"My head," Shade groans.

Not even the cold of the floor soothes her aching head. Books are strew all over the room and she pushes the few tomes off her. Her head anchors the rest of her body to the floor. She grunts as she pulls her body her head across the floor to the comfort of her bed. She imagines a hangover is a suitable comparison to how she feels.

"I gotta pee," Shade whimpers while crossing her hind legs tightly.

Knock. Knock.

"Dinner is ready," chimes her savior.

"Death," Shade croaks.

Death opens the door and peeks inside. "Ye~es?"

"Take me to the restroom."

"Is that how you ask for something?" A shit eating grin splitting her muzzle.

Shade glares daggers at the mare. "I'm using a token: take me to the restroom."

"Wow," Death deadpans, "willing to use a token over saying 'please'." Death picks up Shade with her pink magic. As she leaves, she 'accidentally' drives Shade's head into the doorframe. "Oopsies!"

"I will so enjoy destroying you," Shade growls as she rubs the growing bump on her head.

"Hey, you're becoming a quadricorn!" Death teases.

"Don't make me fucking pee on you," warns Shade.

Death opens the restroom door after the small trip from Shade's room. She knows Shade does not make idle threats. She sets the porcelain filly on the porcelain throne. She steps outside and closes the door.

"Want to come exploring with me tomorrow?" Death offers while leaning against the door. She hears Shade sigh with relief and the sound of water.

"Pass."

"Okay. Well. . . whatever relics I don't sell to museums I'll stock here for our shop."

"Your shop."

"Don't you want to earn money or do you want me to give you an allowance?"

A long pause. "Fine. I'll work at the shop."

Flush.

Water running.

Death steps away from the door and smiles at Shade when she opens the door.

"Did you hear me when I fell?" Shade confronts Death.

"Yup. And I felt it! You over exerted yourself but you were able to lift the entire neighborhood off the ground!" Death hugs Shade. "I'm so proud of you!"

Shade did not fight back against Death's display of affection; her mind still processing Death's words. "'The entire neighborhood off the ground'?"

"Eeyup!" Death nuzzles Shade. "I erased everypony's memory of the event and fixed the buildings."

"How high did I lift the buildings?"

"Fifteen feet eight inches!" Death beams.

Shade stares at Death with straw color eyes full of confusion.

Death brushes Shade's mane away from her face. "You have such beautiful eyes, Shade."

"Why? Because they look like my father's?" Shade mocks.

"Because they are yours," Death answers honestly and returns Shade to the floor.

Shade eyes Death suspiciously as she walks past the mare. She continues to trot down the hall. "What's for dinner?"

"Where? How?" Shade sputters as her jaw hangs open while drool drips from her mouth.

"Easily," Death grins, "Dig in!"

Shade forgoes her knife and fork; instead, she sinks her teeth into the juicy, tender, slab of meat. A soft moan escapes her as the flavor and juices dance on her tongue. She rips off a mouthful of steak and chews longingly.

"Like?" Death asks rhetorically.

Shade takes a bite out of the steak again and moans her satisfaction. Her eyes roll to the back of her head as the flavors explode in her mind.

"This was the closest thing I could find similar to ianka back home."

"What is it and how can I get more!" Shade demands while tearing into a second steak.

"It is called "buffalo" and kinda, sorta, a little illegal to have," Death smiles sheepishly.

"I don't fucking care!" Shade retorts around a mouthful of meat.

Death laughs nervously, "This is a rare treat because you have been relatively well behaved and learned a lot. Plus, you need all the protein you can get to restore your mana."

Shade chews more thoroughly, savoring her rare meal, "I did feel fatigued. Now, I feel like I can take on the world!"

"Shade," Death says after finishing her steak, "I want you to read the tome with the jewel encrusted spine."

"I'll get to it."

"Read it after you are done reading Pinkie Pie's book."

Shade eyes Death. "Why?"

"How far are you into that book?"

Shade chews and watches Death. "I'm at the point where Celestia and Luna defeat Discord."

"Great! What are your thoughts about it?"

Shade shrugs. "I don't see why the book starts from Nightmare Moon and goes backwards. If Celestia just killed them then she wouldn't have to worry about them coming back."

Death sips water and set the glass down with her magic. "Is that all?"

Shade rubs her chin. "So far."

"Those tomes I found hold ancient secrets and powerful magics as well as forgotten history," Death finally answers Shade's question.

Dinner comes to an end and Shade decides to walk to the park to reflect on the day's events. Secretly, she hopes to meet with the mysterious filly. Shade takes the glasses with her and hides them in her mane.

Shade decides to start her search for the mysterious filly at the alley where Shade last sees her. When she reaches the alley, the filly's scent reaches her nostrils along with another familiar scent: blood. Fear does not stay Shade's hooves; not having any combat skills as a pony stays her hooves. She decides to use her ability point to hopefully unlock some combat moves.

When she opens the ability screen she finds that she has six points to spend. She spends a point on strength and unlocks her combat tree. In the combat tree, a message pops up informing Shade that she already knows all the moves and investing points in the skill will increase its effectiveness. She puts a point into melee and blocking. She swipes to the right and clicks on the "Resistances" tab where she spends her last two points on magic resistance, which makes her take twenty percent less damage.

With confidence renew, she closes the screen and returns the world to normal. She sneaks down the alley, hiding behind trash cans and in bushes. To her left stood six shops and on her right three warehouses. The last warehouse door opens and Shade jumps behind three trash cans.

Having her heat vision on, she barely sees the light gray pony as a black smoke covers them until the door closes. When the pony did not heat up after stepping out of the cold, Shade grew more sure of her suspicions. The pony starts walking towards Shade.

Shade further flattens herself on the ground as the pony trots pass. She stands on guard when the pony stops and begins to sniff the air. When the pony lowers their head to the ground, Shade kicks a trash can at the pony, who fails to dodge the metal object.

Shade pounces on the pony. With the targets identity without doubt she soon has second thoughts about her action. The recently fed filly throws Shade into a shop's stone wall.

Shade jumps to her feet but gets a blast of energy to her ribs which drops her to the ground again. Shade's horn sparks to life and she sends a second trash can into the back of the head of the filly. The filly shrugs it off and charges at Shade.

Before the filly could slam into her, Shade lunges up and sinks her short canines (which do not break the skin) into the throat of the filly, using the filly's momentum, Shade twists around and slams the filly into the ground. She steps on the filly's horn and the filly stops struggling.

"I just," Shade pants and winces from the burning of her side, "want to talk."

The filly stares at Shade for a moment before nodding.

"I suppose I shouldn't have hurled that trash can at you first, huh?"

The filly furrows her brows and nods.

Shade removes the sunglasses off the filly's face and retrieves the pair from her mane to place them on the filly's face. "Those are yours." Shade climbs off the filly. "I didn't want you to run away but when I smelled blood I knew you would be stronger."

The filly looks at the ground and absently kicks the dirt.

"Are. . . are you mute?"

The filly nods crestfallen.

"Fan. Bloody. Tastic." Shade facehoofs.

.