CHAPTER 3

Shade let out a long sigh. He knew he could only postpone the issue for so long. At least if he confronted Erebus while in Ponyville and the worst came to pass, he would have somewhere he could run.

The thought of having to possibly involve Rarity into his issues did not sit well with him. But his cousin would help him with more likelihood than any number of strangers in the towns the tour had previously been to.

But, Shade thought to himself, would she really offer him any help or protection, if she knew what was happening, if she knew what he had done?

He was shaking now. He did not want to face Erebus, but it was inevitable. There was only so much Shade was willing to tolerate, only so many sacrifices he would make.

Stilling himself, the pony stepped into the dark trailer.

Erebus had insisted that, rather than employing hotels and guest houses, the singer should travel in a trailer. It had not seemed like a bad idea at the time, but once it dawned to Shade that the trailer just served to isolate him and the unicorn from outsiders, he had learned to fear the innocuous trailer.

A pair of unsettling yellow eyes regarded him from the darkness. “Where have you been all night?”

“I was just… I had to visit my mothers.”

Erebus snarled at this. “Who said you could go off gallivanting around burial groves at night?”

“I-it seemed like the right time. I had to go there, I haven’t been there since Mama Morrow…”

“Such sentimentality. Very well, I will allow your excursions from yesterday. Now, go to sleep, I need to you to look fresh for the next concert.”

“Erebus, we have to talk.”

“What now?” the unicorn sighed.

“I… I can’t do this anymore.”

“What?” The eyes narrowed.

“It’s over, I’m can’t keep hurting ponies anymore.”

Erebus chuckled. “Oh, you would not want me to harm your lovely little cousin tomorrow, is that it?”

“Well… Yes, but I’ve never liked it in any case. Please, can’t we just stop?”

The unicorn stood up, stalking out of the shadows and closer to Shade. “Stop? You think you can order me to stop?”

“I’m not ordering you. I’m…” Shade looked at his hooves. “I’m asking. No, I’m begging. Please, Erebus, please stop.”

“You call that begging?”

Shade’s eyes widened, recognising the edge in the voice. “No, Ere-”

He was cut short by bolt of searing pain hitting his flank. His hind legs gave out and Shade fell to the floor.

“You foolish, insolent little colt,” Erebus hissed, his horn shining. “Have you forgotten what I have done for you benefit? Do you think you have any chance of putting a stop to this?”

The pain continued and soon Shade found himself crying and whimpering. His legs twisted, trying to ineffectually get away from the burning heat that was making his cutie mark glow.

“I’m sorry… Ah! Erebus… Please…”

“Clearly, you need a reminder of who your master is.” By now Erebus was standing over Knight Shade, with his horn planted firmly on the singers shuddering flank.

“No… Please… I know you’re-”

“I could do to you what I have done to them. You think you feel pain now, imagine how much it would hurt, if I did this to you and you did not have your spark?”

Shade could not respond, at that point he could barely understand what Erebus was saying.

“Now, will you be a good little songbird and do as you are told?”

Shade whimpered. He would do anything the unicorn wanted as long as the pain would end.

“I shall take that as a yes.” Erebus pulled his head up, releasing his hold on Shade’s cutie mark.

Shade was left as a teary mess. He buried his head into his front legs, trying to muffle the sobs and moans that would not stop.

“There there, my sweet angel.” Erebus nuzzled Shade’s shaking head, his voice deceptively soft. “You know how dear you are to me. If only you just obeyed me, I would never have to harm you. Do not cry, angel, all is forgiven.”

The unicorn settled down next to the singer, humming tenderly,

“Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night...

Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world.
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before.
Let your soul take you where you long to be.
Only then can you belong to me ...

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication.
Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation.
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night...

You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night…”

Shade closed his eyes when he felt Erebus’ weight against him. He gave up, he had been stupid to think he ever could go against grey unicorn.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Later that day Twilight attempted to contain the chaos that was about to erupt in the library. Applejack was devastated at the sight of the now, hypothetically, sparkless Pinkie Pie, who in turn was flipping through a book without actually caring what the book was about.

Everfull was watching the display of the orange pony fussing over her pink friend with a sad expression, appearing very much powerless.

And Rarity… Twilight shuddered at the mere thought. Rarity was a shrieking, hysterical mess.

“How dare you?” Rarity fought against the threat of tears. “How could you think that Shady… that he would… It can‘t be true! He would never…”

These jumbled accusations were directed at the ether. Twilight surmised that they were meant for either Everfull or herself.

Everfull sighed, opening his mouth for the first time since being introduced to Rarity and Applejack (Pinkie was not paying attention), “I’m not happy about suspecting him either, but it’s not looking good.”

Rarity glared at the colt. “Why would you care? You don’t know Shady lie I do, of course you would suspect him.”

Everfull responded with a look that bordered on sad. “I’ve known him long enough. How could I think the worst from somepony who I- Well, lets just say I’d love for him to be innocent.”

“Your sweet on that singer, ain’t ya?” Applejack said.

The other’s (sans Pinkie, who was still staring at the book) turned to look at the farmer.

“It’s as clear as a maggot in a core. Why else would ya come all this way, following ‘im and fretting about what’s going on, if you two were just friends?”

Everfull’s ears drooped in embarrassment. “Suppose there’s no denying it, though I did a good job at for quite some time.”

A wistful smile found its way to the pegasus’ face and he glanced at Rarity. “Obviously charm runs in the family as much as the music. Like I told Twilight, I work at a bar, Stall 5. Shade used to perform there. It didn’t take long for me to develop a crush, which later turned to something more substantial.”

“Why didn’t you just tell him?” Rarity, forgetting her earlier enmity, said. “I’m pretty sure Shady wouldn’t have objected to you courting him.”

“Stupid shyness. I might be the biggest flirt while making drinks, but actually talking about feelings… It’s sort of awkward for a colt to do.”

“Hogwash,” Applejack muttered. “Don’t make one any less of a stallion to show some heart once in a while.”

“In any case, I didn’t work up the guts to talk to Shade until it was too late. Erebus had showed up and whisked him away by then.” Everfull shook his head.

“Ah yes, the manager.” Rarity narrowed her eyes. “He struck me as rather suspicious. I wouldn’t put it past somepony like him to be stealing those- What was it?”

“Sparks,” Twilight supplied.

“Yes. After all, as a unicorn, he might have something to gain from them. What would Shady do with energy like that?”

“This is, of course, assuming that the spark hypothesis is even valid.” Twilight furrowed her brow in contemplation. “The energy could be utilised in almost every way imaginable. Surely, it could pose a potent source of energy-”

“Well, I say we go and rustle up that colt and have him tell us what’s going on,” Applejack said, interrupting what Twilight thought was a perfectly good line of speculation. “It don’t do nopony no good to just sit here yammering about hypothesis and whatnot.”

“You’re suggesting we kidnap Knight Shade?” Twilight tilted her head.

The farmer nodded. “Ya want answers, ya gotta be willing to ask direct questions. If getting the answers calls for us to hogtie him and drag him here, then I’m more than willing to do just that.”

Twilight, Rarity and Everfull exchanged troubled looks.

“I know y’all might not be pleased with that idea. But guarantee you, it’ll be a whole hayheap quicker than what y’all have managed so far. I ain’t about to risk Pinkie bein’ left like that.”

Twilight looked over to where Pinkie was flicking a page of whatever book she had picked up back and forth. The random, insane, bubbly energy was gone, and, despite her better judgement, Twilight wanted that back.

“Lets do it,” she said.