Author's Notes:

Dear Reader,

The following story contains scenes which some may find violent, disturbing and also includes some sex scenes. The story of Fairlight is one of emotional discovery, adventure and explores topics which may not be to everyone's taste. If you find any of this upsetting or you dont like this sort of story, then you may not wish to read any further. If you do, i sincerely hope you enjoy Fairlight as much as i have writing it, and i will assure you that even in the darkest night, there is always light and hope. Sometimes, you just need a friend to help point the way.

As always, feel free to thumbs up if you like, down if you dont. All I ask, is that if you dont like the story, please leave a comment as to why.

Kind Regards,

Bluespectre

They’d lied to me, all of them, every last stinking one. I’d been shot, beaten, tortured and mutilated then left for dead, left to burn alive next to the body of my beloved wife. Meadow, the mother of my unborn foal, tortured and raped before my very eyes. They’d killed us both, my beloved literally, myself…well…they should have finished what they started. For better or worse, I was back.

Water dripped constantly from the leaking, rusted pipes overhead providing a background note that beat in time to my heart. The heart I had prayed so hard would stop some day, but the damned thing went on. Thump, thump, thump….inexorable, unerring. It beat in time with the ticking of the old railway clock on the wall. I’d found it, thrown away in a pile of rubbish outside the new Manehatten railway station. Dumped, because it had a cracked glass cover. The clock still worked though, with a little care and attention I’d repaired it, even with my limited skills. It was like a metaphor for my life, thrown away, discarded because of a flaw. A flaw that no pony had made the effort to help repair, or even to see past. Like the clock, it was all so much easier just to throw it away and get a new one.

The second hand clicked away the time, each a moment nearer the time death would claim me, nearer the time I would claim them. They would all pay for what they had done. They were up there, walking…talking…doing all the things that ponies do, or more accurately, what sick fucks like they do. Not for much longer though, they were already dead and just didn’t realise it yet, but they would. Soon, oh so soon…they would.

Shadows played along the damp brick walls, flickering in the lanterns warm light. I had given up on trying to keep warm, the sewers were perpetually dank, wet and mouldering. I’d been down here that long the damp and cold didn’t bother me, I didn’t even notice the smell any more. It was difficult, but not impossible to keep a fire going, but I only used one now for practical applications. I couldn’t feel warmth any more, only….cold…a chill as bitter as the wind on a mountain side. I’d felt its touch in the Withers, but now, the cold was everything, encompassed everything.

I had tried so hard, tried to control it, to gain mastery over its grip on my soul. But here in Equestria, the mortal world, the power hungered, lusting for nourishment. Regular food kept my physical body working, however the cold demanded sustenance of another sort, Goddesses help me…the very life energy of ponies. ‘Goddesses’?…ha !

Yeah, they’d helped me all right, tried to help me by ridding themselves of their ‘problem’. I would show them just how wrong they were, they would regret their deceit and lies.

My stone hissed as it passed along the edge, a little oil to help smooth the flow, a few different grades, it made all the difference. I finished with a dry cloth and admired the finished result, I was satisfied…tonight would be the first of many.

It was an interesting piece, the wood dark and well seasoned, I’d found it almost by chance, propped in the corner of a collapsing barn on the edge of an apple orchard. The blade had been rusted to nothing, crumbling away at my touch, but I was skilled enough to make a new one for myself. With the magic from my…’other’ self, I had little need for a forge, although I’d still found it easier to make use of the one on the disused farm. Initially I’d been concerned about being discovered there, however the farm was so far from anywhere, there was little chance of that happening. Still, it didn’t hurt to be cautious, and so I had only worked at night after repairing the doors and windows to block light and reduce sound.

The wickedly long curved blade was not quite a mirror finish, for that I would have needed much finer stones than I had managed to find, but for this work, it was more than enough. The one I had in the Withers was designed for combat, yet its maker had still taken the time to engrave designs onto the haft. I’d tried to replicate some of this with varying degrees of success, and I had to admit, I was quite pleased with the result. The mechanism which flicked the blade out and locked it into place was particularly impressive and I nodded in approval as it did so now. The swish and click were a harbinger of what was to come. I gave the scythe a test swing, listening to the way it cut the air. I twirled round, my cloak billowing out behind me and swung again, the curved blade snarling through the air. It was time to go.

As I walked off down the tunnel, I locked the blade back into place and strapped it to my pack, the magic glowing from my horn lighting the darkness. Behind me, the faint sound of a candle falling on the ground made me smile to myself. I’d done my job well.

Traffic in this quarter was quieter at this time of the morning, but the city, as they say, never sleeps. Nothing had changed, the hustle and bustle, the noise, the smells. Once, they’d bothered me, coming from a small country town, but now I barely noticed them. They were just….there. An advantage was that no pony noticed yet another stallion wrapped up against the heavy rain, walking the darkened streets and alleys. Here, the city of individuals, each wrapped up in their own little self centred world, was as lonely as it had ever been.

I’d passed 121st street and headed for the park, the lights visible even in this weather, my destination near at hoof. A young filly rushed past me, water splashing from her hooves as she dashed up the street to escape the rain. She would have been around the age my daughter would have been now, but that was a thought for another day. Today, I had to focus my mind, my will, in another direction.

Water poured off my rain cloak in rivulets, its cold touch not even registering in my consciousness any more. When your insides were colder than ice, temperature ceased to be a concern. My heart had died along with my hopes and dreams, buried with my wife and child. I no longer knew if I would ever see them again, maybe even in the next world. The herd would not take me and I had no idea how, or even if, I could rid myself of this monstrous spirit within me. Goddesses knew….but that, I doubted.

In the darkness, between the street lamps I waited. I closed my eyes and listened for the tell tale rattle of a carriage as it turned the corner on its way to drop off its cargo. The cabby pulled up several yards away and waited for his passenger to alight.

“Thanks friend”

“No, thank you sir !” the cabby replied happily. His fare must have been a big tipper, funny how times change around here. The more they stay the same….

He stopped several feet away but hadn’t seen me in the still heavy rain. Taking a cigarette from his pocket, he rummaged in his pockets for a light. I obliged. The small flame flickered in front of his surprised face as I stepped from the shadows, “Here, let me get that for you…friend”.

Jumping Jack’s eyes widened in shock but he didn’t back up, he was still as cool as ever. “Yeah…thanks buddy.”, he replied, drawing on the cigarette. His eyes never left mine.

He cautiously reached a hoof toward a pocket and I put mine out to stop him, “That wont be necessary J.J. I’m just after some info, that’s all”.

“Celestia all mighty !”, He said in a loud hiss, “I thought you were supposed to be…that is…everypony says you’re.” He cleared his throat and tried to regain some composure. “Goddesses Fairlight, how are you still alive ? The watch said you were dead, burnt to death in a fire along with your…..hey, I’m sorry buddy. I really am.”

I nodded, “Yeah, deaths not all its cracked up to be J.J. Bunch of arseholes in fancy armour and sand. Lots and lots of sand.”

Jumping Jacks face was a picture, I almost wished I could have taken one of him right then.

“Waddaya want then Cap’ ? You like, undercover now or something ?” He asked blowing smoke into the night air.

“Yeah, something like that”, I said calmly, “I need to know where I can meet a couple of people. With your connections, I think you’re just the pony to make it happen.”

Jack scratched his ear, adjusting his hat, “Sure thing Fairlight, anything for an old pal.”

I moved closer to him, “Old pal eh ? Okay. I want to know where I can find two ponies. A big red stallion called Melon Patch and a piss yellow one called Gates.”

J.J spat out his cigarette in alarm, “Are you fucking kidding me ? Do you know who those two are ?”

“Yeah, I know who they are, only too well.”

Jack baulked, “No way Cap, there’s no way ! If those two, either of them, found out I’d told you…I’d…”

“End up like Meadow ?” I asked cocking my head to one side.

“Goddesses Fairlight….Meadow ? Those two ? Oh no….”

I nodded, “Meadow was pregnant J.J, they killed my wife and my unborn foal. They tortured her, raped her. Do you know what that was like for her ? Do you know what it was like to see….”. I hadn’t realised I’d grabbed J.J’s coat until I was almost nose to nose with him, his eyes went wide as dinner plates.

“By Luna’s tit’s ! What the fuck happened to your eyes !?”

Letting him go, I stepped back pulling the hood back down over my face. I’d forgotten how frightening my appearance now was to some ponies, I’d have to do something about it, or I’d stand out a mile in the crowd.

“Where are they Jack ?”.

The informant took out another cigarette and once more, I magicked up a flame for him. After a few seconds, he produced a hip flask and down its contents in one pull. The frightened pony shook with the cold and, probably, nerves. I needed to be aware that most still felt the cold, I almost wished I could. Jack watched me for a moment and seemed to gather himself, rebuilding the wall of confidence that defined him.

“Come on Cap, there’s a covered street vendor down near the park who’s a pal of mine. Hot food, drinks and its out of this goddamned rain.”

The street vendor was an oriental buck with a black spotted white coat, unusual colouring I hadn’t seen before. He was, as J.J stated, a friendly sort who quickly dished up some wheat noodles and spiced soup. Under the canopy, out of ear shot from the vendor, J.J slurped his noodles, steam rising from them while the rain hammered down around us.

“Melon Patch, ‘Mel’, as he’s known, is an enforcer for the Harpy’s”, he explained.

“Velvet Cream’s gang ?”, I asked.

“The very same. Gates, the other one you mentioned? He works for them too.”

“What are they into ?”

“Usual. Racketeering, prostitution, smuggling.”

“Let me guess, Ryetalin ?”

“Yeah, new one too, pushers call it ‘breeze’, users call it ‘shooting the breeze’. Nasty stuff Cap, nasty stuff.”

This ‘Breeze’ was new on me, I’d have to look into that, but it was of secondary concern.

“What are they smuggling ?”

Jack paused and scratched his nose, giving me a sidelong look. “Look Cap, theres some things I cant…”

“Guns”, I cut in, “They’re bringing in guns J.J, I know. I’ve seen them in action, you may have heard?”.

“Yeah”, Jack replied quietly, “I heard. Sorry Cap, its just…I’m frightened of these guys, I don’t mind admitting it, they scare the shit out of me !”. He shook his mane and breathed in heavily, “Okay, okay, right. This is for Meadow, okay ? Right, the red one, Mel, works the doors at the Strawberry Cream nightclub on 22nd. That is of course, when he’s not doing, ‘extra curricular activities’, if you get my drift.”

I nodded, taking one of Jack cigarettes, “And Gates ?”

“He works down at the tourist office on Liberty Island.”

I nearly choked, “You got to be kidding me.” Jack shook his head, “Nah, its all a front. They bring in barges there at night to load or unload their shit.”

“Do the watch know about this ?” I asked him directly.

“Some, yeah”, he spat on the ground, “the commissioners been concentrating the watch’s activities in, er…’other directions.’”.

It was all becoming clearer now. “J.J”, I turned to look him in the eye, “Whats the commissioners angle in all this ?”.

He winced but carried on, “She’s up to her fetlocks in it. Word is that she’s behind the smuggling, but some think she’s just getting back hoofers from some pony higher up. Couldn’t say for sure, y’know ? Whatever’s going on, she sure has taken a liking to the high life.”

I grimaced, “And all the while Manehattan’s going to hell in a hoof basket.”

“Yeah”, Jack spoke quietly, “it aint good for no pony Cap and that’s for sure”.

I turned to go, “J.J, I cant pay you, you know. You’ll have to put it on the slate.”

He chuckled, “Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about it. Hey, Cap, you know, your boys and girls will want to know you’re still kicking. You, um…want to stay, y’know, a shadow ?”

I cringed, images of burning red eyes flashing through my mind, my heart leaping into my throat. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my flaring nerves, “Yes. So far as any pony is concerned, you included, I’m just a….shadow. A nopony. You didn’t see me, you didn’t speak to me. J.J, Captain Fairlight died in that fire with his wife.”

“Dude, I don’t know what shit you went through, but there’s a lot of love out there for you. Don’t forget that, ponies shouldn’t be alone.”

I’d hear that once from some other pony, what seemed like a lifetime ago. I suppose in some ways it was, the other me, that other world. I patted Jumping Jack on the shoulder, “See you J.J, take it easy out there.”

He nodded, drawing on his cigarette and watched me walk off into the rain.