The chill of the evening felt as if it had made the room warmer from Steel's perspective as he trotted back and forth across from the cloaked figure before him. The overall presence of evil far beyond his own seemingly to close for comfort. A short time ago he was reading up on the most recent success of one of the elemental spells that Orion had successfully combined with an unknown substance which was a mind control serum. However, none of his colleagues knew that, they only thought it would increased the over all performance of the spell in question that would turn them into elementalists.

Steel came to a stop after a few more pacing rounds, turning to the cloaked figure before him. He had become aware that the cloaked figure was far more powerful than they let on due to his sudden teleportations from random locations, to new locations that the cloaked figure had taken upon themselves to call a place of meeting and discussing the topics at hoof. This such place was within a pink cloud shaped like a small Greek Colosseum that had chocolate milk fountains within it. He wasn't sure how he was walking on the cloud, or why it smelled like cotton candy. But he was sure of one thing, the cloaked figure was far more powerful than he would ever become.

"So how has the spell assimilation coming along with the mind control serum? I have heard that one of your friends has been successful recently." The cloaked figure smiled, hiding behind the darkness of the hood that overhung their face.

"It is coming along rather smoothly. In time we should have the rest of the spells finished and ready for casting." Steel smiled back to the cloaked figure.

"Very good, I am looking forward to our plan to start, so that we may become the new rulers of this world." The cloaked figure said as they leaned back into a giant plush beanbag.

"If I may be so bold as to ask, Why are you so determined to be rid of that Alicorn? I am aware that he has done something to cause you some sort of suffering. But he seems rather harmless, and might I say........ stupid." Steel chuckled but stopped cold as a loud snort erupted from the cloaked figure as two hooves came up to the hood covering their head. The hooves pressed the hood back slowly as they revealed the pony in question.

"I want revenge on that bastard, for imprisoning my father." Screwball stated as her normally wild eyes were focused on Steel with untold fury.

Steel stepped back for a moment seeing the swirling eyes of the pony before him, They would have been rather intimidating along with her expression, had it not been for the beanie she was wearing atop her head. Steel looked at her for a moment in slight confusion before he realized just who he had taken up a contract with.

"The daughter of Discord himself. Screwball. I feel rather intimidated knowing that you have taken it upon yourself to plan out these events. More so knowing your prior history." He said as he took a seat onto the floor across from her. "But do tell, why end the Alicorns life instead of torturing him in some way? Would it not be more satisfying to hear his screams of agony than to see the light simply fade from his eyes as you snuff his very life from existence?" He added.

"Oh he will suffer, but not as you know it." She grinned evilly. "I will capture his very soul and do with it as I please over time. Then when the time comes and my fathers breaks free from his stone prison, I will hand that soul over to him to play with as he see's fit. Tormenting the flesh is nothing compared to tormenting the soul."

Steel sat there as he felt a cold chill run up his spine from what he had just heard. Although he was evil in many ways, using certain forbidden magic that would capture a soul of a deceased pony was not something he would do. Being a part of that however in order to gain power was a different story.

"So you just want his soul to torture until the end of time? Then why not just up and grab him while he is weak from the curse I had placed upon him?" Steel asked as he mulled over her overall reaction to the situation.

"It isn't my style to just up and do something like that. I may have intentions, but that doesn't mean I will go through with them all in one blow. I like to watch my prey before finally pouncing upon them. Unlike my father who would just up and do something at random in order to surprise his prey. I like the option of bringing a plan to fruition over time. Toss in a few random chunks that would aid the progression, and then laugh as everything falls into place. This is something my father failed to realize over time, in turn it caused his capture on three separate occasions. I do not plan to make the same mistake." She smirked.

"Understandable, But why? Wouldn't it be easier to strike while the iron is hot?" He asked but immediately regretted it as Screwball was now right up an in his face.

"I do things MY WAY! What I have planned is of no business to YOURSELF or ANY PONY ELSE! Do NOT questions my motives if you value your hide. I will see to it that my plan lingers before it comes to fruition. All you need to do is sit by and do what I tell you, WHEN I tell you to do it. Otherwise I will have no use for you, and you know what I do with things I have no use for correct?" She grinned evilly causing Steel to visibly shake from remembering what had happened to the previous pony who was going to be the element of fire.

Steel had watched the whole thing play out. His colleague had brought to his attention that the serum that was being added to the spells were in fact mind control chemicals. She had brought him to the side to let him know, but he had already known. Screwball had shown up after listening in on the conversation and had stripped the ponies soul from her body and placed it into an enchanted magical gem that would normally house magical energy like a battery. The body was still very much alive, but it was a mere shell without a soul. It would live on with help but anything that happened to it, the soul would feel. He had watched as Screwball tortured the body since it would not move or fight back, while the screams of agony came from the soul trapped within the gem. He was forced to watch over a few hours time, as the spirit within the gem began to crack, slowly turning insane from the torture. Screwball after a few short days of torture, replaced the soul back into it's original body and watched as the pony took its own life to be free from the torment and pain she had been forced into. Out of everything Steel had seen or done. This was by far the most cruel and undeserving punishment he had ever witnessed.

"I understand............. master." He spoke as he gave a bow, Screwballs lips curled up into a pleased smirk as she waved a hoof, making Steel vanish from in front of her and back to his original location.

"Now then, back to my painting session." Screwball smiled as she floated a paintbrush from a cup of rainbow paint and began to swat a giant canvas multiple times. The picture of a squirrel suddenly appearing on it as if by magic. "Ah, another masterpiece!" She smiled widely as she picked it up and chucked it into a nearby fireplace where it turned into a dancing doughnut with a top hat and monocle.

"Quite." It spoke up before being gobbled up by the crazy pony."

Steel reappeared in his home in the blink of an eye. He looked around to see that everything had returned to normal before giving a shiver. "I think I am going to regret getting mixed up with that crazy ass pony. Screwball seems to have gone insane since Discord's imprisonment." He sighed. "I just don't want what she did to my friend to end up happening to me." He sighed as he looked over the photo of a young mare he once knew. The same one who had ended her life not so long ago. He traced a hoof across the mares face within the photo as he spoke. "I miss you, Ember." A silent tear left his eyes as he returned the photo of his wife back onto his desk. "I just wish that you weren't as smart as you were, then maybe........... maybe we could have avoided that who situation."

"COME BACK HERE!" Twilight shrieked at a Rainbow maned pegasi as it was carrying a giggling pink pony away from the scene. Twilight stomping the ground in frustration as her clear embarrassment of being a crimson red was starting to change back into her normal lavender color.

"Easy doll, your getting worked up over nothing." Midnight chuckled as he came up to her side, only to get a snort of annoyance in return.

"What do you mean nothing?! That feather brain just admitted to spying on us when we were in the clouds the other day............ doing stuff." She blushed furiously as the expression off annoyance and anger never left her face.

"Oh come on, it's not like we haven't been caught before." He chuckled but stopped as Twilight looked to him in anger.

"SO! What in Tartarus does that have to do with the fact that Rainbow and Pinkie just pranked us WHILE we were playing Charades. When they got onto that beanbag in the library and starting making all those.......... sounds. Then grinned at us..........." She trailed off as her body was a burning red.

"Don't get your tail in a knot love. I'm sure we can think of a way to get back at them in the near future. I mean, Hearthswarming is right around the corner after all, and I have still yet to get them a present. Maybe you could enchant one of them, to saaaaaaaay, maybe switch their minds into each other?" Midnight grinned seeing his lavender loves eyes light up.

"Oh your goooooood." She grinned.

"I do try." He smirked as he brushed a hoof against his chest.

"Speaking of Hearthswarming, you still haven't told me what you want." Twilight giggled seeing his embarrassed reaction.

"Yea, about that, I don't really have anything in mind at the moment. I have pretty much everything I could have wished for upon becoming an Alicorn and then having several lovely ladies to become my bride in the near future." He chuckled. "But if you really want to get me something, then how about you sing at my next performance?" He smiled.

"SING!?" Twilight choked out in surprise. "B-but, I haven't sang out in public since my brother got married. Why would you want me to sing?!"

"Well, considering how beautiful your voice is, I'm surprised by your reaction to the request." Midnight chuckled seeing her clear confusion.

"But you've never heard me sing before." She stated plainly.

"Every morning after you wake up and jump into the shower." He grinned as he watched her body begin to burn a bright red at realizing what had happened.

"You mean you've heard me sing, while I was in the shower?!" She squeaked out.

"Yup, and you have a very beautiful voice. You should really write a song or two, If not for yourself, then for me." He smirked.

"Ugh! I can't believe you sometimes." She groaned out as she trotted away from him toward her bedroom upstairs. Midnight hot on her heels as he continued picking playfully at her.