Me: hey guys I'm back with this exciting new chapter!

Dark: yeah right.

Me: are you always so negative?

Dark: dude. Look at my life. If my enemy isn't trying to kill me one of my wives are. Which reminds me, if Tia or Soul ask I'm not here.

Me: what did you do this time.

Dark: I may have accidentally broken an expensive and fairly prized family heirloom and a momento from ancient times

Tia/Soul: DAAAAAARK!

Dark: GOTTA GO! (runs off with Tia and Soul chasing him)

Me: well while I go watch Dark be put in the ICU enjoy this chapter!

"Alright Reaper now come at me again," I encouraged my son.

He came at me while forming a scythe very similar to mine and began to slash at me. I easily evaded his blows while he kept trying to hit me in vain.

This went on for a few minutes before he finally collapsed in exhaustion. I then decided that training was done for today and headed back inside with Reaper by my side to get some lunch.

It had been about a month since Soul and Reaper began living in the castle and it was great. Reaper got along great with his siblings and Soul and Tia were now like sisters. I have also been training Reaper since that time in all I know and he was just like me by being a quick learner.

I had taught him a lot of schooling and he could put a few scholars to shame with what he knows. Training his magic and combat skills were a bit more challenging for the first couple weeks at least but nonetheless he was improving very well. He was now a novice in three fighting styles, apprentice in two more, and a master at one of my defensive styles.

His magic control was very good as well and would make most seasoned unicorns look like new-born foals if you were to compare.

All in all he did have the potential to one day surpass me and for that I was happy. I hoped all of my children surpassed me one day,and for their children to do the same. I knew this would happen because I would be with them all the way to help in any way I could.

"Daddy after we eat can I go and see Jewel," asked Reaper.

That was something else that had been going on. Reaper and Jewel were now closer than ever before. You would never see one without the other unless Reaper was training. Now most didn't know this but I knew what their relationship was really like. While most consider them to be really close friends I knew they were closer than that.

In fact I have even caught Jewel sneaking small kisses on Reaper's cheek when they think no one's looking.

Now I ain't no spy or gossipy prick... but I do have an insatiable urge to know everything that goes on with everyone I know. Hell I even know about Chaotic's secret stash of Playcolt magazines that he thinks he's hidden so well. Yeah he wishes, he's just lucky he hasn't given me a reason to rat him out to Emerald. I shudder at what she might do to him if she found out.

But now me and Reaper were eating lunch when one of my guards ran in. And yes I said my guards. I felt that the guards as they were would be nothing more than a nuisance. So I had them trained to my specific standards. The poor bastards.

I then formed my own Death Guards who were better in every way compared to the other guards since I personally trained these guys and mares myself. Needless to say no cultist asshole was getting by these guys.

The one who walked up to me was my Captain. His name was Light Shroud and he was a dark blue unicorn with a silver mane and golden eyes with a star covered in shadows as his cutie mark. The armor though changed his appearance to look like a black unicorn with red eyes similar to my own. The armor itself was simple ebony and was twice as strong as regular guard armor while also being enchanted to increase the wearers magical and physical prowess as well as be able to summon weapons on thought.

The other feature is that each armor set is matched to its wearer so that no other can wear it. If someone else wears their armor,... well lets just say it won't be pretty.

Light shroud stopped in front of me and gave a quick salute before stating, "Prince Dark, our spies have found three possible cultist bases while four more are still being investigated. How do you wish us to proceed?"

I calmly took a drink of my tea and said in a commanding voice, " once you achieve conformation that they are in fact cultist bases I want you to eliminate them. But leave one alive from each base, preferably the leader, for interrogation. Relay my orders and report back once my orders are complete."

He gave a quick salute and, "yes sir," before teleporting away to carry out my orders.

I decided I wasn't going to let these cultist do as they please anymore since they foalknapped my children and have begun hunting them down and exterminating them via my Death Guards. As far as the cultist are concerned I say kill them all and let the gods sort out the mess.

Reaper turned to me and asked, "Daddy why do you have to kill all those bad ponies?"

I sighed at his question hoping not to have to answer that for some time but better to get it out of the way now.

"Listen son, there are two types of beings in this world. Light beings and Dark beings. The Light represents all the good in the world and the Dark all of the bad. There is a balance to these two opposing sides but occasionally one will try to overtake the other. That's where I come in. I help maintain the balance by eliminating those who would disturb it."

"But why not just get rid off all the bad and only leave the good?"

"Because one cannot exist without the other son. If there was only good in the world it would eventually become corrupted for where there is light there is always darkness, and vice-versa."

"So there is good in bad to?"

"Exactly son. Believe it or not most evil beings were once actually good guys whose ideals became corrupted due to either certain events in their lives or because of their own ambitions. So you see son, you can never truly get rid of evil, you can only keep it in check."

He nodded in understanding and then set off to be with Jewel. I look down at my cup of tea and my reflection in the normally soothing drink deep in thought.

I wished I could avoid what I knew would eventually come but it had to be done. Once I found the cults leader I was going to take him or her down. Even if I died in the process. I never cared whether I lived or died before but after looking back at all that's happened in the past year I now cared more about living than anything else.

This was because I now had something worth fighting for, I had my new family, friends, wives, and my kids. Some would see this as a weakness but they were wrong. Now that I had something worth fighting for I was going to fight harder than I ever have to ensure that they could have the best lives possible. And that was something I was willing to die for.

I set my unfinished cup down and headed of to my bedroom to get some shut-eye since I had a feeling I would need all my energy for tonight since Soul and Tia have been getting more touchy-feely than usual.

Me: and that's that.

Dark: (now in body cast) that was really touching man if I wasn't already crying from the pain I was in I would shed a tear at that. NOW GIVE ME THE DAMN PAIN KILLERS!

Me: hell no man. Tia and Soul said if I gave you any I would wind up just like you so you are SOL.

Dark: *sigh* can't blame ya there man. So alright you punks review and or PM this guy and stay tuned for more chapters on my fucked up life.

Me: until then, Nicranger out.