Thunder boomed in the distance, signaling the oncoming storm that was fast approaching. The citizens of Canterlot, however, had managed to make it inside. Leaving the streets of the city completely barren of life. That is, except for a trio of ponies that walked down the dimly illuminated path. As the ponies passed a lamppost, the orange light revealed their identities. It was none other than Princess Anima Memoriae, being escorted by Specialist Yoshi Ringo on her right and Lieutenant Spell Weaver on her left. Both stallions kept their form upright and firm as they walked beside their Princess. Though that didn’t stop them from talking to her once she spoke up.

“Thank you both again for escorting me home,” Anima said, gaining their attention.

“No problem, your grace,” Yoshi replied, looking forward as he talked.

“It’s our duty to follow the orders of her majesty, your grace,” Spell stated, doing the same.

“Still, I’m glad it was you two. Also, I thought I mentioned before that you didn’t have to refer to me with such pleasantries. Just call me Anima, like always,” she said, trying to ease the tension that seemed to be building.

“Heh, heh, right. Sorry about that, Anima, just habit I guess,” Yoshi said, scratching his cheek.

“It’s fine, Yoshi, you’re just going by the book after all,” Anima Memoriae said, giving him a reassuring smile.

“But it’s nice to know that there’s at least one Princess we can relax around. Princess’ Celestia and Luna aren’t demanding of course, they just have that commanding authority is all. I-I mean, not to say you don’t have the same presence as well, your high-, I mean A-Anima! Oh boy,” Spell stuttered out, feeling flustered.

“Don’t worry about it, Spell,” she replied, giggling at his nervousness. “Though you’re kind of right. I haven’t really learned to take command yet. I still need more teaching from Luna if I’m going to be a proper ruler one day.”

“Well I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it soon. And from what I’ve been hearing, you’re a fast learner. You’ll be a proper Princess in no time at all,” Yoshi declared, knowing of her latest progress. “Speaking of learning, how are your lessons with Caster going?”

Anima said nothing as she pointed to her left wing, wrapped tightly in bandages.

“Oh, I see. Sorry to hear about that,” he said, realizing what she was implying.

“Eh, it was an accident. Nothing I could’ve done about it. It just stinks that I won’t be able to practice with Caster for a while,” Anima responded, feeling down from the reminder.

“I’m sure you’ll heal up quickly. With that cast he gave you, you’ll be right as rain before you know it,” Spell said, examining the features of the bandaged up wing.

“You landed yourself a pretty decent teacher, I can tell you that,” Yoshi Ringo added, remembering his races with him in the past.

“More like I landed on him, literally,” Anima said, laughing as she remembered the day they first met.

“Yeah, that must’ve been fun,” Spell said, recalling that tale.

“Even so, I feel I should be thanking you, Anima,” Yoshi said, causing her to raise an eyebrow at his statement.

“What for, Yoshi?” she asked.

“For bringing his spirits back up,” he stated, noting her confused expression as he continued. “For the longest time he’s always been the gloomiest of our group, he may not show it anymore but it was there once. He never knew what to say and tried to use his work as an excuse not to meet up, even if it was unintentional. He may say he’s too tired from work, but he’s stronger than he gives himself credit for. And of course there’s his, other, problems but I digress. Point is, ever since you two started your lessons together Caster’s behavior has changed for the better. In a way you’ve helped let out the part of him that we all know him as: generous, fun, hard-working, and always looking out for his friends and family. So in a way, you’ve both been teaching each other and for that I have to thank you.”

“…Wow, I uh, didn’t think I had such an impact on his life,” Anima said, her face turning bright red as her mind kept replaying that statement over and over.

“Well it’s the truth. I guess it’s no wonder why he likes you so much,” Yoshi blurted out, knowing how Caster seemed to feel about her.

“W-what was that?” she questioned, too focused on what he said earlier to realize his claim.

“Oh, uhh nothing, nothing at all, heh, heh!” he exclaimed, noticing he nearly spilt Caster’s secret.

“O-okay then,” she said, deciding to just ignore it.

“Well it’s nice to see you two getting along,” Spell Weaver said, reminding them of his presence. “Though I think we should get moving. The storm’s almost here and I’d rather not have any of us get caught in the rain just yet.”

The two ponies realized they had slowed down their walk since they started talking and continued along their route. They sped up their pace to get home as quickly as possible. As Anima was offering them to stay at her home till the rain died down, which they humbly declined, they all came across her and Caster’s meeting intersection. However, one noticeable factor made them halt in wary hesitation. That being the pony, leaning against the corner lamppost, who moved forward until he stepped into the light. Anima let out a small, inaudible, gasp seeing who it was: It was Smooth Silver.

“Why hello, Princess Anima. Fancy running into you here… again,” Smooth said, a disturbing grin adorning his face.

“Pray tell, what business do you have here, Mr.?” Yoshi questioned, feeling off put by the stranger.

“Silver, Smooth Silver,” he responded, his smile only seeming to grow wider. “And I’m afraid my business with the Princess is none of your concern.”

“Hate to break it to you, buster, but you made it our business with that smart-ass comment of yours. Now what do you want!?” Spell demanded, shifting into a defensive stance.

“Well, there’s no need to be rude about it, my good sirs’,” Smooth replied, scoffing at their behavior. “If you really must know, I simply wanted to ask Ms. Anima if she would like to accompany me this evening. I never got an answer after all.”

“You already got your answer this morning! You saw me with my coltfriend so what makes you think this time will be any different?” Anima yelled, as she stayed close to Yoshi Ringo out of fear.

“Do you really take me for a fool?” he stated, following up with a short, hearty laugh. “I know about your so-called coltfriend, I know he isn’t really your lover. That idiot Caster barely knows anything about mares. I only let it slide earlier so as to not cause a scene.”

“What!? H-how do you know about Cast?” she asked, intimidated by his exceptional knowledge.

“Please, there’s almost nopony in this city that doesn’t know anything about him. Though I’m legitimately surprised you’re one of the few that actually don’t. Not that it matters at this point,” Smooth Silver said, as he moved closer to them.

“That’s enough!!” Yoshi shouted, seething with anger. “It was one thing to try and force our Princess into a date she clearly wants no part in. But insulting one of our closest friends is a different matter entirely!”

“Like it matters. Come now, your highness, the show will be starting soon and I’d hate for you to miss out,” he said, licking his lips in a devious manner.

“No, the only one who’ll be leaving is you,” Spell stated, him and his comrade moving in front of their Princess. “She is under our protection by command of Princess Luna and we shall not disobey our orders! Now, either step aside or get out of here you rich little punk. Or else we’ll have you arrested for harassment of royalty!”

Smooth stopped a foot away from the three, the light from the lamppost creating a glare on his glasses. He observed their stances and realized they wouldn’t be backing down. Especially when he noticed the Pegasus grasping the hilt of his sword, if nothing just to intimidate him. He moved a hand up to push up his glasses, which had started to slip.

“Oh dear, oh dear,” Smooth said, raising his glasses to reveal a cold blue menacing gaze. “You two are really starting to annoy me.”

Before the two guards had a chance to react, his horn had lit up in a dark blue aura. Nothing seemed to happen until a sphere of energy had formed around their heads. They started to feel tired, as if a fog had entered their minds and clouded their thoughts. Yoshi and Spell tried to fight it off, but couldn’t hold their ground forever and fell to the ground, unconscious. Revealing Anima Memoriae to Smooth’s foul gaze.

“You! What did you do to them!?” she screamed, trying to get them to wake up.

“I may not look like it, but I am quite skilled in magic. That was a powerful knockout charm I used, it’ll keep them out of my hair for a while. That’ll be enough for what I have planned for you,” Smooth said, moving towards her again.

Anima looked back and forth, frantically, between the knocked out guards and the menacing pony approaching her. Feeling a wave of anger course through her she stood up as she glared at the Smooth.

“Perhaps you’ve forgotten that I can use magic as well, you wretched pig!” Anima stated, charging her horn in a bright pink glow.

“No, I haven’t. Which is where this little trick comes in handy,” he replied, quickly shooting a small beam of magic at her.

Before she had a chance to move, the dark blue energy bolt struck the tip of Anima’s horn. The resulting combination of magical energies swirled together and created a small explosion that flung her back, onto the ground between Yoshi and Spell. While still a bit dazed, Anima tried to use her magic against Smooth again. Only to have but a small spark fly out of her horn.

“W-what’s going on? Why can’t I use my magic?” she asked herself, her fear starting to take over.

“Really now, I thought you’d know about this trick. Simply zap a Unicorn’s, or in this case Alicorn’s, horn when they’re performing magic and it’ll render them powerless,” Smooth answered, already right in front of her.

“Please, just leave me alone! Why’re you doing this?” Anima said, cowering as he crouched to get to eye level with her.

“Why? Because I always get what I want. And right now, what I want most… is to buck one of the hottest Princesses I’ve ever come across,” he declared, grabbing her roughly by the wrist and trying to kiss her.

“No!” Anima screeched, slapping him across the face with as much force as she could muster.

Smooth didn’t move as he took a moment to recognize the pain growing on his cheek. Though his grip on Anima never ceased, quite the opposite in fact. Anima yelped as she felt her wrist being squeezed with great force as Smooth turned back to face her, looking like he was beside himself.

“You really shouldn’t have done that,” Smooth said, his voice dripping with anger.

As Anima kept trying to struggle, Smooth’s own hand contacted with her face with almost twice as much strength as hers. Anima felt immense pain as she fell to the ground, her cheek turning red and tears starting to form. She only lied down for a moment before she was forcibly pulled up by the collar of her shirt and looked directly into his eyes.

“I grow bored with this game! You’re coming with me, where the last thing you’ll feel will be me entering you, over and over again. Because tonight, you’re mine,” Smooth said, preparing a spell.

Realizing that it must’ve been a teleportation spell, Anima continued to try and fight him off. Though his physical strength seemed too much for her and her magic was all but kaput. Not wanting to face the reality of the situation, Anima gave one last shot at using her magic. The strain was incredible as she closed her eyes and tried to force the magic out of her disarmed horn, feeling like her brain was being compressed. Just as she felt exhaustion move in on her, Anima felt the tight grip on her shirt loosen and heard someone grunt in pain. When she opened her eyes, Silver was lying on the ground clutching his stomach while a look of agony covered his face. She wondered what could have happened until she noticed Yoshi Ringo slowly getting up.

“Yoshi!? But I thought he knocked you out?” Anima said, with curiosity.

“Please, as if some little prick like him is enough to keep me down,” Yoshi said, doing his best to get himself back on his feet.

“How can this be!? That was one of my best spells. How could a pathetic guard like you manage to break it!?” Smooth Silver questioned, as he recovered from the sneak attack.

“This pathetic guard has had to endure dozens of magic resistance lessons in order to keep selfish Unicorns like you from misusing your magic,” Yoshi replied, as he stood upright. “Besides, it wouldn’t be right for a guard to take a nap while you have your way with our Princess and my friend!”

“Nggh, a noble effort, but wasted. For you won’t get another chance like that,” Smooth said, dusting himself off. “Now step aside, boy. Whether by my magic or my fists, you’ll end up just like your friend down there if you continue to get in my way.”

“The only one who’ll be unconscious tonight will be you, in the dungeons, once I’m through with you!” Yoshi said, helping Anima up. “Anima, get out of here. I’ll keep this guy off your back.”

“But I can’t just leave you two here. I can help too!” she said, not wanting to leave them at the hands of a considerably strong Unicorn.

“I mean no offense, Anima, but there’s nothing you can do right now. Your wing is broken and your magic has been blocked. And it’s my job to protect you. So I’m going to do just that,” Yoshi said, spreading his wings in a defensive pose.

“You can’t just expect me to-”

“This isn’t up for debate! Now go!!” he said, looking back at her and visibly shaking in both anger and fear.

Anima was taken back by Yoshi’s sudden lashing out at her. She took a moment to look over at Smooth Silver, who had been standing there, smiling, as if amused by this display. Anima could see the evil intent in his eyes and could sense a looming power within him. When she turned back to Yoshi, she saw him mouth the word ‘hide’ as his eyes flicked to the side. Following his gaze, Anima noticed a nearby alleyway between two buildings and realized what Yoshi was implying. Though still a bit hesitant on the idea, Anima gave a quick nod before bolting off into the dark narrow passageway.

“Do you really think she’ll be able to escape me?” Smooth Silver questioned, already moving to the alley.

“At the very least I can try to stop you,” Yoshi Ringo said, blocking his path.

“Heh, try me,” Smooth said, charging his horn.

As the two stallions charged at each other, Anima was busy trying to find her way through this maze of buildings. The stench of rotten vegetables and other trash wafted up from the many open trash cans she passed. It made it hard to breathe as she ran for her life. The only sources of light came from the occasional flash of lightning and some lamps every couple of yards. Anima just kept on running, regardless of these drawbacks, consistently changing her path whenever there was a split in the alley. As she continued to search for a way out, she heard a scream echoing from far behind her.

“No,” Anima whispered, clenching her fists as she kept on running.

Back in the streets, Yoshi was thrown to the ground beside his companion, but in worse shape than before. Yoshi’s armor was cracked in several places, some pieces had even been broken off. Blood dripped from his muzzle and mouth as he breathed raggedly. And most of his body was covered in scorch marks, with smoke arising from them. Smooth Silver, on the other hand, stood over him triumphantly, wiping away some blood from his hands and the cut on his lip with a handkerchief.

“I’ll admit you got in a few lucky shots. But I had hoped for a better challenge,” Smooth said, tossing the small piece of cloth onto Yoshi. “I’ll be back to finish you two off later. Right now I have more important matters to attend to.”

With that out of his way, Smooth went off to find Anima in the maze of alleyways, leaving Yoshi in his defeated form. Yoshi tried to get back up but ultimately couldn’t find the strength to stand. He was about ready to collapse when he heard something approaching him. Looking up, Yoshi stared in shock at who stood before him.

“Y-you,” Yoshi said, a sense of hope arising.

===============================================================

The peals of thunder grew louder and their rhythm seemed to match the terrified beating of Anima’s terror filled heart as she ran through the dimly lit, stinking backstreets of Canterlot. She continued searching for a way out that lead to the streets and away from her attacker. Unfortunately all Anima came across were dead ends and more intersecting paths. Currently she was facing one of the former as she tried to catch her breath. Anima grew more and more scared as she feared that Yoshi must’ve failed in his line of duty. That meant Smooth Silver was already closing in on her.

But she wasn’t going to give up now. Anima knew there had to be a way out somewhere and she’d spend all night running if that’s what it took to get home. So gathering up her courage, Anima went back the way she came to pick a different direction. Eventually coming back to a four way intersection she had passed earlier. Anima looked between the two paths she hadn’t tried and the one she had come from in the first place. As she tried to choose which one to take, she heard footsteps echoing from behind her. Anima’s heart skipped a beat as she turned to see the one pony she hoped she would never see again. It was Smooth Silver, smiling sinisterly as he approached her.

“Found you,” Smooth said, in a mocking sing-song voice.

Anima didn’t need another moment’s thought as she ran straight ahead of him. It just seemed to keep going straight, no matter how far she went down it. After what felt like minutes had gone by, Anima came to a stop as she looked in horror. In front of her was just another dead end, with only a lamp atop the wall shining a bright light down on her. A bolt of lightning flashed in the distance yet Anima could not hear the resounding thunder as she seemed disconnected from the world. In an act of pure desperation she pushed against the wall, believing it would magically open and free her from this nightmare. It did nothing of the sort as Anima started to cry, not knowing what else to do. Her mind was brought back to reality when she heard someone walk up behind her. Before Anima could even move, she was grabbed roughly, turned around and forced against the cold, hard brick wall.

“That’s enough hide and seek for one night! It’s time for a new game,” Smooth said, groping Anima’s breast through her shirt.

“Stop it, you can’t do this to me! I’m a Princess!!” Anima screamed, forcing his arm away from her.

“But that’s why I’m doing this. How many stallions out there have had a chance to buck royalty? Well tonight I’m going to be one of those lucky few,” Smooth stated, slapping her hand away.

Anima kept trying to force him off of her, but Smooth proved too strong for her as he started to rip her shirt apart. As he ripped the collar of her turtle neck in half, the chain from Anima’s necklace broke as the pendant fell to the ground, which went unnoticed by both ponies. Part of Anima’s bra was revealed as Smooth assaulted her large chest once again and kissed her neck repeatedly. Anima shuddered in disgust from his actions, his kisses feeling like slime crawling along her skin and his hands like monstrous claws along her breasts. Throughout it all though she continued struggling out of Smooth’s grip, only to get pinned back down instantly.

“You won’t get away with this you know. The three of us have seen your face and you can’t get rid of us. A Princess going missing is certainly worth an investigation,” Anima said, feeling she had found the drawback in Smooth’s plan as he pulled away.

“Well you would be correct in that matter, Princess,” Smooth said, his grin increasing to a smug look. “That is unless I’ve learned some memory charms of my own. You won’t die, but the feeling of me burrowing into you will be etched into your heart forever. As for your escorts, I doubt anypony will miss them. And the best part, you’ll never know it was me.”

Those words shook Anima to her core as the thoughts of what Smooth had planned flowed through her mind. She worked even harder to try and get away, but failed each time. That is until a solution hit her like a ton of bricks. With a devious smile, Anima quickly brought her knee up with Smooth’s crotch being the target. But she didn’t move fast enough as Smooth managed to block her strike with his own leg.

“Nice try, Anima. Did you really think I would leave my most valuable assets unguar-?”

Suddenly, something struck Smooth's forehead with great force, knocking him back as he screamed in pain. Once the dizziness wore off Smooth looked to see what had happened. Coming to, he saw Anima on the ground, clutching her head while she groaned from the necessary pain. Anima’s glasses had slipped from her face, a small crack formed on the lens as they laid beside her. Smooth was surprised by the sudden strategy Anima used on him. But his anger far outweighed his shock as he felt a trickle of blood flow from his brow.

“All right, that’s it!! I’m through with going easy on you!” he declared, slowly moving towards Anima. “After I’m through with you, you’ll be limping for a month! Nopony gets in the way of what I want! Especially not some pathetic excuse for a Princess, you stupid little bi-!”

“BANZAI!!!!” a voice shouted, getting louder as it spoke.

Before Smooth could identify where that noise came from, a pony flew down straight towards him. In an instant, the mystery pony had drop kicked Smooth in the chest and sent him flying back a few feet away. The figure turned around to find Anima cowering and curled into a ball as she didn’t know what this newcomer wanted. The pony went over to her and bent down, reaching for the small pair of glasses and handing them Anima who continued to shake and had her eyes shut tight as she continued to cry.

“I believe these belong to you,” the pony spoke, in a soothingly familiar voice.

Anima’s ears perked up and her eyes opened wide as she recognized the figure to at least be a stallion. But the way he sounded, she almost couldn’t believe who it was. Quickly grabbing her glasses, Anima put them on and gasped at who she saw. Even through the crack, she could still make out his wings, light-brown fur, and sepia mane. Caster Forge stood at eye level with Anima, giving her a smile that put her at ease.

“Are you all right, Anima? Did he hurt you too badly?” Caster asked, his smile faulting into a concerned expression.

Anima was stunned, seeing the stallion she adored so much in front of her like this. Needless to say, her heart swelled with joy. And without so much as a warning, Anima jumped up and wrapped her arms around Caster, letting out sobs of joy as her tears came full force.

“Oh, Caster, thank Faust you’re here!” Anima wailed, not holding back in her crying. “I-I was so s-scared, I thought he was g-going to rape me! H-he was even threatening t-to.”

“Shh, shh, it’s okay Anima. I heard it from Yoshi. Now, it’s my turn to protect you,” Caster said, stroking Anima’s hair as he looked behind him. “And from the looks of it, my job isn’t over yet.”

Confused by his statement, Anima looked over his shoulder to see Smooth Silver getting back up. Anima started to panic again, wanting nothing more than to just run. But her thoughts were put to a halt when she saw Caster removing his jacket.

“Here, cover yourself with this,” Caster said, draping the polyester fabric over Anima’s shoulders. “Just stay here and I’ll handle the rest.”

“But, he’s too strong Caster. Yoshi may’ve had a handicap from that spell but he still had guard training. How do you expect to beat him?” Anima asked, wondering what Caster had planned.

Caster just smiled as he leaned in and gave Anima a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Give me fifteen minutes, that’s all I need,” he said, giving her his most assuring smile.

For a moment, Anima said nothing as she focused on the slightly warm feeling that lingered on top of her head. It felt so much more delicate and caring than what Smooth had done to her. That, coupled with the warmth that remained in Caster’s jacket, helped warm Anima up as she nodded her approval. Knowing that Anima would heed his words, Caster stood up, mentally preparing himself for what was about to transpire. A drop of water then fell on Anima’s muzzle, which surprised her, followed by another and another. The storm had finally arrived and Anima used the jacket to shield herself.

“So, it would appear that your coltfriend, has come to your rescue,” Smooth Silver stated, standing back up and spitting out some blood. “But it won’t do you any good! I’ll dispatch him the same way as your friend back there and then you’ll be all mine, Anima!”

Staring at the pouring sky above, Caster took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as the cold rain flattened his mane and soaked his fur. As Caster turned around to face his opponent, Smooth suddenly felt a bit intimidated by what he saw. Caster’s face had a look of pure anger and bitterness. His eyes burned with intense fire and he gritted his teeth so hard that Smooth wondered if they might break.

“HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO MY FRIEND!!!?” Caster bellowed out over the thunderous rain, startling both Smooth and Anima. “You claim that Anima is yours!? She doesn’t belong to anypony! Especially not some sick bastard like you who wants to buck her for the fun of it!! You offend not only her, but me as well! I can’t and I won’t allow scum like you to roam freely without punishment! So put up your dukes, Smooth Silver, otherwise you’ll end up even worse than what you did to Yoshi!!!”

Both ponies watched as Caster had completely lost it. Even Anima had never seen him this angry before. While she worried about whether or not Caster could control himself during this fight, she heard someone slowly clapping. Anima saw it was Smooth, who wore a blank expression on his face.

“Amusing speech, boy, though it hardly makes a difference. I’m well trained in both magic and boxing, I doubt you can match that,” he said, getting ready to strike.

Much to Smooth’s surprise, Caster didn’t seem to charge straight at him. Rather he opted to take another deep breath and smiled.

“Phew, glad I got that out of my system. As for you Smooth, I think I can manage. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my fencing lessons it’s that you have to be quick,” Caster said, as a bolt of lightning went off nearby.

The flash from how close it was blinded Smooth for about a second before he could see again. But when he opened his eyes, Smooth’s sights were set upon Caster who stood right in front of him, his smile gone.

“And you must act before your opponent does,” Caster Forge finished, throwing a punch at said opponent.

His strike made direct contact with Smooth’s face, breaking his glasses in the process. Before Smooth was even given a chance to recover, Caster hit him again in the stomach and then at his chin. Infuriated, Smooth managed to dodge Caster’s next attack and throw one of his own, making contact with Caster’s chest. Quickly, he managed to follow it up with a left hook to Caster’s ribs and was about to kick from Caster’s left. However, Caster acted quickly and let his body fall backwards, narrowly avoiding the attack as it passed over him. Lifting his legs off the ground, Caster pressed his hands against the ground and used as much strength as he could muster to propel himself forward and strike Smooth Silver with his feet at Smooth’s core. He was sent tumbling back but was able to quickly regain his bearings as he removed his damaged glasses.

“How, how are you doing this? Where did you learn to fight like this!?” Smooth demanded, wiping the mix of blood and rainwater from his face.

“I’ve spent over ten years learning how to fence. Even without a blade in my hand, my body still knows how to maneuver in a fight!” Caster replied, cracking his knuckles.

No need for further explanation, Caster zipped forward and shot another kick at Smooth. Though Smooth may’ve taken the full force of the attack, he only grinned as he used his arms to put Caster’s leg into a lock. Caster tried to free himself but ended up falling to the ground and hitting the back of his head. He cried out in anguish as Smooth slammed his foot on his stomach and started bending Caster’s leg towards him.

“Don’t get too cocky just yet, boy!” Smooth said, maliciously grinning as he continued to bend Caster’s leg back. “I still have some tricks up my sleeve.”

Despite the immense pain he was suffering, Caster wasn’t ready to give up. He started punching at Smooth’s leg, in an attempt to at least release Smooth’s hold on his upper body. Though Caster’s strategy was of little use as Smooth suddenly kicked him in the face. With that he released his hold on Caster’s leg and started repeatedly punching him in the face.

“You may be a blacksmith for the royal army, but you’re still nothing compared to me!!” Smooth shouted, striking Caster harder and harder. “I have money, fame, power, magic! You have nothing! You don’t deserve to teach a Princess, let alone be her friend! I’ve heard plenty of things about you! You’re nothing but a sad, lonely little colt who’s never been with a mare, much less even kissed one! You claim to know what Anima deserves in a partner when you yourself clearly don’t know jack shit about love! You have no right to say anything about love! Not when you haven’t known what it’s like to properly love a mare! I’ve heard that all you’ve ever cared about mares is their looks as well! In fact I’m guessing that’s the real reason you got close to Anima, isn’t it!? You just want the same thing that I do: to buck a Princess like no tomorrow! Say whatever you want to defend yourself, but you and I are truly one in the same!”

Finished with his berating pummeling, Smooth lifted Caster with his magic and brought him up to eye level. Caster bled profusely from both his muzzle and mouth, breathing heavily as if the life was beaten out of him. His right eye had turned black and swollen and there were some cuts across his face as well. Smooth gave a look that reeked of smugness as he stared at Caster’s disheveled appearance.

“What do you have to say for yourself now, boy?” Smooth said, waiting for his reply.

“… Drop dead you piece of shit,” Caster spoke, spitting a combination of saliva, mucous, and blood at Smooth’s face.

Smooth Silver said nothing as his face contorted into one of blood thirsty anger. Without a word he used his magic to throw Caster against the wall, who yelped in pain. Only a moment later was he thrown against the other wall, feeling his suffering increase. With that, Smooth continued to throw Caster back and forth between the alley walls, which were soon splattered with small amounts of blood and had cracks forming. Just as Caster wondered when this torment would end, he was hurled against the wall one last time, the magic dissipating as his body felt numb from the pain.

“YOU FIRST!!!!!” Smooth shouted, filling his horn with an abundance of magical energy.

Anima Memoriae watched on in abject horror as Caster was beaten to a pulp and was about to be incinerated. While Smooth’s statement about Caster had caught Anima off-guard, she couldn’t just stand on the sidelines anymore, she had to do something. With newfound courage, Anima got out from underneath Caster’s jacket and ran towards the two ponies, who had moved a considerable distance since their scuffle began. Smooth noticed this and with precision, put up a force field between him and Anima as he continued to prepare the final blow. Anima tried to break the barrier down with sheer force, kicking and punching it over and over. But it did not yield any positive results. She started screaming, begging Smooth to stop, yet her voice couldn’t be heard over the raging storm and the enchantment that lied within the spell. And Smooth didn’t pay her any mind as he was ready to end this fight.

“Remember this in the next life, boy: those who have no power cannot hope to survive in this world!” Smooth stated, releasing all the energy he had stored at its target.

For Caster, the world seemed to slow down as he watched the beam of magic slowly approach him. Was this it, was this all he could’ve done? Was this really the limit of his strength? Caster looked to his right and watched Anima pounded against the barrier with tears streaming down her face. ‘No.’ Caster thought. ‘I can’t die yet, not with her watching me. Come on Caster, get up! You’re stronger than this! Just move. Move. Move! MOVE!!’ Caster continued to scream those words in his mind, trying to find the strength to evade Smooth’s attack. Then suddenly, the solution came to him. At the same time, time returned to normal as the spell went off with a loud explosion. Smoke rose from the impact area and some of the rain had been blown away as well. The smoke and debris soon cleared away, revealing only a large crater and a scorch mark with no sign of life.

“NNOOOOOOO!!!!!” Anima wailed, breaking down and crying her heart out as the barrier was released.

Smooth Silver laughed maniacally as he saw the result of his work.

“You see, Princess!? This is what happens when fools like him get in my way!!” Smooth shouted to the heavens, unaware of his surroundings.

“The only fool here… is you,” a voice breathed out, heavily from behind them.

Anima and Smooth immediately ceased their actions. They both looked to the other wall and gasped in astonishment. Caster Forge had somehow survived the deadly spell, though just barely. His clothes had been torn apart, revealing the bruises he had sustained during the fight. His mane was singed and his goatee had been burned down to a stubble. While Anima couldn’t find any words to describe how relieved she felt, Smooth had no trouble expressing the opposite.

“You. How can you be alive!? Nopony could’ve dodged that spell at such a short distance!!” Smooth demanded, his frustration growing by the second.

“You think your status in life is what gives you power. That’s what makes you a fool,” Caster said, looking up at him. “Power isn’t something you claim to have, it has to be earned. And while I may not have the kind of power you believe you possess, I have something you could never understand or hope to gain: the strength and encouragement I feel from my friends, and this!”

With those words, Caster ripped the remains of his shirt and revealed his trick. Smooth went wide eyed at what he saw. Upon Caster’s chest was the symbol of his lucky mark with several ancient runes sprouting from the corners of it, making the whole picture into an ‘X’ formation. It soon hit Smooth what Caster was implying: it was the speed from his lucky mark that saved him! Smooth Silver’s eye started to twitch as he bit his lip, drawing blood.

“Not only do you get in my way, but you also insist on bragging about that power of yours?” Smooth said, his body trembling with rage. “DIIIIIEEEE!!!!!”

Wasting no more time, Smooth channeled his rage into magic and fired another beam of powerful magic at Caster. It was faster than the first one but exploded with just as much force. Smooth started breathing heavily as the strenuous use of his magic was taking its toll.

“Looks like your aim could use some improvement, wouldn’t you say Smooth!?” a voice rang out, from up high.

Smooth looked up to see Caster Forge in the air, wearing a grin that radiated confidence. A confidence that Smooth was beginning to detest as he roared in anger, firing a volley of magic at Caster. Focusing on the fight again, Caster dove down towards his opponent. Caster narrowly dodged the shots of magic along the way, appearing like a blur as he did. Smooth continued to fire until his magic reserves had started to dry up. With great speed, Caster charged right at Smooth. He was only about a foot away from Smooth when he disappeared again. Baffled by the sudden disappearance, Smooth Silver looked around for Caster. Only to find him a moment too late, as he stood right behind him.

“This, on the other hand, won’t miss,” Caster said, in a fighting stance.

Smooth turned around to try and counter the attack, but it was too late. In a flash, Caster began laying multiple strikes all over Smooth’s body. He landed three hits across each of Smooth’s limbs, one at his stomach and his face. And finally, gave a solid blow in Smooth’s chest, sending him straight down to the ground. Caster watched as Smooth writhed in pain, barely able to move a muscle. For his sake, Caster hoped he would stay down. Sadly, Smooth was more persistent than Caster thought as he started pushing himself back up.

“I guess fifteen won’t always be my lucky number,” Caster said, feeling only pity for Smooth. “But I’m ending this, now!”

Before Smooth could get another word in, Caster pressed his foot aggressively against Smooth’s back, forcing him back down. Smooth slowly turned his head to face Caster, who was clenching his fist for the final strike.

“And remember this, swine,” Caster solemnly stated. “Don’t. Ever. Claim that I know nothing about love! Because while I may’ve been rejected by so many mares in the past, I’ve learned from my mistakes. So in reality, I know more about love than a rapist like you could ever comprehend!!! Take that information with you to the dungeons!”

No need for more words, Caster Forge put all his rage into his right fist and thoroughly connected it with Smooth’s face, knocking out a few of his teeth and him in the process. Caster breathed heavily as he tried to control himself while the runes on his chest began to fade. When he finally managed to get a grip on himself, he turned around to see Anima whose eyes were wide open. She was both amazed and terrified by the feat that Caster had pulled off. But she was relieved to see that Smooth was finally put down. Snapping out of her shock, Anima noticed that Caster knelt down in front of her and gave her a look of concern through his beaten looks.

“Are you okay, Anima?” Caster asked, his voice slightly raspy.

“… I am now,” Anima said, holding him close as she cried softly.

The rain continued to pour on them as they held each other close. But they didn’t care, for this fight was over. Though over the sound of falling water, they heard footsteps echoing from behind them. Turning their attention towards the sound, they discovered its source to be an Earth Pony stallion with black fur, blue eyes, teal mane and tail, and royal night-guard armor, who was quickly approaching them.

“Princess Anima Memoriae, Caster Forge, are you both all right!?” the stallion asked, checking them both.

“Yes sir, we’re fine. But who’re you and how’d you find us?” Caster asked, wondering how this pony got here.

“My name is Moon Glow,” he answered, with ease. “I was heading back to the castle from my patrol after the rain started. On the way, I saw your friends passed out in the middle of the street. I managed to wake them up and they explained what happened. I told them to wait there, since they were still a bit dizzy from that spell, and I went ahead into the alley. It was difficult but I managed to follow the screaming and yelling right toward you guys.”

“I see. Well, I’m glad you were able to make it Moon, but you’re a bit too late. Smooth Silver’s already been taken care of,” Caster stated, as he retrieved Anima’s necklace and his jacket and gave the latter to Anima to cover herself once more.

Curious about Caster’s statement, Moon looked around until he suddenly noticed the beaten form of Smooth Silver. While he was surprised that Caster did so much damage to a pony, he believed deserved, Moon still went over to check on Smooth. After determining that Smooth was still alive, just unconscious, he tied up his arms and legs, picked him up, and slung him over his shoulder as he turned back to Caster and Anima.

“Well, Caster, thank you for saving Princess Anima. I hate to think what might’ve happened if you hadn’t shown up. Can I trust you to escort her home from here while we take this scum to the hospital?” Moon asked, knowing that Caster was a pony he could trust.

“You can count on me. But actually I’ll be taking her over to my place,” Caster said, keeping Anima close to him. “My mother told me her parents would be visiting us tonight and its best they know their daughter is safe as soon as possible.”

“All right then, both of you be safe. I think we’ve all had enough excitement for one night,” Moon Glow said, making his way down the alley with Smooth Silver in tow.

Anima was about to follow when she felt Caster start to collapse as well. All of the damage and strain had finally started to catch up with him as he barely had the energy left to stand.

“Hold on, Caster! I-I’ll think of something,” Anima said, trying to hold him up.

“Heh, looks like I ran out of juice,” Caster said, weakly as he tried to stay conscious.

Anima though for a moment on what to do when she realized she might have her magic again. It was a long shot, but she believed that after this much time and with Smooth’s KO, his spell may’ve worn off by now. So closing her eyes in focus, Anima concentrated on her horn hoping for something to happen. It took only a moment for her to feel magic start to build up once again. With that she prepared a teleportation spell and in a flash the two of them were gone, leaving the nightmare once and for all.

===============================================================

In the outskirts of Canterlot, the rain had just started to pick up as it came down by the gallons. One home, in particular, took notice of this as the water belted against its windows, along with a flash of lightning that brightened the inside, alerting the occupants inside. Said occupants of this abode were the parents, siblings, and nephew of Caster Forge. Along with them were their guests, Anima’s parents, who were currently in the dining room drinking tea with Caster’s parents.

“Thanks again for having us over, Amethyst, it was nice finally getting to meet the parents of our daughter’s teacher,” Zen Wheeler said, before taking a sip from his cup.

“Well we’ve been wanting to meet you two as well. It’s not every day you get to have tea with parents of royalty after all,” Amethyst Emberglow replied, glad to know Anima’s parents were nice ponies.

“No, no, the pleasure is ours. I never knew that Caster’s parents were such famous jewelry makers. And plus your family certainly is a lively bunch,” Celly Script said, watching as Hotpop and Jack Spirit played with their son, Vicente, in the living room.

“Yeah, our grandson has definitely made things interesting since he came into the family,” Copper Gold said, remembering the times he looked after Vicente. “So are you sure you two can’t stay any longer? Caster’s supposed to be home soon and I’m sure he’d like to talk to you again.”

“We’d love to, but we really must be going,” Celly said, after she finished her tea. “Anima should be home by now and we wouldn’t want her to worry about us.”

“Besides, I’m sure she’ll love to hear about how our meetup went,” Zen added, getting up and pushing his chair in.

“Please be sure to give her our regards. I’d love to be able to meet her so-” Amethyst was interrupted when she heard a loud, rapid knocking at the door. “Oh, I think that might be Caster actually. What impeccable timing, you’ll be able to talk to each other before you go!”

“Yay, Uncle Caster’s home!” Vicente said, about to head to the door before Hotpop stopped him with her magic.

“Now, now, Vicente, don’t rush him,” she said, trying to keep a hold on her son. “Let your grandmother at least let him in first.”

With a skip in her step, Amethyst went over to the front door to let her son get out of the rain. But when she opened the door, she let out a frightful gasp at what she saw. Anima Memoriae stood close to Caster Forge, who looked like he had been through Tartarus and back, with his arm draped over Anima’s shoulder. Anima too looked awful with her tattered clothing, bruises on her cheek and forehead, and of course her still damaged wing. Needless to say, Amethyst was horrified to see this picture.

“Caster, Princess Anima, what happened to you two!!?” Amethyst asked, watching as the two of them hobbled into the house.

“We’ll explain later, please just help Caster!” Anima shouted, trying her best to support Caster’s weight.

Amethyst nodded feverishly as she helped Caster over to the living room couch, where everyone else had congregated to. Immediately both Anima and Caster were bombarded with questions filled with concern. Zen and Celly seemed the most distraught seeing their precious daughter in such a state. When they had all settled down, they decided to split into two groups. Amethyst, Celly, and Hotpop took Anima upstairs to get her cleaned up and grab her a change of clothes.

Copper, Zen, and Jack tended to Caster’s wounds while Vicente just stood on the sidelines, knowing enough not to interfere. In the end, Caster had most of his upper body bandaged, along with an ice pack wrapped against his black eye to reduce the swelling. He even shaved the rest of his goatee off, wanting it to grow back naturally. After he was all patched up, Caster went into detail about what happened earlier while his father prepared some more tea. From pretending to be Anima’s coltfriend, to fixing her wing. And of course his overtime at work, which lead him to finding Yoshi Ringo and Spell Weaver, thus allowing him to find Anima. He didn’t leave anything out, making sure his actions would be judged properly.

“And at that moment, I broke the seal on my lucky mark and used the speed it gave me to escape Smooth’s blast. After some more evading I struck him with my fifteen strike technique and delivered the final blow. That was when Moon Glow showed up and took Smooth into custody before Anima was able to teleport us back here. And then, you know the rest,” Caster finished, petting Nina in his lap who had showed up earlier during all the commotion.

The other three stallions, along with Vicente just sat there, listening intently to Caster’s story. Soon they started speaking one by one.

“Wow, who would’ve thought that the rich could stoop to something this low?” Jack Spirit said, astonished by this crime.

“That mean old booger-face! If I ever see him I’ll kick his butt myself!” Vicente proclaimed, throwing punches against the air.

“Vicente, watch your language,” Jack said, scolding his son.

“But you did the right thing, Caster,” Copper Gold said, sitting next to his son on the couch. “I’m not saying it was right to beat him senseless, but you defended not only a Princess, but your friend as well. That’s what truly matters here.”

“Like I was just going to let him rape her? Nopony deserves to suffer through something like that! I’d have stood up to a hundred guys like him if it meant protecting Anima,” Caster said, taking a sip of tea to calm his nerves.

“Still, you saved my daughter,” Zen Wheeler cried out softly, clearly the most emotional of the group. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

“There’s no need to Mr. Wheeler. Anima’s safe now and that’s all that matters to me,” Caster stated, holding out his hand for him to shake.

“Well, you’ve certainly earned my gratitude, Caster,” Zen said, shaking Caster’s hand and trying to wipe away his tears. “Anima truly did pick not only a great teacher, but a great friend as well.”

“I just do my best, that’s all,” Caster said, feeling great that he had gotten Zen’s approval.

“And your best is certainly your most amazing, little bro,” Jack said, holding Vicente who had fallen into another narcoleptic slumber.

As they continued to praise and congratulate Caster on his heroic deed, a set of footsteps came down the stairs. Everyone in the living room turned and saw that it was Anima, wearing a white robe with pink fluffed edges. Her mane and tail were dry and flowed freely and she had a small bandage wrapped around her head. Knowing that she and Caster probably needed some time to themselves, they all got up and went up the stairs. But not before each giving Anima a comforting hug that she returned in kind.

Once they had all left, Anima went to the living room and took a seat next to Caster. Nina went over to Anima, curious about the newcomer. She was hesitant at first, but Anima petted Nina finding the little red squirrel adorable. There was an awkward silence between Caster and Anima as they didn’t know what to start off with. Anima, for her part, was distracted by the sight of the bandaged Caster who had forgone wearing a shirt. It wasn’t the sight of his body in general that distracted her, but rather all the wounds he sustained trying to protect her. Anima took a chance to turn her gaze away from Caster, feeling a few tears welling up. She stayed like this for a while until the sight of a filled tea cup entered her vision.

“You’re worried about my wounds, aren’t you?” Caster said, breaking the silence as he handed her the cup.

Anima only nodded, taking hold of the cup and letting the sweet, warm liquid greet her lips.

“Don’t be. They don’t hurt that badly anymore,” Caster said, trying to improve Anima’s morale.

“But you only got them because of me. You’re only like this because of the mess I got myself into,” Anima said, a tear drop falling into her beverage.

“Anima, that wasn’t your fault, it was Smooth’s. He’s the one that inflicted these injuries and is the one who caused this incident to happen. I don’t care how or why this happened, all I care about is keeping my friends safe. And if that means taking a few hits along the way, I’ll gladly be yours and everypony else’s shield,” Caster said, letting Anima know he didn’t blame her.

Wiping away what remained of her tears, Anima placed her teacup down and scooted over to Caster. Carefully she rested herself against him, making sure not to put too much pressure on his wounds.

“I’m just glad you’re alive. For a moment, I thought you were gone for good,” Anima said, the sound of Caster’s breathing comforting her.

“As if I’d lose to somepony like him. And even if I did, I’d just get right back up. Because I wouldn’t stop until I knew you were safe. After all you’re my friend, not to mention one of the few mares who treats me with so much kindness,” Caster said, smiling as he wrapped an arm around her.

Although Anima was touched to hear those words that last part of Caster’s statement made her remember something she felt should’ve been addressed.

“Caster… is it true, what Smooth Silver said about you?” Anima asked, wanting to know from Caster himself.

Knowing what she was referring to, Caster sighed as he knew he couldn’t hide it any longer.

“Yes, it’s true. I’ve never been with a mare before, nor have I kissed one either,” Caster said, frowning as the memories returned.

“I have to say I’m… very surprised to hear that,” Anima said, as she finally learned the truth. “To be honest I always thought you had somepony of your own.”

“Yeah, sometimes ponies assume that about me. But sadly that isn’t the case,” Caster said, holding Anima a bit closer.

“Still I find it a bit odd. You’re such a nice pony I thought you’d have dozens of mares chasing you,” Anima said, imagining the mares of Canterlot ogling Caster.

“That’s just it. I do, so to speak. And that’s part of the reason I don’t have a marefried,” Caster said.

“What do you mean?” Anima asked.

“I should probably start at the beginning,” Caster said, taking a deep breath. “When I was younger I was always chasing after mares. I was young, ignorant, and only seemed to care about their looks which I thought was love. But I never got to know them well and vice versa, leading to many rejections. After I turned eighteen, I decided to stop trying and just settled for waiting, wanting the mare I love to come to me first or something like that. Soon enough, they did, though not in the way I hoped for. Mares of all classes, from average to the high ups, kept coming at me asking me out on dates and everything. And why: because they only saw me for my social status and my decent good looks, they didn’t care about what I was really like at all. At that point, I was smart enough to realize that it wasn’t real love and just did my best to ignore them. So even if I have to wait over a decade, I’m not going to fall for these kinds of mares. Because if I’m going to love one of them, it has to be one who sees me for everything that I am.”

Anima listened quietly as Caster poured his heart out into his confession, even shedding a few tears at the end. It let her see a side of him that she never experienced before. It touched her to know how much of a romantic Caster was. Part of Anima also wanted to leap with joy since she found out that Caster wasn’t taken. However, she decided against it, as well as telling him how she felt. With everything that happened, now just wasn’t the right time. Anima thought to wait on telling him, already thinking of a proper moment in the future to do so. For now though, she felt it best to console Caster.

“I’m sorry you had to be put through all that Caster. You don’t deserve to be treated like that,” Anima said, sitting up and wiping away Caster’s tears. “I’ve been around you long enough to see how kind and generous you are. Any mare would kill to have a stallion like you in their life. I’m confident you’ll find somepony soon and you’ll both have my support when that day comes. But… you won’t forget about me, right? I mean, I know you would want to spend as much time with each other as possible, but I hope that doesn’t mean we can’t hang out together either.”

“Of course not! In fact, there’s something I need to return to you,” Caster said, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out Anima’s amulet. “When I first gave you this, I promised that I would help you into the sky. Now I’m returning it with a new promise: Whatever happens, whether you’re feeling down or just want to hang out, I’ll always be there for you. Because you truly are my closest friend who’s changed almost everything about my life.”

Those words touched Anima in more ways than she could comprehend. Taking hold of Caster’s hand, along with the amulet, Anima leaned in and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek, expressing her thanks for the kind words. They didn’t need to say anymore as they cuddled up to each other, Nina joining them in the middle. Caster and Anima spent a while in the living room, staying close and listening to the rain pouring outside. The moment was interrupted when a small clock on the mantle rang out. Caster looked to see that it was nine o’clock.

“We should probably get some sleep. I’ll go grab a pillow and blanket for you to sleep down here,” Caster said, getting up before being stopped by Anima.

“Actually, if you don’t mind. Um, would it be all right if I slept with you tonight?” Anima asked, giving him a pleading, puppy look. “It’s just, I’d feel a little safer if I slept next to somepony I trust.”

Even without Anima’s infamous look, Caster didn’t want to say no to her right now. Nodding, Caster helped Anima off of the couch. He then surprised her by lifting her up into his arms.

“C-caster, you shouldn’t strain yourself like this,” Anima said, both blushing and feeling a little concerned.

“Don’t worry, I’m feeling a bit better. Besides you carried me home, so consider this a little repayment,” he replied, giving her a sly wink.

Giggling at his little statement, Anima relaxed as Caster carried her upstairs, making her feel like a real Princess. When they got to his bedroom, he set her down on the dark green comforter of his bed while he went and tucked Nina into her own little sofa bed. When he turned around, Caster saw Anima removing her robe, revealing a large white t-shirt and a pair of purple pajama shorts. After admiring how cute Anima looked in her attire, Caster got into bed and scooched back towards the wall, allowing Anima to join in and cuddle against him. Caster brought the blanket over them and wrapped an arm and wing around Anima, stroking her hair comfortingly.

“Goodnight… Honeypie,” Caster said, letting slumber slowly overtake his weary body.

“Goodnight, Sugarcube,” Anima replied, letting Caster’s warm embrace sooth her spirits.

With that, they both fell into the most blissful sleep either had experienced yet. Anima kept herself close all night to Caster, the stallion who risked it all to protect her. The pony she had come to fall in love with.

Author's Notes:

And here it is folks, the moment you've all been waiting for! The big showdown! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. But still I hope you all enjoy this chapter, it's my first time writing something dark and I don't know if it turned out well or not. Let's just hope I didn't go too over the top. Either way try to enjoy, I put a lot of effort into this.

Edit: Fixed some grammatical errors.

Edit 2: Let's get ready to rumble!!!!!!!