City By the Blue Sea Part III

Sleep had not come to her. Whether for nightmares, dread, a sudden fit of insomnia, or the simple all-consuming emptiness Twilight Sparkle had found no rest. She had desperately wished for it, some escape from what happened during the night, but her mind would give her no peace. Light had been escaping from the window for a few hours now, and she decided it was time to give up trying to sleep.

With a quiet heave, the unicorn climbed out of her bed and left her room. The halls were empty this morning, not a servant in sight, and her hoofsteps echoed around her. Twilight had thought her path aimless, but when she came into the dining room she realized she was hungry.

She was not the only one either. Within the dining room the whole Silver-seas family, minus Silverpot, a great black wolf, a large group of praetorians, and her master were all eating. The young mare caught the eye of Nightmare Moon, and for some reason she noticed it was a worried one.

Twilight swallowed, now nervous, and proceeded over to her usual seat beside the former-empress. “Twilight…what happened to your hoof?” The alicorn asked softly, as the unicorn sat down.

The lavender mare was confused for a moment before looking down to see the clawed stone fist on her left foreleg, rather than a hoof like there should be. She was suddenly aware that her gait had been off due to the size of the fist making her leg bend awkwardly. Whenever her left foreleg had touched the ground the echo had been louder and stonier as well. These were both very confusing. Because it felt like her hoof was still there, and yet it wasn’t. Bile rose in Twilight’s throat, and she wasn’t so hungry anymore. “It was cut off.” She answered with a small bit of strain.

“Last night?” Nightmare queried.

“Y-yes.” The unicorn answered shakily.

“By who?” Her teacher requested.

“M…May I be excused? I’m not hungry.” Twilight attempted to dodge the question.

“No. You came in here because you are hungry. I only wish to know who harmed you, Twilight.” Nightmare responded firmly yet with a hint of kindness.

The lavender mare searched the table for an answer to give. Her master would not be pleased with her…actions last night. Of that she was certain. She couldn’t let the alicorn know. “Mmn…They’re dead.” She responded.

“Who were they, Twilight?” Nightmare pressed.

The unicorn grit her teeth anxiously. There would be no escaping this. “A mare named Sharp Edge and her foals. They ran a whorehouse here that a guard captain tried to press me into…I killed them…All of them.” She explained, refusing to meet her master’s eye.

An uneasy quiet settled. Even the clatter of cutlery on dishes stopped. Twilight expected the obsidian mare at the head of the table to begin berating and yelling at her, yet when it did not come she began to look up uneasily. Again, she expected to find anger in Nightmare Moon’s face, but there was nothing there. It was unreadable. Which only made Twilight even more nervous. “I’m sorry.” She whimpered pathetically.

“Can I have a moment alone with my apprentice?” Nightmare said.

Knowing this was not a request, the various ponies at the table began to abandon their breakfast to leave the two alone. After only a moment, the alicorn turned her attention to the wolf who remained at the table. “That goes for you too, Lobo.” She informed a little more harshly to snap the great black beast back to reality.

Wordlessly, the wolf rose and exited the room as well, leaving the two alone. “I would have preferred you brought this matter to me, Twilight.” Nightmare stated in an even tone.

“I was angry.” The young unicorn replied lowly.

“I know you were.” Her master continued calmly. “This whorehouse, what was it called?”

“The Officer’s Club. It had a restaurant as a front.” Twilight answered timidly.

“I see…You do know this will not be easy to work through?” Nightmare asked, only to be greeted by silence from her apprentice. “The populace is going to be confused and afraid, and the city guard is bound angry as well. Not to mention that the wealthy of the city are going to be upset. The Officer’s Club was popular among them I believe. It will take a lot of effort to calm everything down. We haven’t even fully established our rule in this city, and already there has been a mass murder, by one of us no less.”

The lavender mare remained silent, her eyes locked on the ground. She had no way to justify herself, and she knew it. She should be able to. The world was better off without those maggots!…Even so, she found herself incapable of coming up with a reason that what she did was right. “If you had brought this information to me the whole situation could have been handled efficiently and without complication. I could have brought a small squad of soldiers there and arrested everyone, so they could be put on trial. If they had resisted, then it would have become violent, but there would’ve been justification. An explanation to give for the deaths. As it is, one of the Lunar Republic’s commanders strolled into what appeared to be a restaurant, and killed everything she could manage. You realize I’m going to have to come up with a different story, right? If the truth got out we could kiss our little revolution goodbye. The people of this city would rebel, and we’d have to put them down. Which would make us no different from we’re fighting.” The black mare informed.

“C…can’t you just tell them that’s what you did? Lead some troops there, but the staff resisted?” Twilight suggested.

“No. Because me leading soldiers through the Elite District in the middle of the night would be noticed, and I was elsewhere last night anyway. Chances are I was seen by several civilians, especially given my company at the time.” Nightmare corrected harshly, her even tone breaking for just a moment, before sighing. “Now…eat your breakfast. I have work to do.”

“I’m…n…not in trouble?” Twilight asked, but the cold glare she received from her master told her otherwise.

She was in trouble. There was simply no punishment for what she had done that would allow her to live, so the unicorn was being left unpunished. The thought did not make her feel better.
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To say that Nightmare Moon was angry would be to lie, but she was gravely upset in a different fashion. She expected better of her servant. She could understand why it had happened, but that did not make it excusable. Twilight should have better control of herself than to go on a killing spree. The fact that she didn’t also worried the alicorn. Was she right in teaching such a damaged pony? Was it a mistake to hone her ward’s abilities? If the unicorn snapped so easily now how would she react when she was even more powerful? Could Twilight be fixed? All these thoughts disturbed Nightmare, as she went in search of Lobo. Yet they did not show outwardly even a little.

The reason the former empress was now hunting down the wolf was that even after placing him under a blood oath the previous night she did not trust him. He was a spirit, and by that knowledge she should have slain him when she had the chance. The praetorians had convinced her of his usefulness, however, and what was more concerning was the information about this Chief Decurion Avarice that had ordered for a spirit to be brought into this world in the first place.

Nightmare had heard of him before, and even met him once, now that she thought about it, when he was in the company of Legatus Legionis Zahav. The stallion had struck her as unnerving. He seemed civil and polite, but there was a sensation the alicorn had around him that made her wary to present her back to him. The former-empress did not know what he was planning by conjuring Lobo, but it was clear he needed to be dealt with. So, she had every intention of sending the spirit and the praetorians that had come searching for him off to end Avarice, but she would not do it yet. She’d wait until her scouts could report the location of his unit, which according to Lobo should actually be coming down from the North. Then she’d be rid of a threat and distraction from the war.

Nightmare Moon’s ears pricked up when she heard the wolf speaking nearby. As she turned the corner she saw him in the company of one of the praetorians, who she had ordered to watch him at all times, and talking to a young colt and gryphoness. “…Still, you should not have left the forest. You should have remained hidden.” He fussed lightly.

The colt remained silent, seeming unable to answer. “You must be Lobo’s children.” Nightmare interjected.

The group seemed startled by her presence, and though the gryphon and Lobo watched her with a wary look the colt dropped into an instinctual bow. He seemed to think better of it after a second for some reason, though, and quickly stood back up. “What’s it to you?” The gryphoness asked rudely.

The alicorn glared slightly, but held back her anger. These two had a rough road, and some aggravation was to be expected of them. “I would advise you to watch your tongue, hatchling. Who I am should be obvious, and respect is due.” She responded, drawing a growl from Lobo that she pointedly ignored. “Now you are Raven, and you, colt, are Zig Zag, correct?”

“Yes ma’am.” The blue earth pony answered with a hint distrust.

“Good. Hammer Song, pass on my congratulations to your compatriot for locating them.” Nightmare said.

“He didn’t find them, ma’am. They were just here this morning.” The praetorian mare keeping watch over Lobo corrected.

“What?” The alicorn asked.

“We came here last night with a mare named Twilight Sparkle.” Zig Zag explained.

Nightmare took a deep breath at the information, and closed her eyes to brace herself for what that implied. After a moment she finally spoke again, “Then you had a hoof in the incident at the Officer’s Club last night, didn’t you?”

“Yes, and I don’t regret it. I killed the ones responsible for my mom’s death.” He asserted.

The alicorn grit her teeth, as she opened her eyes to stare down at the colt. Last night, she had a hard time imagining that such a young earth pony was as capable of a warrior, as his adoptive father claimed. Yet now, studying him, she could see it. He wasn’t heavily built at all. Only just enough. He was small, fast, and surprisingly well-armed. If he were indeed trained right he could be a terror in a fight. She could believe he was a part of the massacre. “That was foolish.” The former-empress stated tersely.

“Why? Because you wanted to protect Silver Pot?” Zig Zag growled.

“DO NOT…” Nightmare shouted, her voice echoing throughout the hall, before regaining control over herself. “…assume I valued that sack dung to any extent. After the way he touched my Twilight I would have been glad to see him burn……But slaughtering the entire Officer’s Club in the middle of the night is unacceptable. The point of the Lunar Republic, of this rebellion that you have wandered into, is to establish a more free and equal society. If the first thing that happens in this city after we have taken over is a mass slaughter in what most believe was a restaurant how do you think the public will react?”

“If it’s about equality then their reaction should be the same as when my mother died! Besides, those bastards deserved it.!” The colt argued.

“Zig Zag…” Lobo cautioned his son, noticing just how agitated the obsidian mare was becoming.

It did little good, as the ruler of the night let loose on the colt, “Whether they deserved it or not is a moot point! They were bound to and had every right to a trial! And who are you to say what they did and did not deserve?! You do not know all that they did or thought, whether they were true monsters or not! Even if they were you can not go out, and deal whatever judgment you feel like to whomever! If you treat them as the filth you perceive them to be, and act purely on your OWN desires and emotions then what does that make you?! Silver Pot?”

As she raved, the alicorn leaned down to glare into Zig Zag’s eyes. Her glowing turquoise orbs flared with her anger, and the full weight of millennia of wisdom and experience backed it. While in his eyes she could see fear, hurt, anger, refusal to admit she was right, and desperation for an argument. In the end, he could not find an answer, and he broke the paralyzing gaze by turning and running. Raven sent Nightmare an angry scowl before chasing after her coltfriend.

As the alicorn stood back up her attention was diverted to Lobo by a vicious growl. “You will not talk to my pup like that again!!!” He warned.

Nightmare Moon stared back stoically, as she harshly replied, “As a father you need to know that sometimes your children need discipline and rebuking, not assistance. This is as much your fault as theirs.”

“For all your speech of equality, you sure talk down to those around you, pony. Who are you to say such words about something you know nothing about? …How to react to the death of your family?” The wolf questioned, before he stalked off after Zig Zag and Raven.

Nightmare huffed, and without so much as a further look to the wolf, the former empress marched off to fulfill her duties. It was going to be a long day trying to calm down the populace, and explain away what had happened. Not to mention, she now had to pay condolences to the Silver-seas.

In no mood to be diplomatic after her conversation with Zig Zag, the alicorn opted out of speaking to the noble family at the moment, and proceeded to the privacy of her room. She sighed, as she closed the door behind herself. Alone, she did not need to keep up appearances. She could allow her emotions to run freely.

The obsidian mare scowled in agitation, and dropped her head low moodily. Like a predator, she stalked over to the desk near her bed, before plopping down in aggravation. After a moment of searching the drawers she found a page of leather parchment, and laid it out over the desk. With a quick uncapping of the inkpot, the former-empress set to work on writing a cover story to be spread among the populace.

Unfortunately, her privacy was not to last. Her door creaked open, and immediately she assumed an upright and regal posture. She did not turn to meet the intruder, though. Her ears twitched, as she picked up the sound of soft paws padding across the ground. “You should knock.” She advised warningly, not in a mood to deal with the wolf who she knew was behind her.

“And you should show more consideration for those around you, especially the younger ones.” Lobo huffed.

Nightmare refused to face him, ignoring his comment. “Shouldn’t you be looking for your children?” She asked.

“They didn’t go far, and of the two of us I’d say you’re the one who needs to keep an on their child.” The wolf growled warningly.

“Well, I would’ve been able to intervene last night if someone hadn’t interrupted me.” Nightmare bit back, glancing at the spirit briefly. “Twilight has never been a child to me anyway. She’s different.”

“Oh, so she’s different. That explains everything.” Lobo laughed sardonically. “And for the record you’re the one that stopped me from reaching Zig Zag, and even if Twilight is not a child ZIG ZAG IS! Yet you still tore into him in front of everyone, while you let her go without so much as raising your voice! Where’s this so called ‘equality’ that you spoke so adamantly about?”

“You assume that just because I didn’t yell I let Twilight off the hook?!” Nightmare snapped, as she whirled to face the wolf, dropping down into the animalistic stance she had when she first entered the room. “They both received the same!”

“Really?! Tell me how! You rave at a child for vengeance against the killers of his mother and friends, the owners of a whorehouse, while you leave your precious apprentice to slink off to Alpha knows where! Even though SHE’S mostly to blame for this!!! Had she not taken Zig Zag into the city then three of us would’ve been in and out without anyone being the wiser, and the city bereft of two ponies no one would miss!!! Instead YOUR apprentice brings my children into a massacre!” Lobo barked, and dared to prowl toward the black mare instead of backing up, teeth bared and hackles rising.

“At least YOUR son has shown enough sanity to be responsible for his own damn actions! Do you think I don’t know this is Twilight’s fault?! Of course I do! She has shown more than irresponsibility with this! After everything she’s been through I can draw no other conclusion than that my beloved servant is losing her sanity! How the FUCK do you suggest I react?!” Nightmare screamed, as she began to twitch, in desperate need of something to take her rage out on.

Lobo nearly fell over, clearly having not expected that comment. “My son…is responsible enough…and you…and Twilight…is what?” He stumbled over his words, flabbergasted, before regaining his composure. “Even if that’s true, and your Twilight has a problem, that still doesn’t give you the right to unload your frustrations out on Zig Zag like you did.”

“That doesn’t mean I was wrong!” The alicorn yelled simply.

Despite the wolf’s calmer tone, she was still in a rage. Everything today was testing her patience, and it was quickly coming to an end. “So what? I know you were right! But I was handling it my way because it was my son, and I was doing a hell of a lot better than YOU did! He needed time to reflect and think! Not your holier-than-thou crap shoved down his throat! No wonder Twilight is going insane…” Lobo retorted through grit teeth.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes shrunk at the comment and began to glow ominously. Her entire body shook with rage, and her heart ached at the sheer amount of anger coursing through it. He had crossed the line. “Get out…” She whispered viciously, literally only seconds away from ripping the wolf’s head off with her magic.

The spirit grinned back at her, seeming to think himself clever. “Doesn’t feel good, does it? Not when you’re on the receiving end of the barbs. Just think about how a fourteen year old pup would take it, or anyone without our existential experience to draw on.” He said smartly, as if teaching her a lesson.

The alicorn was not to be tested, though. With the roar of an Ursa Major, she leapt upon the wolf, pinning him to the ground by his forelegs. “Your highness, what’s wrong?!” Hammer Song yelled in panic, as she rushed in from the hall where she’d been waiting.

Nightmare ignored the praetorian, however. “TAKE! IT! BACK!” She screamed into Lobo’s face, amplifying her voice with magic half in the intention to deafen Lobo. “TWILIGHT HAS NOTHING TO FEAR FROM ME! SHE KNOWS SHE CAN TRUST ME! I HAVE ONLY EVER PROTECTED HER! I NEVER HURT HER! THAT WAS MY SISTER! NOT ME! TWILIGHT…isn’t…afraid. I-I never…hurt her…”

The former empress’ speech broke apart, as she neared the end of her raving. Her voice trembled, and hot tears slipped down onto Lobo’s face. Even then, though, her livid glare did not lessen one bit, but Lobo glowered right back at her. “Good! Take it out on me! I can handle it, unlike some little foal!!!” He spat.

The alicorn’s face twisted and contorted in sheer rage, as she howled like a banshee. “Your majesty, no!” Hammer Song shouted, and rushed forward to intervene.

Nightmare Moon quickly hopped off the wolf, and threw him at the praetorian telekinetically. He slammed into the earth mare like a boulder, but, far from done with him, the ruler of the night walked over to bite him by the tail. With a heave, she reared up, and threw Lobo onto her bed with enough force to snap its legs. His tail popped out of place from the swing, eliciting a yelp of pain. Yet he was given no time to rest, as Nightmare’s telekinesis catapulted him painfully into the opposing wall. Her magic faded from around the wolf, and he dropped painfully onto the dresser beneath him. Groaning in pain, he rolled over onto the ground with a heavy thump. Only for the furious alicorn to force him back up to his paws with her magic, as she walked in front of him. Presenting Lobo with her hindquarters, she pulled both her rear legs back, before bucking him square in his chest. For a brief moment, she felt a gratifying crunch, as the spirit’s ribs gave way, allowing her hooves to sink into his soft organs. After that short second, he flew across the room again to slam into the desk.

Heaving angrily, Nightmare approached the broken form of the wolf and snarled in his face. “Take. It. Back!” She demanded.

Coughing up blood, Lobo’s voice came out in a pained wheeze, “I…truly am…sorry…I…used your feelings for Twilight,…but you needed it…in more ways than one.”

As the wolf spoke between gasps for breath and groans of pain the towering mare began to calm down. His agony and sincerity broke through her anger, and her bestial scowl slowly melted. “Tell me, Nightmare…” The spirit wondered curiously. “If you had thought…that I had killed Twilight…would you have stopped before…I was a red smear…on the floor?”

The alicorn knew in that instant what the wolf had intended. She loathed it when she was outsmarted. Nevertheless, the point was made. For all her questioning of Twilight and Zig Zag’s self control, she had reacted in the exact same way. “No…” She answered, as she sat down and glared at Lobo, daring him to explain his point.

To emphasize this, the moment he opened his mouth again she used her magic to yank his ribcage back in place, eliciting another yelp. “Don’t move. I’m not that good a healer.” She advised, as she bent her power to restoring the spirit.

The wolf seemed to take the hint, and remained quiet while Nightmare healed him to the best of her ability, reattaching the bones and checking for internal damage. Another groan soon filled the room, and the clatter of hooves signaled the praetorian standing back up. “Are you okay, pony?” Lobo grunted

“Yeah, I’m good…” Hammer Song answered in confusion.

“Then you can wait outside, Hammer. There’s no threat to either of us in here.” The wolf dismissed.

After a moment, the clip-clop of hooves along the floor and the thump of a closing door told Nightmare Moon the praetorian had left. Still, the alicorn remained quiet. She did not speak once, until at last she was done. “I did what I could for your tail, but it wasn’t much. Your ribs should hold, but they aren’t fully healed. So don’t do anything else stupid.” She warned Lobo, slapping him upside the head for his gall.

“Right…No picking fights with any sort of alpha I encounter.” The wolf replied with a smirk, as he climbed back up to his paws.

“You were a fool for starting this in the first place. You knew I was in a foul mood, and yet you egged me on.” The obsidian mare retorted.

“I’ll admit that, but you needed to vent. I could literally feel the aggravation and anger radiating off of you. You would have snapped on someone sooner or later.” Lobo pointed out.

Nightmare huffed, “Not as violently, I assure you.”

“And how would I know that?” The spirit asked pointedly. “From all that I’ve seen of you, you can be very violent.”

“Nevertheless, my wellbeing is my own concern and not yours. Now are you done here?” Nightmare wondered.

“Almost.” The wolf answered. “Just as your wellbeing is none of my concern, my pack’s wellbeing is none of yours. I’ll leave you to your own devices from now on if you leave us to ours.”

The former empress quirked a brow at the request. All of this just to make her leave his children alone? Well, she hadn’t been listening earlier, so perhaps she was equally to blame for this incident. “Fine. So long as they don’t interfere in my plans I’ll leave the foal and hatchling be. If they do, however, I expect you to set them straight. Understood?” She offered.

“Yes. As long as you go through me in the future, I’ll keep them in line. Assuming I agree that they need reprimanding, of course.” Lobo agreed, as he started to stiffly make his way to the door.

Nightmare sighed and allowed him to leave. That was probably the best she was going to get out of him. Besides, she had other things on her mind now. The most concerning being how easily she lost her cool over her apprentice.
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Twilight had taken to wandering the streets after forcing what little food she could stomach down her gullet at breakfast. She needed to do something, anything, to get her mind off of what had been done. However, lacking any good ideas, she had decided to go for a walk.

Around her it was clear to see the ponies of the town were worried. They weren’t panicking, but there were murmurs and fearful looks everywhere. To the self-depreciating unicorn it felt as if the stares were directed at her, as if everyone knew what she had done, what kind of monster she was. Unable to shake the paranoia, Twilight grew increasingly uneasy, and hunkered lower to the ground, almost crawling. Her ears folded back, and her eyes began to dart around herself worriedly, afraid she was about to be lynched. A few passing gryphon soldiers snickered at her, and across the street a group of city guards glared at her in disdain. The young mare was only snapped out of her delusion when she bumped against the rump of a rather large brown earth pony.

She skittered back a few steps, as the stallion turned to look at her with a curious grumble. She swallowed hard once she noticed he was wearing the mythril armor of a praetorian. After staring for awhile, a look recognition settled onto his face. He blinked in surprise, before asking in a gruff and booming voice, “Hey, you’re the Empress’ slave, aren’t ya? The one I saw at the castle!”

“You…know me?” Twilight asked cautiously.

“Nah, not really, but I seen ya before leaving the garden all beat up and with yer master.” The stallion answered. “Ya look a lot different now, though. I barely recognized ya.”

The unicorn’s eyes drifted to the ground, certain his meaning was worse than it was, and in doing so locked upon the monstrous claw in place of the bottom half of her left foreleg. Curiously, the praetorian’s eyes followed the path of her own, and he winced a little at the sight. “Come on. I was just taking a look around a familiar town. We can talk.” He offered in an encouraging manner.

Confused but without anything better to do, Twilight began to walk beside the stallion. “Name’s Bender, by the way.” He introduced himself.

Hesitantly, the young mare did same, “Twilight Sparkle.”

“So…I heard about what happened.” Bender stated.

“Y-you did?” Twilight asked fearfully.

“At the breakfast table, remember lass?” The praetorian reminded.

Briefly, the unicorn thought back to this morning before remembering that she had seen a group of praetorians at the table. “Why are you here, exactly? We left the other praetorians up north in Stalliongrad, with Thunder Cracker.” She wondered cautiously, trying to change the subject.

“Huh? Oh, don’t know nothin’ about that. We were sent here to fetch Lobo.” Bender answered without a second thought.

“Lobo?” Twilight blurted in confusion.

The earth stallion shook his head, as he replied, “The wolf at the breakfast table. It’s a long story.”

The lavender mare grunted in response, barely remembering the immense beast in the wake of her master’s discussion. “Ah, but now ya distracted me. I was gonna ask why ya killed all ‘dem ponies.” Bender continued.

Twilight froze up, as the question brought to mind her night with that bitch for just an instant. Her anger came surging back, but she managed to restrict it, not wanting to cause another incident. “Mind your own damn business.” She hissed quietly.

The praetorian actually laughed in response, “Fine. Keep your secrets. I was just curious what could make a mare that I saw prancing like a filly back at the castle, despite a severe beating, lose it.”

Twilight grit her teeth, and glared off to the side of the streets, trying to keep calm. The idiot didn’t know what he was going on about. She needed to let it go. He needed to shut up. She NEEDED to let it go. “Bender!” A voice called, distracting the stallion.

Immediately, the young mare utilized the chance to escape, before she made another mistake. With the stealth possessed only by a thief grown up in Stalliongrad, she slunk away from the praetorian to be alone.

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“You look troubled. Noctim for your thoughts?” Masque Raid wondered, echoing his words from Stalliongrad.

He smirked, as he received a rare reaction of a jump from Nightmare Moon. The obsidian mare turned her attention from the strategy board they had setup in the study, turning it into a makeshift war room, and from the praetorian she had been talking with. “Masque.” She greeted in annoyance. “Do not sneak up on me again. It would be unhealthy.”

The devious stallion had to resist chuckling, “I wouldn’t be able to if you were on you’re game. Now, what seems to be the problem?

“Shall I handle this, Ma’am?” The praetorian asked.

“No. He’s another commander of the Republic. We’re equal rank.” The alicorn clarified for her companion.

“You’re still not answering me.” Masque pressed.

Nightmare frowned. “I had an interesting conversation with Lobo before he went into town. It made me think is all. Now, why are you here?” She wondered.

Masque walked over to the table, and levitated a letter out of his robe. “I’m surprised he could write.” The unicorn joked. “But Thunder Cracker says things are well. Stalliongrad has received its first shipment of supplies from Rapture. He’s chosen an acceptable candidate to manage the town for the Lunar Republic until the war is over, and is on his way to join us now.”

“I see.” Nightmare responded. “I don’t look forward to dealing with his pigheadedness, but this is still good news. Piercing Mark, here, was just explaining how our plan to advance won’t work.”

“Oh?” Masque wondered, as the subject was changed. “How so?”

“You can’t outmaneuver the blockade Legatus Zahav has set up.” The praetorian stated. “I know you can’t tell from here, but he’s used literally all of his legions to stretch it all the way across the Silver-seas Duchy’s southern border. There’s no getting around it.”

“Yes there is.” Masque argued without even having to think. “His blockade can only cover land. We can take ships around it, and make landfall in the Platinum Duchy.”

“There aren’t enough ships in the docks to carry the soldiers you’d need.” The Praetorian pointed out confusedly.

“No…But Rapture should have the extra ships.” Nightmare responded, as she caught onto Masque’s line of thought. “They’d have to sail far out to avoid being halted by Feliniss, so it would take awhile. But with steady supplies being delivered from over land we can hold our own here for as long as we need to.”

“There, see, no complication at all.” Masque stated smugly, as the praetorian shook her head in astonishment at the speed with which a new plan had been made. “Shall I go hunt down the gryphon commander and explain what we need?”

“Yes. Thank you, Masque Raid.” Nightmare responded pleasantly.
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Celestia trotted briskly through the halls of the Royal Pony Sisters’ Castle. She was not in a particularly good mood, but it showed itself only by the serious look on her face. Apparently the Legate had alarming news for her, and once she had sent his messenger away she began to hurry to his office. The staff and guards were quick to hurry out of her way when they spotted her.

The Empress had been a terror to many of them since this war began in earnest. Her normally calm if teasing demeanor had spoilt. She was often in a foul mood, and eager for any excuse to punish someone, as if they were to blame for the continuing rebellion.

When the brilliant white alicorn arrived in Artillerus’ office she noted that Prefect Daunting Hooves was also present. “Your majesty.” The Pegasus greeted respectfully, as he rose from his seat on the floor with a bow.

“Prefect.” She grunted, before sitting on a cushion beside him. “Where is the Legate?”

“Likely speaking to Legatus Path Blazer about deploying his troops. Maybe organizing some royal guards to go with him.” Daunting Hooves answered.

Celestia sent a sharp look down at the blank flanked pony. “Why?” She probed.

“I believe Legate Artillerus would be agitated if he did not tell you himself, your highness. I am sorry.” The Prefect apologized.

“And how is it that you know what this is about and I do not?” Celestia snapped coldly.

“Your radiance, you know as well as I that though we praetorians are small number we are everywhere.” Daunting answered with a smirk that earned him an open scowl from the Empress.

The door flung open again suddenly and an equally foul-mooded Artillerus entered. The enormous earth gelding walked around his desk, before smacking his hindquarters into his cushion angrily. “We’ve been betrayed.” He stated simply.

“What do you mean, Legate?” Celestia asked agitatedly. “What has happened?”

The earth pony stared at the Empress for a moment, before sighing and reaching into his desk for his private bottle of wine. He poured himself a glass, as well as one for both Celestia and Daunting Hooves, certain they would both need it. After taking a large gulp from his own, he sighed and answered, “Birdlelon…”
_____________________________________________________________________________________

“…has fallen.”

Lord Zahav’s blood ran cold, and his wine glass slipped from his magical grasp to shatter on the ground. “…What?” The noble-turned-general blurted in an uncharacteristically weak voice.

“I’m sorry, sir. We don’t have much information at this time, but smoke was seen rising from it. In addition, civilians were fleeing from what they said were Grand Army troops. Legatus Legionis Ardent Fervor was spotted heading into the Platinum Duchy. It’s likely that he approached the city, and they allowed him into it, thinking he was just there defend it or camp for the night. He would’ve been able to take the entire city no problem. He had all his legions with him, and the city would’ve been taken by surprise from the inside and the out.” The soldier reporting to him explained.

“A-and…my family?” Zahav wondered fearfully.

The soldier was quiet for a long moment before answering, “None of the survivors who have made it out are of the Platinum Bloodline. To our knowledge, anyway.”

The world was falling apart underneath the aging unicorn’s hooves. This couldn’t be happening. For one of very few times in his life, the legatus felt weak and powerless. Zahav took in a shaky breath before quietly ordering, “Go…”

“Yes sir.” The soldier replied respectfully and left the tent.

In privacy, the stallion grit his teeth, and began to cry, hiding his face on the table. He was unsure how long he was crying. He only stopped when he felt a cold disgusting massive wet clammy appendage gripping his shoulder gently, and its fingers squeeze him reassuringly. He turned to face whatever this was, and in retrospect he would wonder why he didn’t cower in fear at sight of the three monsters. As one the triumvirate spoke, “We can help you.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________

As Twilight watched her namesake take the sky she was filled with just as much unease as she had since her master left her at the breakfast table. Her run in with the praetorian had not helped her to calm down either. Though her anger had faded the arrogance of asking her such a private question still bothered her.

She lay out in the courtyard of the Silver-seas’ estate, alone. The only ones that dared approach her were her soldiers. They could tell something was wrong, and they were clearly concerned. She could not tell them what had happened, though. Her master would be angry if she did, and she didn’t believe her soldiers would respect her the way they did now if they knew either. So the young unicorn just turned them away, and continued to lay alone in her private misery.

What she had done was unforgivable. Of that she was certain now. Those worms had deserved to die!…But the manner in which she went about it was wrong. It was odd. She did not regret killing them at all. What she regretted……was her cruelty. She had been just as monstrous to them, as they had been to others. With this realization, the unicorn’s eyes drooped in further depression.

The sight of the marble hand only made things worse. She made monsters too. She created some…things. Horrific creatures that made her shudder at the memory of their disgusting appearances. She’d poured all of her hatred and anger into them. She’d somehow CREATED living beings for the sole purpose of her revenge. Twilight wasn’t sure what was more vile. The monsters she made, or the fact that she twisted new life with her fury.

The young mare’s ears twitched, and her attention was brought to the Noble District gate. The large metal doors swung open to reveal Zig Zag and Raven entering the grounds again with a grey Pegasus. She shifted her eyes to the warm stone on which she lay in shame once more. Then there were these two. She didn’t know what they had done, but, regardless, she had brought a colt and a young gryphoness with her on her rampage. Then she’d left them to fend for themselves to boot. “This is her, Shadow Flight. The mare that helped us.” Zig Zag introduced with a friendly smile.

Huffing tiredly, Twilight stood up and faced the three. “Zig Zag. Raven.” She greeted nervously.

“You’re Twilight Sparkle? The mare who brought Zig Zag to that club last night?” The pegasus asked with more than a hint of anger in his voice.

Oh fuck. “Yes.” The unicorn answered cautiously.

“How could have you?! Do you have any idea what could’ve happened to him or Raven?!! They’re children for Celestia’s sake!” Shadow Flight yelled.

Twilight’s claws twitched at the name. “Shadow, what’re you doing?! We’re not helpless, and we knew the risks! I couldn’t just let her go after the ones that killed Mom by herself, though. I had to be there.” Zig Zag interjected, seemingly shocked by the older pegasus’ outburst.

Shadow ranted right over him, paying the earth colt little attention, “And don’t you dare tell me you did it with the best of intentions, because I know that’s a load of shit! There were more than one waitresses dead!”

“What do they ma--” Twilight tried to ask.

“They were tail lifters too you idiot!” The angry pegasus interrupted. “But Zig Zag and Raven tell me you killed them! They weren’t just caught in the crossfire either! You actively hunted them down! Not only that, but you killed Iron Helm as well!”

The lavender unicorn frowned. That was one of the names Iron Rod gave her, his older son. “He was on OUR side, but I guess shouldn’t expect some two-bit psychotic bitch that enjoys the suffering of others to know or care!” The grey stallion insulted.

Twilight grit her teeth. Enjoy the suffering of others? No. She didn’t. She didn’t enjoy her actions last night even as she did them. She was nothing like that bitch! “You were FRIENDS with one of THEM?!” Zig Zag exclaimed in horror, contorting his face in a snarl.

“He FOUNDED the Bright Skies! We were slowly freeing everyone enslaved in that damned club, and delivering them to safe lives in another duchy. In the long run we would have destroyed that filth pit without slaughtering the ones we were trying to save, might I add.” Shadow Flight explained to the young colt.

“Slowly.” Twilight sniped vindictively.

“You, shut up!” Shadow Flight barked, drawing a scowl from the mare. “Like you were doing them any favors, coming in there and slaughtering everyone in front of them! Do you have any idea what they’d been through, what kind of hell that place was!? They’ve suffered enough, and they certainly didn’t need a massacre committed right in front of them to add on top of that! It’s because of ponies like you that they wound up there in the first place, you irresponsible sociopath mon--”

“QUIET!” Twilight ordered.

Shadow Flight’s jaw snapped shut instinctively at the command. Only now did he notice that several soldiers had surrounded him during his rant. He looked to his sides to check that Zig Zag and Raven were alright for the first time since they arrived, but was surprised to find them now standing beside Twilight. Raven merely sat by Zig Zag with a scowl on her face, but young earth colt stared him with a mixture of disbelief, betrayal, and anger. The two of them glared at him. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong. However he quickly shut it again, as he heard the unicorn speak, drawing his attention back to her, “I have had enough of this! I am not proud, and I know I was wrong! But if you think I’m going to just stand here and listen to some stupid little nopony prick yell at me about it then you’re dead wrong! Do I know what they’ve been through?! I grew up in Stalliongrad alone! All my life I have had to scrape and struggle to survive! I’ve been beaten, arrested, enslaved, and…”

Her heart skipped a beat, and her mind reeled and rebelled against saying the next word. But her spirit demanded she say it, “…Raped! I know what they’ve been through a hell of a lot better than a little nine-to-five average piddly little cunt like you. Oh, and as for your ‘friend?’ He held me down while his little brother cut off the bottom half of my leg. So don’t try to tell me he was some righteous hero. He was just like the rest of them. Now, fuck off.”

Shadow Flight stood gaping, not quite sure how to react. When he did not move for several seconds Twilight ordered her soldiers, “Escort him out.”

With a quick salute, two burly earth ponies began to push the pegasus towards the gate. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he’d do this. He said he had some information you’d want to know.” Zig Zag apologized, attracting Twilight’s attention.

The unicorn sighed, “It’s fine, but I would appreciate you two keeping last night a secret from now on. Besides, I should be the one apologizing. I know wasn’t…pleasant to you, to put it lightly.”

The colt thought for a moment before giving a small smile. “Thanks to you I got my revenge. As far as I’m concerned there’s nothing to forgive.” He replied with conviction.

“And you Raven?” Twilight wondered, casting the so-far quiet gryphon a hopeful look.

The gryphoness seemed to take longer to consider things, almost drawing the tension out on purpose. “So long as you treat ZZ better from now on I’ll forgive you.” She answered.

“Deal.” Twilight agreed, relief flowing through her.

Her ease fled when Raven walked right up to her face, staring down at her intimidatingly despite being several years younger. “But remember this, he’s mine. So keep your hooves to yourself mare. I’ve got my eye on you.” The gryphoness warned in a whisper.

Twilight blinked in confusion. She didn’t recall ever hinting at interest in the colt. He was a bit young, and she wasn’t…ready for something like that. “I’m…not interested?” She whispered in an attempt to put Raven at ease.

“Good.” The chimera responded with what appeared to be a triumphant smirk.

Author's Note

Hey everyone! I'm 19 today, so I figured what better way to celebrate my birthday than by giving you guys the next chapter. I know, it's been too long, but with both me and Leon caught up to the crossover chapters of our stories I have no choice but to focus on this more. Meaning updates should be coming faster than every few months for awhile now. I can't guarantee they will all be fast, but I hope to have at least two a month for you guys.

At any rate, while I don't think the chapter's perfect I think me and Leon did a pretty good job with it, and I hope you guys agree. If the argument between Lobo and Nightmare seems odd it would be because me and him tried something different with it, but I believe that it reads. I don't think you'll be able to tell.

Anyway, tell me what you all think.