The candlelight within the dark
Twilight Sparkle sat in her throne at the great Castle of Canterlot. The moon's rays blasted through the stain glass windows. Twilight's bored face rested against her lavender hoof. Ever since absorbing King Sombra, she had lost the need to sleep, and even if she tried to, her conscious would not fade into the dream world, her consciousness would simply remain in the real world and her eyelids would merely rest over her eyes.
Her red, lizard like eyes, made their way towards the stain glass image of her when she had conquered the last nation on the continent. Her eyes traveled along the other windows left of the image. One of the Griffon Emperor surrendering, one of her declaring war, the third was one of her absorbing the regal sisters, the fourth being one of King Sombra's defeat, as a replacement to what was originally there.
Queen Twilight had that one changed long ago, for what was there was her greatest failure. Why her former mentor had chose to put it up was a mystery to her. Memories from that day came flooding back to her in an instant, regardless of weather she wanted to or not.
Memories of the shield set by Cadence failing and Sombra breaching the crystal empire. Watching Cadence being turned to stone and then being shattered before their very eyes. Seeing two of her closest friends, Rarity and Pinkie Pie, being crushed by the crystal balcony when it collapsed. and worst of all, looking on, unable to do anything, as Spike, her number one assistant and closest friend which she hatched and raised from birth, fall from the top of the crystal tower to his end.
It was a dreadful feeling, watching innocent ponies she had grown to love, being cut down from grace. She had not went to see Princess Celestia, she hadn't the heart to do so but, ever since that day, she had shut all her friends out in attempts to find ways of getting revenge on Sombra, and in doing so, gradually stopped believing in "the magic of friendship".
During her time looking over her memories, she had forgotten why she was sitting in the throne room. She prepared to get up and leave in search of an activity like reading a book or begin torturing a prisoner for her own enjoyment in order to take her mind off of her memories. She prepared to rise from her throne and begin trotting towards the great doors that towered over the room. Suddenly, as if on cue, a blue unicorn guard burst into the room.
She quickly changed her face back to it's original, bored state. She could not afford to look weak in front of her soldiers.
"Your highness" he called trotting towards the throne. When he reached the first step of the throne he removed his helmet, revealing his charcoal gray and gold colored hair, and bowed politely.
"What is it"? she asked, her fake bored expression remaining on her face.
"The scientists were correct your highness, another landmass exists on the other side of the world", he explained.
'Another landmass eh', she thought to herself. Her memories changed from her memories of sorrow into memories of her scientists informing of her of how they may have discovered a new area of land.
"Continue", she encouraged, her saddened memories beginning fade from her mind.
"As I said, the scientists have discovered a new area of land, they said it makes our continent look like a small island", he continued.
"Really", she said quietly, raising an eyebrow. "Tell me, how come we have not discovered this land already if it is so large"?
The guard looked up at his queen fearfully. He knew he had to be careful in what he was saying, saying something that that sounds like a lie could have dire consequences for him.
"They said it exists inside something they called, "the great mist", the said that after many years of trying, they had managed to find some traces of a habitable land" he answered.
"The great mist" well that explains everything", she said.
"Your highness if you don't mind me asking, but", he gulped before continuing. "What is the "great mist".
"I did not expect you to know, the great mist is more of a large cloud in which magical energy cannot see into or be used to pass through, and can only be used once inside, meaning you can use magic to teleport out, but not to get in", she explained.
'So that is what the great mist is, perhaps finally I can -'.
He was cut off from his thoughts when Queen Twilight spoke up.
"What is your name"? she asked.
In normal cases, the guard would have asked why, but as this was the queen he decided to reveal his name to be safe.
"Spellmaker, my queen", he answered, bowing his head again.
"Well then, Spellmaker, I have a task for you", she said.
"What is it, my queen"?
"I need you to round up the other soldiers, we're going to pay this land a visit", she ordered.
"So soon"? he questioned.
"Yes, I have been waiting for too long for a new place to conquer", she explained.
'How far you have fallen, Twilight Sparkle', Spellmaker thought to himself, quickly something important sprung into his head. "Wait what if there is any kind of rebellion while you are gone"?
"Did you think I was going to leave Equestria defenceless? of course I'm going to leave an army to defend here", she explained as if the answer was completely obvious.
"But if the land is that big", he began.
Twilight sighed.
"Just go, you are wearing out my patience, now get on with your task before I kill you and hang your body", she ordered.
"Yes my Queen", Spellmaker said saluting before quickly racing out of the room.
Twilight smiled, memories of the crystal empire had faded from her mind and had been replaced by eagerness for a new battle. An eagerness she had not felt since defeating the final nation that was not under her control.
Meanwhile, as Twilight smiled at the thought of a new battle, an unknown being of great power watched her from an ancient prison which many have searched for, but none could find. The being watching her used a conjured orb which was promptly shattered, after the being had seen all that it required.
"Come, Twilight Sparkle, play my game. In the end, everypony is my pawn, even somepony as powerful as you".
At the center of the ancient prison was a rock with a chessboard on it. A shadowy aura materialized around around a pawn and moved it a few places further along the board.
"And all pawns can be sacrificed".