Cheerilee galloped through the desolate streets, the rain had lightened considerably by now, but the wind rushing past had blown the hood of her raincoat off and what little water that fell left her face and mane soaked. Gasping for air, her voice had long since gone hoarse, she breathed in deep and prepared to yell for the guard again. Exiting the side street and entering the town proper, she glanced back behind her fearfully. There was no sign of the stallion and hope loomed on the horizon. Facing the square once more, an internal struggle began as she fought with herself on where to go.

‘The guardhouse is empty, where can I go for help!?’ Turning to the nearest structure, the shadow of a familiar library loomed overhead. Her breath hitching, she shivered as a cold chill traveled down her spine. Recalling the tale that Spike had woven earlier this morning, she wondered if it was in any way a good idea. As an educator, she took any possible threats seriously, no matter how fantastical, for the safety of her charges. She had only met Dimmed Star once since her change from the mare previously known as Twilight Sparkle, once was more than enough to instill a sense of worry and no small amount of fear. The coldness in her eyes whenever she looked at others was like that of a predator eyeing prey.

As she contemplated her options, Brutus finally came barreling out of an alley just a short ways behind her. His breathing heavy and labored, the bite mark on his right foreleg bled from where he had reopened the wound with his untimely impact involving the alley’s refuse. Wrenching his head in every direction, his eyes lit up with victory as he spotted the mare, her gaze pointed away from him. Throwing caution and subtlety to the stormy winds, he sprinted at her with his head bowed low, prepared to strike her down and end it. In his haste, however, he failed to remember that the square was made up of part dirt and cobblestone, his large hooves making loud clicks as they connected with the rock beneath him. Ears twitching in his direction, Cheerilee turned to find him almost on top of her, eyes wide in fear and horror as she made to jump out of the way.

Missing her by mere centimeters, Brutus growled as he slid past, nearly falling as his injured leg tried to give out on him.

“Hold still you fucking bitch!” Cheerilee denied his request as she twisted around and began galloping away again, the library just ahead.

‘It’s better to make a deal with the Nightmare, then be in her path!’ Casting her reservations aside, Cheerilee made a beeline for the door. Facing her retreating form, Brutus wasted no time as he sprinted after her, eyes wild with desperation. If he didn’t stop her now, his life was well and truly over! As the two of them ran, Cheerilee leaped over the remains of a fallen branch, the storm must have knocked it off of either a nearby tree or even the library itself. Seeing this, the stallion’s eyes widened in excitement, there was his answer! Instead of jumping the branch as the mare had, Brutus leaned down and caught the branch between his teeth, gripping it tightly.

Eyeing the mare’s backside as they closed in on the building, he aimed carefully, before flinging his head forward with all his might, releasing the branch and sending it spiraling at the mare’s back hooves.

‘I’m gonna make it! I’m gonna make it!’ Cheerilee cheered as the door to the library was just about in hoof’s reach. As she reached out with her hoof to grasp the handle, something large and heavy collided with her back legs, sending her sprawling into the dirt with a yelp. Before she could turn to see what had happened, Brutus fell upon her, throwing his full weight into the pounce. Rocks and stone mixed with dirt as the two of them slid across the ground, Cheerilee’s raincoat tearing itself apart.

“ It… ha… It didn’t have… to be like this… ha…” Brutus heaved as he struggled to keep the mare pinned beneath him.

“Pl-please, don’t do this!” Cheerilee begged, her eyes fearful and pleading. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, the fear of what this pony would do put her mind into overdrive as she thought of every possible scenario, most of them ending with her six hooves underground. The stallion’s face twisted in anger and vehemence, the veins in his neck pulsing as he gritted his teeth. He and the mare grappled with one another as he fought to secure a grip around her neck.

“Shut up!! This is your own damn fault!” Beating against him with her hooves, Cheerilee’s struggle became erratic in her fear, allowing for him to finally get ahold of her. As he squeezed, a triumphant grin overtook his features.

“Heh, heh heh! You damned cunt! You, that stupid brat and my whore of a wife! All of you want to ruin my life, everything I’ve earned! Well, I won’t let you, not anymore! When I’m through with you, I’m gonna burn that damn house to the ground, then I’m gonna find that little bitch and finish what I started!” His eyes were unfocused now as he ranted, spittle frothing at the corners of his lips as he grinned manically. Cheerilee’s eyes were horrified as she choked, gasping for air, the stallion’s hooves gripping tighter no matter how hard she tried to pry them away.

“I can start over, I’ll move to another town and find happiness again! Won’t that be nice? Isn’t that a nice goal, Miss Teacher!?” He yelled gleefully, lightning flashing through the air with a roaring thunder on its tail.

The edges of Cheerilee’s vision were fading to darkness and her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen, but something the stallion said had rung out to her. Teacher… She was a teacher. Rolling her eyes just a little, she could just see the road that leads to her schoolhouse, the school full of young, bright minds that she was privileged to be given the opportunity of molding into the wonderful adults she knew they could be. Their bright smiles and cheerful laughter, the moments of embarrassment and first crushes between young hearts. If she died here, she would miss all of those precious moments. She would never see them fulfill their life’s ambitions, their hopes, and their dreams. Tears brimmed in her eyes, looking back to the face of the pony above her, this was not a stallion. He was a colt that had lost his way, he had fallen from the teachings of his educator and his parents, perhaps he never had any… Fear that one day a student of her own could go down such a path gripped her heart with a force that this pony’s hooves could never hope to match. A fire ignited in her veins at the thought of not being there to prevent such a future and her struggles, which had lessened with her weakness, were now renewed with the adrenaline that spiked through her system.

“Just give up and die already!” Brutus screamed, irritated with the mare’s sudden tenacity, his grip around her neck almost slipping. The smallest bit of space was revealed as the stallion lifted to readjust himself, it was all she needed to curl in on herself and land a solid kick with one of her back legs, the hard surface of her back hoof colliding with his lower jaw and sending him sprawling back. The sound of a tooth clattering against stone could be heard from somewhere nearby. As the stallion struggled back to his hooves, Cheerilee shot to her own, coughing and wheezing as she could finally draw breath once more. Turning bloodshot eyes to her assailant, she grits her teeth in fury. This pony wanted to silence her, he wanted to make sure he got away with whatever he had done in that home. He wanted to take her life away, take her away from the fillies and colts she cherished so dearly. He wanted to take away the moments that she, as their teacher, had every right to witness. The precious moments that filled her with joy and gave substance to her existence. No way in Tartarus!

‘I am not going to die here! Not to this piece of filth!’ The empowered educator stood her ground, for her life and the future of her students! Adrenaline cascaded through her veins like red hot magma, the fur on the back of her neck standing on end as she bristled and the trembling of her body coming to an abrupt halt. Letting out a ferocious yell, she threw herself at the stallion just as he turned to face her, blood trickling from his mouth. His expression of rage turned to shock as the other side of his face met the same fate as before, the hard surface of the Earth pony’s hoof smashing into his jawline, sending the wretch back into the cobblestone.

Using the momentum from her first swing, Cheerilee followed through and spun a complete one-hundred and eighty degrees, stopping on a dime to send both her back hooves into the side of the unfortunate pony. The echoing sound of shattered ribs met her ears, the stallion screaming in horrified agony as he flew several feet away, crashing into the signpost of the library and taking it down with himself. The enraged school teacher glared over her withers at the pitiful state that the attacker had found himself in, groaning in pain and fitfully trying to crawl away. Growling in her throat and lashing her tail about like a feral lioness, she approached the pitiful excuse for a stallion, her eyes catching the limb that he’d used to trip her up and snarling as she leaned down and took it in her own teeth. Stomping a hoof on his messy and disgusting tail, she placed the edge of the branch against his neck, applying enough pressure to cause his breath to become strained as she held him in place.

“You’re not going anywhere!” She growled through clenched teeth and wood, her sea-green eyes burning into his. The bright yellow light of the building’s interior suddenly flooded the doorstep, illuminating the both of them.

“What the fuck is going on out here!?”

Dimmed Star continued to stare at the now cold mug of cocoa, the reflective glare of her teal eyes doing little to stem her growing irritation. Pinkie had yet to come down and it was beginning to vex her to no end.

‘Would she just hurry up? I’d rather get this apology done and over with…’ Although she felt an inkling of guilt in her stomach, it was not due to having nearly eaten her friend. No, any remorse for such actions had long since been squashed after she had slaughtered so many creatures of the Everfree, consuming them often without waiting to store or cook the remains. The guilt that settled within was due to having lost control of herself and it only enraged her further.

‘What good will I be when I face off with the Insect if I can’t keep myself in check? It’d be worthless to me if I can’t make her suffer…’ Her thoughts briefly trailed back to the wedding. Although the feeling of having the object of her revenge within her grasp, helpless and horrified, was thoroughly euphoric, she had been too hasty. The bug deserved a slower, far more excruciating punishment.

As she imagined the multitude of ways that she could torture the changeling, dark saliva dripped from her gaping mouth, the manic grin that split her cheeks doing nothing to hide her jagged teeth.

“D-Dimmy?” The whisper brought Dimmed Star back to the present, snapping her neck to the side to see Pinkie Pie trembling as she stood near the door of the library, a towel wrapped around her and her fur and mane sticking out in places where she had vigorously scrubbed at herself. Her own eyes were tearful and puffy, the faintest hint of tears still resting on the edges of her eyelids as she stared at the dark mare worriedly.

“Ah, you’ve finished then?” Pinkie’s slow nod was met with a raised brow from Dimmed Star as she eyed the mare’s back hoof that had taken a step back in response to her speaking.

“I see…” Sighing to herself, she waved a hoof at the mug of cold chocolate.

“I had hoped that we could… discuss, what had happened… and I wanted to… apologize... “ Though she spoke the word, she felt no real attachment towards it. Glancing back at the baker, she watched as Pinkie Pie’s eyes raced between the mug, herself, and the door behind her.

“I… I should go… I-I’m supposed to.. T-take care of the twins! Ye-yea, Mr. Cake asked me to.” Her voice trembled as she back further against the door, her chest rising and falling quickly. Dimmed Star rose from her cushion, nodding slightly.

“Very well then, at least let me wa-”

“NO!” Pinkie’s outburst was startling, her eyes clenched shut as Dimmed Star’s hoof was frozen in place midstep. Holding absolutely still, Dimmed Star’s eyes narrowed on the mare. This was not unfamiliar, not after all the hunting she had done. This was prey that had been backed into a corner, and the mare’s fight or flight response was in overdrive. Something within Dimmed Star ached at the sight, but it was far too deep for her to notice nor care.

“I… I have to go… I can’t… n-not… no-not right now… pl-please…” The normally cheery and jubilant baker sobbed as she turned and dashed through the door and into the pouring rain. Watching silently as the door slowly swung closed once more, Dimmed Star could feel the tension in the air around her grow tenfold. There was no thunder to drown out the rumbling of her growl this time. Clenching her teeth tightly, she ignited her horn and took hold of the mug of cocoa, sending it flying through the air to crash against the wall of the kitchen, the brown fluid splattering against the wall and counter. Standing in the middle of the room, Dimmed Star glared at the door of her home for some time as she lost herself in thought.

‘The one mare… the one pony I could finally call a friend again… and she’s terrified of me… all I have left now is Spike and…’ The image of a smiling orange filly came to mind, the anger in her slowly dwindling as she took deep breaths. She needed to learn more control if this continued to happen, or if she continued to allow her apathy to rule her, then even they would eventually leave…

‘I… don’t want them to go… I don’t want to… to be alone…’ The sudden realization caused her eyes to widen, dark tears brimming within. Somewhere within her cold heart, something still yearned to be surrounded by those she cared for. Glancing back to the door, she remembered the first time she had come through it, to a party filled with future friends who smiled and laughed. That day, her whole life had changed for the better, or so she thought until now. Now those memories only brought her anger and pain. Turning away from it, Dimmed Star ignored the guilt that now clawed at her, choosing instead to dry her tears and find something more productive for her time.

A loud thud and the sound of breaking wood caught her attention however just as she was about to take the first of the stairs to her room. Looking to the door curious but expectant, nopony came inside or knocked. With a raised brow, she turned and stalked towards the door, casting glances to the windows on either side. The weather seemed to have lightened a bit, or at the very least it was taking a bit of a break. Now standing at the door, she contemplated whether she was in the mood to deal with anymore heartache.

‘It's entirely possible that Pinkie came back, but given her current frame of mind I’m doubtful…’

“You’re not going anywhere!” The declaration that came shouting through her door was jarring but more so worrisome. Anger reignited in her eyes as she rushed forward, concerned that some pony was trying to harm Pinkie. Grasping the door with her magic, she yanked it open, her Ink already beginning to coat the floor beneath her as she bared her teeth and yelled.

“What the fuck is going on out here!?” The sight that greeted her was not one she had been expecting in the least.

Dimmed Star’s glowing eyes glared at the two ponies that were on her porch. The mare she immediately recognized as Spike’s teacher and a normally friendly face, but the stallion was new. The two remained silent as they stared back at her in surprise before the stallion finally realized he was no longer being pinned. Rolling out from under the mare, he yanked his tail and tripped the hoof that had been holding it down. Cheerilee yelped as she fell forward, losing her balance as the stallion turned to run, making tracks in the dirt as he made his escape.

“You damn bitch, I’ll make sure you pay for this!!” He yelled back as he ran. Glancing between the stallion’s retreating form and Cheerilee’s injured state, Dimmed Star raised an eyebrow as a hypothesis took root. Acting on her instincts, a single shadowy serpent extended from the edge of her Ink, moving with the speed of a cobra as it’s maw opened with a feral hiss, its eyes locked onto the fleeing pony.

Brutus flinched with every step as he ran, the little bit of adrenaline and alcohol that had kept him going up to this point were tapering off. He was in no condition to keep fighting that damned mare, much less two of them. With no other choice, he would have to run, he would have to run for the rest of his li-

A sharp pain tore through his back left leg, causing him to yell in agony. With a hard tug, he felt himself being yanked from the ground as he began to fly through the air, back the way he came. His voice filled the air with pain and confusion as his body picked up speed. With the force of a bull, his body slammed into the wall of the great tree library, wood splintering apart and the sound of crunching bone echoing through his ears. Brutus could swear he felt every bone in his body shatter individually, the silent scream of pain his only indication that he was even alive as he slowly slid to the ground with a soft thump.

Dimmed Star’s demonic growl grew in volume as she stepped out of the light of her home, the door slowly swinging shut. The rain that fell around them was naught more than a sprinkle now, but the muggy and dark atmosphere it left was doing little to curb the terrifying image of the mare as she stalked over Cheerilee’s prone form. The teacher trembling as she struggled back to stand on shaky limbs, the ruined raincoat in tatters around her hooves. Raising a single hoof, Dimmed Star lifted Cheerilee’s chin, forcing the mare to make eye contact with her.

Cheerilee trembled as she stared back at the mare, the closeness between them giving the educator a more in-depth opinion of her strange eyes and voice. She was definitely a predator, and though she had sought the mare out in desperation to save her own life, regret and despair were the only things she could feel at this very moment.

“Allow me to repeat the question.” As she spoke, the serpent of Ink began to drag the still body of the stallion towards her. Unable to struggle against the motion, Brutus could only whimper in agony. Once he was close enough, the serpent raised him by the leg with a yank, eliciting a scream from him as the broken bones in his body all cried out at in protest.

“What. The fuck. Is going on out here?” Turning her head to look at the upside-down stallion, his eyes were clouded with pain. Tears and blood streamed from him like water in a river, leaving a constant trail to the ground below. She doubted the stallion could even hear or understand her at this point, so she returned her gaze to the other perpetrator of her would-be quiet evening.

“Well?” Cheerilee struggled with her words, her eyes darting between the mare and the half-dead pony that hung like meat on a hook before her.

“H-he… he tr-tried to kill me… I-I was, tr-trying to get away…” Dimmed Star considered the mare for a moment, before nodding slowly as she stepped away from the teacher and fully faced her newest plaything with a small grin beginning to spread across her features.

“Well then, it looks like I get to play hero again…” Her glare became wicked as her smile split her jaw, the jagged teeth and hungry growl that whispered between them.

“Good, I could use some stress relief...” Her tongue lashed out, gracing the pony’s face for a moment and lathering her tongue in his blood as his whimpers fed her hunger. Cheerilee’s eyes went wide in horror and disgust, before she scrambled forward, stumbling partly. She hadn’t been sure if what Spike told her that morning could be believed, but seeing it first hoof, she had no doubts that this mare, this creature, was about to eat her assailant. Worry for the little drake’s safety skyrocketed, but it would have to be put aside for the time being.

“W-wait! You can’t!” Dimmed Star’s glare stopped her cold, leaving her to tremble as she fought to keep eye contact.

“Why?” She growled, her irritation growing with each passing second. It had been a very long morning and Dimmed Star was finally given a chance to not only relieve a bit of stress but also cut loose a little. Keeping her appetite for both violence and flesh in check was getting harder every day. Spike, Scootaloo and Pinkie were always there to help, keeping her distracted and making sure she didn’t get too angry. But one of them… one of her anchors had just walked out her door a crying mess. She had no idea if Pinkie would ever come back… and that only brought her pain and frustration. Cheerilee had yet to answer, her words falling over themselves as she tried to make a coherent sentence. Annoyed with her posturing, Dimmed Star snapped her head back to the stallion in time to see his eyes finally come back to focus, he stared at her fearfully as she grinned back, licking her lips and leaning forward. Nothing wrong with taking a bite, right? Her lips divided as she opened her mouth, the rows of jagged teeth stretching towards him.

“H-he might have hurt Scootaloo!” The teacher’s outburst left Dimmed Star petrified, her once hungry and sadistic eyes now wide in shock. Leaning back from him as she returned to her normal state, she gave the stallion a once over, before looking back to the teacher with barely restrained rage burning in her eyes. Cheerilee’s eyes were squeezed shut, praying to Celestia that the mare didn’t eat the stallion in front of her. He needed to pay for his crimes, but the right way, nopony should have to be put through this!

“Say that again…” Opening her eyes nervously, she found the angry Dimmed Star bearing down on her now, the stallion was now being held within the grasp of a large clawed tendril, the serpent that had been holding him before now hissing and snapping its teeth inches from his face. His mouth was open in a quiet scream as the claw squeezed him slowly, blood leaking from between its digits. Dimmed Star stepped between her and the stallion, bringing her focus back to the mare whose form almost seemed to be shifting slightly. She could swear the sound of cracking bones was a lot closer this time, as though they were coming from Dimmed Star and not the broken pony in her grasp.

“He… He’s Scootaloo’s... father… I went to her home when she didn’t show up for class… I tr-tried going to the guard first… Th-there was… so much blood…” She couldn’t bring herself to say anymore, tears falling from her eyes as she finally looked away from the mare. Dimmed Star watched as the teacher broke down, before slowly turning back to the piece of rotten meat that hung within her Ink’s grasp. Stalking forward, she brought him closer and took a deep breath, taking in his foul scent as the serpent withdrew to the depths of her puddle.

“L-le-let… me… g-go…” His choked force begged, his eyes trying in vain to see past the pouring red that dripped over them. His only response was another tight squeeze from the claw that surrounded him, ensuring he remained silent as the air in his lungs was forced out and he was left screaming in silence. Without wasting a moment more, Dimmed Star took off past the stallion, slamming him into the ground and dragging his helpless form through the mud and stone. A trail of blood and Ink was left in her wake as she sprinted through the town, following the stench of alcohol and sweat.

Cheerilee’s eyes slowly opened in confusion, the sound of the tortured stallion had gone, along with the mare’s ever-present growl. Blinking owlishly, she looked around at the empty space before spying the trail that leads away from her, back towards Scootaloo’s home.

“Oh Celestia, what have I done…”

Dimmed Star galloped through the town, her body fluctuating as it struggled to try and shift into another form. It was taking every ounce of restraint that she could muster to stop herself from changing and then tearing the stallion in her grasp asunder, casting the foul remnants to the worms. No, she needed him for now, she needed to know if Scootaloo was alright. Turning from an alley and back into the open street, she kicked up her pace as the trail grew stronger. It wasn’t long before she found herself in front of a desolate home, bereft of any semblance of love or care. Sneering at the home’s appearance, she stomped through the overgrown yard and up the walkway, the tall grass that she passed through fading to ash as the Ink overtook it.

The weak wood of the door stood no chance, shattering off the hinges and scattering its remains into the hall. Stepping through the doorway, Dimmed Star looked around carefully, making sure to absorb every facet of the home’s interior. The first thing that caught her attention was the smell of blood. Although the home was already filthy, the coppery smell stood out to her against the multiple foul odors that permeated it. Her eyes had no trouble spotting the trails of blood in the hall and she felt her rage spike once more, a drop of worry for the dear filly that had been so consistent in her life of late keeping her from going berserk.

“What happened here…?” She growled, her voice echoing the shadow of her rage as it grew deeper, more animalistic. No response came and her patience was already on death’s door along with this stallion. A tendril of Ink lashed forward and pierced through the stallion’s gut as the claw released him. His eyes shot wide at the new level of pain and he wailed in agony as the tendril speared him to the wall of the home. The tendril began to slowly crystallize as Dimmed Star stepped up to the stallion, her form shifting as she gained enough height to be on the same level with his head.

“Whether you tell me or not, I will have my answers.” Her jaw began to split open as she spoke. Leaning in closer, she whispered into his ear as a rumbling growl rippled through her throat.

“And if I find something I don’t like…” With a snap of her jaws, she missed his head by centimeters, causing him to flinch back. Turning away from him, Dimmed Star began her search through the home. Stepping away as the tendril of Ink finally broke off, leaving the stallion nailed to the wall with a single black spear, its shimmering surface reflecting the dim light from outside. Brutus’ head leaned down toward the spear, mustering what strength he could to shakily take it within his hooves, wheezing in pain as he tried to pull himself free, his eyes darting to the monster that held him captive, afraid she would turn around again.

Combing through the mess of glass, blood, and ruined towels, Dimmed Star took in the scene of the home.

‘He tried to clean it up but was interrupted when Cheerilee arrived. Why he would open the door in the first place with such a mess is beyond me.’ Stepping over the evidence, she observed the amount of blood on the floor, much of it leading into the large room to the left, while still more made a trail up the stairs. Worry crept into her features, but something seemed off. Giving the blood more than a cursory glance, her mind made quick calculations.

‘There’s too much… This is more blood than the body of a filly could contain… which means…’ Smirking, she looked back to the stallion that was trying in vain to pry himself from the wall.

“Oh, you naughty little colt. You killed somepony else today, didn’t you?” Brutus’ felt what blood remained in his system freeze. Shakily looking over, he found the creature grinning wickedly at him.

“Sh-she… m-made me…” He struggled to speak, blood spouting from his lips with each attempt, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut in pain. Dimmed Star raised a brow at his confession, before turning back to the hall and following the first trail into the living area. As she turned the corner, however, a single large serpent rose from the trail of Ink just in front of the stallion. Brutus opened his eyes at the sound of its hissing, confusion in his eyes before horror overtook him as the serpent lashed forward, snapping its maw open and pinning his head to the wall as its teeth sunk into his throat.

Dimmed Star ignored the stallion’s struggles as her pet kept him from trying to escape any further, choosing to continue her browsing. Her nose scrunched up in disgust at the state of the living room, the amount of garbage and stains upon both the floor and furniture were bad enough, but the smell was the worst of it. It reminded her of when she had gone to assist Applejack in fertilizing one of her orchard fields, the burning smell of ammonia permeating the air. Something light connected with her hoof and the sound of glass skittering across the wood met her ears.

Looking down, Dimmed Star’s rage grew, her form shifting even further and her jaw opening in a slow and malicious hiss. Small orange feathers rested within a dried puddle of blood. The broken remains of a bottle were covered in the life fluid with small bits of orange fur and purple hairs strewn about. Scootaloo had definitely been at the mercy of the stallion. The Ink beneath her bubbled and steamed as her form seemed to twist, even more, the dark liquid slowly rising up her legs. Biting back her urge to dash into the hall and tear that thing to pieces, Dimmed Star whipped around and instead chose to explore more of the home.

Turning down the hall, her steps were hurried as she made her way through to the back of the house. She didn’t have a lot of time if there was any chance of saving the filly. Entering what could only be assumed was the kitchen, Dimmed Star’s first action was to tear the doors from the fridge and every cabinet. Anywhere that a prisoner or a body could be held, she searched, destroying the home even further than it had already been and turning up nothing as a result. Growling under her breath, she trotted up to the wall and phased through the surface. Gliding through the home’s interior, Dimmed Star stepped out from the plaster on the second floor, the wall behind her collapsing in on itself. Seeing the second trial that had followed the stairs, she took after it.

The first of the rooms led to a sight that would have unnerved most ponies, but Dimmed Star took it in stride. Stepping up to the bed, her heart clenched in worry as she tore through blood-soaked sheets that were wrapped around a large lump, revealing the terrified and lifeless eyes of a pegasus mare. With a sigh of relief, she continued to search the room in much the same manner as she had the kitchen. Tossing the body of the mare into the hall where it fell with a thud as she flipped the mattress, tearing it apart as well just in case. Still, the filly’s whereabouts alluded her and this only enraged her further. Now running full-on, she melted through the walls of the home, leaving the house to slowly start decaying in her wake.

Coming to the final room, she stopped in surprise.

‘Scoots…’ The cleanest room of the home, it had to belong to Scootaloo. The small saddlebags on the floor only helped to confirm her suspicions. Slowly, being careful to take in everything around her, Dimmed Star searched the room as peacefully as she could. Though she could not stop the decay that followed in the shadow of her Ink, she made special care to use her magic to lift and protect everything she could. The saddlebags were first, followed with the box of toys and desk. Bringing them close, the burning sensation of tears began to well up within her eyes and her form trembled in rage and fear.

“Scootaloo… if you’re in here, please come out…” A piece of the ceiling fell to her right, making her look to it in hope, only for it to be unfounded. Looking around now, the house had begun to fall apart, the combination of her Ink and the act of phasing through it had taken its toll, causing it to begin collapsing. Still, the little filly was nowhere to be found. A rumbling growl overtook the noise of the home collapsing as she turned her burning rage to that who was deserving. Barely registering the action, the items in her aura vanished, teleported outside of the decay’s influence. Dimmed Star turned her body to face the direction where the stallion was on the first floor, the black of her sclera broken by glowing red veins.

“I’m done with holding back!!” With a roar of demonic fury, she dove through the walls of the home once more, expediting the structure’s decay and starting a chain reaction.

Brutus’ struggled in vain as he tried to grip the serpent to pull it away, but it was like his hooves just kept falling through it! Even worse, with each attempt it would tighten its grip, sinking its teeth deeper, but never enough to hit anything vital. Suddenly, he felt as though he was dropping lower to the floor. Looking around, he watched in horror as the home that he had lived in for so long seemed to age and fall apart before his eyes. But lo, he could feel the floor! His back hooves could just tap the surface of the wood. Kicking out, he fought to gain traction, his broken bones and torn muscles pleaded for him to stop, but he did not heed them. Finally, his back hooves touched down and he could move his lower half forward a bit when he was suddenly reminded of both the serpent and the spear that was currently lodged in his gut.

‘Damn that monster!’ His eyes brimmed with tears, his hope slipping through his hooves. Just as he was on the verge of giving up, the spear in his gut melted away and the serpent released him, allowing him to fall to the ground. Gasping out in pain, Brutus’ eyes were wide in shock before a gleeful smile broke across his bloodied features.

“F-fr-free!” He gurgled as he turned to the open door of his home, trying to crawl his way out. Parts of the walls and ceiling of the building were falling around him, but he paid them no heed as his vision tunneled on the light just beyond the door. His life lay ahead of him, he could see it, he could feel it!

The world shook with a horrifying roar, frozen in terror, he could only move his eyes enough to see the collapsing wall beside him grow a great black spot. Before the decay could properly set in, the massive head of what was once the petite form of Dimmed Star lunged from the surface, her vision stained red and her jaw open with massive rows of teeth stretched out.

“N-NO-…” The only objection he could voice was silenced as his upper half was snapped shut within her gaping maw as the home fell around them. Blood exploded through the gaps of collapsing debris and mixed with the last of the rain that fell. Dust rose up from the remains of the destroyed home.

The wisp’s soft giggling and child-like laughter echoed through the trees of the Everfree as it danced along the path. They were getting closer, and it couldn’t wait to see the reaction on its plaything’s face when the spell was broken. Oh what a joy it was, it had been so long since a new plaything had wandered into its path. The timberwolves and manticores weren’t very fun anymore as they had long since learned to avoid it. But this creature was young! It hadn’t been taught the ways of the world and had easily fallen into under its influence.

It had considered playing with the toy longer, but this one was already broken and broken toys weren’t much fun. The eyes of the filly glowed a vibrant blue, matching the color of the wisp’s flame as they trailed through the forest. For the briefest of moments, the fae vanished further ahead before returning quickly to keep the trance. They were so close! Oh the look on her face, when she awoke, would be priceless! Giggling excitedly, it continued to draw and lead the filly.

Following the path and passing through the underbrush, between the great trees of the wild forest, the shadows broke to reveal the grey light of the sun filtered through the dark clouds above, shining down upon a great scar that stretched across the land. Jagged walls and massive caverns lined its inner walls, a steep drop from the edge that fell to reveal sharp rocks and stone at the bottom. The wind whistled through the ravine, carrying with it an ominous groan that would often keep the weary and faint of heart at bay.

Ghastly Gorge awaited the arrival of its visitors.

Pinkie Pie walked sullenly through the light rain, her form almost seeming deflated as her mane and tail had straightened out. Her eyes scanned the dirt and stone beneath her as she went, her mind a flurry of emotions and regret.

‘I’m so sorry Dimmy, I just… I need a little time…’ Her eyes rose a bit to spot the outline of Sugarcube Corner just ahead of her. Home was where she needed to be the most right now… and right now Ponyville just didn’t seem like it…

‘Perhaps I should go visit Ma and Pa, I haven’t seen them in a while and it’d be nice to catch up. Limestone, Marble, and Maud would be there too. Maud always knows what to say to help out.’ Her ears rose a bit and the smallest hint of color began to return to her features. As she pondered her funds to get a train ticket, the galloping of another closed in behind her. Turning to see who would be in such a hurry, she found herself nearly toppled over as Cheerilee clung to her, gasping for breath.

“Miss Cheerilee?” The mare took a few extra breaths, before grasping Pinkie’s head and forcing her to look the mare in the eyes.

“You have to stop her!” Confusion was her first reaction before Cheerilee began to recount the tale of her morning. She barely stopped to take breaths in between sentences before finally pointing a hoof back the way she came.

“She is going to kill that stallion! Despite what he did and what he tried to do, nopony deserves a fate like that!” Tears poured from her eyes as Pinkie looked back towards Dimmed Star’s home in worry and fear. She couldn’t do anything, but she wasn’t sure if she could face the mare again. Trembling with uncertainty, she turned back to the traumatized teacher, her fear-stricken eyes burning into her. Squeezing her eyes shut, flashes of the wedding came clawing to the front of her mind. The blood that dripped from the surface of the walls and the screams of those who would be buried that day echoed in her ears.

Suddenly a much more recent image came forth, the gaping maw and sharp teeth of her friend snapping at her in an attempt to rend her asunder, black tendrils of the evil liquid clawing at her. Gasping in fear, her eyes snapped open and she found herself back in the street. Cheerilee looked on in shock as the mare seemed to spaz out, checking her body over and using the little bit of rain that fell to furiously scrub at herself. Pinkie kept whispering to herself about how something wouldn’t come off, but the teacher couldn’t see anything on the normally jubilant baker.

“P-Pinkie Pie?” The two of them stood in the light rain, one trying in vain to erase a stain that was not there, the other concerned for the well being of her student and the life of a pony that had tried to kill her.

The sound of a monstrous roar echoed through the air, nearly mistakable as thunder. Eyes wide in fear and worry, the two mares watched with trepidation as in the distance a large cloud of dirt and dust plumed into the sky beyond the buildings...

Author's Notes:

Twilight: "And that's more or less how this happened..."

Luna: "Well... We... I suppose t'was prudent to approach myself about this. Thy mentor would be most upset at thy treatment of this poor stallion."

Dimmed Star: "He neglected us for over five, almost six years, and often takes too long to update the story."

Luna: "... Perhaps next time, we could assist thee? We do recall a few of our favorite headsponies torture methods."

Twilight: "Of course! We'd be happy to have you. Star, can you take care of the disclaimer and mentions while we set this up?"

Dimmed Star: "Yea yea... You owe me for this... *ahem* Shaded Blood does not own MLP: FIM or the Equinox ponies. A special thanks to Kuunlehti for proofreading and editing! Also a Special thanks to Neonyoshi, Umbra Animo, and Ancientarchdemon (Discord), for Test reading and providing great Feedback! If you are enjoying the story, leave a like and comment, also don't forget to follow for blog updates. The link to the Discord, Twitter and Facebook pages will be below!"

Twilight: "The spell is just about ready, but where are the rest of his remains?"

Dimmed Star whistles innocently as she casually kicked a few bones further behind her.

Discord: Discord

Twitter: Shaded Blood ( Fimfic Author)

Facebook: Shaded Blood ( Fimfic Author)