A gentle breeze blew through the cottage as Pyrite stirred and opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, and it took him a while to focus. He turned his head to the window and looked out into the sunrise. He was able to see clearly and without pain. Suddenly he remembered what happened last night and quickly reached into his mouth. No fangs. They were gone. The cure worked, he was back to his normal self again.

Pyrite laid down and surveyed the room. In the corner sat Frost and Iris, both were asleep. Iris was wrapped snugly in a blue blanket and was sprawled out atop Frost’s chest. As for Frost himself, he was busy drooling and twitching in his sleep, as usual.

“Congratulations, kid. I knew you could do it.”

Pyrite turned to see Thule reclined in a chair nestled away from the light. He slid a wet stone over one his blades every few seconds.

“Then... it’s over?” Pyrite asked, “I’m cured?”

“You fought through it and came out unscathed. Well... mostly,” Thule said with a chuckle. “My blood seems to have made some changes.”

Pyrite saw Thule gesture to the table near his bed. He grabbed a mirror from it and gasped. He was... bigger! A little taller, and more muscular. Toned and trimmed. He looked like a contender for the Iron Pony competition.

“Wow!” Pyrite exclaimed and grinned at Thule. The Sarosian chuckled and nodded.

Iris stirred on top of Frost and rubbed her eyes. She saw Pyrite was awake and let out an excited squawk. She flapped her wings and landed on the bed beside Pyrite, scaring Frost half to death in the process.

“You’re awake!” Iris said as she hugged Pyrite and folded her wings around him. Iris manipulated her claws on his shoulders and forehooves to examine the muscles. She sat up to her full height and looked down at her smiling little brother. “You’re... huge!” Iris exclaimed.

Pyrite grinned mischievously and flexed, “Yeah, I am!” He pounced on Iris, now with enough force to stagger her. She caught him and tumbled off the bed with a fit of laughter. Pyrite was straddling her chest and tickling her wings. Iris screeched in between fits of laughter and eventually threw Pyrite off.

Frost yawned and took a good look at Pyrite, “Wow... you look like you’ve been training for the Equestria Games.”

Pyrite shrugged and trotted over to Frost and gave him a loving hug. “I made it, just like you said I would.”

“Was there ever any doubt?” Frost asked while ruffling Pyrite’s mane.

“Never,” came a voice from the door as Aldus stepped in followed by Ciaran.

Iris, Pyrite, and Frost noticed she wasn’t wearing her disguise in front of Thule, and remained silent while watching the two of them.

Thule looked up from sharpening his blade and rolled his eyes, “Oh no... it’s a changeling. But not just any changeling, a changeling princess...” Thule kissed the air to Ciaran as she walked by him, “Like I’ve never seen one of them before...”

Ciaran motioned for Pyrite to get back in bed as she sat some breakfast down in a tray. “I approve of the new look, but you really shouldn’t be running around. You still need time to recover.”

“Yes,” Aldus said while winking at Pyrite, “Let’s all leave him alone to rest. We’ll come back tonight to check on him.”

Aldus motioned everypony out of the room and shut the door behind him. He followed the foals down the hallway but stopped when Ciaran tugged on his tail. He turned around to see her grinning at him.

“What?”

“Why don’t we go some place private and... relax a bit?”

Aldus rolled his eyes, “Is it that time again?”

Ciaran playfully crept up to Aldus like a panther stalking it’s prey. Her eyes briefly turned to violet spirals as she draped her hooves around him, “Don’t act like you don’t need it too...”

“Fine... lead the way,” Aldus said with a chuckle and allowed himself to be dragged off.

-----------------------

Later that night Pyrite was greeted by the return of his friends along with Aldus and Thule. Both were attempting to be civil with each other when in the presence of the children. There was a moment of silence when Frost cleared his throat and spoke up.

“So, Thule... just how old are you?”

Iris shifted on the bed next to Pyrite as all eyes turned to Thule. The Sarosian reclined in his chair and put a hoof to his chin. “Hmm... I’m two thousand two hundred eighty seven years old.”

Frost and Iris’ jaws dropped along with Pyrite’s. Aldus, however, looked unimpressed. “You’d think you’d have improved your attitude being so ancient...”

“I haven’t stuck a knife in your throat yet,” Thule said while looking out the window. “That comes with centuries of learning to tolerate imbeciles...”

Aldus’ eyes glowed green and he sat forward in his chair. Thule turned to him and sat one of his swords on the table.

Frost saw the potential for a fight and thought quickly on how to disarm the situation. “Thule... how did you escape capture by Celestia?”

Thule and Aldus looked at Frost and decided to kill each other another time.

“You mean how I avoided being put in one of those prisons? It’s a long story, and a particularly violent one.” he said with a pang of regret in his voice.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Iris said while wrapping a wing around Pyrite, who took the invitation to snuggle with his other big sister.

“I am intrigued by how you managed to get away, and even more so with how you evaded capture by Celestia after the war.” Aldus said with a raised eyebrow.

“Celestia didn’t dare come after me,” Thule said with a small smile, “But that’s the end of the tale, not the beginning. It all starts with one Lord General of Celestia’s Army of the Sun.”

Aldus reclined in his chair and poured himself a glass of cider. “Oh yes... I remember him...” he said while levitating a glass over to Thule.

“Yes,” Thule answered with a nod as he plucked the glass from the air, “Lord General Barristan Blueblood.”

--------------------

~ One thousand years ago

Thule was sent to the ground by the butt of a crossbow. There he awaited the inevitable following blows. They came in quick succession to his head and stomach. He knew this was coming, it was the price for getting captured. How it happened was still a mystery to him, had he been sloppy? Perhaps he didn’t cover his tracks? It didn’t matter, the war was lost and Luna was shot into the moon by Celestia. He’d heard Aldus went out in a blaze of glory, taking an entire army with him. That was some feat, he admired the unicorn wizard for that, if nothing else. Polaris disappeared and Rigel had taken on a squadron of pegasi by himself, or so the story went. Thule wondered if he made good on his promise to clear the skies of the Wonderbolts once and for all.

His mind was once again sent back to reality when a harness was secured firmly around his neck. Even though his head was covered, he still had his heightened senses, though they were slowly fading. The ponies who captured him were quick to cut him and drain him of blood, leaving him weak and helpless. They knew how to disable him, what was weak about him. Thule knew where he was being taken, and he wished it was anywhere else.

The ponies flanking him, four if he counted correctly, all held poles attached to the harness on his neck. They guided him forward with his hooves chained together like he was some sort of feral tiger. Thule grinned, if he got enough blood, that wouldn’t be far from the truth.

Thule felt tent flaps open and he was forced to the ground. The laughter and clapping that echoed in the tent confirmed Thule’s fears.

“Well done, boys... well done indeed.” the voice said while nearing Thule.

The hood was ripped from Thule’s head as blinding light assaulted his vision. There were three or four lamps powered by crystals that bathed the area in intense light. Almost enough to blind him or any bat pony. He was certain that was the idea.

“Thule... it’s so good to see you,” an arrogant voice chimed.

Thule saw the figure wave a hoof and the some of the lights dimmed. As he recovered his vision, he saw the one who likely engineered this whole situation. Lord General Barristan Blueblood. Thule shook his head, he had no idea how cunning this stallion actually was. One of Thule’s first assassination targets was the brother of his wife, Camilla. It was an easy kill. He spent the night shadowing him and ended up following him into a bar. Once he was too drunk to stand, he waited until the poor fool wandered out into the street. Once there, and in full view of everyone, Thule slipped a blade between his ribs. That job was another of Aldus’ personal “suggestions.” Thule wondered if half the ponies he ended up snuffing out at the behest of the unicorn wizard had no strategic value at all, and were simply revenge killings. Camilla had urged Barristan to capture Thule at any cost after that. Not like he needed any encouragement.

“Oh, Blueblood... it’s you...” Thule said, his slow reply being half condescension, and half fatigue. “Last time I saw you was when I was leaving Canterlot.”

“Yes...” Blueblood said while pacing back and forth, “You paid War Minister Iron Pike a visit... so sorry I missed you then, but it looks like I’ve finally caught up to you.”

Thule grimaced. The war minister was a sloppy job, he almost got caught. Blueblood had made it his life’s ambition to capture Thule, and he almost succeeded that time.

“Well... here we are, Barristan. So what happens now?” Thule asked while raising his head to look his captor in the eye, “Interrogation? Torture? Rape...?” Thule trailed off and suggestively raised his eyebrows a few times.

“All tempting... except for that last one,” Barristan said with a shiver of disgust, “How any mare or stallion could copulate with a mongrel beast I’ll never understand.”

There it is Thule thought. Blueblood hated Thule’s kind. He always did, but when the war broke out and the colonies sided with Luna. Barristan took to the royal court to say, ‘I told you so.’ He called for a hunt of Thule’s entire people before they could properly integrate into Luna’s armies. However, Celestia denied it and instructed Barristan to not overstep his position as a field general.

Barristan signaled to some of his soldiers and they brought in two carcasses nailed to poles and dropped them in front of Thule. “Well, that makes sense...” he muttered while looking away.

“These lads thought that when they made a deal with me, they’d get to return home along with the rest of your little band. Pretty gullible lot, if you ask me. Not very loyal, either. But I suppose that’s what you get from killers, not soldiers.” Barristan practically spat.

“What else did you offer them?” Thule asked.

“Some money and some pardons, for those who wished to live among Equestria’s true ponies again, basically the same things I offered this lot...” Barristan trailed off with a sinister grin on his face.

His soldiers brought in a tremendous wall mount that stretched almost twenty paces long. Mounted on it were the heads of bat ponies. Thule’s blood began to boil as he grit his teeth, then he went pale as his eyes came to the end of the mount. The heads of three foals were mounted there, each of their faces contorted in surprise and anguish. Thule recognized one of them. It was one of the little scamps who always tried to sneak up on him while roaming the halls of his colony. He never succeeded in scaring him.  

“Barristan... how...” Thule whispered through half lidded eyes.

“What? These trophies? Bah! They’re nothing. Most of the them I bagged myself, but Camilla got a few. Couple of the little ones were hers. Celestia can she aim, and such small targets, too!”

“Your wife did that...?” Thule hissed.

“Oh yes, but that’s not the best part. They’re all going on my mantle, but the centerpiece is none other than you. My greatest catch, you’ll be the prize addition to my collection. Once I’m done with you, I’ll proceed to hunt your colonies. But for now, we need to get back to my main camp before I can mount you on this mantlepiece. So, off you go.”

“You don’t know what you’ve done, Blueblood.” Thule snarled before being struck in the face.

“Oh yes I do,” Blueblood answered, “I’ve helped win a war, captured the enemy’s most skilled assassin, and will soon be expanding my hunting grounds. These are truly great times.”

Thule watched Barristan exit the tent and just barely saw the hoof connect to his head before blacking out. Images swam through his mind while he was unconscious, some dreams, others glimpses of his surroundings while he was being dragged across the camp. Thule was thrown into a special cage, completely devoid of light. The soldiers chained him to the sides to make extra sure he wasn’t going anywhere.

It was night time now, and the cycles of day and night were becoming more regular as Celestia took control of both celestial bodies. Thule heard two soldiers banter back and forth outside his cage. The more Thule could see it looked less like a cage, and more like a small shipping container. Strong and secure, he wouldn’t be able to break out of it, even at full strength. The soldiers were talking about mostly trivial things. How they were glad the war was over and that they’d be returning to their families soon. They were happy for the events that would happening tonight. Apparently Barristan wasn’t in as much of hurry as he was letting on. Some of his soldiers arrived with some fireworks and planned to have a little party. It made sense, Barristan probably heard the dangers had passed, and he had his prize.

Thule looked at his hooves and his shoulders. He was emaciated to the point that he looked like a skeleton. Without his blood, he was nothing. It was over, he lost. They lost. It was just like he predicted back when he lost the duel to Polaris. Now they were all dead or captured, and Thule’s head would adorn that fool’s mantle.

It was that thing he hated most. Thule had his own measure of pride, and he indulged in it when appropriate. However, it never bothered him when somepony thought lesser of him. It didn’t matter, and it didn’t matter that Barristan Blueblood didn’t respect him. What ate away at Thule went beyond that. Barristan didn’t consider him an equal, or even a pony. To him, he was a beast ready to be slaughtered. There was zero dignity to be found within Thule, or his people. That was what Barristan thought. It never made sense, this hatred. Sure Thule had killed a number of Celestia’s followers, and some that Barristan personally knew. But that was the extent of his crimes. He wasn’t a beast!

Thule let the anger slip away as he began to drift off to sleep. The loss of blood made him weary. Eventually he nodded off.  But sometime during the night he was stirred awake by dull thuds coming from the top of his cage. His blurry visions obscured what was happening. A small sparkling light poked through the roof and moved in a circle until part of the cage broke free. The circular section was put to the side as three ponies slowly descended into the cage. The last one lowered the bodies of two soldiers they must have killed to get into the camp. One of the ponies, a unicorn, gently touched Thule’s head and tried to talk to him.

“Thule, sir. We’re here to help you. Can you stand on your own?”

Thule squinted and saw the marks on their uniforms. They were with the group he was traveling with. The two ponies who Barristan tricked wore the same insignia.

“Ponies from your unit... sold me out...” Thule whispered while attempting to stand.

An earth pony came up beside the unicorn and shook his head, “No, our captain made that decision. He was so afraid, he thought if he gave you up we’d all get a royal pardon.”

“But we realized our mistake in going along with it,” the unicorn added hastily. “We’re going to get you out of here. They’re setting off fireworks right now, it’s the best time. I’m going to cut your chains. Give me a sec...”

Thule watched the unicorn get to work with his magic. He began the process of inhaling and exhaling, each time deeper than the last. He was going to need all his strength if he was to get out of this alive.

As the last chain was cut, Thule dropped to the floor and allowed himself to be picked up by the unicorn. He smiled at the stallion, then broke his neck. As he crumpled to the floor Thule relieved him of his knife and threw it across the cage, striking the third pony in the neck. No sooner had the blade left his hooves Thule leapt into the air and spread his wings. He closed the distance between him and the earth pony in seconds. Before he could unsheathe his blade or utter a sound, Thule forced his mouth closed with a hoof and wrenched the blade free.

“MMMM!!!!!!” the earth pony screamed, but it was lowered to a muffle with Thule pressing him against the cage.

“You ponies have redeemed yourselves,” Thule said while forcing the pony’s head to the side, “It’s because of you I was captured, and it’s also because of you that I’m free. We’re square.”

Thule bit down on the Stallion’s neck as hard as he could and drained a quarter of his blood in seconds. His wounds began the slow process of closing, but he would need to see to them later. After draining the blood from the earth pony, Thule moved on to the others. The unicorn, the pegasus he dispatched with the knife, and even the two soldiers they had killed on the way in. He could simply leave right now, he could slip away and warn his colonies of the impending danger. But it wouldn’t mean a thing if Barristan was allowed to get away, he’d just come back with an even bigger force, and night sky forbid, Celestia herself. No, Thule would stop him here and get his revenge.

As he grabbed the last pony and sank his fangs into him, Thule seethed in rage. Barristan didn’t know just how personal he had made the situation. At the time, Thule was the only Sarosian male in his main colony old enough to have foals with his mares. He didn’t marry, he had several mares he loved, as was the way of their culture. With those mares he had many children, which meant every Sarosian colt or filly was his. Two of the children’s heads on that board were Sarosian.

Thule began to feel sick from so much blood, he was past the point of being full and powerful, but he needed more. To get his revenge, he needed to utilize the full power of his blood. He chuckled at the irony. He was so angry that Barristan considered him to be a beast, yet that’s exactly what he would become, at least in appearance. Thule would retain his mental faculties... he hoped. The transformation was something very rare, even among Sarosians. It required tremendous focus and the proper blood chemistry. Aside from Saros, only a few had ever been known to do it. Thule himself had only done it once before, and that was when he was a young stallion. It became more difficult to do with age.

It was dangerous, the risk of losing control of the mind and body were great once he began to feast, but it was the only way Thule could think of to dispatch this many soldiers. It was desperation. He began to think about the things that enraged him, he needed to get angry. He thought of Aldus and his smug superiority and sense of knowledge. He thought of how Polaris beat him in front of everypony. He thought of Barristan and what he would do to get revenge. His blood began to boil, literally. It began to heat up as Thule’s muscles expanded. His wings grew in size, more in surface area than actual length. Their membranes spread out and tightened to support his increased weight. His face retracted into a scrunched snout while his fangs curled. Hooves were replaced by clawed feet and his back arched into a hump.

Thule’s coat dropped to the floor replaced by scales. He was more reptile than mammal now. His ears twitched as he became accustomed to the surroundings. His breathing became labored and he faltered for a moment. Thule fought to keep his sanity, his mind was slipping. He wanted to burst through the entrance of the cage and rip every pony he saw in half. But that would only get him killed, there were too many. He needed to thin their numbers before the brutality could begin.

A loud boom echoed over head as another round of fireworks detonated above the camp. A chorus of cheers and yells soon followed. Thule grinned and looked up through the hole in the cage.

That’ll do he snickered to himself before taking off into the night.

--------------------

Private Mangrove stood off the side and watched the lights go off the sky. Night time used to make him feel uneasy because of Nightmare Moon, but it was different now. Celestia regained control of everything, and he was able to enjoy the fireworks. He returned to his work of crafting a small piece of wood. It was a toy soldier for his little foal. Soon he would be home to see him.

He sat back and stared up at the sky, it was peaceful and quiet. He blinked once, then twice. As another round of explosions went off in the sky, Mangrove saw something that struck fear into his heart. A dark silhouette seated atop a rocky outcropping overlooking the camp. It’s red eyes illuminating the blackness around it. Mangrove rubbed his eyes and checked the area again. It was gone. He grabbed his shocklance and trotted to the other side of the camp near the outcropping. He scanned the treeline for the lookouts and saw one.

Mangrove let out a sigh of relief and slowed down. He trotted up to him while scanning the rocky area above. “I’m glad I found you, I just wanted to tell you I thought I saw someth-”

His speech came to halt when he noticed something was wrong. He ran up to the tree and nearly dropped his lance. The lookout, a young stallion, perhaps younger even than himself, was dead. A knife was driven through his throat and into the tree, keeping him upright.

Mangrove broke into a run back to the camp. He frantically looked around and for a split second he thought he saw the demonic figure watching him from the trees. It’s red eyes boring into him like a drill.

He ran into the middle of the camp and looked around. Too many soldiers were passed out asleep or getting drunk. He caught his breath and ran into the command tent. He sprinted past the guards and screamed for General BlueBlood.

“What is going on out here?!” Blueblood yelled as he stumbled out his tent, half undressed.

“Sir- I- we- we have to-”

“Speak boy!” Blueblood commanded, “What’s wrong?!”

“He’s dead! A sentry! He’s been stuck to a tree! We’re under attack!”

“The prisoner! Is he in his cage?!” Blueblood roared, his face turning crimson.

“I- I don’t know. I was-”

“FUCKING CHECK!”  Blueblood screamed as he flipped over their planning table. “Sound the alarm!”

Blueblood’s personal guard tore out of the tent and dashed across the encampment. They yelled and screamed for the soldiers to ready themselves. Mangrove followed them a few paces behind, wanting to help in any way he could. The first guard flew onto the cage and saw the hole. He turned around to scream but was cut short. The demonic figure touched down and grabbed him before lifting off into the night.

Mangrove whirled around and shouted, “Prisoner escape!”

Several soldiers gathered in the clearing and scanned the skies with their shocklances and crystal rifles. Each could fire bolts of magic at fairly long range, however they could not fire rapidly. Amid the chaos one of the sentries ran into the camp like he was being chased by a ghost. Something was wrong. His eyes were pale and his stride was unsteady. He ran into a group of thirteen stallions and shouted something. Mangrove could barely hear it.

“I can’t control it! Get away from me!!” the sentry yelled before he detonated his anti-pony fragmentation crystal. The explosion sent a small shockwave through the camp and killed all thirteen stallions with lethal shrapnel.

Across the camp another sentry sprinted toward the center but was cut down by two bolts of magic. Blueblood recovered from his shots and ordered the soldiers to form up near the center of the encampment. As more joined the formation. Mangrove and a few others noticed crystals lying on the ground, they hummed with energy. One exploded sending stallions and mares into the air. Mines had been placed in certain areas throughout the camp.

Mangrove began to regain his composure. He was going to get out of this alive. He saw Blueblood taking command of troops on the other side of the fire pit at the center of the camp. He decided he would do his best to organize things on this side. Mangrove joined with a few of Blueblood’s personal guard and rallied the soldiers to back away and form up near the command tent.

As they did, Mangrove surveyed the surroundings and ran over to Blueblood. “General, sir. What now?”

Blueblood grabbed Mangrove by the shoulder and started to give him orders, but he trailed off after coming to a realization. For a brief moment, he saw inside his nemesis’ mind. He knew what he was doing. Years of studying tactics and attacks let him see into Thule’s mind. Each of the sentries had come from different angles, the mines that were set up in plain view, likely dropped from the air, were placed at certain points. They formed the edge of a wide circle that collapsed inward toward the command tent. They were being pushed back and crowded together.

Barristan looked at the command tent, then the tent next to it. The makeshift storage area for their fireworks. His face went pale as he saw his soldiers moving closer and closer to it. He stared through the smoke and saw a figure perched atop a stack of large supply crates. It was Thule, he had transformed into the monster that Barristan had read about before he began hunting the bat ponies. Apparently it was not just a foal’s tale to scare them into behaving. Barristan’s jaw dropped when he saw Thule aim a rifle at the tent and charge a bolt of magic. He was too far to use his own magic to deflect it away. He could only watch as the Sarosian mongrel fired the bolt into the tent.

The explosions that followed started out small, but the first large one knocked all of the soldiers off their hooves. Fireworks shot off in all directions like missiles and exploded into the tents and grounds around the encampment. Parts of the forest were caught on fire as the explosions continued.

Fire trailed through the camp once the last of the fireworks had gone off. Mangrove got to his hooves and couldn’t hear a thing. The explosions had temporarily robbed him of his hearing. He quickly brought his shock lance to bare and searched for the prisoner.

A dull thud sounded behind Mangrove as the demon attacked. Mangrove had been trained in hoof to hoof combat, along with all the other soldiers. His reflexes saved his life. He groaned as a knife entered him, narrowly missing his vital organs. However, the knife wound was just the beginning. The prisoner reached down to his belt and pulled the pin off his fragmentation crystal, then turned and kicked him into a group of soldiers.

Mangrove landed with a grunt and immediately reached for his now live crystal grenade. It slipped from his grasp, which prompted him to remove his entire belt and toss it away. The belt exploded a few seconds later, again sending the nearby soldiers to the ground. Mangrove recovered from the blast and managed to pick up a nearby rifle. He saw the prisoner killing more soldiers as they attempted to defend themselves. The walls of flame created from the explosion separated the majority of the soldiers. It was utter chaos that allowed the prisoner to take apart Mangrove’s fellow soldiers. Their numbers were slowly being cut down, and eventually they wouldn’t be able to stop him.

Mangrove waited for the prisoner to jump back into view and fired a shot at him. However he dodged it at the last second and locked on to Mangrove. For some reason, he couldn’t move his hooves. It was the prisoner’s eyes, they were paralyzing him. Mangrove looked down and saw blood covering the carving he made his son. He wouldn’t die like this. He was going to make it home. Mangrove began to fight his way out of the paralysis and noticed something. It was the first bit of relief he’d felt all night. The prisoner was weakening. He faltered for a moment and clutched his head. The muscles and wings began to shrink in size, becoming more and more like a pony again. Mangrove didn’t know much about the prisoner. He had heard that he was some famous assassin in Nightmare Moon’s army, but that was it.

“Thule!!!” General Blueblood shouted from across the fire.

So that was his name. Mangrove summoned his courage and finally broke free from the paralysis. He grabbed his rifle and clicked a button near the butt, extending the bayonet. He dug his hooves into the ground and charged.

As Thule recovered from his momentary lapse, Mangrove closed the distance. To his delight, he wasn’t the only soldier to capitalize on the assassin’s moment of weakness. Another pony, a pegasus, slammed into Thule and grappled with him. The pegasus managed to turn Thule around such that his back was facing Mangrove. It was the perfect opportunity. Mangrove lunged and was shocked as Thule wrenched the pegasus’ forehoof passed the breaking point and spun him around, directly into the bayonet. Mangrove impaled his comrade with a look of horror.

The momentum from the lunge carried Mangrove forward and he was not able to stop. Thule drew a sword and stepped into a cross cut to take off Mangrove’s head. Mangrove reacted on instinct, he let the momentum take him and bent over backwards like he was playing limbo. The blade grazed his chin as it sailed by.

Mangrove recovered and slammed the butt of his rifle into Thule’s jaw causing a gout of blood to spray from his mouth. Thule growled and recovered on one nimble hoof. No sooner had he recovered he kicked Mangrove in the gut to stagger him. Mangrove dropped the rifle as he caught himself and picked up a combat knife from one of the fallen soldiers. He was completely in the moment now. He knew if he could just hold out long enough and keep the assassin busy, the rest of his comrades would overwhelm him.

Mangrove crouched low and assumed a fighting stance. Thule did the same and they circled each other for a what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, Thule made the first move and came down with an overhead strike. Mangrove saw it coming and caught the blade with his own. He focussed on turning the blade away and putting Thule on the defensive. Then, something happened. Something that he didn’t plan for. With all his focus on Thule’s hoof holding the blade he wasn’t paying attention to anything else. Never taking his eyes off Mangrove, Thule dropped the blade and caught it with his off hoof. Mangrove took one breath of surprise before the blade was plunged into his stomach.

Mangrove’s vision blurred and his mind drifted. He watched in slow motion as the blade was twisted, then removed. He was stabbed again in the stomach, then a final time in the heart. Mangrove fell to the ground and clutched the carving. He stared at it and gripped it tightly. He remembered his son and wife. Their images were the last thing he registered before his eyes shut forever.

Across the camp behind a wall of fire, Barristan watched as one by one his soldiers were picked off. He ordered his guard to leave him and fly to the nearest outpost to get reinforcements. He reached to his back and retrieved his crossbow. Slung across his back were special bolts design to weaken bat ponies for capture. Barristan hoped that with enough of these he’d be able to bring Thule down. He slowly rounded the corner of his burning command tent to search for him. As he passed by a stack of supplies a large object stuck him in the head and he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

------------------

Lord General Barristan Blueblood awoke with a throbbing pain in his head and neck. He attempted to move only to find his hooves bound together and his body tied to a large tree. Three chains secured him to the massive tree trunk. They were fastened so tight it made even breathing difficult. A magic canceler was placed around his horn, preventing the use of any magic. Likely taken from storage and meant for use on rebel unicorns.

The fighting had stopped and bodies lay strewn across the camp from end to end. Some of the fires were still burning, and a small flame emanated from the central fire of the camp. The dim light cast long shadows through the desolation. It was the same sensation Barristan had felt after every battle he’d been in. It was strange, like the horror that occurred never happened at all.

“Ahh, you’re awake.” a deep voice chuckled from nearby.

Thule sauntered over to Barristan with a bottle of fine cider in one hoof. He grabbed an empty supply crate and placed it in front of the general, then took a seat.

“Drinking to commemorate your victory?” Barristan hacked out with a few coughs.

Thule raised an eyebrow and took another swig of cider. He sloshed it around a few times before spitting to the side, “No, actually. Just trying to get the blood out of my mouth.”

“I thought you loved blood in your mouth...”

“Not my own,” Thule corrected. “Your stallions were pretty pathetic when the chaos started. I imagine they fought well against other soldiers.” Thule hypothesized with stroke of his chin. “Too bad I’m not a soldier...”

“I shouldn’t have even bothered with the cage,” Barristan lamented. “I should’ve just killed you.”

“Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve...” Thule said, “We’ll get to the consequences of that in a minute. But first...” Thule began while producing a small wood carving from his vest, “There was one soldier who fought bravely, and smart. He almost got me.”

“But he didn’t,” said Barristan, “He failed me, that’s why I’m in this situation right now.”

“No, Blueblood,” Thule growled, “You’re in this situation because you butchered my children and ponies like beasts. You were dead the moment you fired those shots, you just didn’t know it.” Thule unsheathed a blade taken from one of Barristan’s guards and began to spin the tip in the ground. “But I wonder, this soldier, this... Mangrove. He was a regular, not part of your personal guard?”

Barristan looked at Thule, then nodded, “Yes.”

“Did the regular soldiers know about your hunts?”

“No.” Barristan replied.

“Why is that?”

Barristan turned away and refused to answer. In a flash, Thule flew over and pressed a hoof into a wound on his shoulder. “Ahh!! My guard were a troop I hoof picked! Many served me before the war! I filed them in with the rest of the forces assigned to me from Canterlot command!!”

“You took them with you because you knew any other soldiers with ethics and empathy would have exposed you.” Thule hissed. He backed up from Barristan and gripped the blade in his hoof so hard it was shaking.

“Killing me won’t bring them back,” Blueblood said with a chuckle.

“No, and killing your family won’t either, but I’m going to do it anyway.”

Barristan’s eyes shot up to Thule and filled with rage, “Monster...”

Thule sheathed the blade and trotted behind some crates, “You see, you keep saying that, and to be honest... this time tonight, you were right. I was a monster, briefly. But I’m not a monster anymore. I’m one of you.”

Thule came around the crates dressed in a uniform taken from one of Barristan’s guards. A dark green vest with a gold scarf and gold leggings. The vest had a golden hood adorned with a stylized rendering of Celestia’s cutiemark.

“Clever, but you’ll never find my family.” Barristan said. “It’s useless to try.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about your safety plan.” Thule said with a nod as he sat down on the crate again. “I remember reading over it briefly when I was working on the job involving your brother-in-law. Your family constantly moves between three mansions. Each has an escape route, and if somepony attacks the wrong one, then they’ll go to ground and be nigh impossible to catch.”

“Like I said, useless...” Barristan chuckled, “And I’ll die before I tell you anything, vermin.”

“We’ll see...” Thule said while reaching behind the crate and examining a pouch of medical tools taken from one of the field doctors. “I might not able to enter a pony’s dreams, but I can make you talk.”

“His family is in the second district away from the military garrison,” a small voice said from behind Thule.

Thule got up and looked around. Under the rubble of the collapsed command tent. A diminutive mare struggled to stand, but was pinned down by fallen debris. Thule flew over and easily lifted the debris off then helped her up, discovering she was a pegasus. She wasn’t dressed in military attire at all, instead she wore a plain dress that was torn up the side. Her face was badly scarred from the collapse and one of her wings looked broken.

“You stupid bitch!!” Blueblood shouted, “Do you know what you’ve done?! I’ll rip your heart out!!” He thrashed in his chains and screamed in rage.

Thule let go of the mare and she immediately shied away. Part of her mane covered an eye, it looked out of place.

“Who are you?” Thule asked.

“P-Poppy,” she stuttered.

“Poppy?” Thule repeated.

“You know, like the flower?” she said with a small smile, “You’re the one that they captured. You got out and killed all these ponies...”

“I am and I did,” Thule answered.

“Please don’t kill me... I- I wasn’t involved in this, I swear.” Poppy pleaded.

“Why are you here?” Thule asked. Barristan’s screaming scared Poppy and began to annoy Thule, so he gagged him with a rag then returned to her and knelt down. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I’m his... entertainment...” Poppy said with shame as she hid her face under her one useful wing. “That’s why I’m here.”

“You’re a prostitute.” Thule said.

Poppy nodded and offered a defeated smile, “I’m addictive... like the stuff they make from poppy flowers. That’s what I’m supposed to say.”

Thule noticed welts and bruises on her forehooves and shoulders. He gingerly moved the bit of mane covering her eye and saw the marks of a black eye. It was almost completely healed up, but Thule could still recognize it.

“These bruises, these didn’t come from tonight...”

Droplets formed in Poppy’s eyes, “They brought me into the trophy room to show off the bat ponies. When they saw I thought it was disgusting, they hit me. General Blueblood had his way, then he gave me to his stallions.”

Thule sat back on his haunches and shook his head, “I’m sorry, I-”

“You’re going to kill them?” she interrupted, “His wife and the others?”

“Yes,” Thule replied.

She looked away, like she was staring at something far in the distance. Then she peaked around Thule to observe Barristan. “I overhead the guards talking one night, after they hit me with their canes. They were ordered to do it by his wife. She knew Barristan was sleeping with me, and hated me. Camilla wanted me punished.” She lowered her head and muttered into the ground, “They all deserve to die.”

The look in Poppy’s eyes was something that intrigued Thule. Fear and submission, but also a glimmer of resolve. This mare was strong, even in her current sorry state. He extended his large wings and brought her into a comforting embrace. She gasped as the leather wings folded, encasing her in warmth.

“I’m sorry for what happened to you here. Blueblood will pay, along with his wife. For what he did to us, he will pay the ultimate price. With your help, his wife is now within my reach. For that, you deserve a reward...”

Poppy muttered into his shoulder, “Just let me go, I can find my way home, saving me from this is enough.”

Thule gripped her tight and leaned down to her ear, “No, it’s not enough. There is but one gift I can give equal to the information you’ve given me. My blood.”

“What?” Poppy gasped.

“With the power of my blood you will never feel helpless again. If stallions ever try to hurt you, break them. Leave your life of submission behind and be born a new mare. Let me give this to you.” Thule bent down and planted a light kiss on her neck, then cupped her face in his hooves. She looked up at him and her eyes glistened in the moonlight. Thule saw the look of determination in her eyes, then she smiled at him. That was his answer.

Thule flipped her around and changed her life forever. His fangs descended into her neck and began the process. Her body went numb as she attempted to grab onto him. She was adrift in the sea and needed something to hold on to. Thule removed his fangs and turned her back around. She wrapped her forehooves around his neck as he lifted into the air with powerful flaps of his wings. He bit down again and siphoned more blood. After he was finished he planted a gentle kiss on her lips as she began to drift away.

“I- feel...” she began, but couldn’t finish the thought.

Thule touched down then ripped a cloak off a dead soldier and wrapper her in it. “My blood is powerful, soon it will overwhelm you, but the pain won’t last.” Poppy shut her eyes as Thule’s blood went to war with her own. He laid her down near the fire and whispered, “When you turn, come to my colony. You’ll know when the time is right, listen for my voice... come...” he cooed. He knew she was able to hear him, and she would come when she was ready.

Thule stood up and placed a few pieces of wood on the fire to provide warmth and some light. He adjusted his uniform and turned to look at Barristan. The smile on his face made Barristan’s blood boil. Thule trotted up to him and picked up a crossbow. He cranked the handle back and armed it before pointing over at Poppy.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve turned a mare, it might be hard for somepony like you to believe, but it really doesn’t happen that often. You see, Barristan, I’m not going to kill you. You’re going to be Poppy’s first meal. When she wakes up, well... there are many words to describe it. I think... feral... might be appropriate.”

“Mmm!!” Barristan grunted through his gag.

“Oh relax, Barristan.” Thule said with a chuckle while tightening his restraints. “I know you’re a sporting stallion, right? So you’ll appreciate this.”

Thule displayed the crossbow to Barristan and set it down just out of reach. He bent over and clasped him on the shoulder. “This is where we part ways. We’ll never see each other again, but don’t worry. I’ll let your loved ones know what happened to you, that you were ripped to shreds. Goodbye, Barristan.”

Thule took off into the night and looked back at Poppy. It wouldn’t be long until she turns, and after she finished with Barristan, she would be long gone by the time reinforcements arrived. If they were coming at all. Thule focussed on the task at hand, he knew exactly where he was

going and let the anger consume him. Good old fashioned revenge, and he’d send a message to Celestia in the process.

------------------

Thule trotted along near the garrison in Canterlot. The Blueblood mansion where Barristan’s family was located loomed in the distance. It’s towers were imposing, no doubt on purpose. He passed several royal guard on the way, each of them snapped him a crisp salute. Thule returned each in kind below the brim of his hood. He closed his mouth and hid his fangs so nopony would grow suspicious. The vest concealed his wings, and the cloak helped hide it as well.

Soon enough he arrived at the gates of the mansion. The grounds were impressive, very large and decorated with shrubs and large evergreen trees. The two guards standing watch stopped Thule and hefted their rifles. One had a scattergun slung across his back. Thule smirked and casually waved a hoof, but he didn’t stop moving.

“What are you doing away from the compound so late?” one asked with an irritated grunt.

“Yeah, we’re all supposed to be inside the walls by this hour. Where were you?”

Thule lowered his head and patted his vest, searching for something. He changed his voice to a higher pitch and stuttered, “F-forgive me, sir. I- I was just assigned here. I have my transfer order here s-somewhere. I know I put in one of these pockets. Hold on...”

The first guard growled and pressed a hoof into Thule’s chest, “We don’t get transfers, who are you?”

“I found it,” Thule said while producing his combat knife. The guard looked down directly into the blade as it was driven through his bottom jaw. The other guard reacted clumsily and dropped his scattergun. Thule struck like lightning and drove the knife through his heart. He carefully moved the bodies into some shrubs, then relieved the fallen guard of his weapon. Thule looked at it and smiled. It was perfect.

The scattergun was a close range projectile weapon used by Celestia’s shock troops in the war. It loaded a crystal into the barrel then sent a charge of stored concentrated magic into the base, shattering it. The shards left the barrel in a spray and carried enough force to cut an average sized tree in half. Best of all, there was no loud bang. It was mostly silent, since it used magic to shatter the crystal, and not power from a crystal itself.

Thule took a deep breath, he was now standing at the entrance. He took some time to think about how he was going to pull it off, and he first needed to make sure none of them escaped. Thule looked around and saw a small house, likely belonging to groundskeeper. He knew exactly what to do.

-----------------------

Camilla Blueblood was in her study when she heard something from downstairs. At first, she thought it was nothing. Such an old home made noises all the time. But then she heard a scream. She rushed outside and looked down three floors and saw guards rushing into the armory. One pegasus flew up and told her to go to the panic room, there was an intruder.

Camilla shook her head. She had pegasus pony determination. Whoever was stupid enough to attack this place was in for a nasty surprise. Not only were there at least ten guards in the mansion at all times, the garrison was nearby. They had an alarm that would have a platoon of royal guard swarming the place in minutes.

“I’m not going into the panic room, the guards from the garrison will be here any minute.” Camilla said with a huff.

The pegasus guard glanced below and shook his head, “No, ma’am, the alarm has been cut. They aren’t coming.”

“Aren’t coming?!” Camilla screeched, “Send some of your stallions out to alert them!”

“The guards stationed outside near the groundskeeper have orders to fly to the garrison if anything happens. We’ve got the situation under control, but I advise you get into the panic room with your children.”

Camilla shook her head and flew into her study and retrieved a rifle, “Send them, I’m killing the fool who invaded my house.”

The pegasus put a hoof to his face, “Just stay here, we’ve got the numbers. We’ll take care of it and tell you when it’s over.”

Camilla nodded and flew down the hall to the servants wing. “Feather Duster! Get up, now! Take the children to the panic room and don’t come out until this is over! Do you understand?!”

The aging earth pony mare nodded as she hobbled off down the hall to get the foals from their rooms. Camilla flew back down the hall and stopped when the lights flickered, then went out. A few seconds later the backups were activated. Loud clicking noises could be heard as bars locked into place around all the windows in the manner. The security system was triggered, it was meant to be triggered when somepony activated it from within. The power going out must have tripped it. Though things were looking bad, Camilla knew exactly where the intruder must be, and so did her guards. Whoever they were, they were now very surrounded, and very dead.

-------------------

The ten guards were in formation outside the den. Lord General Blueblood often studied in there and it was one of the locations with crystals that powered the home. They heard movement inside and readied themselves to breach the door. On the count of three, they rushed in, while three stallions waited outside. The guard taking the lead bucked open the door then stepped aside while another threw in a flash crystal. Once it discharged, the stallions entered and surveyed the room. The desk was overturned, causing a nervous stallion to shoot it.

The sound of a thud came from outside the room as the third guard waiting outside fell to the ground, along with his companions. A canister rolled into the room between the stallion’s legs. Before any could react, it broke open and three flash crystals detonated inside the room. Thule took his time with the guards. Three well placed shots with the scattergun dispatched all seven of them.

As he was reloading, he was struck from behind. Another guard fired a shot and hit Thule in an area just above the wing. The fabric of the vest dissipated the magic, such that he only felt a burning sensation, and wasn’t knocked over with a hole in his side. Thule brought his weapon to bear but the guard closed the distance and moved the barrel away. Both stallions grappled until they were back in the den. Thule tripped over a dead body and allowed the guard to exert his full strength. They crashed through a bookcase into a larger room, completely in the dark. Thule had a natural advantage with his night vision, and rolled off the guard. He slid the combat knife neatly across his throat and ended the fight.

As Thule got to his hooves, he dropped the scattergun along with his jaw. All around him were taxidermied exhibits of various animals. Buffalo, Minotaur, and more bat ponies. There were five together in one area. Thule quaked with rage and picked up the gun. He had to find Camilla.

Thule ascended the stairs and checked the rooms on his way down the hall. He saw a light flicker further down and crept up to the door. He cautiously entered the room and looked around, then heard sounds coming from the closet. He nudged the door open with his weapon and saw two foals cowering in a pile of clothes. They were trying to hide. One was a unicorn colt, the other an earth filly. Thule smirked and reached down to them, then grunted as something struck him in the back.

Thule straightened and slowly turned. An aging earth pony stallion stood with a broken broom handle in his forehooves, a butler. He wilted under Thule’s piercing gaze. Thule flipped the weapon around and cracked the stallion in the stomach with the butt. The sound of the foals crying could be heard behind him. Fueled by pure hatred, Thule picked the stallion up by his vest and held him in the air. He pushed the barrel of the scattergun to his chin, then pulled the trigger, blowing the butler’s head into a million pieces.

Each of the foals screamed at the sight of violence. However, Thule’s attention was taken away again. An old earth pony mare shuffled into the room and forced away her tears. “Listen to me, please, I don’t know who you are, but please don’t hurt the foals. They’re innocent.”

“Feather!” the filly cried, “Help us!”

“Don’t hurt them,” she repeated, “They didn’t do anything!”

“My foals didn’t do anything, and they’re mounted trophies for your sick master!!” Thule seethed.

“Just let them go, let them-” her pleas were cut short by a sharp blow to the ribs.

Thule grabbed her by the neck and pushed her up the wall. “Where is Camilla? Where is your master?! Tell me!”

“I- I- ack- The children... ugh-” she croaked as Thule’s grip tightened.

Thule squeezed more and more until she drew her last breath, then tossed her aside like garbage. He once again returned his attention to the children and bent down to address them.

“Where is your mother?” Thule asked. Both foals cowered under his gaze and remained silent. “If you tell me where she is, I promise I won’t kill her...”

The foals remained silent, before one broke down crying. The other, the unicorn colt, looked at Thule with fear and hate. “She’ll kill you, I know she will... for what you did to Feather. I don’t know where she is, but her office is just down the hall.”

Thule smirked and nodded, “She’ll get her chance, young one. As for you two, remain here, and make no sounds until you are found. You will survive this.”

Thule shut the closet doors then slid two lamp stands through the handles to keep them shut. After that, he moved a desk in front of it. She was close now, he could feel it. A scent in the air, a light perfume.

As he neared the room, the walls behind him exploded as crystals cut toward him in an arc. Thule ducked as wall above him was destroyed. After the sound of the weapon discharge ceased, he could hear it cooling. Camilla was in there with some sort of heavy repeater. Thule smirked and decided to capitalize on the situation.

“Uh, argh... ugh...” Thule grunted and coughed, then rattled his weapon against the floor for effect.

When he heard the sound of the weapon crystal powering up again, he dove forward and tossed his last flash crystal into the room. The shrill shriek was like music to Thule’s ears. He flew into the room and knocked the barrel of the weapon away. Camilla drew a knife and attempted to stab him, but Thule wrenched it out of her hooves and stepped around behind her. She was now completely at his mercy.

“Monster...” she growled, “How did you find us?”

Thule began to sway with her back and forth, as if they were performing a romantic dance. “Oh, it’s fascinating, but you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“My husband would never give us away, not even under torture...” Camilla spat.

Thule squeezed her and whispered into her ear, “It wasn’t him, it was his harlot, Poppy. She wants you dead.”

“That bitch...” Camilla seethed, “Then Barristan is dead...”

“He is, he didn’t die well... and he isn’t the only one...” Thule growled.

“You didn’t...” Camilla hissed.

“Not yet, I’m thinking me and the kids play a game of hide and seek. Either here, or back at my colony. I’ll give them the same chance you gave the young bat ponies. Fair is fair.”

“You can’t...” Camilla yelled, losing her composure. “No... I don’t understand, how could this happen...?”

“You weren’t thorough, and your husband didn’t kill me when he had the chance.” Thule explained. “Now, don’t pass out on me. I need to send a message to Celestia, and I’m going to need your help.”

----------------------

“Secure the perimeter!” the captain shouted while the guards sweeped the mansion. He turned and bowed his head to the princess, “Your Highness, the area is secure, and we’ve checked the surrounding buildings and districts. We haven’t found anything.”

“You won’t find anything, captain. The one who did this is long gone now. We’re here to assess the damage. I was afraid of something like this happening eventually...”

“Princess... about that, it’s not pretty in here. You should wait until we clean it up a bit.”

“Stand aside,” Celestia commanded as she threw open the entrance and moved to the set of double doors leading to the main room.

The stench coming from the other side was disgusting. She stepped inside and immediately put a hoof to her nose. The sight in front of her made her stomach turn, and anger began to build. The one who did this had defiled her little ponies, on purpose. A pile of bodies lay before her, some died of stab wounds, while others appeared to have been shot point blank with a crystal weapon.

At least twenty bodies were in the pile, several members of the Blueblood family, yet on the other side there was one propped up in a chair. It was one of the the guards. She grit her teeth when she saw a sign hanging from his neck. On the sign written in blood was her name. She noticed the guard had a letter in his hooves. Celestia levitated it over and began to read.

Dear Princess Celestia,

        Beloved princess of all under the sun, if you’re reading this then you surely know a few things. You know who I am, and you’ve seen what I’ve done. You understand why. Or, at least you think so. You’re wrong. Near the body holding this envelope there is a visible trail of blood, follow it.

Celestia looked around and saw it. She followed the trail into a den and through a broken bookcase into another room. When she entered, her blood ran cold. The busts of several bat ponies were erect in front of her. Their eyes glazed over and staring back. At that moment Celestia understood everything. This violence, it was retribution.

A million thoughts raced through Celestia’s ancient mind. Luna had distracted her. The war had forced her attention elsewhere. She had given too much power to too many, too quickly. This was the price. Barristan was sick, she knew when he approached her in court, yet she did nothing. Celestia was a mess. She understood why this happened, but she couldn’t forgive him. He killed too many of her ponies under her sister’s twisted commands. She looked down to the note and continued to read.

        Look what’s before you, and witness what your little ponies have done to mine. I’ve taken my revenge, it is done. While I’m certain things look grim from where you’re standing right now, it’s not all bad. I spared the children. They’re safe upstairs. I could have snuffed out their lives in an instant, but I didn’t. You’re wondering why... aren’t you, Celestia? Let me spell it out for you. I didn’t do it because I’m better. We were better, regardless of how the war concluded. This is your proof. I’m done now. It’s all over, and it will stay that way unless you come after me.

        Princess Celestia, I warn you, if you make a move against me or my ponies, disaster will rain down upon you. My assassins in the other pony kingdoms will murder key targets. When caught, they will all point to you. I will personally travel to Canterlot and devour the noble houses from the inside. Then, I will come for you. You are aware what is in my possession thanks to your sister, and you know I can use it to kill you. I swear on the blood of Saros, you’ll never see me coming.

Now that we understand each other, this is goodbye. Farewell, Princess.

Oh! I almost forgot, make sure your guards don’t disturb Camilla. She’s probably not in the best of moods after our little chat.

Yours always,

Thule

xoxo

Celestia’s eyes bulged. She threw the letter away and dashed out of the room, yelling for her guard captain. She had to stop them.

In one of the offices, a unicorn guard was looking over the the room with his partner. As he looked at one of the portraits on the wall, something brushed against his hoof. A wire snapped as he stepped forward and caused a plank stuck in one of the closet doors to drop. The door opened revealing a skinny pale figure. As the guards approached, it turned around and shrieked. The stallions had no time to react as the pony descended on them. It ripped out the throat of the first, then broke the neck of the other.

The rampage continued upstairs until half of Celestia’s guards were killed or seriously injured. Two guards had found the children and were escorting them out when Camilla flew into the hall. She saw the children and ran toward them with a feral shriek. A beam of light cut through the air in front of her and took her head off in an instant. Celestia flew up and spread her wings in front of the children.

“Get them out of here, now!” she commanded to the guards.

As the stallions left with the children, Celestia examined the body of Barristan’s wife. She had almost undergone the complete transformation into a bat pony. The blood in her veins steamed as the sun made contact with it on the floor. Her wings had molted and transformed into part membranous flaps. Her eyes were crimson, and her coat was pale. Celestia knew this was part of the message. She would have to keep an eye on Thule, and she would have to sleep with one eye open for the foreseeable future.

---------------

As Celestia departed with her guards and the children, a homeless foal watched them leave and bounced a ball against a building. He waited as more guards arrived with cleaning supplies and suits to remove the bodies. After they left he trotted away to one of the lower districts nearby. He made his way to an alley between a pub and a whore house. Some drunk stallions cursed at him while he ran by. Eventually he stopped in front of a large figure seated against the wall.

The colt didn’t know who he was, and couldn’t see his face since it was hidden by a large hood. The stallion wore rags, and kept his face hidden.

“So... what did you see?” the mysterious stallion asked.

“The princess was there just like you said,” the colt answered. “She came out with a bunch of guards and some other ponies around my age.”

“What did the princess look like, did she say anything to the stallions?”

“She looked angry, I heard her tell the guards to make sure nopony enters the mansion.”

“Excellent,” the hooded stallion said as he stood up.

“Well...?” the foal asked as he held out a hoof.

The hooded stallion chuckled and tilted his head to the side, “Manners, little one. They’re important when conducting business.”

“Just give me the money, grandpa,” the foal said with a roll of his eyes, “Manners aren’t really important around here, if you hadn’t noticed. Now give it.”

The stallion leaned down to the foal, causing him to step back, “Grandpa? What if I were to walk away without paying you at all?”

“You can’t do that!” the foal shouted, “We had a deal!”

“Deal schmeal...” the stallion said with a shrug, “Are you going to force me to pay?”

“I could beat up an old stallion like you...” the words drained from the foal’s mouth as the stallion stood up to his full height. The colt realized he’d been cheated and there was nothing he could do. “You know what, forget it. I’m outa here.”

As he turned around and started to trot away, the mysterious stallion touched down in front of him. Large leather wings folded under the rags and hooked together in front his chest. The colt gulped and backed away.

“You’re just going to give up so easily?” the stallion asked. He saw bruises on the colt’s forehooves and face, “Do other colts beat you up?”

“Colts and fillies,” the child replied, “I can take care of myself, it just get’s tough when it’s five on one.”

The stallion sat on his haunches, “What’s your name, kid?”

“Dust, my friends call me Dusty.” the colt replied.

“Well, Dust, I have two lessons for you,” the stallion said. “Number one, always ask for payment up front,” he tossed a pouch of bits in front of Dust so big his eyes almost popped out of his skull. “Number two, don’t fight battles you know you’ll lose to prove something. Wait for a time when you know you’ll win, then prove yourself there.”

Dust looked at the ground, “Sometimes it’s still not enough, and they have weapons. I don’t have anything.”

The stallion paused, then reached into his rags. He produced a combat knife and flipped the blade around, presenting it to Dust. “Sometimes it’s best to simply look threatening, without actually being a threat. Brandish that and see if they want any trouble, but try to avoid using it if you can.”  

“Thanks, mister... but some of the colts will just see this knife and go get bigger ponies to come and take it from me. There’s really nothing I can do about that.” Dust said with a frown.

The stallion looked up into the sky, then returned his attention to the foal. He put a hoof to his chin inside the hood then knelt down on all fours. “Dust, what would you say if I asked for your continued services?”

“Continued services?” Dust asked, “What? Like... what I just did for you?”

“Yes,” the stallion replied, “I need somepony in Canterlot who knows what’s going on. What Celestia is doing, what her guards are up to, the basic info on the grapevine. Interested?”

Dust looked at the pouch of bits, “Will there be more of this?”

“Much more,” the stallion confirmed with a chuckle. “I’ll be in the city once every few months to check up on things. We’ll meet then, and I’ll show you how to use that knife properly.”

“What about the ponies bothering me?” Dust asked.

The stallion leaned forward removed his hood, “Let’s pay them a visit, I have a feeling after a chat with me they’ll leave you alone.”

Dust was apprehensive at first, but softened when the stallion winked and ruffled his mane. “Alright, but don’t you want to keep a low profile? What if they tell the guard about you?”

“We’ll explain to them why that would be a bad idea. Let’s go, partner.”

Dust’s eyes lit up, “Partner? Okay, follow me!”

----------------------

~ Present

Thule sat in silence as the others in the room took in his story.

Pyrite and Iris sat together and didn’t move, while Frost had jumped onto the bed to join them.

Iris nodded, “I would have done the same thing, and my father would have, too. Barristan deserved what he got.”

“Agreed,” Frost said.

Aldus stood up and trotted over to Thule. He didn’t say anything, just extended his hoof. Thule stared at it a moment, then grasped it.

Aldus pulled him into an embrace, “I didn’t know... even when we were investigating him. I didn’t know. He hunted your kind, I should’ve known. We should’ve done something.”

Thule shook his head clasped Aldus on the shoulder, “We were preoccupied with other things. There was nothing we could have done.”

Thule sat down again and gestured for Aldus to pour himself another glass. Upon realizing they were out, Aldus left the room to find more.

Pyrite settled into his pillow as Iris snuggled with Frost. He raised his hoof to get Thule’s attention. “What happened to Poppy?”

Thule smiled and sat forward in his chair, “She returned to my colony after hearing my call. She needed to be taught control.”

“What happened after that?” Iris asked. “Did she stay with you, or move on?”

“She stayed,” Thule answered with a grin, “And I married her.”