"S-So?!" Narrowleaf responded, unsure how to reply. "I'm just nervous. All th-the time." He said, frowning.
Rosy stopped laughing, suddenly very serious. "We are, as you said earlier, monsters. Everypony outside these walls desires us dead. To survive, we must be strong. Fear has it's place, but it does not belong among our kind." She sighed. "If you wish stay alive, you must learn to master your fear. That is lesson two."
"Fine. Wh-whatever." Narrowleaf said, pretending to man up. "So what exactly do you all do for fun here?" He asked. "This place seems kinda boring."
"Fun... oh dear. I suppose this place IS dreadfully boring." She thought for a moment. "I usually work on my poisons to pass the time, but I suspect that you do not share my interest in creating such deadly art. What do you wish to do? Princess Luna will bring the night soon, and we will be able to go where we wish."
Narrowleaf sighed. "Those poisons sound k-kinda fun." He replied, smiling. "Wh-What kind of poisons do you make?"
Rosy grinned. Nopony had ever shown any interest in her poisons before. They all used them, of course, but none seemed to care about the fine art of creating them. She flew to her work table and grabbed several bottles. "These are very special blends, designed to be applied to the fangs. Harmless to vampires, but for everypony else..." She pointed to each bottle, explaining it's purpose. "This one makes Unicorns unable to use magic. This next one renders a Pegasus unable to fly. These two here... one causes paralysis, the other instant death."
Shade was listening to their conversing, she hadn't used poison since she was in her twenties, before she was a vampire, she hadn't cared much for poison since then
"What else do you make? What kind of ingredients do you use? Can you make a-" Narrowleaf stopped himself. "N-Nevermind. I kn-know you c-c-couldn't..."
Silent walks up to Shade and asked "Hey Shade, what you think of the newbie?" Silent stands beside Shade and grows and friendly smile.
"He's similar to me about 40 years ago when I first joined...", shade replied, turning to look at silent,"why do you ask?", she wondered
"Is it wrong for me to ask is it?"Silent said pretending to be offended and he kept thinking that barrels were evil and stuff.
"I never said it was wrong…", shade says with a glare,"I was just asking why you wanted to know…", then she walked away & sat at a table
Carbon came back out from the hallway he had gone down. "Drama and poisons! It's like one of those Japaneses animes... wait. We don't have those." He walked back to the table and placed three small cups on it, top down.
A stallion with a crimson coat, and white mane, beard and tail stamped his hoof. "Silence, ladies and gentlecolts!!" He bellowed, demanding attention. "In exactly one week, we attack the Crystal Empire!! The assualt shall cripple that awful sun mare's reign!"
Rosy was shocked by the sudden announcement. "Oh dear. Well, If that is what you wish, Elder, you have my support." She glanced at Narrowleaf. "We have a new family member, Elder. Perhaps you would introduce yourself to him?"
"Ah. Yes. My name is Count Bloodwing. You shall call me "Elder". Understand?" Count Bloodwing stated, glaring at Narrowleaf. Narrowleaf quickly nodded. "Y-Yes, M-Mister Elder, Sir." He replied.
Rosy glanced around the room. If any of the others were interested in the Elder's plan, they did not show it. She sighed. "It would appear that my siblings prefer to remain in the shadows. I, however, do not. What would you have me do, Elder?"
"You are to take the cowardly one and teach him how to hunt. The rest of us shall be going to eliminate the love mare." Count Bloodwing instructed.
"Is this plan foolish?" Carbon started playing with the cups, until eventually only one was down. He picked it up and looked at a piece of paper that had somehow gotten underneath. "The magic cups disagree. Lets go through with it!" He smiled a very toothy smile.
Shade saluted,"yes elder...", she said, grabbing a saddlebag of supplies & tossing her cloak over her armor,"tell me when we're heading out…"
