meddling kids and their elderly grandparents ruined it." He waved a hoof dismissively, "However, I have a contingency plan. Guards, make sure to save me a glass of blood for later."

"This is an outrage," Lady Moon, now quite not so lady like now that she was outnumbered almost two to one, exclaimed, "You dare try and uproot my authority?"

"Not try my dear," Lemon smirked, "Have."

Grey deadpanned, "Hey Lemon."

Lemon's sneer was back, and I wanted to burn it, with fire. Preferably lots of fire, oh wait, Flamer! "What is it you bumbling grump?"

"You feel lucky... Punk?"

"Huh?" was the only word he managed to say before all hell broke lose.

In an instant Grey was charging forward, with speed I hadn't ever seen from the stallion when I was growing up, he was moving at a full on sprint. There was a rapid retort as his hidden guns sang their songs of death as he rammed full mell into the small horde of ponies on Lemons side, shortly after I joined him covering those who would try to surround him in fire, I could spot the loyal members of the Castles also joining the fight with their canes and occasionally a hidden pistol, but they were still on the defensive. I had managed to cover about eight of them in fire though before I ran out of fuel at least. And picking up several of the now abandoned flaming walking sticks in my magic, It was time to follow with Grey's plan, like the loyal soldier I was.

Stark yelled out as he hit a pony over the head with an improvised weapon, that being one of the chairs they had been using not so long ago, "Aria, hit it!"

I nodded and I could momentarily hear all sound cut off as I lit my horn into a second over-glow to accommodate both the telekinesis and the spell I unleashed from it, the target was Grey and Stark, with their understanding of whatever this 'Molotov Swing' Was. Stark smiled as Grey leaped onto the long table that decorated the room as music began to fill the room, and he sang as the mass of ponies not engaged with fighting The Castles followed after Grey.

"It was a perfect night,

Dinner by candle light,

Two lovers walking hoof in hoof.

Champagne and perfume,

Then to the ballroom,

The singer signals to the band!"

Grey span, firing off a rapid retort against a waiter, his eyes flashing in both memory and malice, his hooves like lightning as he struck down those who dared to get within his range, he had put on a pair of spiked horseshoes sometime during the fight, and was using the spikes to his advantage as he kicked and lashed ponies in the face. Stark continued to sing as Grey fought, he himself igniting several bottles of wine which had bundles of what looked like oil soaked cloth clogging them.

"The couple tango,

And then fandango,

They've never danced like this before.

Nary a care,

And both unaware,

That there's danger on the dance floor!"

With the conclusion of the next verse Stark had thrown one after another the series of makeshift flame grenades, catching several of the waiters unaware while his bodyguard worked overtime to keep Stark and Blue Blight out of the fray, his shotgun giving off rapid retorts, I helped him by throwing the burning canes into whoever dared approach us, one such pony momentarily showing me why he was a vampony with his horn turning straight and curved and his teeth elongating to that similar of my own natural fangs. I gave him a face full of burning stick down the throat.

"They dance the night away,

But from her hideaway,

Someone is watching every move...

A former lover,

Who's just discovered,

That he's moved on to someone new!"

Grey leaped over the crowd, his revolver momentarily exposed in the movement, flashing twice with a pair of loud bangs that was clearly distinct from his silenced .22, to my surprise not two, but three of the ponies attacking him fell, one bullet having passed through the eye of one vampony and out of the back of the skull into the face of the next one behind him. He span and stuck his metal rear hoof into the mouth of a vampony who tried to bite him. The stallion who bit his metal hoof had his head explode. I felt my jaw drop, he had a hidden weapon in his prosthetic leg?!

"She's seeing red now.

She wants him dead now,

She goes and barricades the door.

Well Isn't it sad?

This mare is mad!

Now there's danger on the dance floor!"

Grey fired off his revolver once more, claiming yet another life as he worked his way through the melee, I was losing count with how many times he'd fired though, distracted by my own attackers, who were starting to think that taking out Stark would stop Grey's momentum and applying more pressure onto us as a result. Of course, now I had my hooves on several more canes which joined the fire army of timbers that were floating around us like magical snakes, lashing out like a swarm of bees to ram different ponies and set them ablaze. However, one manages to get past me as I fight off yet another pair of overly eager unicorns brandishing their own clubs and trying to wrestle mine from me with their combined magic.

"Then the dancers stop because they,

Think that they hear a funny sound.

Then all off the sudden the chandelier falls down!"

Stark skips backwards, away from the stallion as he lunges forward. Stark tosses one of his molotovs upwards and it hits the ceiling before splashing downwards as a rain of fire, instantly covering the stallion and causing him to join the screaming masses worth of flaming ponies who are slowly turning to naught but bone and ash. Grey cusses as it almost sprays onto us on accident, but he continues to fight, the once eager servants of Lemon life, now weary of his arsenal of weaponry.

"It misses narrowly,

But this is harrowing,

The lovers tremble, intertwined!

They were just out for,

A night on the dance floor,

She is just out of her mind!"

Stark drew out the last word, singing out loud and clear and Grey takes it as a cue to unleash yet another loud bang from his guns, shooting off the horn of a vampony who tried to gut him with it not five seconds prior. The stallion let out a scream of agony, and it was joined by another as Grey dipped and ducked past another pair, causing them to hit each other, his movements an almost hypnotic dance of violence mixed with beauty, a lord of death in a field of mice.

"The couple look around,

No exit can be found!

They fear the she may have one in store,

Scared to admit,

That this could be it!

Facing danger on the dance floor!"

The battle has turned in our favor, We've taken out a majority of the hostiles, and the Castle's themselves had only suffered a few losses on the loyal side, I surrender a few of my sticks, now burnt beyond use in favor of casting medical glows upon the rest of us, healing our injuries so far, Grey continues to fight, ignoring my magic healing him, his eyes focused on Lemon with all the fury of an ursa minor in his eyes. Lemon darts for an exit, only for a Molotov to cover said exit in fire, stopping him in his tracks.

"But in all her rage she fails to,

see what is going on around!

The band leader sneaks and tackles her to the ground!"

Grey charges through the remainder of Lemon's coop attempt, tackling him to the ground, his pistols firing off once more when one of the survivors try to stop him. They don't learn. No one messes with Grey and get away from it, even the scientists back in the Stable had been a bit intimidated of the stallion. Let alone the other castes. He was a veteran of the Wasteland, and they were but children to him in combat. Pain? He already was missing a leg, albeit I always thought that prosthetic didn't move or do anything. But now it was in motion, acting like a full fledged cyber-limb. Each kick either breaking a jaw or unleashing rounds that I could only understand to belong in a heavy caliber rifle, evident as whenever it fired off, the round would go straight through the target and bury itself into the wall behind the victims. The fight was drawing to an end, and Stark sang the final segment of his song aloud once more,

"And in a dashing blur,

He's overpowered her,

She struggles but to no avail.

They make it out alive,

Guards show up and bring,

This crazy mare to the jail!

So glad that they're alright,

It's been a wild night,

And to be certain, not a bore!

Though, next time they've said they'll,

Stay in instead,

No more danger on...

The Dance Floor!"

The song draws to a close, and I felt the adrenaline of combat begin to wear off at the scene before us, dead bodies litter the ground, though how many were loyal and how many traitors, I couldn't tell. Fire was raging throughout the room, now being put out by the remainder of the Castle as Grey stood on Lemon's chest, his pistol now gripped in his mouth rather than its hidden spot. Lemon tried to bite Grey and he just kicked him away, causing the stallion to roll several feet from the impact, right next to an abandoned .22 pistol of one of the few properly armed waiters that had fought.

Lemon looked to it then Grey, the later rolled his eyes, "I know what you're thinking, punk. You're thinking 'did he fire six shots or only five?' Now to tell you the truth I forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and will blow your head clean off, further modified with several unicorn and zebra based enchantments that make this little guy a cannon in compact form. you've gotta ask yourself a question..."

"And that is? Lemon remarked, bitterly, his cockiness gone, replaced with resentment.

Grey growled "'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"

Lemon grinned, "you fired six shots." he reached for the gun.

Bang

Now Lemon was missing a good portion of his face, and Grey was putting his pistol away, "Too bad I had seven rounds."

"Is it over?" Blue Blight asked, somehow he had managed to barricade himself with chairs, though how he had managed to acquire all the chairs was beyond my comprehension, it had been a tough fight, and even Stark hadn't emerged unscathed from the ruckus. His bodyguard had died near the end, and his shotgun was now in Stark's grasp, being fired off one round after another into each vampony who had went after him after the rain of fire stunt he had pulled.

"Think so, Son, think so." Stark commented, stretching before giving a bow in the general direction of 'Lady' Moon who was taking her time to rip out the throat of a particularly die hard traitor, "I bid you adieu my lady, and please remind me not to kiss thou upon thy mouth in the future."

She didn't respond verbally, but the look she told us was a clear, get out.

And leave we did... after a short goodbye between Stark and Grey, the former who promised to get us our reward in a few days time. Didn't quite sit right with me though, all this murder and killing for what we needed. So many had already died to my hooves; my blood stained hooves, in order to get this far, just how many more would I have to kill in order to free my kind from their enslavement? I let out a sigh as we trotted back to our temporary home. I needed a break from all this madness, just a short one. I flipped through my pipbuck's radio until I found Mr. Hoofington's again, letting the power of music soothe my aching mind as we trotted back, I walked past Cait, ignoring him as I trotted to my bag and tried to pass out.

"Uh, what happened to you two?" Cait remarked, noting my singed mane from all the fire we used.

Grey was cryptic, as always, "Long story."

I grumbled noncommittally, just burying my face in a pillow to sleep. At least I had Ambush back, rather than a stupid flaming piece of wood that was referred to as a Cane. Why do ponies even need canes?!

Xp Footnote: Level-up: New Perk: Expanded Sensory: This perk increases your maximum magic capacity by 20%, as well as increasing your ability of sensing emotions to creatures that aren't exactly... Normal. As a result, you gain a +2 to perception when trying to locate things that have emotions, and could even tell where someone using a stealthbuck is if they have said emotions to a reasonable extent.

Skill Note: Medicine: 50

Achievement Unlocked: Reached Level 10!

Next Chapter: Chapter 31: Calm Before The Storm Estimated time remaining: 8 Hours, 58 Minutes