Chapter Nine

The Star and the Omega

Sigil sat in his library drinking from a bottle of Vodka looking at the pics of the burning city brought back by the scouts. It's been a tense 2 months since the sacking of New Lundaya. All political and military power houses of Equestria had been staying at the castle, so they were ready to act if the new sovereign nation of Solstice made a move. Though it was good to see Cadance again, this Shining Armor character... Sigil shook his head to clear his mind of those unnecessary thoughts and returned to the pics. The scouting team was able to get pics of the inside of the city. The images were...disturbing. The Familiar had killed every Griffin in the city which was roughly over 322,000, then nailed their corpses to crosses all throughout. Sigil clutched his head as the images brought back memories of when he was a soldier in the Solstainen Shadric during the Griffin-Pony war. He remembered to groans and moans of dying soldiers, the sounds of metal on flesh and wood as the nails were driven in. The smells of burning and rotting flesh and the yells they made if they were still alive during the process.

His inner torment was thankfully interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Sigil?" Twilight said, opening the door slightly.

"Y-yea I'm in the library," Sigil said rubbing his temples.

Twilight walked in with something slung over her back. "You okay?"

"Fine, just a...bad memory." He said, turning his head to look at her. "Where's Spike?"

"Training with my brother. Here Rarity wanted you to have this." Twilight said tossing a uniform in a protective bag to him.

Sigil jumped a bit at the UFO (Unexpected Flying Object) while catching it. "What's this?" Sigil said looking at it.

"A uniform version of your armor." She said sitting down.

Sigil looked down at the white and red military uniform. "It's white, my armor's black." He said holding it up slightly.

"Yeah Spike told us about your wardrobe. Rarity noticed the theme. What's with that anyway? Most ponies when they think Vampire they think black and red, why white?"

"Heat." Sigil simply put.

"What?"

"Vampires are weak to heat, the color black attracts heat, and white deflects it."

"Oh! And that's another thing, I thought vampires burn in the sun light but you take strolls around the gardens every day."

"Twilight... how did you know I take walks through the gardens every day?..." Sigil asked looking at her.

Twilight looked to the side then down.

"You've been following me..."

"NO...Ok yes, you're just such an interesting subject."

Sigil's head dropped to the side at that.

"Wait, wait that came out wrong, I mean you're not what I expected in an evil magic wielding vampire."

"Stop right there," Sigil said with a serious look on his face. "There is no such thing as EVIL MAGIC. Magic is like a tool or a weapon by itself it's nothing, it's take a user to dictate how it's used...Except Discord's magic. I'm not even sure if he knows what he's doing most of the time, or cares for that matter." Sigil said recalling the 1st Discord crisis.

"So..." Twilight said still wanting him to answer her question.

"What? Oh right the sun thing, well it's a myth that we...I burn in the sun, what the sun does is weakens me." Sigil said with a bored look as he looked at the uniform.

Twilight noticed something odd about his answer. "So how much does it weaken you guys?"

"To the point where I can pretty much only do basic levitation spells."

"But...you were The Princess's personal guard..."

"Can't you just taste the irony? The Champion of the Night a personal guard to the Princess of the Sun." He said a bit melancholy.

"What is it?" Asked Twilight

"Nothing, it's just the real reason for Celestia giving me a job here was to keep the dark magic of equestria from shifting the balance between them and the light, Luna's job, but now that she's back...I'm just not really sure what I'm doing here." Sigil said looking at the ceiling.

"What are you talking about? Sig, since you've been here, there's been more progress than I've ever seen. The Nobles with all there stubbornness take your words to heart whenever you open your mouth, The borders of Equestria has been the most secure they've ever been since you've reassumed command of the armies, I mean even Blue Blood shuts up and shows respect when you enter the room." Twilight said putting her hand on his.

Sigil looked at her hand, then at her with a smile. "Thank you Twilight," He said as he stood up.

"Sigil, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Sigil said, crossing his arms.

"What does you name mean?"

"My...My name?" Sigil said a bit taken back.

"Yup, Sigillum Ex Infernum, I know from what I've read that Sigillum means Seal and Ex means Of, but there's nothing in my books about the word Infernum."

"Hell."

"What?"

"My name, it means Seal Of Hell, Sigillum Ex Infernum." Sigil said looking at the wall.

"What's a Hell?" Twilight asked never hearing that word before.

"It's like Tardas only...you don't go there until you die. It's where all dark magic came from."

"Have you seen it before?"

"No...But I've seen what it could look like..." Sigil said looking at the wall again.

"What do you mean?"

Sigil looked at Twilight with a wry grin. "You have a lot of questions don't you?"

"Just a few!" She said holding up a small notebook which Sigil wrapped in his magic.

"May I?" He asked not wanting to come off as rude and take it.

Twilight felt his aura around her hand, it felt tingly, and the best description she could come up with was sparky.

"Twi..."

Twilight snapped out of her trance and nodded as Sigil levitated the notebook from her and looked it over.

"Twilight...this is over 14 pages..." Sigil said looking down

Twilight shrugged as she sipped from Sigil's bottle cringing up at the taste at first, then picking it up and taking a bigger swig.

"Tell you what, you let me treat you to dinner and I'll answer all the questions you want."

Twilight's shock caused her to cough on the Vodka prematurely going down her throat before she looked at Sigil her cheeks a bright pink. "Y-you mean like a...a-"

"Date? I was thinking more like an interview but..."

"YES!" Twilight blurted out. "...To the other thing not not, not the the...An interview would be great." She said quickly trying to recover what little composer she could.

"Great," Sigil said with a smile. "So 7ish, 8, or what?"

"What?"

"When should we leave?"

"Oh uh...7:30?"

Sigil looked at the clock on the wall that read 4:23. "That sounds perfect!" The vampiric unicorn said as he helped her to the door.

"YOU GOT A DATE WITH SIGIL?!" Rarity shouted with glee as she helped the already nervous enough Twilight dress for the upcoming night.

"No! I-It's just an interview." Twilight stuttered.

"Twi let me ask you something," Rainbow dash who couldn't resist coming once she heard about Twilight's plans. "Where is he taking you?"

"The Peace Da Resistance, this fancy Faris Prance themed restaurant." Twilight said as Rarity showed her the rather over the top dress she picked out for her closet.

"Uh huh," Apple Jack who was there for the same reason Rainbow was said. "And is he payin for the dinner?"

"Well, yes."

The mares looked at each other with the same kind of smile like they were just let in on a secret.

"That's a date darling. That is like the text book definition of a date." Rarity said with a grin.

"It's not! I mean, why would he ask me out? Me, of the 6 of us and all the mares in this city?" Twilight said honestly believing what she was saying.

"Oh don't be so hard on yourself Twi." Dash said hovering beside her.

"Yea sugar cube, to be honest you're the one who connects with him better than the rest of us." AJ said to perk up her friend.

"Really?" Twilight asked a glimmer of hope flashing across her face.

"Of course Twilight, You're Smart, cute, like him very, very good at magic, and also like him, you're a big political figure." Rarity said putting a hand of her shoulder.

"Not to mention the wicked wing boner you got when you saw him the first time," Rainbow said with a snicker.

"You had one too. You even tried to flirt with him." Twilight said defensively.

"Well yea, did you see him?"

"I thought you only liked mares Dash." The farm pony said raising an eye brow.

"So did I." RD said with a shrug.

"Sigy and Twily sittin in a Tree!" Pinkie who was here for...reasons said as she was jumping on Twilight's bed.

"PINKIE!" The pinkness of Twilight face rivaled that of Pinkie's mane.

"Hm-hm. Sorry, couldn't resist." Pinkie said with a giggle.

Twilight felt Sigil's energy before he knocked on the door to the room. Twilight wearing the same dress she wore to the gala looked at her friends, her calm diameter giving way to nervousness. Her friend saw her and motioned their hands in the same way she does when she breaths to calm down, Twilight smiled, did the motion, breathed, and the door. Sigil stood there in the uniform Rarity had made. It was definitely more modern the armor it was based off of, the white was complimented by the black of the neck, bill of the hat, gloves, and his fur color. It had a Germane theme to it with the black leather boots and equestrian arm band. He had 6 rows of multi-colored badges 7 in each row above the front pocket of the over shirt signifying his medals and 6 stars on each of his shoulders signifying his rank. There was a leather strap that went from his left shoulder across his back and chest and connected to his belt which had an engraving of the equestrian symbol on the buckle and there was an iron star medal in the open part on the neck of the uniform. His horn stuck out of a hole decorated with an image of the sun in the hat.

"Glad to see I wasn't the only one who chose to dress up, you look good Twilight." He said with a smile as he walked in the room. "Girls, and hey Fluttershy."

Fluttershy, who was in the room the whole time but hasn't said anything, smiled at the acknowledgement.

"Heeey Sigy~" They all playfully said in unison.

"You ready Twi?"

Twilight nodded in response and waved back at her friend before leaving with Sigil.

"20 bits says he gets to second base before the nights out." Rainbow said to break the silence.